Chapter 1186: The River God’s Bride 21

Hearing his words, Tang Wan nodded without hesitation.

At her response, Bingtong’s face immediately lit up with happiness. Although his temperament was usually shy and easily flustered, when it came to such matters, he treated them as something entirely natural, without the slightest embarrassment. It was this contrast that left Tang Wan feeling rather helpless. When he ought to be shy, he was completely unaffected, yet at the smallest unexpected moment, he would blush uncontrollably. It was difficult to predict him at all.

The next day passed quietly. Worried that Tang Wan might feel bored, Bingtong even brought several books from the library and read them aloud to her, his tone earnest and careful as he explained each part she could not understand.

However, as evening approached, the little demon responsible for buying food suddenly rushed in, his expression filled with panic. “This is bad, Master He! Yuda has been captured by humans!”

At those words, Bingtong’s expression darkened immediately. “What happened?” he asked, his voice turning serious. “How could Yuda be discovered after going ashore?”

It was not uncommon for demons to disguise themselves and enter human towns. As long as they did not cause trouble or reveal their true forms, such matters were usually ignored. But Yuda was not a weak demon—his cultivation was solid, and he should not have been easily exposed.

The little demon quickly explained, his words tumbling out in haste. “Yuda heard that I was going to buy food for Madam, and he wanted to come along to get some candied hawthorns. But when we reached the town, the governor had already invited several powerful Taoist priests. They set up a demon-revealing mirror! Yuda ran ahead of me, and the moment he passed, the mirror exposed his true form. Those Taoist priests immediately captured him! I knew things were bad, so I ran back to report…”

Bingtong’s brows knitted tightly. “A demon-revealing mirror…” he muttered.

That was no ordinary artifact. Such a tool was specifically designed to deal with demons, and it was certainly not something an average Taoist could possess. If those priests had such an item, it meant they were far more capable than expected.

Meanwhile, Tang Wan silently asked Little Cutie in her mind, “What’s going on? Why is Feng Lun suddenly so proactive in capturing demons?”

According to the original trajectory, even if he learned about the sacrificial brides, it should not have driven him to go this far—especially not to the extent of inviting skilled Taoists.

Little Cutie quickly replied, “Host, it’s because of the female lead, Yuexiang!”

Tang Wan was slightly taken aback. “Yuexiang?”

“Yes,” Little Cutie explained. “Although she didn’t replace you this time, she still met Feng Lun, and he fell for her at first sight. Yuexiang is worried about your safety, so she asked him to rescue you. To reassure her, Feng Lun invited those Taoists and plans to search the waters tomorrow.”

Hearing this, Tang Wan felt a faint stirring in her heart. Yuexiang’s concern was genuine, even though things had turned out differently this time. It seemed the bond between them had not changed.

“I understand,” Tang Wan said quietly. “Keep watching their movements and let me know if anything changes.”

“Don’t worry, Host!” Little Cutie replied confidently. “I’ll report immediately if there’s any development.”

After that, Tang Wan turned her attention back to Bingtong, her expression thoughtful. “Tongtong,” she said gently, “perhaps you should take me ashore. I can explain things to the governor myself. If I tell him that I married you willingly, he might not interfere.”

The moment she finished speaking, Bingtong rejected the idea without hesitation. “No,” he said firmly. “What if they don’t believe you and take you away by force?”

His tone carried a rare seriousness, his concern evident. “They already have a demon-revealing mirror, and those Taoists are skilled. If you fall into their hands… I might not be able to bring you back.”

The thought alone was enough to make him unwilling to take the risk.