My words have become law; I truly have no desire to display my divine power before others.

Night fell like ink, completely engulfing Xiahe Village.

The sound of the river flowing in the darkness seemed clearer and colder than in the daytime.

Like the breath of some enormous creature, it lingered outside every tightly closed door and window.

In the main room of Li Laoshuan's house, only a small oil lamp was lit.

The lamp wick was almost burned out, and the flickering light cast distorted and swaying shadows on the simple furniture in the room, adding to the sense of desolation.

Zhou was huddled on a small stool in the corner, her eyes red and swollen like peaches, staring blankly in the direction of the door.

He was unconsciously tearing at a tattered piece of cloth, almost torn into shreds.

Inside the room, Xiaolian's crying had long since ceased, leaving only an occasional suppressed sob, as if she were about to suffocate.

That sound was more heartbreaking than wailing.

Zhou no longer knew what she was waiting for.

Waiting for a miracle? Waiting for dawn? Or waiting for the inevitable sacrificial moment that would devour their daughter to draw ever closer?

Every minute and every second felt like being fried in a pan of oil.

Just then, a very faint sound came from outside the courtyard gate, but to her it was like a thunderclap—the sound of the door latch being carefully turned.

Zhou suddenly raised her head, her heart clenching instantly.

Who is it? The guard? Or...?

The door was gently pushed open a crack, and a dark figure darted in before quickly closing and bolting the door shut.

The dark figure was indistinct in the dim light, panting heavily, carrying a strong smell of dust and sweat.

"Who?!" Zhou stood up in shock, her voice hoarse and trembling.

"...It's me." A dry, extremely tired voice rang out; it was Li Laoshuan!

"Shuanzi?!" Zhou could hardly believe her ears and staggered over.

By the dim light, she could see her husband clearly—Li Laoshuan looked as if he had rolled in the dirt several times.

His hair was disheveled, his face and body were covered in dust and grass clippings, his lips were cracked and bleeding, and his eyes were filled with terrifying red blood vessels.

But at this moment, a strange, almost insane light burned deep within his eyes, creating a stark contrast with his disheveled appearance.

"Where...where have you been all day?! I was so worried! There were people watching outside..."

Zhou lowered her voice, both anxious and frightened, and grabbed her husband's arm, her hand touching something cold and damp.

Li Laoshuan gripped his wife's cold, trembling hand tightly. His hand was equally cold, yet he gripped it with tremendous force, causing Zhou Shi pain.

He glanced towards the inner room, his voice extremely low and his breathing rapid:

"Woman, keep your voice down... I... I'll go and invite a Taoist priest!"

"A mage?" Zhou was stunned and didn't react for a moment.

"Yes! A sorcerer! A sorcerer who can exorcise demons and monsters!"

Li Laoshuan spoke very quickly, with a desperate excitement, his eyes shining frighteningly in the dim light.

"Thirty miles away, in Huangshi Town! The most famous sorcerer, Master Huang! Everyone says he possesses great magical powers and can communicate with ghosts and spirits."

It specializes in curing all kinds of evil spirits and strange occurrences! I... I searched all day and finally found it!

Zhou's heart skipped a beat, and a surge of heat, a mixture of disbelief and faint hope, rushed to her head, making her feel dizzy.

"Really...really? You got him to come? He...he's willing to come?"

"Yes! Of course I'll agree!" Old Li licked his chapped lips, his tone carrying a fierce determination that came from selling everything he owned.

"I've taken out all the copper coins my father left me, which were kept hidden away, and the pair of silver cloves that you brought as part of your dowry!"

That wasn't enough... So I also signed a loan agreement with Liu the loan shark at the town entrance and borrowed money at interest!

When he said the words "usurious loans," his voice trembled slightly, for it meant a debt that might bring him endless trouble in the future, but at that moment, he couldn't care less about that.

If my daughter is gone, all this money will be useless!

"Master Huang took the money, patted his chest, and said that he couldn't stand demons harming people, especially evil spirits that forcibly marry women!"

He promised me he would set off first thing tomorrow morning and arrive before noon! He was certain he could rid the river of the creature before the sacrifice and save Xiaolian!

As Zhou listened, tears streamed down her face again, this time not only with sadness, but also with a complex mix of excitement and fear.

A sorcerer! A sorcerer who can exorcise demons! Is my daughter saved? But... is that sorcerer Huang really as powerful as Shuanzi said? Just how much skill does he possess?

How much money will it cost? And then there's the interest-bearing loan... with interest compounding, how will we survive in the future?

But these thoughts only flashed through my mind for a moment before being overwhelmed by a stronger will to survive and a desire to save my daughter.

Even if there's only a sliver of a chance, even if it means losing everything and accumulating huge debts, it's still better than watching your daughter die!

"He...Master Huang, can he really get rid of that 'Dragon King'?"

Zhou gripped her husband's arm tightly, her nails digging almost into his flesh, her voice trembling violently.

"That's no ordinary thing... The village has been worshipping it for so many years, and everyone says it's incredibly effective. If we've angered it, what if..."

"The sorcerer said it wasn't a real dragon! It was just a water demon or river monster that had cultivated for many years and possessed some spiritual power! It impersonated a deity to swindle food!"

Li Laoshuan interrupted his wife and repeated what he had heard from Master Huang, trying to make it more convincing, and also as if he was trying to convince himself.

"The master has ancestral magical implements and orthodox Taoist methods, which are specifically designed to subdue these evil aquatic creatures!"

He told me to relax, that he would perform a ritual tomorrow and surely make that demon reveal its true form and be utterly destroyed!

"An ancestral ritual implement...orthodox Taoist practice..."

Zhou murmured repeatedly, and under the dim light, a trace of life finally appeared on her pale face.

It was an expression that combined the exhaustion of being saved from a desperate situation with disbelief and anticipation.

"That...that's great, that's great...Xiao Lian is saved, she's saved..."

She covered her mouth and sobbed in suppressed sobs, her body trembling slightly from excitement and relaxation.

Li Laoshuan put his arm around his wife's thin shoulders, feeling her body trembling.

The excitement on his face gradually subsided, replaced by a deep weariness and a vague unease.

After walking all day, my body feels like it's falling apart; I've emptied my savings and am now burdened with debts to the underworld, my heart is heavy.

As for Master Huang, whom he had only met briefly, who had received a large sum of money and made boastful promises, he actually... wasn't entirely confident.

However, he had no other way to go.

Like a drowning person, they will cling to even a floating weed.

"Don't make this public for now," Old Li said quietly, composing himself.

"Especially, we mustn't let the guards outside, or the village chief, know. When the sorcerer arrives tomorrow, we'll go directly to the river to perform the ritual."

Caught the monster off guard! If it succeeds, Xiao Lian won't need to perform the sacrifice; even if... even if it fails,

His throat bobbed. "We've done our best, and we've done right by the child..."

Zhou nodded vigorously, tears dripping onto her husband's stained clothes.

They tried their best... Yes, what else can ordinary people like them do besides desperately trying to grasp this slim hope?

"Xiao Lian...do you know?" Zhou looked into the inner room.

"Don't tell her too many details yet," Li Laoshuan sighed.

"The child is terrified. Let her catch her breath first. We'll tell her tomorrow, when the monk arrives and there's some information."

The couple sat huddled together for a while under the dim oil lamp, neither of them speaking again.

Outside, the river's wailing seemed endless; inside, the daughter's occasional sobs could be heard.