Countless worshippers screamed as they ran toward the gates of the Kaiyang River God Temple.
Who had time for dignity or decorum now? They shoved and squeezed their way out, overturning incense burners and tipping over inkstones.
Outside the River God Temple, those who had been about to enter saw that something was wrong and fled first. Then they watched chaos erupt inside, as those who had just entered came rushing back out.
"Quick, quick, quick, the temple's collapsing-" "Get outside!"
"Stop blocking the way up front-"
Yi Shuyuan stood behind the great incense cauldron in the main hall's courtyard, ignoring the terrified worshippers fleeing around him.
The worshippers were desperate to escape, but not so desperate that they would run into a cauldron weighing many thousands of pounds. They streamed past Yi Shuyuan, too preoccupied to spare anyone else a glance. Most never even noticed someone standing there without moving.
The clamor outside continued, but all the worshippers near the main hall had fled.
Only Yi Shuyuan remained before the incense cauldron, watching the swaying statue of the river god.
Rumble, rumble, rumble.
The water god's statue rocked incessantly. Cracking sounds began to issue from its clay body, and fine fissures appeared across it.
Even Yi Shuyuan was slightly startled. This was quite a commotion!
Although it was barely perceptible, Yi Shuyuan knew that some of his own merit must have been expended. Yet that expended merit had circled around and returned-and he discovered that his merit had actually increased!
Setting those thoughts aside, Yi Shuyuan looked around the temple and beyond it once more.
Everything in the temple had happened within a dozen-odd breaths. Surely the water god of the Kaiyang Grand Canal could not have failed to notice?
Inside the Kaiyang River water god's divine residence,