Linjiang County, Shuiyun Township.
Those who live by the mountains rely on the mountains, and those who live by the water rely on the water.
Along the river, the fish market was bustling with activity.
The carriage slowly came to a halt.
Li Xiaoer got off to lead the horse, heading towards the local government office.
Shen Yi stood between two rows of fish baskets, breathing in the pungent, damp air.
Around him, fishermen with their pants rolled up chatted and laughed as usual, completely ignoring the presence of the Demon-Suppression Division officers.
Perhaps it was just his imagination, but occasionally, someone would glance over, their eyes faintly filled with hostility.
"Places like this are like that. It saves us the trouble of disguising ourselves," Liu Xiujie said with a smile.
"In other places, when people encounter demons, their first reaction is to report to the government. But here, they would definitely go and worship the River God instead."
"Worship a god?" Shen Yi couldn't help but think of the broken and worn-out statue in Liuli Temple Village.
Li Muyin yawned and teased, "Demons who don't want to end up on the imperial wanted list and don't want to hide in the mountains naturally give themselves a title."
"Four hundred years ago, when Shuiyun Township was still a fishing village, they relied on the River God for their livelihood," Liu Xiujie explained with a hint of helplessness.
"They hold a small sacrifice every June and a grand sacrifice every three years. It's become a tradition. For the small sacrifice, they offer livestock, fish, and rice. For the grand sacrifice, they offer young boys and girls. It's never stopped."
Hearing this, Shen Yi clenched his fist slightly and asked softly, "No one has tried to stop it?"
Though his expression remained calm, a faint sense of discomfort rose in his heart.
"How could they stop it? If you dared to speak out against it, these villagers would probably storm Qingzhou City with their fishing spears the next day. Could you kill them all?" Liu Xiujie shrugged.
"All we can do is send a few officers to oversee the grand sacrifice, just to intimidate the River God and remind it that the Demon-Suppression Division is still watching, so it doesn't get too out of hand."
"Even then, they treat us like thieves."
Led by Li Xinhan, the group left the fish market and soon arrived at a riverside village.
Despite its remote location, the village was even livelier than the town they had just left.
Expensive silk fabrics were cut into strips and hung on poles.
Bamboo-carved statues of the River God adorned the eaves of every house.
Occasionally, the sound of firecrackers could be heard, making it feel like a New Year celebration.
As they approached, an old man in a white tunic stood at the village entrance, leaning on a cane.
He gave them a forced smile.
"Are you here to observe the sacrifice, esteemed guests?"
"That's the village chief in charge of the grand sacrifice. Even the Shuiyun Township government has to tread carefully around him," Ma Tao whispered in introduction.
Li Xinhan scanned the village and slowly withdrew his gaze.
"Where are the officers from the Demon-Suppression Division who came earlier?"
Hearing this, the village chief looked surprised.
"Aren't you the ones observing the sacrifice this year? I was wondering why you were so late."
Seeing his reaction, a cold glint flashed in Li Muyin's eyes.
She stepped forward and said with a smile, "Let me remind you. You can worship whatever you want, but if you lay a hand on the officers of the Demon-Suppression Division, you know what the consequences will be."
"You must be joking," the village chief said, bowing his head and leaning on his cane.
"We wouldn't dare. Besides, what could we do with a few old fishing spears?"
Li Muyin didn't respond.
She simply walked into the village in silence.
On either side, young men holding fishing spears eyed her curvaceous figure with cold expressions, licking their lips.
"..."
Shen Yi took in the scene with a cold gaze.
It was hard to equate these people with the numb-faced villagers he had seen in the outskirts of Baiyun County.
In Liuli Temple Village, those people had been utterly hopeless, trembling in fear, not even daring to think of escape.
But here, these ordinary villagers could openly gaze at the officers of the Demon-Suppression Division with greed in their eyes.
Such a ridiculous contrast, all because of the confidence given to them by their "god."
For a moment, Shen Yi felt a pang of doubt.
