Chapter 472: The Herb That Quenched Thirst

The desert had become a place where even breathing felt exhausting.

Days passed, but the situation did not improve. If anything, it became worse.

The scorching sun burned the earth from morning until evening. The wind carried fine sand that entered people’s eyes, mouths, and clothes. Whatever little water remained in the settlement was distributed carefully, but it was never enough.

People were dying.

Some died quietly in their sleep, their bodies too weak to endure another day. Others collapsed while standing in the food distribution lines. Families who had arrived together were now separated by death.

The desert had turned survival into a cruel competition.

And the people were beginning to lose their humanity.

When survival became more important than family

"Give me the water!"

A woman’s desperate scream echoed through the settlement.

Two men were fighting over a small water container. One had arrived with his elderly mother and three children. The other had been travelling alone.

"That water belongs to my family!"

"I don’t care! My children are dying!"

"Everyone’s children are dying!"

The argument quickly turned violent.

Nearby, a woman was desperately searching for her little daughter. The child had disappeared during the previous night’s confusion.

Somewhere behind the shelters, a man had stolen food from another family. When the owner caught him, a fight broke out, leaving one person dead.

Nobody wanted to become a thief.

Nobody wanted to hurt another human being.

But hunger and thirst had begun changing people.

Some families had resorted to cannibalism after losing their loved ones and running out of every possible source of food. Others had fled in horror when they discovered what their neighbours were doing.

There were no easy choices left.

The Empress stood outside the small shelter she shared with her husband, watching the commotion.

Her expression was troubled.

Lian approached her, holding an almost empty water container.

"Sister Lin."

The Empress turned.

"What happened?"

"They say another family died last night."

"Which family?"

"I don’t know their names. They arrived three days ago."

Lian lowered her eyes.

"They had two children."

The Empress closed her eyes briefly.

The desert was swallowing people one family at a time.

One pot for every person

By midday, the settlement instructor announced a new arrangement.

Everyone was ordered to gather near the distribution tent.

The instructor stood on a raised wooden platform, accompanied by armed guards.

"Listen carefully! From today onwards, every registered person will receive one small pot of water."

The crowd immediately became restless.

"One pot?"

"How are we supposed to survive on that?"

"What about our children?"

The instructor raised his hand.

"Silence!"

The crowd gradually quietened.

"We have limited supplies. The water must last. Every person will receive one pot, and there will be no additional distribution until the next scheduled supply."

An elderly man raised his voice.

"Sir, one pot is barely enough to drink! What about cooking?"

The instructor looked irritated.

"Then drink less."

A woman holding a baby began crying.

"My child is sick. He needs more water."

"Everyone has problems."

The instructor gestured towards the workers.

"Start distributing."

The workers began handing out the pots.

Each was small, holding only enough water for a person’s basic needs for part of the day.

The Empress stared at the container she received.

She looked towards the Emperor.

He examined it silently.

"One pot," she murmured.

"Apparently."

"How are people supposed to survive in this heat?"

He didn’t answer.

Wong Jian approached them with his family’s allocation.

He had received five small pots, one for each member of his family.

"Young Lin, this is becoming impossible."

The Emperor looked at the containers.

"How much water did you receive yesterday?"

"Almost twice this amount."

Wong Jian shook his head.

"If this continues, people won’t last another week."

The Empress looked at Auntie Wong, who was trying to divide the water between her children.

"Mother, drink first," Ming insisted.

Wong Mei shook her head.

"You drink. I already had some."

Tao immediately interrupted.

"That’s not true! Mother didn’t drink anything!"

Wong Mei gave him a helpless look.

The Empress quietly turned away.

She couldn’t bear watching another mother sacrifice her own life for her children.

Three familiar visitors

That evening, the Empress sat alone behind their shelter.

The Emperor had gone with Wong Jian to collect some firewood.

She held her small water pot between her hands.

The water inside was precious.

She could hear people arguing in the distance. A baby was crying somewhere, and an elderly woman was coughing continuously.

The Empress sighed.

"At this rate, nobody will survive."

A familiar voice suddenly came from behind her.

"Such a gloomy expression. Have you forgotten how to smile?"

She turned.

Fen Yu was standing behind her, looking as beautiful and mischievous as ever.

Wei Rong appeared beside her.

Li Shen materialised a moment later, holding a small branch between his fingers.

The Empress stared at them.

"Where have you three been?"

Fen Yu placed a hand against her chest dramatically.

"What a cruel question! We disappear for a little while, and you immediately accuse us of abandoning you."

Wei Rong rolled his eyes.

"We were investigating the settlement."

