But I'm a proper river god, you know! - Chapter 82

The Heavenly Extremes Sect was exceptionally lively on this day. Looking from afar, the towering peaks seemed wrapped in celebratory colored silks. Listening closely, one could hear the spirited conversations of cultivators amidst the dense forests, a stark contrast to the sect’s usual quiet and mysterious atmosphere.

It was at this moment that Yuan Ji arrived at the Heavenly Extremes Sect, accompanied by Qi Guan Shang, Guan Rou, Xiang Yi Zhi, and others.

She glanced at the main hall, which had been completely rebuilt and now stood imposingly under the clear, bright sky, and felt a stir in her heart.

To rebuild the Heavenly Extremes Sect to such a state in just a few short days was truly impressive speed.

Just then, a few furtive figures spotted them. They immediately crouched low, shifting from one clump of bushes to another, whispering and scheming together in hushed tones.

Out of the corner of her eye, Yuan Ji noticed one of them, dressed in a ginger-yellow robe hung with seven or eight oil-stained parcels. As the person moved, tiny droplets of blood occasionally dripped from them.

“Hey, Little Eight, did you manage to get that thing?” Little Six patted a gourd at his waist. “I went through a lot of trouble to get my hands on these Slumber Pills. The people from the Pill Heart Sect said just one pill can put a magical beast to sleep for three days and three nights.”

The one called Little Eight immediately pulled a jade-green pouch from his robe and showed it to the group, his eyes brimming with unconcealed pride. “When has your Brother Eight ever failed? Look! What’s this?”

“The Master sent Meng Qi to the mountain gate to receive the people from the Ten Thousand Swords Sect. He rushed off in such a hurry, and I just… lightly brushed past him.” Little Eight mimed a pickpocketing motion with his hands. “Heh, and just like that, I got it.”

“That’s our guy, well done!”

Little Six laughed, punching Little Eight’s shoulder playfully, and eagerly reached to open the pouch. “That guy Meng Qi, doing tasks for the Master, he must have gotten some good stuff. Look how fast his cultivation has advanced lately. Anyone who didn’t know better would think he was some once-in-a-century prodigy.”

“He might fool you all, but I grew up with him, how could I not know his actual aptitude?” Little Six pulled a golden key from the pouch and let out a strange laugh, his expression turning somewhat fierce.

“Today is the Ascension Determination Assembly; it’s bound to be crowded and chaotic. We’ll use this chance to go to that mountain cave. Why should all the benefits go to him alone?”

“It’s our turn to get this opportunity now.”

Little Eight nodded emphatically, his eyes showing the same determination. “That cave entrance is guarded by a demon beast. We’ll sprinkle the Slumber Pills on these bits of meat and feed it to the beast. Then we can seize the moment to unlock the door and get inside.”

The group huddled together, quickly finalized their plan, and then, in a flash, transformed into streaks of white light flying towards the back mountains.

Yuan Ji’s heart stirred slightly. She turned to ask Ye Xin, who was beside her. “Is there any cave in the back mountains that requires a demon beast to guard it?”

As a disciple of the Heavenly Extremes Sect, Ye Xin had taken it upon himself to act as Yuan Ji’s guide upon their return today. He was currently leading them towards the guest quarters on the mountain.

“The back mountains? There are quite a few caves there,” Ye Xin recalled his years of experience sweeping and cleaning in the back mountains. “But a demon beast guarding one… I haven’t heard of that. This is the Heavenly Extremes Sect, after all. Ordinary demon beasts wouldn’t dare approach. Wouldn’t that be seeking death?”

Everyone knew that the Heavenly Extremes Sect was renowned for slaying demons and vanquishing evil.

Hearing this, Yuan Ji turned away, lost in thought for a moment. The knuckles of her hand, hanging by her side, unconsciously tapped lightly twice. A thread of white light, fine as a hair, slipped from between her fingers into the dark soil, heading straight after those few individuals.

Was she mistaken, or did she catch a whiff of demonic aura from that Little Six, and a trace of demonic energy hidden on Little Eight?

How strange.

Yuan Ji rubbed the tip of her nose, for the first time doubting her own sense of smell.

Suppressing the urge to sneeze, Yuan Ji suddenly thought of something. She turned and leaned closer to Qi Guan Shang beside her. “Take a look at the listed prizes. See if there’s anything you want.”

