Chen Ping’an felt a surge of annoyance. He mused that he shouldn’t have been so impulsive, letting his thoughts run wild and venturing on this three-hundred-mile waterway. Now, these water demons and ghosts were eyeing him. If a conflict truly erupted, his sword-nurturing gourd was still with his physical body. Furthermore, his practice of the six-step pile stance on the river had been clumsy, and his punches were weak. It seemed his nascent Yin Spirit wasn’t naturally suited to martial arts. Just recalling those lantern-like eyes at the bottom of the river sent shivers down his spine.

Zhong Kui seemed to see through Chen Ping’an’s anxiety. “Yin Spirits naturally enjoy nocturnal wanderings through heaven and earth. This being your first astral projection, your nascent Yin Spirit, instead of going anywhere else, specifically sought out the Buried River Water God Temple. According to cultivators, this could be a rare opportunity. However, one must tread carefully. Opportunities can be blessings or curses, not always beneficial.”

Chen Ping’an inquired, “Are the priests in the Water God Temple cultivators? Can they detect my Yin Spirit?”

Zhong Kui retorted, “With the Buried River Goddess’s temperament, constantly battling water demons, and the river teeming with vengeful spirits controlled by that water demon, do you think the Water God Temple, where her golden statue is enshrined, wouldn’t have a powerful figure guarding it? Otherwise, that water demon, who calls himself ‘Yellow Immortal Lord,’ would have devoured the temple and the entire small mountain long ago.”

Chen Ping’an sheepishly admitted, “That does seem to be the case.”

Zhong Kui finally offered some good news. “However, don’t worry. Your Yin Spirit is quite ethereal. As long as you don’t enter the shrine to offer incense, no one at the Water God Temple will be able to discern its presence.”

Zhong Kui frowned, circling Chen Ping’an, marveling. “Chen Ping’an, have you suffered two major calamities? One very early on, damaging your fate, and another a few years ago, severing your Bridge of Longevity?”

Chen Ping’an hesitated, then nodded. Ever cautious, he made an exception and didn’t try to hide the truth. “Something like that.”

Both for the Great Fu Academy’s gentleman title he bore and for Zhong Kui’s reference to “Master Qi.”

Zhong Kui stroked his chin, lost in thought.

Chen Ping’an asked, “How did you discern that?”

Zhong Kui continued to scrutinize Chen Ping’an, slowly explaining, “Trees have rings, revealing their age. A person’s soul is similar, but the human body is a small world, and the universe a large body. Flesh, blood, sinews, and bones act as a wall between the two.”

Seeing Chen Ping’an’s bewilderment, Zhong Kui gave an example. “Imagine the Vast World and the Azure Profound World. Even with the divine ability to view mountains and rivers within a palm, even a Twelfth Realm immortal wouldn’t be able to see between them. But when your Yin Spirit manifests, your soul becomes like a rock revealed when the water recedes, clearer, allowing me to see many clues.”

Zhong Kui suddenly chuckled. “Chen Ping’an, your job as a patch-up artist must be quite arduous.”

Cracked was his natal porcelain, preventing Chen Ping’an from seizing any fortune in the Carp Leaping Grotto-heaven. Broken was his Bridge of Longevity, leaving his body like a leaky house, necessitating the Hanchampion Fist to preserve his life.

Zhong Kui’s description of Chen Ping’an as a struggling patch-up artist was spot-on.

Previously, there was the Sage Zhou Ju from Treasure Bottle Continent, whose recited poems could trap enemies in gales, instantly reducing them to bones and dust. Now, there was Zhong Kui from the Firmament Leaf Continent, even more unfathomable. Chen Ping’an’s perception of these Confucian academies grew more complex and profound.

Chen Ping’an asked, “You want to enter the temple to offer the first incense? Isn’t that problematic for a Confucian gentleman?”

Zhong Kui couldn’t help but smile. “If some pedantic scholars from the academy were to find out, there might be some criticism, but nothing significant. Scholars aren’t as rigid as you think.”

Zhong Kui exclaimed in surprise, a mischievous grin on his face. “Well, well, thanks to your presence, I might get to experience the Buried River Water Goddess’s volatile temper.”

Zhong Kui’s lips moved slightly, and the waters of the Buried River around them flowed as if encountering pillars, diverting around them while emitting a faint glow. A large umbrella shielded them, a canopy overhead, concealing their figures.

