But I'm a proper river god, you know! - Chapter 78

The eastern sky was growing light. Birds that had slept through the night fluttered their wings, shaking off the heavy, damp dew. Their orange-yellow beaks clacked softly as they let out a few clear, melodious calls.

Yuan Ji and Qi Guan Shang had just left the Tianji Sect when Qi Guan Shang’s face suddenly turned pale. The thorny tattoo on his body seemed to gnaw at his flesh and blood. He let out a muffled groan and stumbled sideways, nearly collapsing.

Yuan Ji, quick-eyed and swift-handed, grabbed his wrist and supported him, helping him sit down by the side.

“Is the curse acting up again?” Yuan Ji’s brows furrowed slightly as she watched the cold sweat dampening his temples. Without a second thought, she pulled open the collar of his robe. “Let me see.”

Her slender fingers parted the fabric, the sudden chill causing his skin to prickle.

“So soon?” Yuan Ji’s expression darkened. The tattoo, whose edges had previously faded somewhat, had now sprouted many new, aggressive branches that dug deep into his bones and blood, nibbling away at his vitality.

As Yuan Ji reached out to channel her divine energy once more to suppress the curse, a larger hand moved faster, closing his robe.

The vibrant red silk covered the dark curse beneath, but more intricate, dense black patterns crept upward, coiling around his neck like dark vines.

“What’s wrong?” Yuan Ji asked, puzzled by his action, and looked up to meet his gaze.

But Qi Guan Shang pressed his lips together, turning his head away to avoid her eyes. His jade-like fingers clenched tighter, as if he felt no pain.

“My apologies,” his voice was hoarse. “I am… useless.”

“Not like Cultivator Qi Yan, with his high cultivation level. I cannot even suppress this minor curse.” His eyes were full of stubborn pride, but his lightly trembling, downcast lashes betrayed his inner turmoil, making him seem even more helpless.

“?” Yuan Ji was stunned for a moment, unsure how to react.

What was Qi Guan Shang saying?

Why did he have that expression?

Had he caught a virus too?

Yuan Ji opened her mouth, then closed it, a strange feeling welling up in her heart.

Why was this person so changeable?

After a long pause, she reached out and patted his shoulder, speaking with grave sincerity. “It’s fine. You have good natural talent. Just return and train diligently. Don’t undervalue yourself.”

Having said this, Yuan Ji felt quite satisfied. Her comforting words would surely bring him back to normal. So, without further thought, she pulled open his robe again and began channeling her divine energy.

Qi Guan Shang was speechless. After a long silence, he stopped resisting and allowed Yuan Ji to suppress the curse. His gaze remained fixed on her, and seeing that her eyes held no other emotion, he genuinely felt a pang of loss.

Before long, the wildly spreading thorns receded to their original state. Yuan Ji secretly breathed a sigh of relief, pondering how to resolve this curse as quickly as possible.

Due to the sudden curse flare-up, Yuan Ji and Qi Guan Shang decided to rest for a while.

Yuan Ji leaped up to sit on a large tree branch, gazing into the distance. Amid the thick white mist, hints of green emerged, relaxing her tense thoughts.

This place bordered the River of Forgetfulness, but unlike the lands within the River, it was covered in layer upon layer of rugged peaks, lush and verdant, a scene bursting with vitality.

“Guan Su…” Yuan Ji recalled the name of the man from the Tianji Sect. After a moment’s contemplation, she turned to Qi Guan Shang beside her.

“Ah Shang, that Hall Master of the Hall of Myriad Affairs… do you know his background?”

Qi Guan Shang sat beside Yuan Ji on the branch, brushing off a fallen leaf from her shoulder and holding it in his palm.

Pressing his turbulent emotions deep down, Qi Guan Shang recalled everything about this man and began speaking slowly.

“Guan Su is the adopted son of the Guan family from Feiyun City. However, his natural talent was low, so he did not inherit the Guan family’s mechanical arts. The family head at the time sent him to study at the Tianji Sect.”

