Stone Fairy!

Xie Tian accepted Dao Zhen's suggestion.

In the days that followed, Yunmei City implemented the six-word strategy in full swing.

Xie Tian ordered his men to secretly purchase large quantities of supplies from nearby prefectures and counties. Batch after batch of supplies were transported into Yunmei City by water and land. The docks were bustling with activity every day, and the porters were busy from morning till night.

The treasury was crammed full, so Xie Tian ordered several idle warehouses to be vacated and filled up completely as well.

Xie Tian even transferred a group of craftsmen from the army to work day and night to produce defensive equipment and strengthen the city's defenses.

Even with the utmost caution, it still attracted considerable attention. To avoid causing unnecessary panic, Xie Tian stepped in to reassure everyone.

They spread rumors that all of this was just a military exercise, intended to improve Yunmei City's defenses and prepare for potential bandit attacks.

The people were skeptical at first, but seeing that the city was orderly and prices were stable, they gradually felt reassured.

And so, more than a month passed.

On this day, Daozhen stood under the eaves, looking up at the sky.

The rain fell densely from the sky, the raindrops hitting the tiles with a crisp, crackling sound, and splashing white water droplets on the bluestone ground.

This heavy rain has been falling for three days.

Flooding occurred in many parts of Yunmei City.

In the low-lying alleys, people had to roll up their trousers and wade through the water. Although the city's drainage ditches were dredged every year, they couldn't withstand such heavy rain, and some sections had overflowed, with mud and water flowing everywhere.

Because of the rain, we had to send more people to handle various tasks.

On the one hand, the original project progress must be maintained; building walls, stockpiling grain, and manufacturing machinery cannot be stopped.

On the other hand, it is necessary to dredge the drainage ditches in the city, reinforce the river embankments, and ensure the safety of the people.

There was a sudden shortage of manpower.

Xie Ning walked over from the other end of the corridor, her face filled with worry and her brows slightly furrowed.

"I wonder when this rain will stop." She walked to Daozhen's side and sighed softly.

Daozhen stood under the eaves, his gaze fixed on the gray, rain-soaked sky, his fingers silently calculating within his sleeves.

"There's at least another half month," Daozhen said softly, his gaze still fixed on the calculations.

As Daozhen continued his calculations, his brow furrowed with even greater confusion.

When Xie Ning heard "half a month," his breath hitched slightly, but he didn't notice Dao Zhen's expression.

It rained for half a month.

Xie Ning looked at the pond in the courtyard, which had already overflowed its edge, and her worry deepened.

With half a month of rain, Yunmei City will likely suffer from flooding.

Just as she was about to say something, a series of hurried footsteps suddenly came from the courtyard gate.

A middle-aged man carrying an umbrella strode into the courtyard. As he approached, he revealed a face with distinct features; he was the same middle-aged man in the dark green robe who had been following Xie Ning.

"Miss, the head of the family wants to see you." His voice came through the rain.

Then he glanced at Daozhen and added, "Sir, the head of the family specifically invited you."

Xie Ning and Dao Zhen exchanged a glance.

Daozhen nodded slightly but did not speak.

The two followed the middle-aged man through many corridors and arrived at the council hall.

The doors to the hall were open, and Xie Tian sat in the seat of the head of the family. On the table in front of him were several stacks of documents and an open map, which was covered with dense markings in vermilion ink.

Xie Ning and Dao Zhen sat down to his left, and a maid quickly brought hot tea. The tea was piping hot and dispelled the chill.

Xie Tian didn't drink the tea. He looked at Xie Ning and got straight to the point.

"Ning'er, can you contact your master now?"

Xie Ning paused for a moment, then shook her head: "I've already sent him a paper crane once, but I haven't received a reply yet."

"I don't know where he went on his travels."

Xie Tian frowned slightly, tapped his fingers lightly on the table a few times, and fell into deep thought.

Xie Ning sensed his father's worries, leaned forward slightly, and asked, "Father, have you encountered some problem?"

