Springwater Treasure Chest

Holding a slightly flattened, irregularly shaped wild persimmon between his fingertips, Lu Heng activated the bracelet's built-in basic appraisal with a thought.

A pale blue glow swept across the fruit in his palm, and a concise line of text immediately appeared on the bracelet's interface.

[Item: Wild persimmon]

[Grade: Ordinary ingredient]

[Status: Well preserved on the branch, flesh ripe and soft, no toxins, no mutations, no bonus attributes]

[Note: Can be eaten fresh]

It was exactly as Lu Heng had judged with his own eyes.

Lu Heng studied the bracelet's appraisal interface, confirming that this was the same ordinary wild persimmon found everywhere back in the real world. Memories of life in his rural hometown instantly surged up, and he naturally recalled something from the past: every persimmon harvest season, the families back home would keep some ripe persimmons to ferment into vinegar.

Surviving on the frozen earth, he normally had only fresh water to drink at his Shelter, with no sauces or seasonings whatsoever. Aside from the monotonous taste, when he later caught freshwater fish and shellfish or ate wild greens raw, he would have nothing to remove their fishy smell or enhance their flavor. If he stored these wild persimmons in batches and reproduced the traditional fermentation method to make vinegar, he could both improve the flavor of his meals and remove the fishiness from aquatic ingredients, opening up another survival option through food processing.

The wild persimmon tree was rooted on a sunny slope beside the river, its trunk and branches thick and sturdy. The lower fruits, exposed directly to the freezing wind, had been blown dry and flat, their skins wrinkled. The persimmons in the middle and upper canopy, sheltered from the cold wind and receiving ample sunlight, were a translucent orange-red, their skins moist and firm. On the resource-scarce frozen earth, fresh fruit like this was a rare provision.

Lu Heng planted his feet firmly on a thick forked branch, picked several plump persimmons with secure stems and no insect holes, and tucked them into the canvas pouch at his waist. The rough bark scraped his palms with a faint sting. He deliberately limited how many he picked, planning to keep some to eat fresh and save the rest for an attempt at making vinegar.

Just as he reached for a cluster of persimmons at the top, a flurry of urgent wingbeats suddenly erupted among the leaves overhead.

Whoosh-

Twenty or thirty white-headed birds burst out together and circled in midair. They were medium-sized, with white feathers on their heads, pale gray breasts and bellies, and light brown markings on their wings.

Lu Heng looked up and activated the bracelet to lock onto the flock.

[Creature: Light-vented Bulbul]

[Level: Ordinary small wild animal]

[Habits: Lives in flocks and guards its food, favors berries, calls collectively to drive off intruders, beak cannot penetrate defenses]

[Threat level: None]

Knowing they could not inflict any actual harm, Lu Heng relaxed much of his guard.

Sharp, raucous birdsong instantly filled the riverbank. The flock circled low around the branch where he stood, constantly beating against the foliage in a show of force, clearly intent on claiming the entire persimmon tree.

Lu Heng glanced impassively at the noisy flock and intended to keep picking, but the moment his fingertips touched a fruit stem, he abruptly froze.

A piece of common knowledge from the real world flashed through his mind: persimmons were high in tannic acid. Eating them together with high-protein aquatic foods, staple foods, or various wild greens could easily form hard masses in the stomach, causing anything from bloating and abdominal pain to obstruction and severe pain.

Out here in the frozen wilderness, with neither medicine nor doctors, even a minor stomach problem could prove fatal. He could not risk his own safety.

After weighing it briefly, Lu Heng withdrew his hand, no longer tempted by the wild persimmons on the branches. Gripping the trunk, he climbed steadily back to the ground. The seven or eight good-quality persimmons in his canvas pouch were just enough. The bracelet's Storage Slots had limited capacity, and he should not take up too much space. He might as well leave all the remaining wild persimmons to the birds.

When the circling, clamoring Light-vented Bulbuls saw him climb down and leave, they immediately stopped their racket and settled back onto the branches to preen, their soft, lively chirps full of triumphant delight.

Lu Heng brushed the bark fragments off his trouser legs and looked at the smug flock in the branches, his lips twitching helplessly. They were only a bunch of little creatures using their numbers to harass him with noise, yet they acted as though they had won an enormous victory.

Unwilling to linger, he turned and continued exploring slowly upstream along the river.

A little over ten minutes later, the terrain gradually rose, and a two-meter-high gray-white frozen-earth cliff appeared before him. Thin streams trickled down its face, forming a small waterfall. Clear water plunged into a rocky pool, with a thin veil of mist lingering over its surface year-round.

Lu Heng approached the pool and lightly touched the flowing water with his fingertips. A bone-piercing chill instantly seeped through his skin, far colder than the murky river water downstream.

