Fire Ding

Chapter 74: Fire Ding

Zhao Hai stood at the foot of the barren hill, gazing at the surrounding lush green mountains. He couldn't help but force a smile. When he first heard Green's description, he found it quite odd. A mountain and a manor for just a hundred gold coins? It seemed too cheap. However, upon arriving at the foot of the mountain, he understood why the price was so low. The advantage of this mountain was truly insignificant.

As he set foot on the mountain, it became clear that this place was exactly as described. A quick glance was enough to reveal its true nature. There was nothing particularly special about the mountain. If there was any notable feature, it would be the abundance of cyan-colored stones. They were scattered all over the mountain, and even from a distance, one could see the weeds growing in between the stone crevices. On the summit, there was a relatively small manor surrounded by a cyan stone wall. The entire mountain gave off the impression of a person with a fungal infection on their head, wearing a small hat that exposed half of their scalp. It was quite bothersome.

Green stood by Zhao Hai's side and noticed his expression. He couldn't help but blush, knowing that the mountain was truly unattractive. However, there was no other option. The house prices and land prices near Casa City were already high, and they didn't have much money on hand. This mountain was their best choice.

Green understood Zhao Hai's dissatisfaction and quickly reassured him, "Young Master, although this mountain may not be visually appealing, the manor itself is quite decent. The road from the mountain to the manor is well-built, making it convenient to travel. Additionally, there's a hot spring in the manor. It's actually quite nice to be able to soak in hot springs."

Zhao Hai understood that Green was worried he wouldn't like the mountain and manor. He smiled and said, "It's alright. This place is good. In fact, the fact that some people may not like it makes it safer. If there's any treasure on this mountain, I wouldn't dare to buy it openly. It might attract jealousy."

Green nodded. To be honest, when he initially bought the manor, he didn't think too much about it. He just felt it was cheap and not far from Casa City. But seeing that Zhao Hai was satisfied was the best outcome. He didn't need to worry about Zhao Hai's opinion anymore.

Merine and Meg also stood by Zhao Hai's side. To be honest, not only Zhao Hai but even they felt dissatisfied with the mountain. However, they didn't mind. Zhao Hai entered the space inside the Alien's body and commanded Alien to walk up the mountain. He wanted to see what was in the manor.

As Green had said, there was indeed a well-built stone road leading from the foot of the mountain to the manor. This road didn't require a large number of stone slabs but was made of natural stone blocks. It was five meters wide and skillfully selected the least uneven parts of the rocky mountain. This reduced the need for excessive excavation of stone slabs. Just clearing out some particularly high stones was enough.

However, Zhao Hai found the road somewhat peculiar. Although he had lived on the plains of northern China and hadn't seen many mountains, he knew that roads on mountains were generally built to wind around instead of going straight up. These roads were built to reduce the slope and facilitate travel.

But the road on Rock Mountain was different. It went straight up to the summit, resulting in a steep gradient. According to Zhao Hai's estimation, even on Earth, it would be difficult for a horse-drawn carriage to climb this road. Even a carriage pulled by a horse alone would have a hard time ascending the mountain.

Nevertheless, Zhao Hai didn't say anything because he noticed traces of carriages passing through the road. This indicated that the road was usable. He understood that Ark Continent couldn't be judged based on Earth's standards, so he kept his thoughts to himself and continued walking up the mountain while riding on Alien.

Soon, they arrived in front of the manor. There was no signboard indicating its name. The three-meter-high cyan stone fence surrounding the manor gave a strong and sturdy impression. The large wooden gate, despite the peeling paint and weathered appearance, exuded a sense of firmness. The stone fence had moss growing on it, indicating a lack of maintenance for quite some time.

Zhao Hai and the others dismounted from Alien and approached the wooden gate. The gate was more than two meters tall and had a width of about five meters, divided into two halves. The gate was constructed using thick planks and had iron bands, although most of the paint had fallen off, revealing the original color of the wood. It had a weathered look, as if it had stood the test of time.

Green stepped forward and pushed open the gate, which emitted a creaking and grating sound as it slowly opened.

With the gate open, Zhao Hai's eyes lit up. Not only was the scenery inside the courtyard beautiful, but the courtyard itself was also quite spacious. The small square within the fort was even larger than the Iron Mountain Castle in the city.

This square was large enough to build a small town or fort, yet it was only part of the manor, making it seem oversized.

At the center of the square stood a row of houses. There were four in total, but it seemed these houses were not for residential purposes. Each room had black and white checkered flooring. The doors were two meters tall and opened from opposite directions, while the windows, one meter in width, were evenly spaced. The roof was even and covered in stone slabs, giving the impression of a shop. It seemed these four houses were used as reception rooms or gathering places for visitors.

Although these houses appeared worn-out, with traces of rain washing the walls and the paint peeling off, they still stood strong. Many places showed signs of aging, but they remained inhabitable.

Zhao Hai examined the houses and felt satisfied. The manor might not be visually appealing, but that didn't matter. Almost all the structures here were made of sturdy cyan stones. Despite the lack of maintenance, they had withstood years of rain without suffering significant damage. It was quite impressive.

After passing through the row of houses, they discovered a large courtyard with a big tree in the center. Just as they were about to approach it, a small fish in a pond caught their attention with its swift movements. Zhao Hai didn't bother catching the fish; he simply stood there and said, "Alright, it seems we can raise some fish here. Later, I'll release a few undead creatures to patrol the mountain and let the slaves stretch their legs. They've been in the space for so long, it's about time they get some fresh air."

Green smiled and said, "Let them come out. This place is well-built, and the cyan stones on this mountain can be used to make various stone tools. Young Master, didn't we talk about making millstones and grindstones before? Now is a perfect opportunity. There's plenty of cyan stone here."

Zhao Hai nodded and laughed, "Grandpa Green, it seems we stumbled upon a treasure at just the right time. We have a hot spring, we can raise fish, and we'll have the materials we need for stone tools. HaHaHa! We'll make a fortune!"