Chapter Seven: At Least There Should Be an Apology, Right?
When Meng Meng saw the bl**d-red ship appear in her sight, her voice abruptly stopped singing, and according to the original plan, she quietly hid her figure.
Xing Yuan sat alone at the edge of the stage, staring anxiously at the approaching ship.
In the end, Bai Kai still did not come.
Thinking of this made her mood gradually turn melancholic and angry. She squinted her eyes, seeming to hide blades within her gaze, as if she wanted to vent her anger on the ship ahead.
The River God’s red ship docked, and in an instant, cold winds rose on both sides of the riverbank, parting the chilly fog and bringing the sound of bells that seemed to come from a distant era.
Accompanied by the sound of bells, a scarlet staircase hung down from the ship like the tongue of a giant beast. Following this, four strange figures descended from the ship.
The four bizarre individuals wore black robes that concealed their entire bodies, each holding a beast-headed brass incense burner, linked by chains, with flames igniting, scattering sparks as they walked, fragrant smoke swirling around.
After the four figures in black robes stepped down to the riverbank, eight red-haired, coarse-skinned, muscular men followed, bare-chested with red silk sashes tied around their waists, beating thick drums made of cowhide with great effort.
When these strange figures and muscular men disembarked, they seemed to carry an air of divine entourage welcoming esteemed guests. But soon the welcoming spirit turned strangely morbid, morphing into a send-off for a funeral.
Several individuals dressed in bright red and green, with painted faces, disembarked after the muscular men, scattering paper money around them. The pale white paper fluttered in the wind like snowflakes, covering the area.
They cried out sorrowfully, tearing at their hearts until their faces were streaked with tears, slowly moving toward the stage as if bidding farewell to someone.
Four girls in red dresses, with pale faces, lifted a bl**d-red bridal sedan adorned with fine green silks and painted beast heads, lightly floating down from the ship. Amid the flying paper money, it seemed as if they were not carrying a wedding sedan, but rather a coffin.
Lurking in the shadows, Lu Yibei, who stealthily approached the bl**d-red ship, couldn’t help but complain, “This is supposed to be a joyous day; can’t they do something a bit more celebratory and earthly?”
During the brief moments of her thoughts, she used the night’s cover to circle the bl**d-red ship, arriving at its side.
There was no need to worry about the situation at the front of the ship; Lu Yibei had confirmed with Xing Yuan that even if Water Brother did not show up, she was capable of handling things on her own.
As the inspector of the Siye Society in the southwest region, Xing Yuan was not only an A-Class Spiritual Ability User but also possessed special abilities that ordinary spiritual ability users did not, making her quite formidable.
Moreover, while Meng Meng set up the stage, she had already confirmed the surrounding environment with the nearby urban legends and developed at least three perfect escape routes through the flow of ley line energy.
So all she needed to focus on was saving the person in trouble. Should the situation turn dire, she could swiftly lead Du Sixian away via the safest route.
Using the ley line energy to determine an escape route was likely a unique trait among the many kings of urban legends.
The wind howled in her ears as Lu Yibei walked on water, swiftly gliding across the surface like a fish hawk.
Thanks to the booming drums played by the muscular men and the refined movements taught by Qing Ji, she attracted almost no attention.
Under the cover of night, she quickly reached beneath the ship, pressing against the hull to quietly listen to the thumping of the drums resounding above.
At the moment when the drumming reached its peak, she focused her gaze, stepped on the water’s surface, leapt over ten meters, and grasped the railing of the deck’s edge.
Using her arms’ strength, she hung outside the ship, stealthily extending her spiritual sense to investigate the situation aboard, and then, with a burst of strength, leapt up gracefully like a nimble bird, swirling slightly in the air before landing steadily on the ship’s corridor.
At that moment, a strong spirit energy fluctuation surged, bringing with it a damp and fishy odor, along with a suffocating feeling like falling into murky waters, which soon dissipated.
Following this, Lu Yibei sensed the family mark on Du Sixian.
Good, it seems she’s still alive, right inside this ship.
As long as she continued to move perfectly, just like before, she would be able to…
Just as Lu Yibei was thinking this, a chilling low voice suddenly called out from behind, disrupting her thoughts.