The flock of Light-vented Bulbuls had followed him all the way here. They perched on persimmon branches along the cliff beside the waterfall, chirping softly, their eyes still fixed firmly on Lu Heng with concealed wariness.

Ignoring the birdsong, Lu Heng looked toward the damp soil beside the pool, where patches of tender waterside plants grew thickly. A sweep of the bracelet's pale blue light brought up two sets of appraisal information.

[Item: Wild water celery]

[Grade: Ordinary edible wild vegetable]

1C[Effect: Can be blanched and eaten cooked to provide dietary fiber, no dietary contraindications]

[Item: Wild plantain]

[Grade: Ordinary medicinal herb]

[Status: Intact and fresh, no mold or contamination]

[Effect: Can be boiled and drunk to relieve mild internal heat and gastrointestinal bloating, no side effects]

One food plant and one medicinal herb neatly filled the gaps in his current supplies. Lu Heng bent down and quickly gathered them, shaking the wet soil from their roots before putting everything into his canvas pouch. He planned to sort them out and store them in the bracelet's storage space after returning to the Shelter.

Once he had gathered the wild greens, he took the flask from his waist and unscrewed its cap, ready to fill it with the pool's flowing water. Previously, he had only been able to drink the silty river water downstream. He had never tasted mountain spring water this clean.

Lu Heng bent close to the pool's surface. The water was crystal clear, revealing the blue-gray stones, gently swaying aquatic plants, and tiny water insects on the bottom. His gaze slowly shifted toward a crevice in the center of the pool. Beside a large flat rock, a striking blue box was wedged between the stones-a blue treasure chest was hidden underwater.

Lu Heng crouched at the edge of the pool, his gaze locked on the treasure chest resting on the silt below. He had already made up his mind: he had to get it.

He had seen quite a few treasure chests along the way, but this was the first time he had encountered this kind hidden underwater. It was rare, and there was no reason to pass it up. He could not casually abandon supplies delivered right before his eyes.

Tightening his grip on the Wooden Spear, he extended his arm and thrust it hard into the water toward the treasure chest. The spear tip plunged down, but it still fell short of the box.

Lu Heng frowned. The pool looked so clear that he could see straight to the bottom, which had instead led him to instinctively underestimate its depth. His eyes had badly misjudged it; the actual depth far exceeded what it appeared to be.

After several attempts confirmed that the Wooden Spear alone could not reach it, Lu Heng gritted his teeth. He could only go into the water himself.

Without delay, he stripped off his soaked outer layer of thick animal hide and outer clothing, storing all the still-dry inner furs in the bracelet's storage space. Wearing only a thin layer of close-fitting cloth clothing, he bent down, removed his leather boots, and placed them neatly on a dry rock onshore.

He had barely stepped onto the wet mud by the water when his foot slipped on the silt, made slick by the rain. Before Lu Heng could steady himself, he landed heavily on his backside in the mud.

Icy muddy water soaked through the thin fabric, and a bone-piercing chill shot up his back. Bracing himself against the ground, he rubbed his aching backside and gave a bitter chuckle. However difficult it was, he still had to go down. He could not simply leave the treasure chest there.

An even greater problem was that he was a terrible swimmer. At most, he could manage a crude dog paddle, nowhere near enough to keep swimming for long. To steady himself underwater and reach the chest successfully, he would have to rely on the Wooden Spear for support against the pool bed the entire time, preventing himself from drifting away out of control.

Composing himself, Lu Heng gripped the long Wooden Spear firmly with both hands and took a deep breath, filling his chest with air before holding it. With a light push off the muddy bank, he held the spear shaft and slowly submerged toward the bottom.

The instant he entered the water, a bone-piercing cold enveloped him, seeping through his skin and into his bones. His muscles involuntarily contracted sharply from the chill.

He hurriedly drove the Wooden Spear deep into the silt beneath him to brace himself. The piercing cold of the water left his head slightly dazed, and his meager dog-paddling skills only heightened his panic. The pool was clear enough to create an easy illusion of shallow water, but it was actually over two meters deep. Most of his body was submerged, and the slick, soft silt beneath his feet offered no firm footing. Every small movement forward required him to grip the spear shaft tightly to support himself.

The instant he looked down toward the treasure chest, his heart clenched. Several slender, slippery creatures were swimming beside the silt on the pool bed, their elongated bodies looking remarkably like snakes.

Having only recently fought a deadly battle with a venomous Blue-Spotted Snake, he had not yet shaken off his fear of snakes. Lu Heng instantly panicked. Not daring to linger, he immediately clamped the Wooden Spear against himself and kicked frantically toward the surface.

After surfacing, he held onto the bank and gasped for breath. Through the clear water, he carefully examined the shapes below, looking them over several times before finally recognizing them as merely elongated fish in the silt, not venomous snakes.

