vncnus Chapter 8 River God Temple?
Chapter 8 River God Temple?
The moment Mu Yuan raised his hand, the entire tributary moved in accordance with his divine will.
The mud and sand at the bottom of the river surged, and a huge golden mark rose from the riverbed, slowly floating to the surface—it was the power to suppress evil spirits and drive away malevolent influences, a natural nemesis of evil energy.
Pig Demon's expression changed the instant the mark appeared.
It's not just that.
The decapitation blade in Xu Meng's hand trembled slightly. Inside the blade, the disheveled female ghost immediately shrank back into the depths of the scabbard, not daring to reveal the slightest breath.
The golden mark fell very slowly, so slowly that Pig Demon could clearly see every line on the mark!
But it was so fast that it couldn't move at all.
The force was like a mountain pressing down. Even though there was no physical impact, Pig Demon's limbs felt as if they were nailed through, sinking inch by inch into the mud, unable to lift even a finger.
It could only watch helplessly as the golden river water surged in from all directions, seeping into its skin, its pores, and every inch of its body formed from condensed malevolent energy!
Click.
A very faint cracking sound.
The black malevolent energy, like ice and snow meeting fire, crumbled, melted, and vanished from the surface of the pig's body, disappearing into nothingness.
Less than three breaths later.
The two-meter-tall, robust pig demon vanished completely on the river surface before it could even utter a scream, leaving only its fat head lying alone on the bank, dripping with scarlet blood.
[Defeat the Intermediate-level Mysterious Pig Demon, gain 500 Merit Points]
"That's... the end?"
Xu Meng stood there blankly, the decapitation sword in her hand almost slipping from her grasp.
She chased the boar demon for three whole days, losing two teammates and suffering three wounds on her own body from the demonic energy, each one festering and stinking.
As a result, this person...
one strike.
Without even drawing his knife, he crushed the pig demon.
She suddenly looked up and met Mu Yuan's gaze.
"Who are you?" Xu Meng's voice was a little hoarse, and her hand holding the knife was trembling slightly.
Mu Yuan did not land on the shore, but floated on the river surface, his white robe hanging down, surrounded by water, with gold patterns faintly visible at the hem of the robe.
"You may call me Lord Cangjiangdu."
The voice was calm, yet it had a sound that wasn't human.
Xu Meng swallowed hard and took two steps back: "Are you a human... or a ghost?"
"I am the river god of this land."
After saying this, Mu Yuan's figure slowly sank down, like ink dissolving into clear water, disappearing silently beneath the river's surface.
White robes! Gold patterns! River surface! Vanished!
The whole process took less than three seconds.
Xu Meng stared at the river surface, which had returned to calm, and remained silent for a long time.
River God?
Does God really exist in this world?
Nineteen years after the bizarre resurgence, humanity's ability to control ghosts has reached its limit; the word "god" has long since become a legend in ancient books.
But if it's not God, then what is it?
That level of power is simply unmatched by intermediate-level supernatural beings.
She lowered her head and looked at the decapitation sword in her hand.
The blade did not react at all.
Normally, whenever any yin energy approaches, the "Empress" in the knife would already be giving a warning.
But when that person stood on the water just now, the blade was as still as a piece of scrap metal, and the Empress even seemed to be afraid?
There is no yin energy, no evil energy.
There was no eerie atmosphere at all.
"Could it be...?"
Xu Meng suddenly thought of something, and her pupils contracted slightly.
Yesterday, two teammates reported that an unusually fresh spring had been formed in a tributary in the old town.
Is that person the one from that tributary?
Water Spirit, who has no ill intentions towards people?
She stood there for a long time before finally sheathing her decapitation sword, turning around and walking away quickly.
This matter must be reported immediately.
The next day.
The old town was bombed.
Yesterday it was just a rumor that "the stinky ditch at our intersection has become clean."
Most people were skeptical, thinking that someone must have made a mistake.
But this morning, when everyone opened their windows, they were all stunned.
Not one.
That's all.
All the tributaries in the old town became clear overnight.
The once foul-smelling black water is now crystal clear, with sunlight shining directly into the riverbed, revealing the fine sand and pebbles in every detail.
"What exactly is going on?"
A middle-aged man squatted by the river, cupped a handful of water in his hands, and examined it closely. His lips moved, and he almost drank it.
"Don't drink!" The older woman next to him slapped him on the back.
"I don't want to drink it, it's just... this water is so clear it doesn't look real."
"Could it really be the river god?" Another woman leaned against the doorframe, her eyes glazed over. "Old Jiang's wife was rescued, and the river god appeared. I didn't believe it at first..."
"The Jiang family's? You mean the one with the big belly?"
"Yes, that's her. They say the river god intervened and cut off the water ghost's hair that was wrapped around her ankles."
As they were talking, an elderly figure, supported by a middle-aged man, slowly walked to the riverbank.
Upon seeing this, the people around quickly made way.
"Old Liu!"
"Mr. Liu, please take your time."
The old man is over ninety years old and has lived in the old town his whole life. In his youth, he helped many impoverished families and was highly respected by everyone in the neighborhood.
Old Liu stood by the river, bent down, and dipped his withered hand into the water.
The water was cool, but it was a clean coolness, not bone-chilling or cold.
He stared at it for a long time.
"I had a dream last night," Old Liu suddenly said, his voice hoarse but clear. "I dreamt of a golden light rising from the bottom of the river, and a young man in a white robe driving away all the wisps of black mist."
The crowd quieted down.
"It's better to believe it exists than not to believe it doesn't." Old Liu withdrew his hand and nodded. "This river has been dead for so many years, but now that it's come back to life, there has to be an explanation."
The middle-aged man supporting him tentatively asked, "Old Liu, how about... we build a river god temple?"
Everyone looked at each other.
With several hundred households contributing a few hundred yuan each, building a small temple is not a problem at all.
What's more... the river has cleared.
If someone can really drink a lot, the benefits would extend far beyond a few hundred people.
"Build it." Old Liu nodded, his gaze sweeping over the scene of people spontaneously kneeling and worshipping by the river. He sighed, "Whether there are gods or not, someone has to thank this river."
.......
Meanwhile, the Canghe City Bureau of Emergency Management...
The atmosphere in the top-floor conference room was so heavy it was almost suffocating.
Director Zhou Gang sat in the main seat, staring at the data flashing on the big screen, his face ashen.
"Is this correct? All paranormal activity in the old city's tributaries has completely decreased?"
"Confirmed, Director Zhou!" The young team member in charge was sweating. "The instrument has been checked three times, and there are no traces of evil spirits. The water quality data has completely returned to the standard before the strange resurgence!"
"What about the surveillance footage? Was there any record of any official personnel or civilian ghost hunters' actions last night?"
"No." The technician shook his head. "All the surveillance cameras around the city moat recorded no unusual activity last night, except for a few residents passing by."