Chapter 326: Shouldn’t There Be an Apology?

As the crimson ship emerged into view, Meng’s singing abruptly ceased, and she vanished from sight as planned. Xing Yuan sat alone at the edge of the stage, her gaze fixed on the approaching ship, growing increasingly anxious.

In the end, Bai Kai didn’t come.

With this realization, her mood shifted to a mix of resentment and anger. Her eyes narrowed, as if the fury within could pierce the ship ahead.

The River God’s crimson vessel docked, and suddenly, a chilling wind swept across the riverbanks, parting the cold mist to reveal the distant tolling of ancient bells.

Accompanied by the bell’s echo, a scarlet staircase unfurled from the ship like a beast extending its tongue, and four peculiar figures descended.

These figures were cloaked in black robes, concealing their entire bodies. Each held a brass incense burner shaped like a beast’s head, suspended by chains, with flames flickering and smoke curling as they walked, leaving a trail of exotic fragrance.

Once the four robed figures reached the riverbank, eight sturdy men followed. They had fiery red hair, greenish skin, and bare chests wrapped in red sashes, each with a drum slung across their chest, beating it vigorously.

Initially, these figures and men seemed to carry the aura of deities on a procession, with familiars welcoming them. But soon, the scene took a bizarre turn, transforming from a welcoming ceremony to a funeral procession.

A group of people dressed in garish red and green, with painted faces, disembarked after the sturdy men. As they descended, they scattered paper money around, the pale sheets fluttering like snowflakes, covering the sky.

They wailed mournfully, their cries heart-wrenching, until their faces were streaked with tears, slowly approaching the stage as if bidding farewell to someone.

Four girls, clad in red with ghostly pale faces, carried a blood-red sedan chair adorned with fine blue silk and beast motifs, descending lightly from the ship. Amidst the swirling paper money, it seemed as if they were carrying a coffin rather than a sedan chair.

Hidden in the shadows, Lu Yibei, who had stealthily approached the crimson ship, couldn’t help but mutter, “It’s supposed to be a joyous day, can’t they do something more normal, more festive?”

In the brief moments of her speech, she circled the crimson ship under the cover of night, arriving at its side.

There was no need to worry about the situation at the front of the ship. Lu Yibei had already confirmed with Xing Yuan that even if Shui-Ge didn’t appear, Xing Yuan could handle it on her own.

As the Inspector of The Midnight Watchers Society in the southwest region, Xing Yuan was not only a Class A Psychic but also possessed unique abilities beyond ordinary psychics, making her exceptionally powerful.

Moreover, while Meng set up the stage, Xing Yuan had already confirmed the surroundings with the little Hauntings nearby and devised at least three excellent escape routes through the flow of Ley Line Energy.

Thus, Lu Yibei only needed to focus on rescuing Du Sixian. If anything went wrong, she could swiftly and safely lead Du Sixian away from there.

Using the Ley Line Energy to determine escape routes is a unique ability among the many Kings of Hauntings.

The wind howled past her ears as Lu Yibei skimmed over the water like a hunting osprey, swift and silent.

Thanks to the thunderous drumbeats of the sturdy men and Qing Ji’s taught agile movements, she managed to avoid drawing any attention.

Under the cloak of night, she quickly reached the underside of the large ship, pressing against its hull, listening intently to the rhythmic pounding of the drums.

As the drumming reached its crescendo, her eyes narrowed. She pushed off the water’s surface with her feet, soaring several meters into the air to grasp the railing along the deck’s edge.

Hanging from the ship’s exterior, she quietly activated her psychic sense to survey the situation aboard. Only then did she propel herself upward, gracefully spinning like a nimble bird in mid-air before landing steadily on the ship’s corridor.

Suddenly, a powerful psychic energy fluctuation washed over her, enveloping her in a dense, humid aura tinged with a fishy scent, akin to the suffocating sensation of plunging into murky river waters. It arose quietly and then dissipated.

Immediately after, Lu Yibei sensed the presence of Du Sixian’s familiar mark.

Good, it seemed she was still alive, somewhere within the ship’s interior.

If she could continue her perfect stealth as before, she could…

Just as she was contemplating, a sinister voice interrupted her thoughts from behind.

