But I'm a proper river god, you know! - Chapter 53

Yuan Ji stared fixedly as Wu Qian-si writhed, only to be ruthlessly bitten by the man-eating grass, instantly rendering him still.

Two breaths later, Wu Qian-si, having freed himself from the grass’s maw, resumed his squirming—only to be greeted once more by the familiar gaping jaws.

And so, the bizarre scene unfolded: one squirmed, the other bit. Back and forth, the strange dance somehow took on an odd harmony.

Yuan Ji observed it all, a trace of suspicion flickering in her eyes.

“Ah-Tong…” She paused, then said solemnly, “Who would’ve thought this man, despite his mature demeanor, still has such childlike whimsy.”

Ah-Tong nearly popped its eyes out at that.

It glanced at Wu Qian-si—pale, battered, and utterly wretched—then at the man-eating grass, furious yet unable to truly harm him, seething in frustration. A massive question mark loomed over its tiny brain.

Childlike whimsy?

Where?!

In stark contrast to Yuan Ji’s musings, the disciples of Blazing Moon Valley gazed at Wu Qian-si with reverence, as if he weren’t locked in a struggle with a patch of carnivorous plants but rather single-handedly battling a pack of frenzied demonic beasts.

“As expected of Captain Wu of the Jia-Chen Squad! To endure this long—his reputation is well-earned!”

The members of the Jia-Xu Squad couldn’t help but shift their eyes to Du Xiuyuan, who was watching the spectacle with amusement. A moment later, a collective sigh rose from atop the wall.

Du Xiuyuan paid them no mind. All he knew was that seeing Wu Qian-si in such a sorry state filled him with immense satisfaction.

“Ah! There are people up there!”

Er Xin jumped in fright. Earlier, her attention had been entirely captured by the gate, and due to her frail health, she hadn’t paid much heed to her surroundings. Now, suddenly spotting several figures, her legs nearly gave out. The color drained from her lips as she swayed, on the verge of collapsing backward.

The next instant, a slender hand caught her by the waist, preventing her fall.

Er Xin looked up, startled, meeting the gaze of her rescuer. After a dazed pause, she quickly steadied herself and murmured her thanks.

If I remember right, this person was standing to the River God’s left earlier…

Her heart fluttered with curiosity as she stole a timid glance at Luo Qiushui.

Er Xin had long heard of Luo Qiushui—rumored to be aloof and indifferent, the sixth-ranked beauty on the illustrious list. It was said that apart from Qi Yan, the head disciple of the Heavenly Extremes Sect, no one else could stir even a flicker of emotion in her. Those who earned so much as a glance from her could boast about it for years.

Yet she had rushed to help me… Er Xin’s face grew warmer the more she thought about it, her pulse thundering in her ears.

This must be the River God’s influence—her kindness is rubbing off on those around her!

The more she considered it, the more sense it made. Alongside her budding gratitude toward Luo Qiushui, her admiration for Yuan Ji swelled even further.

Meanwhile, Luo Qiushui calmly withdrew her hand, though inwardly she wished she could scrub it clean several times over.

I actually reached out to help her on instinct. Unbelievable.

The sacrifices I make to maintain a flawless image in the River God’s eyes…

Smoothing the wrinkles in her sleeves, Luo Qiushui naturally took her place beside Yuan Ji. Huang Li and the others immediately stepped forward, securing the spots around the River God and blocking Er Xin’s fervent gaze.

At a glance, Yuan Ji appeared surrounded by a bouquet of flowers.

Ah-Tong watched the scene, a strange sense of déjà vu creeping in. Why does this look so much like those harem plots I borrowed from the Palace System’s archives?

After a moment of contemplation, it concluded that its data must have gotten muddled from reading too many unrelated scripts.

That’s definitely it.

Resolved to correct this, Ah-Tong promptly stuffed a pile of River God-themed romance novels into its database.

I haven’t read enough—need to study more.

Yuan Ji, oblivious to these machinations, caught glimpses of bizarre titles flashing through Ah-Tong’s mind—The Tyrant River God Falls for His Dainty Bride, The River God and His Sacrificial Offering: A Love Story, My Years as a River God Conquering the World—and paused.

Choosing to tactfully ignore Ah-Tong’s peculiar tastes, she said nothing.

Song Qingyang had initially found the figures on the wall vaguely familiar. Now, hearing Er Xin’s exclamation, he took a closer look and stiffened in realization.

He nudged Eleven, gesturing toward the group.

“Blazing Moon Valley’s Jia Squad.”

“Pfft—Blazing Moon Valley?!” Eleven choked on his own spit, coughing violently as he pointed at the row of spherical figures on the wall, his finger trembling uncontrollably. “Those things?!”

Song Qingyang: “…”

Facepalming, he took a step away, dodging the resentful glares from the Blazing Moon Valley disciples.

Nearby, the Danxin Sect members followed his gaze, and their hearts nearly stopped. These are Blazing Moon Valley elites! And here they were, trussed up like chickens, utterly powerless on a wall!

For a moment, their legs threatened to buckle. But then, out of the corner of their eyes, they noticed the River God Temple disciples acting as if this were perfectly normal. Exchanging glances, they straightened their postures and nodded sagely.

“Mhm.”

“Vaguely human-shaped.”

“There’s a resemblance.”