“Who goes there? What are you doing here?!”
Lu Yibei stiffened slightly, turned her head, and saw a woman in a red long robe with a stiff expression that had appeared behind her. The woman’s eyes were vacant yet fixed on her, like a pool of stagnant water.
Lu Yibei, “…”
Tsk—!
She silently cursed in her heart and discreetly maneuvered her coat through her wide sleeves to her hands.
A blank expression really was a headache, giving her no clarity of the situation, so perhaps it was better to take her out? Lu Yibei thought.
————
On a distant mountain, Bai Kai observed the situation around the stage, his expression gradually darkening.
“d*mn it! This woman—no, both of these women, are conspiring to deceive me?!”
Ever since Xiao Bei had become… like that, her deceitful thoughts had increased, as if something strange had awakened within her.
Bai Kai muttered silently and glanced towards the empty space, helplessly holding his forehead.
“What kind of wedding is this? This is clearly a marriage scam, scamming right on the River God’s doorstep! You two are really something! Aren’t you afraid of getting yourselves involved?!”
Having stayed in Huacheng for so many years, although he had never seen the River God in person, he had heard tales about Him. From various descriptions and legends, it was clear that He was a bona fide urban legend.
Even the booming drums played by the muscular men seemed to exhibit some of the River Yasha’s powers, with their spirit energy fluctuation levels reaching B-Class already.
However, due to their rarity and a lack of incidents involving urban legend attacks, the River God’s name seldom appeared in the sights of the Siye Society.
Seeing the two most important women in his life, well, Lu Yibei could temporarily be considered a woman…
Witnessing them secretly pull off such a grand spectacle, Bai Kai felt anxious and somewhat angry.
He needed to think of a way to express both his anger and his importance! Bai Kai thought.
“Bang—!”
Just as he was deep in thought, the rhythmic drumming from the riverbank abruptly intensified, then suddenly stopped. Following this, someone shouted, “The auspicious time has arrived!”
Accompanied by the shout, the mist on the riverbank thickened. A man slowly walked over, disembarking the ship.
This man had long deep-green hair styled in a bun, adorned with a golden fish-tail ornament, dressed in red clothing, draped in a snow-white sheepskin cloak, tall and elegant, and with a face like jade, emanating an enchanting and sinister aura.
He glided through the mist, arriving beside Xing Yuan, grasping one of her hands, softly saying, “Come, woman, speak your wish, and then come aboard with me.”
Seeing this scene, Bai Kai’s gaze darkened. A tremor in his arm unleashed a cold light, and a silver long sword instantly appeared in his hand.
d*mn! So what if there’s a ship!?
What kind of flirtation technique is this from bygone days?
Material wealth cannot buy genuine feelings; this was a lesson he had learned in his first year of business.
Grinding his teeth, he suddenly felt a strong urge to cut down something, whether it be an urban legend or a big ship.
No, not just a want; today he was going to cut down urban legends and a big ship!
Bai Kai thought, gripping the long sword tightly, lowly reciting, “The cold wind stirs the ground’s vital energy…”
As soon as the voice fell, his figure vanished from the spot, leaving behind trails of afterimages.
————
On the stage.
Hearing the River God’s words, Xing Yuan smiled charmingly, displaying her allure. “Hehe, that’s good! As for my wish… once, there was a sincere love placed before me. For certain unavoidable reasons, I couldn’t cherish it, and now I want to bring it back. Do you have a way?”
Unavoidable reasons… Bai Kai, hearing Xing Yuan’s words from afar, was slightly taken aback, then quickened his pace, flashing several times to approach the edge of the stage.
“…”
The River God held Xing Yuan’s hand, affection swirling in His eyes, just about to say, “I can’t do that, but I can protect you well in his stead!” when suddenly a man’s strange voice called out from behind.
“Tch, what’s the use of praying and asking for divine favor in such matters? If something is precious, you should have cherished it from the start!”
Xing Yuan turned to look, seeing Bai Kai approaching with a sword in one hand, striding energetically. Her heart trembled lightly, as if she saw the boy in white she had encountered at nineteen.
