But I'm a proper river god, you know! - Chapter 32

Song Yingzi leaned against a tree trunk, panting heavily. “Shixiong, those people who took Lin-shixiong… they can really run.”

The one he called “shixiong,” Qi Yan, stood atop a branch, his silver crane-patterned robes making him appear as poised and noble as a pine tree. His gaze swept the distance, sharp and focused.

“Shixiong?” Song Yingzi noticed his slight change in expression—as if he had sensed something. But before he could ask, Zhi Jie, Qi Yan’s sword, shot off in a certain direction.

In the next moment, Qi Yan’s sleeves fluttered as he vanished from the branch, leaving no trace behind, as if he had never been there at all.

Song Yingzi’s heart lurched. Not good—has something happened to Lin-shixiong? I need to catch up!

He hurried after Qi Yan, spotting him from a distance. Zhi Jie hovered before a female cultivator, its blade shimmering faintly with spiritual light. Strangely, it almost looked like… it was showing off?

Song Yingzi shook his head violently, dismissing the absurd thought.

I must be hallucinating.

Meanwhile, Yuan Ji raised an eyebrow at the familiar green sword before her.

“Zhi Jie?”

The sword let out a delighted hum upon hearing its name, vibrating eagerly. If it could manifest a sword spirit, it would probably be bouncing three feet in the air right now.

Mu Dezhong, startled by the sword’s sudden appearance, tightened his grip on his weapon. But upon recognizing it, his face lit up. “Zhi Jie Sword!”

“Isn’t this Qi Yan’s sword? Could he be nearby?”

Qi Yan was a disciple of the Tianji Sect—aloof and indifferent to most, but known for upholding justice and vanquishing evil. Besides, he and Yuan Ji had already saved them once before in a cave. Seeing Zhi Jie now filled Mu Dezhong with relief.

No sooner had he spoken than two figures landed before them.

“Yuan-daoyou, Elder Mu.” Qi Yan gave a slight nod in greeting.

Song Yingzi, lagging behind, nearly tripped over his own feet. A sudden realization struck him. Yuan-daoyou… Yuan? Could this be the woman from the rumors?

His mind raced with the gossip circulating in the sect lately. The one who has our senior brother completely smitten?!

No wonder Zhi Jie was acting like a peacock in mating season! Song Yingzi’s eyes sparkled with the thrill of uncovering a scandalous secret.

Yuan Ji nodded. “What a coincidence.” Her gaze shifted past Qi Yan to Song Yingzi, who was staring at her with unsettling enthusiasm. “And this is…?”

“Greetings, senior! This junior is Song Yingzi of the Tianji Sect.” He bowed properly before obediently stepping behind Qi Yan.

Yuan Ji studied him briefly, then stated with certainty, “You’ve encountered the parasites.”

Qi Yan recalled Zhi Jie to his side, pausing at her words. His expression darkened. “Yes. You as well?”

“Mm.” Yuan Ji confirmed. Qi Yan retrieved a small white porcelain vial from his spatial ring.

Inside, a black, leaf-shaped creature writhed against the glass.

“We found this on a sect disciple. It can control behavior and even corrupt consciousness,” Qi Yan explained.

Yuan Ji took the vial, her fingers brushing against residual warmth. A thread of white light seeped in, probing the black leaf.

A familiar, revolting aura traveled back through the light. Yuan Ji frowned, displeasure flashing in her eyes. “It’s the same kind.”

Song Yingzi peeked out from behind Qi Yan to add, “We tracked it here, but the thing is too slippery. It even possessed Lin-shixiong and escaped!”

“I’ve never heard of anything like this before,” Song Yingzi muttered, scratching his head.

Yuan Ji narrowed her eyes, deep in thought.

Mu Dezhong, however, seemed to recall something. His expression darkened as he whispered to Yuan Ji, “River God, the parasitic plants from the Second House only affect the Mu family. There must be others involved.”

“We’ll find out soon enough.” Yuan Ji returned the vial to Qi Yan.

No sooner had she spoken than both she and Qi Yan turned sharply toward a dense thicket to their left.

Something was watching them.

Yuan Ji flicked her fingers. A spark of flame shot toward the bushes with lightning speed.

Whoosh!

In less than a breath, the thicket was reduced to ashes before Song Yingzi and Mu Dezhong could even react.

Qi Yan examined the remains and shook his head. Whatever had been there had fled. “After it.”

With that, he and Yuan Ji vanished, leaving Song Yingzi and Mu Dezhong staring at each other in bewilderment.

Wait, shixiong! You forgot me!

Song Yingzi glanced around awkwardly, scratching his head. “Haha… Senior Yuan’s fire is really thorough…”

“Um, Elder Mu… did you see which way they went? I…”

He swallowed the rest of his sentence, too embarrassed to admit he’d been too busy staring at the ashes to notice their departure.

