Bu Jiuyue wanted to ask more, but Sang Xuan pulled Shen Sheng away. “Let’s go down and take a look too.”
“Have you forgotten the Clan Leader’s orders?” Shen Sheng quickly grabbed Sang Xuan, who was about to charge into trouble. “What are you going down there for?”
“What if there’s danger?”
But before Sang Xuan could finish, she’d already jumped into the water.
They swam downwards, drawing closer to the black hole. They saw members from Prajna City. Huang Yun and Ruo Wu were also there. The four of them met up.
“Who went in?”
“The Clan Leader and Elder Fu Kong.”
Sang Xuan was eager to jump in. She pushed Shen Sheng towards Huang Yun and Ruo Wu, then quickly dashed off herself.
Shen Sheng anxiously yelled twice. Huang Yun and Ruo Wu were clearly used to this, exchanging a glance and letting her go.
After she was out of sight, Shen Sheng glanced at the two from the corner of her eye, feeling rather awkward.
Luckily, Sang Xuan came back quickly, in a flurry, as if a fire were chasing her. “They’re fighting!”
Huang Yun and Ruo Wu left together immediately. Sang Xuan quickly brought Shen Sheng up to the surface. She tossed Shen Sheng onto the bank, then dove back into the water.
Alone now, Shen Sheng sat cross-legged on the ground. Bu Jiuyue seized the chance to run over. “Are you close with them?”
“Somewhat,” Shen Sheng replied, settling in.
Bu Jiuyue chattered on, “I heard there’s an Evil Devil in the South River, trying to destroy it. I don’t know if it’s true or not. Are they busy dealing with that?”
“What kind of Evil Devil?” Shen Sheng asked Bu Jiuyue.
“I just heard it from others. Our cultivation is shallow; we just get snippets of gossip. What about you?” Bu Jiuyue looked at Shen Sheng eagerly.
Shen Sheng wasn’t stupid. She knew Bu Jiuyue was just fishing for information, so she stopped talking.
Many cultivators on the bank began setting up Formations, on high alert, ready for a major enemy.
Shen Sheng watched the calm river surface, her heart uneasy. She knew the true catastrophe wasn’t this one.
Suddenly, someone shouted, “The water is starting to turn murky!”
Many people rushed over. Shen Sheng didn’t move. The murkiness was only the beginning.
After waiting for an unknown amount of time, the river water surged and churned. Filth from below continuously boiled upwards. Many people retreated in terror.
The South River Water, pure for tens of thousands of years, was now becoming murky and foul.
The South River Water was revered as a holy water for healing. The scene before them caused widespread panic.
The filth churned, spreading towards the banks. The cultivators watching were heartbroken and filled with regret.
“How could it become like this…”
“For tens of thousands of years, the holy water was crystal clear. How could it become so filthy, so vile?”
Hearing these lamentations, Shen Sheng couldn’t help but retort, “What’s the use of shouting? We should be thinking of ways to restore its clarity!”
Her outburst drew immediate criticism. “Little girl, you don’t understand anything. Don’t speak nonsense. You just flap your lips while we’d have to pay a huge price.”
“If you’re so capable, do it yourself! What are you showing off for?”
“That’s right! You look like a Demigod yourself. Show us your ability!”
Shen Sheng was furious. Bu Jiuyue came over to pull her back. “The clarity of the river water is the responsibility of Prajna City. It has nothing to do with them.”
Since it wasn’t their affair, how could they intervene?
“But they’ve all benefited from the South River’s blessings!” Shen Sheng was indignant.
Bu Jiuyue said, “The gods within Prajna City receive special treatment from the South River. Compared to them, the benefits these people receive are trivial.”
Shen Sheng glared but said no more. At that moment, the churning, polluted water abruptly calmed, and gradually began to clear.
Everyone gasped. People shot out from the water—it was Jiang Wan’s group.
Jiang Wan landed beside Shen Sheng. She wrapped one arm around Shen Sheng’s waist, lifting her as she flew towards Prajna City.
“We’re leaving?” Shen Sheng was surprised. It was over so quickly?
The others followed suit and left.
Landing at the city gate, Shen Sheng instinctively glanced at the mirror.
Back at the main hall, they waited a moment. The others returned one after another. Jiang Wan looked perfectly composed, while the others’ faces were somewhat grim.
Shen Sheng sat beside Jiang Wan without a word. Sang Xuan was the last to return, her personality more lively. Upon entering, she announced, “That black hole turned out to be a person! No, a Devil. I got close, but I couldn’t see anything. Did any of you see anything?”
It was like an endless darkness. No matter what spell you used, there was no reaction. Like a pitch-black room in the mortal world.
“Moreover, the harder we fought, the worse the river water became—dirtier and stinkier. What in the world is going on?” Sang Xuan sat down heavily, panting with exhaustion.
Jiang Wan said, “Perhaps the Evil Devil has already merged with the South River. It must have devoured the divine artifact that stabilizes the South River at its bottom, the Water Stabilizing Seal.”
