Chapter Sixty-Four: The Deal! Let’s Throw a Punch First!

Lin Yi turned around, facing that enormous green face.

“Since we parted today, I have missed you dearly, Fellow Daoist Lin Yi. Are you sure you cannot give me that treasure in your hand? Ahem... If you hand it over, I’ll offer you some benefits!”

This old sinister god still coveted Lin Yi’s Water-Repellent Pill. Yet, the lesson from earlier remained; as long as Lin Yi kept the pill, this god’s water avatar couldn’t break through his defenses, making any effort futile. That was why the god had yet to make a move.

Moreover, Lin Yi felt the old god was hesitating, as if there was something he wanted to say.

Initially, Lin Yi had thought about simply punching the god, destroying its water avatar and reaping some benefits before anything else. But now, it seemed he needed to wait a bit longer.

“Uh... It’s not that I can’t give you the treasure, but tell me first—what benefits do you offer?”

Lin Yi’s eyes flashed cunningly as he spoke.

“Hahaha…”

The green face quivered, the makeshift eyeballs of plastic bags twisted back and forth with a disturbingly human expression, clearly delighted.

Seizing the moment, Lin Yi quickly retrieved the energy detector he hadn’t yet stored in the mysterious space of the “God-Slaying Sutra,” and began a careful measurement.

Soon, the result appeared!

After checking the value, Lin Yi’s confidence soared.

Only 5132 energy units!

Barely qualifying as A-level.

Defeating an entity with this energy was effortless for Lin Yi; the gap was so vast, it was almost a game!

While smiling, the River God of the Ling Tian River spoke, “Alright, little friend, you’re on the right track. Give me the treasure, and the benefits will be immense. I’ve looked into your background—you’ve joined the Paranormal Investigation Bureau and even entered the Demon Prison. In the second layer of that prison, my grandson is imprisoned. Help me ask him about a small, rusty bead I once owned. Where did he put it?”

“Oh, and my grandson is a turtle demon. I’m certain he’s still alive. As long as you ask and report back, you don’t even need to give me your treasure; I’ll offer other rewards!”

“I’ll grant you supreme honor—join our organization. Within it, you’ll have money, companions, treasures—anything you desire.”

The River God spoke with a smile, even his eyes seemed to gleam, and the plastic bags trembled ever more violently.

Lin Yi hesitated. This old sinister god not only relinquished his claim to the Water-Repellent Pill but was offering all manner of rewards—money, women, treasures—a blatant attempt at temptation.

Could this old god truly be so generous?

Everything in life is an exchange of equal value. That so-called rusty bead must be incredibly important, a treasure beyond measure; otherwise, the god wouldn’t act so desperately.

The white plastic bag eyes shifted, clearly fixated on Lin Yi’s hand.

Though it was just a plastic bag, Lin Yi could sense the god’s unwillingness—a lingering regret at failing to acquire the Water-Repellent Pill.

Lin Yi smiled.

“Alright, I can help you. But first, you must give me some benefits—to show your sincerity. Otherwise, venturing into another’s territory to gather information is tantamount to betraying my organization. I, Lin Yi, am upright and honest; I’m not that kind of person!”

“You—”

The old sinister god hadn’t expected Lin Yi to push his luck. After a moment of composure, the god continued.

“Fine, say what you want—name your reward.”

“Good, then I won’t hold back. First, give me a beautiful companion—top-tier, utterly loyal to me. Then deposit a hundred million or several hundred million as earnest money. Finally, I want a magical treasure equal in power to the one I currently possess.”

“…”

The sinister god was furious!

“Bang! Bang! Bang!”

The green face trembled, shedding numerous white plastic bags and floating plants.

---

“Lin Yi, this isn’t asking for benefits; you’re demanding them all! Besides, if I had a treasure equal to yours, would I need to steal yours? But the organization has some—you can rest assured, as long as you complete the task, everything will be yours.”

Lin Yi sneered coldly, “River God, you’re just trying to freeload. Are you stupid or do you think I am?”

“I…”

The old god’s face stopped quivering, his green visage contorted in anger. With a growl, he finally spoke.

“Fine, I’ll give you a benefit first! Beneath the artificial lake lie countless skeletons and a ruined City God Temple… My old companion, the City God, is below. As long as you have the token, you can enter the City God Cave beside it and retrieve treasures, though it’s troublesome…”

“But the City God Temple connects to my Ling Tian River God’s immortal palace. There, the treasures are even greater… Originally, I wanted you to fetch the rusty bead, and then I’d let you pick treasures from my palace. Alas, since you decline, I’ll keep the offer for you. For now, try the City God Temple—see what you can find.”

The River God spoke as if everything was for Lin Yi’s benefit.

