But I'm a proper river god, you know! - Chapter 50

A dazzling golden light suddenly appeared. As the gasps of astonishment rose and fell around her, Yuan Ji silently closed her eyes. Pressing her throbbing temples, she thought to herself that no matter how many times she saw this gate, it still made her eyes ache.

Inside the courtyard, the sudden flash of golden light made the group relax slightly, and they set down the items in their hands.

How could they have forgotten? With this gate here, no one would dare look down on the River God Temple.

Unlike the others, Xuan Changsheng found the light painfully glaring, yet he forced his eyes wide open, his face filled with disbelief.

“What… what is this?”

Beside him, Ye Wenshu recalled his own past embarrassment of nearly being blinded by the light and, seeing Xuan Changsheng’s stunned expression mirroring his own from back then, couldn’t help but chuckle.

Puffing out his chest, he patted Xuan Changsheng’s shoulder proudly. “It’s the gate. Pretty impressive, huh?”

Xuan Changsheng: “……”

Really?

I don’t believe it.

Squinting, he turned away, secretly relieved that he hadn’t acted recklessly. This River God Temple was far from simple—this had to be a trap.

A trap disguised as a gate, designed to blind people at a critical moment! There must be other hidden mechanisms inside!

With this realization, Xuan Changsheng tensed, growing even more cautious about his actions. He couldn’t afford to slip up.

His eyes darted around before he covered his mouth with his hand, gasping in exaggerated awe as he looked at Yuan Ji with admiration. “Heavens, this is incredible! I’ve never seen such a magnificent gate before. Truly worthy of the residence of a senior like you.”

Yuan Ji’s eyelid twitched: “……”

“System, is the aesthetic sense here always this… unique?”

After a long pause, Yuan Ji settled on the most diplomatic phrasing she could muster.

The System, confused, retorted, “Huh? What’s wrong with it?”

Yuan Ji was momentarily speechless. How could she have forgotten? This System shared the same taste as the others.

Taking a deep breath, she woodenly picked up a teacup from the table and took a sip, only to grimace at the bitterness. Her fingers tightened slightly, and a tiny crack formed beneath her smooth fingertips.

Repairing the crack with a flick of spiritual energy, Yuan Ji studied the unfamiliar white porcelain cup in her hand, a faint trace of relief flashing in her eyes.

At least it wasn’t gold.

Qi Yan swapped the teacup for a piece of sugar cake. Noticing Yuan Ji’s distracted gaze, a shadow flickered in his eyes as he lowered his lashes, fingertips lightly tracing the rim of the cup.

“It’s a bit plain… If Yuan Ji dislikes it, I could ask my junior sisters if they have any other tea sets to borrow.”

Huang Li and her companions were particular about their tastes. When traveling, their storage rings were always stocked with multiple sets of intricately carved, gold-trimmed tea sets.

Qi Yan’s voice was soft, carrying a hint of dejection that struck Yuan Ji as oddly out of place.

She rubbed her fingertips, brushing off the strange feeling, and quickly pressed down on Qi Yan’s hand before he could fetch another set. Her eyes couldn’t take another assault of gold.

“No need. This one is fine.”

Having said that, she withdrew her hand and turned her attention to the group at the gate. Unnoticed by her, the corners of Qi Yan’s lips curled up slightly.

But the System noticed!

Alarm bells blared in its mind. It was now absolutely certain—this villain was up to no good! He had ulterior motives toward its host!

“Yuan Ji! He’s suspicious!” Get rid of him, quick!

Yuan Ji nodded absently. “Mhm.”

She understood. When people’s aesthetic tastes differed, they’d naturally find others strange.

She shot the System a knowing look: Don’t worry, I get it.

The System screamed internally.

You don’t!!!

But Yuan Ji’s attention had already shifted to the group at the gate, leaving the System to flail about uselessly.

At the entrance, a frail beauty lifted her head, long lashes fluttering. The golden light reflected in her eyes like shattered jade, glimmering faintly.

“Disciple Er Xin of the Danxin Sect seeks an audience with the River God.”

Beside Yuan Ji, Luo Qiushui and Huang Li exchanged a glance before wordlessly positioning themselves on either side of her, their junior sisters forming a neat row behind them.

Luo Qiushui took a deep breath as she studied Er Xin’s delicate, fragile appearance. First Mu Zhao, then Xuan Changsheng, and now Er Xin—this was getting out of hand.