“Guan Su was diligent, frugal, and respectful at the Tianji Sect, greatly favored by the Hall Master of the Hall of Myriad Affairs back then. In less than two years, he entered the inner sect, and within three more years, he became the new Hall Master of the Hall of Myriad Affairs.”

“Adopted son?” A’Tong exclaimed in surprise, suddenly realizing. “The incident with the Guan family must be related to him!”

Yuan Ji thought the same. Resting her chin on her fingertips, she listened, her expression growing somewhat strange. “He became the Hall Master of the Hall of Myriad Affairs in just five years?”

Qi Guan Shang nodded, seeming to understand her doubts, and continued, “Many years ago, the Hall of Myriad Affairs wasn’t as respected as it is now. It was just a small hall handling miscellaneous tasks, with little authority.”

“This person’s cultivation isn’t high, but he is quite resourceful. While the previous Hall Master was in charge, Guan Su skillfully curried favor from all sides. After the Hall Master died suddenly, he was recommended as the next Hall Master.”

“He’s quite a remarkable person, then,” Yuan Ji responded, though she found the previous Hall Master’s sudden death strange. “Was there anything unusual about the previous Hall Master’s death?”

Qi Guan Shang shook his head. “No. The Sect Leader of the Tianji Sect investigated at the time. It was a sudden illness, so no one suspected anything.”

“And what about the case of the Guan family’s massacre in Feiyun City? Did Guan Su investigate that?”

Qi Guan Shang let out a soft laugh, as if appreciating Yuan Ji’s sharpness. “He did, but he found nothing.”

“Upon hearing of the Guan family’s massacre, Guan Su was deeply grieved. He volunteered to lead an investigation for three months but found no clues.” As he spoke, his expression turned cold. “After that, he went into seclusion to cultivate, citing overwhelming grief. When he emerged,”

“the Hall of Myriad Affairs introduced many novel gadgets and soon gained a foothold within the Tianji Sect.”

Yuan Ji carefully analyzed the information revealed by Qi Guan Shang, and a terrifying speculation emerged in her mind.

She looked up sharply, meeting Qi Guan Shang’s gaze. Their eyes flashed with understanding. In an instant, they both realized something.

“Guan Su.”

“There’s a problem with him.”

Just then, a piercing, murderous aura shot towards them, causing Yuan Ji’s black hair to fly wildly.

They turned to look behind them. A vast, overwhelming black mist, like a sea dragon emerging from the ocean, swiftly weaved through the dense forest, trying to catch a point of light ahead.

Trees thicker than a person’s waist were snapped in half, their crowns crashing down, startling large flocks of forest birds. The tranquil morning was shattered by this commotion.

Yuan Ji narrowed her eyes, carefully examining the figure swiftly dodging at the front. When she saw what it was, her eyes widened in surprise, and she flashed forward in pursuit.

A spherical object composed of large pieces of dark iron shimmered with a cold, hidden light under the flickering morning sun. It slammed into a giant rock, spinning and grinding, sending small stone fragments flying as it changed direction at a bizarre angle to evade the pursuit from behind.

[Ding: Congratulations, Host, for finding a clue related to an important character. Hidden Quest: Investigate the Truth Behind the Guan Family Massacre. Progress: 40%.]

“What… is that?”

Qi Guan Shang pondered for a moment. “I’ve heard of people seeing a ‘Sphere Person.’ Legend says it appears as a sphere, impervious to swords and spears, skilled in human speech, and sighting it brings misfortune. That must be it.”

Yuan Ji watched the path it took—broken branches and shattered rocks—and nodded in agreement. Its destructive power was indeed awe-inspiring.

An important character clue… Could it be her?

Yuan Ji narrowed her eyes and flashed down, blocking the path of the black mist.

She stared coldly at the mist charging towards her. A solemn aura erupted from her, spreading outwards in a circle. Yuan Ji slowly raised her hand, her fingertip lightly pointing forward.

“Boom!”