Lin Yi laughed inwardly. If the god were truly so kind, it would be a miracle. If Lin Yi entered the River God’s palace, he’d surely be devoured without a trace of his bones. As for the City God—if Lin Yi entered the temple to seek treasures, would the City God really let him take them so easily? Impossible.

Even with eyes closed, it was clear there was no such luck.

Still, Lin Yi was surprised to learn that beneath the artificial lake lay a ruined City God Temple, with the City God himself still below.

What is a City God?

In the old days, the City God was the deity protecting a city.

The City God functioned as a management institution; although on the surface, mountain gods, river gods, and water gods did not fall under his jurisdiction, in reality, all arrangements were intimately linked to the City God.

The so-called City God was the ultimate authority within a city—the highest official!

Lin Yi suddenly recalled a story transmitted through the “God-Slaying Sutra.”

Princess Ming Yang, under orders from the City God, suppressed the souls of two tomb robbers, turning them temporarily into ghost soldiers for thirty years.

Those rows of ominous energy clusters from earlier, filled with countless armored ghostly figures, all ghost soldiers—didn’t this suggest a deep connection between them and the City God Temple beneath the artificial lake?

No wonder the Talented Scholar Garden residential area had experienced so many strange occurrences!

Wait, wait… Lin Yi suddenly realized something.

If there truly was a City God Temple here, and he entered with the token, wouldn’t it be possible?

There must be countless ghost soldiers and ominous energy clusters below. If Lin Yi guarded this spot, wouldn’t it be an even richer source of benefits than the Demon Prison?

Yet, who knows how powerful the City God is; caution is necessary.

If things got dicey, he could simply treat the artificial lake as off-limits.

If he didn’t venture below, surely the City God wouldn’t come up. As long as ghost soldiers crossed his path, Lin Yi could reap the rewards.

At this thought, Lin Yi’s eyes sparkled.

The River God assumed Lin Yi’s excitement was due to the promise of treasure, and secretly sneered.

Suddenly, with a “whoosh,” a green, rusted token swept toward Lin Yi through the river water.

The token was covered in verdigris, with fuzzy green hairs and carved patterns, roughly palm-sized.

It radiated a sense of ominous energy, intermingled with other energies.

Without hesitation, Lin Yi caught it.

Then, Lin Yi swung his fist, channeling the energy of the “Great Cavern Sutra”—a pure, fierce, and blazing force—and struck at the River God.

---

The “Great Cavern Sutra’s” pure yang energy seared everything. In an instant, as Lin Yi attacked, the old sinister god underwent a complete transformation.

The trash began to burn, flames and blue smoke curling into the air!

“Ahhh… It hurts, it hurts! What are you doing, Lin Yi… You’ve lost your mind, attacking me after receiving benefits… You’re courting death…”

The River God howled in agony, his shouts echoing.

Lin Yi merely chuckled.

“No… I…”

Before he could finish explaining, Lin Yi jabbed his fist straight into the giant green face.

Next second, “crackle, crackle, crackle, crackle”—with a violent explosion, flames incinerated everything on the River God’s face: plastic bags, lotus roots, leaves—all were burned to ash.

Then, “whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh”—the wind whipped wildly.

The lingering mist began to dissipate.

Before it all vanished, the ashes fell into the water, forming a whirlpool.

The River God’s face reappeared, glaring at Lin Yi with hatred!

“I’ll kill you, I’ll kill you, Lin Yi, you, you, you, you…”

Not long after reappearing, the River God lashed out furiously.

Originally, only his face had materialized, but now, accompanied by thunderous rumbling, his entire form spread across the artificial lake.

The mist thickened once more, enveloping the area.

Now, the old man’s appearance was almost identical to his manifestation in the Qing River.

Lin Yi finally saw how perfect the old god’s avatar was.

Just then, “clap, clap, clap, clap,” the “God-Slaying Sutra” began flipping its pages.

The reward for defeating the River God’s water avatar was in.

Another successful harvest.

“Sealed and recorded: Ling Tian River God’s water avatar. Reward: Top-grade Yellow-tier Body-Refining Pill.”

“Top-grade Yellow-tier Body-Refining Pill: Consumed to purify the body, expel toxins, enhance power; at the Yellow tier, highly likely to advance your cultivation.”

…

Body-Refining Pill.

Lin Yi had obtained these before; it was thanks to them that he could defeat the female ghost avatar of Yellow Nine Empress with a few punches, and then acquire the “Great Cavern Sutra.”

Lin Yi pondered, taking advantage of the freshly reformed water avatar, to see if there were any memories he could study—any fatal weaknesses in this old River God.

“Clap, clap, clap, clap.”

The “God-Slaying Sutra” flipped rapidly. Soon, a stream of information surged into Lin Yi’s mind.

Images appeared.