“Who are you? What are you doing here?!”

Lu Yibei’s body stiffened slightly. She turned to see a woman clad in a bright red robe, her face rigid and expressionless, standing behind her. Her eyes, unfocused and vacant, stared directly at Lu Yibei, resembling stagnant water.

Lu Yibei thought, “…”

Tsk-!

She cursed inwardly, discreetly maneuvering her jacket through the wide sleeves into her hand.

Facial paralysis was truly vexing, making it impossible to discern any intentions. It seemed she had no choice but to eliminate her, Lu Yibei mused.

Meanwhile, on a distant mountain, Bai Kai observed the scene around the stage, his expression growing increasingly grim.

“Damn it! This woman-no, these two women-actually teamed up to deceive me?”

Ever since Yibei transformed… into that state, his mind had become increasingly cunning, as if awakening some peculiar trait.

Bai Kai grumbled inwardly, casting another glance toward the clearing, helplessly rubbing his forehead.

“This isn’t a wedding! It’s a sham marriage, isn’t it? Trying to trick the River God-are you two serious? Aren’t you afraid of getting yourselves into trouble?”

Having lived in Hua City for many years, Bai Kai had never seen the River God in person, but he had heard legends about Him. From various descriptions and the widespread nature of His tales around Hua City, He was undoubtedly a genuine and formidable haunting.

Even those sturdy men beating the drums seemed to possess some Water Ogre powers, with psychic energy fluctuation levels reaching Class B.

However, due to their infrequent appearances and the rarity of haunting attack incidents, the River God’s name seldom surfaced in The Midnight Watchers Society’s radar.

Seeing the two most important women in his life-well, Lu Yibei could be considered a woman for now-Bai Kai was both anxious and a bit angry as they secretly orchestrated such a grand scheme.

Later, he needed to come up with a way to show that he was angry, yet also demonstrate his importance! Bai Kai thought.

“Boom-!”

As he pondered, the dense drumbeats that had echoed across the riverbank suddenly ceased with a heavy thud, followed by a loud proclamation, “The auspicious hour has arrived!”

With the shout, the fog on the riverbank thickened, and a man slowly emerged from the boat.

The man had deep blue hair tied up in a topknot, adorned with a golden fish tail hairpin. He wore a red robe and a snow-white sheepskin cloak, standing tall and elegant, with a face like jade and a sinister charm between his brows.

He walked through the mist to Xing Yuan’s side, took her hand gently, and said softly, “Come, woman, express your wish, and then join me on the boat.”

Witnessing this, Bai Kai’s eyes darkened, and with a flick of his arm, a silver-white long sword appeared in his hand, gleaming coldly.

Damn! Just because you have a boat, you think you’re all that!?

What kind of outdated flirting technique is this?

Material things can’t buy true affection; that’s a lesson I learned in my first year in the world.

He gritted his teeth, suddenly feeling the urge to slash something-perhaps a haunting, or maybe a big ship.

No, it’s not just a desire; today, I’m going to slash both the haunting and the ship!

Bai Kai thought, gripping his sword tightly, and murmured, “Cold wind stirs the earth’s aura…”

As soon as he finished speaking, his figure vanished, leaving behind afterimages.

On the stage.

Hearing the River God’s words, Xing Yuan smiled charmingly, exuding allure, “Hehe, alright! As for my wish… Once, there was a sincere love before me, but due to some unavoidable reasons, I couldn’t cherish it. Now, I want to find it again. Can you help?”

Unavoidable reasons… Bai Kai heard Xing Yuan’s words from afar, paused slightly, then quickened his pace, flashing several times to approach the edge of the stage.

“….”

The River God held Xing Yuan’s hand, eyes gentle, about to say the long-prepared line, “I can’t do that, but I can replace him and protect you well!” when suddenly a man’s sarcastic voice interrupted from behind.

“Tsk, what’s the point of praying to gods for such things? If you think it’s precious, you should have cherished it from the start!”

Xing Yuan turned towards the voice, seeing Bai Kai striding forward with his sword, her eyes trembled lightly, as if seeing the white-clad youth she met at nineteen.

