Chapter 22: Crisis Moment

In the dead of night, under the pitch-black veil of night, the heavy rain showed no signs of stopping. The occasional flashes of lightning and rolls of thunder illuminated figures clad in straw rain capes and hats, scurrying between thatched cottages.

Bright red blood flowed out from one thatched cottage after another, only to be washed away by the torrential rain, disappearing in an instant.

"Waa, waa..." The cries of infants and the pleas and prayers of adults had long been drowned out by the sound of wind and rain, to the point that even the neighbors nearby had not the slightest inkling of the abnormality in the houses next door.

Beneath the heavy rain, a young nobleman held an infant of just over a year old in one hand, his face etched with ruthlessness and indifference, unmoved by the infant's wailing and struggling.

"Power, what a truly intoxicating thing!" With a slight exertion of force from his hand, the infant's struggling arms hung limp, and all signs of life vanished. The young nobleman smiled with satisfaction, then immediately walked toward the next house.

This scene, witnessed by the surrounding Huwe, only caused them to bury their heads even lower. No one dared to step forward to stop him, and no one even dared to utter a single word. The person who had just spoken up was now lying on the ground; how could they dare to open their mouths?

The chill brought by the wind and rain made them instinctively wrap their clothes tighter around themselves, yet they clearly felt that this chill could not be shaken off.

Passing through house after house, the excitement on the young nobleman's face grew more apparent, and his movements became increasingly rapid.

In the vast village, wails erupted from one household after another, only to vanish just as quickly, until finally, not a sound remained in the entire village. Amidst the wind and rain, a sense of inexplicable terror permeated the place.

Emerging from the last house, the young nobleman wiped the blood from his hands, the smile on his face impossible to conceal, finally erupting into arrogant laughter. "Hahaha... as expected, slaughter is the fastest path!"

"Forging the body with blood, nourishing the soul with killing—the Blood Killing Technique is truly no lie. To kill one is a crime, to kill ten thousand is to be a hero, and to kill a million, I shall be the greatest under heaven! This world will eventually crawl at my feet; who then would dare to block me in the slightest? Ha ha..."

Seeing that the young nobleman seemed to be in a good mood, one of the Huwe finally spoke up after a moment of struggle: "Young Master, this is an entire village, after all. This subordinate is worried..."

"Trash, what are you afraid of!" With a cold snort, the young nobleman gave a cold laugh and said indifferently: "Why do you think I chose to act now? Isn't it because of the heavy rain that hasn't stopped for days? Now, the winds and waves of the rivers have already risen!"

Gazing into the distance at the river channel, the young nobleman looked as if he were watching something. "The river embankment was just reinforced these past two years. I know exactly what kind of people those fellows are. This embankment will definitely be washed away, and when that happens, this place will become a vast ocean!"

Seeming to think of something exciting, the young nobleman suddenly became high-spirited. "How can this little bit of slaughter be enough? When the floods rise everywhere, there will surely be starving people everywhere, corpses littering the ground—human life is worth the least!"

"So these are just the beginning. When the time comes, hehe, I shall surely soar to the heavens!"

"Young Master!" Casting a cautious glance at the young nobleman, the nearby Huwe reminded him with some trepidation, "But what if the river embankment remains intact? What should we do then?"

"Intact?" A cold gaze swept over, making the person's heart tremble. A moment later, the young nobleman's icy voice sounded again.

"Then why don't you just make sure the embankment doesn't remain intact? Take a few more people with you; ensure there is no room for failure!"

"This, this..." The Huwe looked up, hesitant and fearful, but upon seeing the young nobleman's near-ruthless gaze, he very tactfully shut his mouth. The Young Master's order had been given; they had no choice but to give their all, even if they were unwilling!

"The rest of you, follow me. We are going to the next village. Tonight, I will step into the Postnatal Realm in one go! Power, I want even greater power!"

Having said this, the young nobleman mounted his horse and rode off quickly. And in his eyes, something called ambition seemed about to burst forth.

Meanwhile, on the river embankment, Shen Yu was leading the gathered able-bodied men, along with almost all the Baian County soldiers, in a strenuous effort to reinforce the embankment. The rain had not stopped for days, and the surging river water was already extremely dangerous.

Relying on the prestige he had accumulated—and, of course, primarily because silver was effective—and thanks to the support of the Cai Family, the Feng Family, and the Flying Tiger Hall, those wealthy dogs, the County Government Office was able to have sufficient silver and, consequently, sufficient credibility.

A month ago, when the streets of Baian County were in chaos, Shen Yu had ordered people to announce a price of ten taels of silver for every criminal, and he had redeemed it promptly afterward. This was not only to facilitate the capture of thieves but also to cultivate the credibility of the government office.

It was precisely because of this credibility that Shen Yu was able to gather a large number of able-bodied men in a very short time. Even the ordinary elderly, weak, women, and children were desperately trying to help. It was mainly because the County Magistrate was so generous; the silver offered was too tempting.

"My Lord, this is bad, look!"

Just as Shen Yu was continuously patrolling the embankment and working alongside the able-bodied men, Zhou Yuan walked over hurriedly with an ugly expression and whispered a few words in Shen Yu's ear. Afterward, Shen Yu's expression became just as ugly as Zhou Yuan's.

Following Zhou Yuan to the southern slope of the embankment, the moment he arrived, the sight before him nearly made him black out, and he couldn't help but curse loudly: "These are... bags of gravel and grass? The embankment is actually made of bags of gravel and grass?"

"Zhou Yuan, is this what you meant by cutting corners? Substituting inferior goods for quality ones? This is clearly treating human life like grass! These corrupt officials, they all deserve to die!"

Gritting his teeth, Shen Yu had not expected these bastards to be so daring, using bags of gravel and grass to build the embankment. How could an embankment built with such things withstand the rolling flood? He feared that even a bit of extra urine could wash some of it away.

"Immediately go and fill sandbags, have everyone get ready! We must not let the embankment breach! If a gap appears, even if everyone has to pile themselves up, you must plug the gap for me! Otherwise, if the river water backflows, it will be too late!"

"Yes, My Lord!"

"I hope my worries are unnecessary, but how could this piece of junk possibly hold up! A bunch of useless burdens!" While looking at the churning river surface with a face full of worry, Shen Yu stared tensely at the embankment, terrified that something might happen.

He had originally thought that after two days of sleepless effort, the embankment, if not impregnable, would at least not be so easily washed away. But now it seemed he was still too naive; reality sometimes loves to slap one in the face.

Don't let him find out who built this embankment; if he did, he would surely take a blade and hack those people to pieces!

After waiting for some time, Shen Yu's face grew increasingly anxious. But some things are feared precisely because they happen, and things went contrary to his wishes. Under the constant impact of the rolling river, the earth and stones on the embankment were continuously washed away.

First, a small gap appeared, and then the gap expanded rapidly; it was clear the river water was about to surge out through it.

It must be said that for an embankment made of such shoddy materials to hold out for this long was no easy feat; whoever built the embankment was quite the talent.

"Quick, throw the sandbags down and plug the gap! Forget it, you all throw the sandbags down and retreat quickly! Wind God Leg, Wind Sweeps the Building!"