madnovel Chapter 1517: The Collapse of the Building
Chapter 1517: The Collapse of the Building
Chapter 1517: The Collapse of the Building
Xiangzhuan Shuiling is an old lungfish that is over 300 years old, older than Tianshui City, and more than ten and a half feet long.
It swam to the edge of the open space in front of the temple fair, stuck its head out, and listened to Xiao Shenshi's request.
At this time, you can see that it looks particularly fat and terrifying - no matter what kind of fish it is, if it grows too big it will be a bit scary - the forehead has become bony and there is some dark green algae growing on it, while the two tiny fleshy fins behind the gills can support its upper body, allowing it to half stand on the stone steps sunk into the water.
After Master Xiao finished speaking, it turned its head and dived into the water, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
The reason why Xiangzhuan Shuiling was asked to survey the foundation of the temple is because it is a monster similar to an amphibian, with gills and lungs, and can breathe with the help of skin.
This old lungfish can not only move in the water, but also burrow underground.
There are stones, sand, soil and water underground in the temple by the lake. Apart from this old lungfish, Master Xiao couldn't think of any monster more suitable for investigation.
Now, it sneaked directly from the bottom of the water to the bottom of the temple to check the ground conditions.
This dive took two hours, which was longer than its first dive in January this year.
The longer he waited, the heavier his mood became.
The situation is not optimistic.
Just when he was feeling extremely anxious, Xiang Zhuan Shui Ling resurfaced and brought him some bad news as soon as she opened her mouth:
"The temple's basement is full of water. You're like standing on quicksand. Fortunately, the building is solid, otherwise you would have fallen into the water."
Xiao, the waiter, was incredulous: "Didn't you say at the beginning of the year that the foundation of the temple would hold out for another three to five years without any problems?"
"It was at the beginning of the year, when the water seepage was not as serious as it is now," the old lungfish replied. "The water seepage from below has caused hollows in the ground, and the foundation of the temple is no longer stable. You live in the temple, don't you feel that the beams and pillars are crooked?"
"..." The craftsmen also said so. Xiao, the servant, pressed his forehead and asked, "What is the reason that the disaster has suddenly accelerated?"
"There's a big hole seeping out from Xiangzhuan Lake to the bottom of your temple. It's so big that two of me can easily pass through it." Shui Ling explained, "If I can pass through, the water can pass through it. So the speed of erosion is accelerating, and your temple can't stand it."
"A big hole seeped out?" Master Xiao's eyes narrowed. "Is it man-made or natural?"
"How can we tell?" Xiang Zhuan Shui Ling shook her head, causing water to splash everywhere. "The cave wasn't there when I came last time, at least I didn't notice it, so it must have appeared within two or three months."
“How could such a big hole be corroded in two or three months?”
"It's nothing." Xiang Zhuan Shui Ling said, "The shore is already porous, and you humans keep dumping things into the lake, attracting so many fish, raccoons, and turtles to dig soil and build nests on the shore. It's tiring for me to clean it up. In recent months, it has rained heavily, the lake level is rising, and the water pressure is very high. Who knows, a hole might collapse in it."
“Could it be man-made?”
"You mean, someone wants to dig down your temple?" Xiang Zhuan Shui Ling thought for a moment, "I can't see it. But why would they do that?"
Is this guy having paranoid delusions?
Master Xiao sighed deeply, unable to hide his fatigue.
The situation of Xilin Temple was reported to King Yao that night.
You Rongzhi and He Lingchuan went to the palace to report on the progress of the new city. After hearing what King Yao said, You Rongzhi asked, "So, what are Master Xiao's plans for next?"
"Master Xiao has gone to report to Master Liang." Master Liang is the head of the disciples of the Tianshui City Temple and the spokesperson of the Goddess Miaozhan in Yao Country. He has a high status. When Master Xiao is undecided, he can only ask Master Liang.
But King Yao knew that the ball would be kicked back to him sooner or later. All Lord Liang could do was to let Tianshui City find a solution.
The time has come to test Yao Guo's loyalty and ability.
Besides, the temple fell into disrepair because Yao Ting kept delaying it! If the new temple hadn't been built for two years, why would Xiao Zhushi be in such a mess?
"This matter is a bit tricky."
You and He looked at each other, and He Lingchuan said, "I also heard that the problem with the Xilin Temple lies underground. No matter how hard the craftsmen on the ground try, it is difficult to save it from collapse. So many people are still living inside, it's too dangerous. If something goes wrong again, it will be a big deal."
In a nutshell, the Xilin Temple has collapsed and even the gods cannot save it.
The soul-stealing mirror in his arms sneered, "If the goddess has infinite magical powers, how come she can't even save her own temple? Isn't it just a hole in the ground? Hehehehe! This hole came at the right time, this hole came at a wonderful time!"
Yao Wang nodded. They had dealt with each other too frequently recently, and he was more or less used to He Xiao's way of speaking, which was relatively straightforward, but efficient in communication.
You Rongzhi said solemnly, "We are willing to share the king's worries! The new city has already planned the land for the temple. Master Xiao only needs to wait for another three months, and the new city temple will have a prototype. In six months, it will be basically completed and ready for occupancy."
