America 1883: The Western Homeland

Chapter 150 A Cold Winter, Paradise Valley Hot Springs

Next, he outlined the routine maintenance: "Clear the new ice in the ice holes twice a day!"

"Apply oil to the inside of the pine tube inserted into the ice hole once a week!"

"Each igloo has three people assigned to monitor it in shifts!"

The cold wind howled, and Tom's words pierced everyone's ears like nails.

In the frigid Paradise Valley, igloos are a guarantee of water supply, and these ironclad rules are the cornerstone of safety.

The igloo temporarily solved the problem of water shortage.

However, the weather grew colder day by day, and finally, on a snowy evening, Tom arrived at a place.

The gale-force winds whipped up ice particles, lashing the steep rock walls relentlessly, and the entire Rocky Mountains trembled under the tyranny of the "whitefly winds."

Night spread like ink, and Tom's figure stood like an iron statue at the edge of the hot spring, his heavy leather boots sinking deep into the knee-deep snow.

The pungent smell of sulfur, even before the rising water vapor, forcefully entered his nasal cavity.

The hot spring is hidden behind a huge rock screen covered with jagged ice crystals.

The thick white fog rising from the valley floor collided with the frigid air of minus twenty or thirty degrees Celsius, instantly condensing into millions of tiny ice crystals that floated in the air.

Deep within the snow-covered landscape, a pool of emerald green water churns and churns, its edges stained a glaring rusty red by mineral deposits.

Tom frowned, his sharp eyes fixed on the bubbling hot spring in front of him, his face showing no sign of relaxation.

"Tom! Those guys passing by said this hot spring is usable!"

Zach rubbed his hands, which were red from the cold, his voice filled with an irrepressible longing.

He stared longingly at the enticing steam, wishing he could jump in immediately.

"Shut up!" Tom snapped, his voice colder than the wind.

The reason is as simple as it gets: the unknown is dangerous.

Who knows if this scalding water will boil a person alive?

Does anyone know if it contains a deadly poison that could kill a cow?

So he conducted the experiment.

From turkeys to wild deer, we tried them all, live animals one by one.

The results were encouraging; after soaking, the animals not only became lively and energetic, but their fur also seemed to become shinier.

The water temperature was also measured, and it was between 37 or 48 degrees Celsius, which is the perfect temperature for a bath.

"I'll go down and try first. If it works, you can come down. If not—" Tom glanced at Zack, his tone leaving no room for argument, "I'll climb back up."

"I'll go first!" Zack said impatiently, and started to take off his clothes.

"Stop!" Tom grabbed him, his eyes sharp as knives. "I said, I went first!"

He was already seven or eight tenths certain that there was no problem with the hot spring.

The heavy cowhide coat was thrown onto the snow, revealing the linen shirt underneath.

Fingers, almost numb from the cold, clumsily untied the straps of his leather boots.

When his bare feet finally touched the slippery, cool moss by the spring, a sharp, piercing pain suddenly struck him, causing him to groan.

It wasn't the cutting of severe cold, but the sudden "awakening" of countless frozen nerve endings by the scalding hot spring water, a painful resurrection with a burning sensation!

This water is alive!

The moment his skin touched the water, a strong, pungent smell with the distinctive spiciness of sulfur shot straight to the top of his head, making his vision go black.

He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and plunged into the water!

boom-!

A scalding heat instantly enveloped his legs, and every pore on his body burst open under the burning stimulation!

The cold that had accumulated throughout the winter, buried deep in the bones, was fiercely pulled out by this geothermal power, turning into fine bubbles that rushed out of the ankle bones with a "gurgling" sound.

Above the water, the cold air whipped at the back of his exposed neck; below the water, the warm spring water pounded at his already stiff and numb muscles.

A line of ice and fire was cruelly and clearly cutting into his waist and abdomen.

My upper body trembled in the biting cold air, but my lower body was completely reborn in the lava-like warmth!

He leaned heavily against a hollow in the rock behind him, warmed by the rushing water, and exhaled a breath of stale air, almost groaning.

The sulfurous odor of the steam was so strong it seemed to linger around the tip of the nose.

Through the rising steam, one could almost hear the howling of the cold wind outside, its fury intensifying.

As far as the eye can see, a thick layer of ochre-colored silt settles at the bottom of the spring, and tiny bubbles escape from the deep earth, drawing out shimmering silver threads in the emerald green water.

A mayfly, unaware of the season, was deceived by the unusual warmth. It fluttered clumsily in the steam, eventually falling to the water's surface and being silently swept away by the undercurrent.

"Zack—! Get down! This water—it's fucking warm!!" Tom's roar pierced through the rising white mist and echoed through the valley.

Zach had been waiting impatiently, and upon hearing this, he could no longer hold back.

He quickly ripped off his clothes and plunged into the water with a "plop," creating a splash and letting out a strange, extremely pleasurable scream.

Night completely engulfed the valley, and the wind and snow not only did not stop, but became even more violent.

Tom and Zack each occupied a corner of the hot spring.

The water vapor rising from the water surface condenses rapidly the moment it comes into contact with the frigid air above.

Tom closed his eyes and sank to the bottom of the water.

The sound of water surging in the ear created a strange buzzing sound.

The warm spring water gently yet powerfully supported him.

The scent of sulfur seeped into my nostrils, carrying the pulse of the earth.

He could clearly feel the vast and powerful geothermal energy emanating from deep within the rock strata, flowing continuously into his frozen limbs and bones through the scalding spring water!

My toes regained sensation, aching and tingling; my stiff lumbar spine softened and stretched little by little under the warm current.

This feeling is completely different from sitting around a fire.

A fire warms you by letting the heat penetrate from the outside in, but this hot spring feels like a sudden burst of life-giving heat ignited from the very depths of your bones and soul!

Just then, Zack suddenly started humming a song in a low voice.

There were no lyrics, only a deep, husky voice, carrying a primal rhythm, echoing softly beneath the narrow ice dome, miraculously harmonizing with the gurgling sound of the spring water deep within.

The melody was like swirling smoke rising from the ground, or like the lonely, winding footprints left by wild beasts on the snow.

Tom couldn't understand the lyrics, but from the desolate and melodious tune, he clearly understood two words: longing.

"What are they singing?" Tom surfaced, wiped the water droplets from his face, and looked at Zack, who was immersed in the song, across from him.

"The song of my hometown—" Zack's voice was somewhat ethereal, his gaze drifting through the misty air to the depths of distant memories.

The song stopped, but the tide of memories silently engulfed him.

Tom looked at him silently, then at the surging, never-freezing warm current beneath him.

A thought struck him like lightning: this spring is a miracle that will never freeze on this cruel land!

When blizzards block the mountains and everything withers, only here, the life force surging from the depths of the earth still stubbornly steams and roars!

This is the last and most precious glimmer of hope that nature leaves for creatures struggling to survive in the dead of winter!