Chapter 1377: Chapter 1377: The Mu Family’s Mixed Reputation
To him, that was not just a jar of water; it was the source of life for his entire family!
Startled by the boy’s shout, Qin Sisi asked hesitantly, "Are you saying that the jar is filled with water?"
"Nonsense!" the boy snapped, about to turn away, only to stop and look back at Ye You and Qin Sisi with a complex expression, asking in a low voice, "People here can’t possibly not know what’s in the jar. Are you... not from here?"
Seeing the boy angry, Qin Sisi was thinking about how to apologize when she heard his question and immediately nodded, replying, "Yes, we come from the outside."
The boy’s eyes widened in disbelief as he murmured to himself, "So the legend is true."
Ye You and Qin Sisi exchanged a puzzled glance and asked in a serious tone, "What legend?"
Swallowing, the boy replied, "The legend says that outside the Deep Pupil Desert, there live many other races of people. But I’ve never been out, and never seen anyone come in, so sometimes I doubt the legend is real and think it’s just something adults say to fool children. Now that someone has come in, it proves the legend is true."
Qin Sisi was amused by the boy’s innocence and said brightly, "You’re right, the legend is true. Outside the Deep Pupil Desert, there are indeed many, many people. You must go out and see for yourself when you have the chance!"
"Okay." The boy nodded vigorously, an enchanting sparkle in his bright eyes, which quickly dimmed again—he couldn’t even protect a jar of water, let alone talk about crossing the Deep Pupil Desert to the outside world.
"The water’s been stolen; how can I explain to my father and mother? I queued for five days and nights just to get some water, and they must have had nothing to drink at home these days." The boy murmured to himself sorrowfully, limping away with a look of despair, as his leg had also been hurt.
"Wait," Qin Sisi called after him, "are you saying your family desperately needs water?"
The boy replied, "Of course, who doesn’t need water here?"
"Is water really that scarce in this area?"
"Yes, very scarce, very scarce."
Understanding the boy’s situation, Qin Sisi said cheerfully, "Take us to your home; we have water."
"Really?" The boy’s face lit up with joy. He quickly examined the pair and the cat, disappointment soon surfacing as he muttered, "Liar, you don’t even have a container. How could you possibly have water?"
Qin Sisi’s eyes glistened. She gently lifted her paw and performed the Silent Drizzle water attribute magic skill, spraying a stream of clear water onto the boy’s face.
Stunned, the boy stood there for a long time, clear water dripping down from above. He stuck out his tongue to lick it, exclaiming with joy, "It’s water, you really have water!"
He hobbled over to Qin Sisi, urgently pleading, "Magic Cat Lord, please come home with me and save my parents."
Qin Sisi replied warmly, "Alright, you lead the way!"
"Okay, okay." The boy nodded vigorously, leading the way in front, often turning back to look at them with a joyful and curious expression.
Qin Sisi whispered in Ye You’s ear, "Is this alright?"
Ye You smiled and replied, "Why not?"
As long as she likes it, nothing is impossible.
On the way, Qin Sisi asked the boy’s name, which was Chen Pei, and learned that this area was extremely lacking in water, often leading to fights over it.
When they followed Chen Pei back to his home, they found his parents had fainted from lack of water.
Qin Sisi used her Silent Drizzle magic skill to spray cool water on their faces, and Chen Pei tried to feed some water into their mouths, allowing the couple to gradually wake up.
When Chen Pei introduced Ye You and Qin Sisi as coming from the outside world, their faces showed the same shock, though unlike Chen Pei’s delight, their shock was laced with concern.
As newcomers, Qin Sisi and Ye You were unfamiliar with everything here and needed someone to explain it all to them, so they began chatting with Chen Pei’s parents.
Through the conversation, Qin Sisi felt a deeper understanding of the severe water scarcity in this region; it was unimaginably dire.
No rivers ran through, no lakes were nearby, and it neither rained nor snowed. The people here could only rely on the spring water from the Chief Mansion to live.
Qin Sisi asked curiously, "Since there are no rivers or lakes, and it doesn’t rain or snow, where does the spring water from the Chief Mansion come from?"
Chen Pei’s father was about to answer when Chen Pei interjected, "I know this, let me answer."
Chen Pei’s father looked fondly at his son and nodded in agreement.
Chen Pei puffed out his chest and said loudly, "The people living here are called the Mu Water Clan. The clan leader’s surname is Mu, and there are no springs in the Chief Mansion. The water there is conjured by the Mu family using magical power."
Ye You and Qin Sisi were both astonished. Qin Sisi asked incredulously, "Are you saying that the Mu family uses water attribute magic power every day to provide water for everyone living here?"
Chen Pei nodded, "Yes, of course, it’s not just one person. Our Mu Water Clan leader is named Mu Feng, and he and his three sons, Mu Ting, Mu Wen, and Mu Chi, take turns conjuring water, allowing the people of the Mu Water Clan to survive."
Ye You pondered and asked, "How long has this been going on?"
Chen Pei scratched his head sheepishly and looked at his father.
Chen Pei’s father chuckled, "This has been going on for three thousand years."
"Three thousand years?!" Qin Sisi and Ye You were even more shocked. Such a long time, so many people—how much magical power must have been consumed!
Qin Sisi couldn’t help but exclaim, "In that case, the Mu family really is selfless and dedicated!"
Chen Pei’s mother sneered, her tone sarcastic as she said, "That’s just what it seems on the surface. In fact, the hardship of the Mu Water Clan is largely due to the Mu family. If not for them, the Mu Water Clan wouldn’t need to endure such a miserable life."
Confused, Qin Sisi softly asked, "Madam, why would you say that?"
Chen Pei’s mother was about to speak when Chen Pei interjected, "Let me explain. It’s said that there’s a powerful deity residing in the Deep Pupil Desert named Inkwest City. He was a partner in creation with the ancient deity Phoenix ten thousand years ago, and later came to live in the Deep Pupil Desert as its Guardian."
