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

Chapter 189 Do you think I'm blind?! (6k)

The old man couldn't understand why he had ended up like this when he was doing good deeds.

Outside the shrine, thick smoke seemed to be rising but had not yet risen.

The cracked firewood, scorched by the blazing sun on the mountaintop, was frantically piled up around the shrine by the disaster victims.

The man hid behind the crowd, a mocking smile playing on his lips, his eyes filled with a pure, almost admiring malice.

That would be good.

Without the extraordinary abilities of a Bodhisattva, what makes you think you can become one?

Once upon a time, he was also an unparalleled genius, and could have escaped into the great formation with his old man at home to withstand the great calamity of heaven and earth!

How could things have come to this, ending up defeated and reborn to start all over again? Bloodline withered, talent destroyed, cultivation ruined, everything reduced to nothing!
In fact, if it weren't for the old man's fondness for him in the past, according to his own father's thinking, he, as an 'outsider,' probably wouldn't even have been able to keep what he has now.

Come to think of it, since I have his bloodline and can pass on my seed to him, of course I should take it to heart.

But now, to be honest, he is nothing more than a bastard child who has some memories of his son!

He didn't hate his father for thinking that way; if it were him, he would have been even more ruthless.

He hated that corrupt scholar who tried to ruin his great cause when disaster was imminent!
He was just one city away! Just one blood sacrifice away! His cultivation would then be enough to cross that threshold and qualify him for the tribulation!

But, but, but that beast actually said something like, even if a great calamity is about to befall us, you can't take people's lives!

Not only did it extinguish his last chance to carry out the massacre and blood sacrifice, but it also traded his life for his life, completely crushing him and leaving him no room for maneuver!

This remains his hatred to this day.

Therefore, he wished he could devour the flesh and sleep on the skin of these so-called "good people"!

As he watched the old man's willow-twig defenses shrink and tremble in despair, the smile on his lips grew increasingly ferocious, almost splitting to his ears.

Yes, yes, yes, that's exactly how these self-proclaimed righteous people should be!
They should be torn to shreds by the very ants they desperately protect! That would be the most "elegant" sight!

"Light it! Burn this bloodsucking monster!" The man's seductive voice rang out again!
The disaster victims were also driven to utter madness.

Burn it!

"Let it reveal its true form!"

Several torches soaked in inferior grease were raised high, then traced several grotesque arcs in the air.

"Ugh……"

From inside the shrine, only an old and heavy sigh could be heard, as if the last bit of life had been exhausted.

boom!
Flames erupted like a ferocious beast! A wave of heat, thick with smoke, surged toward the shrine!

The old man's golden statue inside the shrine trembled violently, and the barrier made of willow branches shook violently.

He was not a particularly powerful deity to begin with, and for many days he had been risking the destruction of his golden body in his search for water.

At this moment, facing this fierce fire tainted with worldly resentment and naturally suppressing the water element, one feels as if the outer skin is being branded with a hot iron, while the inside feels as if it has fallen into a bottomless ice cave.

After taking one last look at the furious disaster victims outside, the old man shook his head and looked back at his hometown.

My thoughts drifted back to the past.

He remembered that he was just a fisherman who was good at swimming at the beginning.

So how did I come to be revered as the water god of Yishui Lake?

Ah, I remember now, it's because when I was young, I saved two children from drowning.
On the wet bank, the child's parents could be heard thanking him repeatedly, their voices trembling with sobs and their words incoherent.

Those few cries of "Thank you, benefactor! Thank you, benefactor!" seemed to have taken root in my heart like seeds.

Since then, he seemed to have taken root, silently guarding the lakeside, year after year, rescuing people who had fallen into the water and were on the verge of death from the deep underworld back to the human world.

……

Now, engulfed in flames, its golden body is shattered.

The old man sat alone by the fire, a thought rising silently with icy chill, filled with a chilling irony:

Perhaps from the very beginning.
I shouldn't have saved him.

The man's lips curled into a smile, the disaster victims cheered wildly, and the old man closed his eyes and awaited death.

Just then, a thunderous roar shattered everything!
"Asshole!!!"

