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

Chapter 228 Crossing the River (6k)

"Why are you silent again?"

Du Yuan's fingertips hovered over the tile, inwardly chuckling at the deity's eccentric temperament. He didn't press further, simply following the prompt of the earlier voice, reaching out to lift the third tile from the left. Sure enough, as the deity had said, there was nothing underneath, saving him considerable effort.

"It really is empty. Thank you for reminding me, fellow Daoist."

This time, upon hearing Du Yuan express her gratitude, that voice finally rang out again, its tone subtly rising a few notches, brimming with undisguised smugness:

"Hmph, of course! Don't they know whose territory this is!"

Hearing this barely concealed boast, Du Yuan couldn't help but smile, tapping her fingertips lightly on the tile, teasingly saying:

"Since this is your territory, why are you being imprisoned here?"

Upon hearing this, the voice suddenly stopped, and it took a long pause before the words finally came out, though the awkwardness in the tone couldn't be hidden:

"Don't underestimate me just because I'm a little inconvenient now! If we're really talking about who made me look like this, the guy who did it is definitely in a much worse state than me—he's probably already rotting in some dark corner!"

The last few words were spoken quickly and urgently, as if afraid that if he hesitated even a little, he would reveal his weakness, just like a cat with its fur standing on end but still stubbornly refusing to admit defeat.

Du Yuan found it increasingly amusing and stopped teasing, simply burying herself in her work.

This is much bigger than the project in Qingzhou.

Seeing that Du Yuan was focused on breaking the seal, the voice also dropped its earlier embarrassment and patiently guided Du Yuan step by step:

"The second column from the left, the third piece counting from the bottom, there's a gap underneath, lift that one first!"

Just as Du Yuan had thought, this was a huge project, and progress was very slow.

And it was incredibly grueling, looking at the temple that was mostly broken open.

Du Yuan couldn't help but shake her wrists; a soreness she hadn't felt since arriving had spread across her hands.

Just as he was about to bend down to continue, the voice rang out again, tinged with a slightly incoherent stutter:
"The third column from the right, the fifth one from the top—that brick is thin, lift it carefully, don't cut your hand. By the way, did you sigh just now? Take a rest if you're tired, I'm not rushing you!"

Instead of removing tiles, Du Yuan started lifting bricks, and after prying open another brick, she teased:

"Why are you suddenly concerned about me, fellow Daoist? Are you worried that if I hurt my hand, no one will be able to rescue you?"

"Who, who cares about you!" The voice suddenly snapped, losing its previous harshness, and ended with a hint of doubt, even from the speaker himself. "I was worried you're clumsy and might break the bricks, blocking the gaps, making it even harder to dismantle later."

Du Yuan rested briefly on the ruins of the temple, the incessant murmur of her attempts to find a solution still lingering in her ears:

"This seal of mine is inherently difficult to break. If it were anyone else, they probably wouldn't even be able to find a single tile with a gap in it after half a day. You're lucky, with me here to guide you."

As she spoke, her voice gradually faded, as if she had lost her strength. After a long while, she added, barely a whisper:

"Does your hand hurt? With your current level of skill, it's probably been many years since you've endured this kind of exertion, right?"

What's this, being arrogant?
Du Yuan listened with amusement. The injury on her hand was a bit troublesome at first, but it healed on its own very quickly.

"It doesn't hurt. I just didn't expect that you, fellow Daoist, would feel sorry for people."

"Who cares about you!" The voice suddenly rose and then quickly fell back down, with a hint of panic as it tried to cover up its embarrassment. "I... I was just worried that you'd be in too much pain to work and that would keep me from getting out. Yes, that's it! I was just worried that you'd keep me from getting out of here! Hurry up and rest enough, or it'll be dark by the time you get back to work!"

Looking at the setting sun, Du Yuan suddenly asked:

"How long have you been trapped here, fellow Daoist?"

The sound fell silent instantly, leaving only the whistling of the wind. Du Yuan waited a while before hearing her say nonchalantly:
"I don't remember either."

Du Yuan frowned slightly and said:
"Has it been this long?"

