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

Chapter 175 The Test of the Heart (3k)

After tricking the eldest son of the Langya Wang clan from Wuyi Lane into becoming his granddaughter's husband.

The veteran general hurriedly spurred his horse up the mountain.

Official business could not be neglected, but as the leader of a prominent family, he certainly could not ignore family matters.

No matter where you look at it, he's right.

Because in today's world, we believe that the beauty of individual families should precede the beauty of the nation as a whole.

He wanted to hurry up the mountain, but what he saw along the way always made him lose his composure for a moment.

Because he always saw tender shoots sprouting from scorched earth and new branches emerging from withered trees.

Such miraculous phenomena are astonishing not only in this desolate southwestern region that has suffered a three-year drought, but also in other places.

What's even more amazing is that this wasn't unique to anyone, but rather it was everywhere along the way!
Both my nephew and the previous urgent report said that this immortal master was going to open a furnace to refine elixirs in order to save the southwest.

Even after seeing the towering flames, he still doubted how a single batch of elixirs could save the Southwest.

Now that he has seen all this, he has no more doubts.

The towering flames are still burning, suggesting the elixir is not yet complete.

Even so, the mountain and its surroundings are teeming with life, proving that the legend of immortals refining elixirs to save the world is no exaggeration!
Stepping over the newly sprouted moss and turning over the verdant mountain ridge, amidst the ruins of the Taoist temple, he finally saw the true form of the towering flames and also saw a green-robed immortal wearing a white jade hairpin standing in front of the roaring furnace, gently adding fuel.

Taking a deep breath, the old general dismounted, knelt on one knee, and bowed with his hands clasped:
"This humble general, Xiao Jing, is honored to be appointed by the imperial court as the General Who Guards the South and the Commander-in-Chief of the Southwest, overseeing all military and political affairs in the Southwest. Today, I was almost deceived by sorcery and wrongly harmed a loyal and virtuous man. I beg the Immortal Master to punish me!"

Du Yuan slowly turned around, looked at the old general kneeling on one knee, gazed at him for a moment, and then smiled:

"I have long admired your reputation for benevolence, General. Now that the misunderstanding has been cleared up and no one else has been harmed, why should I apologize? After all, you were just deceived."

In this whole affair, the real culprit is only the Three Mountain Lords, and if we count any more, it's those old fogies who are hiding.

What could this have to do with the veteran and his men?

They're just a bunch of pitiful people who've been manipulated.

"Thank you for your understanding, Immortal Master!"

The old general breathed a sigh of relief, a huge weight lifted from his heart. An immortal! An immortal! Before seeing him in person, who could fathom his temperament? At this moment, he felt utterly fortunate.

Du Yuan's gaze swept past the old general, then returned to the blazing alchemy furnace, finally settling on the somber sky, his smile deepening. He slowly stepped forward, extending a hand in a gesture of support:
"To be honest, I have been waiting here for the old general for quite some time."

"Is the immortal master waiting for me?"

The old general suddenly looked up, his cloudy eyes filled with astonishment. He was just a mortal who had been bewitched by sorcery; what merit did he have to make an immortal wait for him?
Du Yuan nodded and said:
"Yes, yes, I have been waiting for you for a long time."

The veteran, incredulous, cupped his hands and asked:
"May I ask, Immortal Master, what is the purpose of waiting for me?"

Du Yuan pointed to the alchemy furnace and said:
"This batch of pills is missing one crucial element for its completion. And looking across the entire southwest, only the old general himself can obtain it!"

Such a big thing?!
Du Yuan's casual remark almost knocked the veteran to the ground.

After swallowing hard, the old general asked:
"Please enlighten me, Immortal Master!"

Du Yuan first tapped the commander's seal at his waist with her fingertip, then lightly pressed it against his chest, her voice carrying a hint of solemnity:

"The severe drought in the southwest has caused countless people to suffer, which is a misfortune for the world. Therefore, I have taken grass from nine mountains, mud from ten lands, and clothing from ten thousand people to make up for what the world lacks."

"Can--"

Du Yuan, drawing out the last syllable of her voice, turned to look at the magnificent alchemy furnace and said:
"Only plants know when they wither and flourish, soil knows when it is barren and when it is fertile, and commoners hide hunger and cold; what is lacking is a kind of credibility that can make the world recognize them!"

