Chapter 324: The River God’s Bride

After sending a distress signal to Lu Yibei through the Death Owl Emblem, Du Sixian got out of the car. She carefully placed the talismans she had received from the equipment department around the vehicle, ensuring none were missing. Only then did she feel somewhat reassured and returned to the car.

The night in the mountains was incredibly quiet, so quiet that one could hear the faintest sounds. The black water flowing gently sounded like someone plucking strings, the evening wind rustling through dry leaves like a flute, and somewhere, a rhythmic knocking, like someone beating a drum.

Perhaps it was just her imagination, but Du Sixian felt as if all these sounds intertwined, creating a symphony for a dramatic performance.

Then.

All the sounds vanished in an instant, and a large ship, glowing with a ghastly red light, suddenly appeared on the river.

Such a ship should not exist on such a small river, or even in this world, Du Sixian thought.

Because it was a ship meant for the dead, a ship made of white paper…

The Straw Hat Haunting was only halfway through its tale when Old Whiskers seemed to suddenly recall something, his small, bean-like eyes lighting up.

“I know now, it’s the River God Marriage! That girl has encountered the River God Marriage!”

“River God Marriage?” Lu Yibei frowned, “Is that the legend where girls are forced to drown themselves for marriage?”

Hua City has always been rich in water resources, with rivers crisscrossing the landscape. In ancient times, when rivers frequently changed course and floods were rampant, people believed these disasters were caused by the River God, and reverence for the River God has been longstanding.

Even though Lu Yibei had lived on Mudan Street all her life, she had heard various versions of the River God Marriage stories from the elderly group at the teahouse.

In those stories, the River God was often portrayed as quite pitiful. By the end of the tale, the River God would invariably be defeated by righteous buddies, who would rescue the bride and return to the village to live happily ever after.

However, despite the River God’s misfortune, there was no sympathy warranted.

Such actions were no different from human trafficking.

The River God abducting young girls couldn’t possibly be to secretly sponsor their education and turn them into useful members of society, Lu Yibei thought.

“Do you know what this River God Marriage is all about?” Lu Yibei asked Old Whiskers, “Tell me more about it.”

Old Whiskers bowed to Lu Yibei, saying, “Lady Calamity, there’s a saying that has been passed down around here. It’s said that every three years, the River God sails down the river on a large ship, sometimes a white ship, sometimes a red ship.”

“The white ship is fine; it means the River God wants offerings, and villagers only need to provide enough livestock as sacrifices. But the red ship is troublesome; it signifies the River God wants a bride, and several unmarried young women must be offered. If the River God’s demands aren’t met, floods will ensue.”

“However, I’ve only heard the tales and never seen it myself, as Hua City hasn’t experienced a flood in nearly a century.”

“Damn those feudal superstitions! This River God Marriage is truly harmful!” Mangpu exclaimed indignantly, “Lady Calamity, you must teach that River God a lesson!”

Lu Yibei cast a sidelong glance at Mangpu, thinking, “Isn’t it a bit odd for a haunting to say something like that?”

But then again…

If I could take it down, I’d definitely teach it a lesson. Such lawless behavior wouldn’t be tolerated by the civil authorities or the Marriage Law of the Republic, even if I were to turn a blind eye!

Pondering this, Lu Yibei pressed further, “By the way, if the River God Marriage only targets young women, why did the villagers of Baiyan Village disappear?”

“Could it be that this River God hasn’t taken a bride in a century and is now so desperate that it took the entire village?”

What is this? The wrath of a century-old bachelor?

“Well…” Old Whiskers hesitated, bowing deeply to Lu Yibei. “Apologies, my lady. That’s all I know. I dare not speculate further.”

Lu Yibei fell silent.

The simultaneous disappearance of hundreds of people suggests that the situation is more complicated than a simple River God Marriage. There might be other factors at play.

If it were merely about marriage, it would be understandable if men were also taken-after all, times have changed, and male partners are not unheard of. But to take the elderly and children as well? That’s beyond cruel.

As Lu Yibei mulled over these thoughts, she noticed the Straw Hat Haunting eagerly looking at her, awaiting a reward. She furrowed her brow slightly, rummaged through her belongings, and pulled out a core entity, breaking it in half and offering one piece to the haunting.

Seeing the Straw Hat Haunting rewarded for providing useful information, the other little Hauntings became restless, chattering away with what they knew.

“Lady Calamity, I have information!”

“Speak!”

“I know Widow Li from Baiyan Village sneaks over to Old Wang’s house every night!”

Lu Yibei sighed.

“I have something too! Last month, the whole village had stomach troubles because Zhang Goudan accidentally spilled the constipation medicine into the village well.”

Lu Yibei sighed again.

“And there’s more about Ma Laosan and his goat…”

“Enough!” Lu Yibei interrupted, rubbing her forehead.

From the little Hauntings’ chatter, she gathered that the villagers were up to all sorts of odd things. But none of this information was useful, and listening further would only waste time. She needed to figure things out herself.

Just then, the Straw Hat Haunting, having finished its half of the core entity, spoke up again, albeit timidly.

