[To Become a River of Stars] Dong Xiange - Chapter 43

Later, Mianniang, completely unaware, approached the injured and imprisoned Shuisheng.

He was initially filled with hatred. This little girl knew nothing, yet why should the daughter of the magistrate—who colluded with the evil Taoist—live a life of luxury and comfort?

His sister, who had done nothing wrong and shared their rice with the villagers out of pure kindness, now had her soul disturbed, her bones forged into a sword, used after death to strike at her own brother.

So, he allowed Mianniang to grow close, waiting for the right moment to escape.

He played his part well—except for one time. When Mianniang innocently mentioned selecting children to serve the River God, he could no longer contain his rage.

River God?

Him, who swallowed the pearl and became a dragon, was forced to battle the water monster, only for his sister to die in the floods that he inadvertently caused?

Or the Huashe, now taking advantage of his imprisonment to stir up trouble, exploited by the evil Taoist to demand human sacrifices?

What River God?!

He hated those two words.

Mianniang was frightened away by his outburst, but she couldn’t resist coming back to him. He patiently coaxed her, making the little girl utterly obedient.

Until last night. Somehow, Mianniang learned that he was also one of the “children” chosen for the river sacrifice. She stole the key from her father to set him free.

He looked at Mianniang’s innocent, anxious face as she urged him to flee. She said she’d overheard the nannies—none of the children who served the River God ever returned. She didn’t want to never see him again, so he must escape and come back for her when he grew up.

Then she gave him a pearl, saying it was the longevity pearl her father had given her. Now she was giving it to him so he would live a long life, and they could use it to recognize each other in the future.

And it was his pearl! Shuisheng couldn’t understand how it had ended up with Mianniang, but with a chance to reclaim it, he wouldn’t let it go. He still needed to find his sister’s soul and take revenge.

He could have just left then. But when he looked down at the bloodstains on his clothes, he was, for some reason, possessed by a twisted idea. He coaxed Mianniang, saying that if he were discovered missing, they wouldn’t rest until they found him. He asked her to disguise herself as him to buy time so he could escape farther.

Having regained his power, he touched Mianniang’s forehead, transforming her appearance into his own.

With that done, he was ready to leave. But before going, he glanced back at Mianniang, sitting obediently in the dilapidated straw. Seeing him look back, she raised her tiny hand in farewell.

He hurried back and said urgently, “I’ve made you look like me. You must be good, don’t say a word, don’t let anyone discover you. But if you’re in danger, just speak, and the illusion will break. You’ll return to yourself. Remember?”

He spoke frantically. Mianniang nodded, only half-understanding. He repeated it once more in a low voice, then hardened his heart and left.

He had only intended to make the corrupt magistrate taste the agony of nearly drowning his own beloved daughter. He had told Mianniang—just speak, and her true form would be revealed.

So why hadn’t she spoken? Why had it come to this?

He never meant to harm Mianniang. This pretty little girl was about the same age his sister was when she died, and she loved sugar cakes just like his sister did. If his sister had lived, she might have been just as lovely and cherished.

He didn’t want Mianniang to die.

By the end, the dragon’s voice had softened, and the turbulent waves around him calmed slightly.

The man holding Mianniang—the magistrate who had conspired with the evil Taoist—kowtowed, his head touching the ground, overwhelmed with agony. “Mianniang’s mother died in childbirth. Mianniang was born weak and has had many close calls over the years. I’ve always feared she wouldn’t live long. This Taoist said he could save her. I didn’t believe him at first, but then once when Mianniang fell critically ill and nearly died, he brought this pearl, and she recovered.”

“Later, when the floods came, he said we must sacrifice to the River God. He also said he’d found someone whose fate was intertwined with Mianniang’s. If we exchanged their fates during the sacrifice, Mianniang could live a long and healthy life.”

“It was me! I listened to this evil Taoist’s sorcery! She’s only six years old, and now I’ve killed her with my own hands!”

By the end, the man was weeping tears of blood, a terrifying and heartbreaking sight.

