Post-war Yichang immediately plunged into reconstruction work. High-rise buildings reappeared overnight before people's eyes, and the majority of the population spontaneously threw themselves into the construction.
Of course, some people also raised questions to the local government departments—when disaster was imminent, why had the government failed to respond?
Originally this was just a minor issue, but it was deliberately blown out of proportion by people with ulterior motives, and now society was arguing fiercely. The government was at its wits' end. To appease public anger, the head of the government department revoked the deputy mayor's position and sentenced him to throw himself heart and soul into social construction.
If you walked down the street and saw a man in a suit moving bricks at a construction site, with the words "I am guilty" pasted on his back, you would surely exclaim: what kind of twisted genius could come up with such a punishment.
"What are you looking at? Never seen a brick-layer before!"
"See that? If you don't study hard, you'll end up just like him..." a passing mother said to her son.
"Ah... I will definitely study hard and become a big shot in the future—just like the mayor."
"Scram, scram, scram," the former deputy mayor roared.
...
Meanwhile, people were also searching for the young man who had stood atop Yinglong's head at the time. Xi had already left this place under the cover of night, without saying goodbye to anyone.
On the long and winding road of life, I am merely passing through this world; if we are destined, we shall meet again. Farewell.
Xi rode a bamboo raft heading upstream, thinking of the animated film *Legend of Luo Xiaohei* he had once watched. Wu lay on her stomach playing with a bead, sneaking a glance at Xi from time to time. Confirming that Xi wasn't paying attention, she swallowed the bead whole, a look of satisfaction spreading across her face.
Mm... so satisfying...
"Wu, what are you doing?" Xi suddenly grabbed the scruff of Wu's neck, his brow furrowing.
"Meow-ooooo X﹏X," Wu let out an incoherent sound.
Xi initially thought Wu was trying to play cute to get away with it, but he quickly noticed that Wu's expression was all wrong.
"Wu, are you alright? I'll save you right now." Xi picked Wu up and shook her crazily, this way and that... and finally, for the grand finale. Xi held Wu high up in the air, and then... the giant windmill!
The two of them spun like a windmill until even Xi felt a bit dizzy, and only then did he put Wu down.
"Awoo..." There are so many stars in the sky, spinning and spinning... ugh. Wu walked a couple of steps like a drunken person and collapsed.
Umm, looks like she's still not better. Xi looked up. The stars in the night sky were scattered like a prairie fire, emitting an abnormal radiance.
"Kitty is dizzy, so many fishies..."
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Xi was stunned for a moment, then grabbed Wu.
"You—what did you just say?"
"I... mm..." Wu vomited out the bead, though it was much smaller than before.
Disregarding the saliva of Wu's clinging to it, Xi held the much-dimmer bead in his palm and observed it carefully.
"Ho ho, are you two having fun?"
At some point, a third person had appeared on the bamboo raft.
"Monk? What do you want..." Xi looked at the old monk vigilantly, stuffing the bead into his pocket.
"Eh, this poor monk merely saw that my young friend seemed to be in trouble and came to help."
Xi glanced at Wu, then hoisted her onto his back.
Wu: So many fishies, spinning and spinning...
"Monk, that Great Mercy Palm move was executed by you, wasn't it?" Xi tightened his grip on the bamboo pole in his hand.
"Oh... that? Just a little trick, not worth mentioning," the old monk laughed heartily. "Compared to you, my young friend, a savior of the world, this poor monk didn't expend much effort at all."
"What the heck? Savior?" Now it was Xi's turn to be dumbfounded.
"Heh heh, you are universally recognized as a hero by the people, and your friend even went around talking about your deeds..."
For some reason, Xi immediately thought of a certain someone.
"After the events this time, quite a few more people have been rounded up... Alas, these are turbulent times..." the old monk sighed.
"That has nothing to do with me. Why did you deliberately bring this up?"
"This poor monk was just shooting the breeze. I'm getting old, and I simply enjoy nattering."
"Well, actually, this poor monk has a favor to ask of you." The old monk took a letter out from his cassock. "Please deliver this to a monk named Tianyi."
"Who..." Before Xi had time to refuse, he discovered that the old monk had already vanished.
How bizarre... Ah, Wu, are you alright...
Watching Xi's figure gradually fade into the distance, the old monk fell into deep thought.
"Meeting is because there is a debt to be repaid; leaving is because the debt has been paid in full. If the mortal world owes nothing, this life sees no meeting; if this life sees a meeting, there is surely a debt unpaid. When too much is owed, is it impossible to ever part..."