Qi Yuan seemed oblivious to the mockery hidden deep in their eyes.
"Lead the way. I need to study how to hold a wedding with true grandeur."
Hearing this, the dark-skinned man pegged Qi Yuan as nothing more than an ignorant, wealthy fool from the county town.
"Whose wedding pomp could ever compare to our Sea God's? Our Sea God is an omnipotent deity whose might bridges heaven and earth!"
Speaking of the Sea God's greatness, the dark-skinned man puffed out his chest with pride.
"How many wives has the Sea God taken?" Qi Yuan asked casually. "I'm here to pick up some tips."
"Well..." The dark-skinned man frowned. "I've lost count. The Sea God arrived three years ago and demands a young maiden every two months. I don't know why, but he just took one last month, and now he wants another this month. *Sigh*."
Bringing this up made him ache inside. He was already thirty years old and still hadn't managed to find a wife. Even his old flame from the brothel had been tricked by him into coming here and getting married off to the Sea God.
"Three years, you say?" Qi Yuan mused. "Is the Sea God connected to the Water Clan in the county town? Who's stronger?"
The boss of the demon race in the county town was Boss Kun of the Water Clan. Here, there was a Sea God. The two were bound to have some sort of connection.
"Not at all." The dark-skinned man shook his head, then puffed his chest out even further. "Half a year ago, Boss Kun from the county town came all the way to our Haishi Village, begging for an audience with our Sea God."
This statement made it plain that the Sea God's status was by no means inferior to Boss Kun's—it was likely even higher.
"So that's how it is."
Many thoughts crossed Qi Yuan's mind. In that case, this Sea God was definitely a great demon of the Jade-Blood Realm.
At present, all the demons of Yunyan County were gathered at three strongholds. Eldest Master Huang and the snake woman held two out in the open, summoning demons from all walks of life. As a result, the locations of those strongholds had been exposed to Qi Yuan's sight, and he had slaughtered every last demon in them.
Only Boss Kun's stronghold remained a complete mystery to Qi Yuan.
Logically speaking, every notable demon in Yunyan County should have headed to the three strongholds. A Jade-Blood Realm great demon like the Sea God ought to have joined Boss Kun to discuss the matter of the Spirit Blood Child. Yet the Sea God went his own way, continuing to take wives here as if nothing else mattered.
Now this was interesting.
Why not make a bold guess? Could Boss Kun be the Sea God's wife? Boss Kun had disappeared without telling the Sea God, so the Sea God grew jealous and angrily took two wives in a row. It was totally reasonable—far more reliable than unofficial histories.
Qi Yuan gazed deeper into Haishi Village, his interest growing keener.
Following behind the dark-skinned man, Qi Yuan entered Haishi Village.
Most of the villagers were young, able-bodied men wearing coarse hemp clothes, their chests bared. Young women were exceedingly rare. The moment he stepped into the village, a pungent, fishy stench assaulted his nose. Woven bamboo trays filled with drying fish were laid out across the roofs of low, thatched huts, and salted fish hung beneath the eaves of several dwellings. In the corners, scraps of red paper seemed to have been washed against the bases of walls by the rain. A celebratory atmosphere hung over the dreary fishing village.
Just then, the sound of an argument drifted over from not far away.
"You might be from the yamen, but here in Haishi Village, the Sea God comes first, and the yamen only comes second at best! If you want to see the Sea God, fat chance!"
"Hmph, what bloody law? Isn't the law just a rope your yamen uses to leash the necks of us common folk?"
"Can the county magistrate fill our bellies? Can that old geezer of an emperor keep us safe while fishing? If they can't, then the Sea God is supreme!"
Facing several constables, the village chief's beard trembled with indignation. Even before officers of the law, he did not hold back in the slightest.
Over the past three years, Haishi Village had grown increasingly powerful. It boasted over a thousand able-bodied men and several hundred fishing boats of various sizes. If Haishi Village had once relied on the authorities to win fights against neighboring villages, it now held no regard for the government whatsoever. The fishermen here could be fishermen, or they could be pirates. Moreover, with the Sea God backing them, they feared nothing from the yamen.
Holding the leash of the trail-tracking hound, An Qiao frowned deeply at the village chief's words. "Aren't the maidens married off to the Sea God completely innocent?"
Having grown up in modern society, she had witnessed many such atrocities, but she still could not accept or condone them.
The old village chief looked at An Qiao with utter contempt. "Trading a few girls for a year of bumper harvests is a very profitable deal. After all, people are either beasts of burden for the government and yamen, or servants to the Sea God. Since you have to be one either way, why not choose the one where you can actually see the benefits?"
In the old chief's eyes, weren't people just resources? As long as something was a resource, it could be bought, sold, and traded.
The other villagers cast hostile glances at An Qiao and the constables beside her, clearly in full agreement with their chief. In the past, they had worked from dawn till dusk fishing, only for over seventy percent of their catch to be surrendered to the imperial court and government, all while enduring the extortion of petty clerks. Back then, they had to bow and scrape whenever they saw anyone wearing an official uniform. Life had been utterly hopeless. How could it compare to today, where they ate well, drank hearty wine, and could point at the noses of constables to curse them?
