Start practicing from Mr. Fox

Chapter 185 The River God's Wedding
Chen Ji stared intently at it, thinking to himself, "Interesting."

Although these soldiers were living people, they possessed a trace of the spirit of incense offerings.

Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that the spiritual energy of these incense sticks originated from the armor and weapons on their bodies, emanating wisps of moisture, indeed the protection of the river god's incense.

However, the rules of this dynasty remain unchanged: private possession of armor is considered treason.

Therefore, the armor these people wore was simply made of thick linen wrapped around tree bark and vines.

Their weapons were decent, with guns, swords, and shields all available. The way they stood up hinted at their military background, but they lacked any murderous aura.

They must have invited a veteran to provide instruction.

It seems this river god is indeed quite capable, able to gather such a group of people to protect the village, and even provide them with armor and weapons refined through incense offerings. Ordinary ghosts and monsters would be no match for this village protection team.

It's a pity he went down the wrong path. Otherwise, with these achievements, he could have educated the aquatic creatures and protected the people on both sides of the river. After three evaluations, he could have at least received a top-tier rating and been transferred to serve as an independent river god.

Chen Ji shook his head, deciding not to think about it anymore.

The path of cultivation is like this: one wrong step leads to a series of wrong steps, and there is no room for regret.

Since the river god chose to embark on this path, he must have foreseen this long ago.

It seemed like he had been thinking for a long time, but in reality it was only a moment.

Chen Ji withdrew his thoughts, cupped his hands, and looked at the soldiers.

"I heard that the river god of Shanghe Village is getting married. I am a relative of the goddess's family and I have come to escort her to the wedding."

The soldiers exchanged a glance and frowned.

"Madam Wang does have a younger brother, but he doesn't look like you. What kind of relative are you? Why haven't I seen you come here before?"

"And why didn't the bride's parents come? Why did they send you to deliver the gifts?"

"You must be talking about Lu Xiaoyou. He is also my younger brother. He was so excited when he heard that his sister was going to serve the River God that he couldn't go, so he sent me to deliver the congratulatory gift."

"As for the bride's parents, they were worried that they would never see their daughter again after she went to the Water Palace, and that seeing her face to face would be even more heartbreaking, so they prayed at home."

As Chen Ji spoke, he took out two strings of copper coins wrapped in red paper from his body, and then took out some loose copper coins.

He quickly shoved the whole bundle back into his pocket, and handed the loose pieces to the soldiers blocking his way.

"I didn't know what else to give my family, so I scraped together these two strings of copper coins. I don't know if I'll be able to use them when I go to the River God's palace."

"This is the first time our humble family has been involved in such an elegant marriage. If there is anything we have done poorly, please forgive us."

"That's it."

The soldiers' expressions softened somewhat upon hearing this.

Looking at the coins that were handed to him, he almost burst out laughing.

Although they were the village's protection team, they didn't have much extra income. They only received gifts from passing merchant caravans, but even those gifts weren't theirs to enjoy alone; they had to share them with others.

Such filial piety can certainly be accepted.

So he reached out and grabbed it, then curled the corners of his mouth into a smile.

“The River God’s wedding is a major event in the village, and strangers are not allowed to enter the village normally. However, since you are from the bride’s family, you are one of us. Please come in.”

"Thank you very much."

Chen Ji bowed and thanked him before entering the village.

Only after they had escaped the soldiers did the mudfish demon's voice finally ring out.

"Fellow Daoist, is your talent for deception innate?"

"What's the lie?"

"What you just told those people, about your maternal relatives, isn't that all a lie?"

"The mudfish demon sighed."

"No wonder the aquatic creatures say not to associate with humans, because no human has ever told the truth."

"I thought you were different from others, but I didn't expect you to be the same."

Chen Ji lowered his head and thought for a moment, then tapped the mouth of the gourd.

"Did I mention that Lu Xiaoyou became Fellow Daoist Xiyun's disciple?"

"Said."

"Then what is my generational relationship with Fellow Daoist Xiyun?"

"This……"

The mudfish demon paused for a moment, thought carefully, and after a while, simply started chanting.

"You and the old abbot address each other as fellow Daoist, and you and fellow Daoist Xiyun also address each other as fellow Daoist. Is your relationship one of fellow Daoist or senior master?"

Unable to figure it out, the mudfish demon muttered a few words and then simply asked Chen Ji.

"It does not matter."

Chen Ji chuckled softly.

"In any case, Lu Xiaoyou should at least call me 'Shishu' (a term of respect for a senior martial arts master), right?"

"Yes."

“A teacher for a day is a father for life. Since I am his uncle, is there a problem with me being his godfather? So, in that case, the one who is getting married is my goddaughter.”

"Is it wrong to say they are from the River God's maternal family?"

After Chen Ji finished speaking, Mud Loach stood there stunned, unable to recover from the shock.

