Chapter 1532: The Great Building Collapses

Xiangzhuan Shuiling was a lungfish over three hundred years old, older than Tianshui City itself, and more than one and a half zhang long.

It swam to the edge of the open ground in front of the temple fair, poked its head out, and listened to the demands of Deity Attendant Xiao.

At this point, its exceptionally corpulent and fearsome appearance became evident—any fish that grows too large can be somewhat intimidating. Its forehead had hardened into bone and was covered with a bit of dark green algae, while two small, fleshy fins behind its gills could support its upper body, allowing it to stand semi-erect on the stone steps submerged in the water.

After Deity Attendant Xiao finished speaking, it turned its head and plunged into the water, disappearing in an instant.

The reason Xiangzhuan Shuiling was asked to inspect the temple's foundation was that it was a monster akin to an amphibian, possessing both gills and lungs, and capable of supplementary respiration through its skin.

This old lungfish not only moved freely in water but also possessed the ability to burrow through the earth.

The ground beneath the lakeside temple contained rock, sand, soil, and water. Aside from this old lungfish, Deity Attendant Xiao couldn't think of any other monster more suitable for the inspection.

Now, it burrowed directly from the lakebed to the area beneath the temple to examine the geological conditions.

This mission took two hours, longer than its initial dive in January this year.

The longer he waited, the heavier Deity Attendant Xiao's heart became.

The situation was not optimistic.

Just as he was on pins and needles, Xiangzhuan Shuiling resurfaced, and with one opening of its mouth, delivered a piece of bad news:

"The ground beneath the temple is already filled with water. You're essentially standing on quicksand. It's fortunate the building itself is so sturdy, otherwise you would have already fallen into the water."

Deity Attendant Xiao was incredulous. "Didn't you say at the beginning of the year that the temple's foundation would hold for another three to five years?"

"The beginning of the year was different; the seepage wasn't nearly this severe then," the old lungfish replied. "The underground water seepage has created voids in the ground. The temple's foundation is now unstable. Don't you notice the beams and pillars leaning, living inside the temple?"

"..." The artisans had said the same thing. Deity Attendant Xiao pressed his forehead. "What exactly caused the deterioration to accelerate so suddenly?"

"A large hole has opened up, extending from Xiangzhuan Lake to the base of your temple—it's big enough for two of me to pass through easily," Shuiling explained. "If I can pass, water can pass. That's why the erosion rate has accelerated, and your temple can't withstand it any longer."

"A large hole has opened up?" Deity Attendant Xiao's gaze sharpened. "Is it man-made or natural?"

"How can I tell?" Xiangzhuan Shuiling shook its head, splashing water everywhere. "The last time I was here, this hole wasn't present, or at least I didn't notice it. So it must have appeared within the last two or three months."

"In two or three months, it could erode such a large hole?"

"Nothing is impossible," Xiangzhuan Shuiling replied. "The lakeside itself is naturally porous, and you humans constantly dump things by the lake, attracting so many fish, civets, and turtles to dig and nest along the shore. It's exhausting for me to clean up. In recent months, the rain has been heavy, the lake level is rising, and the water pressure is immense. It's entirely possible a hole just collapsed open."

"Could it be man-made?"

"You mean someone deliberately undermined your temple?" Xiangzhuan Shuiling pondered. "I can't tell. But why would anyone do that?"

This fellow must be paranoid.

Deity Attendant Xiao let out a long sigh, unable to hide his exhaustion.

The situation at Xilin Temple was reported to King Yao that very evening.

You Rongzhi and He Lingchuan were in the palace to report on the new city's progress. Hearing King Yao mention the matter, You Rongzhi asked, "So, what are Deity Attendant Xiao's next steps?"

"Deity Attendant Xiao went to report to Chief Attendant Liang." Chief Attendant Liang was the head of the temple attendants in Tianshui City, the terrestrial representative of the Goddess Miaozhan in Yao State, holding a lofty status. When Deity Attendant Xiao was unsure how to proceed, he could only consult Chief Attendant Liang.

But King Yao knew the ball would eventually be passed back to him. All Chief Attendant Liang could do was instruct Tianshui City to find a solution.

It was time to test Yao State's loyalty and capability.

Besides, wasn't the temple's disrepair due to the Yao court's constant delays? If the new temple hadn't been delayed for two years without completion, why would Deity Attendant Xiao be in such a predicament?

"This matter is rather tricky."

You and He exchanged glances. He Lingchuan immediately said, "I've also heard that the core problem of Xilin Temple lies underground; no matter how hard the artisans on the surface work, they can't reverse its impending collapse. So many people are still living inside, it's too dangerous. If something else happens, it will be a major disaster."

In short, Xilin Temple was destined to collapse; even immortals couldn't save it.

The Soul-Capturing Mirror in his arms spoke mockingly: "If the Goddess's magic power were boundless, how could she not even save her own temple? It's just an extra hole underground? Hehehehe! This hole came at just the right time, this hole is perfectly timed!"

King Yao nodded. Having interacted so frequently recently, he had somewhat grown accustomed to He Xiao's direct way of speaking. It was blunt, but highly efficient for communication.

You Rongzhi said earnestly, "We are willing to share His Majesty's worries! The new city has already allocated land for the temple. Deity Attendant Xiao only needs to wait three more months for the new city's temple to take shape, and it will be largely completed and ready for occupation in six months."

Residential houses and commercial shops could be built in just over ten days because their forms were simple and materials common, and people didn't mind if the layouts were identical, making them suitable for mass construction. However, temple architecture was grand and intricate, requiring meticulous craftsmanship. Every carve and chisel mark represented deep devotion to the gods; it couldn't be rushed or built quickly.

