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

Chapter 127 Two More Taoist Priests Arrive
Before the shrine, everyone was filled with awe, their hearts pounding with emotion.

Only when Du Yuan called for everyone to go back and rest did the villagers reluctantly disperse, turning back every few steps, still marveling at the various wonders they had just witnessed.

As for Du Yuan, before she even returned to her lodgings, the young heroes were already vying to give up their rooms.

Du Yuan did not refuse; she nodded slightly in thanks and then checked in without hesitation.

Only a few young heroes remained, and they gathered in the main room, unable to contain their excitement, and talked all night long.

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking.

Then a chivalrous man, carrying the breakfast carefully prepared by the house owner, stood respectfully outside Du Yuan's room to invite her.

She called softly several times, but there was no sound from inside the room.

The swordsman dared not speak again and could only hold his breath and retreat.

By mid-morning, they still hadn't seen Du Yuan. Feeling uneasy, they finally mustered their courage and came again.

Seeing that the house was still quiet, the group hurriedly asked the homeowner to open the door.

The room was bright and clean, with the bedding neatly folded, but it was long since empty and deserted.

Seeing this, the heroes who had been anxiously waiting in the front hall looked at each other in bewilderment. After a long while, one of them clapped his hands and sighed:

"Truly a living deity, appearing and disappearing like a dragon! If it weren't for our special connection, how could we have met such a master?"

The others also deeply agreed, and sighed with regret:
"Yes! History books say that emperors throughout history sought immortality and Taoist practices in their later years. But..."

He glanced around at his companions, then looked at the room where a true immortal had stayed the previous night, and said:

"Countless dynasties have risen and fallen, and countless kings, nobles, generals, and ministers have emerged. But let alone seeking immortality, it's likely that not a single one has even met a true master!"

Another rebuttal stated:

"But I remember reading in the book that wise rulers throughout history were accompanied by unusual phenomena!"

The others immediately found it amusing:

"If that's true, how come there isn't a single monarch over a hundred years old? It's just that historians are embellishing the royal family to glorify them."

The emperor, the emperor, they used to truly revere, but now that they have seen the real immortal, they suddenly realize that he is nothing more than a mortal who flatters himself every day.

Otherwise, how come you, the emperor, either die young or pass away in your prime? Not to mention living past a hundred years, there are very few monarchs who even reach their eighties.

At this point, they were even more amazed that people like themselves could have such a fortunate destiny!

This is a blessing that even the emperor doesn't have!

"Then what do we do next?"

One companion spoke up curiously, while another picked up the precious jade and said:

"Of course, I'm going back to teach that damn bastard a lesson!"

Everyone nodded immediately.

They all turned around and prepared to go home, and give that tomb-robbing bastard a good beating.

Just as they reached the doorway, they saw two young Taoist priests standing with their hands behind their backs in the light.

The crowd stopped in their tracks and turned to look at the two Taoist priests.

The leading Taoist priest had gentle features, and a black tassel hung from his waist, with a copper bell dangling from the tip of the tassel. The other priest lowered his eyes and played with a whisk in his hand.

Both men were handsome and refined, with extraordinary bearing.

The young heroes, who had experienced the turmoil of the previous night, dared not be negligent and immediately bowed in respect:
"Greetings, young Taoist priests. May I ask your teachers?" The leader bowed slightly and said.
"Meeting by chance is fate; a nod and a greeting are enough to form a good connection. Why bother with such things?"

The heroes said no more, nodded in acknowledgment, and prepared to leave.

As they passed by the two Taoist priests, the one who had been fiddling with his whisk with his head down suddenly said:
“You are covered in something unclean.”

The heroes immediately stopped in their tracks.

The man also lowered his head and smiled, saying:

"Ha, they actually listened to me. I've seen a couple of similar cases before, but none of them were worth my help, since they didn't trust me at all."

He was about to offer these "sensible" individuals some advice when one of them suddenly pulled a jade pendant from his robes and asked:

"Is that what you meant, young Taoist priest?"

The Taoist priest's gaze sharpened, and his brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.

"You actually know that? If you know, why do you carry it with you? If I'm not mistaken, this is most likely a funerary object that was recently buried and then looted. Even if the deceased doesn't come looking for you, he will surely be plagued by bad luck and suffer many troubles in the future."

The other party said with even brighter eyes:
"You noticed it too? Then, can you tell from which direction it was stolen?"

Upon hearing this, the Taoist priest was both amused and annoyed. A hint of arrogance flashed across his brows as he shook his head and said:
"Given time, not only will it be easy for me to figure out the direction from which it was stolen, but it will also be easy for me to figure out where and when it was stolen."

"However, at this time of year, those who can still walk in the world, in terms of eyesight, are at most at the level of this humble Taoist! Therefore, if you wish to avert disaster and return this cursed object to its rightful place—go find the person who gave you this jade pendant!"

But the few heroes became even more excited.

"I never expected that immortal master to be so powerful!"

Um? What the hell?
The leading Taoist priest raised an eyebrow slightly and immediately asked:
"Judging from what you all are saying, you have met other cultivators before?"

Have people arrived ahead of time?
Are they mountain people or those arrogant but incompetent gods?

Although the heroes were increasingly impressed by Du Yuan's skill, they dared not neglect these two even more.

This is a highly accomplished person, just like the immortal!
They hurriedly cupped their hands and said:
“Little Immortal Master, you may not know this, but last night we also met an immortal here. That immortal not only revealed the origin of this thing, but also let us know that we were deceived and did not follow along to harm the good people.”

"This immortal even appointed Elder Zhang as the Mountain God of Xiao Zhang Mountain last night!"

Conferred God?

Was it snatched away?

Upon hearing this, the two Taoist priests' faces immediately turned ugly.

Xiao Zhang Mountain is not a famous mountain, and the old man is not a particularly prominent person.

But in the current situation, it is quite suitable!
I even heard my master say that this was related to a power struggle between their sect and another group of people.

Therefore, once their innate wisdom was retrieved, the Patriarch couldn't wait for them to cultivate anything further before urgently ordering them to come back.

In other words, their master felt sorry for them, so he used his own blood essence to combine with a piece of Kunwu copper and a piece of Taodu wood to forge a magical artifact for each of them.

Combined with the magical artifacts they left behind, they certainly wouldn't be invincible, but they could definitely protect themselves.

But now.
How did things go wrong at the most crucial point?
After exchanging a glance, the two Taoist priests turned to the leader and asked:

"May I ask, did that person leave any trace at the door last night?"

The heroes shook their heads helplessly and said:

"The Immortal Master never said any of this, and we don't even know his name!"

(End of this chapter)