But I'm a proper river god, you know! - Chapter 22

Their eyes met, and Yuan Ji froze for a moment—a fleeting image flashed through her mind.

Beneath a sky dyed crimson, a tempest howled, whipping robes into frenzied flutters. A man who shared Qi Yan’s exact features turned his head slightly to glance at her, his gaze just as icy.

Then, with visible disinterest, he looked away and sighed regretfully at the massive, horned beast collapsed before him. A long sword materialized in his palm.

“Squelch.” Ignoring the beast’s agonized wails, he drove the blade mercilessly into its hide, twisted it once, and carved out its heart.

For some reason, Yuan Ji’s chest ached faintly, a pang of inexplicable sorrow.

How strange.

“Yuan Ji, what’s wrong?” A-Tong noticed her shift in mood and asked urgently.

But Yuan Ji didn’t mention the fragmented memory she’d just recalled. Instead, she feigned composure. “It’s nothing. That’s Qi Yan. Let’s go.”

A-Tong wasn’t convinced. It scrutinized both Yuan Ji and Qi Yan, then glanced at the green dot on the map before reluctantly agreeing. “Alright, but be careful.”

Qi Yan, hearing the movement, hadn’t yet schooled his expression when he locked eyes with a familiar gaze. His lashes fluttered briefly before he swiftly masked his surprise.

“Master Yuan?!”

As Yuan Ji approached, Qi Yan’s black robes, stained with vine sap, seemed to ripple like waves of blood with each step. Unnoticed, he tossed a tracking gu into the vines, letting it scurry deep into the cavern.

“What are you doing here?”

Yuan Ji frowned. Something about him felt different from when they’d met at the River God Temple. She lowered her gaze subtly, studying his hands—jade-like and immaculate, yet eerily reminiscent of the hands in her vision.

She pressed a hand to her chest, feeling the steady thrum beneath, but the unease only grew.

“Are you hurt?”

Qi Yan’s voice sharpened as he eyed the singed edges of her sleeves—marks left from burning the vines earlier.

“No,” Yuan Ji replied dismissively, shaking her sleeve. “Just a scrape.”

His lips quirked knowingly. “Light-colored robes do stain easily.”

His tone carried a hidden meaning. “Did the mutated vines draw you here as well?”

“I received a distress signal from my sect’s disciples and rushed over, only to lose my way in these infernal vines.”

Yuan Ji arched a brow. Qi Yan spoke so candidly, even with a hint of regret, that she might have believed him—had she not already encountered the half-dead female cultivators. If not for the map confirming he was still human, she’d have suspected he’d already fallen to demonhood, just as the texts foretold.

“Mutated vines?”

The surrounding tendrils had long since recoiled after Yuan Ji’s flames scorched a path, leaving the cavern eerily barren. She retrieved a charred vine fragment from her palm. “This?”

Qi Yan’s pupils constricted—clearly, he hadn’t expected the once-ferocious vines to end up like this. After a strained pause, he praised, “As expected of Master Yuan. Yes, that’s the one.”

“We can trace its origin and uncover what caused the mutation.”

After a brief consideration, Yuan Ji nodded and summoned her flames again.

The moment the fire flickered to life, the vines clinging to the walls recoiled violently, thrashing like frightened beasts before retreating entirely.

Yuan Ji tilted her head at Qi Yan. “Let’s go. They’ll guide us.”

“…” Qi Yan silently sheathed his sword.

An efficient method indeed.

…

Meanwhile, Dongfang Hua—left battered and bound by the vines—was unceremoniously dumped onto the ground as the tendrils fled. Groaning, he cracked his eyes open and froze.

The monstrous vines that had ruined his plans by abducting his fellow disciples had now abandoned him in this wretched place. Dragged over rough terrain, he was a mess of cuts and bruises. Yet now, those same terrifying vines were retreating in fear—with Yuan Ji and… Senior Brother Qi Yan strolling leisurely behind them.

Am I hallucinating?

Dongfang Hua’s mind raced. Panicked, he ducked his head and scrambled to hide against the cavern wall.

“No… He can’t find me like this.”

His eyes burned crimson, veins bulging at his temples. “If Qi Yan discovers my identity—”

But fate mocked his efforts.

Yuan Ji paused, glancing at his pathetic form with a raised brow. Qi Yan followed her gaze, his expression darkening before he turned away, voice flat.

“The disciple I’m searching for isn’t him.”

“The demonic aura on him has faded. Likely, the cultivator he possessed is already dead. Leave him.”

He stepped between Yuan Ji and Dongfang Hua. “Let’s go.”

Yuan Ji hummed, sparing no further thought to the wretch as they pressed on—though not before leaving a sliver of flame behind.

Qi Yan’s disdain lingered as they walked.

Useless.

Elsewhere, at the River God Temple, Luo Qiu Shui suddenly stiffened, a weight lifting from her chest. Before she could ponder it, a warm steamed bun was pressed into her hands.

“Eat, child,” Fang Mingzhu urged gently. “The River God brought you here for a reason. You’re safe now.”

Her calming voice soothed the group. Huang Li ventured, “Lady Fang, is the River God truly so powerful?”

Fang Mingzhu smiled. “Yes. And kind beyond measure.”

She recounted Yuan Ji’s deeds—saving villages, aiding the helpless—until even Ye Wenshu, eavesdropping by the door, turned to listen.

Moved, the disciples hung their heads in shame. To think they’d doubted such a benevolent, peerless cultivator!

Luo Qiu Shui studied the dilapidated temple, resolve hardening. “I must repay her.”

“The River God is a true deity,” someone murmured.

The others nodded fervently as they bit into the buns—then gasped.

“This—!”

Spiritual energy flooded their meridians. Luo Qiu Shui’s throat tightened. “Could this be…?”

Old Xuan pressed a finger to his lips. “Some questions need no answers.”

As the group devoured the buns, a yelp came from the courtyard—Luan Xuan had tripped over uneven tiles. The “butterfly” she’d chased dissolved into a spirit stone, rolling across the pitted ground.

Luo Qiu Shui’s gaze swept over the crumbling walls, the lopsided gate… and smiled.

“I know what to do.”

Back in the cavern, Yuan Ji halted mid-step.

“What?”

A-Tong’s voice trembled with disbelief.

“We’re rich.”

“The system glitched—it’s showering us with spirit stones! So. Many. Stones!”

Yuan Ji: “??”