Temple of Truth

Chapter 81

"Are they harvesting the mist?" Wu Xi wondered, realising that the deep groves were probably just to do that. Was there anything special about this mist? He wonded.

He finally realized why the lines of the carving were so wavy. "It functions like a small drainage system. Look at that, producing water from the mist, and then leading the droplets to a specific place." He whispered, following the liquid until it suddenly disappeared into a grove that was at the height of his foot.

A grove he hadn't noticed before, when he still had been on his way to reach Fatty. Wu Xi had to crouch down and almost lean onto the carvings of the wall so he could get that drop back into his field of vision.

He was crawling next to the wall like that for a short while. At least until the grove flattened and the drop disappeared into the floor. That place looket somewhat like a drain to him, one that had been closted with lose dirt so everything to big would stay out.

Wu Xi, after getting his finger into the flattened and more accessible grove, swiped his finger across that place. Verifying his theory. The dirt at that place had a consistency similar to sand. He knew that one of the properties of sand was that while it didn't easily give in to pressure liquids like water could flow through.

So, that water that had been arduously collected by the wall carvings was lead to places like this to seep away? This wouldn't make any sense to Wu Xi unless there was a reason for the water to seep away at selected places like this.

First Wu Xi had expected that the liquid was collected at a reservoir, that still could be if it was located in a deeper floor.

But it could also be a part of a bigger drainage system, possibly protecting the hole temple if not more. Remembering the story on the glyph wall, there was something about a mud slide resulting in a dried out river.

There were only those two possibilities, otherwise no one would have taken on the task of making those wall carvings that way. He would have to look for clues when he reached a deeper level.

Deciding to save the knowledge for now, he stood up again. First he would find a decent place to sit down, as much as a hidden tunnel could be called decent. But his legs were acing and he didn't want to walk too much before the break.

He tried to stretch his limbs to try loosen up a bit. Not even bothering to stifle a yawn and shaking his arms a bit. Then he continued looking for the next best tunnel.

The air here was stuffy, and warmer than expected. "always makes me drowsy", Wu Xi whispered to his shadow. He walked along the carving of the forest, looping his arms around himself.

At least he didn't feel watched like before, but his lack of sleep was certainly catching up to him. His current plan was nothing more than resting a bit, waking up properly again and somehow meeting up with Zhang and Fatty.