Chapter 341: The Four Sea Dragon Kings Have All Arrived

Ma Tianzheng’s performance could be described as a full act.

Even Li Daoxuan hadn’t expected him to have so many steps and was already growing impatient; now that he saw Ma Tianzheng kneeling properly, he felt it was about time to act.

With a clatter, he plugged the connectors of four medical nebulizers into the power strip, added water, and began…

By now, the scene around Yang Village’s threshing ground was packed with crowds.

A large number of common people had formed layers upon layers, and those in the center, including Heyang County Magistrate Feng Jun, the county clerk, and the principal, had also grown impatient.

The county clerk couldn’t help muttering aloud: “That divine being acts convincingly, but after this act, can he really bring rain? I don’t believe it anyway.”

Feng Jun whispered: “I don’t believe it either, but with him putting on this show, it gives the people hope. We’ll spread the word afterward that rain could fall at any moment—so the people keep hoping and won’t rebel.”

Just as the two finished speaking, they heard the common people clamoring: “Look, look!”

“Quick, look at the sky!”

“That cloud is splitting to both sides…”

“Wow, something’s emerging from the clouds.”

Hearing the comments, Feng Jun and the others hurriedly looked up.

About seventy zhang directly overhead, there was a strange low cloud; it was spreading apart to the sides, and a huge green dragon head poked out from within the clouds, opening its massive maw to release a misty rain fog.

Feng Jun gasped: “Siss! It really came? That’s the… Dragon King!”

The county clerk yelled frantically: “Look, over there… the distant sky!”

Following where the county clerk pointed, everyone spotted another low cloud in the distant sky; as it parted, another dragon head emerged, this time red.

Then came another low cloud revealing a blue dragon head, and soon after, a yellow dragon head followed.

All four dragon heads simultaneously opened their huge mouths in the sky around Yang Village and spat out rain fog together.

Instantly, the overwhelming rain fog fell, covering a two-li area all around Yang Village completely in the rain.

Feng Jun stared wide-mouthed at the sky, momentarily speechless.

The county clerk said: “County Lord, you… have nosebleed…”

Feng Jun wiped at it; the blood dragged downward to the corner of his mouth, then curved upward as if he were grinning broadly.

“They really invited the Dragon King to bring rain!”

“And invited four of them.”

“The Four Sea Dragon Kings have all come!”

The common people burst into loud cheers: “Thank you, Lord of Heaven!”

Ma Tianzheng roared in anger: “Wrong, not Lord of Heaven, but Dao Xuan Deity! You thanked the wrong deity—risk Him stopping the rain if you’re not careful.”

The latter part had such a strong impact that the people were terrified and quickly changed their tune: “Thank you, Dao Xuan Deity!”

“Deity bless us!”

“Dao Xuan Deity has such prestige to invite all Four Sea Dragon Kings.”

Ma Tianzheng thought: That wasn’t through prestige—they were grabbed by the neck. How powerful Dao Xuan Deity is, you fools will understand in time.

Now, the whole Yang Village had gone wild!

Earlier, large amounts of grain had been transported in, and now the Deity had sent rain.

The common people started pondering: They could first work jobs to earn wages, use the wages to fill their families’ stomachs, plant the grain when sowing season arrived, and care for their farmland while working.

By harvest season in six months, they’d return to their former lives.

Thinking this, the people couldn’t help dancing and leaping about wildly in the rain fog, yelling and shouting.

Zhang Yuanwai, the militia instructor from Xia Village, also stared stunned at the sky with his mouth agape; he’d contributed a chicken as a sacrificial offering, expecting nothing in return, but it actually rained.

That chicken was damn well worth it!

Just as visions of restoring his family’s honor filled his mind, Bai Yuan, draped in flowing white clothing, stood before him.

Zhang Yuanwai asked: “Who are you?”

Bai Yuan smiled: “I am Bai Yuan, the militia instructor of Chengcheng County’s large militia.”

Zhang Yuanwai said: “Ah! It’s you. Instructor Bai, I’ve long heard of your fame. They say that in Chengcheng County, you defeated Supreme Bright King, Bai Shui Wang Er, Wang Zuogua, Bu Zhan Ni… and the other day, you sniped Fan Shanyue with a firearm from over a hundred paces away. Without you, we in Heyang County couldn’t have defeated that great traitor or invited the Deity to bring rain.”

Bai Yuan felt flattered inwardly but kept a straight face externally; he took out a folding fan and snapped it open with “Gentleman” written largely on it; covering half his mouth with the fan, he said softly: “Zhang Yuanwai, have you heard? The large bandit leader Wang Jiayin might attack our area any moment.”

A look of worry flashed across Zhang Yuanwai’s face: “I’ve heard it mentioned. They say Wang Jiayin commands nearly fifty thousand bandits, creating huge waves—even conquering many northern cities, alas.”

Bai Yuan pointed discreetly toward Heyang County Magistrate Feng Jun and the Heyang patrol officers, whispering: “Zhang Yuanwai, do you think those officials can stop Wang Jiayin?”

Zhang Yuanwai shook his head: “Relying on them, they might not even stop salt smugglers.”

Bai Yuan nodded: “Great minds think alike! To resist bandits, we must rely on our own militias. I heard your militia is quite impressive, earning great merit in crushing Fan Shanyue’s remnants.”

Zhang Yuanwai said: “Oh, I just did a trifling thing, nothing grand—comparing to Instructor Bai felling Fan Shanyue at a great distance with one shot.”

Bai Yuan said: “I won’t spin flowery or useless words, Zhang Yuanwai. Our Chengcheng and Heyang militias must unite to fight the bandits. Otherwise, when large hordes of tens of thousands arrive, and our militias are just a few hundred guarding each village or town, we’ll be defeated one by one.”

That made perfect sense!

Zhang Yuanwai’s militia had only four hundred men—such a small force achieved nothing against Fan Shanyue until he was killed, the bandit army’s morale collapsed, and Zhang Yuanwai coordinated with other village militias to finally encircle and defeat Fan Shanyue.

Zhang Yuanwai had long felt powerless.

Hearing Bai Yuan’s words now, their ideas coincided naturally.

Bai Yuan continued: “Officials suppress bandits but can’t leave their jurisdictions—for example, Chengcheng’s patrol officer can’t chase bandits into Heyang County. Yet our militias face no such limits. We can cross counties freely, fight battles, and then return home. So, if Heyang County is in trouble, Chengcheng’s militia can rush to aid. If Chengcheng has issues, Heyang’s militia can assist too—our freedom far surpasses the officials’.”

Zhang Yuanwai was overjoyed: “That’s how it should be! Our two counties’ militias can form a brotherly alliance, watching each other’s backs for increased strength. If Instructor Bai doesn’t mind, call me Brother Zhang, I’ll call you Brother Bai, and from now on, I’ll follow you.”