Xinzhou, Zhou County.

The iron cavalry of the Third Battalion of the Northwest Army broke through the morning mist, their black armor casting a cold light on the bluestone slabs in the early sun.

Captain Han Su reined in his horse and looked up toward the county government office.

The vermilion gate was tightly closed, and the plaque under the eaves that read "A Bright Mirror Hangs High" was covered with a thin layer of dust, clearly indicating that it had been neglected for many days.

"Where is Magistrate Wang?" Han Su dismounted, the sword at his waist clanging against his greaves.

The county magistrate, carrying his rumpled official robe, trotted over: "Lieutenant Han, please forgive me, Lord Wang was drinking at the Zhou residence last night and hasn't returned yet..."

Before the words were finished, a deafening sound of gongs and drums suddenly came from afar.

The Zhou family mansion, with its seven courtyards, was brightly decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers. On the white marble steps in front of the main gate, a dozen servants were busy hanging a newly made gilded plaque. The four large characters "Commerce Connects the Four Seas" were so bright in the sunlight that it was hard to open one's eyes.

Han Su strode through the crowd, his boots crushing a few scattered petals as he gripped the hilt of his sword.

In the main hall, Master Zhou, dressed in a crimson satin robe with floral patterns, was raising a jade cup and talking loudly to the guests: "What flash flood? My Zhou family has been doing medicinal herb business in the Hengheng Mountains for three hundred years, and there is no record of such a thing in our ancestors' account books!"

A burst of laughter erupted from the room filled with people adorned in silks and satins. A merchant wearing black-rimmed glasses fawned, "Master Zhou is right, it must be the imperial court deliberately making things difficult for us..."

Before he could finish speaking, Han Su's sword was already drawn three inches from its sheath with a clang, its cold light causing everyone's expressions to change drastically.

"By order of the Left Prime Minister!" Han Su slammed the official document bearing the seal of the Ministry of War onto the table, causing the ice patterns in the jade wine glass to crack. "All counties near the mountain range are to be evacuated immediately!"

Master Zhou's jade thumb ring tapped crisply on the table. He slowly unfolded the official documents, then suddenly chuckled, "Sir, does this transfer order mention a possible flash flood?"

He turned to the guests, shaking the official document, and said, "Listen to this, gentlemen, just because of the word 'suspected,' you want to destroy our ancestral foundation?"

A murmur rippled through the room. An elderly woman dressed in lake-blue silk shrieked, "It must be that person from the palace who has disappeared, and someone is trying to take advantage of the situation..."

He was stopped halfway through his sentence by Mr. Zhou raising his hand.

"Captain Han," Master Zhou suddenly lowered his voice, forcing a hint of mystery onto his oily face, "Let's not beat around the bush. The Emperor has been missing for over half a month, and now he's ordering us to leave our hometown..."

He gently rubbed his thumb and forefinger together. "Isn't this what I'm after?"

Han Su's knuckles under his iron gloves turned white from clenching them, and he was so angry that his eyes were spinning.

Prior to this, the Left Prime Minister had clearly emphasized that the Mountain Goddess of Qingzhou had predicted that there would definitely be a flash flood disaster and that all people at the foot of the mountain would be evacuated!

He understood that even if the Left Prime Minister was deceiving him, the Mountain Goddess of Qingzhou wouldn't!

Because this mountain goddess was indeed very miraculous, she solved the problem of the demonic tree in tens of thousands of villages in Liang Kingdom in a short period of time, and was revered by countless people!

As a result, these good-for-nothings treated the efforts of the Left Prime Minister and the Mountain Goddess in such a way!

Han Su: "Old Master Zhou, this prophecy of the great flood comes from the Mountain Goddess of Qingzhou, do you know that...?"

"Enough!" Master Zhou slammed his hand on the table and stood up abruptly, the sachet hanging from his waist knocking over the wine pot. "Our Zhou family ancestral hall enshrines the water-suppressing jade tablet bestowed by our founding emperor, which has protected the peace of this region for three hundred years!"