Then, Zhong Kui grabbed Chen Ping’an’s arm. “Come with me to watch the show.”

The Buried River became murky and turbulent, as if a series of underwater explosions were occurring.

Three or four miles from the Water God Temple, the riverbed had become a battlefield.

Chen Ping’an gazed into the distance. There was a petite figure, wielding something that traced dazzling silver arcs in the water with each swing. Due to the speed, the silver lines accumulated, resembling chaotic cursive calligraphy, full of bold strokes.

The figure emanated a faint golden light, like a beacon in the darkness, exceptionally eye-catching.

The woman was short, appearing delicate, and young-looking. Her features were average, almost childlike, with a round face. However, her radiant golden aura and sharp eyes conveyed an imposing presence.

She wore a long saber at her waist, a long sword on her back, and wielded an iron spear, nearly twice her height.

The saber’s scabbard was purplish-blue, with most of it wrapped in gold thread.

At the junction of the sword’s scabbard and hilt, colorful clouds rose, a magnificent sight. The long sword within was undoubtedly extraordinary.

She moved through the water like the wind, unhindered, fast as lightning. Her spear repeatedly pierced the massive body of the water monster, splattering blood and filling the Buried River with a bloody scent.

Once, the water monster’s head slammed into her, sending her crashing into the riverbed with a thunderous sound. In an instant, she burst forth, piercing the monster’s jaw with her spear. The monster’s anguished roar shook the heavens, wildly contorting its body, causing massive waves in the Buried River. Even the common folk near the Water God Temple noticed the disturbance, but they were unafraid, craning their necks and peering into the distance, treating it as an interesting spectacle.

Besides being violently swift in her attacks, the short woman was also a foul-mouthed girl who enjoyed swearing during fights.

“You beast, you dare to rebel against the heavens! I haven’t even troubled you, and you should be grateful to your ancestors… But you’re just a beast with no ancestors to speak of. Since you dared to come before my temple, I’ll make sure you leave a few hundred pounds of meat here!”

“Don’t think you can get away with anything just because you have people in the court, bribing Mirage City with seven or eight hundred thousand taels of silver every year, trying to revoke my title as the Buried River Prefecture Lord. I’m not afraid of you! Even if the Buried River Water Temple becomes a heretical shrine, what’s the loss of my divine statue? I said I’d cut you into eighteen pieces, and I won’t settle for just seventeen!”

“Beast, come on, take another spear! I’ll have the kitchen make a bowl of stir-fried eel noodles later, the taste is divine!”
The demonic entity possessed a gargantuan frame, its skin a slick, golden yellow, devoid of scales, which inspired revulsion.

Originally, it was a fiend dwelling within a renowned lake of Daquan. As with all things, prolonged existence granted it sentience, though its cultivation advanced at a snail’s pace. Despite acquiring a heaven-sent opportunity long ago, after six centuries of diligent practice, it remained stalled at the threshold of the Dragon Gate Realm for over a century. Later, a reclusive cultivator, wandering the lake, offered guidance. The creature then abandoned its lair and ventured ashore, enduring trials and tribulations. It began its journey from the source of the Burial River, mimicking the movements of a dragon traversing a river, breaking through its bottleneck and finally ascending to the Dragon Gate Realm. Had it been allowed to travel unhindered downstream to the confluence of the Burial River and the great river, it might have been able to ride the current into the sea and achieve the Golden Core stage.

However, upon passing the Burial River Water God Temple, that wretched woman took offense because it had slain some mortal scholars. She declared she would uphold justice on behalf of Heaven, even if it meant fighting to the death. At that time, the fiend had just reached the Dragon Gate Realm, its aura at its peak, and it did not take her seriously. The lake where its lair was located also had a Water God, but it was merely its echo, bowing and scraping and offering tribute every year.

From the river section outside the Burial River Water God Temple, the two clashed all the way upstream. The battle was earth-shattering, eventually causing the river to flood three hundred *li* on both sides. Fortunately, it was a remote section of wilderness, sparing the common folk.

