Chapter 17: The Sacrificial Bride—Part 1

In July, on a day of flowing fire, breaking ground is forbidden, but marriages are declared. Great fortune lies in the southwest.

(T/N: the explanation for this is at the end of this chapter.)

By the Red Pearl River, at dawn.

The sky was just beginning to brighten, and in the east, where the sky met the water, the morning glow was like a blaze of fire, painting half the sky crimson.

The endless river below mirrored the fiery hue, so that from a distance, it looked as though the river was filled with fresh blood, gently rippling.

“Bride in red, so fortunate to marry Ah Ya, with red pearls scattered everywhere, and white trees growing tall…”

Faintly, the voices of children singing drifted from behind the reeds along the riverbank.

The song became clearer, and soon the sounds of gongs and drums joined in, as festive music filled the air, spreading joy across the Red Pearl River.

“Stop!” A hoarse, elderly voice called out from behind the reeds, and all the music ceased immediately.

“This is far enough. Bring out the wedding boat.”

“Yes, village chief.”

Amidst the tall reeds, the sound of water splashing could be heard.

After the rustling, a bamboo raft decorated with red wedding ribbons drifted out.

On the raft sat a woman dressed in a bright red wedding gown, her head covered by a red veil.

Her hands were folded neatly on her lap.

Though her face was obscured, the pale and delicate hands suggested she was still very young.

The bamboo raft slowly drifted away from the reeds, heading towards the blood-red river.

There seemed to be a faint sound of weeping from behind the reeds, but it quickly faded away, barely audible.

“Send the bride, let the music play!”

The joyful, festive music resumed behind the reeds as the raft carrying the bride in red drifted toward the middle of the river.

Beneath the crimson dawn, the raft began to take on water.

Soon, her shoes and skirt were soaked, and eventually, the entire raft started sinking.

The bride was submerged in the water, leaving only the red veil floating gently on the river’s surface, swaying with the current.

At some point, the jubilant wedding music from the reed-lined shore turned long and mournful, and upon closer listening, it had become a funeral dirge.

As the sorrowful music faded into the distance, the dawn light began to dim, and the sun peeked over the river’s edge, casting a blinding silver-white glare.

A new day had begun.

“Splash!”

Suddenly, at the exact spot where the bride in red had sunk and her veil still floated, a head emerged from the water.

The red veil was lifted by this figure, soaking wet and draped over her head.

Then, another woman’s head was pulled from the water.

Her black hair had come undone, and her face was deathly pale, making the red wedding gown she wore even more striking, giving off an eerie and unsettling feeling.

“Yan Qige! Yan Qige, come out here!”

The figure under the veil lifted her head and shouted angrily, spitting water from her mouth as she scanned her surroundings.

She finally spotted a man in white standing by the green reeds.

Yan Qige stood on a slender bamboo raft, holding a lantern in one hand while the other rested casually behind his back.

He drifted on the water, his robe billowing in the breeze, looking as graceful as a jade tree under the wind—too beautiful for words.

After a moment, Yan Qige stopped near the figure floating in the river and leaned slightly to extend his hand, his long fingers gently lifting the red veil.

However, beneath the veil was not a shy, blushing bride, but a furious face—it was Yusang.

“Get up,” Yan Qige said, offering his hand to her.

“Yan Qige, it was you! It had to be you who pushed me into the water on purpose!” Yusang scolded angrily.

Without directly responding, Yan Qige gestured to the bride in red that Yusang held in front of her chest and said, “Be good, be obedient, and get the bride up here first, or she’ll be ruined.”

“Why should I listen to you? Even if she’s ruined, it has nothing to do with you. If you really wanted to save her, why didn’t you do it yourself? Aren’t you afraid I’ll be ruined too after being thrown into the water?”

“You’re a demon, and a bamboo demon at that. It’s not that easy for you to be ruined.”

“I was sleeping peacefully, dreaming even, and suddenly I was thrown into the water. It scared me!”

“Alright, alright, next time, I’ll wait until you’re awake,” Yan Qige casually brushed her off.

With Yusang’s help, he lifted the bride in red onto the bamboo raft and laid her flat.

Then he pulled Yusang up as well.

Seeing that she was soaking wet but otherwise unharmed, Yan Qige finally turned to squat down and take the bride’s pulse.

As Yusang wrung the water from her clothes, she glared at Yan Qige, who was busy examining the bride, and grumbled bitterly.

Yan Qige let her rant, saying nothing in response.

Only after finishing the examination and confirming that the bride had simply swallowed some water did he help expel the water from her lungs.

Seeing that Yusang hadn’t stopped complaining, he stood up, half coaxing and half teasing, “Saving a life is more meritorious than building a seven-story pagoda. Think of it that way, and you’ll realize I’m doing this for your good. Doing good deeds might just catch the eye of some Bodhisattva or immortal, and you might even attain enlightenment. It would be a great boon to your cultivation.”

“You call me a demon, but you didn’t go into the water yourself, even though you know spell. Why don’t you do some good deeds?”

Yusang retorted, rolling her eyes as she turned away to continue wringing her clothes.

She had expected Yan Qige to come up with another excuse and lecture her further, but to her surprise, he suddenly fell silent.

After a moment, Yusang, still wringing her clothes, realized she might have struck a nerve.

Slowly, she turned around, eyeing Yan Qige up and down before stretching her neck forward suspiciously and asking, “Could it be… you can’t swim?”

The moment Yan Qige heard that, his expression darkened.

The playful demeanor he had just shown vanished, replaced by his usual cold, aloof face.

“So… you really can’t swim…” Yusang exclaimed, delighted by her discovery.

She opened her mouth to tease him further, but one glance at Yan Qige’s icy glare made her swallow the words.

“I simply didn’t want to ruin this outfit. It’s newly made from fine silk, just last month,” Yan Qige said, turning away, his hands clasped behind his back as he gazed out over the river.

“Right, I understand. I truly understand,” Yusang nodded, barely suppressing her laughter.

Inside, however, her thoughts were entirely different.

She had finally found Yan Qige’s weakness—the usually composed, unflappable master of spells and exorcism was afraid of water.

Yusang secretly rejoiced at her discovery.

That night, a fire burned behind the reeds by the Red Pearl River.

Nearby stood a small thatched hut, just big enough for one person to enter.

It was half the height of a regular house, built from bundles of withered reed stalks tied together with care, the ropes binding them securely.

Inside the hut was a small table, only half the size of a normal household table.

On the table was an incense burner, holding three tripods.

The incense was burned down to ashes, as though offerings were regularly made.

(T/N: “In July, on a day of flowing fire” – This could refer to a specific day in July, associated with the seasonal change known as (Liú Huǒ), which indicates the waning of the intense heat of summer. It signifies the transition from summer to autumn, when the weather starts to cool. “Breaking ground is forbidden” – This means that it’s considered an inauspicious day for digging, construction, or starting new projects that involve the earth. In Chinese tradition, certain days are deemed unfavorable for activities like groundbreaking, which could disturb the natural balance or spirits.“Marriages are declared”—On this particular day, weddings are considered favorable. It is a good time for people to announce or hold marriage ceremonies, as the timing is believed to bring blessings and harmony.“Great fortune lies in the southwest” – This suggests that the southwest direction is particularly lucky on this day. In traditional Chinese geomancy (feng shui), different directions can have varying influences depending on the time and context, and here, the southwest is seen as especially auspicious….this is based on what I get from the internet..)