Chapter 185

192. Those who bewitch people's hearts should be beheaded!

Nine hundred miles of Yunmeng Marsh, wreathed in mist, still under heavy rain.

On the north side at Yue Nu Gorge, on a dam called Di Gong Sluice, it was crowded with people. At this moment, cheers rang out, briefly drowning out the sound of the rain.

"It's blocked!"

No one knew who shouted it first, but the crowd on the sluice dam boiled over.

"Great, Tanlang!" Ye Weilai happily hugged Ouyang Rong's waist regardless of anything.

Ouyang Rong was stunned for a while, looked around, and turned his head to prepare to instruct the villagers to evacuate the sluice dam.

It seemed to be in response to the cheers of the crowd on the sluice dam.

Rumble—!

A loud noise slowly came from the sluice dam, like a wild beast moving its body slowly.

The original cheers among the crowd suddenly dropped by half a beat.

Ouyang Rong, Ye Weilai, Liu Ashan, and others who were about to turn their heads were also stunned.

Everyone looked back.

This loud noise did not come from the thunder in the sky.

But... from the Yunmeng Great Marsh directly in front, where mist was swirling and the heavy rain never stopped.

"This is?"

Ouyang Rong looked at the lake surface where the mist had not changed, and suddenly felt something was wrong.

"Not good, my lord. With the heavy rain continuing, there is another mountain collapse not far away, and mud and stone are flowing into the water. Judging by the sound, the scale is absolutely not small, not falling short of the one just now."

Clerk He hurriedly explained to the frowning Ouyang Rong:

"Just now, the sluice dam was hit by trees, stones, and hard objects rolled up by big waves, causing cracks and piping. It was also like this, with strange noises in the mist first, and then angry waves hitting the sluice..."

Clerk He's words had not finished before they came to an abrupt end, because there was no need to say them anymore; the angry waves had already arrived.

Ouyang Rong and the others had not yet reacted when they saw the mist on the lake surface in front suddenly disperse, hit and dispersed by a burst of angry waves rolled up by the lake surface below.

The aftermath of the loud noise of mud and stone flowing into the water not far away had arrived!

On the sluice dam, before the thoughts in most people's minds had finished flashing, they only saw a burst of angry waves rolling up thousands of broken soil, trees, and other sundries, rushing toward them.

"Crouch down to avoid!"

Ouyang Rong pressed the white-haired maid's head down at the first moment, and at the same time turned his head and roared.

The first wave of angry waves hit the Di Gong Sluice, which had just stabilized, fiercely.

Boom—!

The main body of the Di Gong Sluice's anti-tide dam shook slightly as if an earthquake had occurred.

Many people on the sluice dam swayed and fell to the ground.

Ouyang Rong, who pressed Ye Weilai's head down with his big hand and lay down with her to avoid it, only felt the sluice dam under him trembling uncontrollably under the slapping of the giant waves.

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Overhead, broken pieces and water droplets fell like a torrential rain.

Endless, like heavenly flowers falling.

These sundries, shattered and splashed by the first wave of angry waves, flew all over the sky. For a time, no one dared to turn around and look up, all either

bending over or throwing themselves on the ground, letting them hit their bodies and feet...

Finally, after three consecutive waves.

The angry waves subsided, and the big waves gradually receded.

The mist stirred up on the lake surface in the distance returned to its original state once again.

On the sluice dam, a pile of broken objects and water puddles appeared at the feet of the crowd. Ouyang Rong and the crowd slowly raised their heads.

"Check once, is anyone injured? Retreat, retreat first..."

Ouyang Rong lowered his head to ensure that the white-haired maid in his arms was not injured, stumbled to his feet, and greeted his subordinates.

Fortunately, the sluice dam was built quite high, and the splashed water waves and sundries did not cause large-scale damage.

Except for occasional wails, most of the crowd was fine.

However, compared to the cheering atmosphere just now.

The atmosphere on the sluice dam was now in a strange silence.

The crowd who had reacted looked at each other and inexplicably fell silent.

At this time, Liu Ashan suddenly shouted:

"Master! Look below quickly!"

Ouyang Rong was stunned, and looked down with the crowd.

