Chapter 1184: The River God’s Bride 19

Seeing Tang Wan turn away as though hurt, Bingtong panicked instantly. The book slipped from his hands, forgotten, as he hurried after her in a fluster. “My lady, don’t go! Please listen to me—I really didn’t mean it!”

His speed far surpassed hers, and in only a few steps he caught up, stopping in front of her just as her eyes reddened and tears seemed ready to fall. The sight struck him deeply, leaving him at a complete loss.

“My lady… it’s my fault, don’t cry,” he said hastily, his voice filled with urgency. “I’ll let you see it. I’ll tell you everything written in that book, alright?”

At those words, Tang Wan slowly lifted her head, her gaze still shimmering faintly. “Really?” she asked softly.

“Really,” Bingtong replied at once, nodding firmly. “As long as you don’t cry, I’ll tell you everything now.”

“But… if it wasn’t important, why were you so nervous just now?” Tang Wan pressed gently, her tone carrying a trace of lingering doubt.

“It’s not important at all!” Bingtong said quickly, almost swearing to it. “There’s nothing in it that I can’t tell you.”

Tang Wan watched him for a moment before nodding slightly. “Then you have to read it to me,” she said, her eyes fixed on him.

“Alright, alright,” Bingtong agreed without hesitation. Then, after a brief pause, he added cautiously, “But… you won’t cry anymore, right?”

At that, Tang Wan’s expression shifted, her tears disappearing as quickly as they had come. A faint smile appeared instead. “I won’t.”

Only then did Bingtong finally relax. Carefully, he reached out and took her hand again, guiding her back toward the library.

Once inside, he picked up the book he had dropped earlier. Taking a steadying breath, he glanced at Tang Wan before beginning to explain. “This book… is actually about human women.”

“Oh?” Tang Wan leaned in slightly, her curiosity evident. “What does it say?”

Bingtong opened to the first page and began, “Every generation of River God records their experiences with their brides here, so that future River Gods can learn from them. Each one is different… I’ll tell you slowly.”

Tang Wan nodded, her expression attentive.

Bingtong lowered his gaze to the page and began reading, though he could not help but glance at her occasionally as he spoke. “This River God wrote that human women are very timid and fragile. His bride… had a weak heart and was frightened to death the moment she saw him.”

Tang Wan listened silently, though inwardly she could not help but feel speechless. If he had simply taken on a human form from the beginning, perhaps things would have turned out differently.

Bingtong turned the page.

“This one says that human women are very cunning,” he continued, his tone becoming more hesitant. “After marrying him, his bride pretended to treat him well, then tricked him into taking her ashore. But once they reached land, she had already arranged for Taoist priests to be waiting, intending to kill him. Fortunately, they weren’t strong enough, so he managed to escape.”

Tang Wan remained quiet, her expression calm as she listened.

Bingtong flipped another page, his voice growing slightly awkward. “This bride told him she wanted to cook for him. He was very happy… but she prepared pufferfish and tried to poison him before escaping.”

“And this one…” He hesitated briefly before continuing. “She lied and said she was pregnant, asking to go ashore to raise the child. He agreed, but once they reached land, she bought talismans to suppress demons and dissolved them into water for him to drink…”

He paused again, clearly uncomfortable, but pressed on nonetheless. “Another bride agreed to consummate the marriage, but during the night, she suddenly took out a dagger and stabbed the River God…”

One story followed another, each more unsettling than the last. Tang Wan listened as Bingtong recounted seven or eight such cases, and it became clear that almost every human bride had tried, in one way or another, to escape—or even to kill the River God.

By the time he finished, a quiet silence settled between them.

Tang Wan lowered her gaze slightly, a faint, almost amused sigh forming in her heart. It seemed that for a River God, finding a willing and sincere bride was far more difficult than one might expect.