Chapter 269: The Difference Between True Gods and Demons

Normally, upon hearing the name Ying Ruoli, Xiao Ling and Duan Muwan would not have reacted. However, having just mentioned the Tongtian River Empress Ying, and seeing the woman's strong reaction and display of divine power, coupled with her surname Ying, a thought naturally flashed through Xiao Ling and Duan Muwan’s minds: "Could she be the River God Empress?"

Especially since the woman before them possessed not only an extraordinary aura but also an appearance more closely resembling the imagined River God Empress, radiating a greater sense of divinity.

“You are… the River God Empress?”

Xiao Ling’s tone was far more respectful than before. Even when he had been panicking earlier, he had still clung to his arrogance, but now, facing the Dragon Girl’s overwhelming pressure and crushing majesty, he found himself utterly unable to resist.

The Dragon Girl looked at Xiao Ling impassively.

“You have some discernment, but you knowingly accepted and nourished an evil talisman, and despite suspecting its true nature, you propagated that the River God had aided you. It seems you are also a person of ill intent. As a minor punishment, I shall take ten years of your vitality!”

With a mere flick of her hand, tiny white specks of light began to emanate from Xiao Ling’s body, gathering into the Dragon Girl’s palm.

At the same time, Xiao Ling collapsed, his legs buckling as his face turned ashen. His body rapidly lost warmth, and he felt an excruciating, soul-piercing pain that was impossible to endure, yet he could not cry out or scream.

“Xiao Lang!”

Duan Muwan, standing nearby, tried to support the falling Xiao Ling, but her strength was insufficient, and she couldn't hold him, losing her balance along with him.

“Thud…”

Xiao Ling lay sprawled on the ground, his face pale and tinged with blue, his body icy cold and wracked with shivers.

“Xiao Lang! Xiao Lang! Are you alright? Don’t scare me!”

Duan Muwan was in a state of extreme panic, shaking Xiao Ling but receiving no response. She could only hold him, trying to keep him warm.

“Don’t scare me! Xiao Lang, say something!”

After calling out a few times, Duan Muwan seemed to suddenly realize something. She turned and knelt before the Dragon Girl, kowtowing repeatedly.

“River God Empress! I know we were wrong, and I know we were misled by evil and used something we shouldn’t have. This matter started because of me, and the mistake was committed by both of us. I do not ask you to spare Xiao Lang, but only to allow me to share the burden, to take half of his pain!”

The woman’s head struck the wooden floor of the second story with thudding sounds, bruising her forehead. Xiao Ling, though paralyzed by pain beside her, gritted his teeth and strained to reach for Duan Muwan.

The Dragon Girl watched their plight, her brow slightly furrowed, but she did not speak. Instead, she turned her head to look at Ji Yuan and the Dragon Son behind her.

Ji Yuan observed Xiao Ling and Duan Muwan’s condition, then the Dragon Girl’s reaction, and understood the situation.

“That’s enough, River God Empress. Please temper your anger. What Miss Duan says is not without reason. Please handle it as you deem fit.”

As if waiting for those very words, the Dragon Girl turned and bowed slightly to Ji Yuan, then faced Xiao Ling and Duan Muwan again. With a thought, Duan Muwan’s head could no longer strike the ground.

“Xiao Ling, you are fortunate to have Uncle Ji speak on your behalf, and your genuine affection for each other is evident…”

Ying Ruoli scrutinized Duan Muwan.

“Since that is the case, I shall grant your wish!”

Xiao Ling, cold, weak, and shivering violently, could only continue to pant as he tried to reach for Duan Muwan.

The Dragon Girl glanced at him, then extended her right hand again. White specks of light flew back into Xiao Ling’s prostrate body. Simultaneously, some white specks of light also emerged from Duan Muwan, flying into the Dragon Girl’s hand.

After about two breaths, all the light vanished, and the Dragon Girl clasped her hand, withdrawing it into her elegant, wide sleeve.

Xiao Ling felt his strength return. Although still somewhat weak, he was no longer too feeble to stand. Seeing Duan Muwan swaying beside him, he immediately rose and supported her.

“Wan’er, why are you so foolish! Why must a delicate woman like you endure such suffering?”

The Dragon Girl looked at them, nodded towards Ji Yuan and the Dragon Son, and then stepped back, indicating that the matter was concluded and she would no longer intervene.

Ji Yuan looked meaningfully at Ying Ruoli, who remained cold-faced. The first time, she had truly shown no mercy, but the second time, she hadn't genuinely split the punishment equally between Xiao Ling and Duan Muwan. Instead, she had returned eighty to ninety percent of Xiao Ling’s vitality and only symbolically taken a small portion from Duan Muwan.

Otherwise, given Duan Muwan’s physical constitution, she would have long since collapsed and been unable to stand. Five years of primal yang could not simply be equated to five years of lifespan.

There was no Book of Life and Death in this world; even the netherworld authorities could only see changes in their ledgers when a person was nearing death. They couldn’t simply alter someone’s lifespan at will. Ten or five years of primal yang meant the extraction of a person’s fundamental vital essence. The years were merely a unit of measurement, and during recovery, any mishap could easily lead to malevolent energy entering the body, causing severe illness.