Could it be that, to these people, demons were more reliable than the Demon-Suppression Division?
...
The River God Temple stood at the very center of the village.
Inside the spacious hall, a gilded statue stood in the middle.
It depicted a woman in her thirties or forties, with a kind face and a long, flowing dress that resembled waves.
Her hands were clasped over her chest.
On either side of her were statues of a young boy and girl, each holding a basket—one filled with fish, the other with flowers.
Their expressions were innocent and cheerful.
"There's something off about this statue," Ma Tao said, shaking his head.
Under the others' gazes, he reached out and sneered, "They offer a pair of children every three years. In four hundred years, there should be enough statues to line the entire village. Why are there only two here?"
Li Xinhan looked away.
"Do you think those people outside are fools? They don't really believe they're sending their children to serve the River God. They know exactly what's going on. It's all about profit."
Li Muyin sat cross-legged, closing her eyes as if to rest.
Soon, Li Xiaoer returned from the government office, his expression grim.
"No news. They all say they haven't seen anything. The badges weren't delivered to Linjiang County by them either. Could it be that those officers were intercepted by demons on the way?"
"The people in Linjiang County said the badges were left at the government office at dawn. It's unlikely that demons would deliver them as a provocation," Li Xinhan said, frowning deeply.
Li Muyin opened her eyes and glanced at Shen Yi, who stood silently in front of the statue.
She said softly, "The Yangchun River is too turbulent. If you could gather the fish below and cast a net, it would come back full. They would worship you like a god too."
"Some things are just hard to interfere with."
She had keenly noticed the faint dissatisfaction beneath Shen Yi's seemingly indifferent exterior.
She was curious.
Hadn't he grown up in poverty? Shouldn't he be used to such things by now? Why did this bother him?
Time passed quickly.
It was already dusk.
Everyone fell silent.
According to tradition, when the Demon-Suppression Division came to observe the sacrifice, the River God would appear to meet them.
But so far, there had been no sign of it.
"Could it have been killed by another demon?" Li Xinhan looked up.
Generally, demons had strong territorial instincts.
With the River God here, as long as it didn't want to end up on the wanted list, it wouldn't dare cause trouble.
At the same time, it would deter other demons passing through.
"If that's the case, it should have left by now," Li Muyin said with a smile.
"Otherwise, we wouldn't be able to stay here so peacefully."
According to records, three hundred years ago, the River God was a demon at the early Jade Liquid Realm.
After so much time, even though demons cultivated much slower than martial artists, it should at least be at the late Jade Liquid Realm by now.
Moreover, as a water demon, with the vast Yangchun River at its disposal, it could dive into the river at any moment.
Even someone stronger than it would have a hard time dealing with it.
"Esteemed guests," the village chief said, leaning on his cane at the entrance.
"We've been busy preparing for the grand sacrifice and don't have any spare rooms. Would you mind choosing a house that suits you and making do for the night?"
Liu Xiujie rolled his eyes.
Only in a place like this would they dare to make the Demon-Suppression Division officers share rooms with others.
Fortunately, none of them cared much about such trivial matters.
They all got up and left, pairing off and entering the villagers' houses.
Li Xiaoer had been Li Xinhan's servant since childhood, while Liu and Ma had been partners for many years.
Li Muyin was welcomed into a house by a woman, who beckoned, "When you're away from home, don't stand on ceremony. Come on in."
"I'll just take a walk," Shen Yi said, deliberately falling behind and strolling through the village.
He wasn't particularly tired, just a bit restless.
It wasn't that he was angry.
After all, he had only heard a few casual remarks.
In his previous life, he had heard far worse stories.
In times of famine, there were even rumors of people eating their own children.
In a world overrun by demons, survival was hard enough.
Expecting too much from ordinary people was just asking for trouble.
Just then, a faint argument reached his ears.
"Where the hell are you touching? If you dare reach out again, I'll kill you!"
Shen Yi looked up, curious, and walked towards the source of the noise.
(End of Chapter)