Chapter 327: I Understand, I Understand It All!

The sky was gloomy, with dark clouds summoned by some force, piling up above Baiyan Village.

Like someone tipping over the Milky Way, the downpour rapidly splashed down.

The rain, converging into pillars, hammered into the earth like arrows, thudding loudly and leaving pits shallow and deep.

In the misty rain, a shadow resembling a majestic but ugly unicornered beast formed around Xing Yuan, intercepting the rain arrows.

Then.

She raised her head, disregarding the barrage of rain arrows before her, and with both hands gripping a giant black axe, she stepped forward and charged through the rain towards a figure who seemed to be commanding the storm.

Amidst the roar of the rain, sounds of water faintly carried through. Those hauntings with partial Water Ogre powers used the rain as a cover, moving back and forth between heaven and earth like fish.

Suddenly, a gust surged, and a figure with a red-haired and green-skinned sturdy body broke through the rain curtain, appearing on the path ahead of Xing Yuan, following the figure that had just burst forth, with several other figures swooping in from all directions.

Seeing this, Xing Yuan frowned, shouted “Get out of my way!” and instead of retreating, she took a bold step forward. The ground shook as she swung her axe towards the sky with all her might, engulfing the attackers in a ferocious black maelstrom with a deep rumble.

The figures of the red-haired strong men stalled mid-air, all bisected by the axe, their foul-smelling blood splattering onto the protective shadow of the beast around Xing Yuan, instantly devoured by it and transformed into psychic energy that surged into her body.

In an instant, her psychic energy fluctuation seemed to intensify, with tiny black sparks frantically crawling over her skin.

Seeing the beast shadow protecting Xing Yuan devour the hauntings’ psychic energy, Bai Kai was momentarily stunned, and his belief in her reason for leaving “only when absolutely necessary” grew stronger.

The psychic’s Spirit Pattern, fundamentally, is a reproduction of a haunting’s power. Hence, the more a user’s actions and temperament align with the corresponding haunting’s power, the more effectively they can utilize the Spirit Pattern.

This was also why, after learning through rumors that Xing Yuan had left him and her Spirit Pattern had advanced to Descendants of Qiongqi, Bai Kai stopped waiting and completely lost trust in her.

After all, in most legends, Qiongqi is depicted as a ferocious beast, even associated with phrases like “destroying faith and promoting wicked speech.”

Thus, deceiving, betraying, and devouring the psychic energy of the Heroic Spirit type seemed exactly like efforts to align with Qiongqi’s power to achieve advancement.

However.

The haunting shadow that emerged behind Xing Yuan at this moment was not the common “tiger-like with wings” appearance of Qiongqi, but rather a beast with a dog’s head and a cow’s body, an ugly form.

This appearance is from the lesser-known legends where Qiongqi acts as one of the twelve malevolent gods who devour demons and plague, a benevolent beast.

If her initial actions were a carefully planned deception, meant to diverge from the inherently ominous Spirit Pattern towards benevolence.

So…

Did she really not intend to deceive me, to help herself advance? Bai Kai murmured to himself, his eyes flickering with emotion, but soon returning to calm.

Even if she didn’t mean to deceive me, didn’t she still take all the savings when she left?

Almost left me starving!

Bai Kai pondered with a hint of resentment. Though his mind resisted, his body betrayed him with its honesty.

He murmured softly, “A hall full of flowers intoxicates three thousand guests, one sword chills fourteen states…”

In the next instant, his figure transformed into a streak of silver light, a sonic boom erupting around him as he moved like a phantom.

Suddenly, the silver light became a sharp blade, slicing through the torrential rain that threatened to engulf everything, its icy edge aimed directly at the River God’s head.

At that moment, the River God had just used a wall of water to deflect the incoming giant axe, when he heard the sound of a sword slicing through the air behind him, its chilling presence closing in. He had no time to evade.

Amidst the rain, a soft “pop!” echoed, like a bubble bursting in water, and the River God’s body exploded into a puddle of filthy water, splattering everywhere.

Did it work? Bai Kai furrowed his brow slightly, then his expression turned serious.

The River God’s psychic energy fluctuation only weakened momentarily before the scattered water, aided by the accumulating mud on the ground, reformed into a mass, and the River God reappeared not far away.

“Is it a rebirth ability?” Xing Yuan murmured.

Bai Kai turned to face her, shaking his head gently, “It seems more like an innate ability granted by the haunting’s power.”

The River God snorted arrogantly, “Hmph! Rivers are formless, flowing endlessly. How could you young ones from The Midnight Watchers Society possibly fathom them?”

“Oh!” Xing Yuan seemed to ignore the River God’s words, nodding at Bai Kai with a soft voice, “By the way, Xiao Bai, is your Spirit Pattern okay? Will this level of battle be too much for you?”

