CHAPTER 169: CHAPTER 116: ROOTING OUT EVIL

Does it make people afraid to go back to Cloud Water Village?

Could it be that a fierce ghost is being controlled by someone?

So, is what they call a demon actually a human disaster?

Xu Guang became interested, could this be an unexpected gain?

"They say you lead them in cannibalism?"

"Absolutely not!"

The middle-aged man’s eyes flashed with fear, his head shaking like a rattle-drum.

"Thank you."

"Hmm?"

The man raised his head in shock.

"Thank you for telling me so much, you can go now."

The man, as if granted amnesty, turned to leave.

Thud.

He slowly lowered his head, looking at the branch that pierced through his back, exposing a jagged edge, "You..."

"I spared your life, why won’t you say thank you?"

The man fell to the ground, eyes wide open in death.

...

Cloud Water Village is about seven or eight miles from Broken Soul Valley, and it is hard to believe such a place could support a group of villagers with no ability to defend themselves.

Xu Guang left General Wei and Zhuang Yue at the perimeter, entering the town on foot with the two women.

They lived off the land, living by the water.

Cloud Water Village faced the great river, with many fishermen, and as they walked the streets, one could distinctly smell the damp stench in the air, and occasionally fishermen with rolled-up pants would look at them with complex expressions.

The mixed emotions included vigilance, unease, hostility, and... greed.

’This place... is somewhat strange.’

Xu Guang thought about the description of the task.

"Cloud Water Village has a demon that can enter the water and stir the river, claiming to be a god. The villagers worship it and are spared from bandit troubles, yet every year there is an incident of an infant blood sacrifice. Last March, Inner Sect Disciple Huang Bing came here to slay a ghost, declaring the demon ghost destroyed.

Yet this June, a Cloud Water Village villager met Outer Disciple Liu Cheng, claiming the demon ghost remained.

In October, Inner Sect Disciple Huang Bing returned, slaying three ghost shadows, encountering a startling aura. Huang Bing said nothing but returned to the sect, the reward upgraded."

The mission required investigating whether Cloud Water Village secretly worshipped demons, slaying the entity, and bringing it back.

No one took on this mission because Huang Bing, as an innate expert, could make such a being anxious just from its aura, indicating it was at least a peak of innate level demon.

Xu Guang accepted this mission.

"Does Junior Martial Uncle Xu have business here?"

Jiang Zi Yun asked calmly.

The Purple Mink in her arms squirmed uneasily.

Xu Guang chuckled lightly, "I just feel the people here are very aloof, treating us like air."

Upon hearing this, Shen Muyu’s face showed a hint of vigilance.

Xu Guang and Jiang Zi Yun exchanged a glance without speaking.

Clearly, Shen Muyu’s Jianghu experience was truly lacking.

"Let’s take a walk around here. I have a friend here."

Jiang Zi Yun said.

"Alright."

Xu Guang appeared indifferent, but in reality, he could clearly sense something unusual here; the villagers were far too strange.

Vigilance could be understood, but where did the greed and hostility come from?

Was it just because they were outsiders?

It seemed the so-called ’River God’ gave them courage.

...

Cloud Water Village was built along the river, shaped like an elongated strip.

The River God Temple was located at the end of the village.

Jiang Zi Yun was searching for a sixty-something-year-old woman.

With hair white as snow, the small courtyard was filled with finger-sized small fish, drying under the sun.

Jiang Zi Yun stepped forward and whispered.

"Grandma Wang, do you remember me?"

The old woman remained silent, but Xu Guang clearly saw her eyes discreetly sweep towards the house.

He spread out his divine thought and saw the situation inside the house.

A man.

About thirty years old, yet emaciated, as if drained of vitality by some terrible presence.

Apart from that, there was also a delicate clay divine statue, with the head of a dragon and the body of a man, its expression merciful, garments rippling like waves, flanked by a boy and girl with braided hair, one holding a basket of fish, the other clutching a sheaf of wheat.

This was a symbol of harvest and bounty.

A very beautiful meaning.

However, Xu Guang faintly detected traces of divine thought on it.

Interesting.

Was it... being monitored?

His divine thought transformed into a stream of light in the air, forming something like an enchanting soul in front of the clay statue.

Jade Cicada - Enchanting Soul Tribulation.

The divine thought left by the other party was completely suppressed by him.

"You are... Miss Zi Yun?"

The old woman spoke as if she had just recognized Jiang Zi Yun.

Jiang Zi Yun didn’t say much, only introducing the two, "This is my nanny’s mother from when I was in the Jiang Family."

Xu Guang realized; he wasn’t very familiar with Jiang Zi Yun’s background, only knowing she grew up in Jiufeng Mountain since childhood.

"Old lady, just speak if you have something to say, that demon can’t see you now."

As he spoke, Xu Guang gently approached the clay statue, lifting it lightly then setting it down.

Waiting quietly.

A quarter of an hour later, the old woman finally confirmed that Xu Guang had truly resolved the monitoring issue with the clay figure.

"Miss Zi Yun, you finally came!"

"My son has been cursed by the River God, please save him."

The old woman spoke, attempting to kneel before Jiang Zi Yun.

Jiang Zi Yun quickly supported her up.

"River God? What’s the situation?"

Xu Guang asked.

The old woman was silent for a while before explaining.

Cloud Water Village is nestled in the mountains, and the outside is unstable, so the villagers live in seclusion, but the bandits treat these people like slaves, demanding regular grain tributes, not from one group of bandits, but many.

Life for the villagers of Cloud Water Village was very harsh.

Ten years ago, the mayor received a divine oracle.

Only by sacrificing ten male and ten female infants born within five days each year could they receive the protection of the River God.

Her eldest daughter was Jiang Zi Yun’s wet nurse and died early, leaving only her son who once practiced martial arts outside, returning to Cloud Water Village last year after marrying to care for his old mother.

Then in March, his wife gave birth to twins.

The rest of the story is tragic.

Twin births have always been considered auspicious, and villagers flocked to visit.

The village chief even insisted on taking the children to parade around the village and offer gratitude to the River God.

The old woman was horrified and tried to stop it, but was restrained by villagers.

The son was initially unaware of the situation, preoccupied with caring for his mother.

Then...

As expected, the two children were sacrificed to the River God.

The daughter-in-law hanged herself, the son... became the way he is now.

Her son was an Eighth-Grade Martial Arts Expert!

The one who informed Jiang Zi Yun was a senior martial brother of her son.

Xu Guang listened and vaguely understood something.

"This sculpture, is it the River God’s image?"

The old woman nodded, "Every household has one."