After Transmigrating into an Evil God - Chapter 22

The storyteller had a lean and refined appearance, sporting a short beard. Tall and slender, he narrated at a measured pace with melodious rhythm:

“This matter dates back to two thousand four hundred years ago…”

Two thousand four hundred years ago, the Yin Emperor had not yet unified the various states. The nations attacked and annexed one another in continuous warfare.

At that time, the states of Liang and Sui were at war. The Sui army was defeated, and many of Sui’s scholars were taken prisoner, including Yu Jian.

Yu Jian was a scholar of Sui, famous throughout the realm for his skill with the qin. The state of Liang presented Yu Jian to Lu, the most powerful state at the time.

On the journey to Lu, while passing the Huai River, Yu Jian felt melancholy in his heart and played his qin by the river.

The great river flowed vast and mighty, the qin’s notes rang out clear and resonant. When the melody ended, Yu Jian let out a long sigh. Just as he was about to turn and leave, he suddenly noticed someone standing nearby who had been listening to his music for quite some time.

The visitor introduced himself as Meng Huai, saying he could understand the meaning in Yu Jian’s qin music. The two conversed at length by the river and considered each other kindred spirits.

Yu Jian’s qin music began joyfully but ended sadly, carrying the meaning of reluctant parting. When Meng Huai asked why, Yu Jian explained his circumstances—he would resume his journey the next day. Though he had found a kindred spirit, they would immediately have to part, which brought sorrow to his music.

Meng Huai said there was no need to worry. He would accompany Yu Jian part of the way, asking him to come to the banks of the Huai River again the next day when they stopped to rest.

The second day, the Liang emissary traveled another fifty li with Yu Jian. When they stopped at dusk, Yu Jian came to the banks of the Huai River and indeed saw Meng Huai again. The two conversed with great pleasure.

For the next several days, whether by the riverbank or in pavilions and towers, Meng Huai came to meet Yu Jian daily. The joy of these encounters made Yu Jian almost forget that he was being escorted to Lu as a prisoner of Liang.

After several days, at their parting, Meng Huai suddenly let out a long sigh and said that this day was the time of their separation.

Yu Jian inquired why.

Meng Huai replied that he was the god of the Huai River. Drawn by Yu Jian’s qin music, he had manifested to meet him. But as Yu Jian’s journey would take him farther and farther from the Huai River, the time had come for them to part.

Meng Huai also said that Yu Jian was now destined to travel to Lu. Though he wished to help his friend escape this suffering, fate could not be easily altered, and he was powerless to change it. However, in three years, Yu Jian would have an opportunity to leave Lu and return home. Meng Huai told him he must seize this opportunity—if he missed it after three years, he would never have another chance to return home in this lifetime.

Just as the story reached this point, the wooden block suddenly struck—the storyteller was taking an intermission. Pausing at the point of their separation was quite captivating.

This lean-featured storyteller was rather unusual. During his break, he sat on the stage, pouring himself a pot of tea to drink slowly, unlike others who solicited tips.

When someone ordered tea and refreshments for him, he would simply cup his hands in thanks and leisurely consume them.

The other patrons in the teahouse had their curiosity piqued by his story. Now that the tale had reached this point, everyone could guess that this god of the Huai River was the dragon currently trapped in Shuigu Town.

South of Shuigu Town flowed a river called Jiuqu River, which was a tributary of the Huai River. That the god of the Huai River ended up here seemed somewhat plausible. But no one knew what happened afterward to reduce a great river god to such a state.

During the intermission, other customers in the teahouse couldn’t contain themselves and began telling their own stories of encountering gods. The teahouse became lively for a time.

Among these were both hearsay accounts and those claiming to be personal experiences—their truth was uncertain. However, in this world where demons and ghosts ran rampant and divine beings manifested, it was possible for mortals to occasionally encounter divine miracles and immortal traces. But whether what they encountered were actually immortals or demons remained unknowable.

Li Chi was listening casually when he suddenly heard a familiar voice.

“…A while ago, I also encountered an immortal in the mountains—a real immortal!”

Li Chi lowered his head to look.

He saw several people gathered around a table. The others clamored. “Then tell us properly! But let’s be clear first, Zheng Qian—we can ask people from your village whether this is true or false. If you’re lying to us… you’ll be treating for this whole table!”

Zheng Qian patted his chest in assurance. “Go ahead and ask! This happened after we came to town last month!”

“Good!” the others said excitedly. “Speak quickly! If it’s true, we’ll treat you for this meal!”

Other patrons in the teahouse were also drawn by the commotion at this table, lowering their voices one by one and pricking up their ears to listen.

“Half a month ago, a child went missing from our village,” Zheng Qian said, first lowering his voice. “We searched the whole village but couldn’t find her.”

“Though everyone knew the situation was probably dire, the child was only five years old, and everyone felt reluctant to give up, so we organized a search party. I was assigned to the group going up the mountain.”

“Did you encounter the demon that took the child in the mountains?” someone couldn’t help but interject.

Zheng Qian glared at him. “What are you talking about! The demon came later—we encountered an immortal!”

