Chapter Twenty-Nine: The River God

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Jiang Heng said, “We arrived not long ago. My elder brother is a traveling merchant, and I’ve followed him everywhere since I was little.”

Hearing that she was a newcomer from elsewhere, the woman paused, then only made some idle remarks.

The others nearby fell silent as well, no longer mentioning the river water.

As Jiang Heng beat the clothes against the washing stone, she sighed repeatedly. “Business is truly difficult these days. My brother had boxes of hair oil and rouge, all of the finest quality, yet even at half price we couldn’t sell them along the way. They’re all stuck in our hands now.”

At those words, several women’s eyes lit up.

“Half price? How much is your brother selling them for?”

Jiang Heng had already discussed the matter with Han Jie. With deliberate calm, she named a price these women could not possibly refuse.

Then, timing it perfectly, she took out several samples for them to see.

These were all exquisite, fragrant products commonly used by women. One glance and one sniff were enough to tell that they were of exceptional quality, and the women from the surrounding area stared at them, utterly transfixed.

Their earlier wariness and indifference vanished. They crowded eagerly around Jiang Heng, and some even wanted to buy all the samples on the spot.

“Little sister, save these few for me. I’ll go home and get the money right away!”

“Hey, don’t be so greedy! You want them all? We want some too!”

Jiang Heng soothed them. “Don’t rush, don’t rush. My brother has plenty more things like these in his boxes. I’ll bring them over for you once I get back.”

“Go on, girl. Bring as many as you have. Leave your basin and washing stick here—we’ll watch them for you. Nothing will go missing!”

Jiang Heng returned to the inn, took out the large fur bag Han Jie had given her from her storage pouch, and hurried back to the river that ran through the city.

All these things were real, not conjured by magic. Han Jie was practically a wishing tree, possessing almost anything one could ask for.

Magic was convenient, but it could easily alert the demon cultivator and ruin their plans. There was no need to take that risk.

After the women divided up and bought all the fine goods Jiang Heng had brought, each of them felt she had gotten an extraordinary bargain. They also realized that there would be more bargains to be had in the future, and became exceedingly warm toward Jiang Heng.

The hair oil and rouge brought them closer together. When they heard Jiang Heng say that she and her brother planned to settle in Changfeng Commandery for at least part of the year, they no longer treated her as an outsider.

“Your brother is a clever man. People in other places can barely afford to eat these days—where would they get spare money for things like this? Anyone doing business ought to come to our Changfeng Commandery.”

“Exactly. Grain will only grow more expensive over the next few years, while the people here will become richer and richer.”

They exchanged glances and smiled with perfect understanding.

Jiang Heng put on an appropriately envious expression. “Does your land have a dragon vein? With such favorable weather, there must be a Dragon God blessing you.”

At that, everyone laughed even harder.

“You silly girl. What Dragon God? It’s the River God who blesses us.”

Jiang Heng was startled. “The River God?”

“That’s right. We worship the River God once every month, and in return, Lord River God sends us rain. Not only does the river rise, but the water in the wells increases too. We never need to worry about having enough water.”

Jiang Heng formed a vague suspicion in her mind, but continued probing without revealing anything. “That’s wonderful. A River God so powerful must require quite a number of pigs and sheep for the sacrifices, right?”

The women’s gazes flickered, and they followed her lead with broad smiles.

“Yes, but no matter how many we offer, it’s worth it. As long as the River God keeps sending rain, how many pigs and sheep could we possibly fail to afford?”

By then, Jiang Heng was certain that these people knew something, but were concealing it from her in unison.

Since they knew, things would be easier.

After washing the clothes, Jiang Heng turned to the woman who had lent her the soapberry and said, “Sister, could you accompany me back to the inn? I sold so many things today, and the copper coins are too heavy for me to carry alone. I’m afraid to go back by myself.”

As she spoke, she lowered her voice and gave the woman a meaningful look. “There are still some things in my brother’s boxes.”

The woman’s eyes immediately lit up, and she agreed readily.

Once they reached the inn and entered the room, the woman was so eager to ask where the goods were that she had barely opened her mouth before everything went black and she collapsed unconscious.

Han Jie arrived after receiving Jiang Heng’s telepathic summons. He set up a barrier around the room and began extracting the woman’s memories and spiritual consciousness.

Jiang Heng knew how to use this method as well, but she was not sufficiently practiced. If anything went wrong and alerted the demon cultivator, it would only make matters worse, so she left it to Han Jie.

After the time it took to finish a cup of tea, Han Jie withdrew his technique, his expression thoughtful.

“How is it?” Jiang Heng asked.

Han Jie shook his head. “This demon cultivator is very cunning. Whether it’s the people at the teahouse on my side or this woman you brought back, all they know are fragments—pieces with the beginning or the end cut away. What they know is true, but incomplete.”

Jiang Heng thought for a moment. “Then why don’t we capture more people and examine their memories? With enough subjects, even incomplete fragments should allow us to piece together the general picture.”

“There isn’t enough time,” Han Jie said. “The mission lasts only three months. We can’t conduct memory examinations openly and on a large scale. If we proceed one person at a time, we may still be at it next year.”

“Why not simply take a gamble? For an entire city to work together so closely to conceal and cover up the truth, the person behind it must hold a high position and considerable prestige.”

Jiang Heng understood. “You mean we should go straight to the commandery governor’s residence and investigate?”

Han Jie nodded.

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Jiang Heng knitted her brows slightly. “Then we’ll have to leave the city, change our identities, and enter again. As traveling merchant siblings running a small business, we probably won’t even get near the commandery governor’s residence.”

Han Jie’s gaze fell upon her face.

His look made her somewhat uneasy. “What is it?”

Han Jie smiled. “There’s no need to go to so much trouble. Just clean yourself up and change into a neater set of clothes.”

Jiang Heng was puzzled, but did as he said. She used a cleansing spell to sweep away the dust and grime on her body, then instantly changed into the pale-colored dress in her bundle.

Han Jie had Jiang Heng sit down, then personally combed her hair and applied her makeup.

The familiar sensation brought Jiang Heng back to a scene from her childhood, when her First Senior Brother had tidied and dressed her.

“Little kitten, why are you covered in dust again? Did you spar with your Fourth Senior Brother once more?”

Shen Yanchu washed Jiang Heng’s face as he asked the question with a smile.

Jiang Heng lifted her head proudly. “I did. And I won!”

Shen Yanchu’s eyes were filled with affection. “As long as you won, that’s all that matters. Our little junior sister is the most formidable of all.”

Jiang Heng was just beginning to swell with pride when she suddenly remembered how others described Shen Yanchu and grew a little uncertain. “Am I really the most formidable? Would First Senior Brother say something different to Fourth Senior Brother?”

Everyone said that First Senior Brother was gentle and could not bear to hurt anyone, so sometimes he did not mean what he said.

Shen Yanchu froze, and the movement of his hands stopped as well.

The atmosphere shifted slightly. Jiang Heng asked anxiously, “First Senior Brother, did I say something wrong?”

Shen Yanchu came back to himself and smiled as he rubbed her cheek. “Of course not. In my heart, you are the best. No one could ever compare with you.”

Her eyes glittered with countless tiny stars. “Mm!”

…

“All done. Little sister, what do you think of your brother’s handiwork?”

Han Jie’s voice drew Jiang Heng back from her memories.

She looked at her reflection in the bronze mirror, froze for a moment, and almost failed to recognize herself.

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