Chapter 62: Fighting the River God

Shuiyun Village, a fishing hamlet.

Amid the restless roar of the Yangchun River, villagers clutched torches to illuminate the pitch-black night.

Firelight wove with shadows.

Their faces flickered, silent, staring ahead, pupils reflecting dancing flames with a hint of fervor.

A group of young men held spears, pressing their sharp tips against the chests of several gravely wounded Zhenmo Bureau captains.

Liu Xiujie and Li Xiaoer lay on the ground, gasping heavily, eyes glazed, minds dimming.

Ma Tao fared worse—he, skilled in close-quarters grappling, now had every bone in his body shattered, thick blood soaking his long robe, breath barely lingering.

They simply could not fathom what temptation could drive a river god who had spent centuries building a good name, shedding its demon label, to suddenly erupt and violently attack Zhenmo Bureau captains.

Unlike other demons.

The river god was deeply revered by the people; having dwelled here so long, one might even say Shuiyun Village was the Zhenmo Bureau’s tacitly granted “territory” to it.

In exchange, even if it did not act directly, any mishap in this region could be held against it by the imperial court.

This was precisely why Li Mujin had gone straight to the temple upon arriving here—though she disliked this river demon, it was barely considered a half-“ally.”

To commit such an act, unless it hid in the water for life, it faced certain death.

Four hundred years of patience ruined in an instant—for the sake of killing a few captains come to observe the ritual?

There was no reason…

“Ah ha! Let you dog-skin-wearing bastards show off!”

Meng Xian panted heavily with excitement, stomping his foot onto Li Xinhan’s shoulder, embroidered with a golden-threaded ferocious wolf.

This third-rank captain of the Jade Fluid realm had long since fainted from unbearable pain, his arm twisted into a knot by some monstrous force, white bone shards protruding through torn flesh, gruesome to behold.

Yet just moments ago, he had been evacuating crowds, summoning his aura to resist the surging river waters.

Seeing Meng Xian’s actions,

the other fishermen’s grip on their spears trembled slightly.

Though they had been protected by the river god since childhood, they still held a sliver of awe for the imperial court.

Disliking Zhenmo Bureau captains did not mean they dared to insult them; inwardly, they felt such an act unnecessary.

Besides…

They all looked up.

Outside the river god temple,

Li Mujin stood, looking weary.

Her brows slightly furrowed, her once languid and alluring face now unnaturally pale; after a long pause, she whispered softly: “Hey, aren’t you about to die? If you’re done, stop pretending, alright?”

Opposite her, a young woman in blue robes had a short sword plunged into her abdomen.

The river god lowered her gaze, expressionless, staring at her belly, then smiled faintly at the corner of her lips.

She reached out, pale fingers gripping the hilt, then slowly, calmly, pulled it out.

A flicker of discomfort crossed her face as the blade slid from writhing intestines; when she released it, the short sword fell to the ground.

The river god’s voice was exceedingly gentle: “I’m waiting for him to return. What are you waiting for?”

Hearing this, Li Mujin recalled the black wind from earlier.

She paused, then admitted frankly: “Far too weak.”

The river demon had been wounded, her essence depleted, unable to unleash even half her strength.

But her late-stage Jade Fluid foundation was too profound; to have injured her at all was already the limit of what I could achieve.

“What are you shaking for?!”

Meng Xian slapped the man beside him, snatching the spear from his hand.

His face twisted with cruelty, his mind trembling with excitement as he screamed at the top of his lungs: “Kill these Zhenmo Bureau dogs for the River Goddess!”

Shouting, he charged forward toward the woman.

The village chief had stood silently nearby, a faint sneer on his lips, as if watching a good show.

Seeing this, the old man instantly grew agitated.

You brat, how dare you interfere in a fight between a Zhenmo Bureau captain and the river god?!

Even if this Li woman is severely wounded and standing still, one little finger could crush you!

He hurried forward, leaning on his cane to block him.

But before he could reach him,

Li Mujin turned her head, watching Meng Xian scream as he thrust the spear toward her.

She lowered her head slightly, her disheveled hair stirring: “Annoying.”

With those words, her tall, voluptuous body collapsed like a cut kite.

Compared to the river demon, she was the one whose lamp had long burned out, merely holding on by a thread.

In her fading vision, Meng Xian’s ugly face was twisted with bestial frenzy, his screams rising higher, filled with fanaticism—he was about to prove himself before the river god.

Puch!

His expression froze instantly, spear raised, mouth gaping—straight through it, a black blade silently emerged.

Blood gushed from his throat, filling his mouth, then entirely sucked into the blade.

“…”

Li Mujin lay on the ground, her blurred vision adding a familiar figure.

Her breath was faint, unable to speak.

She could only watch as the tall figure casually withdrew the long blade from Meng Xian’s skull.

His handsome face stained with blood, his dark red robe swaying.

He walked forward calmly, stepping over Meng Xian’s corpse, then over her as well.

“…”

The river god stood with hands hanging, staring blankly at Shen Yi.

Her regal composure instantly gave way to panic: “Why did you return? Where is he?”

She frantically scanned behind him—only an empty path lit by torches: “I’ve gathered all the medicinal herbs for him. Where is he?”

Straining to search, the river god suddenly caught a scent she knew all too well.

Her gaze slowly settled on Shen Yi, on the clothing where he stored his demonic core; as she breathed, fury surged across her face: “You seek death!”

Chi!

Shen Yi stepped forward instantly, his Yidao descending with crushing force!

The full might of Greedy Wolf’s Extermination was unleashed.

The blade sliced through the air like a soul-reaping scythe in the pitch-black night.

Enraged, the river god made no move to dodge; in an instant, she raised both palms, and two crystal-clear streams materialized, coiling into chains that bound the blade.

The once invincible black blade halted in the gentle current, the bloodlines flowing along its edge washed away.

Already heavily drained, she now held nothing back.

Her fingers curled again, shaping another stream into a whip, lashing viciously at the youth!

“I’ll flay your skin and break your bones to offer to my Dragon Lord’s spirit!”

The whip’s whistle cracked like thunder, slashing down like a serpent bursting from its hole, aiming to strip a layer of flesh from the youth.

Shen Yi released his grip on the blade, letting it be bound in midair, his body suddenly flickering.

He stepped with White Ape Mocking Python, fists clenched tightly.

He closed the distance to within a foot of the blue-robed woman, eyes icy.

Her countless meridians lay bare before him.

Meridian Severance, Dragon Grasp!

A fist like white jade slammed into the river god’s exquisitely shaped face.

The next instant, stripped of demonic power, greasy fat burst open across her face.

Four hundred years of fleshly nourishment, plus the Zhenmo Bureau’s neglect, had turned the once benevolent River Goddess into a literal pig.

(End of Chapter)