“I’m fine,” Bai Kai gently caressed Xing Yuan’s cheek, “My Spirit Pattern has long stabilized.”

“By the way, Xing Yuan, be careful not to catch a cold in the rain later. I remember you have a weak constitution; you always got a fever after getting wet.”

“No worries, you’re here, right? You’ll make ginger tea for me like before, won’t you?”

“Of course!” Bai Kai smiled.

River God, “…”

Seriously!

Could you show a little respect for your opponent?

“With the lady I travel the nine rivers, the wind rises and the water waves, riding the water chariot with lotus canopy, driving two dragons with horned serpents…”

The River God’s face twisted with venom, his voice low and chanting, as the river hidden in the rain and darkness seemed to respond, its surface violently churning.

“Boom-!”

A deep rumble emanated from the river, two water columns rising like dragons, roaring towards them.

“Today, I’ll make sure you two lovebirds never return!” The River God glared at Xing Yuan and Bai Kai with malice, letting out a low growl.

Then, the water droplets swirling in the air cascaded down like a breached dam, rushing towards the ground.

At that moment, facing the tsunami-like surge of muddy river water, Xing Yuan suddenly summoned her psychic energy, shouting towards the direction of the large ship.

“Hua City Guanxi!”

Bai Kai, “???”

River God, “???”

A moment earlier, on the crimson ship.

Lu Yibei withdrew her gaze from the red-haired strong man and the woman in red pacing within the grand sleeping chamber, turning her attention back to Du Sixian with a furrowed brow.

With so many eyes watching, how could she possibly whisk her away without anyone noticing?

And what about the River God? Hopefully, it hadn’t done anything to her.

Damn it, it’s impossible to confirm from this distance. Even if I got close, I couldn’t exactly check her condition, could I?

As Lu Yibei pondered, Gui Hua silently appeared behind her, ghost-like in her quiet approach.

“Bei, let’s leave after taking a look, shall we? The wedding preparations aren’t finished yet, and we mustn’t delay the master’s important affairs.”

Startled by the sudden voice behind her, Lu Yibei’s heart skipped a beat, but she managed to keep her face expressionless, avoiding any slip-up.

“Alright, Madam Gui Hua,” Lu Yibei replied, turning to follow Gui Hua down the corridor they had come from.

Rescuing Du Sixian was indeed urgent, but her location deep within the ship’s belly made a blatant escape risky, likely stirring up trouble.

She needed more time, waiting for Xing Yuan to subdue the River God as planned, creating chaos to distract the hauntings and the woman in red, then seizing the chance to take Du Sixian away.

If the River God managed to return, Lu Yibei wasn’t entirely confident she could ensure Du Sixian’s safety in a confrontation.

Of course, this was PLAN A, the cautious approach.

If things went awry, Lu Yibei would have to take the risk, creating chaos and forcibly breaking out with Du Sixian.

As for how to create chaos…

That’s simple enough, isn’t it? Lu Yibei might not excel at many things, but when it came to creating chaos, she was a master!

Along the way, her mischievous hands had already left their mark everywhere.

Now, she just needed to wait for Xing Yuan’s signal to trigger the invisible imprints left by her innate skill.

Until then, why not chat with Madam Gui Hua?

With that thought, Lu Yibei’s eyes twinkled with mischief as she casually teased, “Who would’ve thought our master is such a gentleman? With such a beautiful woman before him, he hasn’t even sampled the goods.”

Gui Hua’s steps paused slightly, and she replied softly, “Lu Yibei, after all this time, it seems you still don’t understand the master, do you?”

“We women are brought aboard as sacrifices to the master when wishes are made. From the moment we step on this ship, we belong to the master. Why would he need to adhere to such formalities?”

“The reason he hasn’t indulged in today’s new arrival is simply because, just as he was about to, another sacrifice arrived. He plans to enjoy a double blessing…”

“The master has always enjoyed multiple companions in bed, as you should know.”

Lu Yibei, “…”

How the hell would I know that?

All I know is that the River God is an old pervert, snatching women at will.

Who knew it had such twisted preferences?

However…

“Gui Hua, what wish did you make when you first came aboard this ship?” Lu Yibei asked curiously.

Before boarding, she hadn’t known about the wish-making process preceding the River God Marriage. Hearing Gui Hua mention it piqued her interest.

She was curious about what wish the people of Baiyan Village made after summoning the River God.

“Isn’t it all the same?” Gui Hua replied sorrowfully. “Most of the sisters on this ship came aboard to stop the flooding.”

“We only found out after boarding that the floods weren’t caused by the River God, but he did stop them and saved our families. So, since then, we’ve stopped resisting.”

“Isn’t that the case for you?”

