But I'm a proper river god, you know! - Chapter 2

[Daily Task: Collect Trash from the River (1/3)]

A barely perceptible smile tugged at Yuan Ji’s lips as she eyed the floating notification before her.

“One down.”

“Yuan Ji! How did that guy go flying?!” A-Tong gaped, its mouth hanging open in shock.

A flicker of suspicion crossed Yuan Ji’s eyes as she discreetly retracted the white glow from her fingertips. She studied A-Tong for a moment before deadpanning, “Maybe he thought it’d be fun.”

Still baffled, A-Tong sighed. “Whew, that scared me! I almost thought we wouldn’t make it.”

“Look! I, uh, borrowed this Counterattack Bracelet from the system shop! It reflects any attack back at the attacker. It’s a one-time use, but it should do the trick!”

A luminous jade bracelet materialized before Yuan Ji. When she took it, instead of the expected chill, a soothing warmth seeped into her skin, easing the irritation from the cold. Her brows relaxed slightly, and even her glare at Fan Xiao-Liu softened a fraction.

“Imm—Immortal Master, spare me!” Fan Xiao-Liu, sharp enough to notice the shift, seized the opportunity. He dropped to his knees, his eyes darting wildly for an escape plan. “I didn’t realize I’d offended you! I’ll hand over that half-demon as tribute—just let me live!”

With a loud thud, he kowtowed. His damp clothes, stained with dried blood, began to reek as the fabric soaked through.

“Ew. This guy really needs a bath,” A-Tong muttered, pinching its nonexistent nose.

It circled Fan Xiao-Liu, marveling at his shameless survival instincts. “Is his head made of iron? Not even a flinch! Yuan Ji, should we let him go?”

Yuan Ji shot it a puzzled look. “Why?”

This piece of trash wasn’t cleared yet, and her task remained incomplete. Letting him go meant she’d have to wade into the frigid river herself.

Her gaze drifted to the swirling, murky vortex devouring filth in the water. Disgust flashed across her face.

No. Nope. Never.

“But—” A-Tong hesitated, recalling the system’s requirements. “Gods are supposed to love their people. Yuan Ji, you’re a river god now! And this is your river! If it’s polluted, your divine power suffers too!”

Yuan Ji: “…?”

A-Tong insisted, “It’s a system rule! We have to follow it!”

“Oh.” Under A-Tong’s hopeful stare, Yuan Ji nodded coldly.

Tch. Being a river god is such a hassle.

Her lips pursed as she glanced between the trembling Fan Xiao-Liu and the nearly drowned Luan Yu in the river. Resolute, she locked onto Fan Xiao-Liu.

But gods don’t need to love trash.

Her fingertips twitched, the white glow flickering back to life.

Unbeknownst to her, Fan Xiao-Liu seized her momentary distraction. He yanked a talisman from his robe and hurled it at her—a life-saving treasure bought from a Nascent Soul cultivator. A single spark of spiritual energy would unleash a Nascent Soul-level strike.

Though he was a Golden Core cultivator, this seemingly ordinary girl had killed Lao-San without lifting a finger. He couldn’t take chances.

What a waste to use it now.

“Yuan Ji! LOOK OUT—”

BOOM.

The explosion tore through the air like thunder, sending river water soaring. Dust billowed, obscuring the scene.

Fan Xiao-Liu coughed and smirked, wiping his damp forehead. “Tch, what a waste of a good talis—urk—”

His gloating choked off as an immense force blasted him backward. He slammed into the cliff face, ribs cracking. Blood gushed from a gaping wound in his chest—his own attack, reflected back.

“H-How…? Who are you…?”

His eyes dimmed before he got an answer.

“Wow.” A-Tong finally exhaled, indignant. “He was lying to us! The audacity! Good thing we had the bracelet!”

Yuan Ji nodded. The jade bracelet in her palm shattered, its warmth vanishing. Soon, even the fragments dissolved into nothing.

Her fingers twitched, chasing the last traces of heat. Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, she lifted her gaze—icier than before.

“Mn.”

A glance at Fan Xiao-Liu’s lifeless, wide-eyed corpse triggered another system prompt:

[Daily Task: Collect Trash from the River (2/3)]

Two.

Yuan Ji’s lips thinned, her expression darkening.

Now for the third.

She stepped forward, frost instantly coating her shoes from the damp air.

The closer to Wangchuan, the colder it got.

