Chapter Forty-Two

The group consisted entirely of men, dressed simply, with dark complexions, short and stocky builds, clearly ordinary villagers. However, some were crying and others were wailing, turning what should have been a joyous occasion into a funeral procession.

Even the suona player couldn't continue playing; the "Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix" song came to an abrupt halt. He turned to look at the wedding party and sighed, "Is your family happy or not? If you say you're happy, why are you crying like this? If you say you're not happy, why did you spend money to buy all this wedding attire?"

The middle-aged man at the head of the group wiped away his tears and shook his head, saying, "The River God wants to marry us, and none of the Liu family objected. If it weren't for the River God all these years, where would the village have such a good harvest? It's just that our daughter is still young, and we originally planned to keep her at home for a few more years..."

As he spoke, Liu's father broke down in tears, covering his face and saying, "Her mother, her brothers, and I earned the money to prepare her dowry a few years ago. Now that she's really getting married, how could we refuse to give it to her?"

Liu's father wept, and three young men beside him, all short, stocky, and dark-skinned, were clearly Liu's three older brothers. They also shed tears and said to the suona player, "Our sister has never suffered since she was little. Our whole family loves and cherishes her. We originally thought that she would marry into the village so we could see her every day. Who knew that she would marry the River God and we don't even know if we will ever see her again in this life? How can we not be heartbroken?"

The suona player scratched his head and whispered, "But that's the River God. Marrying the River God is better than marrying some peasant. You should stop crying so the River God doesn't see you and ruin a happy occasion."

At this moment, Liu's younger sister in the sedan chair also spoke up to coax, "Father and brother, don't cry. The River God has done many things for the village and is also handsome. You can't find a son-in-law like him even with a lantern. Your daughter is willing."

The men of the Liu family wiped away their tears, their hearts filled with trepidation. Although the River God was kind and handsome, he was not an ordinary person after all. They were not like the youngest sister of the Liu family who only cared about a handsome face.

Furthermore, the men of the Liu family inquired everywhere and it seemed that the time had come. The River God had recently taken several more wives. Their little sister was simple-minded, and if she did not please the River God, wouldn't she be left alone every night, wasting her life at such a tender age?

Thinking of this, the men of the Liu family started to shed tears again, but they dared not cry out loud so that the young woman in the sedan chair could hear them.

Even though they knew the marriage was highly problematic, they dared not say they wouldn't marry him.

The autumn harvest is just around the corner, and the rice stalks in the fields are drooping, each grain looking plump and full.

What should have been a time of great harvest and joy for everyone turned into a period of unexpected drought. Instead, the river suddenly swelled in the past few days.

The villagers ran to the river several times a day to check, fearing that if the water level rose further, it would flood their crops.

Just then, the River God appeared and said he wanted to take a wife. The only eligible girl in the village was Liu's little sister. Would they dare to refuse?

The village chief came to the house twice, and the neighbors who used to get along very well with him changed their expressions. They implied that the River God had protected the village for who knows how many years, and now he just wanted to find a wife, so Liu Xiaomei had to marry him.

Two fists can't fight four hands, and the old father of the Liu family nodded with tears in his eyes.

Fortunately, Liu Xiaomei was broad-minded. Even though her family closed the door and cried their hearts out on the kang (a heated brick bed), she could still cheerfully say that the River God was handsome and a good son-in-law.

“The River God isn’t human. He has many wives. You’re simple-minded and won’t win over your husband. You’ll be left out in the cold.” Liu Xiaomei’s mother, who slept in the same bed with her that night, cried as she hugged her.

"It's alright, as long as the River God can still give me something to eat." Liu Xiaomei didn't care at all, and instead comforted her mother, "It's not good for me to be married in the village, otherwise I would have to go back to my parents' house to eat and drink every day, which would make my sisters-in-law angry."

Her mother punched her twice hard, saying in pain, "You're my own flesh and blood. I'd be happy to let you eat any of the family's food, or even your own flesh. No one can say anything to you."

Sitting in the sedan chair, covered with a red veil, the easygoing and simple-minded Liu Xiaomei's eyes reddened as she thought of the scalding tears her mother had shed on her face that day.

