But I'm a proper river god, you know! - Chapter 47

Yan Ku was clearly well-versed in what needed to be done next. He stepped forward briskly, pulling a hemp rope from his sleeve, and with practiced ease, tied up the unconscious men on the ground.

His movements weren’t gentle, and the men quickly regained consciousness.

“Cough… Let me go!”

Du Xiuyuan, the leader of the group, shook his head to clear his daze. The sight of himself bound like a trussed-up chicken made his face darken with fury. No one had ever dared treat him like this—these demonic cultivators had some nerve!

“You damned demonic fiends! Release me at once! Sneak attacks don’t count—fight me properly if you have the guts!”

At the term “demonic fiends,” the people inside the River God Temple exchanged glances, confusion flickering in their eyes.

Demonic fiends? Who was he talking about?

Yuan Ji, who had been idly fiddling with a spirit stone in her hand, paused. She slowly lifted her gaze to the man, her lips curling into a faint, mocking smile. “Sneak attack?”

Du Xiuyuan turned toward the voice, and his heart lurched—alarm bells ringing in his head.

He remembered clearly—it was this woman who had thrown some hidden weapon that blasted them unconscious. Truly a vicious demonic cultivator!

As a disciple of the Blazing Moon Valley, how could he tolerate such humiliation? Gritting his teeth, he raised his voice in a show of bravado. “Wasn’t it?! If not for that hidden weapon, how could you have captured me—”

“Witch! If you have any pride, release me! We’ll— Ow!“

Before he could finish, a dull pain exploded at the back of his head.

Du Xiuyuan hissed through clenched teeth, twisting to see who had struck him. His eyes landed on a plainly dressed woman with no discernible spiritual energy, coldly staring at him as she slowly retracted her washing bat.

“You—you dare hit me with a washing bat?!” He gaped at the humble weapon, his face contorting in disbelief.

“Do not disrespect the River God.”

Fang Mingzhu’s icy tone startled even Yan Ku and the others.

In the past few days, she had always been gentle—this cold fury was unexpected.

Wu Boshan’s expression darkened as well. He stepped forward, shielding Fang Mingzhu from Du Xiuyuan’s glare, then soothingly patted the back of her hand.

“It’s alright, Bao’er.”

Back when Fang Mingzhu had been tainted by demonic energy, they had been met with nothing but hostility wherever they went. The word “witch” had always cut deep.

They thought they’d left that behind after purging the demonic energy—yet today…

A shadow passed over Wu Boshan’s eyes.

Gripping Fang Mingzhu’s hand, he turned to Yuan Ji. “River God, these men barged into the temple with ill intentions—likely to steal our treasures. They must be interrogated thoroughly.”

Yuan Ji: “…Treasures?”

The others immediately thought of the golden doors, the floor paved with high-grade spirit stones, and the spiritual energy that enhanced cultivation within the temple. Their gazes turned sharp and suspicious as they scrutinized Du Xiuyuan.

Du Xiuyuan nearly choked on his rage. What treasures could this rundown place possibly have?!

The crumbling walls covered in moss? The cracked roof beams?

Xuan Changsheng, who had been watching silently, almost pitied the man. This was one dirty trick.

But then his eyes flicked to Ye Wenshu, who was nodding solemnly as if Wu Boshan’s words were gospel.

Xuan Changsheng fell silent.

“Outrageous!” Du Xiuyuan had never suffered such indignity. His voice dropped to a furious growl. “I, a disciple of the Blazing Moon Valley, lack for nothing! Since you insist on this farce, don’t blame me for what comes next!”

“Blazing Moon Valley…” Yuan Ji murmured, frowning slightly as she turned the name over in her mind.

Beside her, Luo Qiushui’s breath hitched. “Oh no—the Blazing Moon Valley.”

Seeing the others’ confusion, she quickly summarized what she knew.

The Blazing Moon Valley was infamous for taking on commissions—no matter how dark. For the right price, they would kill, steal, or retrieve forbidden treasures.

