What they didn’t know was just as everyone slept peacefully, the sky outside changed again, like it was pierced with countless holes, pouring down endless rain. Overnight, the water level rose sharply.
The water level in the village where Hua Fen and Hua Fang lived rose to waist height within one night, making those villagers in Hua Village who thought they could wait it out completely panic.
Who would have thought that upon waking, they’d find themselves in water, only having ti to pack up food, grab so simple belongings, and hurriedly flee to the mountains, lest they face total calamity if they didn’t escape soon.
Not only in Shuixia Village where Hua Fen was, but even in the higher terrain and even higher towns around them, the residents began to panic as they started to flood. In the deepest parts, the water reached a child’s thigh. Every household was hastily packing up to find higher ground to evacuate.
The governnt officials at the town office evacuated a step ahead of the residents.
Since learning the rain was extraordinary, the county magistrate hadn’t relaxed, constantly dispatching people to monitor the rain and river water levels.
Thus, they were the first to know that the Yunhe River’s water level wouldn’t hold for long. Despite the early hour and the blinding rain, they hurried with their family to the nearest mountain for shelter; the wealthy town residents quickly followed suit.
Fortunately, the magistrate was sowhat conscientious, not forgetting to send people to beat a round of gongs through the town, urging residents to evacuate.
As for those further away who had already been warned earlier, he could do nothing more.
This made the residents who were preparing to evacuate even more anxious, originally hesitating over what to bring. Can we bring more? There was no ti to choose now. Everyone instinctively took food, bedding, clothing, and cooking utensils—dragged by livestock or carried by their own strength—and fled to the nearest high ground.
However, the heavens didn’t grant much ti. Apart from those with a strong sense of urgency who, at the sound of the gong, quickly packed and followed the wealthy into the mountains, many were still on the road, and so were even still at ho, hesitating whether to leave.
But fate allowed no choice. The distant horizon was suddenly covered in white light, and in that mont of astonishnt, it appeared before everyone’s eyes. Then a wave, as if to destroy everything, rushed in. People at the mountain’s foot and those who hadn’t left ho were instantly swept into the torrent and swallowed in a blink.
"Ah..."
"Father..."
"Mother..."
"My son..."
"Mother, grab ..."
"Run up quickly," soone shouted hoarsely.
So ran desperately upward; so were swallowed by the flood while trying to hold on to their loved ones.
For a mont, cries for help, shouts, and sobs intertwined in places where people existed, creating a sad lody of nature.
Those on higher ground scrambled upwards in panic, disregarding the possessions on them in their bid for survival. Even then, slower ones were rcilessly swallowed by the flood.
People who escaped the flood’s path dared not linger, desperately climbing higher. In those monts, they couldn’t discern whether their bodies and faces were wetter with rain or tears.
The entire world was instantly swallowed by the flood, its towering waves consuming all. Houses vanished with the spray, rooftops subrged, the water level rising rapidly, as people desperately sought support and survival amid the struggle. Many livestock and poultry floated in the flood, the world turning akin to hell, seemingly intending to engulf all lands.
Those who narrowly escaped and survived had only one thought: climb, climb, climb higher, with the sole purpose of keeping themselves and their families alive in this cataclysm.
Simultaneously, the entire county city and the ancient Yan continent were swept by the flood. The gigantic waves kept rolling, taking countless lives.
Aside from a few standing structures and stout trees on mountains and hills, everything subrged underwater, while the rain continued pouring without respite.
Those who took refuge on high mountains had a perfect view of all this, witnessing massive waves destructively sweeping across. Houses beneath the waves disintegrated into debris, watching helplessly as people at the mountain’s foot who almost made it were rcilessly swept away by the flood, witnessing so dive back to rescue family mbers. The scene left everyone terrified and trembling.
At this mont, they were exceptionally grateful for heeding the village chief’s advice to evacuate early and incredibly thankful their village was lowland; otherwise, they would have been among the flood’s victims.
Nevertheless, even watching the rising water levels, the sense of urgency remained strong, especially among the village chiefs on each hilltop. They decisively abandoned the straw huts built the previous day, urging everyone to pack up and continue upward, aiming to at least reach the mountains’ mid-to-peak altitudes.
This scene unfolded on each mountain as everyone sought to distance themselves from danger.
anwhile, it had little to do with the villagers of Hua Village, who had already relocated to the mountain. The downpour outside confined everyone to the cave, unaware of the destructive disaster caused by the incessant rain. Even the forest at the mountain’s base did not escape being subrged, slowly inundating all the way to the mountain’s foot, gradually rising until Hua Village was entirely subrged. When the mountain was several feet under, the water’s ascent finally slowed.
"It has started," Hua Jin softly murmured, standing beneath a rock, watching the water streams.
In the dream, such rain turned the world into a realm of water.
Thankfully, they had moved; waiting another day might have allowed survival due to Hua Village’s terrain, but Hua Jin scanned the wide door of the cave, realizing they would have lost so many supplies.
"Jin’er, what are you doing there? Hurry into the cave; the rain is too heavy, and your clothes might get wet,"
Interjected Hua Chengtian, busy with two sons working on the unfinished tasks from last night, indifferent to his soaked self as he saw his daughter standing absentmindedly under the rock watching the rain.
Although their household didn’t lack clothes, allowing for several changes a day if needed, the issue was the difficulty in drying clothes now, so staying dry was preferable.
Hua Jin acknowledged, looking at her outfit; already soaked a lot in such a short ti, she had lost her desire to stay indoors, opting to help her father instead by passing stones, thinking more people would complete filling the space beneath the rocks faster and put grandparents at ease sooner.
"It’s already wet, father; I’ll help too," Hua Jin smiled, moving towards the pile of stones with her elder and younger brothers, ready to carry variously shaped stones to the rock space.
Nature truly is a masterpiece; this stony mountain hides many treasures.
Beyond the decent-sized cave, the rocks above extend a vast area as if prepared for them, almost the size of half their yard, where their livestock rested under the rock space last night.
Fortunate for such a large rock, having to stay with the livestock in the sa space, Hua Jin might not endure their distinct sll, even after a day of rainwashing.
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