Chapter 707: Habaek’s “Bride”
Ling Heng is a young Taoist priest who has just started his career.
He was an orphan at birth and learned Taoism from his master since he was a child. He was very talented and gradually developed a character that hated evil.
This was my first time traveling, and I happened to pass through Yecheng.
As soon as I entered the city, I heard that Yecheng sacrificed innocent girls as brides to He Bo every year.
Suddenly, his sense of justice overflowed. He would not allow such a thing to happen before his eyes, so he privately came up with a plan with the family of the girl who was to be sacrificed this year.
Ling Heng used a small magic to make everyone think that she was the bride of He Bo, and then successfully reached the bottom of the river.
However, he did not expect that he could not find the lustful and lifeless He Bo after searching the entire river bottom. Instead, he saw another girl.
He also thought that Shi Li was also an innocent girl who was abducted to the bottom of the river by He Bo and was his former bride.
Shi Li blinked.
Looking at the young Taoist priest in front of him who was inexperienced in the world, he immediately thought of lying.
She couldn't admit that she was He Bo, otherwise she would be stabbed through the heart by this little Taoist priest who was full of justice.
It just so happened that the young Taoist priest didn't doubt her identity, so this lie was worth telling.
In a flash, Shi Li stared at Ling Heng and said excitedly, "Are you here to save me? He Bo, He Bo ran away."
In fact, there are loopholes in Shi Li's lie.
But no one could have imagined that He Bo, who required Yecheng to sacrifice a bride every year, would be a delicate and weak girl, so Ling Heng believed it.
He thought of Shi Li as the bride who was once held at the bottom of the river by He Bo, and felt sympathy for her.
"I can take you home."
Ling Heng put away his sword and extended a hand to Shi Li.
Beautiful people, beautiful hands.
Shi Li glanced at Ling Heng's slender bamboo-like fingers and felt a moment of panic in her heart.
She could pretend that she was the bride held at the bottom of the river by Habaek.
But once she returns to Yecheng, no one will know her and her fabricated identity will definitely be exposed.
That is absolutely impossible!
"what happened to you?"
Seeing her hesitation, Ling Heng frowned, still looking around vigilantly.
He Bo ran away, but he was still very wary of other things appearing at the bottom of the river.
Shi Li racked her brains and finally came up with a way to cover up the lie.
She moved the story of the first bride sacrificed to Habaek onto herself.
He described himself as a poor little thing who was neglected by his father and mother since childhood.
"If I go back, they will definitely sell me to someone else again."
Shi Li looked at Ling Heng eagerly, "I can't go back..."
Although Ling Heng is not very worldly-wise, he has seen some of the ups and downs of life since arriving in Yecheng.
Looking at Shi Li's pale and pitiful face, he did not doubt her words at all, but felt even more pity for her.
"You...come with me for now."
A young and honest boy who is just starting out is really easy to deceive.
Shi Li sighed secretly.
Fortunately, she had no bad intentions, otherwise this little Taoist priest would have been cheated and would have helped others count money.
In order to make the performance more realistic, Shi Li found a thin, opaque shark veil to cover half of her face, then timidly walked to Ling Heng and let him carry her out from the bottom of the river.
The two men did not stay at the bottom of the river for long, and many civilians who had just presided over the sacrifice and watched the fun had not yet dispersed.
They stood by the river in groups of three or four, chatting about random things.
No one felt sorry for the young girl who fell to the bottom of the river in her prime.
At this moment, Ling Heng pulled Shi Li out of the water.
There was silence for a moment, and then wailing sounds were heard everywhere.
"Ghost!"
"Run, run, run!"
"Help!"
Those with healthy hands and feet can disperse or escape.
The only one left was the blind old woman who was responsible for presiding over the annual sacrifice to He Bo. No one cared about her and she huddled by the river, shivering.
This is also a pitiful and hateful person.
If those girls had not been saved by the original owner, she would have been plagued by misfortune now.
Ling Heng walked up to the blind mother-in-law and looked at her seriously.
"There is no River God in this river anymore. Do not force young girls to offer sacrifices anymore!" He spoke each word with great solemnity.
The blind mother-in-law recognized his voice and nodded helplessly.
"I don't dare anymore."
After getting the assurance, Ling Heng breathed a sigh of relief and turned back to Shi Li.
Seeing that she was wet all over, he frowned again.
"Let's go."
He brought Shi Li to the home of the girl with whom he had previously exchanged identities.
Because he intervened and saved the girl from being sacrificed, the family was very grateful to him.
When they heard that he had completely resolved the issue of He Bo's sacrifice, they were even more excited. The girl's parents and brother, who loved her so much, almost knelt down on the spot.
Seeing this scene, Shi Li sighed again.
If this girl was really sacrificed at the bottom of the river this year, she would definitely send her home.
In the past, brides were reluctant to go home because they would be sold again if they did.
And if the girl is loved by her family, even if the original owner meets her, he will send her back to her family.
"She and I would like to stay here for one night. Sorry to trouble you."
Shi Li was still thinking when she heard Ling Heng's voice.
I turned my head to look at his handsome and upright profile, which was shrouded in the moonlight, showing a bit of gentleness.
He believed the lies Shi Li had made up before and treated her as a poor homeless person.
The girl's parents and brothers agreed readily, but the girl was slightly stunned and looked at Shi Li with a complicated look.