On the riverbank of the Dragon Whisker River, an old man squatted on top of the Azure Cow Ridge and puffed on his smoking pipe. Next to the stone cliff, a "young woman" was carefully seated with her long hair untied and draped over her back, extending all the way into the river. 

Now that she had been promoted to a formal river goddess recognized by the imperial court of the Great Li Empire, it was already possible for her to temporarily come onshore in this current form. This couldn't be underestimated. If one were a river guardian, they wouldn't be able to do this even if they cultivated for hundreds or thousands of years.

With her hair covering the riverbank beneath the stone cliff, the woman asked in a timid voice, "Immortal Elder, why can't I, Ma Lanhua, have a river goddess shrine of my own? I'd be happy even if it were only a small and empty shrine!"

The old man exhaled a cloud of smoke and sneered, "With your terrible reputation, you still want to enjoy unceasing incense and offerings? I'm afraid that there'll only be a few large vats of spit waiting for you! Moreover, do you really think you'll be able to enjoy consistent incense and offerings forever, regardless of the situation? Do you think this is a simple job where you can lie down and enjoy yourself while doing piss all?"

The woman smiled in self-ridicule and replied, "Immortal Elder, you already know that I'm a country woman who has long hair but short wit. How about you explain some of these things to me, lest I break a taboo and anger some powerful figure? I'm not afraid of being beaten, but I'll definitely feel extremely guilty if I cause Immortal Elder any trouble."

The woman stole a sideways glance at her flowing hair as she called herself someone with long hair but short wit. There was a slight sense of satisfaction and pride in her mind.

Her hair was long, genuinely long. Meanwhile, many of the old ladies and foolish women with short lifespans in the small town would already be fully grey at only 40 years old. Could they compare to her? Regardless of whether it was their status or wealth, could...