Madmen don't keep diaries

Chapter 380, page 379: The Boiling Water Wharf of Tea Smoke Isle

As they turned into the culvert, the light dimmed, and the three of them unconsciously slowed down their rowing speed.

The fantastical scenery inside the cave caused them to momentarily lose their focus, which is why they forgot to steer the ship for a time.

The boat swayed slightly, and the horse's head lightly bumped against the stone wall of the culvert, producing a hollow echo.

Fang Youliu quickly turned the rudder back.

Feng Xiuhu was still in a daze, staring blankly upwards with his head tilted back.

Actually, the inside of the culvert wasn't completely dark.

Countless glowing vines climbed up the stone walls on both sides and then hung down from the dome. The faint blue light seeped into the water and reflected a shimmering glow in the river, bathing the entire culvert in a hazy halo.

The horse-head boat seemed to glide across a galaxy.

"Setting up a ticket booth here would make them a fortune..."

Feng Xiuhu muttered to himself.

Water droplets condensed on the vine roots fell onto Feng Xiuhu's neck, their icy touch like a snake's tongue pricking him, jolting him back to his senses.

Fang Youliu's voice came from ahead: "This vine is called Yingjin Vine, and it usually only grows in the caves of underground rivers."

“But Thousand Isles City is an exception. Constance speculated about this in his notes, perhaps because the real necessary growth conditions for the Firefly Vine are not factors like ‘underground’ or ‘cave’, but rather its real growth conditions should be attached to complex water veins.”

"The watercourses of underground rivers are often much more complex than those of surface rivers, which is why the Firefly Vine almost never appears on the surface."

"But after Jiang Liugong used his divine power to transform Qianyu City into what it is today, it just so happened to meet the growth conditions of the Yingjin Vine, which is why it was able to appear here."

Feng Xiuhu nodded, subconsciously picking up where Fang Youliu left off: "Because it has lived in the dark underground for countless years, the Firefly Vine has evolved the ability to emit light on its own. It can use this ability to attract insects or fish to help it spread its seeds. Hmm... a typical animal-mediated dispersal method."

Fang Youliu turned around in surprise: "How do you know all this?"

He wasn't referring to the contents of the Yingjinteng (荧筋藤), but rather to the fact that Feng Xiuhu could articulate such a systematic theory.

Feng Xiuhu whispered to him, "Actually, I am the dean of the Mystic Arts Academy."

Fang Youliu ignored him again.

"Constant also mentioned in his journal that the Firefly Vine brought great benefits to Thousand Isles City. In addition to providing natural lighting for the culverts, the Firefly Vine played a crucial role in stabilizing the foundation."

"The 'Fire-veined Vine' is a tenacious plant with a tough texture. As it climbs and grows, it will deeply embed its roots into the soil and rocks."

Fang Youliu made a fist gesture: "Like this, hold the soil and rocks firmly. For the Firefly Vine, this is just to allow it to continue climbing and growing, but for Thousand Island City, it makes the island's foundation more stable—especially important given that so many intricate culverts have been dug under the island."

"Constant was very interested in this. He even took some samples of the Firefly Vine with him when he left Thousand Isles City, intending to study it as a formal research topic after returning to the academy, but unexpectedly..."

Fang Youliu fell silent.

A white light appeared ahead; the culvert was almost at its end.

As the horse-headed boat approached the exit, the sounds of boiling water, shouts, and lapping against the shore blended into a muffled thunderclap that surged into the cave, invigorating Feng Xiuhu.

Shunzi suddenly asked, "What's this smell?"

Feng Xiuhu sniffed, as if the steam from boiling water was mixed with the astringency of tea and the burnt bitterness of tobacco.

The moment the bow of the ship crashed through the light curtain, Feng Xiuhu squinted as he was hit by the heat wave.

Once his vision returned, Feng Xiuhu looked out and saw a bustling marketplace—

The long street was bustling with activity in the mist, and the stoves of countless teahouses along the river were spewing white smoke, while the bluestone pavement was steaming with moisture.

Stalls selling tobacco lined the riverbank, and brown paste simmered in copper pots, bubbling and releasing a pungent, fishy aroma that filled the lungs.

It turns out that after exiting the culvert, we didn't arrive at the other side of the island, but instead drove directly into an inland river, with streets on both sides of the river.

The banks were lined with ferry landings; to the left were houses, and to the right were shops. Fang Youliu said that number 33 Gunshui Wharf, which they were looking for, was on the left. Feng Xiuhu was looking up at the address when suddenly a shout rang in his ears.

"It's still hot!"

On the right bank of the ferry, a waiter from the teahouse suddenly swept a bamboo pole across the water. Feng Xiuhu ducked and was about to start cursing when he saw a bamboo basket hanging from the tip of the pole, with three warm tea eggs rolling inside.

With the bamboo basket pressed against his face and the aroma filling his nostrils, Feng Xiuhu couldn't help but swallow, and the words that were about to come out of his mouth became: "How much is it?"

The servant smiled broadly: "Not expensive, five copper beads each."

Feng Xiuhu's face darkened: "So expensive?"

Back in the day, a dry biscuit in the city only cost two copper coins, and a meat-filled one only cost three.

The servant replied, "Oh dear, where is it expensive? The price is the same all over the street!"

Feng Xiuhu understood – after all, Qianyu City was the prefecture capital, and its prices couldn't be compared to those of the bottom city.

Since they were all still hungry, he had Shunzi take out some money and put it in the bamboo basket, then took out three tea eggs and gave one to each of them.

The servant retrieved the bamboo pole, bowed to Feng Xiuhu, and said, "Please take care, sir!"

……

After pedaling along the river for a few more minutes, Liu, with his sharp eyes, was the first to spot the sign: "We've arrived."

Feng Xiuhu looked closely and saw a two-story building on the shore, with white walls and blue tiles, not much different from the surrounding buildings.

A wooden plank-paved ferry dock extends into the water in front of the gate, and because it has been neglected for so long, it is overgrown with weeds.

Fang Youliu brought the horse-headed boat closer, and Feng Xiuhu and Shunzi went ashore first.

They stood on the ferry landing, curiously gazing at the bustling street across the way.

People in the shops across the street were also curiously observing them.

"Hey!"

The owner of the teahouse across the street leaned against the railing and waved to Feng Xiuhu: "Is this your house?"

Feng Xiuhu shamelessly admitted, "That's right!"

The innkeeper laughed and exclaimed, "No one has lived here for years!"

Feng Xiuhu replied, "I went on a long trip!"

The street was bustling, and the two people, separated by a small river, had to shout at the top of their lungs to be heard by each other.

The shopkeeper recalled for a moment, then suddenly felt puzzled. He asked the busy servant next to him, "How come I remember that a foreigner used to live here?"

The servant thought for a moment and said, "I think so too."

"Tsk tsk tsk..."

The shopkeeper stroked his beard and looked back at the opposite bank.

Fang Youliu tied the horse-head boat ashore, went to the door, drew a rune in his palm, and then pressed the door lock.

After closing his eyes and sensing for a moment, he drew a new rune, and a slender vine emerged from his sleeve and burrowed into the keyhole.

A short while later, with a "click," the door opened.

Feng Xiuhu was stunned.

"No, you didn't have a key?"

(End of this chapter)