This sounds reasonable, but something just doesn't feel right. I thought about it for a few moments but couldn't figure out what the problem was.

He then plunged headfirst into the gourd to ponder it carefully.

Chen Ji ignored him and looked around. He found that the village was decorated with red and colorful decorations everywhere. The walls and doors of the houses on both sides of the main road were covered with big red "囍" characters, and even the tree trunks were tied with red ropes.

In particular, a huge tree guarding the village has more than a dozen red ropes tied to it, with wooden signs swaying on top.

There was also an elderly man with white hair who was pasting red characters on paper.

He filled a rough earthenware bowl with paste, dipped a pot brush in it, and brushed it around the door and wall a few times before sticking the double happiness character on it.

He then carefully smoothed it out with his hands before letting out a sigh, his expression tinged with sadness, as if he were dipping his brush in the paste.

Looking further afield, although most people were in high spirits, some could be seen with undisguised grief on their faces.

Chen Ji used his Qi Observation Technique to sense that the old man's emotions were not joyful, and knew that he must have experienced something.

So he went up to greet them and asked what was going on.

"Old man, are all these '囍' characters prepared for the river god's wedding?"

"Besides the River God, who else could have such a grand display?"

The white-haired old man replied calmly, then turned to stare at Chen Ji, his expression turning wary after a few glances.

"Who are you, and how did you get into the village?"

Chen Ji hadn't expected that someone would be so wary after just one encounter, so he repeated the same words he had said at the village entrance earlier.

The white-haired old man finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"You're from the bride's family, and you've never been here before, so it's no wonder you don't know!"

The old man spoke slowly.

"The river god's wedding is a major event in our village. It has been going on for decades, and only the villages along the river know about it."

"Since this is such a joyous occasion, why does the old man look unhappy?"

The old man's face turned deathly pale instantly. He stood up in shock and stared straight at Chen Ji, his voice trembling.

"What nonsense are you spouting, you outsider!"

"How could I be unhappy?"

"I'm so happy! I wish I could be happier, I...I'm happier than anyone else!"

The old man spoke while tears streamed down his wrinkled face, and his voice choked with emotion.

Upon seeing this, Chen Ji knew that he had indeed guessed correctly.

So he went forward and helped the old man up.

“Old man, I am also from the family of the goddess’s family. Why don’t you tell me what’s going on and why some villagers seem happy while others don’t?”

"you……"

The old man looked up at Chen Ji, as if he wanted to say something, but then cautiously looked towards the village entrance and the village center, his lips lightly touching the ground under the tree, making a very faint sound.

"Young man, you should leave. I dare not say anything about this."

"Once you leave, I'll pretend I didn't hear anything. Don't ask anyone else either. Just go back now!"

"Why?"

Chen Ji was puzzled upon hearing this.

Upon hearing this, the old man's face immediately showed anger.

“You young man are so unreasonable. I can’t explain this to you. If you ask someone else, they might send you to the village guard team.”

"I kindly advised you not to ask, why are you talking nonsense?"

"Get out of here! Get out of my house right now, and I'll pretend I've never seen you." With that, he tried to push Chen Ji out the door.

Chen Ji was filled with admiration.

This person has no cultivation whatsoever, yet possesses integrity and a kind heart; he is indeed no ordinary person.

Under the aura-observation technique, not a trace of ulterior motives could be discerned.

So he stood up and bowed respectfully.

"Please forgive me, sir. I had some reservations earlier and didn't reveal my true identity. Now that I see your honesty, it would be inappropriate to keep hiding it any longer."

“I am indeed considered half a member of the goddess’s family, but I am not an ordinary person, but the City God of Fenshan Town.”

"Someone previously accused the river god of this place of being immoral, using human sacrifices, which violates the laws of the divine court. I have come here to investigate..."

"Get out! Get out!"

Upon hearing this, the old man drew his cane and shouted.

"I don't know what you're trying to achieve by pretending to be the City God, but let me tell you, even if the real City God came, I would react the same way!"

"A city god who's a dog, blind as a bat, cares about nothing, what face does he have to be a city god!"

This reaction surprised Chen Ji somewhat.

Judging from the old man's reaction, I initially thought the river god had done something heinous.

I never expected that he would harbor such a deep resentment towards the City God.

only……

Chen Ji looked around and felt fortunate that he had prepared in advance and used the Wind Summoning Technique to control the surrounding atmosphere, so as to prevent the sound from being heard.

Otherwise, the others would have been alerted by now.

It's a minor issue if things get unclear later; the real trouble would be if it alarmed the river god.

Seeing that Chen Ji did not react, the old man simply raised his cane and approached him.

Chen Ji sighed.

"Sir, I'm sorry to offend you!"

Then he raised his hand, summoned wind to imprison the old man, and spat out a mouthful of flame, which formed a dragon around the old man.

At the same time, it summons the Loach Demon and the Bronze Toad Demon.