She faintly heard echoes of the boy’s voice, recalling promises to see the lonely smoke and sunset in the desert, or sitting under the parasol tree outside the old building together in autumn, counting how many leaves fell that season.
“If… I mean if leaving him is for his own good, is this the best choice?”
“Then speak up if there’s a hardship! What gives you the right to help him make such a cruel decision?” Bai Kai said, his hands gripping tightly around the sword, sweat beading anxiously.
“What if this hardship cannot be spoken?” Xing Yuan urgently questioned, her gaze soft yet ablaze with intensity.
“Then…” Bai Kai turned his face away, avoiding her gaze, pouting and saying, “At least there should be an apology, right?”
“I’m sorry…”
“…”
Bai Kai’s body trembled slightly, turning to look at Xing Yuan, becoming tongue-tied, and soon turned away again, his chin slightly raised as he emitted a nasal sound.
“Hum… hm~!”
The River God, standing aside, glanced left at Bai Kai and right at Xing Yuan, feeling that something was off, as if He were outside the loop.
Something’s not right; these two are not right!
It seems they’re clarifying doubts, but in reality, they are arguing. Just as I thought they were arguing, I vaguely sensed it felt more like showing affection.
Whose wedding exactly is being held today? Did you invite me here just to watch your drama? Can’t you at least show me a bit of respect?!
“I say, you two, the time is almost up; let’s stop here, shall we? If we delay any further, the auspicious moment will…”
“Shut up! We’re talking; you have no right to interrupt!” Bai Kai and Xing Yuan exclaimed in unison.
Sorry, no!
In an instant, the wind roared, and a dark axe and a silver long sword were almost at the same time raised, one to the left and one to the right, against the River God’s neck.
River God, “…”
After a long pause, a vein bulged on His forehead, His expression sinister as He said, “I see now, you two are here to cause trouble, right?”
“No!”
Xing Yuan shot a disdainful glance at the River God, silently producing the golden d*ath-Owl Badge and fastening it to her chest, then gazing tenderly at Bai Kai.
The level of double standards here was shocking, angering both gods and men!
Whether others could bear it or not, the River God certainly could not; His fists clenched tightly, and in an instant, spirit energy surged violently, causing His white cloak to flutter without wind. Thick fog swelled with dense humidity, spreading in all directions.
Those following urban legends simultaneously dropped their lowly disguises, revealing their terrifying faces, and under the River God’s command, they quickly spread out, surrounding the two.
Seeing this, Bai Kai revealed a wicked and wild smile, unzipping his jacket to show the silver d*ath-Owl Badge against his body, turning to the River God, “Sorry, the Siye Society is on a mission!”
As the words fell, bright energy surged from their backs.
【Hybrid Spirit Patterns · Heroic Spirit Poem】 unleashed!
【Mythological Spirit Patterns · Qiongqi Progeny】 unleashed!
In an instant, spirit energy surged wildly, the sound of reciting literature and the low roar of ancient beasts resonating simultaneously.
Two tides of spirit energy surged forth like a raging torrent, instantly pushing back the River God’s spirit energy to His rear.
In the next moment, three waves of spirit energy collided, erupting with a bang, spreading chaotic turbulence that carved two deep trenches into the riverbank.
————
“Boom—!”
A booming sound echoed outside the window.
It seemed like someone was continuously attacking, and the ship was violently rocking.
Have they started fighting? Lu Yibei paused her steps and looked out the window, only to see a veil of hazy white mist, unable to discern the battle’s status.
As if sensing she had fallen behind, the strange woman ahead hesitated for a moment, stiffly turning around to gaze at Lu Yibei, saying, “Bei Er, hurry up, there’s still a lot to do over there. If you delay the master’s important business, you’ll face punishment!”
In the end, Lu Yibei did not engage with the woman who had suddenly appeared when she boarded the ship.
For some reason, the woman not only did not consider Lu Yibei an intruder but treated her as one of the River God’s concubines.
After realizing this, Lu Yibei let her coat change into an outfit similar to the woman’s, moving closer to engage in conversation.
After chatting as they walked, she learned that this peculiar ship housed all the “wives” abducted by the River God, numbering in the hundreds.