An Qiao was furious, mostly because she felt the chief's words held a twisted grain of truth. "If you were swapped with one of those girls married to the Sea God, would you be willing?"
The old chief sneered. "Young lady, you must come from a fine family to ask such an infantile question at your age. They're the ones marrying the Sea God, not me. If I were in their shoes, of course I wouldn't be willing, but... I'm not. Why don't you go ask that old geezer of an emperor whether he'd be willing to work the fields with his face to the yellow earth and his back to the sky, paying exorbitant taxes and levies to an emperor?"
"You..." An Qiao was so enraged that she went to draw her blade, but the man in black martial attire beside her held her back.
"If you're here in good faith to observe the ceremony, you're naturally welcome," the chief said. "If you intend to cause trouble, heheh... don't expect to leave Haishi Village alive. In this village, the Sea God is the emperor, and this old man is the crown prince!"
Nearing seventy years of age, the old village chief spoke with unyielding, overbearing arrogance.
Just then, a voice laced with mild surprise drifted over.
"There's actually a seventy-year-old crown prince in this world?"
Qi Yuan walked up, staring at the village chief in astonishment.
"After being the crown prince for so many years, are you truly resigned to it? Are you like those characters in TV shows, harboring resentment and wishing every day for the emperor to drop dead? Oh, and these young, strapping lads around you must be the death-sworn soldiers you've secretly trained!"
Qi Yuan looked at the old chief, his eyes widening dramatically.
"Good heavens! I perceive an overwhelming aura of blood soaring into the sky here—a clash of arms is imminent, and the Imperial Star has grown dim! Don't tell me you, the crown prince, full of bitter grievance and backed by concealed death-sworn warriors, are planning to assassinate the Sea God during the emperor's grand wedding today?!"
Qi Yuan spoke at breakneck speed, like a rattling machine gun. Paired with his wildly exaggerated performance, he instantly brought the tension to a peak.
The old village chief's face shifted through several shades. "I am not! Don't spout nonsense! I am utterly devoted to the Sea God!"
"Ah, no wonder I had a dream yesterday!" Qi Yuan sighed. "I dreamed of a white snake speaking in human tongue, and it said: 'Haishi shall prosper; the village chief shall be king!' At first, I didn't understand what it meant. Only upon arriving here did I find the answer. Chief, you're truly a ruthless character!"
At Qi Yuan's words, the young, burly men around the chief instinctively took a step back from him.
The chief's head was buzzing. To be honest, hearing Qi Yuan's speech had inexplicably stirred his blood, making him want to raise his arms in a rallying cry and actually become king. But he quickly regained his senses. He had no son; if he became emperor, who would inherit the throne? Wouldn't that just hand the spoils to someone else?
Realizing this, he glared at Qi Yuan. "Who are you to spread such seditious nonsense here?!"
"I am the... Blood Extractor of the Myriad Realms," Qi Yuan answered solemnly.
He had come here precisely to harvest the Sea God's blood.
The chief was utterly bewildered, unable to make head or tail of Qi Yuan's words. His head was still pounding, his temper flaring. He spat unkindly, "Just a madman."
At this moment, An Qiao looked at Qi Yuan, a hint of amusement in her eyes. "Brother Qi, how did you end up here?"
She had called him a newcomer before, but now addressed him as Brother Qi. Qi Yuan couldn't help but sigh inwardly: *Hah, women.*
"My child bride is getting married today. I came to attend the wedding," Qi Yuan answered in all seriousness.
"???" An Qiao was thoroughly baffled.
The chief's expression darkened as he looked at Qi Yuan. Could it be that the girl they had seized down below was this madman's child bride? He glared at Qi Yuan, his tone dripping with menace. "If anyone dares ruin Lord Sea God's wedding today, don't even think about leaving this village alive!"
These people were government officials, so he couldn't completely tear away all pretense of civility just yet. Having delivered his threat, the chief led the villagers away.
Watching the chief's retreating back, Qi Yuan shouted loudly, "Don't misunderstand! My child bride and I settled our accounts long ago! Even if I were to snatch a bride, I wouldn't snatch her! The Sea God... is my true white moonlight!"
However, the chief and his men were already too far away to hear.
An Qiao now agreed with the chief's assessment: this Qi Yuan might genuinely be a little unhinged.
"Brother Qi, remember that madman from yesterday? We tracked him here. Our team captain is currently lying in wait in secret, while the two of us came into Haishi Village out in the open to scout the situation and look for clues." An Qiao explained their reason for being here.
Hearing this, Qi Yuan nodded. "Do as you please. Just don't get in the way of my bride-snatching."
"Huh?" An Qiao's expression grew solemn. "Brother Qi, this Sea God... is suspected to be a great demon of the Jade-Blood Realm. If you steal his bride, he definitely won't take it lying down."
