This silly woman's compassion is starting to overflow again!
The Snake King chuckled, once again expressing his speechless admiration for the kind-hearted girl, He Tiantian.
Since they've already spoken, let He Tiantian understand the truth. The Snake King said, "This Peach Blossom River flows through the entire Peach Blossom County, nourishing the local people. At the same time, the local people also respect and love this river. In the past, the people here would make offerings to this river every year. Those who had money would give some good things, and those who didn't would simply kowtow by the river to express their gratitude. All of this benefited the stone statues at the bottom of the river. Humans have thoughts, and although the guardian beast stone statues are just stone statues, they are blessed with incantations and have become one with this river for thousands of years. Their mutual giving is the way of endless cycle of life."
Mutual giving is the way to create a continuous cycle of life!
These words struck He Tiantian like a thunderbolt!
This is a river protected by a mythical beast statue. The local people have always drawn sustenance from this river, irrigating their land and sustaining their lives. However, they no longer show the river the gratitude, reverence, or offerings they once did. Their one-sided taking without giving back has angered the mythical beast statue at the bottom of the river, causing it to seek revenge on the people on both banks.
He Tiantian thought of the severe drought in her previous life, which had caused many people to starve to death!
"Snake King, since you know all this, can you help us? In 1971, there was a severe drought that killed many people. I had to search for wild vegetables and fruits to survive that difficult year," He Tiantian said with a bitter face. What could they do?
What was originally just a simple drought turned out to involve a curse on a divine beast statue, leaving her helpless.
"I can't help you." The Snake King refused. These things all have a cause and effect. It was humans who broke their ancestors' promises and beliefs first. The river guardian beast did not receive sufficient faith power or merit power, so it naturally became angry and unleashed its power to make humans remember the lesson of breaking their promises.
The Snake King's refusal was within He Tiantian's expectations; the Snake King had always remained indifferent to matters unrelated to it.
He Tiantian understood, but she couldn't accept it in her heart.
"Don't you humans think you're going crazy right now? You've lost all reverence for heaven and earth, for the natural order, and that's a terrible thing. Doing this may liberate your minds, but you'll lose so much more—the goodness of humanity, morality, ethics…" the Snake King sighed. Without reverence, you'll inevitably descend into madness. This isn't something it can change, nor does it want to. As for He Tiantian, a kind-hearted little girl, hopefully she'll consider whether she has the ability to do anything before acting.
He Tiantian opened her mouth, but couldn't refute the Snake King's words.
Yes, humanity has lost its reverence for heaven and earth, for the natural order, and believes itself to be the master of this world. Little does it know that humanity is itself a part of nature. If it only knows how to take and not how to give, then sooner or later all of humanity's companions will leave and no longer protect humanity.
"Alright, this is the will of Heaven, and the will of Heaven cannot be defied," the Snake King said mysteriously. "All you need to do is protect yourself. You don't need to worry about anything else, nor do you have the ability to."
Although He Tiantian understood this principle, she still felt depressed because of her powerlessness. If she could, He Tiantian wouldn't want to know the truth. In fact, being confused might not be entirely a bad thing.
"Sigh..." He Tiantian sighed and then returned carrying a large basin full of Chinese cabbages.
During lunch, He Tiantian learned from other villagers that the two people had been rescued at the commune hospital and were out of danger.
In the afternoon, the commune sent many police officers from the local police station to handle the matter. Those men were quite aggressive, wearing heavy waterproof rubber suits, and they retrieved the objects from the bottom of the water.
The people of Qijia Village also stopped working and rushed over to watch.
He Tiantian, who had been feeling uneasy, went over to take a look. It was a stone tortoise statue about the size of a millstone, with dense runes on its thick shell.
He Tiantian actually saw two lines of water in the eyes of that mythical beast statue. They didn't look like river water, but rather like two lines of tears flowing from the statue!
"Sigh..." the Snake King sighed, "These humans really don't know their own limitations!"
A sin committed by Heaven may be forgiven; a sin committed by oneself is unforgivable.
Hearing the Snake King's sigh, He Tiantian quickly asked, "Snake King, the severe drought next year is destined to continue..."
"It's not just about next year's drought!" the Snake King murmured. "Next year's drought is just a minor punishment. After next year, Peach Blossom County will still be a fertile and prosperous place. But they've unearthed the divine beast statue. Without the statue to protect it, this place will become a poor and remote area, plagued by frequent disasters..."
He Tiantian was shocked. In her previous life, after the drought, the land here was no longer fertile, and the river often overflowed and flooded the surrounding crops. Moreover, during the more than 20 years that He Tiantian lived here, there were two earthquakes.
Taoyuan County has transformed from a scenic spot into a disaster-prone area. In Taoyuan County, people with even a little bit of ability have left with their families to settle elsewhere or in cities.
Could it be... could it be that people unearthed the guardian beast stone statue of the river?
He Tiantian hates Qi Jianguo and his family, but she doesn't hate the place itself. So she hopes that Taoyuan County will continue to enjoy good weather and abundant harvests.
"Snake King, please save the local people!" He Tiantian said. "You are the all-powerful Snake King, and it is your destiny to come here. Besides, you also said that the more good deeds I do, the more beneficial it will be for you. This time, we can save many lives and gain a lot of merit. It will be very beneficial for you, for me, and for everyone."
He Tiantian remembered the words of the Snake King and hoped to get his help. Even if they couldn't escape next year's drought, they shouldn't let Taoyuan County, a place like a paradise, become a barren wasteland.
"Sigh, you're putting me in a difficult position!" the Snake King said helplessly, carefully considering He Tiantian's words. There's a saying that's true: everything depends on fate. Perhaps this situation was its destiny?
The Snake King did not answer, but instead began to calculate.
Even in dire straits, there's always a chance for a turnaround. Could that turnaround be He Tiantian and him?
He Tiantian sensed a softening in the Snake King's words and felt that things weren't entirely hopeless. (To be continued.)
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