Finding itself outmatched by the Burial River Water God in the water, it could only retreat to the upper reaches of the Burial River to recuperate for decades. After its Dragon Gate Realm had stabilized, it was able to transform into a human form. Adopting the guise of a burly man, it went ashore carrying precious treasures, personally visiting the Azure Wanderer’s abode to offer amends. Little did it know that the addle-brained crone would start fighting without a word. In that instance, its ferocity erupted once more. Both sides unleashed their magical artifacts, resulting in a more devastating battle than their initial river encounter. The Azure Wanderer’s abode was mostly submerged, suffering countless damages, and even the gilded statue of the river deity in the Water God Temple developed cracks. But it fared no better. A natal magical artifact and a treasure meant to suppress the waters were damaged and destroyed, resulting in a crushing defeat. For the next two centuries, it regarded that battle at the Azure Wanderer’s abode as a humiliating disgrace. Despite its cultivation base surging after all sorts of scheming and its near advancement to the Golden Core threshold, it never transformed into human form. It vowed that only on the day that crazed woman’s gilded body crumbled and her temple was abandoned would it swagger ashore.

As for that pile of fragments from the gilded statue, they would naturally be its feast! Perhaps it wouldn’t need to venture to the great river flowing into the sea to ascend to the Golden Core Realm!

However, in a proper water battle, it was truly no match for this Burial River Water God, never once gaining the upper hand.

Having contended for over two centuries, it seemed that woman was determined to restrain it in the upper reaches of the Burial River. However, even she was aware that such self-defeating folly, despite her receiving incense offerings from the mortal realm year after year, would result in her gilded body developing at a snail’s pace.

Tonight, it had once again suffered an inevitable defeat, swiftly retreating upstream.

The diminutive woman, seeing its firm resolve that if she continued to pursue, it would go ashore and wreak havoc among the populace, grudgingly ceased her pursuit.

The iron spear had long since plunged into the riverbed during the battle. She sheathed her saber and sword, retrieved the weapon she was most accustomed to, cursed under her breath, and vanished in a flash, returning to the Azure Wanderer’s abode.

Only then did Zhong Kui and Chen Ping’an appear.

The two went ashore towards the Water God Temple on the mountain.

There were nearly a thousand people waiting to burn incense at the temple, with carriages and mules filling the foothills. As a result, many late-night food stalls were set up outside the temple. Coupled with the strange phenomenon in the upper reaches of the river earlier, everyone was excited.

Zhong Kui accompanied Chen Ping’an to look at the white jade steles, which had sprung up like bamboo shoots after rain.

They mostly contained prayers for rain from past emperors and local officials of Daquan, as well as some content similar to self-reproach edicts, and thank-you notes after successful rain prayers. Chen Ping’an glanced at them quickly, while Zhong Kui went to the front of the stele forest early and squatted on the ground, looking at an ancient stone stele that was severely worn. Only a few dozen characters of the inscription remained, and the content was fragmented, with many missing words.

Chen Ping’an came to Zhong Kui’s side and discovered it was a poem, with no signature. Presumably, due to the long passage of time, wind, sun, and rain, only about half of the words remained.

“Heaven and Earth are deaf, the Sun and Moon are blind… Mountains and rivers are haggard, grass and trees wither, happy people in the sky complain. Bound with iron, sent to the Netherworld, drive the Thunder God, command lightning, in an instant between Heaven and Earth, wind and clouds devour… Skilled in divine martial arts, a drop of heavenly golden bottle water, fills the sky with flying threads like a loom… sweeping away the summer heat of the world.”

Zhong Kui asked, “Can you see anything?”

Chen Ping’an shook his head and said, “I can only recognize the words.”

Zhong Kui sighed, “Mister once said that the words on this stele are actually a long-lost Daoist cultivation secret.”

Chen Ping’an asked, “Have you seen any clues?”

Zhong Kui said seriously, “I can only recognize the words.”

Chen Ping’an smiled.

The two stood up. The gate of the temple was crowded. Zhong Kui complained, “Because of you, I won’t be able to burn the first incense?”

However, Zhong Kui quickly said helplessly, “There must be officials or powerful people waiting at the back door. That small door will open a quarter or two earlier than the main door. So for these ordinary people outside the temple, no matter how many days or years you wait, unless you go to the back and have the temple keeper personally open the back door, you won’t be able to burn the first incense in this life.”

Chen Ping’an hesitated and said, “In my hometown, there’s a four-character Buddhist saying, ‘Do not seek outwards’.”

