Chapter 57

Linjiang County, Shuiyun Township.

Live off the land, live off the water—along the riverbank, the fish market was bustling.

The carriage slowed to a stop; Li Xiaoer got out and led the horse toward the local government office.

Shen Yi stood between two rows of fish baskets, breathing in the fishy dampness; around him were fishermen with rolled-up pant legs, chatting and laughing as if the several Zhen Mo Si captains didn't exist.

Whether it was an illusion or not, occasionally someone glanced over casually, their eyes hiding a faint hostility.

"This is how places like this are—it saves us the trouble of disguise," Liu Xiujie smiled. "Elsewhere, when people encounter demons, their first instinct is to seek the government office. Here, they go to worship the River God."

"Worship a god?" Shen Yi suddenly recalled the broken, dilapidated statue in Liuli Miao Village.

Li Mujin yawned, teasing: "Demons who don't want to be on the imperial court's wanted list, yet refuse to hide in Shen Shan, naturally give themselves a title."

"Four hundred years ago, when Shuiyun Township was still a fishing village, they lived off the River God."

Liu Xiujie sighed helplessly: "Minor sacrifices every June, major ones every three years—it's become tradition. Minor sacrifices offer livestock, fish, and rice; major ones offer boys and girls. It's never stopped."

Hearing this, Shen Yi clenched his fist slightly and murmured: "No one intervenes?"

Though his expression was calm, a faint unease rose instinctively in his heart.

"How do you intervene? If you dare speak disrespectfully, these people will rise up tomorrow with fishing spears and storm Qingzhou City. Can you kill them all?"

Liu Xiujie shrugged: "All we can do is send a few captains during the major sacrifice to watch over things—just enough to intimidate the River God, to remind it that Zhen Mo Si is still watching, and not to get too bold."

"Even this, they treat like we're thieves."

Under Li Xinhan's lead, the group left the fish market and soon reached the riverside village.

This remote place was even livelier than the town they'd just left—expensive silk was cut into strips and hung on poles; bamboo River God statues hung from every rooftop; occasionally, firecrackers popped, as if it were New Year.

As the group approached.

An old man in a white tunic leaned on his cane at the village entrance, smiling without warmth: "Are you gentlemen here to observe the sacrifice?"

"The village chief in charge of the major sacrifice—his words carry weight, even the Shuiyun Township government office treats them with caution," Ma Tao whispered.

Li Xinhan scanned the village, then slowly withdrew his gaze: "Where are the previous Zhen Mo Si personnel who came here?"

At this, the chief turned back in shock: "Aren't you the ones here to observe this year's sacrifice? I was wondering why you were so late."

Seeing his reaction, Li Mujin's eyes flickered with coldness.

She stepped forward, smiling: "I'll remind you—you can worship whatever you like. But if you lay hands on Zhen Mo Si captains, you know what the consequence will be."

"You're joking."

The chief bowed his head, leaning on his cane, forcing a smile: "We wouldn't dare. Besides, what could we do with a few broken fishing spears?"

Li Mujin said nothing, simply walking calmly into the village.

On both sides, young men gripping fishing spears stared at her curvaceous figure, their expressions cold, tongues licking their lips.

"…."

Shen Yi watched the scene before him with indifference.

It was hard to equate these people with the numb villagers outside Bai Yun County.

In Liuli Miao Village, those people had no hope, huddled in fear, trembling, even without the thought of escape.

Here, these ordinary people openly stared at Zhen Mo Si officers with greedy eyes.

Such an absurd contrast stemmed from the "god" giving them confidence.

For a moment, Shen Yi's resolve wavered.

Did the people truly see demons as superior to Zhen Mo Si?

…

The River God Temple stood at the center of the village.

Inside the spacious hall stood a gilded statue of a woman in her thirties or forties, her face gentle, draped in a flowing water-wave robe, palms pressed together at her chest.

On either side stood a boy and girl, each with a topknot, one holding a fish basket, the other a flower basket, both smiling with innocent charm.

"This statue is wrong."

Ma Tao shook his head. Under everyone's gaze, he reached out, sneering: "One pair every three years—four hundred years, and there are only two children? There should be a line of them stretching all the way out of the village."

Li Xinhan withdrew his gaze: "Do you think the people outside are fools, truly believing their children are given to the River God as attendants? They know better than you. They're just after profit."

Li Mujin sat cross-legged, closing her eyes as if dozing.

Soon, Xiaoer returned from the government office, his face grim: "No news. Everyone says they never saw them. The official badges weren't delivered to Linjiang County. Could those captains really have been ambushed by demons on the way?"

"People in Linjiang County say the badges were left at the government office gate at dawn—it couldn't be a demon's provocation," Li Xinhan frowned.

Li Mujin opened her eyes, glancing at Shen Yi, who stood silently before the statue, and softly said: "The Yangchun River is too turbulent. If you could gather the fish schools beneath the surface, drop your net and haul in a full catch—they'd worship you as a god."

"Some things are better left unmeddled with."

She keenly sensed the faint dissatisfaction beneath the youth's indifferent exterior.

She was merely curious—he'd grown up in poverty, surely he'd seen worse. Why would this unsettle him?

Time passed swiftly.

Evening had fallen.

Everyone fell silent. By custom, when Zhen Mo Si came to observe the sacrifice, the River God would appear.

Yet now, it remained utterly absent.

"Could it have been killed by another demon?" Li Xinhan raised his gaze.

Generally, each demon has strong territorial instincts. With a River God here, as long as it didn't want to be on the wanted list, it wouldn't dare act recklessly—and it would also deter passing demons.

"If so, it's probably gone," Li Mujin smiled. "Otherwise, how could we still be sitting here peacefully?"

Records show that three hundred years ago, the River God was already at the Jade Liquid Realm's early stage. Now so much time has passed—even if demons cultivate far slower than martial cultivators, it should at least be late Jade Liquid Realm by now.

Moreover, it's a water demon. The Yangchun River is vast. Once it dives into the river, even demons of higher realm couldn't touch it.

"Your Excellencies."

The village chief, leaning on his cane, came to the door: "We've all been busy preparing for the great ritual lately and really can't spare any empty rooms. How about the few of you each pick a house that catches your eye and make do with some rest?"

Liu Xiujie rolled his eyes.

It's only in a place like this that they'd dare let people from Zhen Mo Si squeeze in and sleep with strangers.

Fortunately, none of them cared much about such trivial matters; they all rose and headed outside, pairing off two by two as they entered the villagers' houses.

Li Xiaoer was Li Xinhan's personal servant from childhood, while Liu and Ma were brothers-in-arms who had worked together for many years.

Li Mujin was also welcomed inside by a woman, who beckoned at the same time: "We're out on the road, no need to stand on ceremony—come on over."

"I'll just look around."

Shen Yi deliberately fell to the rear, strolling slowly through the village.

He wasn't all that tired; there was only a faint, restless irritation in his heart.

It wasn't so much that he was furious—after all, it was just a few casual words whispered in his ear; he'd heard far more disgusting stories in his past life.

There were even tales from years of great famine of parents exchanging their own children to eat. In a world of demons and chaos like this, even staying alive was hard; holding ordinary people to too high a moral standard would only be asking for trouble.

Just then, the sound of a small argument drifted over.

"Where the hell are you groping? Stick your paw out again and I'll slaughter you!"

Shen Yi lifted his gaze and looked over with a hint of curiosity.

(End of chapter)