HBWnovel Chapter 144 Sea Monster Tide
Chapter 144 Sea Monster Tide
Being able to climb the hundred-meter-high city wall and walk along it towards the east coast, that's a privilege, isn't it?
At dawn, there weren't many guards on the city wall, and Ning Xiaoxi strolled along its thick surface. Normally, climbing the city wall wasn't allowed, but Tianji's jade token was very useful.
"I'd rather be an official!"
Ning Xiaoxi turned around and saw Li Jia running over quickly. She raised her hand to greet him, "Good morning, Li subordinate!"
Li Jia approached Ning Xiaoxi and asked, "Is Commander Ning planning to visit the East Coast?"
“Hmm.” Ning Xiaoxi nodded, turned around and started walking. “I grew up in the royal city and have never seen the sea.”
Li Jia followed Ning Xiaoxi, saying, "Our Great Xia has a very long coastline, almost surrounded by the sea on all four sides. The entire Great Xia is like being surrounded by the sea. Before I came to Beixiao, I was stationed in the west. The scenery there is completely different from here!"
"The west?" Ning Xiaoxi looked at Li Jia curiously. "I've read about it in travelogues. It seems like the west is mostly desert. Is there a sea there too?"
"Once you cross the desert, you'll reach the Western Sea. But the desert is so vast that very few people can actually cross it. I made a huge decision to cross the desert back then because I needed to train and improve my strength!" Li Jia said with a nostalgic expression. "That experience was truly unforgettable. It was because of that experience that I was chosen by Lord Tianhui and brought to Beixiao to guard the area."
"I didn't expect that Officer Li, who looks so young, has already traveled so far." Ning Xiaoxi looked at Li Jia with a smile. Regardless of why he wanted to follow her, it was nice to have someone to chat with. "Then, Officer Li, the west is too far, and I won't be going there anytime soon. Could you tell me more about the sights and fun things to see and do in Beixiao?"
“I have been stationed in Beixiao with Lord Tianhui for three years now, and at least there are no more demons in Beixiao City,” Li Jia said thoughtfully.
Ning Xiaoxi secretly rolled her eyes. If there were no demons in the city, then what was that red-scaled merman she had taken in yesterday?
"Besides enemies from abroad, the biggest hidden danger is the marine mammal tide."
"A sea monster tide?"
"It's just that sea creatures have entered the inland due to climate or food reasons. However, sea creature tides haven't occurred for nearly a hundred years, so there's no need for Ning Shuguan to worry."
"Does Officer Li know anything about the sea monster tide last time?" The two talked as they walked. Ning Xiaoxi wasn't stingy; she pulled a piece of dried meat from her pocket and handed it to Li Jia, then took one for herself and started chewing. Unfortunately, her stockpile was running low; it was uncertain whether she could last until Fu Fang!
Li Jia didn't stand on ceremony, took the jerky, took a bite, and then his eyes lit up, "Jerky from a demon beast."
"Walking around is no fun, let's eat and chat!"
Li Jia smiled slightly, collected his thoughts, and said, "According to the records of Beixiao City, it was about ninety-eight years ago. That year, the weather was unusually cold. It started snowing in early September and by October, the land was frozen over for thousands of miles."
The weather is cold. Although the East China Sea does not freeze, the surface temperature is extremely low, and a cold wave has swept across the seabed. The cold water has killed many fish and caused the migrating fish schools to begin their southward migration at least a month earlier than planned.
Food became scarce for the sea creatures near the north. That year, for reasons unknown, the sea creatures reproduced exceptionally well during the summer, producing many newborns. To survive, they began to fight fiercely for food. Even so, food became increasingly scarce. Many sea creatures that normally hunted in the deep sea were unable to find food due to the cold snap. The surfacing of these deep-sea creatures exacerbated the food shortage, ultimately leading to the sea creatures' descent to the surface.
At that time, Beixiao did not yet have this city wall connecting the east coast. Outside the city wall, the land to the East China Sea coast was flat. Sea beasts rushed in, and they ate everything they could find along the way.
"Originally, there were two villages between Beixiao City and the coast, who made their living by fishing. They were trampled to death in the first wave of the sea monsters." Although I did not experience that sea monster tide, the city chronicles recorded it in great detail, serving as a warning and a means of prevention for later generations.
Ning Xiaoxi slowed her pace. At this moment, the two were passing a watchtower. There were five soldiers stationed on the tower. The squad leader saw the two Heavenly Generals and politely saluted from a distance, but did not approach.
"In such an impact, the people were the ones who suffered the most!" Ning Xiaoxi said in a low voice, "Did any sea monsters come ashore that time?"
"There weren't many sea monsters, only a few mid-level demons. Lord Tianhui, who was stationed in Beixiao City at the time, quickly eliminated them."
"The sirens haven't come ashore, only sea monsters?"
"Yes, but there were too many sea beasts. The guards held them off alone for two days and two nights. It was only when the Celestial Masters of the Celestial Master Pavilion from the five surrounding cities, the garrison troops, and the reinforcements led by the King of Youzhou arrived that all the sea beasts that came ashore were killed."
"The sea monsters haven't retreated?"
“No, that’s what the adults didn’t understand back then. In previous records, when the sea beasts couldn’t breach the city walls or fight them head-on, they would retreat quickly. But this time, they were all killed, not a single one retreated. The corpses of the sea beasts piled up almost to the level of the city walls, and the stench of blood lingered for months.” Li Jia was also imagining the scene at that time. Talking about it with others and reading the records himself were completely different experiences. It seemed that what he was saying was not just a piece of history, but also the hardships of human survival.
"Beasts should all have a sense of fear. To fight to the death knowing that they are about to die is not like the instinctive behavior of beasts."
"Therefore, after summarizing this battle, the adults applied to the king to build this city wall." Li Jia spread his arms, and the city wall was as wide as twenty meters. "Some parts of the city wall are hollow. If we encounter another sea beast tide and the human race is unable to fight it, we can rely on the city wall to preserve our strength and wait for reinforcements."
Further on, the number of patrolling soldiers increased, and two corner towers rose high. The city wall extended to the north and south, forming a barrier between the sea monsters and the northern barbarians. Beside each corner tower was a beacon tower, with dry wood and hot oil, guarded by four dedicated soldiers who would light the beacon at any time in case of an emergency.
Watching the soldiers patrolling back and forth, Ning Xiaoxi asked softly, "Have the long-range crossbows been put away?"
"A long-range crossbow?" Li Jia looked at Ning Xiaoxi with some doubt.
Ning Xiaoxi frowned. "Is there none?"
Passing through the two corner towers, the city wall extends a hundred meters on its own before abruptly breaking off, leaving only a sheer, knife-edged section, now covered with a thick layer of ice. The smooth surface reflects light like a mirror.
“Whenever the weather is ready to freeze, it is essential to irrigate the city with water.”
The city wall was still more than a hundred meters away from the actual coastline. Standing on the city wall, Ning Xiaoxi finally saw the East China Sea waves that never freeze!