I have Taoism and can understand other worlds

Chapter 695 Sacrificing to the River God
Jiang Wen stood in the rain, his gaze falling on the red team silently moving forward in the mud, a sense of inquiry rising in his heart.

He did not directly stop and question those who were clearly servants or servants, or the flustered musicians and sedan chair bearers. Instead, he moved slightly and appeared silently at the end of the procession next to a thin old man wearing a patched tuxedo.

The old man was hunched over, stumbling along, when suddenly someone appeared beside him. Startled, he stumbled and nearly fell into the muddy water.

When they saw Jiang Wen's upright bearing and extraordinary demeanor in his blue robe, they realized he was no ordinary person. They became so nervous that they were at a loss for what to do, and instinctively wanted to kneel down.

Jiang Wen reached out to support him, and a gentle force lifted him up. He asked in a soft voice, "Old man, please don't be alarmed. This procession seems quite strange. Why is there no joy at this auspicious occasion, but rather an atmosphere of gloom? I wonder where they are going and what their purpose is?"

The old man was held up by that force and couldn't kneel down. He was even more surprised and doubtful, convinced that he had encountered a master.

He glanced around to make sure no one was paying attention, then lowered his voice, which trembled slightly, and said cautiously, "Immortal, Immortal Master, you may not know this. This is not an ordinary wedding; this is... this is sending a bride to the River God..."

"River God?" Jiang Wen raised an eyebrow slightly.

Upon hearing those two words, the old man's fear deepened, and his voice dropped even lower, almost becoming a whisper: "Yes, the river god of the Canglang River outside Jiangling County. Starting ten months ago, the river began to overflow from time to time, flooding countless fields and houses."

"The county magistrate consulted a shaman, who said the river god is angry and demands a sacrifice of a young, unmarried girl in her late teens or early twenties each month, to be thrown into the river, in order to ensure the county's safety. If they refuse, the god will... he will flood the entire county." He spoke, his face a mixture of pity and fear. "This is the seventh one... What a tragedy..."

Upon hearing this, a knowing look and a hint of coldness flashed in Jiang Wen's eyes.

He thanked the trembling old man, then turned to Dan Chen and said, "Let's go, let's go to the riverbank and take a look."

The two figures flickered and disappeared from the spot, reappearing on the banks of the Canglang River.

The Canglang River was turbulent due to the torrential rain, with muddy water carrying broken branches and debris as it rushed and roared, making a loud rumbling sound.

The riverbank was packed with people, men, women, and children, most of them dressed in rags, their faces blank or filled with worry, standing silently in the pouring rain, letting the rain soak them through and shivering.

The entire scene was eerily quiet, with only the sounds of wind and rain mingling with the roar of the river.

At the front of the crowd, near a makeshift, makeshift dock, stood a striking figure in a red dress. The bride, with a red veil covering her face, was slender and trembled slightly in the wind and rain, like a reed that might break at any moment.

Before long, an old woman dressed in a colorful robe embroidered with strange patterns came forward, surrounded by a group of disciples.

Her hair was gray, her face was covered with wrinkles, but her eyes held a sharpness that was deliberately mysterious. She was the shaman who presided over the sacrificial ceremony.

The sorceress walked to the riverbank, faced the rushing water, spread her arms, and began to twist her body, performing a strange and stiff dance while chanting incantations in a shrill voice with a strange rhythm:

"The waters of the Canglang River flow mightily and surgingly!"

"The gods dwell therein, their mighty power manifested!"

"Pity my people, who suffer calamities time and again!"

"I offer you my beloved daughter, praying for her health and well-being!"

"Enjoy my sacrifice, and let the waves subside!"

May my Jiangling be blessed with abundant harvests!

Her eulogy was ancient and difficult to pronounce, carrying a sense of both supplication and intimidation. It spread amidst the wind and rain, causing the people on the shore to lower their heads even further, making the atmosphere increasingly oppressive.

After the ritual dance, the shaman instructed her disciples to lead the bride to the simple dock extending into the river. Two women supported the bride, who could barely walk on her own, and led her step by step toward the water's edge.

Just then, Jiang Wen and Dan Chen stepped out and headed towards the dock.

"Halt! Who dares to disturb the river god's sacrifice!" Several constables responsible for maintaining order immediately stepped forward to stop them, glaring at them sternly.

However, they were dressed in clothes that were not those of ordinary people, and their words carried a hint of tact.

"The two young masters should refrain from disturbing the sacrificial ceremony, lest they suffer the consequences."

"Benefits? Hmph!" Dan Chen snorted coldly, stepped forward, and took out a token from his pocket.

The token was neither made of gold nor wood. The front was engraved with an ancient medicine cauldron, while the back had two powerful characters "Tai Shen" surrounded by cloud patterns.

He brandished his token and said in a deep voice, "The Tai Shen Palace is here, and you dare to obstruct us?" The words "Tai Shen Palace" resounded like a thunderclap. The faces of the constables turned pale instantly, their knees buckled, and they almost knelt down on the spot.

The name of the state religion was deeply ingrained in people's minds, and for these lowly clerks, it was like a divine authority. They hurriedly bowed and retreated, repeatedly saying, "We dare not! We dare not! We were unaware of the arrival of the celestial being, please forgive us! Please forgive us!"

