Chapter 491 Building a Bridge
A flicker of unease now stirred within Shi Kefa’s heart.
The very words "Heavenly Lord" sounded suspicious. Coupled with the man's deity-like attire, his stiff, bizarre expression, and an overall unsettling aura, it all felt eerily similar to the tricks played by the White Lotus cult.
If this was indeed a cult, then this Captain Shi Jian must be one of its adherents.
The Dragon Gate Ferry itself now felt perilous.
Shi Kefa felt trapped in a bandit's den, his heart pounding. If their conversation turned sour, the Dragon Gate Ferry could very well become his grave.
Li Daoxuan grinned at Shi Kefa, the silicone face of his avatar making the expression terrifyingly unnatural. "Shi Kefa," he said, "you're quite famous. I know all about you."
Shi Kefa felt a shiver run down his spine. "This official is merely a minor judicial commissioner," he replied, "hardly famous."
Li Daoxuan maintained his unnerving grin. "You are a hereditary Embroidered Uniform Guard centurion," he declared, "and in the first year of Chongzhen, you passed the imperial examination, gaining the status of a civil official."
Shi Kefa gasped.
But that he was a hereditary Embroidered Uniform Guard centurion—few people would know that.
Shi Kefa's voice dropped to a hushed tone. "How... how did you... know? This is top-secret information; it must not be leaked."
Li Daoxuan swiftly shifted his consciousness back to his real body outside the diorama box. Activating the "Focus" function, he directed it at Shi Kefa. This "Focus" ability could penetrate walls and, naturally, clothing. Like a scanner, it swept over Shi Kefa, instantly revealing a hidden letter in his sleeve and clearly deciphering its entire contents.
Then, he shifted back to the Puppet Heavenly Lord. "You're clearly a judicial commissioner, in charge of criminal cases," he continued, "yet the imperial court sent you to oversee disaster relief, a task completely unrelated to your official duties. It's actually to facilitate your intelligence gathering, isn't it? Reporting the movements of roving bandits, refugees, and local officials to the court—that's the specialty of the Embroidered Uniform Guard."
Sweat cascaded down Shi Kefa's face. *This... he knows all of this? How on earth does he know?*
Li Daoxuan pointed at Shi Kefa's left sleeve. "You've hidden a secret letter in your sleeve," he revealed. "It details your observations along the way, particularly the fluctuating grain prices. These changes have put you on alert. In your report to the emperor, you mention that the closer you get to Chengcheng County, the lower the grain prices... You intend to investigate this matter further in Chengcheng County, to uncover the source of its grain."
Shi Kefa stared, dumbfounded.
His hand swiftly darted to his saber hilt...
To avoid revealing his Embroidered Uniform Guard identity, he hadn't carried the distinctive *xiuchundao*. Instead, he wore a Japanese *katana*—a decorative piece for most scholars, but for him, a functional replacement for his official weapon.
Shi Kefa's voice dropped, heavy with suspicion. "You speak of these things so openly," he challenged, "are you planning to prevent this official from leaving here alive?"
Li Daoxuan shrugged. "How could I be so ruthless?" he countered. "Unless someone is utterly wicked and beyond redemption, I generally don't kill. Besides, while your abilities may be a bit... lacking, your character seems unimpeachable."
Shi Kefa bristled.
Li Daoxuan winked at him. "What you're about to see might surprise you," he said. "I wonder if you'll still continue writing that secret letter after witnessing it... I'm quite curious. Watch closely; don't blink..."
Shi Kefa indeed had no intention of blinking. His hand remained on his saber hilt, his eyes fixed on Li Daoxuan's every subtle movement. If the man made a sudden move, Shi Kefa had no intention of surrendering without a fight; he would battle to the death to escape the Dragon Gate Ferry.
Just then...
Someone cried out, "Look at the sky!"
"The Heavenly Lord is acting!"
"Wow, it's here!"
Shi Kefa quickly looked up. Where the clouds parted, a colossal golden hand descended from the sky. It was dozens of *zhang* wide, immense beyond comprehension; its open palm could easily hold hundreds of people. Shi Kefa's entire body trembled, and his grip on his saber hilt unconsciously loosened.
The hundreds of Gao Family Village Militia on the dock cheered and leaped with joy. It had been a long time since they had seen the Heavenly Lord's golden hand, and its appearance now filled them with elation, their spirits soaring instantly.
As for the refugees from Hejin County, during the recent days of dock construction, they had gradually heard tales of the Heavenly Lord. Some had been skeptical before, but now, seeing the golden giant hand appear, everyone instantly knelt in worship, just as the people of Chengcheng County had done upon first witnessing it.
The thirty thousand surrendered bandits, however, were another story. They had never heard of any Heavenly Lord, and upon suddenly seeing the golden giant hand, they didn't know whether it was a god or a demon. They screamed repeatedly, dissolving into utter chaos.
The giant hand first reached towards the slope on the Yellow River's eastern bank, thumping the ground two or three times. A tremor shook the earth and mountains, sending the surrounding villagers scrambling backward in fear. Shi Kefa himself almost lost his footing, swaying precariously.
Soon, the ground by the river was compacted. The golden giant hand then stretched to the opposite bank, thumping the ground twice more, firming up the earth there as well.
Shi Kefa understood: this was determining the bridge's placement. The compacted areas on both sides of the river were where the bridge piers would rest.
The golden giant hand retracted beyond the clouds. After a few moments—what felt like countless blinks—it reappeared, this time surprisingly grasping a colossal bridge...
Dozens of *zhang* long, four or five *zhang* wide, a vibrant, multicolored bridge!
"Boom!"
With a resounding crash, the massive bridge descended, spanning the river. Its piers, on both sides, sank deeply into the spots the golden hand had compacted moments before.
The golden hand then gripped the bridge and swayed it left and right a couple of times, as if checking its stability. It even scooped up a handful of mud and rocks, pressing them down further at the pier sites. Only after confirming the bridge was as steady as Mount Tai, with no possibility of shifting, did it finally retract back into the sky.
In a mere few minutes—less than half an hour by their reckoning—
A colossal, multicolored bridge, dozens of *zhang* long, had appeared out of nowhere across the Yellow River.
It stood there, majestically spanning the river before everyone, making them wonder if they had just been dreaming...
"Shi Kefa! Shi Kefa!"
Hearing his name called, Shi Kefa snapped awake. He realized it was the one called "Heavenly Lord" summoning him, his face still adorned with that strange, unsettling grin. "Come," he said, "let's walk across the bridge. Once someone goes first, the common folk will dare to follow."
Shi Kefa, still reeling, managed to stammer, "Huh? Oh, yes... alright..."
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