He flicked his sleeve and pointed to the artificial hill and flowing water outside the door, "Whoever dares to touch a single tile of the Zhou family today, tomorrow we'll show them the power of the Xinzhou Chamber of Commerce!"

Suddenly, the sound of armor clanging came from outside the hall. Northwest Army soldiers had already formed ranks and surrounded the courtyard, the cold glint of their spears casting dappled shadows on the floor tiles through the carved window lattices.

Han Su slowly sheathed his sword, his iron boots treading on the colorful paper scattered on the ground as he walked out: "At the latest, you have one more day. You'd better take care of yourselves!"

After the sound of cavalry faded into the distance, Master Zhou sneered and kicked over the table: "A mere Left Prime Minister dares to be so arrogant. Doesn't he know that our Zhou family has been cooperating with the Crown Prince for many years?"

"The Crown Prince will ascend the throne one day, and he'll deal with this guy sooner or later!"

The servant beside him said with some fear, "Master, I see that people in many places have evacuated. What if there really is a great flood..."

"Bullshit!" Master Zhou kicked a wooden ornament in the hall, smashing the piece of wood to pieces, the fragments falling onto the gilded carpet.

"It was all a scheme by the Left Prime Minister. If there really is a flash flood, I'll eat shit upside down!"

...

In Xinzhou, the official residence is shrouded in a light, drizzling rain at night.

Left Chancellor Shi Fei stood under the corridor, holding an urgent report delivered by his subordinate in his hand, his fingertips turning slightly white.

The ink on the paper was dampened by the raindrops dripping from the eaves, spreading out in a shadow.

"The Zhou family refused to leave, and the Wan family in Wanzhou next door went even further, closing their doors to all visitors, and even the messenger sent to deliver the order was driven away..."

He whispered, his voice as cold and hard as iron.

"Ha, what a bunch of idiots!"

Behind him, the candlelight flickered, and a slender shadow quietly emerged from behind the pillar, like ink dripping into water, slowly coalescing into a human shape.

"How should the people on the other side of the desolate mountain deal with this kind of unreasonable and troublesome wealthy businessman?"

Shi Fei said in a heavy tone: "The Zhou family controls 70% of the medicinal herb business in Xinzhou, and the Wan family monopolizes the canal transport in Wanzhou. If they don't leave, the tenants, craftsmen, and porters who depend on them probably won't dare to move either."

A woman emerged from the shadows, dressed in a plain white long gown, with a dark red thin rope tied around her waist, from which hung a small jade bell. She moved silently.

This person was Lin Ping, who had shrunk into the shadow space. She had delicate features, but her eyes were as black as night, as if they could devour all light.

"Those who do evil will not live. My lord, if those people are unwilling to leave, then forcibly remove the surrounding people."

Her voice was soft and slow, yet it inexplicably sent a chill through people.

Shi Fei finally turned around, his gaze heavy as he looked at her: "Does Huangshan mean to let them run wild?"

Lin Ping's shadow meandered on the ground, moving like a living creature, and finally stopped at the edge of Shi Fei's boot.

"Your Excellency, the Left Prime Minister, is wise." She raised her eyes, the candlelight reflecting in her dark pupils, as if flickering with eerie flames.

"The flood is coming. If we insist on delaying, we will only cause more innocent people to perish. They don't deserve it!"

Shi Fei remained silent for a long time before finally closing his eyes. When he opened them again, his eyes were filled with cold solemnity.

“Pass on the order…” His voice was low and deep, each word like a knife.

"In Xinzhou and Wanzhou, the government will provide food support and escort all civilians who wish to evacuate to higher ground. As for the Zhou family and the Wan family..."

He paused, a faint, cold smile playing on his lips.

"Since they're so sure the flood won't come, let them enjoy their last moments to the fullest!"

Lin Ping's figure slowly retreated into the shadows, silently watching everything unfold.

As the night dew grew heavy, she retreated from the house and quickly flew towards the Xinzhou teleportation array.