But I'm a proper river god, you know! - Chapter 5

“River God.”

As soon as the group left, the burly man was the first to react. He pulled Bao’er forward and knelt before Yuan Ji, his voice filled with utmost reverence.

The title “River God” had sounded familiar to him earlier, and after racking his brain, he finally remembered—his father had once told him about it.

A long, long time ago, gods still existed in this world. Not the so-called cultivators of today, but true deities—divine beings who watched over the people and held compassion for all under heaven. The River God governed the waters, and people offered sacrifices to pray for prosperous rivers and fertile lands.

But somehow, gods faded into legend, replaced by the various practitioners of the present.

Though the man had his doubts, seeing this person appear by the Forgotten River and effortlessly dispel demonic energy—even if she claimed to be his ancestor, he’d believe her!

“Ancest—Ahem! River God!” The man threw himself to the ground before Yuan Ji. “Please, save Bao’er! If you can heal her, I’ll serve you as an ox or a horse for the rest of my life!”

Yuan Ji, startled by the sudden outburst: “…”

System, hovering beside her, replayed the man’s words in its mind before pressing a metaphorical hand to its aching stomach. It sucked in a sharp breath and hurriedly intervened.

“Yuan Ji, ‘serve as an ox or a horse’ means he’s willing to be your subordinate—not that you should literally eat him like livestock!”

“Oh.” Yuan Ji paused, then responded, a faint trace of disappointment in her voice.

What a shame.

System exhaled in relief, silently congratulating itself for reacting quickly enough to avert tragedy.

Yuan Ji’s gaze shifted to Bao’er, who stood behind the burly man. The woman stared back blankly, letting out a raspy, guttural noise.

Worried that Yuan Ji might misunderstand because of the earlier group’s accusations, the man hastily explained.

“What those people said earlier—none of it was true. We’ve never hurt anyone willingly…”

His eyes grew distant, as if transported back to the beginning.

The burly man’s name was Wu Boshan, a carpenter from Wu Village who made his living farming and crafting woodwork. He was honest and hardworking, the kind of person who blended into a crowd without a second glance.

When villagers spoke of Wu Boshan, they either praised his finely crafted, durable wares—or envied how dearly he loved his wife.

Wu Boshan’s wife, Fang Mingzhu, came from a poor family and was seven or eight years older than him, with plain features.

But Wu Boshan never once minded what the villagers called an “old maid.” In fact, he adored calling her “Bao’er.” When he worked wood, she wove cloth beside him; when he toiled in the fields, she prepared meals and waited for his return…

Their life was simple, but happy.

Until the fourth day of the fifth month, ten years ago—when everything changed.

Fang Mingzhu had gone to the mountains to gather fruit when an inexplicable surge of demonic energy engulfed her, trapping her no matter how hard she struggled. By the time the miasma seeped into her body, she had become neither human nor ghost.

When Bao’er didn’t return, Wu Boshan went searching. For three days, he scoured the mountains until he finally found her—hiding deep inside a cave.

He recognized her at once. Heartbroken, he took her to seek treatment, but the mortals in the villages below fled at the sight of her.

With no other choice, Wu Boshan took Fang Mingzhu into the wilderness, surviving on wild plants and fruits. He hid her away—both to prevent her from harming others when the demonic energy took control, and to protect her from being harmed in turn.

Then, one day, a passing cultivator noticed them and immediately identified Fang Mingzhu’s condition as demonic possession. He offered to help purge the energy from her body, instructing Wu Boshan to prepare sacrificial livestock for a ritual.

Overjoyed, Wu Boshan sold his family heirloom jade pendant to buy the necessary chickens and ducks. But when he returned, he discovered the “kind” cultivator’s true intentions—he had coveted Fang Mingzhu’s demon-tainted body, planning to refine her into his puppet.

Flames scorched her flesh; her soul was shackled. Fang Mingzhu’s agonized screams tore through the air as Wu Boshan knelt, forehead pressed to the ground in desperate pleas. Blood streamed from his broken skin, but he felt no pain—only the crushing weight of helplessness.

The lofty cultivator merely glanced down at him in disdain. “I’m eliminating this demonic abomination for the sake of the people. You should be thanking me.”

When Wu Boshan lifted his head again, twin trails of bloody tears streaked his face. Heart turned to ash, he stumbled into the flames and embraced Fang Mingzhu, using the last of his strength to shield his beloved Bao’er.

Then—something unexpected happened.

The demonic energy within Fang Mingzhu erupted violently. The backlash of the disrupted spell instantly killed the cultivator.

Wu Boshan stood in silence for a long moment before his conscience compelled him to bury the man properly. Afterward, he took Fang Mingzhu and set out to find a cure.

By day, he worked odd jobs in the city to earn travel expenses, asking after similar cases. By night, he carried Fang Mingzhu through the mountains.

He heard of other villages where people had been corrupted by falling demonic energy, but each time he arrived after immense hardship, he found only ruins and scattered bones—the aftermath of frenzied demonized humans slaughtering entire settlements.

Once, twice, three times… Wu Boshan’s hope dwindled, while Fang Mingzhu’s condition worsened. At first, she could still stay lucid for long periods, hiding in the mountains. But gradually, her consciousness faded, and she lost control, harming others against her will.

