The more you believe me, the more real it becomes.

Chapter 107 Little Western Paradise, Leiyin Temple! (5k)
The old monk's eyes were filled with malice and rage.

This guy actually tricked him twice!
This is intolerable!

He instinctively stepped forward, but his body shattered and he fell headfirst onto the river.

"Hahaha, you idiot."

The real man intended to leave, but seeing that the other party was still futilely crawling towards him on the river, he deliberately took two more steps forward while holding Anqing Wang.

"Hey, what do you want to do when you look like this? Save your energy for later!"

Looking at the 'old monk' who was firmly gripping his ankle but had no way to stop him.

He saw only endless mockery.

People living on the mountain should know their place and not presume to be able to compare with the heavens!

Unexpectedly, the other person suddenly lowered their head and said:
"You guessed that I am from Wugui Mountain, but how could you forget that borrowing and impersonating other people's methods is one of the fundamental techniques of Wugui Mountain?!"

The pupils in the 'real person's' eyes suddenly contracted, before the force could be exerted.

But then he saw himself angrily raise his head towards Pinglan Mountain, which shone with Buddha's light and was worshipped by countless people, and he shouted angrily:

"We have now become mortal enemies. In that case, I am the Northern Envoy of the Western Route, one of the thirty-two righteous gods of the Thunder Department. May I ask you to state your name and origins?!"

Beneath his feet, the 'old monk' felt nothing but boundless joy—hahaha! If I'm not having a good time, you won't get away either!

His true form was furious; he had been caught off guard and his ship had capsized!

Just as I was pondering a response, I heard a voice drifting from Pinglan Mountain:
"Little Western Paradise, Leiyin Temple!"

As soon as the sound fell, the two guys who had been tripping each other just moments before both felt their hearts skip a beat.

Self-proclaimed Western Paradise?!
In an instant, all thoughts of scheming and intrigue vanished.

One stared blankly at his ankle, the other stiffly carrying An Qingwang, both just staring blankly at the radiant Pinglan Mountain.

Then, the surging, massive waves, carrying with them their lingering terror, shattered them all!
On Pinglan Mountain a little earlier in time.

Du Yuan confidently grabbed Pinglan Gong's wrist with her other hand.

This left the other party bewildered and uncertain:
"Hey?"

Du Yuan then smiled and said:
"I said let me help you!"

Before she finished speaking, Du Yuan grabbed Pinglan Gong and quickly headed towards the mountaintop.

This prompted Duke Pinglan to hurriedly say:

"Sir, sir, I cannot leave the temple."

As he was speaking, Lord Pinglan stopped talking, for he was astonished to find that he had actually walked out of prison!

"This? This?"

After a moment of surprise, Pinglan Gong looked at Du Yuan, who was holding his hand, with astonishment.

The other person didn't answer, but simply turned back and smiled before continuing to walk briskly forward. It was only then that Pinglan Gong realized that although this gentleman seemed to be walking slowly...

But He clearly saw that the place He had just stood on was now far behind when He took the next step.

It seems that the other party is more like the mountain god of Pinglan Mountain than He is.

In just a few breaths.

Du Yuan then led Pinglan Gong to the top of the mountain.

Here, you can not only look down at Qingzhou and Mishui, but also reach the heavens!
Aside from the river, the unfamiliar Qingzhou below dazzled Pinglan Gong.

It's been almost two hundred years!
After a moment of stunned silence, Duke Pinglan continued to ask:
"Sir, who exactly are you?"

Du Yuan then said:

"Those who possess great virtue and integrity should rightfully occupy the rightful place, so I'm here to lend you a hand!"

Is this person trying to make me their official wife?
After a moment of surprise, Duke Pinglan waved his hand and said:
"No, no, what about the imperial court?"

"The imperial court?" Du Yuan interrupted with a light laugh, her tone carrying an air of detached certainty. "What does this matter have to do with the imperial court? I wish to appeal to the heavens and ask the mighty heavens to personally grant you the proper recognition!"

Pinglan Gong looked utterly astonished. "Let Heaven bestow its favor?"

Before his thoughts could be sorted out, Du Yuan had already straightened his clothes, faced the vast night sky, and bowed, saying loudly:
“In the past, there was a governor of Qingzhou named Zhao Yuchuan. He was concerned about the suffering of the people and spent three years controlling the floods, diverting the Mi River back to its original course. He had the merit of saving the lives of the people, so he was revered by the people of Qingzhou as the God of Pinglan Mountain!”

His voice was clear and melodious, penetrating the silent mountains and forests and soaring into the sky.

"However, times have changed, the temple is dilapidated, and the golden statue is covered in dust, which I cannot bear. Therefore, I beseech Heaven to grant me permission to restore the divine position of Zhao Yuchuan of Pinglan Mountain!"