“Lady Calamity, I have one more piece of information…”

“Another one?” Lu Yibei frowned at the haunting. “Why didn’t you mention it earlier?”

“Well, I… I wanted to earn another reward,” the Straw Hat Haunting stammered.

Clever little thing… Lu Yibei rolled her eyes. “Go on, if it’s useful, you’ll be rewarded.”

“Yes, yes!” the Straw Hat Haunting nodded eagerly. “Before the big ship appeared, I heard someone singing.”

“Singing? What were they singing?” Lu Yibei asked.

“It was something like, ‘One cursed…, Two cursed…,’ but I couldn’t quite understand it…” the Straw Hat Haunting replied.

Upon hearing this, Old Whiskers’ eyes lit up again, and he interjected, “Speaking of which, just a few days ago, they performed this very play on the stage in Baiyan Village.”

“Oh?” Lu Yibei squinted slightly, pondering to herself.

Could this play be related to the disappearance of the villagers and Du Sixian?

It seemed necessary to first uncover the origins of this play.

Coincidentally, among my familiars, isn’t there a renowned opera star from the old days of Hua City? Meng should know something about this.

With this thought, Lu Yibei focused her mind, connecting her consciousness through the familiar mark to send a message to Meng.

She also took the opportunity to use the familiar mark to check Du Sixian’s location, but the result was the same as on her way here-nothing.

It seemed as if a powerful force was interfering with Lu Yibei.

While waiting for Meng’s response, Lu Yibei slowly walked towards the stage in the open area of Baiyan Village.

Passing through the seemingly lifeless village, she soon saw the eerie stage, half-suspended over the river, and the scattered clothes by the benches in front of it.

After taking her eyes off the stage and the clothes, she wandered around the open area and then discovered a camera, shattered into pieces, under a wall.

Lu Yibei picked up the camera fragments and examined them closely, frowning.

The fragments were covered with dense bite marks, as if they had been chewed. The marks were blunt, not from canine or feline animals, but more like human.

What a pity. If the camera had been more intact, I could have seen what it captured. Lu Yibei thought, perhaps the camera was destroyed so thoroughly because it recorded something important.

As she was contemplating, a response came from Meng.

“My Lady, I know what play they were performing. It was ‘Ten Hateful’ from ‘Female Release.'”

“It’s a very moving play about a female convict named Su San, dressed in blood-red, falsely accused and sentenced to death, being escorted for retrial. Passersby, curious about her beauty despite her prison garb, inquire about her story, and she tearfully recounts her tragic fate.”

“But the play doesn’t end there. There’s more to Su San’s story, where her grievances are finally redressed. When our opera troupe performed this, we usually did both acts together. The old troupe leader said that if only one act is performed, leaving it unfinished, it’s inauspicious and could attract bad things.”

Is that so?

Could it be that the villagers of Baiyan Village, during the opera performance, violated some taboo and inadvertently summoned the River God?

Lu Yibei mused, a sudden idea striking her, and she asked Meng, “Meng, have you ever heard of anything related to the River God Marriage?”

“Oh my! My Lady, could it be that someone sang this play by the river and didn’t perform the next act?” Meng exclaimed, “That’s bound to cause trouble!”

Lu Yibei was taken aback, as it was the first time she saw Meng, usually so composed, react like a startled young girl, which she found inexplicably endearing.

“What’s the issue with performing this play by the river?”

“My Lady, you might not be aware,” Meng explained, “but River God Marriage incidents have occurred before, back when I was still a child, before I was sold to the Opera House.”

“Back then, every night, young girls from the neighboring village would cry, and we could hear it even from our village. It was terrifying. But after a few days, the crying stopped, and we heard the neighboring village beating drums and performing opera.”

“When I was little, I didn’t know what they were singing. It wasn’t until I joined the Opera House and recalled those memories that I realized they were performing a series of ominous operas, meant to invite the River God to take away His bride.”

Lu Yibei frowned, pondering for a moment, then said, “So, the haunting incident in Baiyan Village was caused by them singing the wrong opera?”

“I can’t say for sure,” Meng replied, “but if it’s as you suspect, the likelihood is quite high.”

“…”

After listening to Meng, Lu Yibei contemplated for a moment and then asked seriously, “Meng, do you know how to sing those operas that might summon the River God?”

“Of course I do!” Meng replied confidently, “In those tough times, when business at the Opera House was slow, we sometimes performed mourning operas at funerals!”

“Excellent!” Lu Yibei nodded, “Have you ever heard of a honey trap?”

“Ah?” Meng was taken aback, exclaiming, “My Lady, surely you’re not planning to become the River God’s bride yourself?!”

“You’re overthinking it, of course not me!” Lu Yibei said, “Don’t you know me by now? Such a dangerous task, how could I possibly do it myself?”

Even just confronting this so-called River God would require extensive preparation, perhaps enlisting the help of seventeen or eighteen of Hua City’s strongest hauntings. Let alone becoming a bride!