A faint, elegant fragrance wafted into Yuan Ji’s nose. Though subtle, it was quite potent, instantly suppressing the jumble of other scents. It was much like its owner, silently asserting its presence.

“If you want it, I’ll win it for you,” Yuan Ji said, pulling back contentedly after a half-step. It seemed her sense of smell was just fine.

Qi Guan Shang’s eyes brightened. He didn’t verbally ask for anything, just looked at Yuan Ji, his gaze tender, as if he had gathered the warm breezes of spring into his very being. “Anything is fine.”

“Hmm.” Yuan Ji neither agreed nor disagreed, simply pulling out a jade slip to examine.

This jade slip recorded all the prizes offered by the sects participating in the Ascension Determination Assembly. It could even update itself as new participating sects arrived, which was extremely convenient.

Yuan Ji scanned through the list, her finger pausing for a moment on the name of one item.

[Dragon’s Blood Amber]

This prize provided by the rogue cultivator, Qi Guan Tian.

“Qi Guan…” Yuan Ji pointed at the name and showed it to Qi Guan Shang. “This person shares your surname. Is he from your clan?”

Sure enough, upon seeing the name ‘Qi Guan Tian,’ the man’s face instantly turned several shades paler. His lips pressed into a tight line, and he turned his head away as if unwilling to discuss it. “Yes. He is from my clan.”

“I never thought he would take the clan’s secret treasure and offer it up,” Qi Guan Shang said through gritted teeth, barely containing his anger. “Legend says this Dragon’s Blood Amber contains a single drop of blood from the one and only ancient True Dragon. Its spiritual energy is immense; just a wisp is said to be enough to elevate someone to the half-step divinity realm.”

“But the amber is encased in multiple layers of sealing arrays. The capable members of our clan spent a hundred years trying to unravel them, but no one succeeded. Gradually, people stopped believing there was truly dragon’s blood inside.”

Qi Guan Shang lowered his gaze to the jade slip in his hand. His entire hand was clenched so tightly that the knuckles stood out sharply. “Yuan Ji, let me participate in this match. I need to get it back.”

Seeing his insistence, Yuan Ji naturally didn’t object. She immediately added an entry into the jade slip.

[One Favor of Protection. — The River God.]

As soon as Yuan Ji’s finger left the jade slip, she heard an exaggerated exclamation from behind.

“Hahaha, look at this person on the jade slip, what arrogance!” The person laughed uproariously as if he had just heard the biggest joke. “‘One Favor of Protection’? And she actually dares to offer that? Who is this person? Such audacity!”

His companion also sneered. “Must be some minor cultivator who can’t make the cut, scraping together some random offering.”

“‘One Favor of Protection’? Ridiculous. Who would even want that? If I were her, I’d change my prize immediately to avoid embarrassing myself.” Another clicked his tongue and sighed. “If you ask me, the Pill Heart Sect’s Heavenly Origin Pill is the best. A single pill can nourish the soul.”

The first speaker immediately disagreed. “The Pill Heart Sect is nothing. The Burning Moon Valley’s offer of ‘One Request’ is much more sincere.”

Their debate grew increasingly heated, drawing sidelong glances from others. As they started comparing and criticizing the listed prizes, even dragging in the reputations of their own sects, others couldn’t help but join in.

Soon, arguments erupted about which sect’s offering was better—Heavenly Extremes Sect, Burning Moon Valley, Pill Heart Sect…

A cacophony of quarreling voices rose behind them, grating on the ears.

A flicker of impatience crossed Yuan Ji’s eyes. She was about to quicken her pace to leave these noisy ducks behind when she suddenly heard several sharp intakes of breath. The noisy crowd fell into a stunned silence.

A group of individuals, all neatly dressed and with stern, cold expressions, emerged from the mountain gate’s teleportation array. Every one of them wore an icy demeanor, clearly sending a ‘keep away’ message.

The crowd stared at them, a flicker of excitement in their eyes, but they restrained themselves, not daring to make a move.

Surprisingly, when one of these ice-cold individuals spotted a certain figure ahead, his frosty expression melted away. The fervor in his eyes erupted like a volcano, intense enough to scorch the heart.

