It couldn’t handle things like coming with a husband and a free son, but summoning clouds and rain was always doable, right? Although this small town was on an important route, the townsfolk still lived off their fields and crops. For a great monster to bestow a bit of rainwater—what was so hard about that? After hearing the prayers, Chi Ya went and sent down rain several times, easing the local drought. Compared to the previous Water God, it was much more dutiful, so the townsfolk naturally felt deeply grateful to it.

Only, once it took control of the Water God’s position, all of the townsfolk’s prayers in the temple poured nonstop into its ears: this one wanted to get rich, that one wanted a son, this one wanted his rival Wang Wu to go bankrupt, that one wanted the widow next door to sleep with him... a thousand people had a thousand kinds of distracting thoughts. Being like an Earpiece God, listening to this endless, sky‑high stream of muttered wishes all day long nearly drove it insane. It only felt that the peaceful life of its past thirty thousand years had been shattered, and it couldn’t even calm its heart for cultivation anymore.

And although it could now enjoy the Mortal World’s Tribute of incense, it also got entangled in many threads of karma, which would be of little benefit to its cultivation in the future. So when the Shaking Heaven God came in person, Chi Ya couldn’t wait to leave this damned place. Even if Bashe Forest was a Forbidden Land where you could enter but never leave, at least it was quiet there!

In a low voice Changtian said, "Although the Hidden Stream is hidden deep in Bashe Forest, it’s not an airtight fortress. A Water Clan member like Chi Ya is exactly what we need." This was him explaining to Ning Xiaoxian his reason for recruiting Chi Ya.

Changtians willingness to discuss major sect affairs with her in itself showed his respect for her. Ning Xiaoxian felt a warm current flow through her heart, and her grip on his hand unconsciously tightened.

She understood what Changtian had in mind. Although all the trees in Bashe Forest were under Lin Wei’s control, there was still a network of water channels branching in all directions. The Hidden Stream originally had no demons born of water, so everything they raised in the waters were large exotic beasts. But these beasts were low in intelligence and easily taken advantage of. Not to mention anything else—back then, hadn’t she used the Canglong of the Ba Snake’s Divine Power to sneak along the waterways toward Changtian’s True Body?

If she could pull that off, there was no guarantee others wouldn’t copy the trick in the future. Besides, times were different now; the Hidden Stream had too many enemies. This missing link was ultimately a grave hidden danger to their core, and sooner or later they had to find a way to patch it.

Bashe Forest bordered the sea; it wasn’t as if they had never thought of recruiting some colossal sea monsters. Only, any ocean creature with some power was huge in size and could barely even turn over in a river. The weaker ones couldn’t adapt to freshwater life. Therefore, choosing some demon species able to live in rivers and lakes—such as the Louse Whale—would naturally be the best option.

But then, with King Jinghai Mansion located by the Mirror Sea, why did they have to reach so far to provoke a Louse Whale living in the White Wave River? When she asked this, Changtian fell silent. After a long while, he said, "Louse Whale blood has a marvelous use. The older the living body, the greater the power in its blood. This demon species has a relatively mild temperament. Chi Ya has lived for over thirty thousand years; the people in King Jinghai Mansion probably want its blood." He didn’t spell it out, but she felt certain he knew what that so‑called "marvelous use" was—he simply didn’t want to say it yet.

Changtian had always been like this: if it was something he didn’t like her to know, he simply wouldn’t say it, and she was already used to that.

This time, when Changtian returned to town, he found Tian Ding Alley without much effort. Following the man’s directions, he came to a small red door, and there really was a big jujube tree at the entrance.

The Xu Family lived here? The courtyard was of average size and looked like a common mortal household. Why would the people living inside not only recognize her, but even know a bit about her?

Changtian, however, had none of her doubts. He simply lifted his leg and walked closer. His Qi Force brushed out around him, and without him needing to touch it, the red door was forced open.

In such a quiet deep night, the wooden door creaked open, the sound carrying quite far.

Leading her, Changtian walked in at an unhurried pace. Once he stood in the courtyard, his brows knit slightly: within the range of his Divine Thought, there were only two mortals in this residence and no trace of any Cultivator’s presence.

In the side room, a light quickly flared to life; clearly the master of the house had been startled awake. A few breaths later, an old man came out, holding a storm lantern in one hand and a wooden stick in the other. Seeing two people standing in his own courtyard, his grip on the stick tightened involuntarily as he exclaimed, "You—you two, what do you intend to do!" By the lantern light, he could tell the man and woman before him were handsome and beautiful, not like ordinary thugs.