Chapter One, there was a woman named Ji Si

Ji Si's lips suddenly pressed tightly together

The elderly driver ahead spoke with concern: "My lady, you have been suffering from headaches for the entire month. You refuse to consult divination, and there are no renowned doctors nearby to seek help from..."

Without waiting for him to finish his nagging, Ji Si interrupted in a clear voice, saying: "Li Bo, I am fine." She sat up straight, and although her face was pale, her brows and eyes had regained their calmness. Ji Si continued: "I have just been experiencing hallucinations lately and have not been resting well."

The middle-aged man laughed heartily and said, "It's not that rare, so let's not complicate things further"

Ji Si pressed her lips together, gazing ahead for a moment. She pointed towards the embankment and said, "It is still early; let us stroll along the embankment."

After the middle-aged man uttered these words, the gazes that had been locked onto Ji Zi gradually faded away. Soon, the convoy of ox carts began to move, entering Luoshui Village beneath the embankment, under the watchful eyes of Ji Zi and the others

Ji Si made a sound of acknowledgment, and like the three servants, she lowered her head, respectfully avoiding direct eye contact.

As for the third time, it was even more outrageous. While staying overnight at an inn, she overheard several soldiers engaging in a grand discussion for a full hour. She was completely clear about the first sentence they spoke, where it came from, what the next sentence was, and what the previous sentence was.

On the west side, about one or two li away from them, there is a small patch of woods, as well as a newly built earth god temple. Three hundred fifty to sixty villagers are carrying loads of soil on their shoulders and in their hands, filling the ravine behind the earth god temple with it.

Ji Si was still gazing intently at the village when suddenly, she clasped her hands over her head and let out a moan.

Ji Si nodded

Ji Si pointed to the east and said earnestly: "Fu Shu, if there is a flood in the east that then reaches us here, do you think it will breach this dam or flow smoothly into this ravine?"

Ji Si shook her head violently and said in a hoarse voice, "I am fine"

This is not the first time Ji Si has experienced hallucinations; in the past month, similar hallucinations have occurred for the fourth time. The first time, after meeting a new acquaintance, she immediately knew that person's name and background. The second time, while on the official road, she occasionally heard someone playing the guqin and was able to determine the name of the instrument being used, as well as the number of finger technique errors made during that quarter of an hour of playing. However, in reality, she is only thirteen or fourteen years old and has just begun to engage with the art of the guqin.

A light laugh was heard, "Oh, this little aunt is indeed born with a graceful demeanor and a clear spirit"

Since the Eastern Han Dynasty, over the course of more than 200 years, wars have erupted, and dynasties have changed one after another. Such is the nature of the world: either the sun overpowers the shadow, or the shadow envelops the sun. In this current era, there are too many deaths; there is neither a dignified court with the majestic dragon energy to subdue the spirits nor sufficient vital energy among the suffering populace to quell disasters. Consequently, diseases are frequent, and many are restless in spirit, leading people to believe in ghosts and deities. The villagers of Jingzhou are particularly notorious for their fondness for building 'lewd shrines' and for their superstitious beliefs in demons and spirits. The impoverished populace lacks the vital energy to counteract calamities, resulting in frequent illnesses and widespread unrest, which further fuels their belief in the supernatural. The local earth temple is one such example of the lewd shrines commonly erected by the people.

On this day, a donkey cart came along the official road from Jingzhou City to Qingshan County

In this oppressive heat, a rumble of thunder came from the east. The guard, in his thirties, glanced towards the east and shouted, "It's thundering again! For half a month now, the thunder has been incessant every day. I wonder what that place looks like after being flooded with rain."

Sun Fu had no choice but to follow her hand and look carefully. Yu Chen, on one side, interjected, "Naturally, it is the area where the land temple is located, which is obviously lower in elevation, spacious, and has a ravine to drain floodwaters." In the blink of an eye, he added, "However, once these villagers fill the ravine and, as per custom, build an earth dragon two zhang high, then it would be uncertain."

Sun Fu further said with great respect: "Old Li is absolutely right; the ones who just passed by were indeed from noble families! These esteemed families, what books and what experiences have they not encountered? They did not feel anything amiss, so why should you, my lady, be troubled?"

In the village located below the embankment ahead, there are one hundred acres of fertile land registered under her name. This one hundred acres of fertile land is Ji Si's most important asset

As they approached, the expressions of Uncle Li and the others became increasingly respectful and humble, especially Sun Fu, who stood beside Ji Si, nearly bending his entire body forward. The ingrained flattery and obsequiousness towards those in power were unmistakably revealed from the depths of his soul

As these people chatted and laughed, they soon approached.

Alright! Amid the resounding replies of the two guards, the sound of hooves echoed as the vehicle continued to move forward

Indeed, these people merely took the opportunity to tease her a couple of times

And now, she unexpectedly saw the floodwaters surging!

Seeing the grand procession, Uncle Li quickly urged the donkey cart to move aside

Uncle Li was the first to laugh and said, "My lady, you are worrying unnecessarily again. It hasn't rained in Qingshan County, so what is there to fear about floods?" He pointed to the large and imposing convoy of ox carts and continued, "Those big shots understand everything; they have all kinds of experts among them. If they are not afraid, why should you be?"

After walking for a while, Uncle Li's voice came from the front, "Oh, there are so many people, what are these villagers doing?" He stood on the carriage, raised his head, and looked around.