The fire exploded instantly, and the flames were extinguished.

A violent shockwave, carrying smoke, dust, and debris, swept outwards! The disaster victims who had been cheering and jumping for joy just a moment ago were swept away like withered leaves in a gale, tumbling and rolling on the ground.

Everyone was dizzy and lightheaded, their ears were ringing, their legs were trembling, and they didn't even have the strength to get up. All that remained was a deep-seated fear and confusion—what had happened?!

When the smoke cleared, a figure in a fluttering blue robe stood firmly before the shrine.

Looking at this group of fools, Du Yuan flew into a rage and swung her sleeve.

"Utterly foolish, he deserves to be punished!"

The groaning and screaming disaster victims on the ground were instantly thrown several meters away like rolling gourds! Screams, cries of alarm, and the muffled thuds of bodies hitting the ground instantly replaced the previous frenzied noise, leaving the scene in complete chaos!
Looking at the mess everywhere, and that man in the blue robe.

The man, who had been supporting his head and neck, gave a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth, then silently turned around, intending to escape.

But as soon as he took a step, he heard a chilling question:
"You think you can escape?!"

The man's clothes were instantly soaked with cold sweat.

He never expected to run into this guy in such a godforsaken place!

After stiffly turning his head, he felt a tremendous force coming from him. The next moment, the people in the shrine who were just a hundred steps away instantly appeared in front of him.

He himself was also knocked down in a sorry state by that enormous force.

Two thuds sounded one after the other.

The many disaster victims who were still wailing on the ground were suddenly filled with fright and screams.

Because they saw that the man's head had been separated from his body!
"Murder, murder!"

They had fled from war and were used to seeing dead people, but they had never seen such a horrifying way of dying!
However, before the cries of alarm could spread, the disaster victims, having witnessed what happened next, were like ducks with their throats choked, choking back all sound and only able to hiss incessantly—

The man groped for his own head, picked it up, and then, holding it in his arms, stood up and, incredibly, put it back on exactly as it was!
"Junior Qiu Qianhen greets the Great Master!"

The man bowed respectfully to Du Yuan with meticulous care.

Looking at the thing in front of her, Du Yuan shouted angrily:
"Look what you've done!"

Unexpectedly, upon hearing this, the man scoffed:
"Great Master, please don't blame me entirely. In the end, I only said a few extra words. If we're really talking about it, it's these fools who brought this upon themselves!"

"After all, it was they who doubted their savior, they were the ones who started the fire, and they were the ones who tried to smash the shrine of the wild god! I may have made a mistake, but their mistake is far more serious than mine!"

"After all, they are ungrateful and blind to good fortune. How can I compare to them?"

Upon hearing this, the disaster victims could hardly believe their eyes when they saw that familiar face.

"You, you're the person from last night? You lied to us?!" They were terrified, their voices trembling.

The man found it very amusing, and then pointed at them and said:
"If the Great Master wishes to kill or torture me, I will have no objection. But are you really going to let these ungrateful beasts go?"

The disaster victims felt as if they had fallen into an ice cave, their hearts filled with despair.

It’s over! It's all over now!

Du Yuan, however, angrily retorted:

Do you think I don't understand that you're the one distorting cause and effect, trying to sow discord and mislead people?!

The disaster victims are foolish and disgusting, but if we really talk about it, isn't it you who have reversed cause and effect and caused chaos in people's hearts that are the most unforgivable?
The man's face immediately froze, while Du Yuan looked at the group of disaster victims who were still slumped on the ground, bewildered and uneasy.

Looking around, Du Yuan's eyes showed even more deep sorrow and indignation, and then she questioned sharply:

"You fools! Open your eyes and see clearly! In this great drought, who is it that spares no effort, even at the cost of their own life force, to find you water to save your lives? And who is it that hides in the shadows, using their clever tongue to provoke you into destroying your own path to survival?!"

The disaster victims lowered their heads in panic, not daring to look at Du Yuan or the shrine that Du Yuan was protecting behind her.

It was both fear and shame.