"Mind your own business!" the voice retorted defiantly, though it couldn't hide its lack of confidence. "I am a god, I don't care about these things! When I get out, I'll definitely tear that bastard's territory apart and let him taste what it's like to be trapped! No, that guy is definitely dead already, so I'm going to take over all his temples!"

Du Yuan suppressed a laugh, squatted down again, and placed her finger on the thin brick she had mentioned, saying:
"Alright, once you leave, you can take over whose territory you want. But for now, I'd like to trouble you for some pointers: which brick should we lift next?"

The voice immediately perked up, though the guiding tone softened considerably: "It's...it's over there. Take your time, don't panic. I'm watching, it can't be wrong."

The human and the god worked together, slowly dismantling the seal that had bound them for countless years as dusk fell.

Following the voice's guidance, Du Yuan moved aside the last obstructing bluestone, and the yellow earth in front of her suddenly collapsed, revealing the entire temple hidden inside.

This temple was a whole size larger than the temple of my friend in Qingzhou. Even though the beams were mottled and the bricks and tiles were broken, the remaining patterns on the carved railings still revealed an even greater luxury.

However, recalling the thunderous tribulation that had been triggered when the mountain was moved, Du Yuan still felt that this temple was somewhat unworthy of such an earth-shattering event.

"What are you looking at? Let me tell you, don't be fooled by this small place, this is a very, very important place!"

Du Yuan chuckled. She naturally didn't believe a word she said.

Then he began to search for the direction from which the sound came, and finally locked his gaze on an altar that also had only half a destroyed statue.

After looking at it for a while, Du Yuan said with a hint of helplessness:

"Fellow Daoist, why are your incense burner and offering table gone?"

Previously in Qingzhou, his friend's temple, though small, still had an offering table and incense burner. But this one was different; not only was the entire temple buried in the yellow earth, but in the end, only half a statue of a god and a bare altar remained.

"Mind your own business!" But after a moment, the voice muttered a few more words of explanation, "I was fighting too fiercely with that bastard back then, and I was badly injured. I didn't have time to protect these things. Anyway, that guy's temple is definitely in a worse state than mine. It might be gone by now!"

"Let me tell you, I went all out with that last move!" As if afraid Du Yuan wouldn't believe her, she added, her tone full of certainty, "Even if that guy didn't die, he was definitely in a much worse state than me!"

Du Yuan nodded obediently:
"Yes, definitely."

Hearing this perfunctory answer, the voice instantly rose in tone:
"Huh? You, you don't believe me? I'm serious, that guy is definitely in a much worse situation than me!"

Du Yuan solemnly cupped his hands and said:
"I have never doubted it!"

As for being arrogant, the people in this world might not know how to deal with it, but surely I do.
These are all obsolete products; dealing with them should be a piece of cake.

"Huh, that's pretty much it!"

Sure enough, after coaxing her a bit, her previously irritable temper calmed down in the blink of an eye, just like a kitten whose fur had been stroked.

"If there is no altar or incense burner, it seems I will have to make one for you myself."

"Huh? Really?" The voice was filled with undisguised surprise, the last syllable of which lingered, but then he coughed twice and forced a serious tone, "I, I mean, although you have some cultivation, it's a bit too much of a stretch to help me procure the ritual implements with such limited skills—if they're poorly made, I won't even look at them!"

As soon as he finished speaking, as if afraid that Du Yuan might really back down, he quickly added a few more words:

"No, but since it's your kind intention, even if it's not pretty, the craftsmanship is a bit rough, or the size is a bit small, I can still turn a blind eye."

The tone softened noticeably, almost as if to say that a casual response would suffice.

After saying that, fearing that her "concession" might seem too deliberate, she quickly raised her voice slightly, trying to convey an air of unquestionable dignity:
"Let me tell you, don't think that just because you have some cultivation and are considered a respectable person, I won't give any other person, let alone someone at the same cultivation level, even if that Taoist priest's disciple came begging me!"

He paused, then, as if remembering something, his voice suddenly slowed, becoming somewhat hurried and earnest:
"Oh, and there's something else, I'm a little inconvenient right now. But once I've recovered, I'll definitely repay you with a gift that's better than any offering table or altar. Just wait and see!"

