Chapter 25: The Divine Rope
Even as Chengcheng County descended into chaos,
Gao Family Village, meanwhile, had run into a snag with its city gate construction.
The issue lay with the ropes.
The city walls Li Daoxuan had casually fashioned from Lego bricks were exceptionally tall, wide, and imposing. Though the gateway opening was intentionally made a bit smaller, it still stood two *zhang* high and two *zhang* wide.
A gate of such immense size required numerous tree trunks bound together to form its structure.
However, the straw ropes the villagers had were utterly inadequate, both in quality and quantity.
The straw ropes were scarce to begin with, and having been twisted by the villagers' own hands, their craftsmanship was crude. While they might just about suffice for tying up table legs, bed frames, plows, or pitchfork handles, using them to bind tree trunks as thick as a man's arm was a different matter entirely...
"Oh no, this rope here has snapped again!"
"Village Chief, the ropes you brought disintegrate with just a gentle tug."
The villagers were a flustered, chaotic mess.
From outside, Li Daoxuan watched the tiny figures bustle about for over an hour, only to see a row of bound tree trunks collapse because two straw ropes had snapped. The poor little people had to start all over again.
What could he use to help them?
His gaze swept over the cluttered mess in his room, then landed on a fishing tackle box gathering dust in a corner. *Pop!* A lightbulb seemed to click on above his head.
Fishing line!
He distinctly remembered researching various fishing line specifications for quite some time when he'd first bought it. Among them was a 0.4 gauge fishing line, with a mere 0.104-millimeter diameter.
Even if it magnified two hundred times within the box, its diameter would only be two centimeters. Compared to the villagers' straw ropes, it was like comparing heaven and earth.
"Gao Yiye! Gao Yiye!"
Gao Yiye, who was struggling to twist a length of straw rope, heard the Heavenly Lord's summons. She quickly looked up, her expression a mix of reverence and devotion, her small face quite charming. "Heavenly Lord, what are your commands?"
"Take this rope, and have everyone use it to bind the city gate."
Li Daoxuan snipped off a section of the 0.4 gauge fishing line and slowly lowered it into the diorama.
Gao Yiye quickly called out to the villagers. Everyone looked up to see a transparent rope slowly descending from the sky. It was only as thick as a finger and looked remarkably like a giant, cooked vermicelli noodle...
The crowd exchanged bewildered glances. ""This... what kind of strange rope is this?""
Gao Yiye announced, "The Heavenly Lord instructs everyone to use this to bind the timber and construct the city gate."
A collective "Huh?" rippled through the group.
Their hearts were brimming with doubt, but no one dared voice it aloud.
It wasn't until the giant vermicelli noodle landed on the ground and they touched it with their own hands that their faces lit up with astonished delight. ""This transparent rope, it's incredibly strong!""
"Much, much stronger than the straw ropes we twist!"
"Don't let its finger-thick appearance fool you; it's sturdier than straw ropes as thick as a man's arm!"
"Quick, bring knives! Let's cut a piece and try binding some timber with it."
The villagers brought their knives to cut the line, but the fishing line was incredibly tough and resilient. It took considerable effort for their dull blades to sever even a single section, leaving them panting and covered in sweat.
Still, the harder it was to cut, the stronger it proved to be. Delighted, the villagers cut off a few more sections, bound two pieces of timber, and then had several people pull from opposite ends, trying to break it. But no matter how hard they strained, the fishing line remained completely unfazed.
"Indeed, this thing is far stronger than straw rope!"
"The Divine Rope!"
"Could this be an immortal-binding rope, used by the gods themselves?"
Someone inadvertently spoke these words, and suddenly, everyone nearby turned ashen. ""Oh no, we've cut the immortal-binding rope... Will something terrible happen?""
Gao Yiye burst into laughter. ""Look at you, so pathetic! The Heavenly Lord said this isn't an immortal-binding rope; it's just his toy. You can use it however you wish, it's fine. He has plenty more!""
Hearing this, the villagers became even more awe-struck. If a god's mere toy string was this powerful, how incredible must a true immortal-binding rope be?
At that thought, some villagers instinctively began to kneel again.
Li Daoxuan grumbled impatiently, "Stop all this constant kneeling! Spend more time on important matters!"
Gao Yiye, mimicking his tone, playfully scolded the villagers. Sheepishly, they got to their feet, scratching the back of their heads, and rejoined the city gate construction.
With the superior rope, everyone worked much faster. In a few swift moves, they had bound a row of tree trunks, forming something like a sturdy wooden raft. Standing it upright, it became a massive gate plank, two *zhang* tall and one *zhang* wide. They only needed two such planks to form a fully functional, openable city gate.
Just then, the villager standing lookout on the nascent city gate shouted loudly, "Ah, Gao Chuwu and his group are back! Huh? They've brought outsiders with them!"
The villagers dropped their tasks and clustered around the gate, eager to see what was happening.
Li Daoxuan's gaze, meanwhile, was fixed on the edge of the diorama box...
Soon, Gao Chuwu was the first to run into the diorama box, followed by a man dressed in the simple clothes of a household servant. Behind him was a plump, fair-skinned middle-aged woman, leading a girl of about ten. A maidservant walked protectively beside the young girl, and bringing up the rear were three more young lads from the village.
The group of eight, their faces etched with panic and looking utterly dishevelled, ran towards Gao Family Village.
When Gao Chuwu and his group had left Gao Family Village early that morning, Li Daoxuan hadn't yet placed the Lego-brick city walls into the box. Thus, Gao Chuwu and the others had no idea Gao Family Village now had such fortifications. From a distance, they saw the village surrounded by a strange, brightly colored, colossal wall and felt a surge of panic, unsure what had happened back home.
Fortunately, the "sentry" on the city gate waved at Gao Chuwu's group. "Chuwu! Chuwu! You're back!"
Seeing familiar villagers, Gao Chuwu finally felt relieved. He shouted as he ran, "What happened to the village? Why is there suddenly a strange wall?"
The sentry laughingly scolded him, "Strange wall? That's the Heavenly Lord's divine blessing! You dare call it strange, and the Heavenly Lord won't give you food anymore. Let's see you cry then!"
At this, Gao Chuwu's face turned white with terror. He hastily yelled up at the sky, "Heavenly Lord, I was wrong! I'm a simpleton, my words are utter nonsense. Please, I beg you, don't take it to heart!"
Li Daoxuan certainly wasn't going to get angry over such a trifle; he was utterly amused.
Gao Chuwu and his group swiftly passed through the wall opening, which for now served as a gate, and slipped into the village. The four newcomers, three women and one man, were visibly timid, their eyes cautiously scanning the people around them.
Their gaze finally fixated on the colossal city walls and the strange, transparent rope, unable to tear away. But as newly arrived strangers, they dared not ask questions, forced to suppress their myriad doubts.
Gao Chuwu found Gao Yiye in the crowd and rushed to her side, speaking quickly. "Yiye, please tell the Heavenly Lord that those four are Strategist San Shier's wife and daughter, his household servant, and his maid. He went to find a blacksmith for the Heavenly Lord, so please ask the Heavenly Lord to look after his family."
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