Each with their own thoughts and equally distressed, the Liu family waved to the suona player. The suona player responded with a sigh, and the "Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix" melody began. Suddenly, two women appeared on the path.

The leader was dressed in black, with a round face and a tight, round bun. His expression was terrifying, as if he wanted to devour people. The woman behind him looked pretty and charming, but she stood there with her hands on her hips, clearly not someone to be trifled with.

The song "Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix" came to an abrupt end.

Although they looked like they were not to be trifled with, the path was narrow, the Liu family was large, and there was a sedan chair, so Liu's father could only bow to the two women and say, "Greetings to the ladies. Our family is getting married today, so we cannot avoid them. Please make way for us."

"Miss..." The round-faced woman at the head of the group snorted and patted her uniform. "Have you never seen this outfit before? Which village or county are you from? Who is your village chief?"

"The Yiren Temple in the county is doing such a terrible job. Didn't your county send someone to the countryside to tell you this? If you encounter anything strange, you should report it to the Yiren Temple. It's one thing if they don't report anything normally, but they still won't report it even when they're about to give up their daughter!"

"It's actually the Celestial Master!"

"What should we do? If we attract the Heavenly Masters and they wipe out the River God, the villagers will hate us to death."

After Pei Xuanji finished speaking her harsh words, the villagers finally recognized the clothes she was wearing.

The Liu family and the suona player panicked and quickly spoke up to speak well of the River God.

"If it weren't for the constant protection of the River God, the villages around us would never have such a good life. We have had favorable weather year after year. When there is little rain, the River God finds a way to bring us water. When there is too much rain, the River God transports the water to other places."

The Celestial Master can ask around; no child here has ever fallen into the river and drowned. The River God truly cares for us, and we genuinely respect him.

"I implore the Celestial Master to be lenient and not report the River God's matter to the Temple of Strange People."

Several villagers bowed and scraped to the two women, now completely forgetting the pain of their daughters' impending marriage, and instead spoke well of the River God.

If it weren't for the Liu brothers wanting to carry the sedan chair, they would have already knelt down and kowtowed to Pei Xuanji, begging her to be lenient.

Pei Xuanji was suddenly lifted up by them, unsure whether she should continue to threaten them harshly or speak to them politely.

She turned back and glanced at Baozhu helplessly.

Baozhu returned her an innocent look.

Pei Xuanji was speechless for a moment, then turned her head back. Yes, at this moment, there was no Zhang He or Li Zhi to deal with people. She only had a fox demon who was even less worldly-wise than herself by her side.

"I can only rely on myself now," Master Pei encouraged himself. He was about to put on a fierce act and intimidate them again to get them to reveal more about the River God.

Suddenly, Baozhu behind her spoke up: "You say the River God is so good, so why is he reluctant to marry his daughter off to him, and why does he say he will never see his daughter again? Is it because none of the daughters who married him off before have ever come back?"

Pei Xuanji was stunned for a moment, then realized what was happening.

When exactly did the River God start asking the villagers for wives? How did they know that once they married their daughters off, they would never see them again?

Upon hearing this question, the men of the Liu family looked at each other, hesitant and reluctant to answer.

Pei Xuanji raised an eyebrow and made a move to reach into her satchel: "You won't tell, huh? I'll report it right now."

No, no, no!

"Oh dear, Master Celestial, please don't!"

Several farmers were so anxious they jumped up and down. The suona player quickly replied, "The River God doesn't marry often. The last time was five years ago. I know he married ten wives that time."

“We went to inquire, and it turns out that the River God’s last wife hasn’t returned to the village for five years,” Liu’s father also explained. “But there’s no one beyond that.”

"You say the River God has protected you for so many years, so why did he only ask you for wives five years ago and now?" Pei Xuanji found it very strange. "Could it be that he suddenly changed his nature five years ago?"

This question stumped the villagers. They scratched their heads, and Liu's father seemed to suddenly understand. He asked in confusion, "The Celestial Master is right. I remember five years ago, no, it seems like it was six or seven years ago, the River God didn't appear in front of people."

"Has he ever shown himself to you again?" Baozhu interjected. "What is his true form as a demon?"

