Chapter 268: Dragon Girl's Anger

Hearing Xiao Ling's angry shout, Ji Yuan replied solemnly.

"Just over ten days ago, exactly five hundred taels of gold."

After saying this, Ji Yuan took two steps closer, pulled out a long bench, and sat down, his peripheral vision glancing under the table.

The Dragon Prince and Dragon Princess exchanged glances, then also walked to one side of the table and sat down. The Dragon Prince sniffed the aroma of the dishes on the table.

Xiao Ling ignored the two beside him, simply narrowing his eyes and staring at Ji Yuan. Anyone with an ounce of sense could tell who was the main focus. While his actions weren't entirely clandestine, it was certainly strange that they could locate him precisely at this time and place.

At this moment, illuminated by the candlelight, he finally got a clear look at the person before him, especially their eyes, which were distinctly pale.

"Hmph, utterly ridiculous. Innkeeper! Innkeeper!"

Xiao Ling called out several times but heard no footsteps approaching. He instantly felt a chill, realizing with alarm, "Could they have masters hidden outside?"

"Who exactly are you people? I, Xiao, don't recall offending anyone."

Xiao Ling instinctively glanced at the beautiful woman beside him. The other party had just directly called out her original surname, perhaps already knowing who she was.

Logically, when they investigated his background, they must have also uncovered hers.

"Five hundred taels of gold is no small sum. Why do I not recall owing any money?"

"Of course, you don't remember, because you weren't even there when the debt was incurred."

Ji Yuan said this with a somewhat amused tone, and before Xiao Ling could erupt in anger, he continued.

"It was at the Grand Show Boat on the banks of the Susu River in Chengsu Prefecture, Youzhou, where someone who looks exactly like this Miss Duan beside you was bought out of servitude."

As soon as these words were uttered, Xiao Ling instantly stood up.

"Impossible! Over there..."

Xiao Ling stopped mid-sentence, his expression changing several times. Duan Muwan, who was beside him, also looked surprised.

Ji Yuan was not in a hurry, waiting for the other party to continue.

However, seeing that Xiao Ling remained silent, Ying Feng looked at Ji Yuan, then couldn't help but speak.

"Given the aura of official influence around you, you must be a young master from an influential family, likely with some capabilities. But quietly replacing a courtesan from the Grand Show Boat is not something you could accomplish. Do you understand what I mean?"

"Heh heh, I, Xiao, do not understand!"

Xiao Ling scoffed, feigning ignorance. His hand under the table retrieved the money, but he secretly pulled out a scroll of yellow talisman paper from a hidden pocket in his sleeve.

"Oh, and by the way, Sir, you said I owe you five hundred taels of gold. I'll pay it back now; I happen to have a banknote for the full amount."

As Xiao Ling finished speaking, his internal energy burst forth from his hands, violently flipping the Eight Immortals Table. He then tore open the yellow talisman in his hand.

"Great God of Qingfu, answer my call!"

Beams of dazzling red light erupted from Xiao Ling's hand, like streaks of luminous red serpents darting around.

Xiao Ling's next move was to scoop up Duan Muwan, who was beside him. He whispered, "Let's go," then channeled his internal energy and immense strength, turning sideways and crashing towards the window.

*Bang!*

After a loud thud, Xiao Ling, still holding Duan Muwan, bounced back from the wooden wall as if he had hit an iron barrier. His head reeled for a moment.

The anticipated scenario of the wooden wall shattering and him escaping with the beauty naturally did not happen.

"Go? Go where?"

Xiao Ling shook his still-dizzy head, his body stiff. He slowly turned around, and despite his mental preparation, he couldn't help but feel a shock when he saw what was behind him.

The Eight Immortals Table he had overturned, along with all the food and wine, were suspended in the air. Not a drop of wine had spilled, no food had fallen, and no dishes were broken. The woman waved her sleeve, and the food, wine, cups, and even the table returned to their original positions, everything restored as it was.

Ying Feng, meanwhile, held a yellow talisman in his hand, which he had retrieved from Xiao Ling.

It was scrawled with a chaotic mess of lines, like a child's drawing, with the only distinct feature being the characters "Qingfu." A subtle magical glow emanated from it. After idly examining it for a moment, he handed it with both hands to Ji Yuan, who had not moved.

"Uncle Ji, please take a look."

Ji Yuan took it and observed. The chaotic red lines made no sense, but the characters on it resembled a decree, yet were significantly different.

Although he couldn't decipher the talisman, he could deduce some of its effects from the way it had just activated. Furthermore, the recent events clearly showed that Xiao Ling and his companion were not ignorant, innocent mortals.

Looking at the visibly panicked couple, Ji Yuan unfurled the talisman paper and asked in a low voice.