Du Yuan's anger had not subsided, and her words were like daggers to the heart:
"If he were truly a monster that harms people, why would he need to provide water? Wouldn't it be easier to just watch you die of thirst? And when you were so ungrateful and wanted to smash his temple and burn yourselves, why did he only bind you and not harm you?!"

"Even now, he's still worried about not hurting you ungrateful bastards!"

Du Yuan arrived just as they began burning the shrine. Although she hadn't seen anything before, she could basically guess everything from the words shouted by the disaster victims in their anger.

Du Yuan stepped forward, her finger almost touching the noses of the trembling disaster victims:

"You keep accusing him of sucking your blood and flesh! Then look around! After drinking the water given by this 'monster,' who among you has died?! Who has fallen ill?! If it weren't for this little bit of sweet rain that has kept you alive, who among you would have survived until now?! And who among you has the strength to move this damned firewood!"

"Speak up!!!"

After being berated by Du Yuan, someone finally couldn't help but cry out:

"Immortal Master, please forgive me! This old man was confused! This old man was confused! It was us... it was us who were blinded by nonsense!"

The wailing was like a dam breaking, instantly shattering the defenses of the disaster victims. Sobs, repentance, and kowtowing blended together, leaving only despair and regret amidst the chaos of the crowd that had been shouting "exorcise the demon" just moments before.

They kept kowtowing and bowing to Du Yuan and the shrine, not daring to look at the now-blackened shrine again.

Du Yuan was absolutely furious. In this world, it's already difficult to be a good person.

But you are so incapable of distinguishing right from wrong that you cause pain to your loved ones and joy to your enemies!

Indeed, of all evils in the world, folly is the worst!
After a cold snort, Du Yuan waved her hand and shouted:
"You all should just stay here and think about it yourselves!"

After saying that, Du Yuan finally turned her gaze back to the man.

The man named Qiu Qianhen's lips twitched a few times, then he straightened his back without hesitation.

"Since we've run into you, Grand Master, this junior has nothing more to say!"

Evil cannot prevail over good. Since I, the evil one, have encountered the true righteous path, I have no one to blame but myself for being killed.

If you have to blame someone, blame yourself for not being capable enough, for not having the ability to outwit the devil.

Therefore, he directly supported his neck and stretched it out, saying:
"We beg you, Great Master, to give us a quick death!"

Du Yuan sneered:

"Heh, you've got a good idea!" Du Yuan said, looking at the man.
"You've been to Deer Town, haven't you?"

The man's heart sank suddenly, and an ominous premonition quickly rose from the bottom of his heart. A trace of panic also appeared in his eyes: "What do you mean by this, Great Master?"

The fifty gold coins from Luzhen caused him a great loss.

But compared to those, it was the completely incomprehensible array formation mastery that truly terrified him.

"Hmph, you use your wicked tongue to sow discord and confuse people. If you are to be punished, then you should start from there."

After speaking, Du Yuan pointed her fingers like a sword and drew a line in the air, and a character '禁' (forbidden) suddenly took shape with flowing strokes.

"go with!"

Before the words were even finished, the word "forbidden" had already transformed into a golden thread that pierced the man's throat.

"Ugh—!" Qiu Qianhen felt a sudden tightness in his throat, as if he were being strangled by an invisible iron clamp, all his voice was completely locked, leaving only futile hissing sounds.

Du Yuan ignored his futile struggle and took out four merit coins from the small seal with a wave of her hand.

“In the past, I used my alchemy to conjure fifty gold-refined copper coins as a protective charm, which I placed in Deer Town. Now that you have witnessed my abilities, today I will use this same power to painstakingly create a cage for you as well!”

"Then go to the depths of that lake, day and night, drink your fill of the bitterness of drought, eat soil and swallow sand, vomit silt and return to dust! Wait until the sins in your mouth are wiped away along with the filth of this lake, until the lake is once again filled with clear waves, and then we can discuss other matters!"

Qiu Qianhen finally tasted fear. He had thought it would just be a matter of heads rolling and revenge being served. But he never imagined that endless imprisonment and torture awaited him! How could he not be afraid?
He wanted to argue, but his voice had already been silenced.

He couldn't utter a single word.

