The River God Has Manifested!

Zhao Changshan looked at Cui Lang in confusion. "Brother Cui, what is it? Do you think there was something suspicious about your father's death?"

"I know about this too. Constable Li investigated it personally. According to the coroner's examination, your father did indeed drown."

"I remember you drowned as well. On the way back to the city, the jolting made you cough up water, and you woke up."

"You father and son went to the banks of the Cloudwater River together. Shouldn't you know this matter better than anyone?"

Cui Lang said vaguely, "I just wanted to thank you. Nothing else."

"Brother Zhao, then go back to sleep. I'm heading home."

As he walked home, Cui Lang felt that something was increasingly wrong.

In a case like Zhang Si's, which might involve demons, Constable Li had handed it to two subordinates. So why had he personally investigated his father's drowning?

Cui Lang pondered the matter all the way, yet could not make heads or tails of it. Before long, he returned home.

"Brother, you're back." Seeing Cui Lang return, Cui Ling finally breathed a sigh of relief. "Is the case finished? You won't be going out again tonight, will you?"

Cui Lang said with a smile, "It's done. Magistrate Zheng even gave me three days off."

He did not mention the demon-slaying, lest his sister worry.

"Three days off? That's wonderful. Brother, you haven't eaten breakfast yet, have you? I'll make some right away. It'll be ready soon."

While his sister went to cook, Cui Lang stood in the courtyard and continued practicing his saber.

With the help of the mysterious little pot, his cultivation had advanced by leaps and bounds. In just a few days, he had broken through from the middle stage of the Essence Refining Realm to the initial stage of the Essence Gathering Realm.

But he knew full well how important martial techniques were. A high realm and powerful techniques were what made a true expert.

Although Eight Desolations Slash was not some profound saber art, he still wanted to master it as soon as possible. Only then could he truly bring out the full strength of the Essence Gathering Realm.

"Little Sis, in a while I'm going to burn incense at Father and Mother's graves. You definitely didn't rest well last night, so go sleep for a while. Your brother is a martial artist—my legs are swift. I'll be back by afternoon."

After breakfast, Cui Lang went out to buy some incense, candles, and offerings, then hurried toward the graveyard outside the city.

He laid out the offerings and lit three sticks of incense. "I've become a constable. I'll take good care of Little Sis and find her a fine husband someday."

"If your spirit is watching from heaven, then bless me to uncover the cause of your death soon."

Just as he spoke, an elderly man passing by suddenly said, "Why ask your ancestors for blessings when the River God's blessings are so much more efficacious?"

Cui Lang turned his head. "What River God? Is there a River God Temple nearby?"

In his memories, there seemed to be a City God Temple and a Land God Temple in the county, but he had never heard of any River God Temple.

The old man's face was glowing with health. "There isn't a River God Temple yet, but there soon will be. Everyone is pooling silver to build one for the River God."

"The River God is incredibly efficacious. He blesses us with favorable winds and timely rains, and this year's harvest is thirty percent better than in previous years."

"The River God Temple will be built beside the Cloudwater River. When the time comes, they'll even erect monuments for those who donated the most silver."

Cui Lang stared at the old man. "Where did you say the River God Temple is being built? By the Cloudwater River?"

Could it really be such a coincidence?

The old man nodded. "That's right. Young man, you should contribute some silver too. Then the River God will bless you as well and make all your wishes come true."

Cui Lang gave a derisive laugh. "Make all my wishes come true? If I donate two qian of silver, can I pick up ten thousand taels of silver?"

The old man glared at Cui Lang. "Young man, the River God does not bless greedy people, but any other wish can be granted."

"One family had an old mother gravely ill. Even the doctor said medicine and stone could not cure her. But after they prayed to the River God, she was out of bed in less than three days, completely healed."

"There was also a young man who had practiced martial arts for years without improving. He prayed to the River God for achievement in the martial path, and I heard that within a year, his martial cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds. He became the chief guard of a wealthy household."

"As long as your heart is sincere, the River God will surely bless you."

Cui Lang's expression changed. Could the original Cui Lang have gone with his father to pray to the River God for a breakthrough in martial cultivation?

The family had little silver and could not afford to study under a master at a martial arts school. His father only knew the rudimentary Fierce Bull Stance. The original Cui Lang had always wanted to change the family's circumstances through martial arts, but after years of training, he had only become somewhat stronger than an ordinary person. Reaching the Essence Gathering Realm was out of the question; it had seemed he would never even have a chance to break through to the peak of the Essence Refining Realm in his lifetime.

When people had no other way, they liked to seek the gods.

"Sir, thank you for telling me. I'll go take a look right away."

Cui Lang clasped his hands and strode quickly toward the Cloudwater River.

Even if the original Cui Lang had gone with his father to pray to the River God, how had his father drowned?

When he reached the Cloudwater River, Cui Lang found many people kneeling along the bank, silently praying for something.

Others used roast chickens, pig heads, and the like as offerings, tossing them directly into the river, where they floated on the surface.

"River God, please bless my daughter-in-law to bear a boy, so the family line may continue."

"River God, please bless my father to recover his health. I am willing to offer a chicken every month."

"River God, please bless my daughter to find a husband after her own heart. I will certainly return to fulfill my vow."

Everyone was making wishes. Not far away stood a table with a sheet of paper spread across it, apparently for registration. A box sat in front of it, and people were putting money into the box.

Cui Lang clasped his hands toward someone who was about to leave. "Excuse me, may I ask something? Do this many people come to worship by the Cloudwater River every day?"

The man replied with a cheerful smile, "The River God is efficacious, so naturally everyone is willing to come worship. There weren't this many before, but lately more and more people have been coming because of his reputation."

"You're here to worship the River God too, aren't you? As long as your heart is sincere, the River God will surely make your wishes come true."

Cui Lang asked again, "Not long ago, someone drowned here. Since there is a River God in the river, why didn't he save that person?"

The man's expression changed. "I know about that too. He was an executioner, with both hands steeped in blood. Why would the River God bless someone like that?"

"Besides, if the River God had not been kind-hearted and pushed his son toward the shore, his son would have drowned with him."

"Move aside. I need to hurry home and see whether my cow gave birth to another heifer."

Cui Lang almost laughed in anger. The kind-hearted River God had saved the original Cui Lang?

Then how had he come to this world?

Still, it seemed everyone firmly believed in the River God. So many of them wore patched clothes, yet they were willing to throw meat into the river and donate money to build the River God Temple.

This so-called manifestation of the River God was most likely a story fabricated by certain people.

If the River God could truly help people break through in martial cultivation, would the county's martial artists not have rushed here long ago?

Only poor commoners who knew nothing about martial arts would believe such nonsense.

The purpose behind fabricating these stories was to swindle people into donating money to build the River God Temple.

How much could building a temple possibly cost? There was plenty of profit to be skimmed from this, and perhaps the people tallying the silver donations would simply abscond with the money and go elsewhere to live as wealthy men.

Cui Lang was just about to reveal his identity as a constable and warn everyone not to be fooled when he suddenly heard someone cry out, "The River God has manifested!"

He spun around sharply and saw a massive whirlpool appear in the middle of the Cloudwater River. All the offerings people had thrown into the river were swept into the whirlpool and vanished.