Zhong Kui nodded, “This saying is excellent. Buddhism emphasizes a righteous faith, which is to have unwavering faith in the mind of the true Dharma. Regarding the matter of burning the first incense, it is actually a misunderstanding by many worshipers in the world. Burning the first incense is not the first incense stick in the incense burner in the temple. As you said, ‘Do not seek outwards’. The first incense is just the first incense of every sincere person, the first incense of this life, the first incense of this year, the first incense of this month, all are the first incense.”

Chen Ping’an nodded and said, “That makes sense.”

Zhong Kui smiled and said, “Do you think it’s easy to become a gentleman of the academy? You need to have a lot of knowledge.”

Chen Ping’an asked, “Then can you write a poem for me? The title is ‘Feelings on Seeing the Prayer for Rain Stele’? I see scholars often do this on their writings, can you try?”

Zhong Kui looked up at the moonlight and said, “Tonight is suitable for going up mountains and down rivers, for visiting doors and mansions, for approaching deities, but not for composing poetry.”

Chen Ping’an smiled again.

Zhong Kui was exasperated, “Chen Ping’an, that’s not nice of you.”
Zhong Kui chuckled and asked, “Want to accompany me to Bi You Manor? It’s going to be the future Water God Palace, quite rare, one of the best in the entire Tongye Continent. If you’re lucky, you might even meet the Buried River Water Goddess…”

Chen Ping’an replied, “Didn’t we just meet her?”

Zhong Kui slapped his forehead, and with that single slap, a flash of inspiration struck him. “Opportunity! Your chance for this astral projection might lie in Bi You Manor and with her!”

Chen Ping’an shook his head. “Forget it, I need to hurry back.”

Zhong Kui wore a look of utter disbelief. Did such a person exist, who didn’t value opportunity?

A commotion arose at the foot of the mountain. Zhong Kui grabbed Chen Ping’an. “Trouble’s brewing. Let’s go see.”

The old matron who served as the temple keeper and an old, Daoist-looking cultivator stationed at the temple stood side-by-side at the foot of the mountain, blocking the path of a woman in white robes.

The commoners at the distant night snack stalls pointed and whispered.

The woman’s face was deathly pale. Furthermore, although her clothes seemed no different from those of ordinary people, upon closer inspection, the road she had walked was damp, leaving a visible trail, as if a bamboo basket were constantly leaking water.

The old matron, wielding a dragon-headed cane, struck the ground heavily, and sneered, “Insignificant water ghost, daring to offend the Water Goddess’s temple! You seek your own demise!”

The old cultivator smiled. “Since she’s already an evil spirit of the water, talking about ‘demise’ doesn’t seem quite appropriate.”

The old matron’s smile was sinister as she glared at the rebellious Buried River water ghost.

Just a little thing. One strike of the cane would shatter her soul. Killing her would be considered a good deed.

The water ghost woman trembled, bit her lip, and mustered her courage. She looked at the two lofty figures and said timidly, “Temple Keeper, Immortal Master, I’ve come here to find a scholar. He said he could help me break free from the river demon’s control, so I wouldn’t have to continue being his pawn…”

The old matron raised an eyebrow. “Nonsense! You came ashore without permission. It must be the river demon’s conspiracy!”

The old cultivator stroked his beard and smiled. “Shall I do it, or will you?”

The old matron tightened her grip on her cane, ready to strike the ghost dead.

However, she found that she couldn’t lift the dragon-headed cane no matter how hard she tried. She turned her head in shock and saw a smiling scholar who said to her, “Let’s talk this over calmly. This young woman isn’t lying. I did promise her this. She dared to risk being tortured by the water demon to come ashore to find me. That’s not easy. What if I’m just a liar who speaks carelessly? She’ll suffer for the next ten or a hundred years, perhaps even being reduced to a soul lamp at the bottom of the Buried River, burning in the water until her soul is exhausted. That kind of torment is more terrible than any earthly torture.”

Zhong Kui said to the female ghost who had pulled his hair earlier, “Young lady, you have courage and even better judgment. I’ll help you fulfill this wish! Just for daring to come ashore, I’ll try to even secure a chance for you to be reborn…”

The old matron’s face turned red. She couldn’t move the dragon-headed cane in her hand at all. She was enraged and said, “You brat, what nonsense are you spouting?! You want to protect a water ghost under the command of a river demon right under the Water Goddess’s nose?!”