Of course not. I’m a stowaway, possibly here to blow up the ship… Lu Yibei thought to herself, nodding along with Gui Hua’s sentiment, and sighed helplessly, “Ah, who wouldn’t agree?”

“It’s just that I’ve heard from other sisters that the new girl didn’t wish for that.”

In our grand country, known for its infrastructure prowess, how could a small river near a village easily flood? There must be another reason!

This could warrant further investigation, Lu Yibei mused.

“Indeed, she’s different. This time, someone performed a Ghost Opera to invite the River God to the village, wishing for all the villagers to disappear.”

Gui Hua glanced at the red-haired strong men carrying copper furnaces and holding grills in the distance, sighing, “That wish was quite difficult. Those Water Ogres have been eating for a long time and still haven’t finished the villagers. Some of the meat has started to rot, which is quite bothersome.”

Lu Yibei thought, “…”

Ah, so that’s why I smelled a faint stench when I boarded the ship. At first, I thought it was just the ship’s inherent smell!

As she pondered, she asked Gui Hua again, “Gui Hua, what exactly is a Ghost Opera? Is it different from the performances we saw when boarding?”

“A Ghost Opera, naturally, is a performance by ghosts! It’s different from the mundane opera we saw when boarding,” Gui Hua explained expressionlessly.

“The opera we saw when boarding was a common performance, lacking the grandeur to invite the River God himself. Think about it, didn’t we only see the River God after being brought aboard by the Water Ogres?”

“But if a ghostly entity performs, the River God will deign to personally come ashore and welcome them.”

Finally, she added, “Bei, I feel a connection with you, so let me give you some advice. Try to get out and about more often, listen to the stories about the River God from different sisters, so you can find your footing on this ship.”

“I understand, Madam,” Lu Yibei replied with a mock bow, then began to secretly ponder.

It seems I’ve uncovered some rather significant information!

Gui Hua implied that the Ghost Opera must be performed by a haunting to summon the River God himself from his vessel. I had Meng sing the opera, which inadvertently became a unique method to summon the River God.

However, as Gui Hua mentioned, Baiyan Village had been performing Ghost Opera before my arrival. Where did the haunting that performed for them come from? Lu Yibei wondered.

She could track almost all the hauntings within Hua City through the Ley Line Energy. In her memory, aside from Meng, there were no hauntings skilled in opera.

Near Baiyan Village, there were only odd creatures like Mangpu and Old Whiskers, so it was even less likely.

Could it be that besides the River God, other foreign hauntings had entered the territory of Hua City?

Damn! Coming and going as they please, surely they don’t consider me a threat? Lu Yibei thought.

As she pondered, a melodious opera tune drifted from a nearby corridor. The voice sang the “Female Release,” and even though it was just a practice without accompaniment, the depth of skill was evident, hardly inferior to Meng’s.

Lu Yibei slightly furrowed her brows, her steps faltering as she looked towards the source of the sound.

Seeing this, Gui Hua, like an animated mannequin, lifted her stiff arm and patted Lu Yibei’s shoulder, saying, “Bei, don’t look anymore. That’s the ghost summoned by that village to perform opera.”

“Master found her singing impressive, so he invited her aboard, saying she would perform a celebratory opera at the upcoming wedding. You can watch it properly then.”

Upon hearing this, Lu Yibei was momentarily stunned.

What the heck?

The village chief summoned a haunting to perform Ghost Opera to bring out the River God and wished for the entire village to disappear? What kind of baffling human tactic is this?

While she grumbled internally, her gaze covertly shifted towards the serpentine corridor from where the opera voice was coming. She was just about to sidestep Gui Hua, the well-known guide, to confront the singing haunting for clarity.

Just then, a thunderous roar came from outside the ship.

Terrifying waves surged on the river, creating a deafening noise, and the cabin shook violently.

Soon, a distant shout was heard from outside, “Hua City Guanxi!”

Twenty-seven thousand a night… Lu Yibei silently acknowledged the code, her expression turning grave.

Why that code?

Had the Inspector failed to suppress the River God? This was troublesome!

Lu Yibei muttered internally, withdrawing her gaze from the corridor, silently activating her innate skill.

The next moment, there was a loud explosion from the top of the ship.

Quickly, a woman’s piercing scream emanated from outside the cabin.

“Oh no! Oh no! The deck is on fire!”

“Someone help! Help put out the fire!”

“…”

Amidst the screams, tendrils of black smoke along with the scent of charred flesh drifted from the corridor towards the deck.

Seeing this, Gui Hua’s complexion changed from pale to very pale, turning to Lu Yibei, “Bei, stay here, do not wander. I’ll check what’s happening.”

