Chapter 1187: The River God’s Bride 22

“If they take me away, then I’ll run back to find you no matter what,” Tang Wan said softly, her fingers tightening around Bingtong’s hands as she looked at him with unwavering sincerity.

“Really?” Bingtong asked, a trace of doubt still lingering in his voice.

“Really,” Tang Wan replied without hesitation. “I swear it. I only want to marry you and be your bride, Tongtong.”

Her certainty caused something in Bingtong’s chest to stir. He clenched his fists unconsciously, his thoughts churning. After a moment of silence, he finally nodded. “Alright… then I’ll believe you this time.”

Even if she left, the contract between them would allow him to find her no matter where she went. But if she truly chose to run… then perhaps he would never trust her again. For now, he could only hope she would not disappoint him.

Seeing him agree, Tang Wan smiled faintly, her expression softening. “Don’t worry, I would never deceive you,” she said gently. “Tongtong, you look so good—where else in this world could I find someone as handsome as you? Even if you tried to drive me away, I wouldn’t leave.”

At her words, Bingtong’s face flushed slightly, his earlier tension easing. “Really? I always feel like… I’m not impressive enough,” he admitted.

“How could that be?” Tang Wan replied at once, her gaze lifting to meet his with quiet admiration. “I like you exactly as you are. Compared to those human men, you’re far more handsome. Being able to marry you is my good fortune.”

Her words struck directly at his heart, leaving him momentarily speechless as a warmth spread through him. He could not help but feel that she was truly… good to him.

After a brief pause, Tang Wan continued, her tone turning more serious. “By the way, since the governor has invited Taoist priests, they might already be waiting for you to show yourself. Before it gets too dark, I’ll go to the village and check the situation first. Tongtong, you wait for me near the water entrance in Yutang Village. I’ll come back within an hour. If I don’t return in time, then you can come find me. Does that sound alright?”

Bingtong hesitated, uncertainty flickering across his face. Yet when he considered that an hour was not long, and that humans could not travel far in such a short time, he ultimately nodded. At the same time, there was another thought in his mind—this would be a chance to see whether her words were true.

“Alright,” he said. Then, after a brief pause, he added, “If you encounter any danger, use this.”

He placed a small spiral shell into her hand. “Blow this conch horn, and I’ll come to you immediately.”

Tang Wan accepted it with a smile. “Thank you, Tongtong. I’ll keep it safe.”

With that, Bingtong led her out of the He Bo Palace and toward the surface.

When they reached the shore, Tang Wan paused and said, “Tongtong, to the people here, I should already be dead. Could you change my appearance? It would make things easier.”

“Of course,” Bingtong agreed at once. With a simple motion, he cast a spell over her.

In the next instant, Tang Wan’s features shifted, her appearance becoming entirely different. After glancing at her reflection in the water, she nodded in satisfaction. “Then I’ll head to the village first.”

“I’ll take you there,” Bingtong said quietly, his hands tightening slightly.

“Alright,” Tang Wan replied with a small smile. “That will save time.”

Before long, he brought her to the entrance of Yutang Village.

But even as he watched her step forward, Bingtong did not truly leave. Instead, he transformed himself into a small frog and followed her silently from a distance, hiding his presence as he trailed behind her into the village.

Tang Wan, of course, was fully aware that he had not actually gone. Yet she showed no sign of it, her expression remaining calm and natural, as though she believed he had already left.

Watching her from behind, Bingtong felt a quiet sense of relief settle in his heart.

He had feared that the moment she thought herself free, she would run without looking back. But she didn’t.