Magistrate Pan and his two fellow officials hurried with their bailiffs to the Flood Dragon Sage Temple, two streets away from the county offices. Many townsfolk had already gathered of their own accord, but none were paying their respects. They all stood outside, talking among themselves.
Baixi County lay near the Yangtze River, far from the Eastern Sea, so the locals had built no Dragon King temple. Instead, they had voluntarily built a small temple dedicated to the Flood Dragon Sage, where they often burned incense and prayed. Farmers asked for favorable winds and timely rain; fishermen asked that water demons keep their distance.
Magistrate Pan cleared his throat softly. "Good people, why are you blocking this sacred place for rain prayers?"
The crowd hurriedly cleared a path.
"Your Honor, look! The Flood Dragon Sage's statue has cracked!"
"The statues of the flood dragons and shrimp soldiers and crab generals beside him are even worse. They've shattered all over the floor."
Magistrate Pan was both shocked and furious. Although the Flood Dragon Sage thought little of such a small temple, if he learned that his sacred image had shattered, the Flood Dragon Sage Palace would surely send water demons to exact revenge.
"Who has brought disaster upon our Baixi County? Where is the temple keeper?" Magistrate Pan demanded sharply.
"Your Honor, I saw the statues crack and break apart on their own with my own eyes! It happened out of nowhere. This was certainly no human doing!" the temple keeper protested loudly.
Magistrate Pan frowned, strode to the entrance, and looked inside the Flood Dragon Sage Temple.
He suddenly froze. The plaque over the main entrance inside should have borne the words "Flood Dragon Sage Temple," but now an invisible force had erased the writing, leaving a smooth wooden board.