—
Imperial Censor Zheng and Shen Ling looked at the crowds thronging the mountain, their expressions still showing no signs of relaxation.
Although everyone has come ashore, the flood is not over yet.
Looking at the large group of doctors who had come from the capital following behind him, Imperial Censor Zheng felt somewhat relieved.
After the floods, plagues were also a major concern.
On the third day of the countdown to the Ningpei flood, everyone gathered in the mountains. Because of the terrifying flood dream, although the weather was hot, everyone was able to remain calm.
On the second day of the flood countdown, some people had some thoughts, but the government officials suppressed them, and the terrifying scenes in their dreams added to the pressure. Although they were anxious, they never thought of returning to their homes down the mountain.
On the last day of the flood countdown, even those who had dreamt of the terrifying flood guessed that the flood's arrival had been delayed, so a very small number of people secretly came down the mountain.
Around three or four in the morning the next day, several men dressed in coarse cloth jackets gathered together and chatted quietly.
"Did Chen Zi sneak back?"
"That's right."
"Isn't he afraid of the flood coming and losing his life? The heavens told us in our dream that a great flood was coming."
"What are you afraid of? Life is more important than money! Let me tell you, all the rich people in the county have moved to the mountains. The rich people in the city have kept their money at home. That kid has been sneaking around and has already picked up several pieces of gold and silver. If we stay on the mountain obediently, that little thief Chen Zi will be a rich man by then!"
"Wang Dahu, are you coming down or not? If you don't come down, I'm not going to help you make a fortune!"
The man who spoke was named Er Mazi. He was a pickpocket and hoodlum in Ningpei County and came from the same village as Wang Dahu. He had an ordinary face, but his eyes were full of excitement.
The man called Wang Dahu was a rather robust-looking, honest-looking man. Hearing Er Mazi's words, Wang Dahu was somewhat tempted, but when he recalled the terrifying scene he had dreamed about that day, he resolutely shook his head.
"No, no, the gods in heaven said that this dream was sent because of His Majesty. We can't do something so foolish. Er Mazi, you should find someone else."
"Ha, Wang Dahu, I'm doing you a favor by coming to me, considering we're from the same village. And you still dare to act all high and mighty? Fine, you simpleton, you'll never get rich in your life. I'm leaving."
Er Mazi stormed off down the mountain.
He didn't really want Wang Dahu to come down the mountain with him to do this business. The main reason was that he had heard that those money-grubbing guys down the mountain had stolen a lot of good stuff. He was so thin and weak that he figured he wouldn't be able to steal much. With the strong and honest Wang Dahu by his side, he could get more, and he wouldn't have to worry about being robbed by those "competitors".
But now that Wang Dahu has been told, this guy is genuinely unwilling to do it, and Er Mazi is furious.
Damn it, Wang Dahu is such an idiot, he doesn't even know how to make money!
As he was thinking, he was halfway up the mountain when his foot suddenly hit a pebble and he kicked it hard.
The pebble was kicked far away, but the crisp sound was drowned out by another sharp sound, one that seemed to come from the depths of fear.
"squeak……"
In an instant, the sky darkened.
Er Mazi looked up in horror and saw a black mass rushing toward him at a visible speed.
At that terrifying speed, Er Mazi's legs went weak instantly. His eyes were wide open, still filled with the greed he had felt for the wealth at the foot of the mountain.
Even with this hesitant pace, Er Mazi could still make out what the black thing in the distance was—a terrifying flood, just like something out of a dream. As it passed through the trees and villages, tall trees and buildings were submerged in the water, making a terrifying "creaking" sound.
It started to rain.
Only when the weight touched his skin did Er Mazi feel his legs break free from that terrifying restraint.
He ran up the mountain as fast as he could.
He ran very fast, so fast that he could see Wang Dahu, who was ten meters tall and staring at him in fear, from a distance of about 10 meters.
But... how can human strength outrun a flood?
To Wang Dahu's horrified gaze, the floodwaters swept Er Mazi away.
Wang Dahu slumped to the ground. The horrific scene just a dozen steps away made him climb a few more steps higher.
There are many people like Er Mazi who were swept away by greed, but compared to the total number, it's already much better.
Imperial Censor Zheng and Shen Ling knew this, but looking at the terrifying "black dragon" below the mountain, they felt both tense and relaxed.
The tension stemmed from the arrival of the flood and the loss of property, while the relief came from a strange sense of relief that the flood had finally come.
Before the flood came, even though these people stayed obediently on the mountain, they became increasingly anxious over time. Now that the flood has come, at least they don't have to worry about people secretly going down the mountain anymore.
Imperial Censor Zheng sighed.
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