Abundant divine energy transformed into a fierce giant dragon. The dragon’s beard traced a graceful arc in the air as it moved.

A dragon’s roar echoed through the mountains.

The black dragon-like mist, under the impact of this absolute power, gradually dispersed and crumbled. The fine black dust vanished with the wind, leaving no trace.

The crisis was resolved.

The fleeing “Sphere Person,” sensing the sudden change, sharply turned direction and rushed towards Yuan Ji.

Yuan Ji: “……?”

Yuan Ji pulled Qi Guan Shang back a step.

They watched as the “Sphere Person” failed to brake in time and crashed straight into the mountain wall behind them. Instantly, a deep cave appeared before them.

The next moment, a large amount of falling rocks tumbled down from the mountaintop, completely blocking the cave entrance.

Yuan Ji looked at this bizarre scene, her corner of the eye twitching. A strange sense of familiarity washed over her.

It couldn’t be… Could it really be that “Guan Er”?

Sure enough, before long, they saw the boulders shake twice, and a dented iron plate emerged from within.

“Ow, ow, ow! Help, help me! Quick, pull me out!”

Yuan Ji couldn’t bear to watch any longer. Frowning, she used a spell to move some of the rubble aside.

A strong, powerful hand suddenly pushed out from the pile of broken rocks. Then, a woman with a dust-covered face but a bright smile poked her head out.

“Whew! Hello there! Thank you for saving me.”

“I am Guan Er. Thank you both, cultivators, for your lifesaving grace.” She performed a graceful bow. As she moved, the iron plates on her body clattered noisily.

Yuan Ji’s gaze was drawn to the woman’s iron plate armor. So, this person had forged dark iron into specially shaped armor. When she curled up, it formed a sphere.

“So the ‘Sphere Person’ is Guan Rou! What a coincidence!” A’Tong happily floated behind Guan Rou, examining how this marvelous iron armor could curl into a ball. “No wonder they say ‘sighting it brings misfortune.’ With Guan Rou’s destructive power, it is quite frightening.”

“Guan Rou.” Yuan Ji tentatively called out, and seeing the slight change in her expression, knew she hadn’t mistaken the person.

Yuan Ji raised an eyebrow and stepped forward. “Your son is with me.”

As soon as these words left her mouth, the expression on Guan Rou’s face changed drastically. Her smile vanished, replaced by fierce killing intent.

“Ping’er?! What have you done to my son?!”

The armor plates on her body flew out in an instant, transforming into a crossbow. Guan Rou aimed it at Yuan Ji. “Who are you? Give me back my son!”

Before Yuan Ji could answer, an unfamiliar aura suddenly appeared among them.

Guan Rou’s heart leaped in alarm. “Get out of the way!” she urgently shouted to Yuan Ji and Qi Guan Shang.

As soon as she spoke, three black iron arrows shot towards Yuan Ji with lightning speed.

Yuan Ji’s brows furrowed slightly as she instantly released her oppressive aura.

Two of the iron arrows were immediately suppressed and slammed into the ground, kicking up clouds of dust.

But the first one… Yuan Ji’s eyes, usually calm, began to stir as she looked at it.

“Drip. Drip.”

Arrow energy clashed. Red robes, black hair, sleeves fluttering.

Qi Guan Shang’s tall figure shielded Yuan Ji, blocking the fierce attack. He had caught the iron arrow with his bare hand. The sharp arrowhead had sliced his pale palm, and crimson blood droplets slowly dripped from his well-defined hand. One drop, two drops…

Yuan Ji’s pupils constricted violently. A terrifying, oppressive aura spread out, so stifling it was hard to breathe.

Her brows lowered sharply as her gaze quickly locked onto a wisp of consciousness.

She clenched her five fingers. That wisp of consciousness let out a terrified scream before turning to dust and vanishing from the world. Simultaneously, the master of that consciousness far away suffered a backlash, vomiting blood incessantly.

But even so, the fury in Yuan Ji’s heart could not be extinguished. It only burned fiercer.

“They deserve to die.”