From the southern side of the city, a towering wave of murky water fifteen zhang high surged forward, carrying with it a deafening roar that shook the heavens. Before this wall of water that rose from the earth itself, Lengshan County’s city walls seemed as fragile as paper.
Both officials and commoners within the city were struck with sheer terror at the horrifying sight, their courage shattered. After a brief moment of stunned silence, panicked screams erupted all at once. Driven by instinct to survive, the crowd fled in all directions in blind desperation, only to realize they were already trapped like fish in a jar. There was nowhere to retreat, nowhere to escape.
The wall of water closed in within moments, about to crash down and swallow the entire city whole.
At that critical instant, when disaster hung by a thread—
The cold shout of County Magistrate Fang Xun rang out like thunder across the entire city.
Before his voice had even faded, a streak of dazzling golden light shot into the sky from the county yamen. It expanded into a massive dome-like barrier, which in the blink of an eye enveloped the entire city beneath it.
In the next moment, the overwhelming floodwaters slammed violently against the golden formation.
Amid a cataclysmic crash that seemed to split heaven and earth apart, the golden array trembled violently, as though it might shatter at any second. Fortunately, though it quaked under the impact, it did not collapse. Its light merely dimmed drastically, becoming faint and nearly transparent.
After enduring the first wave of impact, the force of the flood weakened considerably. Yet it did not recede. Instead, it followed the terrain, surging toward lower ground. At this moment, Lengshan County resembled a solitary rock standing firm amidst raging tides.
Having survived such a terrifying disaster, the people of Lengshan County erupted into waves of jubilant cheers.
Fang Xun stood with his hands clasped behind his back, quietly gazing out at the flood beyond the city.
Yet beneath his calm exterior, his heart was anything but at ease.
“How could such a massive flood occur so suddenly?”
He was filled with doubt.
Not long after, inside the county yamen study.
County Deputy Yu Shang and County Commandant Cheng Yishu hurried over, their expressions grave.
The three gathered together, staring intently at a topographic map of the region surrounding Lengshan.
“Lengshan County is encircled by mountains on all sides and lies within a basin. Not far from here stand several perilous peaks, their snow never melting year-round.” Yu Shang, who carried the air of an old scholar, stroked his beard as he calmly voiced his judgment. “However, that was the past. Since the beginning of this year, the weather has been unbearably hot, extremely abnormal. In my opinion, it is likely that this climate caused the glaciers to melt, ultimately leading to this mountain flood.”
Fang Xun frowned slightly upon hearing this. “Even if the weather is unusually hot, the ice atop those peaks is ancient profound ice that has formed over countless years. How could it melt so easily, and with such speed?”
As he pondered, he suddenly noticed Cheng Yishu at the side looking uneasy, as though hiding something. Fang Xun’s expression darkened.
“Yishu, speak plainly if you have something to say.”
Cheng Yishu swallowed, then lowered his voice. “Lord, since April this year, the heat has grown worse by the day. The county yamen is cooled by formations, so we remain comfortable. But outside…”
“Because of that, some within the Black Armored Army set their sights on the ice in the surrounding snow mountains. They went up to cut and extract ice. Aside from using it themselves to cool off, they also sold the excess at high prices to the townspeople. This flood… may very well be connected to that…”
Before he could finish speaking, Fang Xun’s face had already turned ashen, his expression extremely grim.
“A bunch of fools!”
He slammed his palm heavily onto the desk. Then he took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his anger and regaining his composure.
“Let this be the last time,” he said coldly. “Fortunately, the Radiant Light Formation protected us today, preventing total destruction. After you return, strictly discipline your men. Do not let such foolish actions happen again.”
“And one more thing…” Fang Xun continued, his tone shifting. “We do not know when this flood will recede. When disaster strikes, unrest is sure to follow. Take the Black Armored Army immediately and maintain order within the city. Guard strictly against any disturbances.”
Cheng Yishu had been certain that a great calamity was about to befall him. Never in his wildest dreams did he expect Fang Xun to raise the matter high, only to let it fall lightly. At once, it felt as though he had been granted a pardon from death. Overwhelmed with relief, he repeatedly acknowledged the order before hastily taking his leave.
“Old Yu,” Fang Xun said, turning his gaze toward Yu Shang, “I’ll trouble you to take stock of the grain stores and supply reserves within the city. Calculate how long we can hold out.”
Once the two subordinates departed, the vast study fell back into a suffocating silence.
Only then did the constable Wu Kuang slip inside like a ghost, silent and unseen.
Lowering his voice, he said, “Sir, regarding the matter of the Black Armored Army privately cutting into the mountains to extract ice, this subordinate had already taken notice and reported it to you earlier. It’s just that…”
The anger on Fang Xun’s face had long since vanished, replaced by his usual depth and composure. “Setting aside the fact that they were only mining ice on a small scale in secret, even if I were to mobilize the entire army and have them work day and night, it would still be far from enough to cause a disaster of this magnitude.”
Wu Kuang immediately understood and nodded. “My Lord is absolutely right. In my opinion…”
“It must be that brat acting in the shadows!”
Fang Xun lowered his eyelids, concealing the killing intent within his eyes as he cursed under his breath, “Using shamanic fire to melt the ice and flood the city… what a vicious little beast!”
The “little beast” he spoke of with such hatred was none other than the surviving remnant of the Xiang Kingdom, the nephew of Xiong Jin.
Ever since the thought of capturing him and trading him in for a bright future had taken root, Fang Xun had secretly ordered Wu Kuang to search far and wide. And in recent days, they had indeed uncovered some traces.
Wu Kuang had personally led a team to carry out a covert arrest. Unfortunately, that boy was as slippery as a loach. Despite only possessing cultivation at the Mortal Physique Realm, his combat strength was astonishing.
Not only did he escape that encounter, several constables had been killed or injured in the process.
“To melt ten thousand year ice, even for him, the cost must be enormous. Right now should be the moment when he is at his weakest.”
Fang Xun’s gaze turned cold as he issued his command in a chilling tone, “Take men and search again. The moment you find any trace of him, report to me immediately.”
“This time, I will personally make a move.”
Wu Kuang’s expression tightened. He cupped his fists in acknowledgment and quickly departed.
Meanwhile, the citizens of Lengshan County, who had just survived the disaster and were still immersed in relief, did not remain happy for long.
They soon discovered, with shock and dread, that although the raging floodwaters had not swallowed the county whole, there was no sign of them receding either.
The murky torrents from upstream seemed endless, and the water level at the edge of the city’s formation continued to rise higher and higher.
By that very afternoon, the muddy waters had already completely submerged the towering city walls.
Looking around, the entirety of Lengshan County had turned into a sunless city beneath the water.
Above their heads loomed an overwhelming mass of floodwater, threatening to come crashing down at any moment.
This placed immense psychological pressure on everyone within the city.
Already worn down in both body and mind by dozens of days of scorching heat, the people now found disaster looming overhead, with no sign of safety in sight.
A subtle and eerie atmosphere began to quietly envelop Lengshan County.
Within his own small courtyard, Li Shun listened to the nearly hysterical argument coming from next door, his expression growing increasingly grim.
“I thought that digging deep tunnels would let me avoid disaster at a critical moment. Who would have expected that even a place like Lengshan County could be struck by a flood from the heavens?”