bookbashuk Chapter 178 Sudden Earthquake
Chapter 178 Sudden Earthquake
Chen Anran swallowed the last bite of sweet potato, didn't answer, but clapped her hands and got up to help.
She patted her bottom, stood up, and jogged after him.
"Senior Sister, let us help!" Feng Xiaolu took a bamboo broom from Su Wan and began sweeping up the golden-red debris in another area with great skill.
Chen Anran helped Lin Xiaoman and Zhao Mengmeng move the slightly heavy camellia pots. His movements were steady and efficient, and the sunlight falling on his calm profile gave him a reassuring strength.
"Brother Anran, what did Sister Xiaolu say to you just now? She was sitting there in a daze, which is quite unusual," Lin Xiaoman asked curiously while adjusting the position of the flowerpot.
Zhao Mengmeng also quietly pricked up her ears.
"It's nothing," Chen Anran said calmly. "She just misses her second senior sister a little, but she's too embarrassed to say it."
"Oh—" Lin Xiaoman drawled, grinning as she looked at Feng Xiaolu, who was eavesdropping intently. "So, Sister Xiaolu is such a hypocrite!"
"Hey! Lin Xiaoman! Don't spread rumors!" Feng Xiaolu immediately waved her broom in protest, but her face was a little hot, whether it was because her secret had been exposed or because the morning light was too warm.
Little Ling'er, clutching a small handful of intact firework casings she had collected, ran up to Feng Xiaolu, her little face tilted upwards: "Third Uncle, don't be sad! Second Uncle will definitely be back soon! We'll set off fireworks together then, and I'll share my sparkler with you!"
The child's innocent words instantly dispelled the last trace of gloom. Feng Xiaolu's heart softened, and she bent down to rub Xiaoling'er's head: "Okay, it's a deal! We'll bring Second Senior Sister along too, so she can also experience the fun of modern fireworks, instead of just sitting in her books all day."
The cleaning of the square was quickly completed amidst laughter and chatter. The tidied courtyard looked even more elegant and clean, with several pots of camellias and daffodils arranged in a pleasing, staggered manner, adding a vibrant festive touch to the rustic square.
Su Wan washed her hands and looked at the newly renovated front yard, her eyes softening: "You've worked hard. Let's have tangyuan for breakfast, to celebrate the occasion and wish for family reunion."
"Yay! Senior Sister's Spirit Valley Sesame Dumplings are the best!" Feng Xiaolu cheered first, immediately throwing her heavy thoughts about the woman in black and the revival of spiritual energy to the back of her mind.
The group walked toward the kitchen chatting and laughing, when suddenly their feet lurched!
The tremor came suddenly but was not violent, as if a giant beast had lazily turned over deep underground, causing the entire mountain to tremble slightly.
A muffled hum emanated from the square, and the copper bells hanging from the eaves jingled without wind, producing a rapid yet orderly "ding-a-ling" sound. Several newly arranged camellia bushes swayed gently, but thankfully did not topple over.
"An earthquake?" Lin Xiaoman reacted the fastest, grabbing Zhao Mengmeng and Xiao Ling'er beside her to steady herself.
Feng Xiaolu stumbled, but Chen Anran reached out to support her arm. Su Wan paused slightly, her delicate hand gently resting on a pillar beside her.
The tremors lasted for about three or four seconds before gradually subsiding, leaving only the lingering sound of the copper bells on the eaves and the slightly rapid breathing of the crowd.
Huiming strode out of the side hall. "Master, are you alright?"
"I'm fine."
Chen Anran released Feng Xiaolu, closed his eyes, and focused his mind, extending his senses outward along the mountain's veins. The aftershocks of the tremor had almost disappeared, but the dull echo that had come at that moment, as if the earth's sinews were twisting, left him with a vague unease.
To all the die-hard fans of the Wangchuan family's "King of Dry Rice," the latest chapter of "Senior Sister, Stop Working and Come Home for Dinner" has been released!
Could it be that the "earth dragon surging" incident, which was jointly handled by Maoshan and Longhushan, has occurred?
"That scared me half to death," Feng Xiaolu patted her chest, still shaken. "This earthquake came so suddenly, without any warning."
Huiming clasped his hands together and said, "The epicenter seems to be not far away, and although the tremor was short, its force was heavy, which is unusual."
"Everyone, go back inside first," Su Wan said, looking up.
No one spoke further, and they quickly returned to the side hall next to the main hall. Lin Xiaoman turned on the LCD TV on the wall, and Zhao Mengmeng skillfully switched to the news channel.
"...Latest news from this station: At 8:17 AM today, a 4.7-magnitude earthquake struck QJ District, Chongqing, with a focal depth of 10 kilometers. There are currently no reports of casualties. Some older buildings have developed cracks. Emergency management departments have rushed to the scene..."
The television footage switched to aerial shots, showing the disaster area concentrated in mountainous regions. Some minor landslides were visible, but the overall situation did not appear serious. The anchor was calmly reporting on the rescue progress and aftershock preparedness tips.
"Chongqing? It's not exactly close to us, yet the tremors were so strong?" Feng Xiaolu leaned closer to the TV, somewhat surprised.
Chen Anran didn't answer immediately; his gaze fell on Su Wan. Su Wan was looking down, quickly scrolling through her phone screen, her fingers occasionally pausing, her brow furrowing slightly.
The only sounds in the side room were the background noise of the television news and the occasional vibrations of message notifications from Su Wan's phone.
After a moment, Su Wan turned her phone screen towards Chen Anran and Feng Xiaolu, indicating that they should see for themselves.
The group chat interface, named "Righteous Path Cultivator Resource Integration Group," was now completely flooded with dense text and voice messages, scrolling so fast that they were almost invisible.
More than the information itself, Chen Anran noticed the group's name first, a name that left him speechless with disbelief. Didn't he remember the original group name being something like "Righteous Path Fellowship Exchange Group"? How did it change to such an absurd name...?
Yes, the Righteous Path Conference held last year was intended to help everyone pool resources and share information in this era of spiritual revival, but the name of this group is really easy for people to misunderstand...
[Mo Huaiyuan from the Mo family in Handan]: "What happened where you are? I saw on the news that there was an earthquake!"
[Liu Wu from the Liu Family in Western Hunan]: "We've felt it here in Western Hunan too! The Gu worms in the mountains are getting restless!"
[Kongoji Temple - Haishan]: "Amitabha, do you need any assistance?"
[Zhang Nanshan, Longhu Mountain]: "Fellow Daoists, the situation is likely not simple. I just contacted my fellow Daoist from Maoshan, and it turns out that there are indeed evil cultivators stirring up the earth here; this is no ordinary earthquake!"
On the phone screen, Zhang Nanshan's last message instantly stirred up a huge wave in the group.
【Jingang Temple - Haishan】: "A heretical cultivator stirring up the earth? Amitabha! What kind of demon dares to do such a heaven-defying thing? Aren't they afraid of the karmic backlash and eternal damnation?"
[The Mo Family of Handan]: "Master Zhang, is the news accurate? How do you require our cooperation?"
[The Liu Family of Western Hunan]: "No wonder the Gu worms are restless... If it was done by someone, their intentions are despicable!"
The group chat was flooded with messages, and the cultivators from all factions were clearly shocked by this sudden news.
Chen Anran frowned as well. He asked, "The earth is churning? Is it man-made?"
Su Wan nodded. "If it weren't for that, it wouldn't be called an 'earth dragon'; it would just be called an earthquake."