The Northern Song Dynasty returned south, seeking the truth of the Dao.

"Haunted?"

Wang Zhenhuan grabbed the waiter who was about to leave, cupped his hands in greeting, and asked, "Good sir, what exactly happened? Tell me about it."

"Sir, let's get this straight. I can tell you, but if I tell you and you don't stay, the innkeeper won't let me off the hook." The waiter hesitated for a moment after hearing Wang Zhenhuan's words before gritting his teeth and saying this.

"Of course, to be honest. I'm a Taoist priest who came to the profession later in life, so I know a little about these things, especially about gods and ghosts," Wang Zhenhuan said shamelessly.

"You're a Taoist priest? You don't look like one." The waiter looked him up and down and asked in confusion.

"Alas, the Jurchens have marched south. My Taoist temple was destroyed, and I had no choice but to flee south to escape the disaster. The journey has been arduous, and I am in a rather shabby state. Please forgive me, kind sir," Wang Zhenhuan explained with a smile.

"No wonder, I noticed you don't have a Taoist robe or a whisk. If you say you're a Taoist priest, probably nine out of ten people wouldn't believe you, and the tenth is probably blind," the waiter said, shaking his head.

Wang Zhenhuan chuckled at the waiter's words. Despite his young age, the waiter was quite amusing. So he pulled out a chair, gestured to him, and said, "Sit down, sit down and let's talk. You're not busy, are you?"

"Ugh, don't even mention it. I'm still busy. The shop's location wasn't great to begin with. It was only okay before because it was near the Huai River and had a nice view."

"Now look what's happened. Ever since the Huai River became haunted, not a soul has been seen, not even a dog has come here. Ah, of course, I'm not referring to you, sir, it's just that..."

The waiter, realizing his mistake, blushed and hurriedly waved his hands in explanation. Even with his good temper, Wang Zhen was still a customer; if he angered a customer, he'd be in big trouble.

Wang Zhenhuan stopped the waiter to talk to him for two reasons: firstly, because of his kind reminder, and secondly, because of his witty remarks. Therefore, he naturally wouldn't mind the waiter's grammatical errors, especially since the waiter didn't have any implied meaning.

So he waved his hand at the waiter and said, "It's alright, it's alright. Please continue, sir."

Having worked as a waiter for so long, the waiter was naturally adept at reading people. Seeing that Wang Zhen really wasn't angry, he finally relaxed. He looked up and pondered, "Let me think... where should I begin?"

The area around the Huai River in Xiayi used to be quite prosperous. Moreover, it borders Huainan East Road, so while it wasn't exactly bustling with people, it was never really deserted.

However, after something happened later, the area around the Huai River gradually became deserted. I heard…”

The waiter looked around, then beckoned to Wang Zhenhuan. Wang Zhenhuan leaned closer and heard the waiter whisper, "I heard there's a river god on the Huai River!"

"The River God? That's a good thing! Why is the area gradually becoming deserted?"

Wang Zhen was taken aback and subconsciously asked. Master Xuan Yangzi had previously told him that river gods and mountain gods were generally earth immortals appointed by the Heavenly Court. Although their official positions were lowly, they were still registered deities.

"At first, everyone around thought it was a good thing, until a month ago. The river god suddenly visited Chen Shanren's family, saying that he wanted to marry his daughter and asked him to prepare the dowry," the waiter said mysteriously.

"How could a deity marry a mortal? Besides, this river god is an earth immortal, without a physical body. Even if he married a wife, it wouldn't make a difference, would it?" Wang Zhen asked doubtfully.

"Who says otherwise! But young Taoist, you said the River God has no physical form? But I heard that he personally came to Chen Shan's house to propose marriage that very night. All the servants in Chen Shan's house saw it." The waiter asked doubtfully.

"What does the river god look like? Do you know?" Wang Huanzhen pressed. He had a vague, albeit immature, guess in his mind: this river god had only appeared near the Huai River a month ago.

Just a month earlier, the Jurchens had marched south and besieged Tokyo!

It is said that the more turbulent and precarious a country is, the more likely it is to breed demons and monsters. Therefore, Wang Zhen really suspects that the so-called river god of the Huai River is very likely a water monster that has achieved enlightenment in the Huai River.

Why do we say that cultivation has been successful? Because the process of cultivation for beings of other species is different from that for humans. Beings of other species are born with incomplete seven orifices. If they want to cultivate, they must first complete all seven orifices and transform into human form before they can continue their cultivation.

For a being of a different kind to transform into a human, it must undergo a transformation tribulation. Therefore, Wang Zhenhuan continued to press, "May I ask, young man, what did the servants in Chen Shan's household see the river god as?"

The waiter looked up and thought for a moment, then said with some uncertainty, "Hiss, I heard from people around here that it looks similar to a human, but is ugly."

The river god was said to have eyes the size of mung beans, a height of no more than five feet, a hunched back, and the appearance of an old man. His forehead was raised and covered with a large scab. From a distance, he was quite frightening.

Wang Zhenhuan, having heard the waiter's detailed account, believed most of it. He reasoned that such a detailed description was impossible without firsthand experience. However, rumors should only be taken with a grain of salt.

So Wang Zhenhuan asked to confirm, "Did you hear this from the servants at Chen Shan's house, young man?"

"Oh, no, that's what everyone around is saying. It spread like wildfire. Everyone knew about it after that." The waiter shook his head when he heard Wang Zhenhuan's question.

"Well, what happened next? Why is the Huai River haunted?" Wang Zhenhuan pressed.

"Alas, it's strange, but Chen, the benevolent man, did good deeds and accumulated virtue throughout his life, yet he had no children when he was young. It wasn't until his later years, when he took a concubine, that he had this one daughter."

This kind-hearted man, Chen, had a daughter late in life, whom he doted on. His daughter, seeing the river god's ugly appearance, naturally didn't want him to come. But to her surprise, Chen, who had always doted on her, didn't grant her wish this time.

"They insisted on marrying her off to the river god, and even had someone set a date the very next day to begin preparations for the marriage." The waiter sighed and shook his head.

Wang Huanzhen took out a teacup, poured him a cup of tea, and then continued to ask, "His daughter has been spoiled since childhood. Since she is unwilling, why doesn't she find a way to escape?"

"She ran away, who said she didn't? But I heard that every time she ran out of Xiayi territory, she would faint, and when she woke up the next day, she would appear in her room. She ran away like this several times."

The young lady then fell into despair. She locked herself in her room and refused to see anyone. Days passed like this, and the kind-hearted man Chen assumed his daughter had given up hope, so he stopped trying to persuade her.

It wasn't until later, on the eve of their wedding, that the servants in Chen Shan's house brought food to the young lady.

They found her hanged in her room!