They saw that below the sluice dam, the "semi-circular" piping area that had been enclosed by wooden stakes and fishing nets was a scene of ruin and mess.

The sandbags and heavy objects originally used to fill and suppress the water force had been scattered by the previous waves of angry waves.

At this moment, "gurgling" churning water flowers erupted violently from the water surface.

The degree of piping was even more serious than at the beginning.

And as the crowd's gaze moved upward, a more desperate scene was presented to their eyes one after another.

The sluice dam wall below was covered with cracks.

It was no longer limited to below the water surface; some cracks even extended all the way to the feet of the crowd.

Crack—crack—

Faint breaking sounds came.

It fell into the ears of Ouyang Rong, the civilian volunteer team, clerks, villagers, and others on the sluice dam.

It was like the whispering of a nightmare demon.

The efforts of everyone working all night were easily wiped out by these few big waves and the greatness of nature.

And the crowd on the sluice had nothing at hand.

There were no more sandbags, crushed stones, or other heavy materials to fill and suppress the piping.

On the scene, it seemed as if a funeral bell had begun to ring.

"It's... it's over."

Someone in the crowd murmured.

However, this was just the beginning.

Fear permeated the stuffy air.

Finally, it erupted.

On the sluice dam, the crowd in the heavy rain was like a pot that had exploded.

There were panicked voices: "Run... run quickly!"

"My lord, we should retreat. We have already done our best. There is nothing left to fill..."

"My lord, retreat. We can't hesitate anymore. Even if we are unwilling, we have to consider the elders and fellow villagers. We have to evacuate them to Longbei Mountain and Caifeng Mountain. Let's retreat..."

There were also questioning voices: "What about the elders and fellow villagers in Longcheng County behind us?"

There were also arguing voices: "What to do? What else can we do? We can't hold it. The sluice is about to collapse. Now, save as many as we can. Don't fight hard. Besides, haven't Clerk Diao and Constable Yan already evacuated the common people behind us?"

"Right, we still have backup preparations. Heaven wants to rain, and mothers want to marry. This is a natural disaster. We can't stop it. My lord, let's retreat. Retreat to the top of the mountain. There's no need to keep blocking at the front..."

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There was also the voice of the white-haired maid Ouyang Rong was familiar with:

"Tanlang, what's wrong with you? Why are your hands so cold? Tanlang, are we leaving? This sluice under our feet is starting to tremble; it doesn't seem stable...

"Tanlang, answer me. Are you feeling unwell? Why have you stopped talking..."

The overwhelming sound wave came again.

Ouyang Rong felt dazed.

The crowd was talking all at once, and countless opinions gathered from all directions. Ouyang Rong felt as if he had fallen into the water; his five senses were wrapped and blocked, and his thoughts became sticky and slow.

Only as a leader, truly being in the midst of it, could one understand the chaos of a team in the face of such a disaster.

Only a heart tempered by long practice could be as firm as a rock in the face of such chaos.

But Ouyang Rong had not yet been trained into such steel.

There would also be moments of wavering.

"Just like this... run away?"

The young magistrate looked at the cracks, lowered his head and murmured, his hands hanging on both sides of his body, letting Ye Weilai's warm, smooth little hands grab them.

"Ah..." Behind him, it seemed like a woman approached, pulling his clothes, and let out a soft "ah" sound.

Ouyang Rong, who was lost in thought, did not look back, nor did he have the time to look.

At this moment, on the sluice dam, everyone looked at the silent back of a certain young magistrate at the very front.

It seemed that a certain inertia had been formed. Ouyang Rong's back did not move, and he did not give an accurate order. For a time, most of the crowd, even if they were ants on a hot pot, did not dare to take a step forward in advance.

But even the most cohesive team would have pressure, which was gathered and transmitted to the very front.

"Master, it's too late. We have to make a decision. Master, give the order!"

Liu Ashan brought the men of the civilian volunteer team to surround him, worried and urgent, as if ready to forcibly take the young magistrate away at any time.

Ouyang Rong took a deep breath, looked up at them, and opened his mouth to speak.

But at this moment, somewhere in the crowd behind him, someone had already started to collapse first.