These unfortunate women, under the influence of the River God’s spirit abilities, had endured countless years without dying but had become like this, neither human nor ghost.
Perhaps it was because they all bore a corpse-like appearance that the woman mistook Lu Yibei for one of them.
Moreover, these abducted women had been on the ship so long that they were no longer human but had not fully transformed into urban legends either.
This was also the reason Lu Yibei had failed to detect the woman’s presence with her spiritual sense before boarding.
Upon realizing this, she thought of taking advantage of the situation, potentially mingling among these unfortunate women and locating Du Sixian without triggering conflict, thus following the planned best escape route to leave.
Once Du Sixian was safely secured, she would reassess the situation to offer appropriate support to Xing Yuan.
Just as Xing Yuan had said before the operation began, the rescue mission should prioritize saving people.
“She’s coming!”
Hearing the woman’s call ahead, Lu Yibei withdrew her gaze from the window, replied, and hurriedly followed after her.
Approaching the woman, expressionless, she mournfully asked, “Gui Hua, if the master takes a new concubine, won’t he stop favoring us?”
“Wah wah wah, then what will we do!?”
“…”
The woman fell silent for a moment, accompanied by the creaking of stiff joints as she turned her face to Lu Yibei, sighing, “Since ancient times, new people have always surpassed the old ones. You may have come late and haven’t quite gone through similar events, but like me, you’ll naturally get used to it after a while.”
Lu Yibei remained silent, tracing her fingers along the railing they passed and following Gui Hua as they moved on. After a long contemplation, she continued to ask, “Gui Hua, do you think the new concubine they just abducted will be especially beautiful?”
“What do you ask that for? Don’t tell me you’re thinking of doing something naughty to her?” Gui Hua frowned, speaking in a low voice, “I advise you against it. In the past, those who wanted to harm the newcomers didn’t come to a good end.”
“No, no, no, you misunderstood, Gui Hua,” Lu Yibei hastily explained, lowering her head and pretended to wipe away tears from the corners of her eyes with her sleeve. “I just want to take a distant look at her.”
“Having stayed here too long, I’ve almost forgotten what I looked like before boarding. Back then, I must have been a flower-like girl too, right? I’m sure you were as well, Gui Hua.”
“I just want to see that new girl, perhaps it will remind me of what I looked like before boarding, like when I used to look in a mirror.”
“…” Lu Yibei’s seemingly heartfelt words appeared to have touched the elderly Gui Hua on the ship, causing a hint of soft light to flicker in her dim and lifeless eyes, after which she sighed every three steps, paused every five.
Ultimately, she halted, moved her stiff body to face Lu Yibei, and said earnestly, “Bei Er, I can take you to see her, but you must promise me to only look from a distance, okay? If the master finds out, I won’t be able to save you!”
“Mm mm! Definitely, definitely, thank you, Gui Hua!” Lu Yibei nodded repeatedly, and while speaking, she mimicked the etiquette from court dramas, giving a small bow to Gui Hua.
“Follow me!” Gui Hua said, leading Lu Yibei toward the place where Du Sixian was held.
————
Lu Yibei had originally thought that after the River God managed to abduct Du Sixian using some unknown method, He would at least keep her in a pitch-black little room out of sight.
However, when she saw Du Sixian from a distance, she realized she was wrong.
Following Gui Hua, she descended along the gilded beast-patterned spiral staircase, lightly touching the railing as they went down, and soon arrived at the ship’s belly.
Upon passing through a corridor illuminated by ever-bright lamps, a massive chamber hollowed out within the ship on three levels came into view, countless lanterns glowing red floated up and down inside, casting everything around in a bl**d-red hue.
Under a colorful glass dome, with beams of sandalwood, crystal jade discs for lighting, and pearls as curtains, fragrant woods were adorned with red silk, embroidered with silver threads of crabapple blossoms, moving like bl**d waves in a dreamy spectacle.
In the center of the chamber, on a golden bed large enough for ten or more people to sleep on, piled high with a red quilt embroidered with phoenixes and dragons, Du Sixian was peacefully asleep at the center of the bed…
(A little issue came up temporarily, affecting my typing; it will take a bit longer. Please forgive me~)