If things went wrong and the River God captured her, dragging her into the river, wouldn’t she end up both soaked and compromised? Lu Yibei thought.

“Then…” Meng hesitated, her voice turning slightly odd, “My Lady, surely you’re not suggesting that I…”

“No, no, I don’t mean to defy you, My Lady. I just want to say, the River God is notoriously unpredictable. If I go, there’s a chance I might not return. If I don’t come back, please don’t forget me, and…”

Why hadn’t she noticed before how dramatic Meng was?

Oh right, she was an opera singer; being dramatic was normal.

Lu Yibei internally scoffed and interrupted Meng, “Alright, stop playing the victim. I’m not sending you; I have someone else in mind. Just come over and get ready to use your professional skills!”

As for who will be the bride, I’ve already decided… Lu Yibei silently added in her mind.

That night, in a suite at the top of the Financial Building in Hua City.

A wine glass filled with red wine sat quietly on the desk as Xing Yuan held a copy of the manga “Kimi ni Todoke,” studying it intently.

Just then, the golden Death Owl Emblem on the table buzzed softly. She glanced at it and touched the emblem lightly with her fingertips, hearing Lu Yibei’s invitation for her to be the bride.

She frowned slightly, ready to refuse, but then heard Lu Yibei say, “Sis, don’t reject it right away. Don’t you want to know Shui-Ge’s true feelings?”

“When I tell Shui-Ge about this, if he shows up, it means he still cares about you. If he doesn’t, then he’s moved on. Knowing his feelings will help you plan your future strategies accordingly, right?”

“This is a rare opportunity! Besides, setting aside these personal matters, isn’t it the responsibility of every operator in The Midnight Watchers Society to thoroughly investigate the haunting incident? And…”

“Alright, stop talking.” Xing Yuan interrupted, “I’ll help you this time.”

She knew Lu Yibei was just being cowardly, using her as a pawn. Otherwise, why wouldn’t she be the bride herself? At her age, she was more suitable for being a bride, while Xing Yuan was more like a second marriage candidate.

But she still wanted to see how Bai Kai would react in such a situation.

When Lu Yibei sent the message to Bai Kai, he was in a private room in The, surrounded by two charming mature women, comforting their lonely souls.

The River God was openly envious.

Lu Yibei could even hear the suppressed sobbing and the heart-wrenching music from Bai Kai’s side.

“In my heart, I’ve always considered you as my brother… I’m sorry for hiding it from you. If my brother were still alive, boo hoo hoo…”

“Me too, me too. If my sister were still here, she’d be about your age…”

“Pfft-!”

Lu Yibei couldn’t help but laugh at the women’s words. Just as she was about to tease Bai Kai, she heard a series of soft footsteps, followed by Bai Kai’s lowered voice asking, “Yibei, do you have something important? I’m working here!”

“Shui-Ge, sorry! I always thought your job was just selling your body, but I didn’t expect… Pfft, brother and sister, pfft-!”

“Yibei, you don’t understand. The most important part of my job is to bring angelic care and comfort to the wounded hearts of these girls. Our own feelings are secondary,” Bai Kai explained earnestly.

“I’ve never heard of an angel comforting someone to the point of ending up in their bed.”

“That’s where you’re mistaken. Some girls need angelic care, while others need the devil’s whip.”

“Uh, this… the whip you’re talking about, is it what I’m thinking?” Lu Yibei asked, puzzled.

“…” Bai Kai was momentarily speechless, pondering for a few seconds before saying, “Yibei, let’s focus on the main issue. What do you need from me?”

“Oh, it’s a minor thing,” Lu Yibei said casually. “I figured you might not be interested, but I thought it necessary to tell you.”

“A minor thing?” Bai Kai frowned, “Yibei, stop beating around the bush and just tell me.”

“Well, I heard that the Inspector from above is your first love, right?” Lu Yibei said indifferently.

“Hah! Why are you telling me about that scumbag?” Bai Kai scoffed, “I don’t want to know anything about her.”

“Oh, is that so?” Lu Yibei replied nonchalantly, “I was going to tell you that I heard from my little Haunting that she’s getting married tonight, but it seems unnecessary now, right?”

“Alright! I’ll be off then!”

“…”

Bai Kai’s expression turned complex as he pondered, “Wait, Yibei, you said she’s getting married tonight? When, where, and with whom?!”

“Uh, I was just asking, no other reason…”

“…”

Lu Yibei feigned hesitation before saying, “Shui-Ge, maybe it’s better to let it go? It’s her big day, and I worry you’ll cause trouble. She’s your superior, after all, and you see each other often.”

“Besides, she’s not a good woman. Let her go! Give each other a chance.”

“Yibei, you’re right, but…” Bai Kai said wistfully, “I just want to see her, even if it’s from a distance.”

Listening to Bai Kai’s suddenly sorrowful voice, Lu Yibei was taken aback.

In her impression, Bai Kai was always as carefree as a runaway husky, never showing any signs of sadness.

“…”

Now it seemed like she might have gone too far this time.

Lu Yibei thought to herself, then told Bai Kai the location of the wedding, “The location is at…”