Xie Tian glanced at her, remained silent for a moment, and finally spoke.

"With the continuous rain, I'm worried there might be problems on the other side of the Heihe River, which is 800 li away," Xie Tian said in a deep voice.

"In the past, with your master around, that green snake dared not make any moves."

"I can't contact your master now, and I'm afraid he might have some ideas."

"If we were to forcibly kill them under these circumstances, it would definitely cost us a lot of manpower and resources." Xie Tian raised his head and looked at Xie Ning. "And it might not even work."

Xie Ning frowned after hearing this.

She knew about that green snake.

The Heihe River, stretching for eight hundred li, has a swift current and unfathomable depths. It teems with countless fish, turtles, shrimp, and crabs, and over the years, it has naturally nurtured some extraordinary creatures. And that green snake was one of the most outstanding among them.

It has lived in the Black River for at least three hundred years, absorbing the essence of the sun and moon and the spiritual energy of the water veins, making it far superior to ordinary snakes.

Xie Ning had heard his master mention that the green snake was showing signs of transforming into a dragon, only lacking a catalyst.

And this continuous rain that lasted for half a month may have been the catalyst.

If it seizes the opportunity and takes advantage of the opportune moment, it is very likely to successfully transform into a dragon. And once it transforms into a dragon, it will inevitably cause floods.

When the Heihe River swells, Yunmei City will be the first to be affected, and everything along the riverbank will be submerged by the flood.

Daozhen sat quietly to the side, listening to the conversation between the father and daughter. His gaze fell on the unfolded map, looking at the winding lines of the river.

Ever since the rain started, Daozhen had been vaguely sensing something drawing him in the direction of the Black River.

But no matter how I tried to calculate it, I couldn't figure out what it was.

So Daozhen said, "Why don't we go take a look?"

"Maybe things aren't so bad."

Xie Tian turned to look at him, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes, which quickly turned into gratitude.

"If the Taoist priest is willing to go, that would be wonderful."

Xie Tian immediately said, "I'll arrange it right away."

Xie Tian was always decisive and efficient; in less than half an hour, everything was arranged.

Three carriages departed from the Xie residence, braving the rain as they passed through the long streets of Yunmei City, heading towards the docks.

Xie Tian, ​​Xie Ning, and Dao Zhen each rode in a carriage, with several guards on horseback protecting them in front and behind. The horses' hooves splashed water as they pounded on the puddle-filled stone pavement.

The rain intensified at the dock.

Large raindrops pounded on the river's surface, creating countless fine splashes, a vast expanse of white. The distant mountains were obscured by the rain, leaving only blurry outlines.

Ahead, a squad of soldiers in black armor were already waiting in the rain.

They stood in neat rows, motionless despite the torrential rain. The rain pounded against their armor, making a dense, crackling sound, but strangely, the rain didn't soak the armor; instead, it created puffs of white mist the moment it touched the surface.

These soldiers were no ordinary people. Their blood and energy were more vigorous than that of ordinary people, and their entire bodies were filled with intense blood energy. The black armor they wore was also extraordinary. The armor was engraved with fine patterns that were faintly connected to each other, which actually connected the blood and energy of all the soldiers together, forming a unified aura.

It is impervious to wind and rain, and unaffected by heat or cold.

This is clearly the most elite army in Yunmei City.

At the dock, a large ship was quietly moored on the shore.

Daozhen looked up and nodded slightly.

The ship was about ten zhang high and fifty zhang long. It was made entirely of fine ironwood and coated with a thick layer of tung oil and lacquer, which gleamed black in the rain.

The bow of the ship is raised high and carved into the shape of a soaring eagle, its eyes gleaming eerily in the rain. At the stern is a three-story pavilion with upturned eaves and carved beams and painted rafters; even though it is wet with rain, its exquisite beauty is still evident.

The entire ship resembled a giant beast lying on the water, calm and majestic.

Most importantly, Daozhen also sensed the constant operation of spiritual energy on this large ship.

"Taoist Master, please." Xie Tian stepped aside and gestured for them to enter.