These words displeased several villagers, who retorted in whispers, "The River God is naturally a deity, how could he be a monster?"

"You all say he's a god. Since he's not a demon, and a true god has appeared in the world, why haven't you reported it?" Pei Xuanji said sternly.

The villagers dared not utter a sound; they looked at each other.

The villagers consider the River God a deity, and so he is. If they report this to the Temple of Strange People, and the higher-ups send people down, not only will they not be able to exterminate the River God, but they might also enshrine him and move him to another place. Wouldn't that be a great loss to the villages that are protected by the River God?

Of course, they dared not reveal these ulterior motives to the Celestial Masters who came from above.

When Pei Xuanji asked again, the villagers couldn't give her any answers. She herself hadn't recovered and only had a few dried talismans in her bag. She was extremely anxious.

At this moment, the farmers realized that it was getting late, so they apologized and started to carry the sedan chair around them and walk forward.

Pei Xuanji was speechless, unable to persuade them, when Baozhu behind her reached out and stopped the suona player, asking Liu's father, "Has the River God seen your daughter?"

Mr. Liu was taken aback and shook his head repeatedly: "The River God only appeared and asked us for a wife, without specifying who we wanted."

Baozhu smiled, gestured with her chin toward the sedan chair, and said, "Then you can take your daughter back. It shouldn't matter if you change the person in the sedan chair."

Now, all eyes were on Baozhu. Even Liu Xiaomei, who was sitting in the sedan chair, secretly lifted her red veil and looked outside.

As Liu's father stammered as if he was about to say something, Baozhu suddenly swung her fist and smashed it against a nearby tree.

A tree the size of a bowl creaked and fell down.

“I won’t say it a second time,” Baozhu said impatiently.

The charming and lovely Baozhu, without any expression, smashed a tree the size of a bowl.

For a moment, the villagers fell silent. Liu's older brother took the initiative, lifted the curtain, and carried Liu Xiaomei out of the sedan chair.

Baozhu added, "We can borrow her red veil and wedding dress."

Liu Xiaomei obediently carried the person on her back and took off her things. Liu's older brother also took off his clothes and covered Xiaomei with them.

“You, you, and you.” Baozhu pointed at the suona player and Liu’s two older brothers. “These few stay, the rest take the daughter back.”

The group of men meekly agreed and dared not utter another word, obeying their orders.

In just a few words, Baozhu finished the matter. Seeing Pei Xuanji staring at her in disbelief, she leaned close to her ear and whispered, "You mortals are so tedious when it comes to doing things. I've wanted to say this for a long time: you're so capable, why do you always try to persuade others with your words?"

“But we must teach them the principles, and persuade them with reason,” Pei Xuanji said hesitantly.

"What is reason? Might makes right."

Baozhu reached out her hand, clenched it, and waved it in front of Pei Xuanji.

Pei Xuanji chuckled and said in a low voice, "The first time I saw you was in Fuxia Village. You were quite good at playing the pampered young lady back then, completely different from how you are now."

Baozhu sighed, “I’ve been acting for so long that I even thought that was me. But now I am the real me. I was born a demon, but I don’t necessarily have to act like a mortal.”

Baozhu no longer believes that monsters are born with intelligence.

Baozhu sighed for a while, then, seeing Pei Xuanji standing motionless in front of the sedan chair, asked curiously, "Aren't you going to get in?"

Pei Xuanji asked in surprise, "Isn't it your turn to get into the sedan chair?"

The two stood there, staring at each other, arguing for a few moments. Neither wanted to be inside the sedan chair; both wanted to be outside so they could act immediately.

Seeing that the two adults were about to start arguing over who should get into the sedan chair, the three villagers shrank back and dared not utter a sound.

However, the suona player, having traveled extensively and seen more of the world, mustered his courage and advised, "Please wait a moment, gentlemen. The River God is taking more than one wife today."

Before he finished speaking, the sound of a suona horn came from afar.

When the mournful wedding procession reached them, Pei Xuanji, without waiting for anyone to speak, smashed another tree the size of a bowl in half with her fist.

The suona horn fell silent instantly.