"It's the Long Wang! It's the Long Wang at the bottom of the water hitting the sluice!

"The sluice will definitely collapse. None of you can protect it, not even the magistrate! It's like this, it must be like this!"

The speaker was a priest of the Long Wang Temple dressed as a temple keeper, about thirty or forty years old, with mysterious, colorful paint all over his face. At this moment, he was pointing at the piping area at the crack below the sluice dam, roaring hysterically at the surrounding crowd.

There were several fellow priests beside him, but at this moment, they seemed to be frightened by the middle-aged priest and fell to the ground.

These Long Wang Temple priests had previously been assigned by Ouyang Rong to the civilian volunteer team for labor reform. Until now, someone seemed to have gone crazy first.

"This is the Long Wang, the Long Wang's warning. Your hearts are not sincere, and the Long Wang has finally shown his power. This is divine punishment; you can't hide from it. The Long Wang is going to flood again and destroy the county town once more. None of you can run away!"

The whole scene was silent, with only the sound of rain and the middle-aged priest's kneeling roar. The crowd's eyes were cast over, including Ouyang Rong's.

"Hurry, why don't you kneel down quickly and ask the Long Wang for forgiveness to save your lives..."

The middle-aged priest poked everyone in the audience with his finger, his expression collapsed and he roared crazily.

The whole scene was suddenly panicked. In the crowd where he was pointing, everyone stepped back one after another.

On the sluice dam where the heavy rain was pouring, a strange scene was happening at this moment.

Ouyang Rong closed his eyes: "Crazy, take him away."

Liu Ashan and several men from the civilian volunteer team immediately stepped forward.

However, before they could get close, the middle-aged priest jumped up, waved his arms to resist arrest, and threatened:

"Who dares to touch me? Are you not afraid of the Long Wang's punishment! If you don't kneel and beg for mercy, the Long Wang will definitely make you die without a burial place!! And you!"

The middle-aged priest changed the subject, pointed his finger angrily at Ouyang Rong's direction, and said sharply:

"It's you, Ouyang Lianghan, it's you. You are the chief culprit! You are the chief culprit who offended the Long Wang! The Long Wang is showing his power to hit the sluice, and he is coming to take your life! The chief culprit should be executed!

"Ouyang Lianghan, you dare to repair the sluice and control the water under the Long Wang's nose. The Long Wang will definitely make you die without a whole corpse! This flood sweeping through Longcheng is caused by you! You deserve to die!

"You foolish people, why are you still standing there stupidly? Hurry up and throw Ouyang Lianghan into the water to sacrifice to the Long Wang. The chief culprit should be executed." Ouyang Rong opened his eyes at this time, looked calmly at the middle-aged priest, and looked him up and down.

Liu Ashan frowned deeply, led several men to rush over quickly, pressed the middle-aged priest to the ground, and immediately subdued him.

"Let go of me, what are you doing? Dare to touch me? Are you not afraid of being punished by heaven like Ouyang Lianghan, wanting to act as an accomplice? You running dogs, you dare to offend the Long Wang, and together with this dog official, deceive the elders and fellow villagers of Longcheng County... woo woo woo... woo woo woo."

The middle-aged priest's expression was hysterical. He struggled for a moment, and his mouth was blocked.

The surrounding crowd was silent, and there was only the sound of rain on the scene.

"Wait, let him speak." Ouyang Rong looked at the silent crowd on the left and right, and suddenly spoke.

"Master..." Liu Ashan hesitated.

"Let him speak, no need to block."

Ouyang Rong shook his head, and Liu Ashan and the others had to obey and release the hand blocking his mouth.

Ouyang Rong asked the grinning middle-aged priest softly: "Did someone teach you to say this?"

The middle-aged priest's face was ferocious:

"What taught me to say this? Isn't this self-evident! The Long Wang's anger is already before our eyes. Elders and fellow villagers, open your eyes and look! What has this disaster done since he took office? Zhe Yi Channel, Di Gong Sluice, which one is not going against the Long Wang? If the Long Wang doesn't execute him, who will he execute!