Even with the current rapid pace of new city construction, promising completion in six months was a bold claim.

King Yao couldn't help but ask, "Can it truly be completed in six months?"

Deceiving the gods had severe consequences.

You Rongzhi instinctively looked at He Lingchuan. You was nominally in charge, but He Lingchuan was the actual project manager, and only he could answer questions about the progress.

"The six-month timeline means Deity Attendant Xiao and others can move in; we'll certainly prioritize building their residences first, but it's still far from the entire temple's actual completion," He Lingchuan said with a serious expression. "Although it will be noisy initially and they'll have to endure a clanging construction environment, it's still better than potentially being crushed to death in their sleep, isn't it? It's said that a gentleman doesn't stand beneath a crumbling wall. I believe Deity Attendant Xiao can overcome this minor inconvenience."

He lowered his voice for the next sentence: "Construction on Youhu Villa began over a month ago, and hasn't Supervisor Qingyang been living quite comfortably across the lake?"

How much noise did Youhu Villa deliberately create? Qingyang upheld the belief that "a hundred tolerances can make gold" (patience pays off), remaining unperturbed while stones were chiseled and wood sawed on the south bank.

If Supervisor Qingyang, from Bega, could endure it, why couldn't Deity Attendant Xiao? King Yao wanted to laugh but managed to hold it in, mumbling, "That makes some sense. Let's do it then. Sigh, what a coincidence that the temple collapsed at precisely this time?"

He Lingchuan smiled. Indeed, what a coincidence?

You Rongzhi, for his part, said, "The rainy season is always a dangerous period every year, not just this year."

To persuade Chief Attendant Liang, King Yao would have to intervene personally.

When these two met, they were all smiles on the surface, but secretly holding grudges. Fortunately, the objective facts were undeniable: both Xiangzhuan Shuiling and professional artisans had confirmed it. Xilin Temple had become a dangerous building, beyond salvation even by immortals.

So, both sides quickly reached an agreement.

At this point, it was useless for Deity Attendant Xiao to resist further; he could only move out. The Xilin temple attendants were first dispersed to other temples, awaiting reallocation and reassembly after three or four months.

There was no alternative; Xilin Temple had a large staff, so they could only be temporarily dispersed among various smaller temples.

As the temple attendants packed their belongings, they often heard low creaking and popping sounds from the roof, and the beams and pillars shed dust with rustling sounds.

Even the most oblivious person could tell the place wouldn't hold up much longer.

As soon as they moved out, the Tianshui City authorities immediately dispatched professional teams to seal off Xilin Temple. The temple buildings were the most numerous and tallest in the entire city. As grand as they once appeared, they became equally dangerous once declared unsafe.

The area within ten zhang of the temple's outer walls was cordoned off, prohibiting access to outsiders. The last time Xilin Pagoda collapsed, more passersby were killed than temple attendants. With that bloody lesson in mind, everyone consciously kept their distance as soon as they saw the barricades this time.

On the morning of the second day after Deity Attendant Xiao and the temple staff evacuated, nearby residents suddenly heard a series of rumbling sounds, and the ground trembled violently.

Everyone initially thought it was an earthquake. Men, women, and children fled out, disheveled. But upon a closer look, they exclaimed in shock: Xilin Temple had largely collapsed!

It was no longer just a pagoda or a side hall collapsing. Many watched with wide eyes as the grand spire of the main hall slowly crumbled amidst dust and deafening sounds, eventually toppling like a golden mountain or a jade pillar, as if pressed to the ground by an invisible mighty force.

Other pavilions, terraces, and towers, structures symbolizing beauty and majesty, similarly followed suit, with only a few escaping destruction.

Many residents nearby were followers of the Goddess. Seeing this, they all knelt on the ground, tears streaming down their faces, deeply heartbroken.

Why did Xilin Temple have to suffer such a catastrophe?

For half the night, the area was enveloped in a cloud of dust.

With such a massive collapse at Xilin Temple, the temple attendants and officials were naturally alarmed. Everyone felt a wave of relief; fortunately, Deity Attendant Xiao and others had moved out earlier, otherwise, most would likely have been buried in the ruins, with an unknown number of survivors.

King Yao was also pleased. If over two thousand temple attendants and followers had died, that would have been a major event with terrible implications, difficult to explain to the temple authorities.

Fortunately, he had acted promptly.

So when He Lingchuan came to apply for the post-collapse cleanup of Xilin Temple, King Yao approved it without much thought, with a grand sweep of his hand.

No matter how glorious Xilin Temple once was, now it was just ruins; what value could it possibly hold?

Strictly speaking, this was the responsibility of the Royal Workshops.

But weren't the skilled artisans from the Royal Workshops also pulled into the capital's eastern expansion project? They were all under You Rongzhi and He Xiao.

The incident at Xilin Temple seemed to conclude here, and few paid it any further attention.

The most dejected person now was undoubtedly Deity Attendant Xiao.

Xilin Temple was a grand temple with over a century of history. Second in scale only to the main temple where Chief Attendant Liang resided, it attracted throngs of worshippers daily, with abundant incense. To become the Chief Attendant of Xilin Temple was a truly glorious position; even the highest-ranking nobles of Tianshui City had to show him utmost respect.

Yet, he now had no temple to return to, no followers to manage, and for a period of six months, he would have to live under someone else's roof!

His usual standard of living and offerings had plummeted dramatically.

Every day spent in such circumstances was a torment for Deity Attendant Xiao.