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

Chapter 231 All of you come at me together (4k)

Upon hearing this, the woman sighed, then bowed deeply, clasped her hands in front of her waist, and respectfully said:

"Disciple understands."

The old man hidden within the painting also sighed and said:
"Now that you understand, go. Remember, this matter is of utmost importance, and you must not divulge a single word to any outsider. You must also never go to the temple again."

"Your disciple will obey your instructions."

After bowing once more, the woman left the ancestral hall.

Finally, she glanced back in the direction she had come from, filled with deep regret. She thought to herself:
Why only divinity?

The group of people standing in front of the dilapidated temple in the southwest were also thinking about this.

How exactly should one approach the situation to ensure a safe exit?

Just as they were racking their brains trying to figure it out, they suddenly heard a series of light footsteps coming from deep within the temple—the sound was neither hurried nor slow, but it seemed to carry some invisible weight, breaking the silence outside the main hall.

Everyone looked up at the sound and saw a figure slowly emerging from the dim light within the hall. As their vision cleared, they saw that the newcomer was a man.

The man's robes were quite peculiar: various scraps of fabric were pieced together in a haphazard manner, and at first glance, no one could help but feel that such an item was hardly fit for a refined setting.

For some reason, the higher the cultivation level of the people present, the more glaringly the garment seemed. However, they couldn't quite put their finger on why.

They could only regard it as a treasure possessed by such an ancestor, and naturally, they couldn't discern its secrets.

Needless to say, this must be the patriarch Yu who came specially from the Taoist ancestral temple!
Du Yuan was seen approaching.

Their minds immediately started working.

Whether things will end well today largely depends on the Taoist priest!
The owner of the plain white robe also looked at Du Yuan, and for the first time, her usually aloof eyes softened with an unexpected tenderness. However, she quickly suppressed it, returning to her usual indifference, as if that softness had never existed.

She deliberately spoke in a calm tone, but her voice unconsciously softened slightly:

"There's no rush, why did you come all this way? No one will say anything if you rest a little longer."

However, when the last syllable fell on the last few words, it couldn't be hidden and softened slightly again.

As soon as she finished speaking, she turned her gaze to the group of troublemakers and said:

"A bunch of insects are not worthy of disturbing the peace here."

The first line is like spring water that cannot be hidden even if one tries to appear calm, while the second line is like the biting cold of winter that leaves no room for maneuver.

They look completely different, like two completely different people.

Du Yuan said helplessly:
"Since something happened, of course we had to come and see."

He was indeed resting peacefully with his friend on the mountaintop, but the clouds and rain outside had seeped into his dreams. Under such circumstances, how could he continue to rest?
However, Du Yuan did feel much lighter.

The owner of the plain white robe said nothing more, but simply turned slightly to stand next to Du Yuan.

Once Du Yuan had stopped, he looked at the people in front of him.

The others were clearly from various families in the southwest, who must have felt the time was right and rushed over.

Most people just didn't expect to run into this person before they even encountered the person they were supposed to be with.

But why do I feel like these people aren't on the roster?
After glancing at them, Du Yuan asked:

"May I ask who you are?"

Seeing that the Taoist priest had spoken, the group hurriedly explained:
"It is good to inform the immortal that we have discovered that there are villains here who intend to harm you. In order to protect our families and the ancestral temple of Taoism, we have all come to help."

After speaking, the group timidly glanced at the owner of the plain white robe, their voices growing even more respectful:
"However, a mishap occurred along the way. We failed to inform the deity of our purpose beforehand, and the deity mistook us for those petty thieves. We beg the immortal to see the truth!"

That makes sense – in the eyes of these people, he is, after all, from the ancestral home of Taoism.

Since there are those who want to take advantage of this relationship and reap the benefits, there are also those who see through the connection and want to curry favor with them.

Thinking of this, Du Yuan paused slightly and turned to look at the owner of the plain white robe. To be honest, this was the first time he had clearly seen the other person's appearance.

Du Yuan wasn't good at using fancy words to describe people; she just thought the person in front of her was handsome, exactly the kind of person who "met all expectations": his eyebrows were like distant mountains with dark eyebrows, and his eyes were like autumn water with a clear light.

Every corner exudes an indescribable elegance.

Noticing Du Yuan's gaze, the other person unconsciously twirled their fingertips.

