The Young Girl Challenges the River God

Near the Inkstone Hanging Goddess painting in Mural City, Pei Qian found the little shop selling copies and tracings of the goddess and Heavenly Official paintings. With all eight blessings claimed, business was mediocre, much like at their own Yashui Shop in Qilong Alley.

The shopkeeper was a pretty young woman. Her master had told her that although the woman was no Dao Cultivator of the Pima Sect, she and Pang Lanxi made a rare pair of immortal lovers.

Pei Qian worried a little. Pang Lanxi was a mountain sword cultivator who knew how to preserve his youth, but this woman from below the mountain could only grow older year after year. Even with miraculous medicines, the day would come when her hair turned white. What would she do then? Even if they stayed together and Pang Lanxi never minded, surely she would still grieve in secret. Pei Qian scratched her head. Maybe she should remember the woman's face and have the old cook make her an identical one when she got back? But what if that was meddling? Ah, what a bother. If only Master were here.

Bao Gai, Lingzhi, Chun Official, Changqing, and Zhankan, commonly called the Immortal Staff: these five goddesses had already faded from painted murals into line drawings before her master's last visit to Mural City. Only after he went to Ghost Realm Valley had Inkstone Hanging, Rain Bringer, and Deer Rider chosen their respective masters. Back then, Pei Qian and Zhou Mili had both cried foul. What was wrong with those three goddesses? Had age ruined their eyesight? Yet for some reason, Pei Qian had noticed her master looking relieved at the time. He had even smiled happily.

Pei Qian had come only to look around. Unless she sold the pots off the stove