“River God!” He hurried forward a few steps, his gaze burning as he looked at Yuan Ji.

“River God, what a coincidence! Are you also here for the Ascension Determination Assembly?”

Yuan Ji took a closer look; it was an acquaintance. “It’s you.”

The person who had stopped Yuan Ji was none other than the Pill Heart Sect disciple, Eleven, whom the crowd had just mentioned. Seeing that Yuan Ji remembered him, Eleven became so emotional that tears welled in his eyes.

“Indeed, it is I. I am honored that the River God still remembers this lowly one.” Eleven wanted to step forward and say more but suddenly felt as if an icy gaze had fallen upon him.

It felt like being dragged out of a warm bed by his master in the dead of winter and having a basin of ice cubes poured over his head—a bone-chilling, heart-piercing cold.

Eleven shivered involuntarily and rubbed his arms. “How strange,” he muttered. “Why did it suddenly get so cold?”

“If we had known the River God was coming, our Sect Leader would have certainly ended his seclusion to thank you in person. My junior sister’s health has improved greatly recently; she talks about you every day…”

“River God, you actually offered ‘One Favor of Protection’ as a prize! This is an immense blessing!”

Eleven pushed the strange feeling aside and even pulled his fellow disciples along to attend to Yuan Ji, practically wanting to serve her tea and water, eager to cater to her every need.

He knew full well Yuan Ji’s capabilities. Upon hearing that her offered prize was ‘One Favor of Protection,’ he immediately signaled to the disciples behind him.

Treat the River God as your own revered ancestor. I must inform the Sect Leader of this tremendous news immediately.

Those disciples had already heard tales of Yuan Ji’s deeds. Now, without exception, they looked at her with reverence and spontaneously formed a retinue, escorting her up the mountain.

In an instant, Yuan Ji became the center of attention. Countious curious voices began to inquire: just who was this person, to be treated as such an honored guest by the Pill Heart Sect?

Qi Guan Shang cast a deep, silent look at the newcomers surrounding them and took a slow, deep breath.

Just then, another cheerful voice called out from ahead. “River God!”

The clear, bell-like voice of a young woman was as pleasing as a lark’s song. Several brightly dressed figures leaped down from the mountain peak, riding on their swords. Petals danced in the air around them, and the scent of flowers filled the air, creating a dreamlike, illusory scene that captivated countless onlookers.

“It’s Luo Qiu Shui! I never thought I’d get to see her! This trip was worth it!”

The entrance of Luo Qiu Shui and the others stunned everyone.

Huang Li, noticing the captivated stares of the crowd out of the corner of her eye, lifted her chin even higher with pride. It was worth the effort of dressing up meticulously upon hearing that the River God would be attending.

Now, the River God’s eyes would surely be only on them.

“River God! Long time no see. Please, allow us to show you the way.”

Huang Li acted as if she didn’t see Eleven, bumping him squarely out of the way. She reached out and took Yuan Ji’s wrist, carefully supporting her.

Luo Qiu Shui smiled gracefully and smoothly took up the position on Yuan Ji’s other side. “The River God graces us with your presence, bringing immense honor to the Heavenly Extremes Sect. The Ascension Determination Ceremony won’t start for a while yet. Perhaps you would like to rest at my humble abode for a moment?”

“I have brewed some fine tea. I wonder if you would do me the honor of tasting it?”

Luo Qiu Shui’s smile was warm and charming, instantly stunning the onlookers.

Was this still the same ice beauty, Luo Qiu Shui?

Everyone watched as Yuan Ji was not only warmly welcomed by the female cultivators of the Heavenly Extremes Sect but also escorted and protected by the disciples of the Pill Heart Sect. A single thought flashed through their minds simultaneously:

Just who is this ‘River God’?

Yuan Ji paid no mind to the crowd’s astonishment. Surrounded by the various fragrances, she felt as if she had entered a sea of flowers, which only added to her delight.

It seemed her sense of smell was indeed just fine.

Meanwhile, Qi Guan Shang, who had been squeezed away from Yuan Ji’s side by Luo Qiu Shui, felt a vein throb violently at his temple: “…”

He stood silently, watching Yuan Ji being surrounded and crowded by all those lovely, flower-like female cultivators. He clenched his teeth and took another deep, slow breath.