This was the first time Du Yuan had seen her like this, and it was also the first time Du Yuan had seen her like this.

I'm a little unsure how to start the conversation, and even more unsure how to conduct myself.

Finally, she could only rely on those increasingly blurred memories of the past to barely suppress the panic in her heart and ask, pretending to be calm:
"what happened?"

Du Yuan immediately looked away and then asked:
"But is what they said true?"

Their gazes quickly fell on her again, their expressions filled with fawning smiles.

She had never liked that kind of gaze.

In the mundane world, whether on the mountain or below, what one seeks remains unchanged for millennia.

This truly disgusted her.

It's like being surrounded by rotten and decaying things all day long; anyone would grow to feel disgusted after a while. And she's been listening to this for more than ten thousand years.

But considering that the other party had come to protect Du Yuan, the coldness in her eyes softened slightly, and her tone became unusually gentle as she softly replied:
"Yes."

After receiving her affirmation, Du Yuan turned around to thank her, but when she looked at the two of them...

Du Yuan raised her eyebrows slightly again.

An acquaintance, but not one I met after arriving in the Southwest, but one I met back in Qingzhou!
Behind the slightly thin man, Du Yuan saw the broken pearl and heard an angry shout—"Bald monk!"
Clearly, this guy is the same one we met in Bridgewater.

Another young man carrying a long sword was slightly different from the man in question, but behind him, Du Yuan spotted the snake demon she had encountered in Qing County.

So he must be part of that group, just not as manly as the man himself.

This unexpected encounter left Du Yuan speechless for a moment, with only a wry smile on her face: how could she encounter such a coincidence!
He pointed at the thin man, his tone calm but hitting the nail on the head:

"You've come here to ask me to stop those monks, haven't you?"

Upon hearing this, the man shrank back abruptly and hurriedly lowered his head, saying:
"This junior does indeed have this intention, but I am here for the Lord, and I sincerely want to protect the friendship between our two families. It is by no means for my own selfish reasons!"

At this point, Du Yuan shook her head and said:

"Do you know that although I often debate and compete with those monks, our thoughts and desires are still aligned? How could I tolerate your demonic deeds in Qingzhou?"

The man's face changed instantly, and only one thought was swirling in his mind—Oh no, he'd driven himself to the brink of death while trying to survive!

Du Yuan stopped looking at his distraught appearance and instead looked at the young man holding a sword beside her—the sword was particularly eye-catching, and with just one glance, a golden dragon shadow could be faintly seen floating on the blade, exuding extraordinary power.

He looked at the man, his voice still calm, yet it struck the man's heart like a thunderbolt:
"Do you know that the Taoist priest you met in Qingxian County, Qingzhou the other day was me?"

The young man holding the sword trembled violently, his face turning deathly pale. Even the fingers gripping the hilt began to tremble uncontrollably. He froze on the spot, unable to utter a word.

These two consecutive scenes left the people nearby terrified. They shrank back, trembling all over, not daring to even breathe, desperately trying to recall if they had offended this Taoist priest anywhere before.

Fortunately, only these two were the ones who happened to be there today. So after Du Yuan finished pointing out the two of them, she addressed the remaining people:

"I appreciate your kind intentions, thank you!"

After saying this, he bowed with his hands clasped in greeting.

Although I know they didn't really help, since they came from afar, I should accept their kindness.

The remaining people hurriedly returned the greeting:

"No, no, we haven't done anything today, how could we possibly accept your kindness with such a meager effort!"

Seeing this, the young man holding the sword finally couldn't help but speak:

"Although we are at odds with you, we have come here today solely to protect your safety!"

Upon hearing this, the man who had been hanging his head in dejection also hurriedly spoke up:

“That’s right, Immortal, you must understand that we two are indeed here to protect you. If you were to attack us today because of this, it would damage your reputation!”

The two of them sang in unison, cold sweat streaming down their faces, barely daring to breathe. Their eyes were fixed on Du Yuan's face, as if afraid he would frown and become angry at any moment.

A powerful figure in a high position is not to be trifled with, let alone that great deity who is currently standing beside Du Yuan.

Even the officials of the Confucian Temple would be extremely cautious if they saw such a scene.

