Huh? Isn't this an adventure kingdom building game?!-Chapter 714 - 698: A Blessing in Disguise Amidst Misfortune

"Little Immortal?! It's really the Little Immortal! Oh heavens, we're saved!" The old beggar spotted the familiar figure flying slowly in the air, and instantly the aroma of roast chicken flashed through his mind.

He was already so hungry that his stomach seemed to stick to his back, and now his mouth watered uncontrollably.

From Old Li's words, he had learned about events that followed, and this Little Immortal was something else, with vast divine powers!

You see, after discovering that the crowd was calling for help, the Little Immortal first reassured everyone not to worry, promising to rescue them.

Then he blew on a small paper boat in his hand, and it transformed into large ships floating on the water. If this isn't an Immortal's trick, then what is?

"Pop!"

Once enough boats were prepared, Jiang Yuan poked a hole above the fish star and instructed everyone not to crowd or panic, transferring them safely onto the boats one by one.

This fish star was quite sturdy. Only after everyone was on board did it finally fracture completely, allowing the entire mountaintop to be swallowed by the floodwaters.

"Don't shove or rush, everyone gets two carrots and a sweet potato. Eat to fill your stomach first, and when we reach a safe place, I'll prepare more food for you."

At this moment, Jiang Yuan didn't bother using the courtyard communicator, instead cooking meals patiently for over a hundred people at the stove.

He had to provide them with something to keep them going. The quicker he understood the situation's cause, the sooner he could address the root problem. The abundant and filling carrots and sweet potatoes quickly replenished water and provided a sense of satiety, perfect for emergencies like this.

"Over there, over there, and on that hillside, there are still people!"

The old beggar wiped the sweet potato on his clothes, couldn't wait to take a bite, and pointed towards the distance, "The godbird told us to spread out, not to gather in one place. The entire East Lake Port, including the county magistrate, headed for the hills — around four to five hundred people!"

Hearing that everyone was protected relaxed Jiang Yuan greatly; fortuna in unfortunate circumstances!

Thankfully, due to a moment of hesitation in the past, he had decided not to take the clairvoyant little bird away. It had its own duty to warn the people of East Lake Port. Indeed, when the flood came, it saved many lives.

If he had ignored it and taken it away back then, the people of East Lake Port would likely have perished.

"As for what happened exactly, we're not entirely sure, Little Immortal. You'd need to ask Lord County Magistrate for more details."

Another young man, having finished eating in a few swift bites, finally had something in his stomach and spoke more fluently, "All we know is that late at night, suddenly someone shouted that a flood was coming!

Our families hurried up, and from afar, we saw the waters of East Lake gleaming under the moonlight, rising. Everyone banged on pots, calling for people to hurry and head up the mountain.

Some knelt in front of the divine statue, praying to the Water Virtue Star Monarch to stop the flood. But it was of no use; the water rose too quickly.

At that moment, the godbird, clutching something in its claws, flew in the air, calling everyone to quickly head to the mountains. When fleeing, carrying the elderly and holding the young, nothing else mattered — everyone fled up the mountain in a frenzy while the godbird told everyone to disperse.

By the time we climbed to the mountaintop, the water had already reached the mountain's base. The godbird used something in its claws to shield us, telling us to stay quiet, not to make noise, and not to break that bubble layer."

"Thanks to that bubble, at night, despite many demon creatures in the water, the bubble hid us from their sight, allowing us to survive until now."

"We thought the godbird came to save people, and that the Water Virtue Star Monarch would chase away the flood. After all, so many offerings and incense were devoted every year, yet the water grew ever larger, and there was no sign of the Water Virtue Star Monarch, and the godbird never came back."

"Hah! The Water Virtue Star Monarch must still be angry with us for not gathering this year's offerings. So the godbird was sent to protect us, ensuring we wouldn't drown but suffer a little instead."

"If it weren't for the Little Immortal coming to us, we would have starved to death. Is this called suffering a little? It seems like they never intended for us to survive!"

"Exactly! The water drowned the mountains, and we haven't seen the shadow of the Water Virtue Star Monarch. Are they really ignoring us now?"

"That's nonsense; if they wanted to ignore us, why send the godbird over? Surely there's something more important delaying them. Not a single offering was missed in the past years, and we've already performed all the rituals this year. Suddenly demanding things we've never heard of, not finding them is normal, no Immortal would hold a grudge against us..."

......

Listening to their discussions while eating, Jiang Yuan suddenly felt an ominous premonition.

The flood likely had something to do with that catfish demon. What exactly happened to it?

To cause East Lake's water level to rise so high it reached Central Province, and it still showed no sign of receding, and the clairvoyant bird also hadn't returned — could it have met with some misfortune with its master?

He urged the paper boats forward, found fish stars, punctured them, rescued the stranded people onto the boats, distributed food, and worked for nearly two hours. Finally, he saved every last one of the four to five hundred people.

[Do Good Deeds Every Day, Fortune +1; Building Upgrade Card +2, Special Material Gift Pack +1...]

Perhaps it was because too many people were saved this time, the rewards were generous.

"Thank you, Mr. Jiang, for saving our lives." The County Magistrate, being an official of the court, maintained decorum despite looking disheveled from the flood. He first thanked Jiang Yuan and then said in a lowered voice: "This place is not suitable for a long stay or conversation. Could Mr. Jiang please hasten the boats eastward? Once we've passed this water, we can talk in detail, otherwise..."