In July, Jingzhou is lush with greenery and the rain falls continuously

Another slender figure with a triangular face and a shrewd expression, Sun Fu, said: "Didn’t that group of merchants we encountered five days ago mention that for the past few days, seven or eight counties have been experiencing continuous rain? The Dragon King Temple there has been much more prosperous than in previous years.

The three servants beside the donkey cart all appeared relaxed. A man in his thirties approached and cheerfully said to the cart, "My lady, we have finally arrived."

Ji Si also looked on earnestly

This is her first time in Qingshan County, a place she has never seen before. However, just a moment ago, she experienced a vision before her eyes. In the vision, a torrent of murky floodwaters surged forth, overwhelming everything in their path. After breaking through the embankment before her, they thunderously rolled over, obliterating the village that was filled with curling smoke and lush trees.

At that time, the sun had just begun its descent from the zenith towards the west. In the weather of July and August, the sun's intensity is quite strong, hanging glaringly in the sky and casting a stifling heat over the land

The curtain of the car was lifted, revealing the face of a young girl

Upon realizing that the illusions she had encountered in the first three instances had all been validated, Ji Si's expression turned grim

Two guards were idly chatting there, occasionally glancing at their lady. Upon seeing Ji Si's face as pale as paper, the two became worried.

As she watched them enter Luoshui Village, Ji Si's slightly pursed lips twitched, and she couldn't help but rub her forehead. Just a moment ago, a vision had appeared before her eyes, revealing more than a dozen floating corpses in brocade amidst the overwhelming muddy flood that had engulfed the entire Luoshui Village.

The man called out in surprise: "Miss? Miss? What is wrong with you?"

Recently, Jingzhou has experienced an abundance of rainfall, rendering the official roads extremely muddy, with potholes everywhere. The donkey cart, as well as the donkeys ridden by the three servants, were completely splattered with mud. It was not until we entered Qingshan County that both the donkey cart and the people finally experienced a taste of dryness

Even from a distance, Ji Si could hear the sounds of laughter and joy coming from the ox cart convoy. Faintly, a young man said, "I heard that Lu Ziyou lives in Luo Shui Village. I thought it would be a place of extraordinary beauty, but I didn't expect it to be so ordinary."

When Ji Si mentioned "illusion," her expression changed slightly. At the same time, she turned her head to look at the fertile fields below the embankment

When Sun Fu mentioned the aristocratic families, Ji Si raised an eyebrow with a smile that was not quite a smile. However, in the blink of an eye, the pride on her face turned into sorrow. Secretly exhaling a breath, Ji Si suppressed her concerns and looked at the three with a determined gaze

Before long, a convoy of six ox carts approached

Ji Si leaned out, gazing at the vast fields below the embankment and the village faintly visible among the trees. Gradually, her eyes became fixed, her brows slightly furrowed, and she remained motionless for a long time.

The three of Ji Si also followed Li Shu's gaze and looked ahead

However, in the blink of an eye, that phenomenon vanished completely again.

The hallucination just now was so clear and so real that whenever she lost her focus, she could see the horrific scene of floating corpses piled up, thatched cottages drifting, and crows scattered everywhere. They were so real that she felt as if she could still smell the stench emanating from the floating corpses

At that moment, six luxurious ox carts approached from the opposite direction

At this moment, Uncle Li's voice came through, "Miss, there is a path ahead, shall we enter the village?"

As the ox cart drew closer, Sun Fu quickly lowered his head after just a glance. He turned his face to the other side and whispered in surprise and excitement, "My lady, that is a noble family!"

As soon as the boy's voice fell, several laughter responded in unison. At that moment, a voice came through, "Shisan Lang, shall we also enter Luoshui Village?"

With just a glance, Sun Fu exclaimed, "These people are building an earth dragon. Let me take a look..." He stood on tiptoe to peer for a moment and immediately said, "Ah, behind those few trees there is a land temple, and it is newly constructed. Indeed, it must be that the land temple is situated too low, and the villagers are worried that when the rain comes, it will flood the statue and anger the Earth God, so they are busy building an earth dragon to block the water."

The people in the slowly approaching ox cart also cast a casual glance at Ji Si.

Ji Si turned her head again to look at the village. Just now, when the illusion appeared, it seemed that she heard a voice saying that it was this flood that had submerged the one hundred acres of fertile land under her name, causing her to suffer great losses and triggering a series of accidents that left her unable to recover for the rest of her life

The speaker is a middle-aged man. Almost as soon as his voice fell, a young man beside him immediately interjected with a laugh, saying: "If Uncle Nineteen takes a liking to such a cold-blooded girl, he can certainly take her in."

Seeing this, the two men and the driver of the donkey cart simultaneously called out with concern: "Miss? Miss?"

The young girl is named Ji Si, and she is around thirteen or fourteen years old. Although Ji Si is still young, she possesses remarkable beauty. Her forehead is broad, and her elegant nose rises straight towards her forehead. Her hair is as black as a crow, and in a place where most people have yellow faces and black teeth, her perfectly aligned, snow-white teeth shine brightly, indicating her noble upbringing. However, compared to most girls her age in Jiangnan, she is somewhat taller. Moreover, her two straight brows extend towards her temples, and her double-lidded phoenix eyes further accentuate her still youthful and somewhat innocent beauty.

Ji Si furrowed her brows for a moment, then suddenly stood up. She gazed for a while at the earth temple and the mountain stream, turned her head to look at the embankment from which she had come, and then peered towards the stormy eastern horizon filled with thunder and lightning