The old cultivator’s gaze was sinister, and his words were even more treacherous. “This person is harboring ulterior motives. He might even be trying to collude with the river demon to harm our Water Goddess.”

Zhong Kui ignored them. He simply stared into the water ghost’s eyes.

In her eyes, there was fear, regret, and even a hint of guilt towards the down-and-out scholar before her.

Zhong Kui smiled and nodded. “Just for this kindness of yours, even if my teacher scolds me, I’ll make an exception for you. At least in my presence, Zhong Kui, good deeds will be rewarded, regardless of whether you’re human, ghost, god, or monster. Please wait a moment, young lady.”

Zhong Kui reached out and gently pulled downwards. The dragon-headed cane, weighing over a hundred pounds, was driven straight into the ground and disappeared. With a slap, he sent the temple keeper spinning dozens of times in the air before she crashed down dozens of feet away. With another slap, he sent the old cultivator crashing into the Buried River.

Chen Ping’an smiled slightly. “It’s reasonable, but it’s a bit impolite.”

These were the words Zhong Kui had spoken to him at the inn.

Zhong Kui laughed heartily. “Ask yourself honestly.”

Putting away his smile, Zhong Kui put on a rogueish face. “It’s enough to be in the right. The word ‘polite’ is too big. I’m just a gentleman, not a sage. I don’t need it yet.”

The Buried River female ghost opened her mouth wide.

She could guess that the scholar before her was a qi refiner with considerable Daoist skills, but she never expected that he could defeat those two old immortals with a slap each, leaving them with no ability to resist.

Zhong Kui’s aura changed completely. He strode forward, his sleeves fluttering, and stood before the female ghost. He said in a deep voice, “State your name, hometown, and date of birth!”

The female ghost did as she was told.

Zhong Kui nodded, indicating that he understood. He brought his fingers together and gently pressed them against the female ghost’s forehead, between her brows. He said calmly, “I am Zhong Kui, a gentleman of Great Fu Academy.”

Chen Ping’an noticed that, apart from him and the female ghost, it seemed that all the commoners outside the Water God Temple had frozen in place. The river of time had experienced a brief pause.

Zhong Kui said slowly, “Here, I announce to Fengdu that this woman is going to the underworld. No ghost is allowed to harm her, no Yama is allowed to insult her. All karmic debts are wiped clean. I will bear them, allowing her to be reborn with great fortune.”

Chen Ping’an suddenly looked up and saw dark clouds gathering in the sky above the Buried River, blocking the bright moon. A towering head of an underworld ghost creature, as large as a mountain peak, faintly appeared. Its aura was astonishing. Its appearance was similar to the depictions of the highest-ranking ghost officials in Fengdu on some immortal paintings. Then, the sea of clouds grew heavier and descended, covering the waters of the Buried River. The legendary underworld official slowly walked out of the black mist. After coming ashore, he quickly stopped. He lowered his head, wearing a冥府 (Míngfǔ) official hat, clasped his fist and said, “Your will be done!”

As he raised his hand to clasp his fist, a rattling sound was heard. It turned out that two iron chains were wrapped around his arms, hanging all the way to the ground.

Zhong Kui withdrew his fingers.

The female ghost began to dissipate, like fireflies, floating towards the ghost official standing by the riverbank.

She wept and said, “Thank you, Young Master Zhong. I hope I can repay your great kindness in the next life.”

Zhong Kui waved his hand with a smile. “No need. Don’t get involved with me again. In your next life, just be a secure young lady.”

The female ghost was eventually taken away by the great ghost official from Fengdu who resembled a patrolling envoy. The Buried River and the dark clouds in the sky suddenly swirled and dispersed.

Finally, the ghost official glanced at Chen Ping’an’s astral body, intentionally or unintentionally.
Zhong Kui wiped the sweat from his brow, exhaled a long breath, and turned to remind Chen Ping’an, “Your Yin God is indeed extraordinary, able to withstand the suppression. Have you traveled through the River of Time before? That’s impossible, isn’t it?”

Chen Ping’an didn’t answer the question, only saying, “I think Ninth Sister should take a liking to you.”

Zhong Kui’s eyes lit up, “You really think so?!”

Chen Ping’an smiled faintly, “Just being polite, don’t take it seriously.”

Zhong Kui chuckled bitterly, then muttered, “Such an unconventional feat, I actually pulled it off?”