"Who said I'm stealing his bride?" Qi Yuan replied nonchalantly. "Don't worry, I know my limits. Let's go observe the ceremony first. I want to learn a thing or two and see... how a wedding is done."
During his first wedding, he had fallen asleep and had no recollection of it whatsoever, stumbling into the bridal chamber in a haze. This time, he had to watch carefully.
An Qiao was rendered speechless. She badly wanted to remind him that the mission took priority. But remembering Qi Yuan's terrifying strength and erratic behavior, she kept her mouth shut for fear of being beaten to death.
Over the next while, the three people and one dog took a stroll around the village.
Amidst the clanging of gongs and beating of drums, the Sea God's wedding officially began. A long, grand procession wound its way forward, carrying a bridal sedan chair while banging drums and gongs. Watching the spectacle, An Qiao had mixed feelings. "Putting everything else aside, these ancient weddings are quite interesting."
Even without a ten-li dowry, towering horses, or phoenix coronets and embroidered robes, it possessed a unique charm.
Qi Yuan shook his head in disappointment. "The formation isn't even as grand as my musical troupe. It can't even compare to my mourning band."
"Huh?" An Qiao blinked. "What musical troupe? What mourning band? Where are they?"
She suspected Qi Yuan was talking nonsense again.
"They are... in my heart." Qi Yuan's gaze grew slightly somber.
Those villagers from the Mortal Heart Realm had all become his Divine Infant, an inseparable part of him. At present, he lacked the power to awaken them. Thinking of this, he could not help but recall the starlet Wu Qi.
An Qiao fell silent, realizing it was impossible to communicate with Qi Yuan normally.
By now, the village procession had reached the sandy shore. Eight villagers carried the grand sedan chair, their faces alight with joy. The village chief stood on a raised platform, burning incense, bowing toward the sea, and kowtowing with utmost reverence.
"Great Sea God, omnipotent Sea God, please bestow upon our Haishi Village a season of bountiful harvests and peace!"
At the chief's words, every villager present turned toward the ocean and dropped to their knees in unison, prostrating themselves with devout piety. The only ones left standing were the spectators and the villagers bearing the eight-man sedan chair.
The men carrying the sedan chair stepped forward, trudging across the sand and wading into the ocean.
Watching this scene unfold, An Qiao felt a pang of pity. Another innocent soul was about to die a gruesome death.
Beside her, Qi Yuan perked up his ears, looking puzzled. "Why hasn't the master of ceremonies asked if anyone objects yet? If he doesn't ask, how am I supposed to object and snatch the bride?"
That was how it always worked in movies. The moment the officiant asked if anyone had any objections, the camera would zoom in on the bride or groom, and the interruption would begin. Qi Yuan also believed that was the optimal timing; otherwise, television shows wouldn't depict it that way. Qi Yuan had always been a law-abiding citizen who strictly followed the rules. After all, if it was broadcast on TV, it couldn't possibly be illegal. If it were, it would never have passed censorship.
"There... doesn't seem to be a master of ceremonies here," An Qiao muttered, thoroughly reluctant to engage with him.
"What? No officiant? Then how am I supposed to object?" Qi Yuan was dumbfounded. He stood frozen in place, countless thoughts swirling through his mind.
Just then, An Qiao turned her gaze toward the sea.
A wave suddenly surged in the depths of the ocean, rising with world-shaking momentum until it stood dozens of meters tall, as massive as a multistory building. The roar of the waves rose and fell in crashing crescendos, driving the kneeling villagers to press their foreheads even lower against the ground. Whatever stray ambitions Qi Yuan had stirred in the chief's heart were completely obliterated in the face of such natural majesty.
An Qiao's expression turned grim. "It really is the Jade-Blood Realm. I wouldn't even be able to withstand this single wave. That... poor girl is doomed."
The Sea God had not even shown his face, yet the mere display of welcoming his bride was enough to leave everyone trembling in awe.
Qi Yuan remained thoroughly unimpressed. "The scale is fairly mediocre, and the special effects are pretty subpar."
An Qiao and the man in black martial attire automatically tuned out his remarks.
Qi Yuan fixed his gaze on the horizon. With a Qi Refinement technique channeling power into his eyes, his vision sharpened, allowing him to see much farther. Yet across the vast expanse of the ocean, he still caught no glimpse of the Sea God's true form.
Right then, the trail-tracking hound suddenly twitched its nose and sniffed the air. "Huh? This scent... it's very familiar, very close to the Water Clan. Wait, no..."
The trail-tracking hound whipped its head toward Qi Yuan, its face filled with sheer terror.
"It's the exact same scent as the one on you!"
"You are the Sea God!"
"What?!" An Qiao gasped in shock.
The man in black martial attire was equally stunned.
Qi Yuan was the Sea God?
An Qiao suddenly remembered that Qi Yuan had never once claimed to be the same kind of person as them. Besides, how could a newcomer possibly possess such terrifying strength? Could it be that the Sea God had devoured the newcomer and disguised himself as Qi Yuan?
Chapter 320