“Spare me, River God! I have a seventy-year-old father at home! A seriously ill wife! And a nursing infant! If it weren’t for this, I wouldn’t dare disturb your peace!”
“Pfft!”
Jia Xianren kept kowtowing desperately, begging for mercy. He even heard someone stifle a laugh nearby.
But he didn’t dare look up now; otherwise, he’d make sure to remember that person’s face.
“That’s enough! Get lost, quickly!”
“Yes, yes! Thank you, River God! I’m leaving right now.”
Hearing the order to leave, Jia Xianren acted as if he’d been granted a pardon, scrambling to his feet and sprinting toward the village outskirts.
He didn’t care about the villagers’ stares—when disaster strikes, everyone fends for themselves. Who still cares about the villagers’ fates?
But he ran so fast that when two figures suddenly appeared from behind a small wooden hut ahead, he couldn’t stop in time and had to shut his eyes.
Yet the anticipated collision never happened. Instead, he heard himself yelp in pain and fall to the ground.
Getting up, he saw a surprising scene: a fair and beautiful girl nearly losing her balance, but a young man beside her was holding her waist with one hand to steady her.
Jia Xianren couldn’t help but admire the young hero’s arm strength!
It turned out Jiang Che first sensed the presence by the spring approaching from afar, then noticed the hurried footsteps rushing straight at Hu Qiao’er.
Qiao’er’s attention was fully on Jiang Che, completely unguarded.
Jiang Che instinctively pulled her back, causing her to lose balance from the sudden force.
Fearing she’d fall, he supported her with one hand, resulting in a somewhat intimate posture.
“Qiao’er, are you alright?”
At this moment, Hu Qiao’er’s face flushed with embarrassment—her big brother being held like this.
Hey! Jia Xianren really wanted to give this blindfolded young man a thumbs up—for style.
But wait… blind?
Jia Xianren’s heart skipped a beat. He seemed to have realized something and was about to get a better look, when the water dragon above the spring suddenly murmured:
“Still not gone?”
Though a low murmur, the voice sounded as if it was directly inside his ear.
Startled by the reprimand, Jia Xianren’s fleeting thoughts instantly vanished, replaced by pure panic.
Without another word, he got up and ran toward the village gate, leaving the villagers standing there in confusion.
His footsteps grew fainter and eventually disappeared toward the village entrance.
The scene immediately fell silent; even the wind seemed to hold its breath.
Jiang Che steadied Hu Qiao’er and listened carefully to the sounds around.
The water dragon’s rushing water echoed continuously above the spring.
The Old Village Chief stood at the forefront, heart pounding in his throat.
At sixty years old, having lived most of his life, he still had to face something like this.
But he had to grit his teeth and bow deeply to the River God.
“R-River God…”
The Old Village Chief’s voice trembled as he spoke only those few words before falling silent.
Anyone with clear eyes understood that no matter what he said, it couldn’t change the facts. They could only wait for the River God’s attitude.
“Old Village Chief, I have protected you so you could live in peace here, and this is how you repay me?”
The water dragon’s voice was accusatory, sending chills down the old man’s neck and cold sweat to his forehead.
Hearing the voice and feeling the grip on Hu Qiao’er’s hand, Jiang Che analyzed that this River God was not weak.
Though invisible to him, it would be astonishing if he could see it.
“That’s enough, no need for more words. I’ll give you one last day to prepare the tribute I want. This Pig Cow is coming with me.
Remember, if there’s a next time…”
The water dragon turned its head and swept its gaze over the gathered crowd.
When it reached Jiang Che, the voice paused slightly.
Although its vivid form was lifelike, there was an almost imperceptible instability.
Though subtle, the change in water sounds caught Jiang Che’s attention.
“Alright… that’s all for now. I am going to rest.”
“W-Wishing the River God a safe journey.”
The Old Village Chief finally relaxed, and the villagers’ faces were filled with panic as they fell into murmured conversations.
“Ah Che, Qiao’er, what are you doing here?”
Hu Jingzhong’s hoarse voice came from inside, and Jiang Che noticed the faintest hint of emotion; the man seemed in poor condition.
Hu Jingzhong stepped out from the crowd and approached Hu Qiao’er.
“Grandfather, I brought Ah Che to see you. What was that just now?”
Worry lingered on Qiao’er’s face.
“That just now was the River God. Sigh, I had hoped to have someone take care of it, but this is how it turned out. Are you alright? That man didn’t hit you, did he?”
“Huh? No, no.”
Qiao’er waved her hand, a bit embarrassed.
“Good, then you should head back. I think I still need to have a meeting with the Village Chief later.”
“Alright, Grandfather. Ah Che, let’s go.”
Qiao’er took Jiang Che’s hand, and he nodded.
He had always felt something strange about this spring, ever since he arrived here three years ago.
He didn’t know why.
But most likely, it was related to his spiritual roots.
When the Zhumen had tested him, the elders described it as a rare, pure Water Spiritual Root.
Even though his Linggen was ruined, his body probably retained some traits from it.
Perhaps that was why Jiang Che’s face was always smooth and fresh-looking, appealing to others.
Jiang Che followed Hu Qiao’er away, heading back toward the Ruined Temple.
He could feel the worry in her heart.
But it didn’t make sense! What did the River God have to do with her? And Hu Grandpa probably couldn’t meddle in this. This kind of trouble should be for the Village Chief to worry about.
One by one, the villagers gathered around the spring dispersed, paying no attention to what lay beneath the water.
“Hahaha!
That sly, rat-faced fellow was hilarious!”
A clear laugh echoed through the cavern, swirling around before fading with the drip of water seeping through cracks.
Who would have thought that beneath the spring lay another world?
In this pitch-black cavern, the Pig Cow from above was now struggling desperately.
They were exhausted, but they did not want to die.
Inside the cavern was a large River Mussel bed.
Lying on the bed was a scantily clad little girl with dark green hair flowing like water, nearly touching the ground.
She propped herself up on her hands, her hair covering all her private parts. (Don’t look!)
She smiled happily like a newly awakened child.
“But that was so scary! That was actually Sanmei Truefire. Ugh… so infuriating. I was protecting them, and they still sent someone to capture me.”
The little girl, who had just been smiling innocently, now pouted in anger.
“But it’s such a waste for that incredibly powerful Sanmei Truefire to be in the hands of people like that! Luckily, I have this treasure…”
She sat up and touched her small belly, where a faint blue light shimmered.
Duo’er had been in this world for over three years.
She was only seven or eight when she came here and missed her parents very much.
Thanks to the rapidly developing network environment and having read many yuri cultivation novels, she adapted quickly.
But why was she only a River Mussel…
She also wanted to be a princess, close to a cold, elegant female cultivator.
But from birth, a Pearl had appeared beside her.
She could feel the tremendous energy emanating from that Pearl.
With its help, she completed her transformation in just half a year.
“But that fair-looking young man just now—what’s his deal? Seeing his Pearl makes me lose control a bit…”
“And he smells really nice too, heehee…”