Suddenly, Zhong Kui tilted his head, rubbing his chin with his palm, and tsked, “I’m really something, aren’t I? A man as handsome and capable as I am is a rare sight.”

Chen Ping’an nodded in agreement, “Also able to write doggerel and work as an accountant.”

Zhong Kui sighed, “Chatting with you is such a bore.”

The Biyou Manor was not built on the banks of the Burial River, but rather in a mountain valley, a dozen li away from the river. Moreover, the mountain roads along this stretch of river were impassable, the mountains and valleys were remote, and the area was sparsely populated. It was a difficult task for all local officials to visit the Biyou Manor. Fortunately, the River God was elusive, saving them much trouble. For many local mountain and water deities’ residences, the annual courtesy visits from the state and county officials had long become a customary practice in officialdom.

The master and disciple of the Golden Summit Temple, Yin Miaofeng and Shao Yuanran, being cultivators, naturally didn’t find it difficult. Arriving at the gate of the Biyou Manor, Yin Miaofeng loudly announced their names, along with their status as offerings of the Daquan Dynasty, and also mentioned their sect, the Golden Summit Temple. There was no other way, the Burial River God’s eccentric temper was well-known among the Daquan cultivators. Yin Miaofeng was afraid that if he didn’t bring up the Golden Summit Temple, the Biyou Manor might not even open its doors tonight.

However, this Baozhen Daoist was mistaken.

Even after he announced the name of the Golden Summit Temple and Shao Yuanran’s ancestor, the Biyou Manor remained tightly closed, without even a gatekeeper or servant showing their face.

Yin Miaofeng’s expression was displeased, but he had to swallow his anger and humbly requested the Burial River God to open the gate for a meeting, also stating frankly that he carried a secret decree from His Majesty the Emperor.

Shao Yuanran, on the other hand, became even more curious as to what important matter his master was involved in, that caused them to suffer such a rebuff.

Inside the vast manor spanning over a hundred mu, in a brightly lit hall, a petite woman stood on a long bench, burying her head in a bowl of noodles on the table.

To be precise, it was a large basin.

Bigger than her two heads combined.

It was stir-fried eel noodles.

Standing in the hall were several manor stewards and maids, all water ghosts who had died unjustly in the Burial River.

One of the elderly stewards softly asked, “My Lady, are you really not seeing those two Daoists from the Golden Summit Temple?”

The woman didn’t even lift her head, her chopsticks flying, making slurping sounds as she ate the noodles, muttering indistinctly, “See my ass! It’s always the same old spiel, annoying as hell.”

She suddenly raised her head and said to a simple and honest man who seemed to be a cook and was taking off his sleeves, “Cooked well. Next time, add more chili peppers, about three or four taels. That’ll make it even better. Don’t forget, it’s best to use the Facing Heaven peppers from Liu Lao San’s shop, that’s the spiciest!”

The cook seemed to stutter, nodding and saying, “My… My… I… I understand.”

The petite woman rolled her eyes, angrily saying, “My your grandmother’s my, I’m still a virgin!”

Suddenly, she was struck by something, slammed her chopsticks down, abruptly stood up, her face filled with killing intent, “Damn it, someone dares to cause trouble at the ancestral temple?! They’ve got some nerve!”

A wisp of smoke appeared on the table, like someone burning incense. Within the curling smoke, the voice of an old woman echoed.

After she listened intently to the narration, the murderous woman burped, quickly bowed, picked up her chopsticks, took another large mouthful of stir-fried eel noodles, wiped her mouth, and strode outside. As she reached the threshold, she said to the old steward, “I’m going to the ancestral temple. You take care of the guests outside, just tell them it’s the same old story. Unless the court can get the academy to hand over that book, our Biyou Manor would rather stick to that old plaque.”

The old steward frowned, although he respected the River God, he didn’t fear her that much, directly asking, “My Lady, what if those two Daoist Immortals lose their temper and obliterate my soul? Then who will run errands for you in the mortal world?”

She spat, “If you’re afraid of death, just say so, and don’t try to come up with excuses.”

Despite what she said, as soon as she stepped over the threshold, she disappeared without a trace, only her words echoing outside the Biyou Manor, “Speak nicely, don’t kill anyone… Wrong, don’t kill any ghosts.”

Inside the Burial River God’s Temple, the petite woman’s figure appeared out of thin air, carrying a saber and a sword, but without her iron spear.

