Chapter 492: Longmen Yellow River Bridge
Li Daoxuan and Shi Kefa were the first to step onto the Longmen Yellow River Bridge.
Since the ground on both approaches to the bridge had only been simply compacted by Li Daoxuan's palm, with no accompanying roads, elevated structures, or stairs built, getting onto it was actually a bit arduous.
Shi Kefa, with one hand lifting the hem of his official robe, struggled up the incline. The bottom of his robe was caked with mud, making him look rather disheveled, yet, deep within, a sliver of excitement bloomed.
A bridge! What a colossal bridge!
Wouldn't it feel wonderful to walk upon it for a few steps?
Indeed, the moment he ascended the bridge and gazed down from its deck, the sensation was utterly exhilarating. The turbulent Yellow River surged many yards beneath his feet, and people on the riverbanks appeared tiny. The river wind howled, billowing his official robes around him.
Truly, it wasn't just him; even a modern person, visiting a grand bridge occasionally, would feel a thrill. How could a man from antiquity possibly resist such a sensation?
"Ah, this bridge! This bridge is truly magnificent!"
Shi Kefa exclaimed excitedly, "From this day forward, the natural chasm has become a thoroughfare! Travel between Shanxi and Shaanxi will become far smoother."
Li Daoxuan smiled. "In truth, I have always operated to avoid the authorities, striving to keep my existence hidden from official notice."
The moment these words left his lips, Shi Kefa's expression instantly turned solemn; he immediately grasped the underlying meaning of Li Daoxuan's statement.
Li Daoxuan continued, "Then why would I expose my existence in front of you, a Jinyiwei officer? Logically, the more I encounter the Jinyiwei, the more I should conceal myself."
Shi Kefa's expression grew stern. He bowed respectfully. "What is your meaning?"
Li Daoxuan gestured towards the thirty thousand elderly, infirm, women, and children. "Because these people must cross the river."
Shi Kefa's eyes widened.
Li Daoxuan explained, "They are not able-bodied young adults; they are the elderly and the frail. They cannot easily cross the Yellow River on a shaky pontoon bridge. I am certain they already suffered greatly when crossing from Shaanxi to Shanxi, with countless people falling into the river to their deaths. And now, they would face such hardship once more."
Shi Kefa suddenly understood. "Even if it meant revealing himself, the Heavenly Lord would not wish to see these elderly, infirm, women, and children fall into the water and perish. The Heavenly Lord is benevolent!"
Li Daoxuan then asked, "Heaven shows benevolence to humanity. Can humans not show a little more benevolence to their own kind?"
Shi Kefa was struck speechless.
Li Daoxuan concluded, "Take good care of these elderly, infirm, women, and children, and safely escort them to Chengcheng County. Then, use your own eyes to observe Chengcheng County thoroughly. Only then should you consider whether to submit the secret letter hidden in your sleeve."
Shi Kefa stood transfixed, a maelstrom of thoughts churning within him.
Having said this, Li Daoxuan paid him no further mind. He walked beneath the bridge, procured several sturdy cloth ropes from Shi Jian, and twisted them together into a colossal rope.
The crowd was utterly bewildered. They longed to ask what the Heavenly Lord was doing, but how could mere mortals question the actions of a deity?
Then, after securing the rope, the Heavenly Lord suddenly flipped over the bridge railing and plunged headlong towards the Yellow River below.
This act terrified everyone. Tens of thousands of eyes watched, aghast, as the Heavenly Lord "free-fell," "plummeting from a great height," even letting out a peculiar cry of "Oh-wah-ha-ha" mid-air.
Just as the Heavenly Lord was about to hit the water, the rope snapped taut, abruptly arresting his descent. He bounced back up, then down again, repeating this several times, before finally hovering about two yards above the water's surface. He burst into laughter: "Shi Jian, pull me up!"
Shi Jian, along with a group of Gao Family Village Militia soldiers, quickly ascended the bridge. Pulling the thick rope, they hoisted the Heavenly Lord back up. "Heavenly Lord, what exactly was that...?"
Li Daoxuan chuckled. "That, my friend, is called bungee jumping! It's an extreme sport beloved by people from above. Its only downsides are that it's extremely dangerous and easy to die from."
The crowd was speechless.
The villagers didn't understand what "bungee jumping" meant, but the Heavenly Lord's leap just now certainly looked exhilarating. If the Heavenly Lord enjoyed it, then surely everyone should try it.
It was a perfect example of leading by example.
Without a word, Shi Jian also fastened a rope securely around his waist. After ensuring it was firmly tied, he too leaped down towards the river below. His scream of "Waaahhhhhhh!" echoed through the air.
Next, the brave Gao Family Village Militia soldiers—no, perhaps the 'unprofessional' or 'idle' militia soldiers—began to take turns, one after another.
While everyone was ecstatically enjoying bungee jumping, Shi Kefa began organizing the thirty thousand elderly, infirm, women, and children to cross the bridge. The elders, with their weak legs and feet, had worried earlier upon seeing the pontoon bridge that they might well perish there. But now, walking upon the broad, comfortable bridge, with a refreshing river breeze on their faces, their spirits suddenly lifted.
"Once we cross this bridge, we'll be back in Shaanxi."
"We're going home!"
"We're captives. Even back in Shaanxi, we won't be treated like ordinary citizens."
"Ah, well, who cares? Let's just go, take it one step at a time."
"At least we're going home; that's good enough."
Just then, music began to play from the bridgehead. It turned out this 'plastic' bridge even had a music function, though its default songs were all children's tunes.
Li Daoxuan simply swapped in a different MP3 player.
"Clouds from my hometown drift across the sky, endlessly calling to me. When the gentle breeze rustles by, a voice whispers to me: Return, oh return, wanderer adrift in the world. Return, oh return, cease your endless drifting..."
Everyone was astonished. "Where is that music coming from?"
"It's an overwhelming sound!"
"Is a celestial being singing?"
"They're urging us to turn back."
"I don't know why, but as I listen, tears just start to fall..."
Soft sobs spread through the crowd.
"My child's father broke out of Hequ County. I don't know if he's still alive. I truly wish he could return with us."
"He abandoned you, an orphan and a widow, and fled with Wang Jiayin. Don't think about him anymore. Forget him."
Shi Kefa let out a long sigh. He wanted to say something, but couldn't find the right words.
He led the group to the western end of the bridge. Turning back, he saw the Heavenly Lord standing at the eastern end. He hadn't followed them, instead waving from afar.
Shi Kefa bowed deeply to the Heavenly Lord. He reached into his sleeve, touching the secret letter, and thought to himself, "I won't rush to send this letter. I will go to Chengcheng County and see with my own eyes first."
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