Jiang Wen ignored the constables and went straight to the sorceress with a bewildered expression. He calmly asked, "You said the river god demands offerings, or he will flood Jiangling. Have you ever seen the river god? Do you know where it lives at the bottom of the river? What does it look like?"

The sorceress was intimidated by Jiang Wen's imposing aura and, upon hearing that it was someone from the Tai Shen Palace, began to panic. However, she still forced herself to remain calm and said, "River God, the River God is a deity of the water, formless and without form, with boundless power! Although I have not seen him in person, his will is manifested through the waves. If no sacrifice is made, the Canglang River will surely overflow, causing widespread suffering!"

"Oh?" Jiang Wen smiled faintly.

“In that case, I also come from the Tai Shen Palace and have some knowledge of how to communicate with the gods. Why don’t I ask the river god for you personally whether he wants today’s offering or not?”

Before he could finish speaking, and before the sorceress could react, Jiang Wen casually flicked his sleeve. The sorceress felt an irresistible force surge towards her, her scream caught in her throat, and she was thrown away like a kite with a broken string.

With a "plop," it fell heavily into the turbulent Canglang River, tumbled a few times, and was swallowed by the waves, disappearing without a trace.

The people on the shore were in an uproar, looking at Jiang Wen in horror.

Jiang Wen faced the crowd, his voice calm yet clear, reaching everyone's ears: "Please do not panic. The sorceress has personally entered the river to inquire about the river god's will. Please wait a moment."

The river continued to roar, and the rain continued to pour. After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the sorceress had vanished without a trace.

Jiang Wen then looked at the sorceress's disciples, who were already pale with fright, and casually pointed to two of them who seemed to be the leaders: "It seems that the sorceress can't get the answers by herself. You two should also go and lend her a hand."

With a flick of his sleeve, the two men were thrown into the river amidst screams and vanished in the blink of an eye.

After waiting a while longer, the river remained still except for the waves.

Jiang Wen then turned to the silent crowd and said loudly, "The River God has sent back a message. Today is not an auspicious day. The River God says that the matter of the sacrifice will be discussed later. Everyone, please disperse and send the bride home."

The people looked at each other, staring at the empty river, then at Jiang Wen, who calmly claimed to be from the Tai Shen Palace. Remembering the sorceress and her disciple who had been thrown into the river and never heard from again, they were already seven or eight parts convinced.

The Tai Shen Palace enjoys extremely high prestige among the people, and its disciples are said to have methods to communicate with gods and immortals, so they are naturally willing to believe it.

Moreover, the fact that a living person had been thrown into such a turbulent river for so long without surfacing suggests that their chances of survival are slim, which adds weight to Jiang Wen's words.

Immediately, some bold people stepped forward and helped the almost exhausted bride leave the dock, and the crowd gradually dispersed amidst the discussions.

After most of the people had dispersed, Jiang Wen summoned the few pale-faced constables and asked, "Tell me the whole story. Why did the magistrate allow such a human sacrifice?"

A squad leader wiped the cold sweat and rain from his forehead, bowed and replied, "Reporting to Your Excellency. About ten months ago, the celestial phenomena were abnormal. Suddenly, the sky changed color, and then the Canglang River swelled without warning, destroying a large number of farmlands and houses downstream."

"Many people died or were injured, and the county magistrate was extremely anxious. He posted notices seeking capable people to quell the disaster. Later, the sorceress volunteered, saying that the river god was angry and that unmarried women needed to be sacrificed every month. The county magistrate was initially unwilling, but after that, the river did indeed occasionally calm down. In addition, the sorceress repeatedly threatened that if he did not make the sacrifice, there would be even greater disaster. For the safety of the whole county, the county magistrate had no choice but to do so."

Upon hearing this, Jiang's divine sense once again spread out like a tide, carefully scanning the surging Canglang River before him.

The river water was murky, containing mud and sand brought by the torrential rain and chaotic water spirits, but in his perception, he did not detect any powerful demonic or monster auras, let alone any so-called "river god".

He already had a plan in mind, and said to Dan Chen, "Go to the Jiangling County government office and meet this 'unwilling' county magistrate."

He then looked at the constables and said, "We are sending disaster victims from Sizhou. You are to go and look after them. If they are properly settled, the Tai Shen Palace will certainly not forget your kindness."

The constables' eyes lit up upon hearing this. The Tai Shen Palace had been teaching for millennia, deeply rooted in the hearts of the people of the Great Qian Dynasty. Although they didn't know what benefits they might receive, a promise from the state religion's immortal was certainly a desirable position.

The group expressed their gratitude and then returned with Jiang Wen.

Back at the refugees' temporary resting place, Jiang Wen briefly informed Jiang Su of the situation, then led some of the refugees who were willing to follow towards Jiangling County, which was not far away. As for the remaining refugees who had nowhere to go, he didn't care. Along the way, he had gained over a thousand merit points, which could be considered as having completed a good deed.

In addition, the refugees are not short of food now, and they just need to avoid danger on the road.

On his way to Jiangling County, he wanted to see what kind of person the magistrate who ordered the human sacrifice was.

(End of this chapter)