Being within the confines of the golden statue’s ancestral temple, she arrived in front of the two troublemakers in one step, “You two, what’s going on? Why are you causing trouble here? That old woman of a temple keeper that the prefect forced in, you can only believe three or four parts of what she says. I can’t trust her embellishments, but I know very well about the disturbances here. Tell me, I’m listening.”

While speaking to Chen Ping’an and Zhong Kui, she quietly retreated.

It wasn’t because she feared anything, but she felt it was too embarrassing to speak to people while craning her neck.

When she no longer needed to look up, she stopped, remembering something, “Oh right, I’m the local Burial River God.”

Zhong Kui then explained the process in a concise manner, and the truth of the matter became clear.

After listening, she nodded slightly, “That’s pretty much it. Then you can wander around as you please, I’ll tell that old woman of a temple keeper to be more well-behaved and not make things difficult for you.”

Seeing that she was really about to leave, Zhong Kui quickly stopped her, “I actually have something serious to discuss with you.”

Her expression became serious.

As the orthodox River God who governed the waterway of the Burial River, the previous strange movements here had obscured the Heavenly Secrets, as if ten li around were shrouded in mountain fog, making it impossible for her to investigate the strangeness. However, she had a rough idea of the other party’s strength. They were stronger than that troublesome river demon. Even though she was in the ancestral temple, her battle prowess was better than in the water, but fighting was something that she, as a young woman, would avoid if possible. Since the scholar had made things clear, she would just treat it as a chance encounter. You go your way, and I’ll go back and eat my stir-fried eel noodles.

Never would she have thought that the scholar had something serious to say?
Could it be regarding the elevation of the Jade Ripple Manor to a palace again?

She directly asked, “Are you from the Great Floating Academy?”

Zhong Kui smiled, “As expected, the Water Goddess guessed correctly…”

“Enough with the ‘as expected’! Stop, stop!”

She raised a hand, interrupting Zhong Kui’s courteous words, and said with annoyance, “It’s true that you scholars love to flatter.”

Chen Pingan found it amusing.

Zhong Kui scratched his head, “Can’t you really change the request to a different sage’s book? Do you know that your stubbornness is making Emperor Liu of Great Spring very troubled, and the gentleman of the academy in Mirage City might also be annoyed by your unreasonable behavior. It’s not that our Great Floating Academy is aloof or arrogant, but that your request, Water Goddess, is simply too absurd.”

She nodded, “I know my request is excessive, so please don’t agree to it. I don’t care about any Jade Ripple Palace. Oh, and I hope your academy doesn’t vent its anger on the Great Spring Dynasty. If anything happens, come at me. I take responsibility for my own actions. The Jade Ripple Manor can handle that much.”

Zhong Kui said helplessly, “I just don’t understand. Why are you so obsessed with the books of that particular sage, Water Goddess? Could it be that you actually know that sage?”

The Burying River Water Goddess shook her head vigorously, “How could a mere minor deity like me know the Literary Sage, whose knowledge is vaster than the heavens? I’ve only read his books and found that his words are like precious jewels. His writing is far better than the Moral Sage’s, whose reasoning is profound but his language is dull, and even better than the Lesser Sage’s, whose learning is somewhat inferior. Hmm, compared to the Supreme Sage, the Literary Sage is… well, almost on par…”

Zhong Kui blinked, “Water Goddess, how can you say such things in front of a gentleman of the academy? Aren’t you afraid of being struck by lightning?! Hmm?!”

After all, Zhong Kui came from the most orthodox lineage of the Lesser Sage, and his mentor, the Mountain Master of the Great Floating Academy, came from the Lesser Sage’s mansion in the Central Earth Divine Continent.

Zhong Kui was annoyed, but he wouldn’t do anything to the Water Goddess in front of him. He just felt uneasy unless he gave her a little scare.

The real reason was that Zhong Kui was worried that the esteemed master sitting in the central region of the Tong Leaf Continent might be drawn by the strange phenomenon here and use his divine powers to observe the mountains and rivers. If he didn’t stand up for his own literary lineage, he would be scolded to death by the master when he returned.

Perhaps realizing that her words were disrespectful and bordering on blasphemy, she blinked, “I still have a bowl of noodles at home that I haven’t finished. I need to go back, or they’ll get cold.”

Chen Pingan stood silently to the side, his heart in turmoil.