He could only watch, hissing and groaning, as Du Yuan transformed the four Yin Virtue Coins into gold, then asked from his face to his back:

"So, does Your Excellency have anything else to say?"

Is it asking me? No, it's asking about what's behind me?
Old man!?

Even though he knew that the old man couldn't afford to offend this Taoist master, Qiu Qianhen still harbored a sliver of hope and expectation.

What if?
He turned around with all his might, but saw no one; only a sigh-like response pierced the silence:
"I have nothing to say!"

Qiu Qianhen's eyes went blank for a moment. Had the old man given up on him?

Before that sigh had even faded, he heard another whisper, carrying a sense of helplessness that seemed to have pierced through the ages:
"You really aren't him."

Why am I not him?!

Qiu Qianhen felt as if his heart was being fried in oil and on fire, and then he flew into a rage. If you don't want to provoke powerful enemies for me, a stranger with whom you have severed blood ties, fine, but why bother with all this nonsense?

How could I not be myself?!

"You're still scared, you regret it."

As soon as those words were spoken, Qiu Qianhen stopped struggling.

The reason why Qiu Qianhen was able to become a world-renowned genius in the past was not only because of his exceptional talent that appears only once every thousand years, but also because of his unwavering and resolute character that never wavered even in the face of death.

Compared to the so-called talent that was not uncommon in the last rainbow before the great calamity, his temperament was the true "talent" that made him stand out from his peers.

The "he" before us has long since lost that edge.

With that long sigh, he finally remembered the last part of the memory he had seen—that Qiu Qianhen didn't actually hate that pedantic scholar for ruining his plans; he even felt that it was his fate and regretted that such a genius had actually exchanged his life with this devil.

The one who truly couldn't forget this and was filled with envy and hatred was this modern man.
Because he felt that it was himself, he hated that pedantic scholar for ruining his great cause.

Perhaps that's why my father disliked me so much. All I have now is for the old man to want to see more of me?
The four coins in Du Yuan's hand transformed into streaks of light and flew out, landing in the four directions of the lake: east, west, south, and north.

At that moment, the man lost his footing and fell straight into the dark mud. When he struggled to lift his head, he found himself trapped in the swamp, his eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and entire body covered in sticky black soil, unable to break free no matter how he twisted and turned.

Even more so, the more likely they are to be swept away by mud, choking them until they are neither alive nor dead.

Qiu Qianhen finally realized just how utterly defeated he had become.

He prides himself on being a former prodigy, but in reality, he's still the same mediocre 'Fang Xiaohu' who spends his days petty theft and stealing.

But it was all just a fleeting dream, and yet they became so arrogant. They truly deserved this fate.
After dealing with Qiu Qianhen, Du Yuan spoke again to the void:

"The matter between me and you all will not end here. There will be many days to come, and I will settle accounts with you all slowly!"

The voice no longer carried the previous sense of loss, even though it knew it was no match for this Taoist master.

He still smiled and said:

"The outcome is still uncertain, so please don't be arrogant, True Lord!"

Those crammed into the southwest are far more than just them.

Everyone is holding their breath. Even if you have a high level of cultivation, can you really challenge the Southwest all by yourself?
Du Yuan said with her hands behind her back:
"Then let's wait and see!"

"Hehe, this old man is waiting!"

After saying that, Du Yuan knew that the other party had left.

After glancing down at the group of still bewildered and uneasy disaster victims, Du Yuan couldn't help but shake her head.

Such is the hatred of fools: their sins do not warrant death, yet they are exceptionally repulsive.

Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly heard another long sigh from beside him.

Following the sound, they saw the elderly man in brocade robes trembling as he stepped down from the blackened shrine, approaching step by step, and bowing deeply to Du Yuan:
"Immortal Master," the old man's face, as ashen like the shrine itself, glanced at the group of refugees. His gaze caused them to lower their heads further, cowering in fear. "Immortal Master, please have mercy and release them! After all..."

The old man's voice was hoarse with weariness.

"In the end, they were just a group of pitiful people driven to the brink by this great disaster."