Though not ranked among the Ten Great Sects, their reputation was fearsome. Not because they lacked strength, but because they never participated in ranking tournaments. They cared only for wealth.

Once a commission was accepted, they would see it through—no matter the cost.

“If they’re here, someone must have posted a bounty,” Luo Qiushui said worriedly. “River God, what should we do?”

“At least you have some sense. Too late to regret now, witch.” Du Xiuyuan sneered, summoning his weapon. “Prepare to die!”

Yuan Ji watched as he suddenly surged to his feet, his spiritual energy flaring—the ropes binding him exploding into shreds. She pinched the bridge of her nose in irritation.

“It is too late.”

Too late for him.

She was tired.

Best to end this quickly.

Xuan Changsheng saw Du Xiuyuan break free and lunge at Yuan Ji with a vicious strike. His pupils constricted—he moved to intercept, but a figure was faster.

Qi Yan.

Xuan Changsheng clicked his tongue in annoyance. Damn it—he beat me to it.

Qi Yan summoned Zhijie—the blade’s cold glint flashed as a razor-sharp sword aura shattered Du Xiuyuan’s attack, leaving only a faint breeze in its wake.

“Zhijie?! You’re Qi Yan of the Heavenly Extremity Sect!” Du Xiuyuan staggered back from the backlash, coughing up blood. “Why are you siding with this witch?!”

Before he could say more, Qi Yan’s eyes narrowed—a frigid darkness swirling in their depths.

Sensing its master’s intent, Zhijie shot forward again, striking without mercy.

A final flash of blue light—

Du Xiuyuan was sent flying, crashing into the temple gate before slumping to the ground like a sack of meat, twitching weakly.

Unnoticed by anyone, a wisp of demonic energy had hidden within that strike, seeping into Du Xiuyuan’s body—invading his soul sea to rifle through his memories.

“Bravo!”

Wu Boshan’s sudden applause broke the silence. The others blinked, then—catching his approving smile—joined in enthusiastically.

Such a satisfying beatdown deserved cheers.

Xuan Changsheng stared blankly at Ye Wenshu, who was dabbing at nonexistent tears. “What… are you all doing?”

Ye Wenshu sighed emotionally. “Moved by the River God’s overwhelming charm.”

A hero’s fury for his beauty… His romance novels just gained fresh material.

Xuan Changsheng: “…?”

The applause continued, making Qi Yan’s eyebrow twitch.

He turned to Yuan Ji. Their eyes met—a silent exchange passing between them.

Yuan Ji hesitated for a moment, then slowly extended her hand toward him.

“Well done.”

A spirit stone materialized in Qi Yan’s palm.

Qi Yan: “…”

Yuan Ji: “…Not enough?” Maybe two?

Qi Yan silently closed his fingers around the stone and cleared his throat.

“I left him alive. We should interrogate him about the Blazing Moon Valley’s commission.”

Yan Ku and the others hurried to restrain Du Xiuyuan again. To prevent another escape, Luo Qiushui slapped a Spirit-Binding Talisman on him.

As they piled the men together, no one commented on the fresh boot prints suddenly decorating Du Xiuyuan’s robes.

“We won’t talk.”

One conscious man spat the words before clamming up entirely. Valley rules forbade disclosing commission details.

With no way to pry answers from them, the group was stumped—until Ye Wenshu suddenly felt a chill crawl down his spine.

A terrible premonition struck him.

Then he saw Yuan Ji lazily yawn and beckon to the side. “Luan Xuan.”

A moment later, Luan Xuan appeared, leading a drowsy Ai Xiang by the hand.

Ye Wenshu’s traumatic memories resurfaced. He silently covered his face and turned away, mourning for these men in advance.

A blue illusion butterfly fluttered out.

Within ten breaths, one man was sobbing uncontrollably. “I’ll talk! I’ll talk! Just let me go!”

Yuan Ji nodded in satisfaction, then exchanged a sweet fruit from the system shop, handing it to Luan Xuan. “Go rest.”

“Thank you, River God!” Luan Xuan beamed, dragging Ai Xiang to a corner to share the treat.