In the end, Wu Boshan had no choice but to forge iron chains to restrain her. Yet fearing the cold metal would hurt her, he wrapped them in the softest silk he could find.

“I just wanted to heal her.” Wu Boshan’s voice grew quieter as he looked at the hollow-eyed Bao’er behind him. A strained smile tugged at his lips, the wrinkles around his eyes damp with tears.

“But those cultivators insisted she was the one who killed those people!”

“We spent endless time traveling, while those cultivators had faster means and better information.” Wu Boshan’s voice hardened. “They just wanted an excuse to kill us! Hypocrites, every last one!”

Yuan Ji’s gaze deepened, piercing through flesh as if peering straight into the soul to uncover hidden truths.

Wu Boshan shuddered but quickly straightened his back. Somewhere deep inside, a voice whispered that this time, someone would truly help them.

System floated back from beside the two, sniffling. “Yuan Ji, I just reviewed their past. He’s telling the truth.”

Yuan Ji nodded, considering for a moment. Just as Wu Boshan’s eyes began to dim with despair, thinking the River God might refuse, she spoke plainly:

“I’ll help you.”

Wu Boshan’s head snapped up, eyes blazing with hope.

Yuan Ji continued, “But there’s a condition.”

Her emotionless tone sent a chill through Wu Boshan’s heart. After a long pause, he took a deep breath. “What is your condition, River God?”

Not far away, siblings Luan Yu and Luan Xuan held their breaths, waiting for Yuan Ji’s demand.

Luan Xuan clutched her brother’s sleeve, swallowing hard. If they could meet the condition too, did that mean they also had a chance?

Yuan Ji said, “Find me more people like this.”

Wu Boshan blinked in confusion before realization dawned. He stared at Yuan Ji, unsure whether to laugh or cry.

Legends spoke of gods who loved the people—and now, this River God’s “condition” was to help even more suffering souls.

In that moment, Wu Boshan’s heart settled. The last trace of doubt vanished.

Beneath the dazzling sun, its light radiant and boundless, he looked at Yuan Ji and knew—

She was the River God, a deity who cherished the world.

“Yes, River God.” Wu Boshan wiped his face and swore solemnly.

Faced with the man’s sudden tears, Yuan Ji sighed inwardly.

Why is everyone so prone to crying these days?

She glanced at System, who wore a look of moved admiration, and seriously wondered if this tendency was contagious. Then, subtly, she took half a step to the side.

“Come closer.” Yuan Ji summoned the flame seed. Having absorbed the demonic energy from the bottle, it now looked plump and full, its glow fiercer than before.

Wu Boshan guided Bao’er forward. “Come, Bao’er.”

Yuan Ji raised her hand. Her slender fingers, untouched by sunlight for so long, were pale as jade. Against the dark miasma, they seemed almost translucent.

The moment she neared Fang Mingzhu, the demonic energy around the woman froze—then surged toward Yuan Ji like ravenous beasts catching a whiff of prey.

The energy tore free from Fang Mingzhu’s body, coalescing into a dense mass taller than a person. It rushed to wrap around Yuan Ji’s fingertips, resembling nothing so much as a devout worshipper.

Wu Boshan stumbled back in shock before quickly steadying himself, arms outstretched behind Fang Mingzhu in case she collapsed.

Yuan Ji’s hair stirred in the swirling currents, but her expression remained unchanged. She watched calmly as the flame seed hid within the demonic energy, devouring it greedily, and felt a flicker of relief.

If she had to rely solely on her own energy to feed this gluttonous seed, it would never be satisfied. But if Wu Boshan’s words held true, she wouldn’t have to worry about its appetite anymore.

As the last traces of darkness faded, Fang Mingzhu’s emaciated true form was revealed.

Yuan Ji pointed at the bottle in Wu Boshan’s arms. “Have her drink that. She’ll recover in a few days.”

Feeling Bao’er’s warmth for the first time in years, Wu Boshan’s throat clogged with unspoken gratitude. In the end, he chose the simplest, most sincere way to express it—he kowtowed deeply to Yuan Ji.

From this day forth, he belonged to the River God!

At the same time, the long-silent electronic voice chimed again:

[Congratulations, Host! Timed mission completed: Acquire three believers. Reward: 10 Divine Power points. Current Divine Power: 10.]

“Huh? Three!” System exclaimed. “The other two also registered faith values!”

Pride swelled in System’s heart. As expected of the host I chose—such charisma!

Unbeknownst to it, from Luan Yu and Luan Xuan’s perspective, Yuan Ji had simply plucked the demonic energy from Fang Mingzhu’s body and crushed it like an eggshell.

Luan Xuan clutched her own throat, gulping.

She wasn’t sure whether to be grateful that Yuan Ji hadn’t “processed” her the same way—or to rejoice that they might have truly stumbled upon an extraordinary figure.

Joy blossomed between Wu Boshan and Fang Mingzhu as the latter regained consciousness, her gentle demeanor returning.

Tears spilled down her cheeks as she tried to smile reassuringly at her husband.

“Boshan… I’m back.”

Fang Mingzhu still remembered everything. Facing Yuan Ji, her savior, she felt the same reverence as her husband.

“River God, not far ahead is where my husband and I stayed recently. It’s getting late—if you don’t mind, let me prepare a meal for you.”

Yuan Ji accepted without pretense, following her toward the house. But the closer they got, the thicker the demonic energy in the air became.