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

Chapter 163: Everyone's an acquaintance (4k)

I only have eyesight now; at most, I can help you solve the problem temporarily.

If you ask me anything more, there's nothing I can do!

Wang Pingzhang stared blankly in the direction Zeng Jinghong had glimpsed.

Finally, he hurriedly stood up and said:
“Nephew, your uncle has only read a few chapters of the classics, and understands nothing about the rest. You, you must help me out.”

Having witnessed such an astonishing sight, how could he not understand that his nephew's previous actions were all out of consideration for their shared surname as members of the Wang family?

The subordinate beside him grew increasingly anxious:

"My lord, what are you talking about?"

Wang Pingzhang ignored them, only pulling the richly dressed young man aside to press him for answers:
"Nephew, could you please tell your uncle what exactly happened?"

The elegantly dressed young man looked at him and smiled:
"Uncle, shouldn't you let your nephew answer first?"

"First, tell me what to do! Also, could the person I just saw be that one?"

Wang Pingzhang subconsciously swallowed and pointed to the spot where he had seen the towering fireworks earlier.

He didn't say who it was, but everyone knew he was referring to the 'evil Taoist' who was inciting unrest in the rear and plotting rebellion.

"Uncle, don't you already know?"

"I'm just unsure and wanted to get some definite information from you, my dear nephew."

Wang Pingzhang chuckled.

The elegantly dressed young man looked over there unhurriedly and smiled:

"That depends on whether you want to take a gamble, Uncle."

Gambling? Wang Pingzhang's brow twitched.

"What kind of bet?"

"The safest course of action is to go back directly and clear everything up for the General."

Wang Pingzhang shook his head decisively and said:

"If I return this time, the General will certainly not believe me, and I fear I will be severely punished!"

The elegantly dressed young man nodded and said:
"As for a gamble, it would be for you to take these five thousand cavalry and submit to that master first!"

cast?!

Just listening to it, Wang Pingzhang felt a cold sweat trickle down the back of his neck, and his face turned deathly pale. He said:

"Nephew, this...this is a matter that could cost you your head!"

Defection in the face of battle can result in anything from death to the extermination of one's entire family.

The elegantly dressed young man grasped his hand and said:
"Ah, Uncle, that's not quite right. Think about it, why would the imperial court want to suppress the evil Taoist priests who are causing trouble in the southwest?"

"Because he spreads heresies and leads the masses to rebel against the court?" Wang Pingzhang tried to say.

"So, do you think this guy here is spreading heresy and misleading the public?"

Recalling the towering fireworks he had witnessed before, Wang Pingzhang immediately shook his head and said:
"This is absolutely a living god."

He was quite certain that the one they had fought before was a charlatan who incited chaos, and this one was completely different.

The elegantly dressed young man continued:
"So do you think he led a rebellion against the imperial court?"

Wang Pingzhang continued to shake his head, saying:

"It shouldn't be."

Since he is truly a deity descended to earth, the accusation of "gathering people to refine elixirs in order to plot rebellion" naturally falls apart. How can mortals fathom the actions of immortals? He must truly be refining elixirs to save the world and benefit all living beings!

Thinking of this, Wang Pingzhang suddenly understood and looked at the elegantly dressed young man.

The other party nodded and smiled, saying:

"Uncle, look, isn't that right? We're not betraying him, we're protecting the sage on behalf of the Emperor, the court, and the people!"

"We can then claim credit with the imperial court!"

Wang Pingzhang slapped his thigh repeatedly upon hearing this:
"Oh, my dear nephew, you are truly my benefactor in this life!"

It has to be someone from the capital, from Wuyi Lane! This rhetoric is simply magical!

However, at the end, Wang Pingzhang still asked:

“But my dear nephew, I have another question.”

The elegantly dressed young man glanced at the five thousand cavalrymen and said:
"But Uncle Shi has no powerful connections; I'm worried he won't be able to win people's respect?"

Wang Pingzhang shook his head decisively and said:

“The lower-ranking soldiers don’t know the difference between truth and falsehood; they will blindly obey orders as long as they are given. As for the other officers, I, Uncle, have my own methods.”

What is that?

After taking a deep breath, Wang Pingzhang, filled with barely suppressed fear, pointed to the distant Cold Pine Mountain and said:

"That's right, that's what I just can't understand! Why was I completely oblivious before? Even the urgent reports never mentioned the towering fireworks!" His voice was extremely low, filled with deep confusion and fear. "Clearly... clearly, as far as we know, shouldn't everyone have been able to see it?"

The elegantly dressed young man didn't answer, but simply grasped his arm and said:
"Otherwise, Uncle, why do you think I would let you leave the group first?"

'Uncle, have you noticed anything amiss?'

For example, what kind of people did the general meet?

The words he hadn't understood before suddenly came to mind. Startled, Wang Pingzhang felt a chill run through his body, and cold sweat poured down his back.
-
Two young men stood before a desolate mountain, waiting quietly for something.

