127: Chapter 127 Yu the Great Tames the Flood

"Good! Good!"

Emperor Shun said "Good" repeatedly, personally helping Yu the Great up. "I will wait for your triumphant return in the capital. Once you have successfully controlled the floods, I will surely welcome you back with the highest honors!"

Holy Mother Guiling, watching this scene from the side, nodded inwardly.

She thought that after Yu the Great finished controlling the floods, it would be the time for Emperor Shun's Karma to reach Perfection.

After receiving his orders, Yu the Great left the main hall and began preparing for the flood control efforts, selecting strong men and summoning skilled craftsmen.

In just three days, Yu the Great had all matters prepared.

On the day of departure, Emperor Shun personally led the officials out of the city to see them off. Countless commoners spontaneously gathered on both sides of the road, holding dry rations and fresh water to bid farewell to the flood-control army.

...

The first stop of Yu the Great's flood control was Yu Mountain.

The place where Gun had died years ago.

Yu the Great stopped before the mountain, looking at the rolling hills with a complex expression, and let out a long sigh.

A young craftsman accompanying him poked his head out, scratched the back of his head, and whispered:

"Lord Yu, we have thousands of ways to control the floods, why come here first? This place sounds a bit ominous."

Another sturdy man quickly chimed in, lowering his voice, his tone a bit strange:

"That's right, this is the place where Lord Gun... failed. He blocked the water until the end and still didn't succeed. Is it really a good idea for us to come here first?"

A flurry of hushed whispers immediately arose in the ranks, with everyone's face full of unease.

Yu the Great turned around upon hearing this, not looking the least bit reprimanding, but said in a firm tone:

"Can you people keep your minds on the Righteous Path? This is my late father's former place. He only ended up like this back then because he stubbornly blocked the water. I have come here first to control the floods precisely because I want to start from this place and fulfill my father's wishes!"

An old craftsman responsible for calculating waterways stroked his beard and asked:

"Lord Yu, what is our first step? Should we pay respects to Lord Gun first, or start digging the river channel directly?"

Yu the Great walked around the foot of the mountain with his hands behind his back and said:

"First, pay respects to the ancestor, and have a good chat with my father. Tell him his son has changed his strategy today. No more foolishly blocking the water; the main focus is to dredge it according to the flow, ensuring we don't follow his old path!"

The young man nearby's eyes lit up, and he joked: "Then should we report to Lord Gun and have the old man open the green light for us in the Netherworld, so the flood will run away on its own when it sees us?"

As soon as this was said, everyone around couldn't help but burst into laughter, and the heavy atmosphere from the departure was swept away.

Yu the Great gave him a light slap, not annoyed:

"You kid only thinks of good things! If the flood really ran away on its own, what would we be here to control?"

Emperor Shun, who was observing secretly from the capital, couldn't help but laugh at their interaction, despite his stern face.

The originally solemn and heavy task of flood control had been made light and lively by this group of people.

"But this is also good."

Emperor Shun paused, then continued: "At least it makes the dead-silent task of flood control become active."

Yu the Great led the flood-control troops to the place where he was born.

Then, he bowed to the mountain rocks, muttering slowly:

"Dad, I'm here. You failed to block the water back then, so I'm here today to overturn the old plan. The brand-new upgraded version of flood control is starting. You just watch from underground; I guarantee this time will be smooth and we will definitely not repeat the same mistakes!"

After bowing, Yu the Great straightened up, waved his hand, and said firmly: "Start work!"

"Within five years, dig through Yu Mountain!"

"Yes!"

The crowd took their orders, responded in unison, and immediately picked up their tools to get busy around Yu Mountain.

Yu the Great's actions were methodical. He completely abandoned the old method of blocking, and throughout the process, he dredged the rivers and guided the flow into channels.

Everyone worked together, united from top to bottom, and the flood control went exceptionally smoothly along the way.

Digging canals, connecting tributaries, draining waterlogging, and leveling marshes—wherever they went, the floodwaters gradually receded, fertile fields reappeared, and everything along the way went smoothly without a single setback.

The craftsmen and soldiers in the team were full of energy, often joking with each other because of their previous successes.

Days passed busily but easily, and everyone felt that this flood control would surely succeed.

After a long time of smooth sailing, the flood-control army moved forward all the way.

Finally, they arrived at the banks of the Yi River. Looking up, there was the majestic Longmen Yique, stretching across their eyes.

Two huge mountains were tightly connected like a natural Great Wall, blocking the way of the Yi River. The river water silted up and flooded here, inundating all directions, and the surrounding flood disaster was particularly severe.

Everyone went up to dig and chisel the mountain as usual, but after working for several days, they were all drenched in sweat with little effect.

The rock of Longmen Mountain was extremely hard. Ordinary tools left at most a shallow mark, and they couldn't dig out even half a channel despite exhausting all their strength.

The group of people gathered together, dejected, and the previous relaxed atmosphere was completely gone.

The young craftsman from before wiped the heavy sweat from his forehead and sighed sorrowfully:

"The whole journey before was smooth sailing, and I thought this flood control would be successful, but we ran into this Longmen Mountain. It's too hard, we can't dig it at all!"

The sturdy man also shook his head repeatedly, looking helpless:

"We've used up all our strength, and our tools are almost worn out, yet the mountain hasn't budged at all. I'm afraid this is a place that can never be dug through!"

The old craftsman inspected the mountain body several times and said helplessly:

"This mountain is a whole, naturally formed by the terrain. Digging with human power simply won't work. I'm afraid this is a difficult hurdle for our flood control."

Everyone looked worried and sighed one after another. They had been going smoothly all the way, only to get stuck at this Longmen Yique, which was a complete and utter setback.

Yu the Great stood in front of the mountain, gazing for a long time at the towering mountain that blocked the waterway. The calm look in his eyes gradually faded, and his gaze suddenly sharpened.

He was silent for a long time, then spoke slowly, his tone carrying a sense of determination:

"Ordinary digging is indeed not feasible."

He took a deep breath, each word resounding: "Since we can't dig it through slowly, then I won't dig anymore! I will split this Longmen Mountain open!"

Everyone was shocked to hear this and looked up at Yu the Great one after another.

Splitting a mountain was basically impossible for Mortals like them.

Yu the Great looked at the peak in front of him and made a prompt decision:

"Stop work here for now and rest. Everyone, look after the river embankments. I will return to the capital immediately."

After speaking, he gave simple instructions for all matters, turned into a stream of light, and fled toward the capital.

Watching Yu the Great rush back, Emperor Shun asked:

"Yu, your great cause of flood control is at a critical moment. Why did you return in such a hurry? Did something go wrong along the way?"

Yu the Great bowed and replied straightly: "Reporting to the Sovereign, the flood control has been smooth all the way, with no obstacles. It was only when we reached the land of Longmen Yique that we encountered a problem."

Emperor Shun understood inwardly, but asked on the surface: "Oh? There is actually a place that can stump you? Tell me in detail."

"The two mountains of Longmen are connected, and the stone is as hard as diamond. Human digging is completely useless. No matter how hard we try, we cannot open a river channel. This is also the only time I have hit a wall since I started controlling the floods."

Yu the Great confessed honestly, then changed the subject, his eyes earnest.