Shiliu was somewhat dazed by the heavy tale, her emotions swinging between anger and sorrow. But when she turned to Li Xuanci, she found him completely unmoved, thoughtfully observing the grey-robed Taoist.

“Did you notice something?” she whispered.

Li Xuanci ignored her and addressed the Taoist directly. “Why did you wait six years? And why must you use ordinary people to do these things?”

Shiliu blinked, suddenly snapping back to attention.

He was right. Why had the Taoist waited six years after obtaining the sister’s remains and soul? If he had the power to force Shuisheng to surrender his pearl and even exploit the Huashe’s havoc, why rely on a mortal magistrate?

She felt Li Xuanci’s gaze on her, carrying a subtle depth, and only then did she vaguely realize—there must be some mystical trickery involved, which was why Li Xuanci expected her to figure out the key.

Shiliu closed her eyes, rapidly running through all the clues in her mind: the pearl, the floods, the children, the symbolic grave, the raw seeds, the infant ghosts, the ritual array, the refining of the pearl, the mortals, the River God.

Got it!

When Shiliu opened her eyes again, a light sparked within them.

“He’s using mortal hands to kill a divine being, shifting the karmic burden onto someone else!”

Shiliu declared clearly. Everyone reacted differently—some confused, some guilty—but only Li Xuanci gave a faint smile.

Shiliu continued, “Six years ago, Shuisheng was just an ordinary child. Killing him wouldn’t have mattered. But after he swallowed the pearl, he became the guardian of this land. Though not officially deified, he’s akin to an earth immortal. Killing a dragon to take its pearl would invoke heavenly retribution.”

“So, he exploited the floods caused by the Huashe and used Mianniang’s illness to lure the magistrate into agreeing to the river sacrifice. Ostensibly, it’s to appease the river god, but in reality, it’s to activate the ritual array!”

“Probably, the pearl recognizes its master. So, you set up this array for two reasons: first, to kill the original owner so the pearl would accept a new master; second, to shift the sin of deicide onto the magistrate. Two birds with one stone.”

“Four children suppress the four directions, their resentment transformed into infant ghosts. The dragon, at the center of the array, dies within it, and his soul will be trapped for millennia, unable to reincarnate or seek justice in heaven or earth.”

“That’s why you gave the pearl to Mianniang—both to deceive the magistrate and to make it seem like he harmed children and killed the river god for his daughter’s sake. When heavenly retribution comes, it will fall on him!”

“As for Mianniang, she only improved because of the pearl’s power. Last night, you took the pearl away. Trapped in the woodshed and already weak, she fell unconscious by morning. Only when she hit her head and cried out just now did your illusion break. Now, it’s uncertain whether she can survive.”

After hearing Shiliu’s words, the magistrate, holding the barely breathing Mianniang, let out a despairing roar to the sky, like a beast mourning its dead young—desolate and sorrowful. The giant dragon lowered its head, a glimmer of light flickering in its fearsome bronze eyes.

Only the grey-robed Taoist showed no fear. With the truth exposed, he became even more brazen, shouting defiantly.

“So what? Don’t forget, your sister’s soul is still in my hands. If you want her to reincarnate, not only can you not kill me, but you can’t let these people kill me either. Otherwise, even in death, I’ll drag your sister down with me. You abandoned her once—will you abandon her again?”

This enraged the dragon. Its sharp green scales bristled, and its massive tail struck the water in fury, yet it could not harm the Taoist in the slightest.

Shiliu grew anxious. The dragon, being quasi-divine, was immensely powerful. If it truly decided to protect the Taoist, it would be difficult to handle. Even if Li Xuanci, with his innate destiny, could kill the Taoist, it would still incur the sin of deicide.

If it were only him, it might not matter, but their fates were bound together—that simply wouldn’t do!

Li Xuanci watched Shiliu, who was as agitated as an ant on a hot pan, and inwardly scoffed. One moment, she played the wise master who had unraveled the mystery; the next, she reverted to this panicked state. This person was becoming increasingly easy to read.