Du Yuan looked at the old general again and said:

"You are a person appointed by the court, a confidant of the emperor. The commander's seal in your hand and the imperial edict on your chest are manifestations of the imperial dynasty's dragon vein. And this is the last breath that this pill must take."

These words were incredibly profound, and they were exactly what Du Yuan sought.

His teachings are best understood in a way that leaves the listener with a sense of partial comprehension.

The old general was naturally confused as well, and could only subconsciously remove his command seal and take out the imperial edict.

"Master, do you mean I should just throw these two in?"

Du Yuan nodded and said:
"Exactly, exactly. What this elixir lacks now is nothing more than a token. Since it is meant to save the people of the southwest, the imperial dragon vein is the best token."

But these words made the veteran break out in a cold sweat:
"Immortal Master, the dragon vein has been deposited; what should our court do now?"

How could a general like him possibly make such a decision?
As he spoke, he hurriedly asked:

"Could you please send someone to report back to the capital immediately so that His Majesty can make a decision?"

Du Yuan smiled helplessly:

"You can wait, but this pill can't."

The old general was drenched in cold sweat. He raised his hand to wipe his forehead and asked again in a trembling voice, "May I ask, Immortal Master, once the dragon vein is put into the furnace, what will happen to our dynasty?"

He was just an ordinary mortal, and although he couldn't understand the profound words of the immortals, he intuitively felt that if the dragon vein were put into the divine furnace, it would definitely not be a harmless matter.

Du Yuan looked at him and said:

"Naturally, it will harm the nation's destiny."

These few words, like a heavy hammer blow, shattered the spirits of the generals present!

This is a crime that even several of them couldn't bear to commit with their heads on it!
In an instant, many people were filled with regret—if they had known this would happen, why did they follow along and try to get some magical energy? Now they were caught in a dilemma, facing a dead end!
Not surrendering would be ignoring the plight of the southwest, a blessing from the gods. The emperor will not forgive them, nor will the people.

If they surrender, they're even more doomed; the emperor will definitely not let them off the hook!

The old general's throat bobbed with difficulty, and he asked again in a hoarse voice:
"May I ask again, Immortal Master, is there any other way?" he said in a mournful voice.
"Let the Immortal Master know that this matter truly concerns the fate of the nation, and is of paramount importance! It is not something that we, as mere officials, can decide!"

The generals beside them even knelt on the ground and said:
"Immortal, please be wise! This... this slight misstep could lead to the extermination of nine generations of your family and the execution of your entire clan!"

"Now, in the southwest, there is neither a prince to oversee things nor any royal relative to stand in the face of danger! How dare we, insignificant beings, make such a decision on behalf of the imperial family!"

Looking at them, Du Yuan shook her head and said:

"That's why I'm letting you make this decision!"

After saying that, Du Yuan said in a deep voice:

"This southwest is under the rule of your court, and the people of this southwest are also subjects of your court. If that's the case, why is it that in such a vast southwest, there isn't a single member of the imperial family or even a single heir to the throne?"

"So, General, would you be willing to personally throw yourself into the furnace?"

All the generals immediately fell silent and prostrated themselves on the ground, daring not to speak again.

The immortal is blaming the royal family; such an important event, yet not a single person has come!

No wonder the immortal lord wouldn't even give them a chance to report back to the capital; it turns out the problem lies here!

Come to think of it, if His Majesty is the Son of Heaven and cannot be touched lightly, then why is it that for such an important matter, not even a member of the royal family is willing to send a representative?

Even several princes from the southwestern region had fled to the capital long ago.
Exactly, exactly. They really wouldn't dare to make such a big decision with their entire family's lives on their own.

The emperor may not say anything now, but who can predict what will happen in the future?
If one day someone tries to figure out the Emperor's thoughts and impeaches them, their entire family will lose their heads!

Just as they were lamenting, a general suddenly had a thought, and then his throat bobbed as he looked at the imperial edict and the towering furnace behind the immortal.