As Du Yuan listened to this series of insincere explanations and attempts to cover up her feelings, she could hardly suppress the smile on her lips.

This was the first time he had ever seen such a vivid and typical arrogant personality. It was full of expectations, but it insisted on wearing a hard shell, and that shell was so thin that it would break at the slightest touch.

That's how it happened.
Du Yuan suddenly asked suspiciously:
"Fellow Daoist, could you possibly be a woman?"

"."

The voice was exceptionally ethereal, and although its timbre was different from that of his friend in Qingzhou, they were essentially the same, making it difficult to distinguish between male and female.

It sounds great no matter where you listen to it.

"You, are you really a Taoist? You really don't recognize me?"

The voice also carried a rare hint of embarrassment and annoyance.

Du Yuan slowly realized, "Could it be because I never knew who you were that I was suspected?"

After hesitating for a moment, Du Yuan still told the truth:

"This humble Taoist priest truly does not recognize your identity, fellow Taoist! But this humble Taoist priest is indeed of Taoist origin!"

"You...you don't recognize me, so why did you save me?"

The voice lowered, the embarrassment and anger faded, replaced by a subtle bewilderment, as if confirming something.

Du Yuan said seriously:
"As I have said, I have come here to save the people of the southwest."

"You...you really only did this for this?" the voice pressed on, as if unwilling to believe, asking twice with a hint of urgent confirmation, "Really...really only this?"

Du Yuan didn't beat around the bush at all, and directly addressed the tense voice:
“I saved you for two reasons. First, for the sake of the people in the southwest. If you get out, the justice system in this region can be restored sooner, and the drought in the southwest should be relieved. Second, you have been trapped for so long and deserve to be free. It has nothing to do with whether I know you or not.”

The hall was silent for a moment. The voice, no longer agitated, simply confirmed in a muffled tone:
"Just these two things?"

"Yes." Du Yuan nodded, her tone completely sincere. "I never thought of asking you for any benefits, nor did I want your approval. It's just that the people are waiting, and you are waiting too, so we can get things done together."

"."

After a long silence, the voice suddenly hardened:
"Aren't you afraid I'll turn my back on you?"

Du Yuan smiled calmly after hearing this, then looked directly at the statue and said:

"I believe in you, fellow Daoist!"

After being stared at by Du Yuan for a long time, the voice inexplicably softened again, leaving only an awkward strain.

"I... I had no intention of paying attention to those people, nor did I intend to listen to you—let me tell you, I just couldn't stand this place continuing to be in such a mess. Do you understand?"

Du Yuan nodded with amusement:

"Understood, understood. I will go and prepare the things for you now."

"No rush, it's no big deal for me to take a break. I mean, slow and steady wins the race! I don't want to see you deliver two crooked things to the temple!"

"You're not ashamed? I am!"

"I can wait, but the Southwest cannot." Finally, Du Yuan turned and walked towards the temple, then looked back at the statue and smiled, "It wouldn't be good to keep you waiting any longer, fellow Daoist."

".!"

The sound ended abruptly.

Du Yuan then went outside, pondering how to make an offering table and incense burner for someone.

The altar was easy to solve; Du Yuan found a piece of white jade, dug it out of the ground, and moved it to the front of the temple.

But what about the incense burner? Should we carve one out of jade too?
After looking around, Du Yuan's eyes lit up, and she gathered the scattered fragments of the gold mountain together.

Only then did Du Yuan point to the two objects and say to the temple, "Fellow Daoist, do you believe that I possess the skill of separating gold and jade?"

The voice said strangely:

Is it strange that you know this? It's not some profound magic.

Du Yuan laughed:

"Alas, what I know is no ordinary skill, but rather a profound art! If you don't believe me, why don't you take a good look?"

If you finally find someone who's talking about faith or something, you definitely have to take advantage of them!

"Oh? Then I'll have to see!"

Upon hearing this, Du Yuan chuckled lightly, then pointed her fingers together as a sword and gently slashed at the jade stone, cutting a perfectly smooth mark.