For some reason, though, she felt Qi Yan’s gaze on her—cold and heavy. Must be my imagination…

Yuan Ji leaned against the stone table, idly rolling a spirit stone between her fingers as she studied the man. Her gaze was indifferent—as if he were nothing more than a weed.

“Speak. What was the commission?”

The man gulped, raising his bruised face.

“We don’t know who posted it—we just took it from the Valley’s commission hall. Only the hall master knows the client.”

“The task was simple: find a girl named Ai Xiang here and deliver her to Yongru Cliff.”

Yuan Ji’s fingers stilled. Her eyes slid to Ai Xiang, who was dozing off in the corner, and her expression darkened.

“Ai Xiang? Why her?” Yan Ku voiced the group’s confusion.

The man shook his head. “No idea. The commission said she’d fallen into demonic hands and needed ‘rescuing.’ That’s all we were told.”

Fang Mingzhu scowled. “What nonsense. There are no demons here!”

“River God… I know why they want Ai Xiang.”

A small, trembling voice spoke up. Yuan Ji turned to see Guan Muping standing by the door, picking nervously at the wood.

She raised a brow. “You’re ready to tell me?”

“Mn.” He nodded quietly, glancing at the sleeping Ai Xiang. “But… only you.”

A pause. Remembering the cave incident, he added softly, “…and Brother Qi.”

Yuan Ji exchanged a look with Qi Yan before nodding. “Fine.”

“Then… can you let us go?” The man on the floor asked hopefully.

He’d told them everything—surely they’d release him now.

Not that returning empty-handed would be pleasant, but staying here… The memory of those horrifying illusions made him shudder.

Even death was better than enduring that again.

Yuan Ji paused mid-step. She studied him for a moment. “Ah, right. I almost forgot.”

“If you fail the commission, will the Blazing Moon Valley send more people?”

The man hesitated. “…Yes. Unless the client withdraws it, the Valley will see it through.”

And this one paid extremely well—they wouldn’t give up easily.

“Good.” Yuan Ji nodded, satisfied.

A flick of her fingers—

Slender threads of water materialized around the men. Before they could react, the threads wove into a net, trapping them tightly.

Transparent water spheres lifted them into the air—then hurled them straight toward the man-eating plants.

“HELP!!”

Screams mingled with the snap-snap of closing leaves, sending chills down everyone’s spines.

Xuan Changsheng watched the men dangling upside-down from the wall, the massive leaves below eagerly straining toward them, and broke out in a cold sweat.

I’d better keep my identity hidden.

“Tch.” Yuan Ji rubbed her temple, annoyed by the screams. “So noisy.”

A snap of her fingers—a silence spell fell.

Now the men’s mouths moved soundlessly, their faces frozen in terror.

Much better.

“Alright. We’ll wait for the next batch.”

System rubbed its head. “Yuan Ji, you already got the info. Why keep them hanging there?”

Yuan Ji glanced at the ruined temple. “The Blazing Moon Valley can send people to fix this.”

System: “…Oh.”

After Yuan Ji and Qi Yan went inside, the others studied the dangling men, nodding in approval.

“A warning to others.”

“Hanging them up deters future troublemakers.”

“As expected of the River God.”

…..

Moonlight spilled through the roof tiles into the dim hut, painting Guan Muping’s palm silver as he reached for it—as if trying to grasp the light itself.

He turned to the two figures waiting patiently at the table and steeled himself.

“Actually… the ‘Guan Er’ you mentioned is my mother.” The words spilled out, the weight on his chest easing slightly. “Her real name was Guan Rou. She was… very smart. Very kind.”

“She loved taking me to the roof to watch the moon. She said she once met someone under the moonlight who changed her life.”

“So she wanted to name me Guan Moon… but Grandpa hit her for it.” A faint smile tugged at his lips at the memory.

System nearly slipped off Yuan Ji’s shoulder. “Guan Moon is ridiculous.”

Yuan Ji tapped her chin. “True. Guan Moonlight would’ve been better.”

System: “?!?”

Unaware, Guan Muping continued, lost in recollection.

