Volume 6 Chapter 18: Really Like a Dog
The dam burst. In just a breath of time, that river dam that looked so sturdy, as if it would never have any problems, broke apart chunk by chunk, scattered and smashed under the pressure.
It wasn't that Lin Xi never imagined the collapse of his dam, but he didn't expect it would suddenly burst at such a calm time. Moreover, what he never expected either, was that the normally calm river, at this time, would actually have such great power.
Chunks of the dam weighing who knew how many jin were immediately swept out, breaking apart. Compared to this type of power, even the strength of cultivators seemed completely insignificant.
Only, the instant this dam began to rupture, just the great winds produced from the powerfully surging river blew his eyes until he couldn't even open them.
"Return!"
Almost without any hesitation, Lin Xi pushed the green roulette in his mind.
As his cultivation increased, he could already return to any point within ten halts with this unique ability. However, right now, he completely pushed this green roulette, returning to ten minutes ago.
It was because this place was still extremely far from the safe hill behind them. Without ten minutes of time, both him and Jiang Xiaoyi might not even be able to run to the hill in time, ending up submerged under the crazily surging flood.
After the familiar change of scenery where almost nothing could be made out clearly, Lin Xi returned to ten minutes ago.
Both he and Jiang Xiaoyi were standing on the dam, currently facing the river.
Right now, the river water was clear and bright, calm and beautiful. However, when he thought of the scene just now, Lin Xi's back was immediately covered in a layer of cold sweat.
"Don't ask me why. Jiang Xiaoyi, hurry and follow me!"
Without any hesitation, after Lin Xi said this to Jiang Xiaoyi, he immediately began to crazily sprint towards the hill in the back.
Jiang Xiaoyi was stunned, but because of his faith in Lin Xi, he didn't ask about the reason at all, just directly following Lin Xi, crazily sprinting towards high ground.
At this time, He Zijing who had just received news of removing Lin Xi from his post had just approached the river dam with Kuang Xiuxian, Shang Yin, and the other officials. When they saw Lin Xi and Jiang Xiaoyi jump off from the dam surface and run crazily, He Zijing frowned in confusion, turning around to look at Kuang Xiuxian and the others. "You all go and investigate the dam a bit."
"They are running in such a hurry, could it be that they are worried that there is something bad that would be seen by us? Shang Yin, let's follow them and take a look."
Kuang Xiuxian and some officials stayed behind. He Zijing, Shang Yin, and the others quickly followed along.
"What is making him run in such panic, like a thief with a guilty conscience?"
"Look at them run, they really are like dogs."
Kuang Xiuxian and the others' sneers entered Lin Xi's ears.
Lin Xi didn't feel much sympathy towards Kuang Xiuxian and the others. This was especially when he knew that these officials only came today to tell him about his defeat. Not even Elder Chen Yangzhi's death made these people feel the slightest bit of shock.
Moreover, he knew that even if he made a vow to the heavens, these officials who mocked him as a loser wouldn't believe anything he said. Perhaps when the dam burst and the heaven overflowing waters poured over their heads, only in that instant would they feel sincere remorse.
In this instant, he only felt pleased in his mind, even feeling like it was just like when the floating corpse from the Silver Hook Lane case drifted all the way to East Port Town's pier, like it was heaven's will.
The dam bursting even more so proved the authenticity of what Elder Chen Yangzhi said, even more so able to wash away the resentment and unwillingness of being criticized as a small person before death.
Lin Xi took a deep breath, running even faster.
Because he was running crazily and breathing heavily, a wave of heat spread from his chest throughout his body.
"Please listen to this elder's words..."
By his ears, he seemed to have heard the elder's blood sobbing-like cries.
He could sense that He Zijing, Shang Yin and the others were quickly chasing after him and Jiang Xiaoyi.
"What do you all think I want to do?"
When he thought of Chen Yangzhi's final stance, Lin Xi's heart was incredibly calm right now. That was why he couldn't help but turn around, shouting fiercely at He Zijing and the others, "The reason why I am leaving now is because this dam is about to burst. It is all because of your own personal grudges that caused this type of result!"
"Dam burst?"
He Zijing and Shang Yin turned around to look at the river dam. They gave each other a look, only feeling like this person was either completely mad, or that he was purposely saying things to cover up something.
Lin Xi and Jiang Xiaoyi finally arrived on the hill.
Lin Xi was breathing heavily, his eyes ice-cold as he suddenly turned around, stopping.
He Zijing, Shang Yin and the others were at least several hundred steps away from them.
Lin Xi could tell that there wasn't a single cultivator among them, not even the military officer Shang Yin. It was only because the constitution of soldiers were a bit sturdier than ordinary people, all because they were suspecting that he was hiding something, that these people could actually chase this close... However, the more it was like this, the more he could see the fields and fishing ponds behind them, making his gaze become even colder.