Only then did his heart settle. After briefly calming his breathing, he once again filled his lungs with air, gripped the Wooden Spear, and submerged, heading straight for the treasure chest on the bottom.

More than two meters underwater, the cold kept eating into his body. Lu Heng planted the Wooden Spear firmly in the silt to steady himself and edged forward slowly. Before long, his fingertips touched the cold, wet chest. He immediately hooked one hand firmly around its edge and, with a thought, put the entire treasure chest directly into his tattoo space. With the task done, he kicked hard against the silt and rose quickly toward the surface. Once his head broke through the water, he hurriedly waded back to shore.

He did not dare delay after getting out. He quickly took dry animal hides from his tattoo space and vigorously wiped away the water soaking his close-fitting cloth clothing, then changed into dry, thick furs to ward off the cold. His feet were covered in silt, so he went to the water's edge, gave them a quick rinse, and swiftly pulled on his leather boots.

The water's biting chill still lingered on his body, but with that unique underwater treasure chest successfully secured, today's haul had already far exceeded his expectations. Without lingering, he turned and headed back toward the cave Shelter.

On the return journey, Lu Heng kept a tight grip on the Wooden Spear, ready to switch weapons at any moment as he watched for beasts lurking in the surrounding bushes and along the riverbank. Fortunately, the journey was peaceful, and he suffered no attacks.

After entering the Shelter, he paced back and forth to stretch his frozen limbs, raised his hands, and lightly clapped twice. With a thought, he took the underwater treasure chest from his tattoo space and placed it on the ground. As soon as his fingertips touched the box, the bracelet automatically displayed an appraisal panel:

[Springwater Treasure Chest (Special-environment treasure chest)]

Description: An exclusive treasure chest generated by an aquatic environment. Its supplies correspond to the ecological resources of pools, mountain springs, and wetlands.

Once the appraisal ended, a layer of white vapor rose around the treasure chest. The wooden box slowly dissolved within the mist, vanishing entirely a moment later and leaving five items neatly arranged on the stone floor.

Lu Heng watched the strange sight, filled with disbelief. But then he reconsidered. He had personally experienced transmigration and survival; no further bizarre phenomena should come as a surprise.

He lowered his head to examine all the rewards on the ground:

Black Iron-tier Water Soul Crystal ×1

Description: A rare resource produced in special aquatic environments, usable for Shelter building upgrades. When worn against the body, it continuously releases cold, providing portable cooling. When stored with ingredients, it can serve as a small natural ice cellar to delay spoilage.

Martial technique inheritance: Flowing Water Blade Art

Description: A basic blade technique modeled on the continuous flow of water. Its movements are smooth and connected, using an opponent's force to deflect power and combining offense with defense. It consists of three moves: force deflection, horizontal slash, and straight thrust. Long-term practice can slightly improve physical flexibility. Suitable for close combat with a short blade.

Water purification device

Can be installed directly in the Shelter. Automatically filters water flowing into the Shelter, removing impurities and harmful microorganisms.

Black Iron-tier Clear Spirit Water-Pattern Necklace

Description: An accessory nurtured by an aquatic environment. Stabilizes the wearer's mental power and provides resistance against mental interference from supernatural creatures. Comes with an independent, exclusive ten-slot storage space for small personal supplies, separate from the bracelet's main storage space.

Looking at the neatly arranged rewards before him, Lu Heng was deeply stunned and could not help marveling inwardly. These special treasure chests are incredible. Every single item is as practical as it gets.

Delighted, he bent down and picked up all the items one by one, holding each in his hands for a careful inspection and repeatedly examining every treasure's details.

Once he had finished admiring them, Lu Heng immediately planned to activate every item that could be put to use directly. Using the bracelet's functions, he first selected the water purification device. A faint light flashed, and its installation was instantly complete. It automatically settled at the Shelter's water inlet, ensuring that all water flowing inside would be purified from then on.

Next, he targeted the ice cellar building module. He had thought it would take shape as soon as he activated it, just like the water purification device, but the bracelet immediately displayed a notification: constructing the low-temperature cellar required additional ice-attribute ore as a foundation material. The module could not be activated on its own.

Lu Heng was immediately speechless. The Water Soul Crystal in his possession was rare, and he had other plans for it-the Shelter's later upgrades already required special rare materials, and the Water Soul Crystal was perfectly suited to water-related building upgrades. Consuming it to construct an ice cellar simply would not be worth it.

He had to keep this crystal and use it later, when upgrading the Shelter's main structure.

With no ice-attribute ore on hand, he could only put the ice cellar module away for now. Lu Heng made a mental note of it, then reconsidered. Finding a Springwater Treasure Chest in that cold pool today was enough to show that plenty of related resources must be hidden beneath those waters. When he had time, he would definitely return and search the area around the cold pool carefully for the ice-attribute ore needed to build the ice cellar.