Houses and shops can be built in a dozen days, because they are simple in form and made of ordinary materials, and people have no problem with the same layout, so they are suitable for mass construction. But temples are tall and complex, requiring meticulous work, and every carving and chiseling is full of love for the gods, so they cannot be built in a rush or in a hurry.
Even with the current vigorous state of new city construction, promising to complete it in six months is still an exaggeration.
King Yao couldn't help but ask, "Can it really be completed in six months?"
The consequences of deceiving God are serious.
You Rong subconsciously looked at He Lingchuan. He was in charge, but He Lingchuan was the one in charge of the project, and only he could answer questions about the progress.
"With six months of progress, it will be time for Xiao and his men to move in. We will definitely prioritize building their residence, but the temple is still a long way from being truly completed." He Lingchuan said seriously, "Although it will be noisy in the early stages of moving in, and you have to endure the clanging of construction work, it's better than being crushed to death in your sleep at any time, right? It's said that a gentleman doesn't stand under a dangerous wall. I believe Xiao and his men can overcome this discomfort."
He lowered his voice and said, "It has been more than a month since the construction of Youhu Villa started. Isn't the Qingyang Regent living well across the street?"
How loud was the noise created by Youhu Villa? Qingyang just adhered to the belief that "patience can turn into gold", and she remained unmoved while Nan'an chiseled stones and sawed wood.
Qingyang, the regent from Beijia, could endure it, but why couldn't Xiao, the servant? King Yao wanted to laugh, but he temporarily held back and hummed, "It makes sense, let's do it. Alas, how could it be such a coincidence that the temple collapsed at this time?"
He Lingchuan smiled and said, "Yes, how could it be such a coincidence?"
You Rongzhi said: "The rainy season is a dangerous period every year, not just this year."
In order to persuade the Lord of Liang, King Yao must take action personally.
When the two of them meet, they smile on the surface but secretly say MMP. Fortunately, the objective facts are there. Both Xiangzhuan Shuiling and professional craftsmen have verified that the Xilin Temple has become a dangerous building and even gods cannot save it.
So the two sides quickly reached an agreement.
At this time, it was useless for Xiao Zhushi to be stubborn, so he had to move out. The people of Xilin Temple were first dispersed to other temples and waited for three or four months before being redeployed and assembled.
There is no other way. The Xilin Temple has too many people, so they can only be temporarily dispersed to various small temples.
While the temple residents were packing their belongings, they could often hear a low crackling sound coming from the roof and the beams and pillars rustling.
Even the dullest person can see that this place can no longer hold up.
As soon as they moved out, the Tianshui City government immediately sent a professional team to seal up the Xilin Temple. The temples were the most numerous and the tallest buildings in the city. They looked so magnificent before, but now they are dangerous.
The outer wall of the temple was fenced off ten feet away, and outsiders were not allowed to approach. The last time the Xilin Pagoda collapsed, more passers-by were killed than the temple attendants. With this bloody lesson in mind, everyone consciously stayed away when they saw the fence this time.
On the morning of the second day after Xiao Zhushi and the temple people evacuated, nearby residents suddenly heard a series of rumbling sounds and the ground shook.
At first, everyone thought it was an earthworm, and men, women, old and young, fled out in dishevel. But when they looked closely, oh my god, a large area of the Xilin Temple had collapsed!
It was no longer just a pagoda or a side hall that collapsed. Many people watched helplessly as the magnificent spire of the main hall slowly collapsed amid smoke and loud noises.
It collapsed and eventually toppled, as if it was pressed to the ground by an invisible force.
Other palaces, towers and pavilions, which symbolized beauty and majesty, also suffered the same fate, and few were spared.
There were many believers of the goddess living nearby. Upon seeing this, they all fell to their knees, tears streaming down their faces, heartbroken.
Why did the Xilin Temple suffer such a disaster?
For half the night, the place was shrouded in smoke and dust.
The Xilin Temple was so noisy that the gods and officials were alarmed. Everyone was terrified. Fortunately, Xiao and his servants had moved out earlier, otherwise they would have been buried in the ruins. I don't know how many people would have survived.
King Yao was also very happy. If more than two thousand servants and believers died, it would be a major incident with bad consequences, and it would be difficult to blame the temple.
Fortunately, fortunately he handled it in time.
So when He Lingchuan came to report on the aftermath of the Xilin Temple, King Yao didn't think much about it and approved it with a stroke of his pen.
No matter how glorious the Xilin Temple was in the past, it is now only a pile of ruins. What value does it have?
In theory, this is the job of the Imperial Household Department.
But haven’t the skilled craftsmen of the Imperial Household Department also been pulled over to the capital’s eastward expansion project, and are now under the command of You Rongzhi and He Xiao?
The accident at Xilin Temple seemed to have come to an end here, and few people paid attention to it anymore.
The most depressed person now is Master Xiao.
Xilin Temple is a large temple with a history of more than 100 years. Apart from the main temple where Liang Zhushi is located, it ranks second in size in Tianshui City. Every day, there are many believers and incense is prosperous. It is so glorious to be the chief attendant of Xilin Temple. The first-class dignitaries in Tianshui City have to be respectful when they see him.
But who would have thought that he now had no temple to return to, no people to manage, and had to live under someone else's roof for six months!
The usual level of food and supplies has dropped drastically.
Every day like this was a torment for Master Xiao.