Seeing this, the voice couldn't help but ask in confusion:

Not really.

But immediately, both she and Du Yuan's expressions changed.

Du Yuan didn't know what she saw.

Du Yuan felt as if she had rediscovered the difficulty she felt when she was cleaning the altar and temple for her friend in Qingzhou.

At this moment, all the immortals and gods in the southwest, and even throughout the entire world, suddenly felt a lightness in their bodies.

"What's going on here?"

"Feels much smoother?"

"What happened?"

Du Yuan frowned, then continued cutting the jade. He hated giving up halfway.

Moreover, it's no longer a case of giving up halfway; it's now just one step away from success!

At this moment, all the gods and immortals in the world gradually deduced the answer.

"Another powerful figure is forcibly prying open the great world?!"

They had seen something similar once in Qingzhou.

That great Bodhisattva, whose origins are unknown, helped people cross the river ahead of time, thus opening a crack in the door to the great world that was yet to come!
That not only allowed the unknown fellow cultivators to cross the river ahead of time, but also made it easier for each of them to unleash their skills without being shackled by the Heavenly Law.

And now, they've come again.

It's unclear who made the move this time, or who wanted to cross the river ahead of schedule.

While each faction pondered the matter, they all hoped that this great power would succeed.

Even if the great era has not yet arrived, they can still receive tremendous assistance!
At least, they wouldn't be left to watch helplessly as a bunch of random cats and dogs run around digging and barking everywhere.

Even if they ultimately can't get out, they should at least be able to move their arms and legs!
Unaware of the outside world's turmoil, Du Yuan focused solely on the present moment, meticulously carving the altar.

The voice rang out again, and this time it was spoken hastily:
"Stop, stop right now! Why do I need this? I've already gotten the upper hand, I can just wait patiently! Why should I let you do this?"

Du Yuan did not answer, but continued to carve silently.

The voice grew increasingly urgent:

"I told you, stop!"

The cat, its fur standing on end, was so anxious it was about to jump out, but it could only hiss at the unhurried figure through an invisible "glass," unable to even touch him, its voice tinged with grievance.

Do you even realize what this means to you?!

Before she could finish speaking, Du Yuan finally raised her eyes and smiled:

"The sooner the better, the sooner you can get out. Isn't that right?"

The sound completely stopped, and outside the hall, only the sound of Du Yuan carving jade remained, occasionally interspersed with two very soft whimpers, like a kitten with its throat blocked, but no one urged him to stop.

Quickly yet slowly, Du Yuan carved the entire piece of jade into a square altar. It had no intricate patterns or decorations, but its strength lay in its clean edges and smooth surface, giving it a serene and dignified air, untouched by worldly concerns.

Du Yuan was very satisfied with this and was about to get up to prepare the last incense burner when she suddenly felt a darkness before her eyes and her body swayed. She hurriedly grabbed the altar to steady herself.

"I told you to stop!" The voice rang out again, this time with an barely suppressed urgency, as if afraid that if it was any later, it would lose its grip on something.

Du Yuan, leaning against the altar, smiled and said:

“If we stop now, all our previous efforts will be wasted. Don’t worry, it’s really nothing. Besides—I’m still right here in front of you, fellow Daoist. If something were to happen, you wouldn’t just stand by and watch me collapse outside your temple, would you?”

"—! I, I won't care about you!" After saying that, there was no sound, but Du Yuan could clearly feel a gaze on him that was far stronger than before. Even the slightest tremor in his fingertips or the heaviness in his breathing seemed to be gently held in someone's eyes.

After smiling, Du Yuan raised her hand and began fiddling with the last incense burner.

First, knead it into a ball, then slowly shape it.

After a moment, Du Yuan, enduring the splitting headache, asked:
"Fellow Daoist, do you think a four-legged square cauldron or a three-legged round cauldron is better?"

Du Yuan vaguely remembered that as a ritual vessel, the more important the choice of the ding (a type of ancient Chinese cooking vessel) was, the more meticulous one had to be in selecting its specifications.