Shen Sheng’s mouth opened slightly. So, killing the Evil Devil meant destroying the South River.
A sudden wave of powerlessness washed over her. “Then we don’t kill it?”
“We’re just supposed to let it go?” Sang Xuan jumped up, deeply unwilling.
Fu Kong was also dejected. “For now, we can only watch. The Clan Leader and I reinforced the Seal. We’ll think of another way.”
“What if it breaks out? We can’t kill it, we can’t release it…” Sang Xuan was both helpless and frustrated.
Huang Yun suddenly spoke up. “What if we find someone to reform the Evil Devil? To guide it?”
Ruo Wu glanced sideways at her. “You mean send someone to their death? They’d be killed before any reforming happens. It would just add to the slaughter.”
Shen Sheng propped her chin on her hand, glancing at Jiang Wan from the corner of her eye. The person sitting upright, so solemn and proper, looked holy and beautiful.
Everyone voiced their opinions, each offering their own perspective. Jiang Wan remained silent. After they all stopped, she looked at Shen Sheng. “What do you think?”
“We can’t kill it,” Shen Sheng said after a moment of surprise.
Jiang Wan nodded. A smile appeared on her face. “For now, it’s under control. I’ve cleansed the river water. We just need to keep watching.”
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Jiang Wan then added, “I appreciate your hard work over the past few days. And… I want to get married.”
That simple sentence swept away the lingering gloom. The atmosphere in the hall suddenly shifted. Everyone looked at Shen Sheng with smiles in their eyes.
Shen Sheng’s face reddened. She instinctively tugged at Jiang Wan’s sleeve. “This… this is too fast.”
“It’s very slow,” Jiang Wan said. “Are you afraid?”
“If you’re not afraid, what have I to fear?” Shen Sheng puffed out her chest. Here, she was all alone and had nothing to fear.
Jiang Wan pressed her lips together. Her usually red lips, now moistened, looked exceptionally beautiful.
Amidst the congratulations, everyone happily went off to make the arrangements.
Only the two of them remained in the hall.
A blush spread across Shen Sheng’s face. “Did we know each other before?”
“Do you like me?” Jiang Wan didn’t answer but countered with a new question.
Shen Sheng nodded without hesitation.
Jiang Wan’s eyes were sincere and passionate. “I like you too. That’s enough. Why worry about the rest? The Lovesickness Gu is the best proof. Don’t think about anything else. What good is finding the past? We’re moving forward, not backward.”
The Jiang Wan before her was like a magnificent peony, appearing thorny, yet possessing her own gentleness and tolerance.
Shen Sheng, still reeling from the whirlwind of events, felt her heart flutter with Jiang Wan’s words.
Who could refuse such a gentle, capable woman?
Shen Sheng felt she couldn’t refuse. She was even beginning to fall, deeply.
She snapped back to her senses just in time and grabbed Jiang Wan’s slender hand. “I came looking for you because I wanted to tell you—the South River Water will dry up. If that day is inevitable, you must prepare in advance. Protecting yourselves is the most important thing.”
Her panic didn’t distract Jiang Wan. Unshaken, Jiang Wan simply smiled. “Destiny lies ahead. How do you cross it? It’s just like you. Why didn’t you refuse? If you hadn’t come here, you wouldn’t suffer this pain.”
“But… I like…” Shen Sheng hesitated. She liked Anu. Even knowing Anu’s methods were crazy and obsessive, she still wanted to try.
Being questioned like this made her feel as if she couldn’t breathe. But Jiang Wan didn’t press further. “Let’s go back and eat something.”
Shen Sheng sighed. Coming here seemed to have been useless. Like an ant trying to shake a tree.
Jiang Wan, however, was quite content, holding Shen Sheng’s hand. The matter under the river was already cast to the back of her mind. She cheerfully discussed the layout of the palace with Shen Sheng.
She was the master of Prajna City, ruling over this hall. The others lived outside the palace grounds.
The palace complex was vast, filled with fresh air, flowers, trees, and plants.
They walked beneath a tree and looked up. Large red fruits hung from the branches. Jiang Wan explained, “These fruits are different from those of the lower realm. They’re nourished by the South River.”
Jiang Wan picked a red fruit and handed it to Shen Sheng. “It’s very sweet.”
Shen Sheng took a bite. The juice was almost sickeningly sweet. Jiang Wan also picked one, pulling Shen Sheng down to sit under the tree.
The breeze was gentle, the scenery beautiful. The fragrance of fruit filled the air. The sunlight was bright and beautiful. The faint light falling on them was warm.
It was quiet under the tree, a mysterious, wonderful fragrance permeating the air. Taking a deep breath invigorated the entire body.
After eating half, Jiang Wan finally said, “Fu Kong transplanted this from the lower realm. I heard that after eating it, your blood flows faster and your mood becomes exceptionally joyful.”