Mu Dezhong: …

Same.

The wind rustled through the treetops.

A dirt-covered figure peeked out from the ground, scanning the area before exhaling in relief. “Phew. Those two are sharp. Just one glance and they noticed.”

“As expected of Qi Yan. His reputation isn’t for nothing.” The man—Tu Hu—clicked his tongue, patting his chest in lingering fear. “But who was that woman? That fire was terrifying.”

One more second, and his glorious fur would’ve been toast.

He patted his hair, dusting off the dirt. “Lucky your Uncle Tu is quick, or else—OW!”

Before he could finish, a force slammed into his back, sending him face-first into the dirt. “Who the hell dares—”

Tu Hu’s curses died as his back suddenly lightened, replaced by a scorching heat at the back of his skull.

His heart stopped. Trembling, he turned his head to see Qi Yan standing behind him, arms crossed, while Yuan Ji leisurely recalled a familiar spark of flame to her fingertips.

Tu Hu’s pupils shrank. He scrambled backward, no longer caring about his hair.

“You—you two! Do you know who backs me? Let me go, or you’ll regret it!”

Yuan Ji and Qi Yan exchanged a glance. Qi Yan stepped forward, Zhi Jie gleaming coldly in his hand.

Tu Hu yelped, clutching his arm. “Wait! Kill me, and those two won’t live either!”

Seeing Qi Yan hesitate, Tu Hu smirked, pressing his advantage. “Hah! Didn’t expect that, did you? My comrades already caught them. Once they’re infected, they’ll be puppets!”

“Kill me, and my master will make sure they suffer.”

As he spoke, Tu Hu subtly pressed his palm to the ground, releasing the last two parasitic plants he had hidden.

Good thing I saved these. The woman, especially, would make an excellent puppet. The sect leader would be pleased.

He licked his lips, greedily eyeing Yuan Ji. Just a little more time…

But before he could savor his imagined victory, his throat clogged as if filled with paste. No sound emerged.

What? When did—

“Annoying.”

Yuan Ji tilted her head impatiently. A nearly imperceptible thread of white light retracted from Tu Hu’s throat.

“Very,” Qi Yan agreed, disgust flashing in his eyes.

The next moment, searing pain exploded behind Tu Hu’s eyes. Darkness swallowed his vision. He screamed silently, clawing at his eye sockets as blood gushed between his fingers.

Qi Yan glanced at the ground. Two black shadows were swiftly sealed into the white vial.

“Got them.”

Yuan Ji nodded, not sparing Tu Hu another glance. “Let’s go.”

As they left, Tu Hu’s twitching body stilled.

Unnoticed by them, black veins slithered beneath his cooling skin.

The corpse jerked upright, staggering after them.

“Mu…st… catch… them…”

…

Yuan Ji and Qi Yan returned to the earlier spot, only to find Mu Dezhong and Song Yingzi gone.

“Signs of a struggle,” Qi Yan noted, deducing that seven or eight people had ambushed them.

Yuan Ji summoned her system. “A’Tong, scan for their location.”

The system quickly pulled up a map. “North. There’s a cave with a hidden chamber.”

Just as Yuan Ji confirmed the direction, Qi Yan found a mark left by Song Yingzi.

Following the trail, they soon reached a cave concealed by thick vines.

“Careful. There’s a barrier at the entrance,” Qi Yan warned, shielding Yuan Ji. “Breaking it recklessly will alert them.”

Yuan Ji studied the cave. The barrier was simple—she could shatter it with one strike. But Qi Yan was right; doing so might tip off their enemies.

“Someone’s coming.”

The sound of approaching footsteps reached them. Yuan Ji pulled Qi Yan behind a large tree just as a man in dark green emerged, dragging a rope tied to several small children.

“Move faster, brats!”

Another man, burly with beady eyes, stepped out to meet him. “Only these few? Not even a cultivator?”

The first man shrugged. “We’ve grabbed all the nearby villagers. Finding kids is lucky enough.”

“Tch. The master’s gonna be pissed again.”

“Wish we could just find a decent cultivator. Tu Hu’s the lucky one—dug up a few without anyone noticing.”

They sighed in unison before lashing out with their whips at the villagers.

A little girl, no older than five, took a strike to the face, her cheek swelling instantly. Tears streamed silently down her face.

A boy behind her quickly pulled her into his arms, shielding her—only for the man to yank him away by the scruff and hurl him aside.

“Ha! Eager to die, brat?”

Yuan Ji’s face darkened, her fists trembling with suppressed fury.

“Yuan Ji! They’re monsters! Let’s beat them up!” A’Tong raged, throwing ineffective punches in the air.

“Mn.” Yuan Ji was about to charge in when a hand closed over hers.

She looked up, meeting Qi Yan’s steady gaze. He pressed a small orb into her palm.

“Let’s go together.”