"Yuan Ding is good, Yuan Ding saves trouble. Don't think about anything else, just go with Yuan Ding." The voice had lost all its words, only sincerity and worry remained.

Du Yuan nodded, then forced herself to start making the final incense burner.

Beyond the southwest, everyone is breathing the sweet air that comes with the shackles being lifted more and more easily.

"I really don't know which expert is so skilled!"

"After thinking it over, it's most likely that it's the one in the southwest!"

"To hold such a high position, how remarkable!"

People outside the southwest were marveling at how domineering and unparalleled that Taoist priest was, even managing to pry open a path ahead of time for the Great World.

If the Buddhist monk of Qingzhou had previously tackled the most difficult challenge, then the Daoist monk of today has now pried open that crack, allowing a glimpse into the grandeur of the world!
Those in the southwest were extremely tense, because this Taoist priest was becoming increasingly outrageous.

"Really, run!"

"Can't you guys have any backbone?"

"Only the living can talk about integrity! Besides, who would come here if they had no backbone?"

The old patriarch of the enemy family was also hesitant. If he hadn't been warned by the Daoist Master long ago, he would never have stayed a moment longer.

Just then, the old Taoist priest of Yiqing Mountain suddenly uttered a quiet remark:

"Old ghost, do you really think you still have a choice?"

A word to wake up the dreamer!

The old patriarch of the enemy family immediately calmed his mind.

Just as he was about to appease the other families, he heard the old monkey from Crow Sparrow Mountain speak first:

"Do you all really think you can get away unscathed now? Let me be frank, that grizzly bear has already run away. Before it left, it clearly told that Taoist priest everything we had done and our respective identities in exchange for its life!"

Immediately, everyone burst into a tirade of curses:

"No wonder that bastard disappeared without a trace!"

"How vicious!"

"This guy even practices Buddhism? What a load of rubbish!"

The old white ape raised the corners of its mouth and said:

"If you all don't seize this one and only opportunity today, tomorrow you will all be dead!"

Finally, all they heard was the old monkey sneer:

"Do you all think that your meager skills are enough to evade such a master under the rule of the three religions?"

Having said that, the old monkey said in a serious tone:

"You must remember, while he is alive, he is a true immortal of the three religions; with a single command, all sects will scramble to act. But if he dies, well, once he's gone, the tea cools. I think you all understand that?"

Hearing this, the old patriarch of the Qiu family was extremely satisfied.

He thought to himself that the old white ape was quite perceptive.

Finally, he asked another question, albeit curiously:
"Where is King Wei?"

The patriarch of Yiqing Mountain also shook his head and said:
"He's probably hiding in that ley line. Don't worry, he's been targeted by the Taoist priest, he definitely wouldn't dare to run away."

Just then, a startled cry suddenly came from the distant sky:

"He did it!!!"

Everyone in the southwest held their breath. They couldn't see clearly yet, but the voice was enough to prove it, because it should be Emperor Wen's voice.

Before the great calamity, they were the rulers of the last and greatest dynasty in this world.

So, did that Taoist priest really succeed?

In an instant, everyone in the southwest wanted to rush over immediately, yet they also restrained themselves and hurriedly looked in one direction.

Beneath that celestial canopy, the secrets of heaven were shrouded in mystery, and none of them dared to venture forth, thus remaining unable to discern them clearly.
-
Before the temple, Du Yuan, who had finally sculpted a three-legged round cauldron, clung to the last vestiges of her clarity.

The jade platform and incense burner were placed in front of the statue of the deity.

Then he took out an incense stick, lit it, and carefully placed it in the incense burner.

The instant the incense was placed into the burner, there seemed to be an invisible response between heaven and earth. Suddenly, clouds and rain poured down, covering the entire landscape; rivers that had once dried up and ceased to flow suddenly reconnected in the steam, surging as before.

The water transport, which had been fraught with hardship and nearly cut off for three years, finally returned to this world, following the wisp of incense smoke.

Seeing this, Du Yuan, who had been holding on, finally relaxed, swayed her body, and fell backward, where she was gently embraced.

Then came a very soft sound:
"Sleep, sleep, don't worry, I'm here."

(End of this chapter)