"We would like to ask you two to reveal your true forms and serve as witnesses for the old man."

"it is good."

The two demons readily agreed, as they had been feeling stifled for a long time and were now able to breathe freely, so they mustered all their strength.

There is also a well in the old man's house.

The mudfish demon swelled in the wind, growing from the thickness of a finger to the thickness of a bucket in an instant, and the characteristics of a dragon were faintly revealed on its body.

He leaped into the well, splashing water several feet high, and then poked his head out of the water again.

Looking at the old man, he spoke in human language.

"Old man, please don't doubt us, we really are the City God's party!"

"Snapped!"

The old man dropped his cane and stood there stunned.

The copper toad demon was much more straightforward.

After retrieving the bronze puppet, he began to recover his form from a single bronze coin until he became a bronze toad the size of a cartwheel.

He didn't speak, but simply opened his mouth and spat out a pile of copper coins.

They stopped talking and ended the spell when the ground was piled high with the magic and there was nowhere left for anyone to step.

The old man, refusing to believe it, picked up a copper coin, bit it hard, and then looked on in shock, unable to believe it.

"This is real?"

The old man muttered to himself, then looked at Chen Ji and his expression changed.

"Wow!"

The copper coins on the ground scattered, and the old man actually knelt down, looking at Chen Ji and his group with a terrified expression.

"You...you really are the City God?"

"Replacement guaranteed."

Chen Ji spoke slowly, and then sent a gentle breeze to help the old man up.

The old man immediately knelt down on the ground.

"Your Majesty, please forgive my rambling earlier, I am a magnanimous man..."

"Old...no! I will definitely keep my mouth shut and not say anything nonsense. I only beg the City God to spare my life."

Chen Ji shook his head and helped the old man up again.

"Old man, you jest. I've never met you before, so why are you saying these things? Could it be that you have some grudge against the previous City God?"

"The previous City God?"

The old man's white hair trembled, and surprise flashed in his eyes.

Chen Ji then explained that the City God of Fenshan Town had been taken away and that he was temporarily acting as the City God.

When did it happen?

"Some time ago."

After Chen Ji finished speaking, the old man was so moved that tears streamed down his face. He knelt down and kept kowtowing to the east.

"Heaven has eyes! It has finally taken that corrupt official away!"

This time, Chen Ji did not stop him. He waited until the old man had vented his emotions before asking him what had happened, why he was so angry when the City God was mentioned, and what had happened in the village.

"It's a long story, so please allow this old man to tell you slowly."

The old man calmed himself down and slowly began to speak.

As Chen Ji listened, he realized that life is indeed unpredictable.

According to the old man, the river god did not always act this way. Every year, the river god's sacrifice only required the preparation of fruits and chickens.

Later, at some point, it became known as the Three Sacrificial Animals; without them, the sacrifice would surely fail.

A few years later, he simply became a living person, and every time he worshipped the river god, he had to find a woman or a young boy or girl.

The old man's daughter was the woman chosen in the river god sacrifice a few years ago.

He witnessed his daughter sink into the river and die, and his wife, unable to bear the shock, followed their daughter in death.

He lived his whole life as a solitary figure.

And this is the reason why he hates the City God.

The river god destroyed his entire family, so he asked someone to write a lawsuit against the city god, but the city god didn't respond at all.

“I’ve been there hundreds of times, but I’ve never even been inside the City God Temple.”

"The little devil guarding the gate said they couldn't get in without offerings of incense."

"After finally managing to gather enough incense offerings, the City God didn't even bother to look at them and told us to go back and wait."

"They even said that for a peasant family like ours to have a marriage with the river god is a blessing earned over several lifetimes, and that we shouldn't cause any trouble."

"I really can't understand what this City God is. Why does he ignore such a wicked god who disregards human life, but instead targets us poor people?"

As she spoke, she seemed to remember something, shook her head, and wiped away her tears.

"Please forgive me, City God. I got a little carried away and couldn't hold back. I was talking about them, not you..."

"It's already a good thing that you were able to get rid of the previous City God, but it's a bit too late."

Chen Ji was silent.

No wonder the old man looked worried when he saw the River God Festival and became furious when he heard about the City God.

This was a good day for the river god, but it was also the day he lost his daughter and wife.

The village was adorned in red, a wedding dress for the river god, but for him, it was a mourning garment in his heart.

Chen Ji finally understood why he felt something was off after entering the village.

Beneath this red rope lie countless precious human lives.

Hanging from the big tree in the middle of the village are more than a dozen wronged souls.

My condolences, sir.

Not knowing how to offer advice, Chen Ji softly offered a word of comfort.

He paused for a moment, then spoke again.

"Now that I am here, I will not allow the river god's wedding to happen again."

"As for your wife and daughters, sir, I'll see if I can let you see them again after this matter is over."

(End of this chapter)