It was simple and clear, but it left Duke Pinglan, Zhao Yuchuan, utterly bewildered. Was it really that simple?

At the same time, King Anqing, aboard the pleasure boat below, uttered a phrase that commanded the respect of all:
'I am willing to use my blood to cleanse the injustices of the Southwest!'

The Mi River failed to clear, but the truth of nature was revealed on Pinglan Mountain!

The doubts that had just arisen in Pinglan Gong's heart, and in different places and for different reasons, suddenly widened in his eyes!
In the depths of the boundless sky, a pure and auspicious aura, imbued with supreme majesty, broke through the clouds and descended silently!

Done? !
Zhao Yuchuan was utterly shocked, almost unable to believe what he was seeing. This imperial decree of favor had come so easily?

No! It was by no means easy! The person who made the request was extraordinary!
Pinglan Gong instantly understood, and his gaze toward Du Yuan was filled with unprecedented awe.

What surprised Him even more was that Du Yuan seemed to have expected this.

Seeing that this gentleman had also noticed the auspicious aura, he took a small seal from his waist. He respectfully held it up with both hands, firmly placing the auspicious aura, representing divine approval, at the bottom of the seal.

After that, he turned around, holding the small seal, and said:

"Heaven remembers your good deeds, so Heaven has granted your request!"

As Du Yuan chuckled, the prayer he had just uttered appeared before him, materializing out of thin air.

Pinglan Gong was speechless with astonishment.

After Du Yuan chuckled, she raised the small seal and was about to place it on the imperial edict.

There was a slight feeling of stagnation, but it was still easy.

The position of Pinglan Mountain God is well-deserved.

But at that very moment, something suddenly happened on the Mi River below the mountain. Sensing something, Du Yuan paused her hand and looked down at the Mi River.

The cruise ship had already exploded, and two people who seemed as unfathomable as the heavens and the earth to him were floating on the Mi River, facing each other across the distance.

Seeing this, Du Yuan raised her eyebrows slightly and once again bowed to the heavens, pleading:

"Please grant me the authority over the Mi River, so that Lord Pinglan can once again quell the waves and save the people!"

Although the imperial edict still exists, Heaven no longer responds.

Mountains and rivers are incompatible, merits and virtues are incomparable, and there is nothing more to bestow.

Du Yuan, sensing something amiss, frowned deeply.

Just as he was pondering this, he suddenly saw a thunderbolt strike and the Mi River surge upwards.

When the two collided, not only did all sound fall silent, but the world also changed color.

Even from such a distance, the moisture rushed towards them, causing their clothes to flutter and the trees to rustle.

Only the imperial edict remained unchanged from beginning to end.

Immediately afterwards, the two saw the Mi River rise up, seemingly about to engulf the surrounding area and cause a flood.

Duke Pinglan didn't know what was wrong or what to do, and could only watch helplessly as the Mi River seemed about to overflow again.

Du Yuan looked at the thousands of people who were fleeing, mortal beings with nowhere to escape.

Once they realized this, they placed all their last glimmer of hope in the ethereal gods and Buddhas, desperately kowtowing and praying towards the void.

This scene caused Du Yuan to frown deeply.

But a moment later, it was relieved with a sigh.

There's nothing to hesitate about; the lives of countless people are at stake, and I have the strength to give it a try.

Isn't it just an increasingly unbalanced situation?

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva has already said it.

"If I don't go to hell, who will?"

As soon as the mantra was uttered, a radiant light of Buddha shone forth.

It shone brightly like the sun, instantly illuminating the daytime.

At that moment, the imperial edict vanished without a trace.

In this foreign land, Du Yuan, who had expressed the Bodhi mind of a great Bodhisattva, then removed the white jade hairpin from her head.

Her hair bun fell apart, and her long hair disappeared.

Having returned to his true self, Du Yuan solemnly clasped his hands together, while the other hand steadily held the mudra, and laughed loudly:

"Mountain God of Pinglan, receive your investiture!"

The chanting of Buddhist hymns subdued all demons and evil spirits!
Inside the nameless temple, the one who sat on the altar, playing with the white jade bodhi, slowly stopped what he was doing.

Then, following Du Yuan's instructions, he held the white jade bodhi and continued to write.

Each time Du Yuan spoke a word, it was written down, and then the imperial edict appeared in front of Du Yuan.

"In your lifetime, you brought peace and tranquility by drawing water, your merits surpassing those of Qingzhou. Now, you are hereby conferred the title of [True God of Pinglan Mountain]!"

"The calamity is overwhelming, and all living beings are weeping."

"Therefore, I hereby grant you the authority over the mountains, rivers, and waterways."

"I command you to immediately manifest your true form and stand guard against this calamity!"

The imperial edict was issued, ordering the emperor to govern the realm!
The restored statue of Duke Pinglan had already deeply admired him.