Pei Xuanji followed the same method, sending the new bride back home, leaving behind the sedan chair bearers, the wedding dress, and the red veil.

The two exchanged a glance, bravely draped their wedding gowns over their shoulders, and climbed into their respective sedan chairs.

Pei Xuanji commanded fiercely, "Just take us to where you were originally going to take us. If you mess things up, I'll skin you alive."

"Yes, yes, we wouldn't dare to ruin things." The villagers nodded and bowed, not daring to say a word, for fear of displeasing Pei Xuanji and having their necks broken by her punch.

Pei Xuanji breathed a sigh of relief, relaxed, and leaned back, a smug smile spreading across her round face.

Two sedan chairs were moving along the road, two suonas were playing, and the four sedan chair bearers no longer had mournful faces, but only worried expressions.

Because the river level rose sharply, the path they had come from was gradually submerged, and the villagers' feet sank into the muddy mud.

The sun had just risen, and the sedan chair bearers carried the two brides to a place where they could go no further.

The road ahead had turned into a vast expanse of water. They stopped, the suona horn was still playing, and a faint echo seemed to come from the depths of the river.

The sedan chair bearers announced loudly, "Our family is fortunate to have married our daughter to the River God."

The sound in the river grew louder and louder.

Bubbling and rumbling, first bubbles kept rising from the middle of the river, then the river suddenly emptied, and several little monsters emerged from the river, holding stringed instruments and playing music.

"The River God is marrying a new bride today. She is beautiful and good at managing the household. After marrying into the River God's family, she will give birth to many chubby babies."

The little monster sang off-key and the lyrics were vulgar and blunt, making Pei Xuanji in the sedan chair purse her lips.

These little demons were all fish demons. In order to intimidate the villagers, they deliberately only transformed into half a human, with a fish head and a human body, which terrified the villagers so much that they trembled incessantly.

They sang around the two sedan chairs for a long time, until the villagers' faces turned pale and their lips trembled before they stopped.

One of the fish demons shook its head and said, "Leave the bride here, you can go back."

The villagers were terrified. They responded, put down the sedan chair, and ran back as fast as they could.

Seeing that the villagers were quite frightened, the fish demons chuckled and happily began singing around the sedan chair again.

"Today the River God marries a bride, tomorrow the bride gives birth to a baby. After giving birth to one, she gives birth to two more, and so on, until she has a whole bunch of babies."

Pei Xuanji frowned deeply upon hearing these nonsensical and unrhymed words, wishing she could immediately shut up these illiterate country bumpkins. She quickly drew talismans in her hand, waiting for someone to lift the curtain so she could catch them off guard.

Unfortunately, the fish demons didn't dare to help the River God lift the curtain. After singing happily for a while, they lifted the two small sedan chairs and went back into the water.

Two small sedan chairs glided through the water, and the two women sitting inside miraculously remained dry. They listened to the fish demons carrying the sedan chairs singing little tunes in the water, but they couldn't understand a single word.

It seems that once they entered the water, the creatures on the shore could no longer understand what they were saying.

About the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the fish demons carried the two brides out of the water. Baozhu and Pei Xuanji felt the light in front of them suddenly dim, and they seemed to be carried into a cave.

The fish demons found a flat spot and put down the two sedan chairs, saying in gruff voices, "Lord River God will not be back to see you until tonight, so please stay here for now."

Having said that, without caring whether the brides listened or not, they hummed an unpleasant tune and hopped back into the water.

"Fish eat grass, fish also eat meat, and mortals offer them grass and meat as sacrifices..."

As the fish demon sang its last line, it disappeared into the water, leaving only a series of gurgling sounds.

In a short while, the area around the two brides quieted down.

Baozhu listened intently for a while, but heard no noise outside. So she carefully lifted the curtain a little to observe what was happening outside.

After watching for a while, she exclaimed in surprise, "Pei Qi, come out quickly!"

After saying this, Baozhu took off her wedding dress from inside the sedan chair and stepped out.

She and Pei Xuanji, who was leaning out from beside her, stared in astonishment at everything before them.

In the dimly lit cave, more than ten women sat motionless amidst the shimmering green algae, not even glancing back at Baozhu when they heard her exclamation.