Chapter 19

"Brother, aren't you afraid?!"

Qi Xiaoyuan looked utterly righteous. "I'm not afraid! As long as I work hard at making offerings, Lord River God will bless me! I've already been discussing restarting the Qinglan River Management Plan with Grandpa. We have to make the Qinglan River clear again!"

Liu Dalong, who had thought he had found an ally, was dumbfounded. "No, why the River God? Shouldn't it be the Rain God?"

Qi Xiaoyuan glanced at Liu Dalong. "Tsk. Don't live with your eyes fixed only on money. Boss Water may be rich, but his money is his money. We still have to rely on ourselves."

Liu Dalong: "..."

Qi Xiaoyuan added, "Besides, Boss Water's Rain God is just a nickname. You can't take it seriously. Our River God is a real god!"

Liu Dalong and his six brothers, who had been violently beaten by the rain yesterday and received the Rain God's negative blessing: "..."

Forget it. Human joys and sorrows were not shared. Just like the gods they encountered were not the same.

Liu Dalong looked at Shui Wuyuan and He Qinglan with particular misery in his heart, then turned and bowed toward the Qinglan River, which was no more than a little creek. "River God, bless us! River God, bless me and my brothers so we can stay alive and healthy! Just don't let us drop dead suddenly!"

Lord River God, who had heard the prayer: "..."

Sometimes, humans simply loved making trouble for themselves.

By noon, everyone finally got a chance to rest. Liu Dalong volunteered to haul away the sorted garbage they had picked up along the riverbank, either to sell it or take it to a waste station.

He Qinglan nodded in agreement and told them they could keep whatever money they made from selling it. After all, those hoodlums had to eat too, and they did not have believers making offerings to them.

As the little truck carrying the garbage drove away, the filthiest, dried-up stretch along this section of the Qinglan River looked much cleaner at once. Yet the foul stench lingering in the air, along with the patchy dead grass scattered everywhere, still revealed the river's decline.

He Qinglan stood by the riverbank, silently watching the thin trickle of water.

His Spiritual Power was still recovering slowly—so slowly that it could not keep up with what he spent. Though he had confidence in the river's recovery, such a sluggish pace still left him unable to ease his frustration.

As he stood there, his eyes fixed on the humans, cars, and high-rises in the distance, the deep blue in his pupils gradually faded, becoming cold and merciless.

With a clatter.

Someone tossed a soda can down from the roadside. It rattled and rolled down the slopes on either side of the river channel before finally landing by the water.

He Qinglan looked at the can but did not cross the river to pick it up.

Yet around him, it seemed as though moisture instantly overflowed into the air.

Shui Wuyuan's voice sounded behind him, carrying what seemed to be malicious temptation.

"Look at these humans, who know neither gratitude nor anything but destruction... Shall I lend you Origin Power and drown them?"

The tall man lowered his head, his pale thin lips nearly brushing the youth's ear.

The youth stared at that red soda can without speaking.

Just then, several teenagers cautiously made their way down into the river channel. Each carried tongs and bags, wore gloves, and began their work beneath the blazing sun.

A young girl with a ponytail picked up the red soda can and tossed it into the bag she had brought. When she looked up, she saw the two people standing on the opposite bank.

The tall, handsome man watched her with cold indifference, while the slightly curly-haired youth standing before him gave her a gentle, breathtakingly beautiful smile.

Like a clear spring, softly brushing over her cheek and into her heart.

He Qinglan turned around. "The world is like your eyes—how could it have only one side?"

He nodded at Qi Xiaoyuan, who was bringing over lunch. It was time to find another believer. This time, he would have the believer offer up a phone.

After all, in the age of information, he needed to hold a little more say too.

Shui Wuyuan remained where he was. After a while, he lowered his head and saw his gray pupils reflected in the still-shallow water.

Neither black nor white.

Author's note:

Qi Xiaoyuan: River God, bless me! I worship Lord River God!

Liu Dalong: ...QAQ We're not the same!

Shui Wuyuan: I might protect him blindly for the rest of my life! I only snapped at a few people I didn't like!

Chapter 19

Lord River God had a few small requirements for his believers.

Those small requirements were not demanding. They only needed to be a little good-looking, have a well-proportioned figure, speak pleasantly, possess a pure soul, and hold firm convictions. Oh, and they needed to have something they wanted lately, while being a little unlucky.

As for whether they were poor or rich, their gender or age, Lord River God did not care about any of that.

Therefore, Lord River God believed he would soon find a second pleasing believer to offer him a phone. Yet after he unusually stopped picking up garbage and wandered through more than ten streets near the Qinglan River all afternoon, he still failed to find a single second believer who met his requirements.

It even made Lord River God doubt the human race a little.

At dusk, he sat in the lounge chair Qi Xiaoyuan had moved over from home and asked Qi Xiaoyuan and Liu Dalong's group, who were eating boxed meals beside him, a question from the depths of his soul:

"My requirements are obviously not high. Why can't I find a suitable candidate?"

Qi Xiaoyuan looked up at the sky. Though he was somewhat speechless, he somehow felt a little proud.

Liu Dalong and his six brothers silently shoveled rice into their mouths without saying anything, while screaming inwardly—

If those requirements aren't high, then what counts as high?!

Heaven knew how excited they had been that afternoon when they learned one of the two big shots wanted to take in believers for the River God! With Boss Water very likely being some great demon or devil who controlled rainwater, this big shot—good-tempered, handsome, and even able to talk back to Boss Water—was their hope!

As long as they could join this Immortal Pretty Boy's ranks, even if they did not receive special blessings like Qi Xiaoyuan or seem to gain some unusual power, their lives would definitely be saved!!

So the seven of them immediately dropped to their knees, and they had even prepared the offerings River Immortal Pretty Boy wanted.

And what happened? This Immortal Pretty Boy looked them over from head to toe, then, wearing that peerlessly beautiful Immortal Pretty Boy face, spoke words as demonic as could be: