But I'm a proper river god, you know! - Chapter 9

The wind rushed past Yuan Ji’s ears as dry branches grazed her cheeks. She tilted her head slightly to avoid them but never slowed her pace.

Ah Tong pulled up a map of the nearby area from the system, watching as a red dot moved rapidly toward a green dot. His expression grew serious.

The map was a system product, thoughtfully designed with a tracking feature that categorized targets. Green represented humans, blue represented demons, and red represented fiends—whether they were demonic cultivators, demonic beasts, or demonic energy.

The darker the red, the greater the danger.

Ah Tong swallowed hard as he stared at the crimson-black mark on the map. Just how dangerous is this thing? His host had only just arrived in this world—so weak and helpless—what would happen if they actually confronted it?

Ah Tong was beside himself with worry.

“Yuan Ji, turn left—it’s heading left!” Despite his anxiety, he still guided her. “That red dot is moving so fast. Who knows what kind of terrifying demonic beast it is. Be careful!”

“That person is in danger. We need to hurry.”

“Mmm.” Yuan Ji responded softly, swiftly sidestepping a nocturnal predator ahead. She didn’t comment further on Ah Tong’s words.

Earlier, she had caught a whiff of “White Jade Cake.” At first, she thought it was just an illusion from the overly sweet chestnut cakes at the temple. But as she neared the Forgotten River, the lingering scent grew clearer.

The fragrance was so familiar, as if etched into her very soul. Yuan Ji sifted through her fragmented memories but found no trace of this “White Jade Cake.” Her eyes darkened.

That person must be connected to my memories.

Pursing her lips, she quickened her steps, leaving only a fleeting afterimage in her wake.

Almost there—just ahead.

The wind howled louder in her ears. Amid the silence of the night, ragged breaths and the thick stench of water and mud reached her. Yuan Ji’s expression grew heavier.

Suddenly, she stopped. Her eyes narrowed as she studied the figure before her.

Under the moonlight, the man wore pristine white robes adorned with shimmering silver cloud patterns. His jet-black hair was tied back with a flawless white jade hairpin. Despite the simplicity of his attire, he exuded an air of untouchable elegance and composure.

Yuan Ji stared at him, unmoving.

Qi Yan seemed to sense something. With a graceful flick of his wrist, he sheathed his azure sword. His gaze lifted, cold and detached, like frost forming on ice—devoid of emotion.

Even though he shouldn’t have been able to see Ah Tong, the system spirit shuddered under that piercing stare. His voice trembled. “Y-Yuan Ji, there’s an array here. He’s trapped inside.”

Ah Tong hurriedly checked the map again, only to freeze in horror. The green dot and the red dot had merged into one.

“Yuan Ji, be careful! The fiend is right here!”

As soon as the words left his mouth, a dark shadow lunged from the bushes.

“Haah!”

Yuan Ji snapped back to reality, leaning back effortlessly to dodge the incoming blade. In the glint of the weapon, she caught a glimpse of fearful yet vicious eyes.

Understanding dawned on her. She raised a hand to subdue the attacker, only for the person to panic and fling a jade shard at her. A blinding blue light flashed.

“So it’s her.”

In the next instant, the surroundings transformed drastically. Lush trees were swallowed by thick white mist, the suffocating fog descending like a net from the sky. With a single command from its caster, she would be trapped like a fish, helpless.

Lan Wusi gasped for breath, clutching her chest in relief. “That girl is too sharp. She must be working with him—no good, either of them.”

Leaning against a tree trunk, she twirled a lock of hair around her finger. Under the moonlight, her bewitching beauty made her seem like a legendary fox spirit.

A dark red snake with black bands slithered out from beneath her scarlet gauze sleeve, coiling around her wrist. Its tongue flicked out, its pitch-black eyes reflecting nothing.

“My dear Hong Hong is much cuter.” Lan Wusi tapped the snake’s head, smiling faintly as it nuzzled her. But the smile soon faded.

She glanced down at her once-gorgeous red robes, now sullied with mud, and scowled. “That blockhead has no idea how to treat a lady!”

“Ah, that girl!” She suddenly remembered Yuan Ji and sighed. “I should’ve planted a scorpion on her—let it sting that bastard to death when they meet!”

“Ah, well. This illusion won’t last more than two incense sticks’ worth of time. I’d better find him quickly.” She sent Hong Hong to scout ahead. The two seemed to be near a house up ahead—she needed to hurry.

With that, Lan Wusi dashed off in the direction Yuan Ji had come from.

Inside the illusion, Yuan Ji’s eyes darkened. Breaking it wouldn’t be difficult, but she disliked the feeling of being controlled. A faint white glow flickered at her fingertips.