Li Shen added calmly, "And trying to understand why the water supplies are disappearing."

The Empress looked at him.

"What did you discover?"

"Nothing pleasant."

He sat down beside her, although the ground made no difference to a ghost.

"The instructor has been keeping a separate stock of supplies."

The Empress straightened.

"What?"

Wei Rong nodded.

"Not just food. There are several containers of water in his private tent."

"How much?"

"Enough to sustain a considerable number of families for several days."

The Empress stared at him.

"Then why are people receiving only one small pot?"

Li Shen’s expression became serious.

"That is precisely what we are trying to understand."

The Empress looked at her empty surroundings.

"People are dying because they don’t have enough water. Children are crying. Mothers are giving their portions to their families. And that man is keeping supplies for himself?"

Fen Yu folded her arms.

"I was hoping you would say something more pleasant after seeing us."

The Empress gave her a tired look.

"Fen Yu."

"All right, all right."

Wei Rong studied the Empress.

"You look exhausted."

"I am."

"Then rest."

"How can I rest when everyone around me is suffering?"

Li Shen glanced at the water pot in her hands.

"You cannot solve the desert’s thirst with one small container."

The Empress lowered her eyes.

"That’s why I need to find something."

"What something?" Fen Yu asked.

The Empress looked towards the distant dunes.

"An herb. Something that can help people retain moisture and reduce their thirst. If we can find such a plant, perhaps we can help them survive until proper water supplies arrive."

Li Shen became thoughtful.

"There are several desert herbs with water-retaining properties."

The Empress looked at him hopefully.

"Really?"

"Yes. Some store moisture in their roots and leaves. Others can be used to prepare herbal drinks."

Wei Rong added, "But we need to find a suitable one."

The Empress looked at all three.

"Can you help me?"

Fen Yu smiled.

"Finally! Something interesting."

Wei Rong sighed.

"You should be grateful that we are helping you."

Fen Yu immediately turned towards him.

"Who asked you to complain?"

Li Shen interrupted them.

"Enough. We should go before it becomes completely dark."

The three ghosts disappeared.

The Empress remained sitting beside her water pot.

For the first time that day, she felt a little hopeful.

An unexpected discovery

The instructor’s tent was located near the rear of the settlement.

It was larger than the other shelters, with thick fabric walls and several guards stationed outside.

Inside, several wooden boxes were arranged along one side.

There were sacks of dried grain, small jars of medicine, and numerous water containers.

Fen Yu floated through the tent wall.

Her eyes widened.

"Look at this!"

Wei Rong followed her gaze.

"He’s been hiding supplies."

Li Shen approached a wooden table.

On it lay several bundles of dried herbs.

He picked one up and examined it.

"This is what we need."

Wei Rong moved closer.

"What is it?"

"Desert waterleaf. Its leaves retain moisture, and when prepared correctly, they can be used in a drink that helps relieve thirst."

Fen Yu picked up another bundle.

"Then let’s take everything!"

"Not everything," Li Shen replied.

"We need enough for the refugees."

Fen Yu looked at the bundles.

"How much is enough?"

Wei Rong sighed.

"More than you can carry without dropping half of it."

Fen Yu glared at him.

"I can carry perfectly well!"

Li Shen ignored their argument and gathered several bundles.

There were also instructions written on a small piece of paper.

He read them carefully.

"The leaves must be washed, soaked, and boiled. The drink should be given in small portions."

Fen Yu looked towards the door.

"Someone is coming."

Two guards entered the tent.

The three ghosts immediately vanished from sight.

One guard approached the table.

"Did you move these herbs?"

The other shook his head.

"No."

"Strange. I thought there were more bundles."

The second guard shrugged.

"Perhaps the instructor took some."

They left without further investigation.

A few moments later, Fen Yu reappeared outside.

She was holding several bundles of herbs.

"See? I told you I could carry them."

Wei Rong shook his head.

"You look like a travelling herb seller."

Fen Yu gave him an offended expression.

"At least I am useful."

Li Shen looked towards the settlement.

"Let’s return."

A gift from nowhere

The Empress was still sitting behind the shelter when the three ghosts returned.

Fen Yu proudly placed the herbs beside her.

"Your Majesty, your medicine has arrived."

The Empress looked at the bundles.

Her eyes widened.

"Where did you get these?"

Fen Yu smiled innocently.

"We found them."

Wei Rong added, "In a place where they were not being used."

Li Shen gave him a disapproving look.

"Don’t confuse her."

The Empress examined the leaves.

"Are you certain these will help?"

Li Shen explained the preparation.

"