He gave Shiliu a push. Caught off guard, she nearly stumbled. Before she could turn and glare at him indignantly, Li Xuanci preempted her. “Go check on Mianniang.”

Shiliu was puzzled, but he gave her a meaningful look and added, “Check carefully.”

Something flashed through Shiliu’s mind, but it slipped away too quickly. She could only numbly go examine Mianniang.

Accustomed to obeying her master and senior brothers, she now followed the orders of Li Xuanci—whom she usually disdained—without protest.

She examined Mianniang meticulously but found nothing unusual. Just as she turned back in confusion to look at Li Xuanci, she met his intense gaze. Swallowing hard, she had no choice but to check again.

If it wasn’t external… Shiliu focused, employing a secret Taoist method.

Suddenly, her eyes widened in astonishment. “This… this is two souls in one body!”

The Taoist’s expression twisted strangely. The magistrate didn’t understand what this meant, but Li Xuanci showed no surprise, merely curling the corner of his lips slightly.

“So, that’s why you were willing to wait six years.” Li Xuanci looked at the Taoist, casually revealing his deepest secret.

“This story isn’t entirely dull, but there were a few inconsistencies. If written as a play, it wouldn’t fool anyone with even a bit of brains.” He spoke of such cruel suffering with utter flippancy, and as he finished, he glanced pointedly at Shiliu.

Clearly, in Li Xuanci’s view, she did not qualify as one of those “with even a bit of brains.”

Suppressing the urge to hit him, Shiliu’s curiosity overpowered her competitiveness. She stifled her anger and pressed, “Since you’re so smart, explain it then.”

“Six years ago, you transformed into a dragon, and Mianniang was born. The timing is suspicious. This Taoist has some skill and cunning—why wait six years to act? That’s the first point.”

“After going to such lengths to obtain the pearl, why give it to her so easily? Someone like him would never let go once he had it. Such scheming must have a purpose. That’s the second point.”

“If the pearl recognizes its master and can’t be used by the Taoist, why did it work specifically for Mianniang? That’s the third point.”

“Just before the sacrifice, he insisted on bringing the corpse back to Mianniang quickly. If it were truly a fate exchange, that would make sense. But if the exchange is fake, why take the risk of bringing the corpse back? That’s the fourth point.”

“With these four points, even a fool should guess what’s going on.”

With that, he glanced again at Shiliu—who did not qualify as “having even a bit of brains.” But this time, Shiliu ignored him, too absorbed in her thinking, trying to grasp the clue that had flashed through her mind.

Seeing her look as if her head were about to smoke, Li Xuanci was about to speak when she cut him off.

“The extra soul in Mianniang’s body is your sister’s.” The realization dawned on her.

“Six years ago, this evil Taoist took your sister’s soul and, taking advantage of Mianniang’s mother’s difficult childbirth—the transition between life and death—sealed the soul into Mianniang’s body.”

“Two souls in one body cannot be sustained—it inevitably leads to suffering and disaster. By then, you already knew Shuisheng had become a dragon and couldn’t be easily killed. So, you planted the soul in Mianniang, letting her grow while remaining perpetually on the verge of death. That way, you could exploit a father’s love for his daughter to lure an otherwise diligent magistrate into committing these foolish acts.”

“As for giving Mianniang the pearl, it was both to persuade her father and because the soul of Shuisheng’s kin inside her allowed the pearl to protect Mianniang, while Mianniang helped you nurture the pearl.”

“You probably planned to kill Shuisheng in the array today, then bring his corpse back to Mianniang. By refining his body, the soul inside Mianniang, and the pearl together, you could truly make the pearl yours.”

“So, the array here is for killing the dragon. The real refining array was meant to be set up later near Mianniang. That way, the magistrate bears the sin of deicide and infanticide, while you merely use a leftover corpse and a mortal soul to refine the pearl—keeping the heavenly retribution off your head.”

After speaking, Shiliu herself felt a chill. Such calculation, such deep scheming—lying in wait for years like a snake, all to covet a treasure that was never rightfully his.

Greed can sometimes become the filthiest thing in the world.