Du Yuan frowned as she looked at the old man, who bowed even more earnestly. In the end, Du Yuan remained silent, only waving to the group of disaster victims.

The disaster victims were immediately relieved and fled in panic.

Once there was no one else around, Du Yuan spoke to the old man:
"They are ultimately indebted to fate. You may beg me to let it go, but destiny will not. If they return to apologize and make amends in the future, they may be able to escape the wrath of fate. Otherwise, they will truly have brought this upon themselves!"

"And I might be too harsh in anger or too lenient in pity, but Heaven will not be so! What is meant to be will be, and there is no escaping it!"

Du Yuan deliberately waited until the disaster victims left before saying these words.

Since it was their own foolishness that created this karmic debt, they must come to their own realization.

This isn't even something I figured out myself; it's just the most basic principle.

If they can remember, return, or repay the debt of life and the consequences of betrayal in some other way, then it is certainly not too late to mend the fence after the sheep are lost.

Du Yuan was pleased, and so was God.

Conversely, if things go wrong, then don't blame God for making someone pay for this karmic retribution from somewhere else.

You must know, the God of this world has eyes!

This was the most gratifying thing for Du Yuan since he arrived. He even mentioned it himself to prevent any unforeseen circumstances.

This time, there's no escaping it.

Even though God is clearly watching, why do these evil and crooked people keep emerging?

After hearing this, the old man did not speak, but only glanced wistfully at the deserted wilderness.

Then came another long sigh.

Du Yuan didn't say anything more, but simply took half a step back and bowed respectfully to the old man, saying:

"Sir, you possess a noble heart; please accept my bow!"

This is a truly good person, worthy of respect from everyone.

As soon as the bow was finished, the old man felt a warmth all over his body. He was then surprised to find that his golden body, which had been severely damaged and was almost dim, was not only rapidly recovering, but its radiance was even more profound and solid than before!
At the same time, the dilapidated shrine behind him was also restored to its original state!
The old man was so shocked by what he saw that he could not describe it.

Du Yuan finally revealed a hearty smile:
"It's not like good people go unrewarded!"

The old man then seemed to wake from a dream and hurriedly bowed deeply to Du Yuan:

"Immortal, your kindness is deeply appreciated!"

Du Yuan reached out and helped the old man up, then said:
"You don't need to do that, it's nothing."

Du Yuan's original intention was to perform the investiture ceremony for the old gentleman, but at the last minute she remembered that she could only be appointed as the Mountain God.
This made him feel a pang of guilt.

Fortunately, the old gentleman was an extremely content person. He was overjoyed by this change alone.

Like a child who has received a new and exciting toy, he would stroke the newly renovated shrine one moment and examine the newly gleaming statue the next, his eyes brimming with undisguised joy.

As Du Yuan watched, the corners of her mouth involuntarily curved upwards.

Just as I was about to speak, I suddenly saw the old man turn around and say to me:

"With your help today, Immortal Master, I will be able to save even more people in the future!!!"

The old man's words were entirely true.

Because it came out spontaneously, from the bottom of my heart.

Upon hearing this, Du Yuan was taken aback, a hint of surprise appearing in her eyes:

"You still plan to continue rescuing disaster victims along the way?"

The old man was taken aback at first, wondering why he had asked such a question. Then, he suddenly realized and lowered his head, saying:

"To be honest, I have been pondering this for a while now, wondering if I was wrong from the very beginning," the old man said, raising his head and looking at Du Yuan with clear eyes. "But at the last moment, didn't I meet you?"

He pointed at Du Yuan, his face bearing the most genuine and simple smile of an ordinary person:

"The Immortal Master must have seen the small good deeds I have accumulated to be willing to lend a helping hand. This proves that I am not wrong! The ones who are wrong are those who have gone astray, and this difficult time!"

"In that case, I will certainly continue to rescue the people along the way!"

Du Yuan felt something stuck in his heart. He had a lot to say, but he couldn't get the words out.

However, one thing is for sure: this is definitely not discomfort.

After a long silence, Du Yuan cupped her hands in greeting to the old man and said:

"Please believe me, sir, that I will definitely return to give you a surprise!"

(End of this chapter)