Wang Qi's greatest worry had become reality. He had indeed run into a water crisis.
He had not thought of this earlier and had made no effort to regulate his body's moisture. Now he could only drink some of the cooled boiled water left in his waterskin, then try to address his water loss with internal qi while thinking of a solution.
But the more he thought, the more disheartened he felt. If he actually lit his own fire to boil water once he reached the barracks, he could hardly make himself look more out of place.
The good news, however, was that regulating his circulation with internal qi while moving did indeed greatly reduce his fluid loss.
In other words, with internal qi regulating his body from within, he would have greater endurance even under extreme external conditions.
Wang Qi felt a little encouraged, but soon grew troubled again.
By now, they were halfway through the march.
Everyone was drenched in sweat, and the column had stretched out a long way.
But no one deserted. After all, the Great Peng Dynasty was still at the height of its power, and desertion meant being struck from its registers entirely... that was a very severe punishment.
Besides, these young men from farming families could endure hardship. As long as the army camp guaranteed them enough food, they would grit their teeth and carry on, however exhausted they became.
Just then, Wang Qi noticed that the men at the head of the column seemed to be stopping one after another, bending down and crouching beside the road.
A brief look told him there must be a mountain spring flowing down from the slopes there.
That lifted his spirits a little, and he dragged the already panting Wang Ergou over with him...
A clear stream flowed down from the mountains over a pebbled bed, winding into a bend before them that formed a small pool, then curling back into the mountains on the other side.
When they arrived, the soldiers at the front had just stood up... several looked surprised to see Wang Ergou, then nodded with sinister grins before turning to continue onward.
Wang Ergou nearly exploded with anger at the sight of them, but after a moment's thought, he held it in. He merely gave a sullen grunt, crouched down, and took out his waterskin to fill it from the small pool.
Seeing this, Wang Qi knew Ergou must have reined in his hotheaded temper... that counted as a kind of growth, perhaps.
Actually, had Wang Qi been treated this way, he would probably have dumped all those things beside the road and left them there.
Those men looked as though they had been wandering swordsmen before enlisting, so naturally they liked to band together and throw their weight around.
But this was the army. If their commanding officer discovered that they had arrived at their destination empty-handed... it was easy enough to imagine how they would be dealt with.
Still, since Wang Ergou had chosen to endure it, Wang Qi might as well endure it alongside him... they were from the same village, after all, and had even been "playmates" as children. He also hoped to see Wang Ergou mature in temperament.
Yet unexpectedly, after filling his waterskin, Ergou said in a somewhat cold voice, "Qi, we're still too weak. That's why they can bully us... I've thought it over. If we don't want to be bullied in this world anymore, we have to get stronger. Stronger still!"
"All right, Ergou. We'll get stronger together," Wang Qi replied casually... he had been working to grow stronger from the very beginning.
Wang Ergou's gaze softened slightly. Only now did he appreciate how good it was to have someone from his village beside him when he was far from home... however poorly they had gotten along back there, out here they were as close as brothers.
Wang Qi did not give it much thought. While pouring the remaining water in his waterskin into his mouth, he took a few extra steps upstream.
He kept feeling that the water in this bend might not be fresh enough. He wanted to draw water from farther upstream, where it was clearer... given how fussy he was, only "mineral water" could barely take the place of "cooled boiled water" in his heart.
With an attitude of making do as best he could, Wang Qi bent down to fill his waterskin, but his need for clean water remained unresolved.
Yet just as he finished filling it and was about to turn away, he unexpectedly noticed a fellow dressed like a clerk watching him... oh, a familiar face. It was the clerk who had registered his information earlier. His surname was Zhao, if he remembered correctly?
Following his survival instincts in an unfamiliar environment, he approached and greeted him warmly. "Scribe Zhao, are you here to draw water too? Come over here. The running water upstream is cleaner and clearer."
Scribe Zhao's face seemed to twitch faintly at that. Then he said, "I was just wondering why you suddenly left the marching route and ran into the mountains... I thought you were trying to desert."
That was the truth. Officers of every rank were watching closely along the route, and any deserter would be punished severely, without mercy.
Wang Qi immediately jumped in alarm, realizing that his current behavior could already be considered a breach of the rules.
He hurriedly explained, "I was only worried that drinking dirty water would upset my stomach. I had no other intentions."
Scribe Zhao merely nodded without saying anything. After all, he had watched Wang Qi's actions clearly from behind... he figured this mountain hunter was probably accustomed to clear spring water and simply had a picky palate... this hunter certainly knew how to live. He was more particular than the sons of noble families.
Still, a warning was necessary, lest the boy become difficult to discipline because he relied too much on his talent.
So he feigned anger and asked, "Is that really so?"
"It really is!" Wang Qi immediately declared firmly... he did his best to appear utterly innocent.
"In that case..." Clerk Zhao nodded, then stroked his goatee and said, "Commandant Lin was originally going to reward every newly appointed squad leader with an opportunity to learn a combat technique... since you are so fond of clean water, how about I take the liberty of replacing your opportunity to learn a combat technique with a lesson in the 'Water-Cleansing Spell'?"
Wang Qi's eyes instantly widened, his face a picture of shock...
Scribe Zhao, however, thought his "warning" had worked. Stroking his beard, he chuckled softly. "Once we reach the training camp, just come find me. I'll teach you the incantation for the 'Water-Cleansing Spell.'"
Wang Qi came back to his senses and asked cautiously, "This 'Water-Cleansing Spell' sounds rather like a sorcerer's incantation. Will it be difficult to learn?"
Scribe Zhao was surprised. He kept feeling that Wang Qi's expression was not quite right. Rather than looking disappointed and dejected, he seemed worried about something... could he actually be worried that he would not be able to learn this "Water-Cleansing Spell"?
Then Scribe Zhao laughed to himself. Surely that was impossible.
So he shook his head, turned, and walked back as he said, "Don't worry. This is the simplest of spells. Among sorcerers' incantations, it doesn't even qualify as a basic one... even if you have no talent for sorcery, as long as your pronunciation is accurate, you'll be able to cast it after a few tries."
Wang Qi was overjoyed to hear that, but dared not show it. He followed silently behind Scribe Zhao, who strode back with the bearing of a dragon and the gait of a tiger.
But inwardly, he was delighted. At last, his quality of life could improve just a little... he only hoped that the "Water-Cleansing Spell" really would be that miraculous.
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