Chapter 7: Rules

Chen Yetian retreated to the door of Bai Ranhe’s car, holding a “Wind Summoning Talisman” between his fingers. With a forceful flick, he cast the talisman into the sky and shouted, “Let the wind rise!”

He hoped to use a gale to blow away the monstrous fish.

But to everyone’s surprise, there was not the slightest sign of wind at the entrance to Huanghe Village. The monstrous fish that had emerged from the coffin seemed able to suppress the power of Chen Yetian’s talisman.

Chen Yetian was left extremely embarrassed, rooted to the spot and at a loss for what to do.

At that moment, several of the monstrous fish were about to bite through the car door and wriggle their way into Bai Ranhe’s vehicle.

“Brother Xizi, please save them,” a clear, ringing voice sounded in my ear amidst the shrieks. I turned and saw Pilin’er, the kind-hearted girl, looking at me with compassion in her eyes.

Gazing at the bedraggled crowd outside the village, I too felt a pang of sympathy. After all, these people were just out here working to make a living. Their actions might have been questionable, but they were only trying to survive.

Without further hesitation, I took the gourd of Yellow River water from my waist and began to sing the ancient, resonant ballad of the Yellow River.

The Yellow River’s waters come from the heavens above; spirits, mortals, serpents, and gods all must yield. A single ladle of celestial water opens the path; the Dragon King descends to cleanse the world.

As the last note faded, I pulled the stopper from the gourd and flung the Yellow River water into the air.

In that instant, the sky darkened, and the distant roar of the Yellow River could be heard rolling across the land.

A moment later, a torrential yellow rain poured down from the heavens.

The downpour battered the monstrous fish, and their earlier ferocity vanished. They shut their mouths and leapt helplessly in the pooling water.

As the rain intensified, the water on the ground gathered into a small stream, forcing the monstrous fish into the current, which swept them toward the Yellow River.

In no time, the fish—along with the shattered coffin of Pi Sansha—were all carried away by the rain, swept three or four miles into the Yellow River.

Peace returned once more.

Only then did I let out a long sigh of relief. Bai Ranhe and his companions stared at me in stunned silence. The villagers behind me gazed at me in disbelief, and some of the elderly were nearly moved to kneel.

This is bad!

Seeing their reactions, I realized at once that things had taken a wrong turn. Years ago, before my grandfather boarded the “Prosperity,” he had warned me never to let outsiders know I had inherited his true skills. Now, the villagers’ eyes on me were the same as when they looked upon my grandfather—the Dragon King of the Yellow River.

How was I going to explain this? My mind raced.

“Young man, thank you for your help just now. May I ask your name? I, Bai, would like to make your acquaintance.” As my thoughts whirled, Bai Ranhe stepped out of his battered luxury car and approached me with a courteous, eager smile.

He truly had the instincts of a businessman; the moment he saw I possessed some skill, he tried to curry favor. I wondered how he would react when he learned I was Pi Yangxi.

“Uncle Bai, I am the grandson of the Dragon King of the Yellow River—the one you’re looking for, Pi Yangxi.” I looked calmly at my future father-in-law.

The smile on Bai Ranhe’s face froze instantly; for a moment, he was at a complete loss for words. The scene was painfully awkward.

“Uncle Bai, is something wrong?” I broke the silence myself.

But Bai Ranhe was a seasoned businessman. He quickly recovered from his shock and asked tentatively, “Yangxi, did your grandfather teach you any arts? Was it you who drove away those monsters just now?”

My grandfather’s admonition had always been firmly in my mind; of course, I couldn’t admit it, but I couldn’t think of a good excuse for what had just happened.

“Hmph, it was clearly my ‘Wind Summoning Talisman’ that took effect a little late. This boy just happened to get lucky, that’s all.” Whether from overconfidence or disdain for me, Chen Yetian’s words inadvertently came to my rescue.

Bai Ranhe looked at me, half-believing.

I followed his lead: “Uncle Bai, that’s right—Mr. Chen’s Wind Summoning Talisman just hadn’t been practiced enough, so the wind and rain arrived a bit late.”

Chen Yetian’s face darkened with annoyance at my words.

“So that’s how it was…” Behind me, the villagers of Pi Family Village sounded disappointed; they had clearly hoped I possessed some real skills.

Now that Bai Ranhe knew I was alive, the ease on his face was gone, and his brow furrowed as he asked, “Yangxi, before your grandfather left, did he pass anything down to you?”

I knew what he meant: if my grandfather had taught me his skills, he could accept me marrying into the Bai family.

Before I could answer, Chen Yetian interjected, “Mr. Bai, don’t get your hopes up. Don’t you know the rule among the River Guardians?”