Chapter 121: Encountering The Black Water River On The Road
However, Ao Tu won the bet with Wukong and claimed victory in three moves.
Ao Tu temporarily noted down these three moves to settle later.
After Wukong replenished the Silver, it was already late, inconvenient to start work. Ao Tu agreed to start bridge construction the next day.
The required twenty thousand laborers had already been summoned by the Imperial Envoy, but the Imperial Envoy had summoned corvée labor, while Ao Tu ordered them changed to laborers.
The main difference was that corvée labor required free work and self-provided grain; laborers were hired by Ao Tu with payment.
The next day, the Imperial Envoy sent the twenty thousand laborers to the riverbank and ordered his subordinates to prepare a grand starting ceremony.
Tang Sanzang and his disciples also came to watch how Ao Tu would build the bridge.
Usually, such a bridge construction starting ceremony involved praying with sacrificial texts, sacrificing to gods like the Earth God and river god, inviting mages to cast spells to ward off disasters, and hiring opera troupes to dance dragons and lions to ensure smooth progress.
However, considering that Ao Tu himself was the Dragon God, the Imperial Envoy did not hire anyone to dance dragons.
Ao Tu quietly watched the ceremony without interfering casually.
After the ceremony ended, Ao Tu ordered the laborers to line up on the left and right sides, ten thousand on the left and ten thousand on the right. He himself flew into the air, about three zhang off the ground, so everyone could clearly see his appearance.
The laborers gathered together, a dense black crowd with heads bobbing, looking up at Ao Tu’s figure with curiosity and fear in their hearts.
Ao Tu said: “Building this bridge is truly for passage, and you all will benefit. The King has agreed that on the day the bridge is completed, taxes nationwide will be reduced by ten percent. Do not worry that the bridge is long and hard to finish; this god will surely assist with divine strength. Furthermore, every laborer who comes to build the bridge will receive fifty wen in wages per day.”
The laborers heard there were wages to be had and were all pleasantly surprised.
“There are wages too!”
“Great, great!”
“I was worried about delaying farming on the way here, lacking grain after autumn, but now it’s fine!”
“Bring the wages home, and the family won’t worry about winter!”
“Fifty wen wages per day, that’s quite a lot!”
“Yes! Yes!”
……
Ao Tu said: “Quiet.”
Divine strength carried his voice everywhere, and the crowd quickly fell silent.
Facing the god, people were generally reverent.
Ao Tu said: “Building this bridge requires earth and wood. From today, the ten thousand on the left will fell trees, the ten thousand on the right will dig earth, until the great bridge is built. Remember, though wages are paid for building this great bridge, it is extremely arduous, so you must not slack off. If any do not work hard, I will punish them with divine strength!”
The laborers all fearfully said: “Dragon King Grandfather, we will certainly work with all our strength!”
Ao Tu nodded and clapped his hands, saying: “Come out.”
As soon as he spoke, four figures jumped out from the Black Water River.
Two were Tiger Demons, with very sturdy builds, wearing coarse yellow cotton straight robes, holding knives and axes, standing upright on the ground.
The other two resembled Wolf Spirits but had more human features, slimmer and smaller than the two Tiger Demons, wearing gray cloth straight robes, holding shovels and picks, standing in place.
The laborers saw them and fearfully said: “Monsters, monsters have come!”
Ao Tu said: “Do not be afraid. These are this god’s aquatic soldiers. Those two Little Tigers are this god’s left-route water general and right-route water general; the two Little Wolves are this god’s front-route water general and rear-route water general. They never eat people, have ample strength, and can help you fell trees and dig earth.”
Hearing this, though the laborers were still afraid, with the river god’s personal guarantee, they did not scatter in fright.
Ao Tu said: “Alright, start work. You all go respectively to fell trees and dig earth, transport them here, and this god will cast spell to build the bridge.”
After Ao Tu spoke, a few from the ten thousand felling trees came forward, carefully bowed, and asked: “Dragon King Grandfather, we have no axes or saws, how can we fell trees?”
Ao Tu said: “Each of you grab a handful of grass and hold it in your hand.”
The laborers heard this, squatted down on the spot, and pulled grass to hold in their hands.
Ao Tu blew a breath of immortal energy, and in an instant, it turned into axes and saws.
The tree-felling laborers said: “Dragon King Grandfather, now we have axes and saws, but we do not know where to fell trees?”
Ao Tu pointed at the two Little Tigers and said: “Follow those two; they will lead you there.”
The two Little Tigers amiably smiled at the laborers.
The tree-felling laborers saw this and became even more afraid, but in the end followed the two Little Tigers.
The earth-digging laborers saw this and also had a few stand out to say:
“Dragon King Grandfather, we also lack tools to dig earth.”
Ao Tu said: “Each of you pick up some pebbles and hold them in your hand.”
The laborers picked up some small pebbles on the spot.
Ao Tu blew a breath of immortal energy, and in an instant, it turned into shovels and picks.
The earth-digging laborers said: “Dragon King Grandfather, though we have shovels and picks, we still need carts to transport the earth.”
Ao Tu said: “You all go first to dig earth; wait until the tree-fellers make wooden carts, then take them to transport the earth.”
The earth-digging laborers said: “We do not know where to go dig earth?”
Ao Tu pointed at the two Little Wolves and said: “Follow those two; they will take you there.”
The laborers heard this and followed the two Little Wolves.
Compared to the two Little Tigers, the two Little Wolves looked more human, so the laborers could accept them a bit more.
Led by the two Little Wolves, ten thousand laborers were taken to a wasteland twenty li north.
The two Little Wolves said: “Ahead from here for dozens of li is all wasteland. Dig from this place and pile the earth on both sides; once wooden carts arrive, transport it back.”
The laborers agreed obediently upon hearing this.
The two Little Wolves divided the ten thousand laborers into areas and began digging earth.
Soon, one laborer dug up a giant rock.
The giant rock was embedded in the earth, unknown how deep, unmoved by pick and hammer.
That person carefully called: “You two… Sirs Water Gods, what to do about this?”
The two Little Wolves came over upon hearing, saw the giant rock, and the brother smilingly said: “Watch me!”
Tiger Brother clenched his fist and smashed the giant rock, instantly shattering it into a pile of fragments.
The laborers were both shocked and fearful, all saying: “Worthy of being Divine Generals!”
Soon, others encountered trouble.
The two Little Wolves heard the calls and went to help.
On the other side, the two Little Tigers similarly led the laborers south twenty li to a forest.
A nearby resident laborer said in surprise: “When did such a large forest appear here? I’ve passed by before and never seen it.”
Tiger Brother said: “This forest was conjured by Sir Dragon King’s divine strength. No need for more words; first fell trees to make wooden carts for transporting earth and wood.”
A knowledgeable laborer carefully said:
“Sir Tiger, wooden carts cannot be made from freshly felled wood!”
Nearby laborers saw this, hurriedly covered his mouth, and whispered: “Wang Er, what are you saying? Dare to question Sir, you tired of living?”
Tiger Brother saw this and amiably bared his fangs in a smile to everyone. But this action made the laborers even more chilled.
Tiger Brother said: “You need not fear. I am a water general under the Dragon King. Though my appearance is slightly different, I absolutely will not harm people. You all first fell trees, and I will turn them into wooden carts.”
The laborers heard this and went to fell trees.