After resting earlier, her strength had recovered somewhat. Shattering this petty array would take no effort.

But then—

Her gaze landed on the approaching figure. Instinctively, she clenched her fist and tucked it into her sleeve, feigning nonchalance.

“Clang!”

A sword’s hum sliced through the mist. The azure blade behind Qi Yan trembled excitedly, as if greeting an old friend.

Qi Yan frowned.

The sword, named Zhi Jie, had been chosen by him from the Sword Pool. Its name meant “understanding propriety and restraint,” yet the blade itself was mischievous, behaving like a playful child despite obeying his commands.

Why was it now acting so familiarly toward this stranger?

Suppressing his suspicions, Qi Yan recalled the sword with a light cough, his expression stern. He had already made up his mind.

“My apologies.” He clasped his hands in salute, then suddenly winced, his face paling as sweat beaded on his brow. He staggered, covering his mouth as coughs wracked his body. In an instant, all color drained from his face, leaving him looking severely wounded.

Had Ah Tong checked the system then, he would’ve seen the red dot on the map instantly turn green.

But for now, that secret remained hidden.

“I am Qi Yan… of the Tianji Sect. May I ask your name, fellow cultivator?”

Yuan Ji’s eyes flickered. “Qi Yan?” The name sounded familiar—had she heard it before?

Meanwhile, Ah Tong let out a shrill scream. “Yuan Ji! Stay away from him! He’s the villain—the great demon lord!”

Alarms blared in Ah Tong’s mind. Danger! Danger! Danger!

But Yuan Ji didn’t quite understand. Villain? A new pastry name?

To her, this man smelled exactly like the “White Jade Cake” she’d been searching for.

Ah Tong immediately realized Yuan Ji had completely forgotten their earlier conversation. She didn’t know, but he did!

The original novel’s villain, Qi Yan, was ruthless and cruel.

“Birds of a feather flock together”—his innocent host must not get tangled up with this man! She’d be corrupted!

Ah Tong, now resembling an overprotective parent, suddenly remembered something and pulled up the map again. “Yuan Ji, don’t be fooled! This man is a demon lord. You saw how dangerous he was earlier—look!”

They both followed Ah Tong’s finger, expecting to see a crimson-black dot. Instead, a fresh green dot blinked back at them.

“…What?” Ah Tong choked on his words, gaping in disbelief.

Since when did he turn green?!

Ah Tong didn’t get it. Forcing a strained smile, it muttered, “Yuan Ji, this man is too good at pretending.”

Yuan Ji didn’t respond, making Ah Tong even more anxious. Was Qi Yan using—

A beauty trap?!

Yes! Feigning weakness to lower her guard and gain her trust! What a schemer!

Ah Tong was heartbroken. His pure-hearted host, still so inexperienced, might actually fall for it.

“Yuan Ji, he—”

Yuan Ji withdrew her gaze, having already made her decision.

The moment she saw Qi Yan, an image flashed in her mind—a massive, nameless tree, its branches heavy with red silk ribbons. Wishes hung from them, swaying gently in the breeze.

Just as she’d thought.

Pressing her lips together, she said, “This man is connected to my memories.”

“Huh? Yuan Ji, what did you remember?” Ah Tong was stunned. That shouldn’t be possible. Yuan Ji’s memories had shattered when she perished—the system had collected and stored the fragments. How could she recall anything now?

“A tree.” Yuan Ji looked back at Qi Yan, her eyes flickering with something complex.

Did he come to me willingly?

“Never mind. Let’s take him back.”

Ah Tong’s breath hitched as he turned to stare at the “weak” Qi Yan. The villain’s plan had succeeded.

Still, Ah Tong noted that Qi Yan’s unstable energy suggested genuine injury, which eased his worries slightly. If he kept a close eye on him, surely nothing bad would happen!

His host was truly kind-hearted. Ah Tong’s mood lifted, his earlier despair forgotten in an instant.

“Yuan Ji,” she introduced herself with a slight nod. “My river god temple is up ahead. Let’s go there.”

With that, she extinguished the white glow at her fingertips and summoned a flame instead. No need to reveal her full abilities—let the fire handle the illusion.

The flame shot forward, instantly condensing the mist into water droplets. No matter how convoluted the illusion’s paths were, the flame brute-forced its way through in a straight line.

“Let’s go,” Yuan Ji said flatly.

Qi Yan had already guessed this self-proclaimed river goddess was extraordinary, yet her sheer dominance still surprised him. Covering another cough with his sleeve, he hid a faint smile.

“Cough… My thanks.”

As he watched Yuan Ji’s retreating figure, a thought crossed his mind:

Just what else is she hiding?