Chapter 1172: The River God’s Bride 7

At the witch’s words, no one dared to delay any further. The men immediately lifted the bamboo raft and carried it toward the riverbank, their movements swift and decisive as though fearing to offend the unseen deity by even a moment’s hesitation. Before long, Tang Wan was brought to the water’s edge, and with a final push, the raft drifted out onto the river.

The instant it began to move away from shore, Tang mother could no longer hold herself together. Her composure shattered as she cried out desperately, “Wanwan! Wanwan!” Her voice trembled with grief, echoing across the water, but before she could say more, Father Tang quickly reached out and covered her mouth tightly, his expression tense as he forced her into silence.

Beneath the red bridal veil, Tang Wan lowered her gaze, looking at the water flowing beneath the raft. For a brief moment, she felt as though something was off. Though the surface of the river appeared calm, without wind or waves, the raft seemed to be moving faster than it should. The sensation was subtle but unmistakable, as though an unseen force was guiding her forward.

And indeed, it was no illusion.

Though the river lay still, the bamboo raft carried Tang Wan swiftly toward its center, gliding across the water with unnatural speed. When the people on the shore witnessed this, their eyes widened in awe and fear. To them, this was clear proof that He Bo had manifested, personally guiding his bride.

As the distance between Tang Wan and the shore grew, the noise of the crowd gradually faded until only the quiet sound of water remained. Once she was certain that no one could see her clearly anymore, Tang Wan lifted her hand and removed the red veil from her head.

Almost at the same moment, a soft yet commanding voice echoed beside her, carried through the air like a whisper from the depths. “The River God takes a bride. Lesser spirits, make way.”

In the next instant, the surface of the water ahead of the raft stirred. Two orderly rows of shrimp soldiers and crab generals emerged, lining up as though to welcome her passage. Immediately after, a figure rose slowly from the river itself—a catfish-like creature with a human body, its whiskers tied neatly with small red bows, its wide fish eyes fixed upon her.

The moment Bingtong saw Tang Wan’s face, his heart tightened involuntarily. For a fleeting second, he seemed almost nervous, as though afraid that his appearance might frighten her.

“You… hello,” he said, his voice hesitant yet earnest. “I am He Bo, Bingtong.”

From an ordinary perspective, his appearance was undeniably strange, even unsettling. Yet in Tang Wan’s eyes, things were entirely different. Beneath that unusual exterior was the soul she knew all too well, and once she saw him through that lens, even his odd features seemed to take on a peculiar charm. The red bows tied to his whiskers looked unexpectedly endearing, his wide mouth gave him a somewhat foolish but harmless air, and even the flat curve of his forehead carried a certain clumsy innocence.

With that thought, a gentle smile spread across Tang Wan’s face as she met his gaze without fear. “Hello,” she said calmly, her voice soft yet steady. “My name is Tang Wan—your bride.”

At her words, Bingtong’s eyes brightened instantly, relief and joy flickering across his features. She was not afraid of him. Not only that, she had accepted him without hesitation.

“Mm!” he responded quickly, his tone noticeably more confident now. “I will take you back to the He Bo Palace.”

As soon as his words fell, a massive turtle surfaced beneath the raft. In the next moment, Tang Wan felt the bamboo raft shift as her body was gently lifted, carried onto the turtle’s broad shell. Then, without warning, they began to sink.

Yet even as they descended into the depths of the river, Tang Wan felt no discomfort. Her clothes remained completely dry, untouched by the water, and her breathing was as natural as if she were still standing on land. It was as though an invisible barrier separated her from the surrounding river, allowing her to move freely beneath its surface.

By the time their figures vanished into the depths, the river above had already returned to its calm, unbroken state.

Far away, several hundred meters downstream, a fleet of official ships drifted along the water.

“Governor!” a young man suddenly called out, lowering the telescope in his hands with visible shock. “I just saw a girl in red being taken away by a group of water monsters!”

Hearing this, Feng Lun’s expression darkened immediately. Without hesitation, he took the telescope from his subordinate and scanned the river carefully. However, all he could see was a lone bamboo raft floating aimlessly on the surface, with no sign of any disturbance.

He lowered the telescope slowly, his brows knitting together as he glanced at the man beside him. “Are you certain you didn’t see it wrong?”

“I’m sure!” the subordinate replied firmly. “I saw it clearly—the girl was carried away on the back of a giant turtle!”

Feng Lun fell silent, his frown deepening. He was not someone who dismissed such claims lightly. In his earlier years, he had followed the Imperial Preceptor on expeditions to eliminate demons, and he knew well that such beings did exist in this world. Yet even with that knowledge, he also understood one harsh truth.

They had discovered it too late.

By now, whatever had taken the girl was long gone, and even if he wished to intervene, there was nothing he could do.