The moment Er Xin finished speaking, she felt the atmosphere inside grow heavier. Staggering slightly, she was quickly steadied by Song Qingyang, who stepped forward to support her.

Eleven, whose internal screaming hadn’t stopped, swallowed hard and hurriedly followed suit. “Disciples Eleven and Song Qingyang of the Danxin Sect seek an audience with the River God.”

“Come in.”

Overwhelmed with gratitude, the group stepped into the River God Temple, their eyes fixed straight ahead, not daring to glance around for fear of offending the deity and being cast out.

But that single glance was enough to strike them like a thunderbolt.

The dazzling golden gate was one thing, but the ground was paved with spirit stones!

The River God Temple was this extravagantly wealthy?! Stunned, they instinctively ignored the dilapidated huts and messy surroundings, a single thought flashing through their minds:

Oh no. We didn’t bring enough offerings. What if the River God finds them inadequate?

Hesitantly, they looked up to see the River God lounging lazily by a stone table, idly toying with a spirit stone between her fingers. Even seated, her presence was impossible to ignore.

Behind her stood five or six elegantly dressed female cultivators, lined up in a row. If their eyes didn’t deceive them, Luo Qiushui—ranked sixth on the Beauty List—was among them.

Even more astonishing was the River God herself. Dressed in plain robes without a single jewel in her hair, her simplicity only accentuated her striking presence. No matter who looked, she was always the first thing they saw.

Er Xin’s lips parted slightly in surprise. The scene reminded her of the entourage of some arrogant sect disciple, flanked by attendants.

But she knew Luo Qiushui—this woman was too proud to obey anyone so easily.

Her heart sank. This River God’s power must be unfathomable.

Biting her lip lightly, Er Xin straightened and bowed respectfully, not daring to act out of line.

The nervous group had no idea of the resentment bubbling inside Du Xiuyuan, who was still hanging on the wall. He finally understood what “why didn’t you use the gate?” meant.

Glancing miserably at his tightly bound form, he couldn’t help but wonder—if he had knocked politely and entered through the gate like a normal person, would he still be hanging here today?

Alas, hindsight was always 20/20. With a sigh, Du Xiuyuan gazed enviously at the newcomers.

Yuan Ji’s eyes swept over the group. The two at the front looked familiar—they were the ones by the Forgotten River earlier. But this Er Xin…

“Yuan Ji, in the original story, this Er Xin dies in ten days,” the System said, flipping through the plot repeatedly. Unfortunately, as a minor character, her illness wasn’t explored in detail.

“After her death, the entire Danxin Sect is mysteriously wiped out—every last member vanishes in a single day.”

In the original story, Xuan Changsheng met Song Qingyang and the others, returning with them to Danxin Sect. They hit it off immediately, becoming fast friends within days.

Er Xin’s death and the sect’s annihilation became a turning point for Xuan Changsheng, fueling his growth with vengeance.

Unexpectedly, Xuan Changsheng had now stumbled into Yuan Ji’s care, missing his chance to meet Song Qingyang. Yet fate had brought them together anyway.

The System’s emotions were complicated.

At least the plot wasn’t too derailed… probably.

Yuan Ji hummed in acknowledgment, now grasping the situation. She looked at the group, her expression cool.

“You want me to save her?”

The moment the words left her mouth, the Danxin Sect disciples lit up with excitement. Eleven couldn’t hide his eagerness, and even Er Xin allowed herself a sliver of hope.

“The River God’s insight is unparalleled,” Eleven said respectfully, bowing before recounting the situation in detail.

Finally, he knelt, his tone earnest. “We beg the River God to save her. The Danxin Sect will agree to anything in return.”

[Ding! Congratulations, Host, for triggering a new mission: Save Er Xin. Time limit: 3 days. Reward: 100 Divine Power Points.]

Yuan Ji raised a brow at the generous reward.

A hundred points was enough to cover ten days of garbage-collecting. Suddenly, her gaze toward Er Xin grew a little warmer.

Er Xin offered a frail smile in return, only to feel several icy glares stab into her like knives. A shiver ran down her spine.

Confused, she glanced around, meeting Qi Yan’s frosty eyes. A chill gripped her heart, her pulse spiking.

It must be her imagination.

Why did she feel like this man wanted her dead?

