Chapter 12

A bag of soup dumplings suddenly appeared in Qi Xiaoyuan's hands. He jerked his head up and saw Old Master Song smiling at him with gentle reassurance.

The old master had not left after revealing his true form during today's agent showdown. He was still that unremarkable old bun seller with a stall outside the university gates.

Perhaps because his presence was too imposing and he himself did not care, although the students were curious after learning his true identity, none of them went up to disturb him.

It was just that Old Master Song's business had been especially good today. He had called for deliveries several times midway through.

"Have some soup dumplings to steady your nerves. There's hot milk too—drink it, it'll calm you down."

Looking at Old Master Song's smile, Qi Xiaoyuan's nose prickled. Thinking of his own grandfather, who had been unconscious for three months, he accepted the dumplings and milk with a choked voice. "Thank you."

Old Master Song chuckled. "What are you thanking me for? It's only right. You're still a little kid."

"Still, this time you really struck it rich... It was practically like snatching a life back from the King of Hell. It might be a little superstitious, but wouldn't you feel more at ease if you went and paid your respects?"

As he spoke, the old master pointed at the river in front of the academy. "Why not take a walk by the river? You could help the River God pick up some trash."

Qi Xiaoyuan's eyes widened. He wanted to see something in Old Master Song's eyes, but Old Master Song merely wore his usual smiling expression.

Yet Qi Xiaoyuan knew that the old master must have thought of the young man named He Qinglan as well, along with the River God's promise of protection.

After a moment, Qi Xiaoyuan nodded. "Yeah. Protecting the environment is everyone's responsibility."

"I'll go pick up some trash and calm down."

And while he was at it, he could see whether that person who said he would pick up trash was still there... picking up trash.

The instant Qi Xiaoyuan was in the car accident, He Qinglan, who was picking up trash, suddenly paused for a moment.

In that instant, the thin trickle of Qinglan River churned up tiny waves, while the Black Carp, which was trying its hardest to spit water at Shui Wuyuan inside the glass canning jar, flicked its tail.

After a while, the Black Carp seemed quite delighted as it swam two circles around the glass jar.

Shui Wuyuan, who had just finished his phone call, raised an eyebrow.

It was an extremely faint yet utterly pure wisp of Faith Power.

When Boss Water turned around, he saw the tall young man wearing gloves and holding a pair of tongs. Then he watched him walk over without a word, stand beside He Qinglan without a word, and help the River God pick up trash without a word.

Shui Wuyuan narrowed his eyes.

A cloud silently gathered above Qi Xiaoyuan's head. Then, along the entire riverbank, only above Qi Xiaoyuan's head, it began to rain.

Qi Xiaoyuan, contemplating life: "???"

He Qinglan: "..."

Qi Xiaoyuan: ...Was this also the River God's blessing? Shui Wuyuan: No, this was the Rain God's curse. He Qinglan: Childish, to, the, extreme!

Chapter 12

After that rain cloud, which seemed to favor Qi Xiaoyuan alone, chased him around and drenched him for five minutes, the River God, silently picking up trash, finally could not endure it any longer. A pale blue stream of light rose from his left hand, scattering the tiny rain cloud above Qi Xiaoyuan's head—a cloud ordinary people could barely see with the naked eye—with his Spiritual Power.

Qi Xiaoyuan, who had nearly gone from contemplating life to doubting life itself, finally stopped moving. Wiping the rainwater from his face, he looked up and asked somewhat cautiously, "Is the River God's trial over?"

Hearing that, Shui Wuyuan revealed a somewhat wicked grin on his handsome face. Just as he was about to gather another rain cloud, He Qinglan gave him a blank look.

If anyone else had looked at him like that, the Rain God would probably have rewarded them with a precisely targeted torrential downpour, perhaps with a few ice pellets mixed in. But when He Qinglan looked at him that way, Shui Wuyuan somehow lacked confidence. The survival instincts he had developed over countless millennia reminded him—

Don't show off, or lightning will strike you down; don't court death, for pushing your luck will get you killed.

Although the river was weak and the rain was strong right now, he was not some vile god who took advantage of another god's weakness and disregarded reason and fairness. He did indeed want to settle the score for being pinned down and beaten back then, but naturally, not now.

No matter what, he had to wait until the River God recovered his peak strength. Then the two of them could have a proper fight.

Tsk. At least they were both gods born of nature itself, so he would let this little pitiful thing have his way for now.

Look at how poor he was—he did not even have a decent-looking outfit, and he used a glass canning jar to hold fish.

Thus, after receiving that cold glance, Boss Water not only did not get angry and make it rain, he even looked at He Qinglan with an inexplicable expression of pity and smugness. Clicking his tongue three times and sighing, he started making phone calls again.

He Qinglan, who had not expected Shui Wuyuan to lose his temper: "..."

This guy's head was probably filled entirely with his own rainwater.

Then He Qinglan shook his head and looked at Qi Xiaoyuan. "That just now wasn't a River God's trial... It was probably just a coincidence. Why did you come here?"

Qi Xiaoyuan did not know whether he believed that "coincidence," but after hearing He Qinglan's question, he collected himself. Looking at the young man before him, whose appearance drew a sigh of admiration from him every time he saw it, he lowered his eyes slightly.

"I was just in a car accident."

"I survived a car accident that should have killed me."

After saying that, he raised his eyes again and tried hard to meet He Qinglan's gaze, wanting to see something within it.

Yet those clear pupils were utterly calm, without the slightest emotion of surprise or astonishment, as though he had long known all things in this world.

"Isn't that a good thing?" He Qinglan's tone was calm.

Qi Xiaoyuan took a deep breath. "When that car hit me, I felt some kind of power protecting me. It was like water."

He Qinglan looked at him, then suddenly smiled. "So you came to pick up trash?"

That smile was exceedingly beautiful, but to Qi Xiaoyuan, it carried a trace of mercilessness. It seemed to be only a smile, more like confirmation than joy. Not human, but like a god or a Buddha.

Still, Qi Xiaoyuan nodded. "So I came to pick up trash."