In her ears, she seemed to faintly hear the youth’s voice, promising to go to the desert to watch the solitary smoke and sunset, stepping over the sands of the ends of the earth, or in autumn, sitting together under the old sycamore tree outside the old building, counting how many leaves fell that autumn.

“What if… I mean, what if leaving him is for his own good, the best choice?”

“If there’s a reason, then speak it out! What right do you have to make such a cruel decision for him?” Bai Kai said, speaking with a hand sweaty from tension, gripping the sword tightly.

“What if this reason can’t be spoken?” Xing Yuan asked urgently, her gaze like water, yet flames rising deep within.

“Then…” Bai Kai turned his face away, avoiding her gaze, pursing his lips, “At least there should be an apology, right?”

“I’m sorry…”

“….”

Bai Kai’s body trembled slightly, turning to look at Xing Yuan, hesitating to speak, then quickly turned his head away, chin slightly raised, and uttered a nasal sound.

“Hmph… hmph~!”

The River God stood to the side, glancing back and forth between Bai Kai and Xing Yuan, sensing that something was amiss. It seemed like he was being left out of the loop.

Something’s off, these two are definitely up to something!

They appear to be solving a puzzle, but in reality, they’re arguing. And when I think they’re arguing, there’s a hint that they might actually be flaunting their affection.

Who’s supposed to be getting married today? Did you invite me just to watch your drama unfold? Can I get a little respect here?!

“Hey, you two, time’s almost up. Let’s wrap this up, or the auspicious hour will…”

“Shut up! We’re talking, and it’s none of your business!” Bai Kai and Xing Yuan shouted in unison.

Sorry, but no!

Suddenly, the sound of the wind cut through the air, as a pitch-black axe and a silver-white sword simultaneously appeared, one on each side, poised at the River God’s neck.

The River God was speechless.

After a long pause, a vein throbbed on his forehead, and he said with a sinister look in his eyes, “I see what’s going on. You two are here to cause trouble, aren’t you?”

“No!”

Xing Yuan cast a disdainful glance at the River God, silently took out the golden Death Owl Emblem, pinned it to her chest, and then looked at Bai Kai with gentle eyes.

The double standards are outrageous, enough to infuriate both gods and humans!

Others might tolerate it, but the River God couldn’t. His fists clenched tightly, and suddenly, psychic energy fluctuations surged. His snow-white cloak fluttered without wind, and thick fog, laden with moisture, spread in all directions.

The accompanying hauntings also shed their poor disguises at the same time, revealing their menacing faces. Under the River God’s command, they spread out, encircling the two.

Seeing this, Bai Kai’s lips curled into a wicked, confident smile. He pulled back his jacket, revealing the silver Death Owl Emblem underneath, and turned to the River God, “Sorry, The Midnight Watchers Society is on the case!”

As soon as he spoke, the Spirit Patterns on their backs suddenly shone brightly.

[Mixed type Spirit Pattern: Heroic Spirit Poetry] unleashed!

[Mythical type Spirit Pattern: Descendants of Qiongqi] unleashed!

In an instant, psychic energy fluctuations surged, and the sound of reading aloud mingled with the ancient beast’s roar.

The two psychic energy fluctuations flowed like a mighty torrent, pushing the River God’s psychic energy back behind him.

The next moment, the three psychic energy fluctuations collided, creating a thunderous roar. The chaotic currents that spread out instantly carved two deep furrows into the riverbank.

“Boom-!”

The explosive sound erupted outside the window.

It seemed as if someone was continuously attacking, causing the vessel to sway violently.

Had the fight begun? Lu Yibei paused briefly, looking outside only to see a hazy fog, uncertain of the situation of the battle.

Noticing that she wasn’t keeping up, the peculiar woman ahead paused slightly and turned around stiffly, staring straight at Lu Yibei and said, “Hurry up, there’s still a lot to be done. If we delay the master’s important affairs, be careful of the consequences!”

Ultimately, Lu Yibei did not confront this woman who had appeared suddenly when she boarded the ship.

For some reason, the woman did not treat Lu Yibei as an intruder; instead, she regarded her as one of the River God’s consorts.

After realizing this, Lu Yibei let her jacket transform into an outfit similar to that of the woman’s and approached her to strike up a conversation.