“Back then, we were happy.” His voice cracked. “But when I was six… everything changed.”

“That day, a group of people stormed into our valley. They killed everyone.”

Blood had painted the earth red.

Guan Muping didn’t understand how they’d bypassed the valley’s traps—those mechanisms were his clan’s pride. Even the strongest intruders would’ve been delayed long enough for escape.

Yet that day, not a single trap activated.

His mother, sensing danger, hid him in a secret passage. “She gave me ‘that thing’ and told me to guard it with my life before going out to fight.”

For three days, he stayed hidden.

When he emerged, he found 173 corpses in the rain.

“They must’ve turned the valley upside down searching for it… but they never found it.”

Yuan Ji’s chest tightened inexplicably.

“Your mother…?”

“I never found her body.” Guan Muping’s fists trembled. “I looked everywhere. She wasn’t there.”

“They must’ve taken her. I wanted to find them, but… I didn’t know who they were.”

Tears splashed onto his lap.

Yuan Ji glanced helplessly at Qi Yan.

Qi Yan met her gaze, his deep voice calm and steady. “That might not be a bad thing.”

Guan Muping’s head snapped up. “R-Really?”

“To achieve their goals, they may have kept her alive.”

Guan Muping swallowed hard, then blurted out, “The Ai Xiang they’re looking for… is actually me.”

System: “!!”

“My mother used to… dress me as a girl when we went out. ‘Ai Xiang’ was my alias. They must’ve mistaken the puppet for me.”

Seeing their confusion, he explained further.

“The Ai Xiang you know is a puppet my mother made. She forged its joints from mystic iron, then masked them with spiritual energy…”

As Guan Muping detailed the puppet’s construction, Yuan Ji pieced together the truth behind the massacre.

“They wanted the puppet-making technique?”

If Guan Rou could create human-like puppets—unaging, undying, unbreakable—whoever controlled that knowledge would have an unstoppable army.

“So that’s it.” Qi Yan’s eyes darkened. “Years ago, rumors spread of an ‘immortal soldier’ technique. This must be what sparked the massacre.”

“Though no such soldiers ever appeared, so the rumors faded.”

Guan Muping nodded. “Mother made many puppets, but none as lifelike as Ai Xiang. The reason she seems human… is because I hid the pouch inside her.”

During their escape, he’d noticed Ai Xiang changing.

Yuan Ji immediately thought of the 卍 emblem. That must be the cause.

Guan Muping met her gaze firmly. “Mother recorded the puppet technique in a jade slip. It’s inside Ai Xiang. I can retrieve it for you.”

Yuan Ji blinked. “You’d just give it to me? Aren’t you afraid I’ll misuse it?”

“I trust you.”

He trusted the person who had saved him—who had given him hope.

His eyes flicked to Qi Yan. “…And Brother Qi.”

Qi Yan: “…”

“Since you trust me, keep the slip with Ai Xiang.” At Guan Muping’s confusion, Yuan Ji smiled faintly. “Your mother left it to you. It’s yours to protect.”

“But—!” Guan Muping stared. The puppet technique—and she didn’t want it?!

“I have no use for it.”

Guan Muping’s eyes shone with admiration.

“Then… the ones who posted the commission must be the killers?”

Yuan Ji tapped the table. “How convenient of them to show up.”

Guan Muping wiped his tears. “I’ll keep watch on those men. They can’t escape.”

Once he left, only Yuan Ji and Qi Yan remained.

Moonlight draped over Qi Yan like silver gauze, his jade-like skin glowing faintly. He looked at Yuan Ji, his voice soft.

“I’ll keep an eye on him.”

“Rest early.”

Yuan Ji’s fingers tightened around her spirit stone.

“System… is he acting weird?”

System silently screamed internally.

This damn villain! Using a beauty trap now that they’re alone!

So scheming!!!

It coughed. “N-No? You must be tired. Go sleep.”

Yuan Ji: “…Oh.”

Neither noticed Qi Yan’s faint smile as he stepped outside.

Meanwhile, dozens of figures were converging on the River God Temple from all directions.