I, Am a Living Yama, Empress Advises Me to Stay Calm-Chapter 230

Chapter 230

In an instant, the dam ruptured. From the breach behind it, floodwater exploded forth like a monstrous beast unleashed, surging with destructive force as if bent on annihilating everything in its path.

The muddy river churned like a roaring lion, unstoppable and wild, sweeping across the land and swallowing everything before it. Several officials who had been stationed below had no time to react—within moments, they were consumed by the raging torrent.

High atop the observation tower at the Western Water Gate, Crown Prince Zhu Biao went pale. A sudden chill gripped the soles of his feet and raced up to his heart. This… this is catastrophic!

His scalp tingled as he stared at the collapsing dam. Clenching his fists tightly, veins bulging, he growled,

“Quick! Get the flood-control sandbags—seal those breaches immediately!”

Officials nearby didn’t hesitate. They turned and scattered, racing off to carry out his orders. If they didn’t seal that gap quickly… it would all be over.

The scent of soaked earth and churned water filled the air a quarter of an hour later as soldiers stationed nearby arrived in force, dragging heavy sandbags toward the crumbling embankment.

They hurled themselves into the effort, building temporary barriers. But the surge of water could not be stopped so easily.

The Western Water Gate itself began to groan, its aged foundation trembling. Cracks spidered outward, its collapse imminent.

Rain battered faces like arrows shot from the sky, each drop sharp and cold. The flood roared with unrelenting fury. Fear curled in the hearts of everyone on the scene.

Half an hour later, inside the solemn halls of the imperial palace in Yingtian Prefecture, the capital of Great Ming—

“Your Majesty! Something terrible has happened—something very terrible!”

A eunuch stumbled into Fengtian Hall, slipping and scrambling on the wet floor tiles as he nearly fell in his haste. Zhu Yuanzhang sat upright on the throne, his expression already darkened.

He cast a cold glance at the trembling servant and asked flatly, “What is it?”

The eunuch was gasping for air, his face bloodless. “Your Majesty… the West Water Gate… it’s broken…”

“What?!” Zhu Yuanzhang’s eyes widened into round orbs. He leapt to his feet, his face drained of color. “The dam collapsed? How?!”

Still shaking, the eunuch explained, “The Crown Prince went to inspect the water levels with a team, and for some reason, part of the dam suddenly gave way. His Highness is trying to stem the flood as we speak.”

Zhu Yuanzhang inhaled sharply, eyebrows tightening into a hard line.

Gritting his teeth, he snapped, “Send another detachment of the Imperial Guard. The Western Water Gate must not collapse entirely!”

Back at the breach site, where muddy water surged unchecked and chaos reigned, a guard rushed up to the prince.

“Your Highness, His Majesty has dispatched another unit of the Imperial Guards.”

Zhu Biao’s expression remained grim as he fixed his eyes on the roiling floodwaters. The river thundered with the force of a stampede, hurling itself against the shored-up defenses. Sandbags recently placed were torn away like paper.

Soldiers threw themselves forward, arms outstretched, clutching the bags with all their might. Only through sheer human effort did the water’s advance slow, if only slightly.

Bloodshot eyes narrowing, Zhu Biao ordered, “Have the Imperial Guards immediately search the surrounding areas. There may be civilians trapped by the flood. Begin rescue operations at once.”

“Yes, Your Highness!” the officials chorused before hurrying to carry out the command.

Three days later, as the city of Yingtian slowly emerged from the storm, sunlight finally broke through the dark clouds. Warm rays pierced the gloom, spreading across the recovering capital.

The relentless rain had passed. The waters at the Western Water Gate were subsiding, inching back into their rightful channels. The threat had receded, and the dam—what remained of it—stood exposed to scrutiny.

Flanked by guards and accompanied by his son, Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang walked alongside the still-damp embankment. Cold wind swept in from the swollen river, carrying the pungent smell of disturbed earth.

“Father Emperor,” Zhu Biao said, halting beside a collapsed section of the dam, “this is the breach that gave way three days ago.”

Zhu Yuanzhang studied the area, his brow furrowing. “What caused this? Why did the Western Water Gate fail? Was it sabotage?”

“Or,” he added darkly, voice sharpening, “did the officials in charge embezzle the silver allocated for repairs? Was this whole project a sham to deceive the court?”

His eyes gleamed with fury, face tightening with barely suppressed rage. The officials nearby shivered. The air grew colder as fear spread through the group. Zhu Yuanzhang was infamous for swift and lethal judgment.

Even if none had dared to be corrupt with something so vital as the Western Water Gate, the dam had failed—and that meant blame had to fall somewhere.

Zhu Biao offered a bitter smile and shook his head. “Father, I’m afraid this time, the fault may not lie with the officials. It looks more like deliberate sabotage.”

Zhu Yuanzhang’s beard bristled as his eyebrows shot upward. “Sabotage? Biao’er, what makes you say that?”

“Please come with me,” Zhu Biao replied, leading his father toward a section of the damaged dam.

They paused near the edge. Wind sliced across their faces, dragging with it fine grains of sand and the scent of broken earth. Zhu Biao gestured to a series of pits and cavities along the fractured section.

“These holes were discovered after the collapse. And not just here—there are many more underneath.”

He knelt and pointed deeper. “According to the craftsmen, something created these voids beneath the surface. The soil was already loose—without support, the entire structure weakened. When the flood hit, the pressure shattered what remained. That’s what destroyed this section of the dam.”

Zhu Yuanzhang stared in shock at the pitted, uneven ground below. His expression turned grave.

“These holes… they’re what caused the collapse of the Western Water Gate, allowing the floodwaters to surge through. What exactly is down there?”

Zhu Biao shook his head. “We didn’t dare disturb the area over the past two days—we were afraid of triggering another collapse. Now that the water’s finally receded, we’ll have the soldiers dig it out and see what’s underneath.”

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded firmly.

Moments later, under the watchful eyes of the emperor and his entourage, a group of soldiers moved swiftly down to the base of the Western Water Gate dam.

They began to dig along the path of the pits.

Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao’s expressions grew more solemn by the minute.

Not long after—

“There’s movement!”

Excitement rippled through the nearby officials. Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao’s eyes sharpened as they looked toward the pit.

As the soldiers widened the hole, a mass of dark greenish-black, armored, scorpion-like creatures burst forth and rapidly scattered in all directions.

The scene froze in eerie silence.

Zhu Yuanzhang’s eyes narrowed. Disbelief clouded his face.

“What is this?”

“Those things?”

“Aren’t they the ones from our Imperial Garden?”