One of them had a sword hanging from his waist, with a black tassel. The other held a whisk.

These two were the same Taoist priests who had previously appeared before the mountain god of Xiaozhang Mountain.

Before long, they all looked to one side.

A man with stitches all over his neck was seen walking over, holding his head in his hands.

As soon as they met, the man smiled and said:
"Oh ho, I thought you righteous prodigies would disdain to be with us!"

This made the Taoist priest holding the whisk frown, and he was about to speak when his senior brother with the sword stopped him and said instead:
"Your head has already been taken from your head once, and you still can't control your tongue?"

Upon hearing this, the man's face immediately darkened, and even the neck that had been painstakingly stitched up began to ooze a thick, blood-like substance.

"It was the Palace Master of Hanqiu Palace who made the move back then. You two are merely my peers, how dare you lecture me?"

"Just telling the truth."

After a moment of silence, the man sneered:
"No wonder that even though we are all the same, you are the righteous path that everyone admires, while we are the evil that everyone despises. Your verbal skills are indeed different."

Having said that, he addressed the two of them:

"Move aside, or are you two going to open the door?"

After a moment of silence, the two Taoist priests stepped aside.

The man, supporting his head, walked to a stubborn rock.

After looking around, it suddenly opened its mouth wide and spat out an infant.

The baby cried loudly as soon as it appeared, but it only cried twice before the man casually cut it open.

Using intestines and flesh, he continuously smeared a bizarre and eerie inscription on the stubborn stone, one that was both sinister and divine.

This scene prompted the two Taoist priests to quickly lower their heads, close their eyes, and begin chanting Taoist scriptures.

Unexpectedly, the man scoffed and said:

"Stop pretending. If you really couldn't stand it, would you just stand there?" The two Taoists were instantly speechless.

After the man finished drawing, he wrote the text.

Everything before their eyes suddenly changed.

Then a figure that blotted out the sky appeared before their eyes.

Seeing this, even the arrogant man lowered his head humbly and said:

"Junior Qiu Qianhen greets Lord Sanshan!"

The two Taoist priests also followed suit and paid their respects.
"We, the two juniors, have come on behalf of our ancestor to pay our respects to the Three Mountain Lords!"

As they spoke, all three of them involuntarily looked at the temple behind the Three Mountain Lords, and then hurriedly lowered their heads, their eyes twitching uncontrollably.

The Three Mountains Temple once housed more than thirty major and minor deities.

But now, in this vast hall, only the Three Mountain Lords remain, all alone!
The golden statues of the other accompanying deities were all shattered and scattered across the ground, their limbs and fragments strewn everywhere. Even more horrifying, the fragments were covered with shocking signs of gnawing, as if they had been chewed and swallowed whole by something.
The Three Mountain Lords are great gods who have existed since ancient times. They would never be forced by great calamities and heavenly laws to the point that they need to devour their sacrifices in order to prolong their golden bodies.

So what exactly happened?

The two Taoists had some vague thoughts in their minds, but dared not delve into them.

I could only force myself to focus on the important matter at hand and say:
"King Wu Jingwei asked us to convey a message that He recently fought a fierce battle with a Taoist priest at Tiger Lair Mountain, both carrying heavy loads. Therefore, He hopes that we, and you, will continue to bear with him!"

These words elicited a sneer from the imposing figure:
"It was a joke back then, and it's still a joke now. King Wei, ha, if it weren't for his powerful elder brother, what would he be? How dare he accept the title of Beique Mountain?"

The two Taoist priests dared not speak, but Qiu Qianhen cupped his hands and said:
"Please inform the Three Mountains Lord that the divine object 'Eternity' has apparently appeared in the world, but it has been suppressed by someone using the Great Dao. Currently, unless a highly skilled person is willing to take the risk, there is probably no way to stop it!"

Upon hearing "eternity," the towering figure couldn't help but utter:
"You don't need to tell me that. I have no interest in getting involved with this stuff."

He is a deity from ancient times, so he knows better than many people what that thing really means.

These words made Qiu Qianhen sigh slightly.

The Palace Master of Hanqiu Palace currently has no way to cause trouble for the other party. He had hoped to see if the Three Mountain Lords could dismantle the great formation that had severed his arm to vent his anger, but that was also impossible.

Composing himself and showing no emotion, Qiu Qianhen continued:

"I understand, and the Ancestor also sent me to inquire about your current situation. After all, the Ancestor heard that the Taoist priest from Tiger Lair Mountain has arrived in the Southwest and intends to interfere!"

The towering figure sneered:
"Go back and tell your old fogies that as long as we proceed step by step, those mortals will turn this place into a complete mess, and the laws of Heaven will be hard to enforce. As for that Taoist priest, I have a way to deal with him."

