Chapter 609: Emergency Rescue and Disaster Relief |
Li Daoxuan reached out and took the Great Sage figurine. Using two fingers, he grabbed the Sage’s rod and pulled it out of the Sage’s hand.
Poor Great Sage, unaware that his rod was about to be used to dig a drainage ditch, his expression remained unyielding.
Li Daoxuan pulled out the rod, bent it in his hand. Good, its hardness was excellent. The rod was unexpectedly made of alloy, shiny, sturdy, and reliable.
He extended the rod and probed into the case…
At that moment, the cotton farmers were staring at the sky with terrified faces.
After the Saint Lady had spoken, they began “piously” waiting for the Deity to cast his magic and help them. After waiting for dozens of seconds with no sign of action, they felt panicked inside.
The heavy rain was still falling, and they were very scared!
Just then, the clouds in the sky parted.
The cotton farmers saw a thick and large rod extending down from the sky. Its middle was silver, with golden ends, and words were engraved on it: “Ruyi Jingubang”.
“Isn’t that the weapon of Sun Wukong, the Great Sage Equal of Heaven?”
“How could it appear at this moment?”
“Has the Deity borrowed the Sage’s rod?”
They saw one end of the golden hoop rod extend into the main drainage ditch. With a light swipe in the ditch, a rumbling sound echoed, and all the blocked mud, sand, and stones in the drainage ditch were pushed aside.
The drainage ditch became clear instantly.
The yellow, filthy water surged toward the nearby small river. Then, it followed the small river, flowing toward the Yellow River…
The accumulated water in the Cotton Fields drained out immediately.
The cotton farmers were overjoyed: “Deity is mighty!”
“The golden hoop rod is too amazing.”
“Deity! Deity!”
As they were cheering happily, Gao Yiye said: “The Deity has left.”
The crowd: “Huh?”
Gao Yiye, with a solemn expression, said: “The Deity is heading to help farmers in other places.”
Only then did the crowd suddenly understand. Yes, the heavy rain wasn’t only falling here; it was definitely raining in other areas too.
The crowd together performed a grand salute to the sky: “Deity is benevolent and kind!”
…
Rain poured down heavily. Farmers everywhere were now extremely busy.
The farmland of Gaojia Village was also being tested by the heavy downpour.
But the people of Gaojia Village were not panicked at all!
The infrastructure facilities of Gaojia Village were exceptionally outstanding. There were no clogged ditches at all. As soon as the rain began, it was dispersed through the extensive ditches, flowing down the mountain.
However, beside Gaojia Village, Refugee Valley, where peasants from Qingjian County had settled, faced a serious accumulation problem. Because Refugee Valley was sunken in a mountain valley. In the previous years, only light drizzles had come from the Deity, so the valley was as steady as an old dog.
But now the heavens poured down torrential rain, making low-lying valleys quite troublesome.
Water from all sides cascaded into the basin, and countless streams mysteriously appeared on the hillsides…
Just as rising waters reached the doorsteps of many homes, salvation arrived.
A large group of technicians from Gaojia Village rushed in carrying enormous steam-powered pumps. They connected long pipes, pumping water from the basin’s depths into a nearby mountain stream.
Finally, the valley’s residents could breathe a sigh of relief.
In Jishan County…
Mo Xiaopin dashed frantically through the downpour, a straw raincoat clinging to his body.
As the Local Gentry Leader and militia instructor of the region, Mo Xiaopin carried the hopes of the common folks. Faced with such a deluge, urgency consumed him.
He ran alongside the field ridges, shouting at his subordinates, “How bad is it? Can the drainage ditch handle it?”
A panicked subordinate replied, “It can’t! Several farm fields are already flooded!”
“How could it not handle it?” Mo Xiaopin fumed. “Lazy during peacetime? Didn’t dredge the ditches properly?”
The subordinate pleaded, “But there’s been a drought for over three years! Who’d expect the heavens to play this trick?”
“Damn it!” Mo Xiaopin roared. “Get every able-bodied person out here! Bring hoes, shovels—every tool they can carry!”
A crowd of villagers answered the call, surging toward the drainage ditches.
And then…
The clouds parted. A gigantic golden hand emerged from the sky, clutching the As-You-Will Gold-Banded Cudgel.
The people of Jishan County recognized it instantly: “It’s Jiang King’s divine friend, the Dao Xuan Deity!”
“Jiang King summoned the Dao Xuan Deity again to aid us!”
“Wow! The As-You-Will Gold-Banded Cudgel!”
The massive cudgel plunged into the drainage ditch and swept outward… Whoosh! With a gush, the passage cleared. Torrents of muddy water rushed straight into the Fen River.
“It’s clear! It’s clear!”
The people cheered exultantly.
Mo Xiaopin, immensely relieved, managed to laugh and scold, “Don’t just rely on the Deity! Work harder yourselves! This is Jishan County! Don’t tarnish Jiang King’s name! Once this storm passes, we’re fixing every damn ditch and channel!”
On the Yellow River…
A private merchant vessel struggled through the churning waters.
This small trader wasn’t one of Gaojia Village’s vessels with their “electric motors.” It relied solely on sails and the straining muscle of oarsmen.
Departing from Mengjin Kou in Luoyang, its destination was Yongji ancient ferry dock, seeking salt.
Since Xing Honglang took charge as troop commander of Hedong and head of the salt tax office, salt production had surged. Yet, the quantity sent to the imperial court shrank, leaving far more “smuggled salt” to flow among the people.
Merchants from Henan naturally seized the chance, dispatching ships regularly from Mengjin Kou in Luoyang to Yongji Ferry Dock. They’d load salt onto their vessels, purchase fried dough twists, textiles, cultural handicrafts, and haul it all back to Luoyang for profit.
The merchant aboard this ship was named Jiang Cheng.
Having made five successful cargo trips to Yongji Ferry Dock, he considered himself a seasoned customer. Through these ventures, he’d learned crucial customs of Yongji ancient ferry dock:
Embroider an image of the Deity on your chest, and you are counted as one of their own.
Jiang Cheng had experienced firsthand the unwavering care shown by believers of the Dao Xuan Deity Teachings to their own kind within the borders of Yongji. So, he too embraced the Dao Xuan Deity Teachings. A “Cotton Thread Deity” emblem was stitched faithfully onto his chest.
With the Deity’s favor, business flourished without hindrance.
Five cargo trips had filled his coffers to bursting…
But…
This sixth voyage threatened to drown him in the Yellow River.
The storm raged, the river winds howled.
Summer floods were expected on the turbulent Yellow River, yet the violent storm drove the waters higher and faster than anyone could manage.
Jiang Cheng’s small cargo ship pitched wildly, tossed like driftwood.
He clung to a nearby pillar, bellowing: “Make for shore! Find a way to reach land!”
A voice strained against the gale replied, “Master… we’ve lost control! We can’t steer her!”
“Is this the end?” Fear gripped Jiang Cheng. He prayed fervently: “Deity, protect me! Though newly devoted to your teachings, my faith is sincere and my heart kind! Please spare this humble soul…”
Just as he uttered the plea, the Cotton Thread Deity emblem on his chest… its face stretched into a sudden, wide grin: “Everyone cling tight to the pillars! We’re taking off!”