His entire face was covered in icy frost as he looked towards the distant river dam.
On the river dam, Kuang Xiuxian was still laughing in ridicule.
"You all should use your eyes and look at this dam. This is something made from sand and stones mixed with plant ash, grass, branches, mountain mud and sticky rice, even the city walls defending Great Mang's borders are made like this, what does he understand... even a dam like this will burst?"
Many officials and scholars nodded in agreement, their faces revealing great ridicule.
It was because of the Town Supervisor's careful arrangements that the victory over Lin Xi was extremely easy.
A scholar heard the sounds of ships moving. He turned around, seeing three great ships arrive from the distant river surface.
One Thriving Prosperity great ship, two Fortune Memory great ships.
"Sir Lin, just what exactly happened?"
When Lin Xi and Jiang Xiaoyi crazily ran up the hill and then stopped, many villagers and Chen Haozhi, as well as others couldn't help but run down, asking what was happening.
"All of you, hurry and go back up. The river dam is about to collapse."
Lin Xi used an extremely strict voice to command these people, making a decisive hand gesture, having all of them go back up.
These villagers had never seen Lin Xi with such a serious expression. Together with what he said, all of these people immediately became a bit stunned.
"Lin Xi, did you go crazy?"
Shang Yin also heard Lin Xi's words. He couldn't help but laugh coldly with a loud voice.
Lin Xi didn't pay him any attention at all, only looking at the three great boats on the river surface.
These really were three massive ships, their sails raised layer upon layer, who knew how many times more majestic than the Pirates of the Carribean's Black Pearl.
Because these three great ships looked extremely majestic, like massive palaces moving on the water, all of the other small ships seemed extremely small, not drawing much attention.
When the dozen or so fishing boats saw the three large ships arrive from the distance, all of them put away their fishing nets. Otherwise, it was easy for their fishing nets to be tangled together when these large ships moved past.
Aside from the fishing boats, there were several leisure boats as well.
On a leisure boat, a green clothed teacher and a teenage child were currently operating the bow of the ship.
This boy's face was delicate and pretty, his swirling dark eyes extremely cute. He was currently pointing out a finger towards the three great ships, excitedly saying, "Mister, look, those three ships are so large!"
The green clothed teacher smiled and said, "Those are great ships the merchant companies use to carry goods, what is stored in these three ships should all be tung oil. The tung oil these great ships transport without rest on this Breath River satisfies a third of our Yunqin's needs."
The boy immediately laughed in happiness. "How amazing!"
"How majestic!"
At this time, the officials from Swallow Descent Town on the dam also released a sigh of praise.
The three majestic great ships were close to the river dam. The closer they came, the more powerful they seemed, the shouts of sailors also carried over by the slightly damp wind.
The river was pushed by these ships.
Wave after wave of water surged, the riverside reeds gently swayed.
One of the officials couldn't help but look towards the ground, and then immediately turned around.
He suddenly discovered that it wasn't the ground that was shaking, nor was it his misconception. It was because right now, Kuang Xiuxian and the others at his side also had this type of expression.
Ka...
Right at this time, this official heard a great cracking sound from below his feet, as if a massive backbone was shattering.
This official's face suddenly paled, Kuang Xiuxian at his side also immediately becoming snow-white. This fat official finally reacted, thinking of a possibility, his mouth opening, a type of extreme horror and regret instantly flooding his brain. However, before he released any sounds, great rupturing noises and sounds of water completely overwhelmed them.
The earth quaked, mountains shook!
Only, at this moment, Kuang Xiuxian and the other officials already couldn't stand still.
They saw that this extremely wide dam that allowed for two carriages to move side by side, began to easily snap like pieces of dried firewood.
They saw that as this river dam collapsed, the river water that reached far over their heads came down.
Finally, they couldn't see anything, instantly annihilated like ants.
Hong!
The earth behind the dam was trembling.
The collapsed dam and crazily surging waters were like furious giant hammer as they smashed into the originally fertile land, responding to the roaring cries of the elder before his death.
What no one knew was that when the elder was powerless to breathe, saying 'this elder has dragged you down', the elder's final thought was one of sorrow. What he thought was... could it be that this dam was fortified too well back then, that this was also a sin?
Shang Yin, He Zijing and the others turned around under the great noise, their bodies instantly shaken until they couldn't stand still.
They saw that massive dam collapse chunk by chunk as if it was made from paper, watched as the horrifying flood swept through everything, a wave of coldness instantly surging into their throats.
AH!!!
These officials released shrill screams of horror.
These officials dressed in official uniforms frantically ran towards the hill Lin Xi and the others were on, running in an incredibly sorry state, running like they were completely mad... running like dogs who lost their families.