As he spoke, He chuckled again:

"So that's why he wanted to refine pills. Turns out he wanted to use everyone's strength to refine pills to heal his injuries. Selfishness is nothing, it's always the same throughout history, but to say he'd save the Southwest is laughable. Doesn't he know that even if he refined a batch of immortal pills right now, he still couldn't harm the Southwest in the slightest?!"

The two Taoist priests asked with concern:

"May I ask, Lord Sanshan, how do you intend to deal with that Taoist priest?"

The towering figure cast a glance at them. Instantly, the two men lowered their heads in panic, sweat pouring down their faces.

After a moment, the imposing figure, satisfied, finally spoke:

“I have already arranged for the mortal army here to go. If he wants to use the power of the masses to refine pills, then we will simply use military disaster to disperse his power.”

"If all else fails, I will simply make the trip myself. In any case, once those mortals start causing trouble and killing each other, humanity will be thrown into chaos, and the world will descend into chaos as well."

At this point, the imposing figure said sarcastically:
"Ah, remember to tell that useless King Wei that I have avenged him! After all, since I injured that Taoist, he has saved me a lot of trouble."

The two Taoist priests wondered if this method was too simplistic. But since the Three Mountain Lords had said He would cover for them, they swallowed all their doubts and prepared to take their leave.

But just before they arrived, they heard the Three Mountain Lords ask them:

"Have you been using my name to command the gods?"

The two Taoist priests dared not be negligent and nodded in agreement.

"Oh, after all these years, is my reputation and esteemed position still effective?"

Upon hearing this, the Taoist priest holding the sword couldn't help but glance at his junior brother.

The other person was also looking at him.

Because they both remembered what they had said that day—that the other party seemed to be beyond the control of the Three Mountain Lords' decrees.
After a moment's hesitation, the two Taoist priests still said:

"nature!"

The imposing figure smiled even more and said:
"Hehehe, of course!"
-
At the foot of Hansong Mountain, countless disaster victims watched in horror as thousands of cavalrymen rushed towards them.

Looking at the menacing army, the refugees gathered at the foot of the mountain trembled with fear and almost fled.

But then several people shouted first:
"Fellow villagers! That damned imperial court not only refuses to provide disaster relief, but now they're going to provoke the immortals! I won't tolerate this, so if you're a man, follow me and fight them!!!"

Upon hearing this, followers flocked to him.

Countless disaster victims grabbed sticks and stones and blocked the way, intending to bite off a few pieces of flesh even if they had to.

But as the two sides drew closer, the refugees discovered that the army was slowly slowing down until it stopped a hundred paces in front of them.

Before they could figure out what was going on...

Then they saw a man who looked like a general leading a young man in fine clothes riding quickly towards them.

Upon seeing the leader, the general dismounted, cupped his hands, and said:
"Gentlemen, may I ask if the immortal is currently on the mountaintop?"

This scene left the disaster victims completely baffled.

Didn't they come here to cause trouble for the immortal?
The leader of the disaster victims asked carefully:
"May I ask, General, what brings you here?"

Wang Pingzhang was overjoyed; he had finally heard those words.

He cupped his hands in a gesture of respect towards Kyoto and said:

"This general was appointed by the imperial court as the Mingwei General and the Inspector of Yizhou. He was a fourth-rank official and came from the Beihai branch of the Langya Wang clan."

The string of terms left the disaster victims dizzy, but after a moment, they all widened their eyes in surprise.

Because he then said with a smile:

"And then, we were also sent by the imperial court to protect the immortal master as he refines elixirs!"

"A Dharma Protector?!?"

Wang Pingzhang and the elegantly dressed young man exchanged a smile and said:

“That’s right, we are here on behalf of the imperial court to protect the immortal. After all, the southwest is in chaos and the regions are unstable. Without protection, there may be hidden dangers.”

Having said that, Wang Pingzhang clapped his hands and said:
"Furthermore, this general has also brought provisions!"

When he arrived, he deliberately took a detour and took half of the grain from a military granary. At the same time, the richly dressed young man also used his shamelessness and eloquence to obtain a large amount of grain from several powerful clans who remained behind.

These are enough to relieve the immediate needs of the disaster victims and also enough to leave a good impression on the immortals.

However, as the elegantly dressed young man subtly stepped on his foot, Wang Pingzhang, realizing what had happened, quickly added with a jolt of anxiety:
"This is also the will of the imperial court and the emperor! Please remember the emperor's grace!"

That was close; we almost became victims of private disaster relief.

The disaster victims could hardly believe their eyes when they saw the food delivered by the mounted bandits behind them.

Finally, they all knelt and bowed towards Hansong Mountain, saying:

"This is all thanks to the immortal's merits!"

The disaster victims saw it clearly: without a celestial being, how could the imperial court possibly care about them?
This scene made Wang Pingzhang feel a little awkward.

The elegantly dressed young man, however, paid no attention; he simply watched with interest the towering fireworks atop Cold Pine Mountain.

I wondered, whose expert is this?

They might even be acquaintances!

(End of this chapter)