"The Mountain God of Pinglan Mountain receives the decree!"

Looking down at the gradually turning green waters of the Mi River, Du Yuan chuckled and took out the white jade hairpin.

After playing with it for a while, he smiled helplessly and said, "It was supposed to be to suppress the cultivation level of the Buddhist lineage, but I never expected that the gap would become even wider now."

Du Yuan's initial idea was to use the power of the entire population of Qingzhou to elevate the cultivation level of her own Taoist lineage.

So that the two meridians are not so unbalanced.

But now, it is...
It's a pity, but I don't regret it; in fact, I'm quite glad.

This is what proves he is still himself. He hasn't changed, just like the two people below who were smashed to pieces; he only has 'self-interest' in his eyes and no 'other interests'.

Perhaps life would be better if we didn't do it this way, but would it really be better that way?

The white jade hairpin was reinserted, and her long hair flowed back naturally.

The immense Buddha light vanished without a trace.

The only downside is that the bun she styled herself looks a bit ugly.

But Du Yuan touched it and thought it was passable.

After smiling, he lifted his foot and headed towards Qingzhou.

There's still a little bit left to wrap things up tonight!

Perfect timing! Let this Taoist priest, who has been running around all day and gained nothing, earn some extra profit!
-
On both banks of the Mi River, countless people wept with joy, even though the Buddha's light had disappeared and the mountain god was nowhere to be seen.

But they continued to worship at the top of Pinglan Mountain.

Tonight's catastrophe is a devastating event; if the Bodhisattva does not appear, Qingzhou will surely be a scene of utter devastation, with nine out of ten houses empty.

Because almost everyone, regardless of age or gender, peddlers and laborers, keeps worshipping Pinglan Mountain where the Buddha's light has dissipated.

So no one noticed that on the banks of the Mi River, a disheveled figure struggled to climb ashore.

He was panting heavily and lay on the shore like a dead dog.

Logically speaking, having survived in such a sorry state, one should have no other concerns.

But this man was different; after catching his breath, he burst into wild laughter:
"Hahaha, I am completely unharmed! I am completely unharmed!"

"Destiny! I am indeed blessed by Heaven!"

Despite numerous setbacks, they always escaped unscathed.

Finally, he returned to shore unharmed despite the huge waves, and did not drown in the Mi River.

All of this made King Anqing even more convinced that he truly had a destiny bestowed upon him!
Otherwise, how could he have survived?

Didn't you see that even those two guys whose backgrounds were unknown died, while he was still perfectly fine?
As Anqing Wang laughed wildly, people around him hurriedly shouted:

"Heavens! It's the Prince? The Prince is still alive!"

Upon hearing this, the entire group from the Prince of Anqing's residence rushed over.

Upon meeting, they all knelt down in unison and said:

"Your Highness, you've really scared us to death!"

He looked around at the assembled advisors and soldiers, and the rest of the people who finally realized they had to kneel before him, the King of Anqing.

King Anqing kicked aside the aide who had come forward to pour out his heart, and said:

"How dare you! I am blessed by Heaven, how could anything happen to me?"

Upon hearing this, the official from the Prince's residence who had been kicked away hurriedly got up from the ground and quickly grabbed Prince Anqing's leg, saying:

"Your Highness, Your Highness, you've been frightened by falling into the water and caught a chill during your journey to the capital, which has caused you to lose your senses!"

As he spoke, he called out to the still-stunned people from the Prince's mansion:
"Quickly, quickly, fetch a doctor to examine the prince!"

It was one thing for you to say it before you were blessed with destiny, but now that those two bastards are at the bottom of the great river, how can you still say it?

Besides, shouldn't we be trying to distance ourselves from those two bastards as soon as possible?

How come he's blessed with destiny?
Isn't this going to kill me? No way!
How could Prince Anqing not understand the unspoken meaning behind the official's words? He knew perfectly well, but at this moment he could no longer allow anyone to shatter his last remaining illusion.

After extreme terror, a person's emotions often veer to another extreme. King Anqing is currently in such a predicament.

Therefore, he flew into a rage and said:

"You scoundrel! I am protected by the Mandate of Heaven; how dare you repeatedly fabricate such lies?!"

The magistrate was terrified and prostrated himself on the ground, almost bursting into tears.

"Your Highness, those two scoundrels who deceived you have already perished at the bottom of the river. But, but rest assured, I will find out by tomorrow at the latest who is hiding behind this, intending to sow discord between you and His Majesty!"

In order to pull Anqing King back from the brink of disaster, the chief official had racked his brains and used up all his quick wit.

But it was all in vain. At this moment, what King Anqing could least bear was hearing others deny the only elusive straw he could grasp at.
He was a pawn when he was enfeoffed at a young age.

Later, when the feudal lords were weakened, he was just a pawn.

Previously, when Mi Shui was alive, he was still a pawn.