Yuan Ji hated the cold.

Her brow furrowed. No polluting the river?

After a pause, she flicked her fingers. The white glow reappeared, swift but less lethal this time.

Splash!

The moment the light touched the water, the infamous man-eating Wangchuan River obediently released Luan Yu. The currents even cradled him gently, as if afraid to strain the glow carrying him.

If water could form expressions, it’d be groveling.

The glow dumped Luan Yu unceremoniously at Yuan Ji’s feet, spraying water everywhere.

She glared. The light flinched, meekly nuzzling her fingertips before retreating.

Hmph. Where’d it learn that?

Another notification popped up:

[Daily Task: Collect Trash from the River (3/3)]
[Congratulations! Task complete. Reward: 10 Divine Power. Current total: 10.]

So just getting them out of the water counts. Yuan Ji eyed the river with newfound calculation.

As the mechanical voice faded, A-Tong finally rebooted. It stared at the unconscious Luan Yu, then at Yuan Ji, utterly lost.

What just happened? Did this guy fling himself ashore?

Then it gasped.

Wait—is this a scam?!

Humans are the worst!

“Yuan Ji, stay away from him!”

The sheer panic in its voice made Yuan Ji raise a brow. “Love thy people?”

“…” A-Tong pretended not to hear, tugging her back. “Yuan Ji, with 10 Divine Power, you can unlock the system shop! Want to browse?”

Yuan Ji’s eyes gleamed. Her fingers still tingled with residual warmth.

“Open.”

A translucent screen unfolded before her, packed with items: spells, tools, talismans…

Her gaze snagged on a tiny seed.

[Ember Seed: Ignites anywhere, anytime. Flame strength grows with divine power…]

And conveniently, it cost exactly 10 points.

“Yuan Ji! If we save up, in ten days we can get that legendary cultivation manual! The entire xianxia world will grovel at your feet!”

A-Tong’s eyes sparkled as it imagined their future dominance. Soon, it’d rise from a lowly system to the Main System—

Poof. Its dreams burst as Yuan Ji grabbed the shriveled, ugly seed.

A-Tong froze, watching in horror as the seed plumped up in her palm, glowing warmly before merging into her skin.

“Y-Yuan Ji! Why that? It’s useless! You should’ve waited for something better!”

Yuan Ji ignored its meltdown, fascinated by the tiny flame flickering on her fingertip—so frail a breeze could snuff it.

A-Tong: “…”

Don’t. Breathe. On. It.

“Yuan Ji, let’s get more tasks.” A-Tong sighed, eyeing the pathetic flame. “At 100 Divine Power, you’ll get a memory fragment!”

“Mn.” Yuan Ji retracted the flame, missing its warmth. The seed had absorbed most of her energy—once digested, it’d grow stronger.

[Ding! Limited Task: Gain 3 Believers. Reward: 10 Divine Power. Fail: No reward.]

Gods needed worshippers. Faith could be converted to divine power. But in a world obsessed with cultivation, gods were mere myths. Gaining even one believer seemed impossible.

A-Tong groaned. Why’d it have to draw such a hard task?!

“Yuan Ji…”

She glanced over, amused by its dramatics—until a noise made her whirl around.

“Cough…!”

Luan Yu, previously dead, was now weakly stirring. His violent hacking suggested he might expire again.

Yuan Ji’s expression didn’t change. She snatched a petrified A-Tong and glared at the fox-fur cloak.

Something’s hiding under it.

“Come out.” Her voice, colder than the riverbank air, brooked no argument.

The cloak trembled—then a round head peeked out, adorned with two cheeky silk flowers.

A-Tong stammered, “Y-Yuan Ji, a g-ghost?!”

“A demon,” Yuan Ji corrected, sensing faint demonic energy. No wonder those men chased them.

“You’re not bad people,” a childlike voice declared, trying too hard to sound mature. Luan Xuan wriggled out, tiny as a radish. “Thank you for saving me and my brother.”

Yuan Ji dismissed the gratitude. “Didn’t save you. Just collecting trash.”

Luan Xuan’s eyes blazed. She ducked her head, cheeks pink. “I’ve read my mom’s romance books.”

Yuan Ji: “?”

Luan Xuan announced gravely:

“To repay your kindness in saving my life—”

“I hereby give you myself and my brother.”

Yuan Ji: “…?”

A-Tong exploded.

I KNEW IT! THIS IS A SCAM!