Eleven gaped at their nonchalance, feeling utterly out of place.

Your calmness is making me look like an idiot here.

Song Qingyang patted his shoulder reassuringly, signing, Don’t worry. You lost your dignity long ago.

Eleven: Thanks. Not helping.

“River God!”

Wiping his face, Eleven abandoned all pretense of dignity and scurried to Yuan Ji’s side. “Did these people offend you? Our Danxin Sect has a pill that induces unbearable itching—perfect for situations like this.”

“Oh! And one that causes excruciating pain!”

“Uh… laxatives… want some?”

Yuan Ji stared at the assortment of bottles and jars piling up before her: …?

“Mmph! Mmmph!” The bound Blazing Moon Valley disciples let out muffled cries of horror. Furious and humiliated, they were powerless to resist.

This is too much!

First, they hang us on a wall to shame us, and now they want to drug us?!

Just then, Qi Yan approached. His tall frame cast a long shadow under the bright lantern light. Huang Li met his icy gaze, shivered, and instinctively made space for him.

“Eldest Senior Brother, please,” she stammered.

Qi Yan gave a slight nod, his eyes briefly flickering toward Wu Qian-si before he extended a jade slip to Yuan Ji. “A message from Meng Youdao.”

Unlike ordinary slips, this one radiated warmth the moment Yuan Ji took it, dispelling the night’s chill.

She examined it closely, that strange feeling resurfacing. “Ah-Tong.”

“What is it, Yuan Ji?” Ah-Tong lifted its head from its novels, blinking in confusion.

Yuan Ji: …Never mind.

Exhaling slowly, she clenched the slip in her palm and prepared to probe it with her divine sense—when a sharp crack cut through the air.

She looked up to see Wu Qian-si, pale and sweating, staring at her as if he’d mustered every last ounce of spiritual energy.

“Pah!” Blood sprayed from his lips. To break the silencing seal, he’d concentrated all his energy in his throat. But Yuan Ji’s spell was too potent—until an inexplicable surge of power lent him aid.

No time to question it. Gritting his teeth, he forced out his words:

“River God… would you… consider a trade?”

Surprise flickered in Yuan Ji’s eyes. She tilted her head, intrigued.

She hadn’t expected him to break her silencing curse.

Interesting.

“River God, be careful—this man’s full of tricks,” Ye Wenshu warned, arriving with Xuan Changsheng in tow. “He’s the captain of Blazing Moon Valley’s Jia-Chen Squad. Best stay wary.”

Ye Wenshu proceeded to spill every detail he knew about Wu Qian-si—down to his childhood tree-climbing contest with Du Xiuyuan, where the two had ended up brawling mid-ascent, tumbling down with matching lumps on their heads, then arguing over whose lump was bigger.

Yuan Ji tapped her arm thoughtfully. See? Definitely whimsical.

Unnoticed by all, Xuan Changsheng’s expression darkened as Ye Wenshu recounted Wu Qian-si’s history with such familiarity.

He knows so much… If I could make use of him…

Meanwhile, Du Xiuyuan and Wu Qian-si, forced to relive their childhood embarrassments in public: ?? What fresh torment is this?!

Yuan Ji freed Wu Qian-si from the wall. The man-eating grass reluctantly spat him out, nibbling at his sleeve as if reluctant to let go.

The moment his feet touched the ground, Wu Qian-si staggered, barely staying upright. Wiping blood from his lips, he rasped, “River God… does this mean you accept my offer?”

Yuan Ji gave him a sidelong glance and turned toward the inner courtyard. “Follow me.”

Yan Ku and Ye Wenshu immediately hauled Wu Qian-si after her. Song Qingyang reacted swiftly, signaling Eleven, who promptly excused himself and led the Danxin Sect members to a side courtyard to rest.

Noticing this, Luo Qiushui tactfully ushered her junior sisters away to resume their cultivation—only to freeze mid-turn as a green streak shot through the air, splitting into four shadows that stationed themselves at the inner courtyard’s corners.

Her expression twisted in recognition.

Zhi Jie?

…..

Inner Courtyard

Seated at the head of the room, Yuan Ji regarded Wu Qian-si below. “What’s your trade?”

“A prophecy,” he wheezed, the taste of blood thick in his mouth. “Let us go.”

Leaning back lazily in her wooden chair, Yuan Ji let out a soft chuckle.

Ye Wenshu muttered under his breath, “Good heavens, you wrecked our courtyard and think one measly prophecy covers it? I’ve got plenty of secrets too!”

Wu Qian-si, recalling the ruins, immediately pinned the blame on that idiot Du Xiuyuan. Combined with the humiliation of his childhood antics being exposed, his face twitched violently. Through gritted teeth, he spat:

“Plus a crate of top-grade spirit stones.”

“…”

“Two crates!”

“…”

“Three crates!”

“Deal.”

The moment the word left her lips, Ye Wenshu broke into applause, cheering loudly—though his “Such generosity!” came off more like salt in the wound.

Wu Qian-si’s heart bled. Clenching his jaw, he swore to make Du Xiuyuan pay dearly once they escaped.

“River God, the prophecy is this—”

“One month from now, the future of the righteous path will fall.”

And as all knew, the future of the righteous path referred to none other than Qi Yan of the Heavenly Extremes Sect.