"Do you know that if three ordinary people had been here just now, they would have been pierced through by thousands of serpents..."

Ji Yuan frowned, looking up at the two terrified individuals. His tone seemed calm, but his voice was like surging waves, like thunder.

"This is a demonic art that craves blood, using blood to nourish talismans. This one aspect alone is enough for the Underworld Bureau to drag your souls to their prisons for punishment. Who exactly gave you such a malevolent talisman?"

Ji Yuan's rebuke carried a soul-shaking power, making Xiao Ling and Duan Muwan feel as if they were children hearing thunder rumble in a night rain, their hearts trembling and their bodies numb.

It was a while after Ji Yuan's voice faded that Xiao Ling and Duan Muwan finally reacted. Duan Muwan, lacking Xiao Ling's mental fortitude, defended herself with a sobbing plea, overcome with fear.

"This was... bestowed by a divine being, not some demonic art... We just wanted to be together, it's thanks to a divine being's help that we are here today, woo-woo..."

"What divine being? Which divine being? The Great God of Qingfu you just called upon? Explain yourself clearly!"

Ying Feng found the woman's sobbing intolerable.

Xiao Ling patted the frightened Duan Muwan, his expression fluctuating. The three individuals in the room, whether demons or ghosts, clearly held the upper hand. He hoped that the identity of the divine being he was about to name could deter them.

"If you truly wish to settle this, then go find the River Goddess of Tongtian River!"

"Huh?"

Ying Ruoli felt completely baffled.

Xiao Ling looked at her, took a breath, and then continued.

"Indeed, it was Lady Ying, the goddess of Tongtian River, who helped us. Two years ago, she saw that Wan'er and I were deeply in love but couldn't be together. Deeply moved, she appeared to help us, not only using her magic to switch Wan'er out but also giving us this talisman for self-defense..."

"You, said, WHAT!?"

Ying Ruoli couldn't hold back, her voice filled with startled fury. Her high-pitched question startled everyone, including Ji Yuan.

She stared fixedly at the two for a moment, then suddenly let out a cold laugh.

"Heh heh heh..."

"I bet that River Goddess told you that this talisman needs to be fed blood occasionally, with spiritual blood being best, human blood second, and animal blood last, didn't she?"

"You..."

"How do I know? Hmph, teaching people demonic arts to nourish talismans! Ten, twenty, even decades from now, you will become increasingly reliant on this talisman because it allows you to harm others without fail. But this talisman's appetite will also grow. When animal blood isn't enough, it'll be human blood, and when there aren't enough people, you'll simply kill more..."

Ji Yuan had no idea this talisman was so sinister. Hearing Ying Ruoli's explanation made him break out in a cold sweat, and his gaze towards Xiao Ling changed slightly. However, the one truly incensed at the moment was clearly the legitimate River Goddess.

Ji Yuan, the Dragon Prince, and the Dragon Princess could all tell that Xiao Ling wasn't lying. This very fact infuriated Ying Ruoli even more.

"You said that person claimed to be the River Goddess of Tongtian River? Yet you believe her, even though she gave you such a malevolent object?"

Ying Ruoli's presence was now overwhelming, her divine power subtly flowing, causing the two mortals' hearts to pound with terror. Even with all his internal energy, Xiao Ling found his lips and tongue trembling.

"This, this... at that time, the divine being came walking on waves and displayed many miraculous powers. And I am just a mortal; if not for this, how could I use it..."

"So you believed her? Even when she gave you such a wicked talisman?"

Xiao Ling fell silent, his eyes flickering. This made Ying Ruoli sneer even more.

"It seems you still had doubts, but you gladly accepted. I bet she had another condition, and that condition was to nourish this talisman, wasn't it?"

Ying Feng looked at his rarely angry sister, then quietly walked over to Ji Yuan and whispered.

"Uncle Ji, Ruoli has never been this angry... Her cultivation is higher than mine... If she loses control, we'll have to rely on you, Uncle Ji..."

Ji Yuan turned to look at him, then at the Dragon Princess, his expression somewhat subtle.

Ying Ruoli clearly heard what her brother said to Ji Yuan. She abruptly turned and glared at him, then gave Ji Yuan an awkward smile.

After this, the Dragon Princess finally calmed her emotions a little. She turned back to face Xiao Ling and Duan Muwan, her eyes shimmering with divine light.

"That wretch claimed to be the River Goddess of Tongtian River. So, can you guess who I am?"

As the Dragon Princess finished speaking, she flung her arms to her sides. The changes on her body vanished, her appearance grew increasingly beautiful, and her attire shimmered with flowing light.

In an instant, the woman transformed into the dignified and majestic attire of a River Goddess, with a golden sash fluttering like waves between her shoulders and sleeves.

"If you can't guess, I can give you a hint: my name is Ying Ruoli!"