Strangely, though, since entering the temple, the pain in her body had lessened—especially when the golden light touched her, warming her bones until the ache dulled.

Too bad the black cloth had been draped over the gate after they entered.

Er Xin dismissed the thought, biting her lip and chalking it up to wishful thinking.

“My ancestors, the Danxin Sect!” Ye Wenshu gasped, shooting Xuan Changsheng a glance. Assuming his ignorance, he patted the younger man’s shoulder sympathetically. “They’re one of the top sects! Their high-grade elixirs are priceless…”

In the cultivation world, where misfortunes lurked around every corner, most cultivators knew better than to offend the Danxin Sect. After all, who knew when they might need a life-saving pill?

Seeing Yuan Ji silently studying them without a word, Eleven grew increasingly anxious. Song Qingyang motioned for the others to open their boxes.

As the lids lifted, a rich medicinal aroma filled the air.

Wu Boshan, who had traveled far and wide seeking medicine for Bao’er, knew that the stronger the scent, the more potent the pill.

Yet even all these pills couldn’t cure her?

Exchanging a glance with Fang Mingzhu, a thought struck them both:

Their River God was truly incredible—no ailment was beyond her power! Little did they know, in just a few days, Yuan Ji’s divine statues would spread even farther.

Headache? Pray to the statue.

Injured by a demonic beast? Pray to the statue.

Difficult childbirth? Pray to the statue.

People soon discovered that after praying, headaches vanished, wounds healed faster, and even malpositioned fetuses corrected themselves in an instant…

The masses rejoiced: The River God has answered our prayers!

As River God statues proliferated, the System numbly watched the faith pool—no, faith ocean—swell uncontrollably. It turned away.

Too many things were wrong here. This? Trivial.

Back in the temple, the Danxin Sect disciples held their breath, not daring to blink as they awaited Yuan Ji’s response.

Finally, she nodded. “Very well.”

“Thank you, River God! Thank you!”

Eleven was overjoyed, clutching Song Qingyang’s sleeve with a giddy grin.

He’d expected another dead end, yet the River God had agreed without hesitation.

Song Qingyang forced a smile, though it didn’t reach his eyes. Despite his relief, a thread of doubt lingered—could the River God really save his junior sister?

When he looked up, Yuan Ji’s deep gaze pinned him in place. Caught, he flinched and hastily lowered his head.

“You’ll stay…” here.

Yuan Ji’s words trailed off as she surveyed the ruined courtyard.

Too many people. Not enough space.

The temple residents followed her gaze and fell silent.

Blame the ones on the wall!

Unaware of the context, Eleven shivered as everyone stared at the bruised figures being toyed with by the man-eating vines.

Swallowing hard, he timidly suggested, “Um, River God… can we not stay on the wall?”

Yuan Ji: “……?”

Met with silence, Eleven nearly cried. “Then let me stay up there! My junior sister is too frail—she wouldn’t survive it.”

With that, he bravely marched toward the vines, taking comfort in the fact that he wouldn’t be alone up there.

The group watched as Eleven inched forward, a short distance stretching into what felt like hours.

Yuan Ji: “……”

“System, maybe you should issue another mission: Fix this guy’s brain.“

The System fell silent.

Unsure whether to be moved by Yuan Ji’s budding “divine compassion” or disappointed by her enduring disdain for mortals.

“Yuan Ji,” it said solemnly, “he may not be bright, but he means well.”

Yuan Ji: “?”

Rubbing her aching temples, she quickly opened the system shop and exchanged for an ordinary small courtyard.

Under everyone’s watchful eyes, she waved a hand. The ruins vanished, replaced by a resplendent, mysteriously ornate courtyard.

A chorus of gasps rose around her, hearts trembling once more.

“The River God can create buildings from nothing—how incredible!”

“This courtyard is so luxurious! It suits the temple’s grandeur!”

“Truly divine mercy! To spare her followers from sleeping on the ground, she conjured a whole courtyard!”

Yuan Ji stared at the intricately carved, gold-roofed building—nearly as blinding as the gate—and felt her headache worsen. “System, my ordinary courtyard… why does it look like this?”

After a moment’s thought, the System resolutely pointed to a line of fine print:

[Note: Special trait—This ordinary small courtyard adapts its architectural style to its surroundings.]

Yuan Ji: “……” Tch.