These grievances, accumulated over time, how could I possibly endure them now?

King Anqing has completely erupted!
He kicked the official away again, his eyes bloodshot, his voice distorted with rage:
"Speak! Tell me! I am blessed by Heaven!!"

The official was terrified and kowtowed repeatedly.

"Your Highness! Wake up! You've really suffered a sudden attack of your heart!"

"Kill him!" King Anqing's eyes were bloodshot, his roar echoing through the night, "Kill him for me!!!"

Everyone around remained silent; not one dared to speak, nor did anyone actually take any action.

"what--!"

King Anqing could only contort his face, draw the sword from the soldier beside him, and prepare to kill the damned official.

Just as he was about to strike, he heard a voice:
"You really aren't even a mudfish."

The voice seemed to freeze him in place, taking the enraged King Anqing to his feet.

Until the footsteps slowly approached my ears.

Anqing Wang turned around in a daze.

Then, he almost choked on his breath.

Sure enough, it was that damned wild Taoist priest from Qing County!

"you--!"

"Yes, it is indeed this humble Taoist."

Du Yuan looked at the Prince Anqing, who was at a loss for words, and answered with a light laugh.

Unexpectedly, this response was like a spark thrown into a hot oil pan, driving King Anqing to utter madness:
"Kneel down! Even you must kneel before me!"

Du Yuan asked with a strange smile:
Why should I kneel before you?

"Because I am blessed by Heaven, no matter how high your cultivation level is, you must kneel before me!"

"Destiny? How dare you claim to have destiny?"

Anqing Wang's cloudy eyes suddenly flashed with an almost terrifying light!

Yes, although he has always been a pawn, he has reason to be proud!

"Because I have overcome countless dangers and obstacles, yet I am still unharmed! Do you see that raging river of blood? I have returned alive from there!"

At this point, as if a tremendous burden had been lifted from his shoulders, he spoke with an almost morbid sense of relief and fervor, his voice resolute:
"Such clear-cut divine mandate, with irrefutable evidence! How could I not be the chosen one?!"

But the other party shook their head with pity and said:
"It's not that you were blessed with a special destiny, but that you shouldn't have died like this."

Du Yuan had always seen An Qingwang's fate clearly: beheading!

After his last shred of illusion was shattered, King Anqing lost his madness and simply asked, in a daze:
"What did you say?"

Du Yuan looked at him seriously and said:
“You have harmed countless people, coveted gold and land, and now you have even prepared for rebellion. Therefore, you will not die in this Mi River, nor can you expect to have the ‘dignity’ of hanging yourself or drinking poison like the feudal lords of the past.”

Du Yuan's voice was calm, but every word was like a knife, piercing straight to the heart.

Finally, Du Yuan looked up at the top of his head and said:

"You will be the first prince since the founding of the nation to be beheaded at the Meridian Gate in the public eye."

The voice was still very soft, but it shattered An Qingwang's mind.

"Impossible!" King Anqing roared hoarsely, his eyes bloodshot. "He can't kill me! How could someone who has usurped the throne by sheer luck kill me!"

"I reign supreme in Qingzhou! The seven garrison armies and six garrisons are all under my command! Seven or eight out of ten local magnates are loyal to me! Moreover, I possess vast fertile lands and control the three granaries of Changle, Anping, and Fushui, with enough grain to last for ten years!"

"In this situation, even if it's difficult to march south, we can still carve out a territory and become a hegemon!"

The words have not yet fallen.

A cold voice sounded from behind:

"Cui Ping of the Qingzhou branch of the Cui family, and Wu Liang of the Qingzhou branch of the Qinghe branch."

"Reporting to the Daoist Master, all the troops of the seven prefectures have been thoroughly investigated. All officers of the rank of Commander-in-Chief and above have proven their innocence and have no intention of betraying the country. The remaining stubborn and unrepentant have been executed!"

King Anqing turned around in surprise, but before he could speak, he saw the Zhang and Han families come out together.

"Han Cheng of the Han family of Yidu, and Zhang Zai of the Zhang family of Qiantang."

"Reporting to the Daoist Master, all the clan leaders of Qingzhou involved in the rebellion have repented and confessed their crimes, and are now in prison awaiting trial!"

"you?!"

An Qingwang felt a sweet taste in his throat, his gaze swept over, and he instantly choked—

Feng Dezheng, who was rumored to have vomited half a basin of blood and been given a century-old ginseng to prolong his life, was standing there unharmed, now stepping forward with the head of the Xing family:
“Feng Dezheng of the Feng family of Boling, and Xing Zhi of the Xing family of Qingzhou.”

"Reporting to the Daoist Master: All the land owned by the Prince of Anqing, both openly and covertly, has been thoroughly surveyed, and the three granaries of Changle, Anping, and Fushui have also been completely sealed off!"

(End of this chapter)