Amidst the kong-kong-kong of bamboo tubes, the villagers converged on Bai Family Fort.
Bai Family Fort wasn't exactly safe at the moment. Wang Zuo Guazi and his Yichuan bandits were once again stationed in the nearby Huanglong Mountains. However, Wang Zuo Guazi had suffered a defeat at Bai Family Fort before, so he didn't dare attack again for the time being.
But who knew if or when he might come?
Therefore, Bai Family Fort had remained in a "state of readiness." Bai Yuan had long ago instructed the villagers: in an emergency, sound the bamboo clappers to alert neighboring villages. Hearing villages should also sound their clappers, then everyone should gather at Bai Family Fort to defend against sudden threats behind its walls.
Now, with the clappers sounding, the villagers thought something was wrong. They hurriedly grabbed their pre-prepared valuables, gathered their children, and ran to Bai Family Fort.
In no time, the small Bai Family Fort gathered several hundred people.
The militia even brought out weapons, actively climbing the fortress walls. Someone even pulled the black tarpaulin off the giant crossbow cart, preparing to load its bolt.
Seeing this, Bai Yuan quickly shouted, "It's not bandits! Put away your weapons! The Tianzun wants everyone to assemble."
"The Tianzun?"
Bai Family Fort's servants, who had witnessed the Tianzun's miracles before, were instantly overjoyed.
But most villagers had never personally seen the Tianzun manifest. They only knew that Master Bai often spoke of how good, wonderful, kind, and benevolent the Tianzun was, how the Tianzun was a great deity, and that the food they received was bestowed by the Tianzun.
Beyond that, they didn't know much.
Bai Yuan understood the Tianzun. Seeing the villagers' confusion, he loudly commanded, "Stop all murmuring and wild guesses! Stand still, open your eyes wide, and prepare to witness the Tianzun's divine manifestation."
The villagers hurriedly complied.
Several hundred people stood with hands respectfully at their sides, a rather impressive sight.
Li Daoxuan saw everyone was present and prepared to begin. There was no Gao Yiye here to act as intermediary, so he wouldn't waste words. He would just act directly.
He shifted his view slightly south of Bai Family Fort, centering it on the dried lake. Then, straining, he lifted a large bucket, rested its rim on the edge of the box, and carefully tipped it, pouring water inside...
Inside Bai Family Fort, everyone watched with wide eyes.
They saw the patch of low-hanging clouds in the sky suddenly drift southward, finally hovering in the distance to the south.
Bai Yuan focused his gaze. Wasn't the spot right below those clouds the "Horseshoe Lake," the water source for Bai Family Fort and the surrounding villages?
Horseshoe Lake had nurtured Bai Family Fort and the nearby villages. It was the spiritual anchor for all the villagers in the area. But at the end of the drought's second year, the lake dried up, leaving the villagers feeling as if they had lost their souls.
And now, the Tianzun floated above Horseshoe Lake. What exactly was he going to do?
Could it be...?
Bai Yuan suddenly understood and couldn't help but roar excitedly, "The Tianzun is going to restore Horseshoe Lake for us! Heavens! I figured it out! The Tianzun must be conjuring heavenly springs to refill Horseshoe Lake!"
The villagers were stunned.
The next instant, they saw a massive torrent of water gush forth from the sky.
The flow was so immense it could be called "a heavenly river pouring down"!
Its surging power was on a completely different scale from the stream that filled Gao Village's small pond.
Even with some mental preparation, Bai Yuan was shocked by the terrifying deluge.
Bai Family Fort's servants and all the surrounding villagers gaped like fools.
The terrifying torrent roared down from the heavens, crashing into the dry lakebed of Horseshoe Lake. In the blink of an eye, water began pooling at the bottom. Then, the celestial stream continued to surge, pouring ceaselessly into the lake.
The water level in the lake rose higher and higher.
Everyone at Bai Family Fort was struck speechless, just staring dumbly.
After a while, the flow stopped...
A deep layer of water had accumulated in the lakebed, but it was still some distance from the banks. After waiting a few dozen blinks, whoosh—another massive torrent rushed from the sky, continuing to pour into the lake.
The villagers remained stupefied.
Still not enough?
Whoosh! Another one.
Li Daoxuan poured several large buckets of water into the box in succession. Finally, the small lake was full. The mighty Tianzun slumped by the box, panting like a dog with his tongue out, not wanting to move.
While he was exhausted, the servants inside Bai Family Fort jumped for joy. "Horseshoe Lake is full again!"
"Our Horseshoe Lake has come back to life!"
"Hahaha!This is wonderful!"
The stunned villagers also snapped out of their daze. "So... this... this is the Tianzun's power? Moving mountains and creating lakes... omnipotent..."
"With Horseshoe Lake,even if Heaven doesn't grant rain, I can still grow crops."
"We can finally...sob..."
By now, the long-dug irrigation canals at the lake's edge had already begun taking in water. The lake water flowed along the canals toward the surrounding farmland, spreading hope throughout the entire area.
(Ming Context: In the arid northwest loess regions, a reliable water source like a lake or river was more than just a resource; it was the absolute foundation for survival, agricultural planning, and social stability. Restoring Horseshoe Lake didn't just mean water—it meant the revival of the entire local agricultural cycle, community cohesion, and the people's will to live.)
"This winter, I won't have to live in fear anymore. When spring comes, we'll start planting crops immediately."
"Praise the benevolent Tianzun!"
"Heavenly blessings!"
"Boundless longevity and blessings!"
Li Daoxuan, slumped by the box and panting: You're all happy now, but I had to move bucket after bucket of water, carefully tipping these heavy buckets into the box without spilling outside the lake. I'm exhausted! Ugh, taking care of 'pets' is not a job for humans.
The villagers rushed out of Bai Family Fort, happily scrambling to the lakeshore to play in the water. Some even ran home and pushed out small wooden boats, followed by others from a second home, a third...
It turned out many villagers had boats. When the water dried up, fearing the boats would be stranded at the bottom, they had dragged them home. Now that the lake had water again, of course they pushed them out.
"Even though there are no fish in the lake yet, fish and shrimp will appear soon..."
"Where there's water,fish will mysteriously appear."
"It won't be long before we can make a living fishing again."
The ecstatic fishermen rowed across Horseshoe Lake, even racing to see who was faster. Though still poor, they had become optimistic.
"Hahaha, I won!"
"I haven't rowed in over a year;my skills are rusty."
"Haha,mine too. I just won by luck, luck."
Bai Yuan ran out from Bai Family Fort, stood by the lakeshore, crouched down, scooped up some water, and playfully splashed it forward. Suddenly, he smiled broadly. "Excellent! Let's have a boat race! I'll put up two taels of silver. The fastest family gets the prize."
The fishermen were thrilled. "Haha, great! Thank you, Master Bai!"
"Let's go,let's go! Race time!"
Watching their jubilant celebration, Li Daoxuan suddenly found his own mood lifting. The effort just now seemed worth it.
Right. Isn't the point of having "pets" to be healed by them?