He glanced at the vast waters with a lingering fear, as if harboring some unspeakable concern.

Jiang Yuan could only lead a large fleet of paper boats swiftly across the water surface, heading east as per the County Magistrate's direction, occasionally rescuing survivors stranded on small island-like peaks that emerged from the water.

East Lake Port is the largest crossing within a hundred-mile radius, with the county government office set up here. About sixty miles to the east, it all falls under East Lake Port's jurisdiction.

Fortunately, there are many mountains here. Back then, the mountains, which awed Wan An and inspired him to name his grandson Wan Chuan, played a significant role in obstructing the flood.

Many creatures have sought refuge on the mountain tops, from wild rabbits and pheasants to wild deer and boars, all becoming docile and obedient in the face of disaster.

Jiang Yuan specifically prepared two large boats to temporarily accommodate these surviving creatures.

Traveling eastward until dusk, they finally saw fields and villages spared from severe flooding, distanced from the river.

After obtaining consent from the local farmers, he found a suitable place for rest, allowing the survivors to disembark, distributing food, water, firewood, and lighting a bonfire for them to rest and eat.

"Now that we're here, I dare to speak," the County Magistrate thanked once more and sat with Jiang Yuan in a secluded corner away from the crowd, speaking softly: "I am a court official of the Great Liang Dynasty, appointed to East Lake Port for less than three years. The local people's life depends entirely on the port, so they fervently worship the Water Virtue Star Monarch.

In this chaotic world, I, a mere scholar well-versed in books, know that there are cultivators and demon beasts; I've also vaguely heard of the court's interactions with sects of cultivators. According to them, the existence of immortals in this world is questionable.

But since the so-called Water Virtue Star Monarch can bring peace to the land, why not regard him as a deity? In reality, I can guess he's likely some kind of spirit. Sure enough, the people of East Lake Port worship a fish demon!"

Jiang Yuan nodded; he was already aware of this, and even knew that the opponent was called Zeyang.

The County Magistrate sighed and continued: "At the end of the first month of every summer, East Lake Port holds a grand sacrificial ceremony, offering many tributes to the fish demon for a year of protection. This includes freedom from demon beast attacks, calm waters of the East Lake, and the safety of passing ships."

Indeed, collecting protection fees requires some work in return.

"But just a few days after this year's sacrificial ceremony, the fish demon suddenly demanded more tributes, insisting on rare items found only at night in the wilderness," he said, troubled. "People seek protection primarily for nighttime safety from demon beast attacks.

However, to find what he demands, we'd have to leave the safety zone and venture into the wilderness, which is impossible for mere mortals.

I prayed and explained the difficulties to him, but he was indifferent and only stated that if the tributes weren't given within a month, East Lake Port would be flooded!"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuan furrowed his brows slightly. Why was Zeyang demanding rare things from the wilderness?

"The fish demon once gifted a small bird, wise and alert, able to sense demon beast presence and warn us, greatly enhancing East Lake Port's safety. Recently, the divine bird seemingly had some fortuitous encounter, learning to spew flames and even speak some simple words.

I found it to be quite intelligent, and taught it language and writing in leisure. Its speech became increasingly fluent, and it became very close to me. When it found out about the suddenly increased and unattainable tributes, the divine bird secretly told me that what we worship isn't the Water Virtue Star Monarch, but a lurking Purple Sky Catfish Demon in East Lake!

It said the fish demon was indeed capable but had a gambling problem. It hid in East Lake to escape gambling debts when the wilderness descended, staying in this remote nook to avoid repayment.

Its threats to have locals search the wilderness for herbs and such are likely linked to gambling debts catching up again. The divine bird said it would first return under the guise of pleading to spy on the situation and consider strategies based on the details.

I thought since the divine bird was a gift from the fish demon, there would be some sentiment between them, and it should be safe to gather information under the pretense of pleading, so I agreed. But unexpectedly, once it left, there was no news of it."

After a pause, the County Magistrate adjusted the timeline and continued: "When the divine bird didn't return the day it left to plead, I had a bad feeling and, unwilling to sit idly by, dispatched village soldiers to the state mansion to send a request for aid.

A reply came back half a month later, stating that the deities worshiped by the state mansion would mediate. I don't know the specifics, but by the month's end, the fish demon didn't retaliate, only manifesting again to demand tributes within three days.

Every three days thereafter, the water in East Lake rose slightly, even overturning a few passing ships as a threat. But even under duress, we can't produce treasures unseen even in the state mansion.

Luckily, there hasn't been further calamity, and the situation remains deadlocked.

Two evenings ago, the divine bird suddenly returned. It reported that the fish demon had not only accrued gambling debts but also feuded with the debt-collecting demon cultivator.

During this time, the two have been entangled, and demanding tributes is to repay debts and settle the matter. The fish demon possesses a powerful magical treasure, and the opponent hesitates to escalate matters. Yet, the fish demon, emboldened, further aggravated the situation, displeasing the opponent.

The two sides are very likely to break into a massive conflict. It sketched me a map, urging me to quickly send someone to the Celestial Sword Sect for assistance. It also said it had snuck back, needing to return quickly to avoid angering the fish demon, and within the span of a cup of tea, the divine bird hurried away again."