"This flood is sent by the Long Wang in the water to punish him! It's a pity that everyone is suffering along with him, and he is still pretending to take the lead in blocking the water. Can the Long Wang's danger be blocked?!"

The middle-aged priest became more and more fluent as he spoke. At this moment, he actually stood up, pointed his finger directly at Ouyang Rong, and suddenly pointed at Ye Weilai beside him:

"On the day this person took office, he fell into the river and drowned. This was the Long Wang's warning. As a result, I didn't expect that this guy who couldn't even swim would escape by luck, and he didn't know how to repent, but instead went from bad to worse to offend the Long Wang...

"Also! Elders and fellow villagers, please look, this white-haired woman beside him is the proof!

"The Long Wang is merciful and spared him from death, but he didn't know how to repent, and was greedy and bold, stealing a white-haired dragon girl from the Dragon Palace and imprisoning her at home!

"Causing the Long Wang to be so angry, sending down heavy rain, angrily hitting the water sluice, and flooding Longcheng again...

"Everything is caused by him. Elders and fellow villagers, don't be bewitched by this person anymore. Turn back from the wrong path. Hurry up and catch this Ouyang Lianghan, throw him into the water, and throw this white-haired woman into the water together to return her to the Dragon Palace and appease the Long Wang's anger...

"The chief culprit should be executed!"

This roaring speech by the middle-aged priest, who was covered in paint and dressed in colorful clothes, plunged the whole scene into a strange silence.

Several other Long Wang Temple priests around saw this and seemed to have gained some courage, shouting and cheering on the side:

"Ouyang Lianghan! The chief culprit should be executed!"

"The chief culprit should be executed!"

For a time, on the silent sluice dam, there was only their shouting.

"Absurd!" Ye Weilai's little face was indignant.

But immediately, the white-haired girl felt countless gazes cast over from all around, cast toward her and the silent master beside her.

Ye Weilai trembled all over, her wet silver-white hair sticking to both sides of her cheeks. She blocked in front of Ouyang Rong regardless of anything, opened her hands, and her blue eyes widened:

"Slandering people! My Tanlang has always been at the forefront saving the common people! You bastard, your heart is so poisonous!"

Ye Weilai shouted left and right: "Elders and fellow villagers, don't be bewitched by evil words. Tanlang is innocent, and I am not any white-haired dragon girl. I have human blood flowing in me, I can cut my wrist to prove it..."

The middle-aged priest sneered: "Speaking so much for Ouyang Lianghan, do you want to stay in the human world that much? Go down quickly, don't implicate everyone."

Ye Weilai's little face flushed red: "You..."

However, before she finished speaking, her expression froze.

Equally frozen were the surrounding crowd and the middle-aged priest. The latter looked at the young magistrate who suddenly walked over and couldn't help but retreat repeatedly, panicked:

"You... what are you doing... uh..."

The middle-aged priest's throat was stuck.

It was really stuck.

Ouyang Rong walked over calmly, pressed his big hand on the middle-aged priest's head, pulled out the skirt knife from his waist, and neatly cut off a head.

He raised the head in his hand and said to everyone in the audience:

"Those who bewitch people's hearts should be beheaded!"

After saying this, he kicked the headless corpse off the sluice dam with one foot, and casually threw the head that died with eyes wide open down as well.

Ouyang Rong said calmly to the elders and fellow villagers:

"There is no Long Wang. Even if there is, there is no need for it to come; I will go and meet it."

He said softly to Liu Ashan and the others again:

"No need to retreat. Who said we are empty-handed, and who said there is nothing to block the piping?"

Ouyang Rong handed the knife to Ye Weilai, turned around, walked to the edge of the sluice dam without looking back, and jumped down alone.

Liu Ashan and the others were stunned.

A crowd of people squeezed to the edge of the sluice dam and looked down, only to see the young magistrate floating on the water, his face pale, trying his best to block the piping crack.

He actually knew how to swim!

The crowd looked ashamed, and other slanders naturally collapsed without attack.

Liu Ashan said nothing, followed him, and jumped down.

The civilian volunteer team, clerks, and villagers were silent for a moment.

Men walked out one after another and jumped down one by one.

For a time, there was the sound of people falling into the water continuously.