With that, she headed towards the deck, muttering as she walked, “Strange, how could the ship catch fire? So strange…”

Why couldn’t it catch fire, what’s so surprising? Lu Yibei watched as Gui Hua departed, grumbling internally before silently setting off more seals. She then thought of heading deeper into the inner chambers.

Two explosions ignited a fire on the ship, and thick smoke quickly filled the cabin. Under the cover of the smoke, Lu Yibei used her nimble movements to slip past the Water Ogre warriors rushing to extinguish the fire, returning swiftly to the sleeping chamber.

If only she had a stealthy companion, the ventilation ducts might have been quicker…

She mused to herself, landing steadily on the ground and hiding behind a towering pillar. She peered below and saw no sign of the River God by Du Sixian’s bed, only four Water Ogre warriors standing guard. Her eyes narrowed slightly before she swiftly stepped out from her hiding spot.

“Hey! Water Ogre brothers, look up, quick! Something big is happening!”

A voice as light as a silver bell echoed in the chamber. The four Water Ogre warriors turned towards the sound and saw a girl with a delicate face standing on the second-floor railing, pointing at the dome and shouting. Judging by her attire and expressionless face, she was likely part of the River God’s harem.

With the ship ablaze, Lu Yibei’s call caught their attention despite their confusion, and they looked up.

“Ding-!”

With a crisp metallic sound, an ancient-looking copper coin, glowing faintly, descended from the colorful glazed dome, illuminated by the lantern’s dim light.

At that moment, a strange incantation reached their ears.

“Golden Pavilion and Jade Chamber, iron cast wall, dragon’s tail, phoenix’s wings…”

In the next instant, a dazzling white light, like moonlight falling, poured down from the dome, replacing the lantern’s glow and engulfing everything.

“Ugh-ah-!”

Four screams rang out almost simultaneously. Under the 0.2145 power of the Four Beasts Bright Sky Cannon, the bodies of the Water Ogre warriors didn’t vanish instantly, but their blue flesh melted like wax, turning into black smoke before hitting the ground.

Meanwhile, a figure swiftly descended from the second floor, landing on the bed draped with dragon and phoenix patterned curtains. After a brief pause, the figure took the sleeping girl from the bed, leaving behind several glass bottles filled with thick crimson liquid, then flew up again, disappearing from sight.

Then.

As the white light faded, the glass bottles suddenly displayed child-like handprints. The prints glowed brightly and exploded, sending a violent and scorching blast that tore apart the remains of the Water Ogre warriors…

Du Sixian, after encountering the crimson ship, quickly found herself overwhelmed in a fight against the Water Ogre warriors who disembarked from it.

Soon, a strange fragrance wafted into her nostrils, and as dizziness overcame her, she managed to send Lu Yibei a brief SOS message before her vision went dark and she fell into slumber.

However, though Du Sixian was asleep, she didn’t lose consciousness.

Upon opening her eyes again, she found herself in a peculiar Dream, surrounded by a crowd of hauntings, some bizarrely shaped, others terrifyingly grotesque.

Was it that kind of nightmare again…? Du Sixian grumbled internally, rolling up her sleeves and swinging her fists at the haunting ahead. “Come on! Let’s fight!”

A crowd of little Hauntings had come looking for Lu Yibei to solve their problems. Unable to find Lu Yibei or Meng, they stumbled upon the fierce Du Sixian, their minds filled with countless little question marks.

“???”

This girl seems to be human, right?

Why is she here?

It’s one thing for her to be here, but she’s not afraid of us and wants to fight us… What the heck!

“…fiery crimson flame!”

Faced with the blazing flames flying towards them like a meteor, the little Hauntings’ question marks instantly turned into exclamation points.

“!!!”

Seeing the little Hauntings scatter in all directions, Du Sixian shouted, “Don’t run!” and focused on the largest Haunting, chasing after it.

Based on her previous nightmare experiences, as long as she hunted down a certain number of Hauntings, she could wake up from the dream.

However, today’s situation was a bit strange.

The Hauntings not only stopped attacking her but also started running away, each one more cunning and slippery than the last, as if she could never catch up.

Then…

Before she could catch any of the Hauntings, a choking smoke invaded her senses, and she suddenly woke up.

Opening her eyes, in the haze, she saw a familiar profile.

“Hero… Hero? Is that you? Are you here to save me?”

“Yes, it’s me. I’m here to save you,” Lu Yibei replied softly.

“But why did you come back to save me? I only sent a distress message to Senior Lu!” Du Sixian muttered quietly, her eyes suddenly lighting up. “I understand! I understand everything!”

Upon hearing this, Lu Yibei, speeding forward, felt a tightness in her chest, her body stiffening slightly.

Oh no, she was so focused on saving people that she didn’t think about anything else. Could she have connected the identities of “Hero” and “Senior Lu”? Lu Yibei wondered.