Ji Yuan stood up from the long bench in front of the table, walked around it, and approached the two figures huddled on the ground. Xiao Ling and Duan Muwan looked up at him.

“Young Master Xiao, since you possess the wisdom to discern people, it is best not to ignore certain things for personal gain. A scholar should still have some integrity. You were much stronger seven or eight years ago than you were two years ago.”

“Seven or eight… years ago?”

Xiao Ling peered up at the unfathomable man in the green robe, his voice reflecting his confusion.

Ji Yuan nodded.

“That winter, on the Tongtian River, at the stern of the Xiao family’s large boat, Young Master Xiao had a big argument with your father, also concerning Miss Hong Xiu. As I recall, Young Master Xiao possessed considerable ambition back then.”

“You…”

“Don’t you remember me?”

Ji Yuan smiled.

“Young Master Xiao and your esteemed father were quite critical of me that day, but as a humble boatman struggling to make a living, it’s normal that you wouldn’t remember me.”

Xiao Ling’s eyes widened suddenly, and the words burst from his mouth.

“You are the old fisherman who rowed the boat that day?!”

“Indeed.”

Ji Yuan nodded, then reached out to help Xiao Ling and Duan Muwan to their feet.

Xiao Ling’s expression was somewhat dazed. He suddenly recalled that moment during the river snow, when he had decided to first pass the imperial examination and achieve a status his father would have to respect. For a fleeting instant, the old fisherman rowing ahead had turned back and nodded to him from a distance.

That moment had long been forgotten, but it instantly resurfaced now.

“Seeing your genuine affection, the River God Empress has shown mercy. This is the difference between a righteous deity and evil arts. One will show restraint, while the other would give you talismans that ultimately harm both yourself and others. Young Master Xiao, you should act with more uprightness in the future.”

Upon hearing Ji Yuan’s words, Xiao Ling and Duan Muwan instinctively looked at Ying Ruoli. She merely glanced at them, then closed her eyes, silently acknowledging Ji Yuan’s statement.

Xiao Ling took a deep breath, cupped his hands toward the Dragon Girl, and then bowed to Ji Yuan.

Ji Yuan nodded and held Xiao Ling’s hands, preventing him from bowing too deeply.

“The one who deceived you is a great demon from another continent. Her actions are secretive and unpredictable, and her ambitions are likely considerable. Even I once fell into her trap. You two are just ordinary people; sometimes, even if you see through things, you don’t have many choices. For now, I will consider your actions to be out of helplessness.”

Although Ji Yuan said this, since he and the Dragon Girl had handled the matter, the previously unaware netherworld authorities of the capital prefecture would certainly record it afterwards. If Xiao Ling and Duan Muwan did not accumulate good deeds or virtues in the future, they would still face reckoning after death, but Ji Yuan did not mention this point.

Xiao Ling gave a wry smile, then cupped his hands again to the green-robed man before him.

“Thank you, Mr. Ji, for your guidance!”

By this point, Xiao Ling was certain that these were true divine beings, whose conduct and methods were vastly different from the previous “River God Empress.” Even his intuitive perception of them was one of uprightness, brilliance, and a sense of purity and warmth.

“Mr. Ji, which ‘zhou’ are you referring to? Could that demon harm the people of our great Da Zhen? I’ve had this talisman for two years; what are the consequences?”

Xiao Ling, feeling uneasy, still asked.

“Pfft… Hahahaha…”

The Dragon Son couldn’t help but laugh at Xiao Ling’s words. The Dragon Girl also struggled to maintain her composure but managed to keep a stern expression.

Ying Feng (the Dragon Son) pointed at Xiao Ling.

“You, hahahaha… Make Uncle Ji suffer a loss? The world is vast, and there are surely those with such power, but definitely not that white fox. She only got lucky and escaped Uncle Ji with her life. It’s also because Uncle Ji has a good temper and likes to do everything unhurriedly. If it were my father…”

“Ahem! Ahem!”

The Dragon Girl finally couldn’t help but clear her throat twice, which made the Dragon Son quickly shut up.

This place was not far from the Tongtian River, and her father was sleeping. If the Dragon Son kept talking, her father might dream of some fragments, which would be bad.

Ji Yuan looked back at the Dragon Son. This fellow was much more unrestrained with him than with the old dragon. He pondered whether he should “accidentally” let slip something about today’s incident when he next chatted with the old dragon.

Ji Yuan looked at Xiao Ling and Duan Muwan again, and as expected, their gazes towards him became even more respectful.

“Young Master Xiao, do not worry. You are both safe now.”

“Sir, since you possess such great divine powers, even if the other party is in another ‘zhou,’ you should be able to subdue her. How innocent are the people of our great Da Zhen…”

Seeing Xiao Ling still speak in this manner, even if it felt a bit like 'talking without consequence,' the courage in his words impressed Ji Yuan somewhat.

Although the pronunciation was the same, Ji Yuan understood that Xiao Ling was saying “zhou” (province/prefecture) and not “zhou” (continent). He shook his head and explained with a smile.

“Young Master Xiao, this ‘zhou’ is not one of Da Zhen’s thirteen provinces, nor is it a provincial capital within Da Zhen. This world is far vaster than you know!”