If the furnace fire reaches the heavens, doesn't that mean the merit of saving the people of the southwest will also reach the heavens?!
Then, the southwest was abandoned by their royal family themselves. Does this mean the immortals are saying that their royal destiny has been lost? Are they now letting them sever this dragon vein?

Once this idea takes root, it grows wildly like weeds and can no longer be suppressed.

Throughout history, who among those who aspire to the throne does not seek legitimacy? Whether it is acting on behalf of Heaven, expanding territory, or pacifying the land.

Even the founding emperors of dynasties throughout history would always, intentionally or unintentionally, exaggerate their extraordinary origins and divine mandate after achieving their goals.

But if we really talk about it, which dynasty's legitimacy can surpass the will of Heaven? Which emperor's destiny can surpass that of a true immortal?

Besides, it's a dead end no matter what, so why not do something that benefits both the people and yourself?

There are hundreds of thousands of elite troops at the foot of the mountain, and countless ordinary people outside the mountain have witnessed the divine power!
With a surge of emotion welling up within him, the general hurriedly said to the old general:

"General, let us follow the will of Heaven!"

The other generals were all stunned upon hearing this: Are you crazy?
Seeing his excited expression, everyone's heart skipped a beat, but they quickly came to their senses—

That's precisely why I'm letting you make this decision!

'So, would the old general be willing to throw himself into the furnace?'

The immortal lord offended the royal family for disrespecting the southwest, and thus gave us the opportunity to rise up in accordance with Heaven's will!

"General, surrender! Surrender! Everyone will submit to you!"

"Yes, General, let's surrender!"

Who wouldn't want to contribute to the cause of supporting the emperor?
Who wouldn't want a destiny bestowed upon them?
The old general was initially confused as well. Why did you all suddenly change your tune?
But when he turned around and saw the hunger in their eyes, how could this veteran not understand the key point?
This made him tremble as he looked at the imperial edict and seal in his hand.

Once the dragon vein of the previous dynasty is severed, won't the dragon vein of the new dynasty rise from it?!

Me, me, someone like me, can become emperor?!
Yes, why not?
I have seen immortals, I wield great military power, and I have the Langya Wang clan as my allies.

I have compassion for the people, I am rooted in the midst of disaster, how am I not more in accordance with the will of Heaven than that emperor who can only sit in the capital?
The old general's breathing became heavy, and his body began to tremble.

Just as he was about to get up, he suddenly caught sight of the disaster victims huddled together beside him, who were still glancing at them.

The figure, after many days of calamity, was no longer human-like, but because of the immortal's presence, it still held a sliver of hope and was not completely numb.

In an instant, all the old general's desires vanished.

I have seen countless disaster victims. I came here to do my utmost to prevent the ravages of war from spreading to other areas. Under such circumstances, how can I let the people continue to suffer?
After exhaling a distinctly foul breath.

The old general presented the commander's seal and imperial edict with both hands, saying:
"I beg you, Immortal Master, to throw yourself into the divine furnace. I will bear all the consequences."

These words startled the generals behind him, who all cried out in astonishment:

"General?!"

You gave it to the immortal lord to cast, then, what about your destiny, and our following the dragon?
The old general lowered his head and said:
"Stop torturing the people. Rest assured, I am the only one here today, and you are completely unaware of this matter!"

Although the generals were unwilling, they dared not act rashly in front of the immortal.

They could only sigh and lower their heads.

Unexpectedly, at that moment, they all heard Du Yuan say something to them:
"Only then can this elixir be considered truly complete!"

Everyone looked up in astonishment and saw the immortal who had received the imperial edict and seal of command looking at them with a nod and a smile.

In an instant, all sorts of stories I had heard, whether intentionally or unintentionally, came to mind.

'Immortals descend to earth to help people, often setting up obstacles and difficulties. Only those who undergo great trials and tribulations to reveal their pure hearts can attain this destiny!'

Was that just a test from the immortal master?!
If we had done what we were thinking, wouldn't we have not only lost our destiny, but also lost the elixir of immortality?
In an instant, all the generals felt as if they had been pulled out of the water, completely soaked.

The old general himself almost collapsed.

The immortal's test of the heart truly reveals that great terror lies hidden in the smallest details!
(End of this chapter)