Through their chat, she learned that this bizarre ship was home to all the “wives” abducted by the River God, numbering in the hundreds.

These pitiful women, under the influence of the River God’s psychic ability, had lived through centuries without dying, yet they had turned into something neither human nor ghost.

Perhaps because everyone bore a deathlike expression, the woman had mistaken Lu Yibei as one of them.

And these abducted women, having stayed on the ship for so long, were no longer human, yet they hadn’t completely turned into haunting creatures.

This was also why Lu Yibei couldn’t detect the woman’s presence with her psychic sense before boarding.

Realizing this, she saw an opportunity to blend in with these pitiful women and, without causing a conflict, find Du Sixian and leave according to the best escape route planned.

After ensuring Du Sixian’s safety, she would consider returning to provide appropriate support to Xing Yuan.

As Xing Yuan had said before the operation began, the rescue mission should prioritize saving people first.

“Here she comes!”

Hearing the call from the woman ahead, Lu Yibei shifted her gaze away from the window, responded, and hurriedly followed.

Getting closer to the woman, with an expressionless face and a melancholic tone, she asked, “Madam Gui Hua, if the master takes new concubines, does that mean he won’t favor us anymore?”

“What will we do then!?”

“…”

The woman fell silent for a moment, accompanied by the crisp sound of stiff joints moving as she turned to face Lu Yibei and sighed, “The new always outshines the old. You might have arrived late and not experienced such things. If you were like me, staying long enough makes you accustomed to it.”

Lu Yibei said nothing, her fingertips continuously stroking the railing as she walked alongside Gui Hua, pondering for a long time before continuing to inquire, “Madam Gui Hua, do you think the newly abducted bride will be especially beautiful?”

“Why do you ask that? Are you harboring any ill intentions?” Gui Hua frowned, speaking sternly, “I advise you not to. Those old ones who tried to harm the new girls in the past never ended well.”

“No, no, no, you misunderstand,” Lu Yibei quickly explained, lowering her head as she pretended to wipe a tear from the corner of her eye with her sleeve, “I just want to look at her from a distance.”

“I’ve been here so long, I’ve almost forgotten what I looked like before I boarded this ship. Back then, I must have been a lovely young lady, just like Madam Gui Hua.”

“I just want to see the new girl, perhaps it’ll remind me of what I used to look like, like when I used to gaze into a mirror.”

Lu Yibei’s heartfelt words seemed to stir something within the elderly Gui Hua on the ship, causing a gentle light to flicker in her dim eyes. She sighed every few steps, pausing every few more.

Finally, she stopped, her stiff body turning towards Lu Yibei with a serious expression. “Bei, I can take you to see her, but you must promise me, you can only watch from afar, you mustn’t get close, understand? If the River God finds out, I won’t be able to save you!”

“Yes, yes! Absolutely, thank you, Madam Gui Hua!” Lu Yibei nodded repeatedly, mimicking the gestures from palace dramas as she bowed slightly to Gui Hua.

“Follow me!” Gui Hua said, leading Lu Yibei towards the place where Du Sixian was held.

Lu Yibei had initially thought that after the River God had somehow brought Du Sixian onto the ship, she would be locked away in a dark, hidden room, if not subjected to some sort of sneaky maneuver.

However, when she finally saw Du Sixian from afar, she realized she was mistaken.

Following Gui Hua, she descended the spiral staircase adorned with golden beast patterns, lightly brushing the railing as she went, until she reached the belly of the great ship.

After passing through a corridor illuminated by eternal lamps, a massive sleeping chamber constructed within the hollowed-out interior of the three-story ship came into view. Countless lanterns glowing with a red hue floated up and down, casting a blood-red light across the scene.

Beneath the circular dome made of colorful glass, beams of cloud-topped sandalwood, crystal jade lamps, pearl curtains, and broad columns of agarwood wrapped in red silk embroidered with silver threads depicting begonias. The silk fluttered in the breeze, like a dreamlike sea of blood.

In the center of the chamber, on a golden bed large enough to accommodate a dozen people, a heap of red bedding embroidered with phoenixes was piled high. Through the red dragon and phoenix patterned gauze, Du Sixian lay peacefully asleep in the center of the bed…