Chapter 9

[Holy shit, I suddenly got goosebumps all over! What era is this? Why are people still talking about ghosts and gods?!]

[Ghosts and gods might just be powerful lifeforms that our current scientific capabilities cannot detect. Don't make such a fuss. Also, although the Immortal Pretty Boy didn't sound pleasant just now, at least one thing he said was right—sky, earth, rivers, and mountains, we humans do depend on them to survive. Do we really need someone to remind us to protect our own home and pick up trash?]

The barrage fell silent again for a moment, as though everyone was taking time to reflect.

Still, plenty of online trolls remained unconvinced. It was only because of those bizarre four consecutive falls, which seemed like punishment from the River God, that they did not dare go too far.

But fans of the four streamers, especially the curly-haired female streamer's fans, uploaded recordings of the livestream to Weibo. Between the lines, they accused He Qinglan of showing off too much, putting on an environmentalist persona, and having a vicious mouth with no respect for others whatsoever.

The onlookers who had just about finished eating up the previous gossip were handed another juicy scoop from the heavens. It even unfolded episode by episode like a drama series. They were delighted, posting online while eagerly waiting to see whether an even bigger scoop—or a face-slapping moment—would come next.

Sure enough, before two hours had passed, the huge final face-slapping bombshell really did arrive!!

Because the streamers' four consecutive falls had frightened off the other streamers and passersby who had come to ride the wave of popularity, no one dared approach He Qinglan again. To safely keep mooching off the livestream, everyone more or less picked up some trash by the river and sorted it properly.

That Immortal Pretty Boy always seemed able to pinpoint their livestream cameras and their eyes with eerie accuracy. His calm gaze made them feel as if they were not even human if they did not pick up at least a little trash.

Since the other streamers and passersby stayed far away and obediently picked up trash, their livestreams continued.

And after seeing the video on Weibo in which He Qinglan said "shameless," netizens flooded into those livestreams, eager to see what the Immortal Pretty Boy would do next.

In truth, even now, no one believed that He Qinglan was sincerely just someone who picked up trash. Everyone was waiting for him to reveal his true purpose.

After all, He Qinglan's quiet, unrewarded trash-picking was simply too righteous and noble. No one believed that a person like that still existed these days, especially one who was so good-looking.

Yet the River God, suspected of having ulterior motives, quietly picked up trash for two whole hours and cleaned up another small stretch of riverbank.

Other than eating two more soup dumplings to fill his stomach and feeding that glossy black carp, he did nothing else.

The streamers and passersby were all a little dumbfounded, while the watching netizens were beginning to doubt their lives.

Just as everyone was growing numb from watching someone pick up trash, a tall, handsome man suddenly appeared in one streamer's camera shot.

At first, the watching netizens paid him no attention. But just as He Qinglan possessed an aura of an Immortal Pretty Boy, the tall man who entered the shot naturally carried a sharp, even somewhat wicked and chilling presence. The moment he entered everyone's sight, he was like an unreasonable, violent downpour that seized everything in their field of vision.

He had a kind of chaotic, domineering beauty.

[Holy shit! Who is that?!]

[Oh my god! Waterwaterwaterwaterwater—]

[Shui Wuyuan, holy shit!! Boss Water actually came to find the Immortal Pretty Boy, ahhh, damn!!]

In the camera shot, the handsome and imposing man walked step by step toward the young man by the river. Though the young man had his back to him, he suddenly stopped what he was doing, then turned around.

Once again, their eyes met.

Author's note:

He Qinglan: You think four consecutive falls were the River God's curse?

Black Carp: No! That was only Black Carp's curse! You mortals cannot bear the River God's curse!!

Shui Wuyuan: I'm here, I'm here, I'm here!!

Chapter 9

When the cool and aloof young man and the sharp, chilling man met each other's eyes, everyone present seemed to hear the sound of waves crashing together.

Then, though it was still a sunny day, a fine drizzle unexpectedly began to fall over Bicheng.

The misty rain was not heavy, but it added a few more shades of atmosphere to the scene of their locked gazes.

[Holy shit, the camera lens is wet. It's raining over in Bicheng?!]

[Oh my god, it really rains wherever he goes. Bicheng's weather forecast said there would be no rain today, only clear skies! Boss Water's Rain God persona remains unshaken!!]

[Worshipping the Rain God today √, waiting to worship the King of Snark.]

[Excitedly rubbing my hands together—what do you think Boss Water's first sentence will be?! How cold and domineering will it be?]

[Haha, no matter what Boss Water says, he'll definitely teach that foul-mouthed fake immortal a lesson! I love watching Boss Water roast people! Don't say anything, let me watch!! Streamer, wipe your camera lens! Why are you standing there like a block of wood?!]

Yet none of the streamers present moved. It felt as though even the slightest movement would be incredibly dangerous.

It was like two terrifying beasts confronting each other, while they were weak little animals who could be killed by a single breath from those beasts. Only an idiot would move!

At that moment, He Qinglan looked at the man standing before him and sensed the immense Sourcewater Power emanating from him.

It was a "water" power similar to his own yet different from it: water without source or root, the rain falling from the endless sky.

"Tsk."

The Immortal Pretty Boy, who had always been cool and aloof with little expression, openly showed a somewhat disdainful look.

Unlike his disgust toward streamers who did not pick up trash or his indifference toward ordinary people, his expression was remarkably vivid now—beneath that undisguised little look of disdain was a trace of sour, lemon-like jealousy he could not hide.

"So it's you."

Shui Wuyuan very clearly sensed the River God's disdain, but he did not care about it in the slightest. What he liked more was the sour flavor of envy, jealousy, and resentment within it.

Thus, the netizens who had been waiting for Boss Water to start roasting someone saw the handsome man, who had just been sharp and merciless, suddenly break into a brilliant smile at the Immortal Pretty Boy. With a bright expression Boss Water had never shown before—one dazzling enough to blind people—he said, "That's right, it's me. I'm Shui Wuyuan."