Xia Wenjin and Huangfu Jingchen exchanged a glance. Huangfu Jingchen, having participated in suppressing bandits, did not believe in the River God, and neither did Xia Wenjin.
Even though her own experiences were quite mysterious.
Huangfu Jingchen asked, "When did the County Governnt send people here?"
The village chief said, "We’ve had many girls go missing here, and we reported it to the County Governnt. Just seven days ago, the magistrate sent a constable to investigate, insisting that all those girls drowned in the river. But the living must be found, and the dead must have bodies, right? We’ve searched dozens of miles along the river and haven’t found a single corpse. Moreover, those girls were safely asleep at ho. Why would they suddenly run to the riverside and drown? In the end, even the magistrate thought it was strange, so he invited a High Monk, reportedly from Bodhi Temple, to co over. The High Monk did a divination and found out that it was the River God taking a bride. Since the rituals, it’s been peaceful these days, and now that everyone’s relaxed, they’re not patrolling at night, allowing Wang Family to co to the village again." As he spoke, he seed sowhat annoyed.
A villager worriedly said, "Wang Family ca to cause trouble again today; who knows what will happen tonight!"
Soone else said, "The High Monk has told us to worship the River God; it should be fine, right?"
Xia Wenjin asked so additional questions.
The village folks were sowhat intimidated and eager to please Xia Wenjin and Huangfu Jingchen, willingly answering all questions.
Xia Wenjin asked, "How many young girls aged twelve to sixteen, who haven’t married yet, are still in the village?"
The village chief counted on his fingers and said, "Six or seven."
Huangfu Jingchen said, "Village chief, to prevent any mishaps, have people escort them to your house. Tonight, we’ll keep watch here and see what’s really going on!"
Soone imdiately said, "If it’s really the River God taking a bride, won’t our actions provoke the River God?"
"Yeah, isn’t this opposing the River God?"
"If the River God’s angry and brings disaster upon the village, what will we do then?"
"The constables aren’t from our village. When they leave, and the River God gets angry, we’ll all suffer!"
"If the River God wants to take soone, let him take them! He only takes one at a ti; as long as that madwoman doesn’t cause trouble in the village, the River God won’t take anyone. I think we should drown that madwoman in the river."
...
Suddenly, the villagers were chattering, mostly opposing the idea.
Many suggested drowning Aunt Wang in the river to prevent her from burdening the village.
Huangfu Jingchen’s gaze turned sharp, and he said sternly, "The situation isn’t clear yet, and you’re already deciding people’s lives frivolously? Who gave you the authority?"
Xia Wenjin smiled slightly and said, "You all shout about letting the River God take people and then want to drown Wang Family. It’s just that your households have no eligible young won, so you wash your hands of the matter, happy to watch from a distance. But have you thought about this? If it’s not the River God who wants people, and you drown soone, wouldn’t the River God be more enraged at getting an old, ugly, mad person? At that ti, if the River God punishes us, who can escape?"
The villagers were first frightened by Huangfu Jingchen’s fierce gaze, then Xia Wenjin’s words made sense to them, and they suddenly fell silent.
Xia Wenjin said, "So, village chief, gather the people here first. If the River God cos to take soone today, we will negotiate with him ourselves."
A villager in the back said, "What if negotiation fails?"
Xia Wenjin’s smiling expression turned stern, her gaze becoming sharp and righteous, "There are laws for the state, rules for the family, even if the River God is a deity, a deity has its path and cannot arbitrarily infringe upon the human world without reason. We’re here on behalf of the governnt for negotiation between humans and a deity. If the River God shows no respect, a higher deity will impose punishnt. What are you afraid of?"
The villagers felt a strength in her decisive words—a strength of authority, of higher powers, of reverence. They were afraid, dissatisfied with the River God’s arbitrary taking of people, yet no one dared stand up, fearing the River God would bring disastrous calamity. Now, soone was standing up, and they represented the governnt, suddenly they felt like they’ve found their backbone.
Soone couldn’t help but say, "The official is here on behalf of the governnt, a constable from the prefecture, surely can negotiate with the River God. If the negotiation succeeds, we won’t be burdened by Wang Family anymore, wouldn’t that be nice?"
With one person speaking up, others chid in with agreents.
Huangfu Jingchen looked at Xia Wenjin with even more admiration. He had intentionally played the stern role earlier, allowing Xia Wenjin to play the conciliatory role, which worked out well. Unexpectedly, Xia Wenjin was also effective in playing the stern role.
These villagers were so ignorant; no matter how much one explained, they wouldn’t listen. Yet now, with a declaration in the na of the governnt, strong righteous words actually subdued them.
The village chief imdiately said, "Quickly, listen to the constable, quickly gather those girls! You guys hurry and inform, escort people here!"
Once many people ca, they dispersed quickly.
The village chief arranged accommodations for Huangfu Jingchen and Xia Wenjin, and Xia Wenjin said with a smile, "Looks like we won’t be able to sleep tonight. We still need to negotiate with the River God!"
Considering the villagers called it the River God, whether it was so ghostly entity or demon, they would call it that for now. In the end, they would definitely uncover those sinister forces in the shadows.
The village chief hastily said, "It’s still necessary to arrange accommodations!"
When the village chief left, only Huangfu Jingchen and Xia Wenjin remained in the room. Xia Wenjin pursed his lips towards him and asked, "Do you think the River God will co tonight?"
Huangfu Jingchen said, "He probably will. Given the commotion, if he doesn’t co, won’t it break Aunt Wang’s pattern of causing trouble once and soone being taken?"
"Perhaps seeing many people deters him from coming?"
"Isn’t he supposed to be a deity? Would a deity fear many people?" Huangfu Jingchen jested, looking at Xia Wenjin and asked, "Based on your observations, is anyone suspicious among them?"
Xia Wenjin asked, "What do you think?"
Huangfu Jingchen lightly shook his head, "These villagers don’t have the courage or the capability. It seems there is soone else behind this."
"To abduct seven girls—no, eight—and manage not to be caught by the villagers, leaving them defenseless, the perpetrator either used drugs or possesses advanced martial arts skills!"
"If drugs were used, the villagers would notice. It’s likely soone with high martial arts skills. The villagers, being from rural areas, don’t know that there exist powerful martial arts and Qinggong. If a highly skilled person intended to do so, villagers would scarcely notice, thus attributing it to supernatural causes, thinking it was the River God!"
"Wrong. The River God narrative was used by the villagers later on!"
Huangfu Jingchen’s eyes brightened, "You’re right. Previously, when the county sent a constable to investigate, they only thought these girls drowned. It was after the so-called High Monk ca that the River God narrative erged! What do you think this High Monk’s background is?"
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