Chapter 18: The Sacrificial Bride—Part 2

Behind the three large incense burners was a small offering platform.

Unlike the usual statues of Bodhisattvas or earth deities, the platform held a strangely shaped octagonal dish.

The dish had a grayish-yellow surface and a blue-green base.

It was inscribed with intricate ancient characters, and its eight corners extended outward like petals, each adorned with a small bell.

It seemed to be an object of some kind of worship.

“This dish is so strange; I’ve never seen anything like it,” Yusang remarked, leaning on the table with her head resting on her hand.

“There are plenty of things you’ve never seen,” Yan Qige said, slapping Yusang’s hand away as she tried to grab the dish.

He then grabbed her by the arm and dragged her out of the small hut.

“Hey! My clothes are getting torn!” Yusang protested, waving her arms in frustration as she freed herself from his grip.

“You’re a demon. Just use some spell to fix them. Why are you complaining?”

Yan Qige glanced at her before letting go and turning back toward the thatched hut.

Yusang, realizing his intention, immediately protested again.

“Hey, hey, hey! I’ve already made the bed inside; that’s where I’m sleeping tonight.”

“The hut can’t fit two people. You sleep outside. There’s plenty of grass here. You can lay out another bed outside,” Yan Qige responded nonchalantly.

“Why should I? I was the one who prepared the bed inside. Why don’t you sleep outside?”

“You’re so noisy.”

“You’re complaining that I’m noisy? You dare to say that? Come out…come out here…” Yusang grabbed Yan Qige by the sleeve, trying to pull him away from the door.

But as they tussled, she suddenly felt something amiss.

A chilly wind seemed to blow from behind, as if someone were standing right behind her.

Yan Qige’s expression also changed, which made Yusang’s heart skip a beat.

Feeling uneasy, she slowly turned her head and immediately screamed.

“Ah! A ghost!” Yusang instinctively jumped up, quickly hiding behind Yan Qige, clutching his sleeve tightly.

Yan Qige stood firm, calm as a mountain, and gazed at the figure that had frightened Yusang.

The figure was a woman in a bright red dress, with long black hair cascading down her shoulders, hiding most of her face.

Her face, as pale as a sheet of paper, peered out from the disheveled hair, revealing a ghostly presence.

It was no wonder Yusang had been startled.

“I…I’m not dead?” The woman spoke, touching her arm and feeling for her pulse at her neck.

“So you’ve woken up,” Yusang finally realized what was going on.

This was no ghost; it was the bride they had saved earlier.

She had been unconscious, so they had laid her by the fire, but they hadn’t noticed when she had awakened and silently stood up.

“Young master, was it you who saved me?” The woman, though surprised to find herself alive, quickly deduced what had happened and asked Yan Qige, who was sitting across from the fire.

Yan Qige shifted slightly and was about to answer her question when he noticed Yusang still clinging to his sleeve.

He shot her a look and said, “You’re a demon, and yet you’re afraid of ghosts. How embarrassing.”

“I…I do what I want. What’s it to you?” Yusang retorted, letting go of his sleeve and turning her head away defiantly.

Yan Qige silently chuckled at her stubbornness but didn’t pursue the matter.

He turned to the woman and said, “My maid and I happened to pass by and saw someone in the river, so we saved you. It was nothing more than a small effort.”

Hearing this, Yusang quietly muttered to herself, “Liar.”

She shot a glare at Yan Qige.

God knew how much effort they had taken to save the bride, but now he was making it sound as if it was just a casual act.

Moreover, they had seen the villagers themselves throw the bride into the river.

It was clearly some kind of ritual, yet he was pretending not to know anything.

And most importantly, who was he calling a maid? Who is his maid? His whole family were maids!

Yan Qige, seemingly unfazed by Yusang’s sharp gaze, maintained a calm and gentle expression.

He smiled and said, “Judging by your attire, you must be a bride. How did you end up in the river?”

At this question, the woman’s face immediately clouded with sadness.

She hesitated for a moment before saying, “I was chosen as the sacrificial bride by my village. It wasn’t an accident that I ended up in the river…I was meant to be married to the River God, to bring peace and prosperity to Hongzhu Village for the year.”

“The River God?”

“Yes, he is the Water Guardian of the Hongzhu River. He controls the rise and fall of the river and commands the tides, protecting Hongzhu Village from floods.”

“I see…” Yan Qige nodded thoughtfully, and from his expression, Yusang could tell that he was already devising a plan.

Yan Qige didn’t ask any more questions, and the woman cautiously began to observe him.

She was captivated by his handsome face, illuminated by the firelight, and his elegant white robe.

Her pale face blushed slightly as she shyly said, “Young master, Ming Ran is deeply grateful for your kindness and will never forget it. May I know your name?”

“You may call me Yan Qi,” he replied.

“Ming Ran thanks Young Master Yan Qi for your great kindness.”

The woman, who introduced herself as Ming Ran, kneeled before him in gratitude, her manner soft and gentle.

Even Yusang couldn’t help but feel a bit moved by her delicate demeanor.

“There’s no need for such courtesy. Are you feeling unwell? Should we take you home?” Yan Qige asked, showing concern.

At the mention of going home, Ming Ran’s face, which had just regained some color, turned deathly pale again.

She stepped back in fear and then kneeled before Yan Qige, pleading, “Please, Young Master, don’t send me away. I’m willing to stay by your side as a servant, to repay your kindness. Just don’t send me away…”

Mingran’s slender figure, combined with her pale, goose-egg face, made her look utterly pitiful.

Such a beauty kneeling before them could cause any man to find it hard to refuse her.

Even Yusang, who was initially annoyed, felt her heart soften, assuming that Yan Qi would surely agree to her request.

But to her surprise, Yan Qige remained silent, showing no reaction.

“Please, Young Master, don’t send me away…” Ming Ran’s pleas became more desperate as she started kowtowing to Yan Qige.

After a long silence, Yan Qige still did not respond.

Seeing Ming Ran still kneeling on the rocky ground with tears streaming down her face, Yusang couldn’t bear it any longer.

Ignoring Yan Qige’s expression, she stepped forward to help Ming Ran up, saying, “Get up. If you don’t want to go home, then don’t. We’re not in a hurry anyway. You can stay with us until you decide where to go.”

Ming Ran, clinging to Yusang’s hand as if it were her lifeline, gratefully said, “Thank you, Sister. You truly have a heart of gold…”