Journey to the West: The roadblock!

Chapter 125 Encountering the Blackwater River (Part 11)
However, Ao Tu tricked the migrant workers into eating "poisonous fish".

The migrant workers noticed nothing unusual. Even though they didn't see Ao Tu removing the toxins today, their habit over the past few days led them to believe that Ao Tu had removed the toxins without their knowledge.

After all, that's the Dragon King, how could he possibly make a mistake?
After eating the poisoned fish, the migrant workers were full of energy and strength, and went to work.

While working, the migrant workers discussed how plump and juicy the fish was and how delicious the fish soup was.

Even after working until noon, the migrant workers still felt warm inside.

After eating their dry rations and taking a short rest, the migrant workers continued working.

The workers continued working until sunset before returning to their camp.

Upon arriving at the campsite, they found it to be different from usual.

All that could be seen on the camp's work sheds were white cloths hanging everywhere, creating a desolate atmosphere.

The migrant workers were puzzled, wondering why a white cloth was being hung up.

Upon entering, they saw the Dragon King sitting in the center, his face filled with grief.

The migrant workers respectfully stepped forward and asked:

"Grandpa Dragon King, you look so sad. What is the cause of your sorrow?"

Ao Tu said, “I grieve because many people are going to die.”

The migrant workers asked curiously, "Who's going to die?"

Ao Tu said, "It is you who are going to die."

The migrant workers cried out in alarm, "We're going to die! Grandpa Dragon King, what do you mean by this? We're perfectly fine, why are we going to die?"

Ao Tu said, "I have a bad memory. This morning, when I caught the fish, I forgot to remove the poison. None of you reminded me. Now that you have all eaten the poisoned fish, you are all doomed."

Upon hearing this, the migrant workers turned pale with fright, each one exclaiming in shock, "This! This! Grandpa Dragon King, is this true?"

Ao Tu said, "Of course it's true, the white cloth has already been prepared."

Several timid migrant workers, upon hearing this, collapsed in fear, immediately experiencing symptoms such as abdominal pain, intestinal rupture, stomach cramps, and heartache, all caused by eating the poisonous fish.

Everyone else also felt something was wrong with their bodies; this hurt, that was bad. A mosquito bite was called a boil; a splinter on the hand was called bone pain; hunger after a day's work was called a poisoning attack, and their intestines were breaking.

Someone asked Ao Tu how much longer they could live.

Ao Tu said, "Those who are poisoned by this are beyond the reach of medicine and can only live for one day and one night. They will surely die the next morning."

These words caused an uproar in the arena, with countless people crying and shouting.

Ao Tu used his divine power to calm everyone down, saying, "Stop crying for now. While there's still some time, let's each leave some last words."

Ao Tu asked Tang Sanzang to come out and record everyone's last words.

Wukong had already told Tang Sanzang the whole story, so Tang Sanzang was not flustered. Instead, he took the opportunity to observe how people reacted when facing death.

The migrant workers scrambled to say their last words, and Tang Sanzang pretended to write them down.

It wasn't that he wasn't serious, but there were a full 20,000 migrant workers, and he simply couldn't finish writing about them all.

Even if each person wrote ten characters, that would still amount to 200,000 characters. How could Tang Sanzang possibly record them all? Therefore, he merely pretended to gesture and then claimed that he had written them down.

After writing her will, Mingniang also prepared the meal.

With death looming, most of the migrant workers couldn't eat, saying, "We're poisoned and can't swallow."

As the sun set completely and night fell, when it was time to sleep, the migrant workers couldn't lie down, saying, "We're poisoned and can't lie down comfortably."

That's true. If I fall asleep now, I might never wake up again.

Seeing that no one was sleepy, Ao Tu called them out, lit braziers and torches, and encouraged them to dance and find joy in hardship. He also had two little tigers bring fine wine and invited them to drink heartily.

People are about to die, so they have no more scruples. Everyone has given their last words and has nothing else to think about. They all drink wine, sing and dance, and when they get excited, they hug each other and weep bitterly.

These people had barely eaten, and after drinking too much alcohol, those with weaker constitutions vomited, while others simply passed out from drunkenness. The others, still tipsy, remarked, "Oh dear! They've gone ahead!"

The fighting continued until dawn. Most people could no longer hold on; some were drunk, others were exhausted, and they lay sprawled on the ground.

But some people persevered and waited until yesterday when it was time to eat the fish. From the initial fear to now slowly waiting for death.

However, after a long time, these people discovered that they seemed to be alive.

These people were very surprised, wondering why they hadn't died.

Ao Tu told them that it was because they were strong and healthy that they could endure for several hours longer than ordinary people.

Seeing the group of people lying haphazardly on the ground, those people did not doubt the Dragon God's words.

Ao Tu told them to go back to their work sheds, lie down, and quietly await death.

These people were exhausted, both physically and mentally, and had no energy left to think. They all agreed, returned to the work shed, and lay on their beds to slowly wait for death.

These people lay down on the bed, and exhaustion overwhelmed them; they all fell asleep in no time.

Ao Tu used his magic to send the rest of the drunken and drowsy people back to their beds in the work shed.

Inside the workers' shed, snores filled the air.

Time passed, and after most of the day, the first person woke up, looking around in confusion and asking, "What happened? I'm not dead?"

He went outside and saw that the Dragon King, the Imperial Envoy, the Holy Monk and his disciples were all sitting outside.

The man couldn't help but feel suspicious.

Ao Tu told him to wait for the time being.

After that, people gradually woke up.

After most of the people woke up, Ao Tu gathered them together and told them the truth: the Blackwater River was poisonous, but the fish and shrimp were not.

For a moment, everyone was overjoyed.

People are always more willing to believe the truth they prefer.

If Ao Tu had directly stated that the fish and shrimp were non-toxic, some people might still have doubts and concerns.

But after going through such a life-or-death situation, everyone had personally experienced it and had firsthand testimony. Everyone believed Ao Tu's words without the slightest doubt.

Everyone's hands no longer hurt, their backs no longer ache, their stomachs are all better, their hearts and livers are at ease, they are full of energy, and their appetites have returned.

Ao Tu had Ming Niang prepare a whole fish feast to celebrate, and everyone was off work today.

Everyone was overjoyed.

This time, the fish was served without any toxins being removed, but no one was afraid, and everyone ate it with great relish.

Next, the laborers continued building the bridge.

More than 100 days have passed, and about 60% of the bridge has been built.

Tang Sanzang couldn't help but say to Ao Tu, "The River God once said that it would be completed in two or three months, but now more than three months have passed and only sixty percent of it has been built. Isn't he breaking his promise to me?"

Ao Tu said, "If the Holy Monk is in a hurry to go west, I will immediately perform the spell and it will be completed tomorrow. I would never dare to delay the Holy Monk's journey to the west."

Upon hearing this, Tang Sanzang looked at the group of hardworking laborers and sighed, "Alright, we've already completed 60% of it anyway, I'll wait a few more days."

As autumn arrives, the weather becomes cooler.

The bridge is almost finished.

Just then, news arrived.

The neighboring country amassed an army of 6,000 and stationed it on the border, threatening war if the Kingdom of Huoluo did not dismantle the bridge.

(End of this chapter)