Li Chi withdrew his gaze. He remembered Zheng Qian. That day when searching for Tongdou, Zheng Qian had been the errand runner among the three villagers they encountered.

He held his teacup and turned his attention to the storyteller on the wooden platform.

During the intermission, the audience’s attention had been diverted by other stories, disrupting the atmosphere he had previously cultivated. Yet the storyteller seemed completely unconcerned, only half-closing his eyes and slowly sipping his tea.

He didn’t seem to care about the earnings from this performance. The regular customers in the teahouse were also discussing in low voices that this storyteller seemed to be new—they hadn’t seen him before.

Li Chi didn’t conceal his gaze. The storyteller sensed it, looked up at Li Chi, and nodded with a smile.

Li Chi curved the corners of his mouth slightly.

The aura about this storyteller was unusual. It seemed he too was not a mortal…

Downstairs, Zheng Qian was still gesticulating animatedly as he told the others his story. “…The immortal waved his sleeve, and I flew up into the air. In the blink of an eye, the wind and clouds carried me to the foot of the mountain! You absolutely cannot imagine that feeling. Later, when I pulled the child’s mother back up the mountain, I ran faster than a bird could fly, as if the wind was carrying me! The trees and rocks ahead—I didn’t need to dodge them myself, the wind just guided me around them…”

The wooden block struck, startling the tea guests. The water clock on the wall had run out—the intermission was over.

The gathered tea guests reluctantly returned to their seats, still remembering to remind Zheng Qian to finish his story later.

The storyteller was unhurried. Within a few sentences, he had drawn the audience’s attention back.

Yu Jian and Meng Huai parted ways. Meng Huai needed to return to the Huai River to serve as the Huai River Divine Lord guarding the great river, while Yu Jian entered the Lu royal palace where he tossed and turned sleeplessly.

Though the days in a foreign land were difficult to endure, Yu Jian always kept Meng Huai’s final admonition in mind, harboring hope in his heart. Three years later, he indeed encountered an opportunity and obtained the Lu ruler’s permission to return home.

Yu Jian packed his belongings, carried his qin on his back, and traveled all the way toward Sui. He deliberately took a detour to come to the Huai River, planning to see his friend Meng Huai from three years ago.

When he arrived at the Huai River, Meng Huai had already prepared a feast on the riverbank to celebrate his regained freedom.

As the two drank joyfully together, Yu Jian played his qin for entertainment. Just when the atmosphere was perfect, Meng Huai suddenly showed an angry expression and said, “The ruler of Lu is one who does not keep his word!”

Yu Jian hurriedly asked what had happened. It turned out that after releasing him, the Lu ruler had changed his mind and was now sending people to capture him again before he could leave Lu’s borders. Those pursuing him had already reached the vicinity of the Huai River.

Yu Jian felt anxious in his heart. He remembered Meng Huai saying that if he missed this opportunity, he would never have another chance to return home in this lifetime.

“Do not worry.” Meng Huai looked coldly in the direction of the pursuers. “Enter the Huai River—they won’t find you there.”

Meng Huai parted the waters of the Huai River and concealed Yu Jian within the great river.

By the time the cavalry sent by the Lu ruler reached the riverbank, they only saw Meng Huai sitting alone by the river, drinking.

The cavalry questioned him about Yu Jian’s whereabouts. Meng Huai only said he didn’t know. But among this group of pursuers was a cultivator.

He seemed to discern that Meng Huai was extraordinary and possessed certain other methods. Convinced that Meng Huai had hidden Yu Jian, he pressed Meng Huai relentlessly with questions.

Though this person employed every means at his disposal, he could gain no advantage over the Huai River Divine Lord and ultimately failed to learn Yu Jian’s whereabouts.

This person should have departed then, but unwilling to accept defeat, he issued a threat before leaving: “So what if you can hide him for a while? Our ruler has already ordered that guards be posted everywhere along Lu’s borders—no one will let him leave. Even if he’s fortunate enough to escape, Lu is powerful, and the cultivators serving our ruler are innumerable. Would any other state dare to offend our Great Lu for the sake of a mere musician?”

Though he spoke of “other states,” his gaze remained fixed on Meng Huai the entire time, his threatening intent clear.

Meng Huai let out a cold laugh. “So the Lu ruler’s word is utterly worthless? To cultivate yet be enslaved by fame and profit—what a waste to walk the path of longevity!”

With that, he leaped into the Huai River and disappeared from sight.

The people on the shore awakened as if from a dream, only now realizing they had been face to face with the Huai River Divine Lord.

The audience below cheered loudly, seemingly having completely forgotten they too were people of Lu.

But then again, this happened two thousand four hundred years ago. At that time, Shuigu Town wasn’t even part of Lu’s territory. Now, though there was a division into five great vassal states, weren’t they all subjects of the Yin Emperor?

The storyteller showed no expression of pleasure.

With the Huai River Divine Lord’s protection, Yu Jian naturally would not be captured again by the Lu ruler.

But everyone knew the outcome of this story—the Huai River Divine Lord was ultimately trapped in the Shuigu Well, unable to escape for two thousand four hundred years.

So what happened after that?