They were all focused on Du Yuan, trying to gain some leverage by mentioning her "identity," but they didn't notice the change in the expression of the great figure next to them.

The moment these words left his mouth, the little demons of the Blessed Land of Flowers were terrified to see the coldness growing in the eyes of this deity, his killing intent overflowing.

So she immediately said something clever:

"My Lord, please calm your anger! Although these two have a past grudge against you, my Lord, they have come here today with genuine sincerity to protect you. They spoke rather crudely in the heat of the moment, but they had no intention of offending you!"

As soon as she finished speaking, her heart skipped a beat—it sounded like she was defending those two people, which made her seem like an accomplice.

The moment the thought crossed the mind, the little monster didn't hesitate for a second. He raised his hand and slapped himself across the face with considerable force, leaving a red mark on his cheek instantly.

She gripped the corner of her sleeve, her eyes darkening, the previous panic fading, replaced by a hint of ruthlessness:
"It was a slip of the tongue! If this were to get out, it would make it seem like you two, the Immortal and the God, are bothered by such trivial matters. In my opinion, this matter should not have had the chance to spread at all!"

Having said that, she bowed slightly, her tone resolute:

"Although this humble demon's cultivation is shallow, I am still willing to share the burden for the High God and the Immortal—these two ignorant fools dared to lose their sense of propriety in front of you two, so it would be better if this humble demon took care of them, so as to save you two from having any more trouble in the future!"

The other companies followed suit:

"We are all like this!"

Some people even shouted directly:
"We'll turn around and wipe out their two strongholds!"

You brought your own resources and strengths, don't we have any?

You may be a big mountain stronghold, but are we just a small mountain stronghold?

This is for survival, and also for gaining recognition.

The two men were both shocked and furious at these words. They had clearly come together. How could they be so inhumane?!
Du Yuan also felt somewhat helpless watching this.

How did it get like this?
After rubbing her temples, Du Yuan waved her hand and said:
“There’s no reason for you all to be involved in my affairs.”

Upon hearing this, the other families were dumbfounded. Oh no, the Taoist priest hadn't accepted their pledge of loyalty.

After saying that, Du Yuan pointed to the two people again and said:

“You two families are not good people, but what you just said is indeed true. Since you have come for my sake, I cannot simply ignore you.”

"Alright then, let me ask you two a question."

Du Yuan pointed to the magical treasures they were each holding and said:

"Let me ask you this: to your two families, which is more important, you yourselves or the magical treasures you brought?"

What is this question? And what does it mean?
Both of them were startled, but after exchanging a glance, they still answered.

The man clutching the Heaven-Turning Seal glanced down at the magical artifact in his hand, his fingertips gently tracing the ancient patterns on the seal. He said very solemnly:

“Naturally, this Heaven-Turning Seal is more important to my lord. This item is a Buddhist treasure. My lord almost lost his life in his pursuit of it years ago. The old wounds he sustained back then still prevent him from entering the realm again.”

The young man, who had been clutching his longsword tightly, answered without the slightest hesitation, his voice clear and firm:

“Naturally, it is me. Although this is a national treasure, I am the only son of my father, the foundation of the nation’s legacy—no matter how valuable external things are, how can they be compared to blood and life?”

Upon hearing this, Du Yuan's gaze swept across the two faces, and she asked another question, her tone becoming more serious:
"Have you thought it through? I must tell you first that my plan today is to give you a chance to take a gamble. And no matter what the final result is, I will return the 'most important thing' that you just chose to your home safely, without letting it suffer the slightest damage."

Neither of these two families are good people. Du Yuan doesn't want to let them go, but she also doesn't want to ignore their past intentions.

Although it can't be considered using kindness as bait, Du Yuan really didn't expect this to happen.

But Du Yuan didn't want this to cause future generations to hesitate when faced with similar situations, thus harming others.

These words startled both of them. It meant that as long as they said it was them, they could live safely!
But it was precisely this "sustainable opportunity" right before their eyes that caused the man clutching the Heaven-Turning Seal to swallow hard before letting out a long sigh:
"Immortal, there's no need for further words! Putting aside the fact that the Heaven-Turning Seal is more important to my lord than my own life, this item is a protective gift that I begged and pleaded to receive from my lord. Even if it costs me my life, I must return it intact!"

On the other side, the young man holding the sword suddenly relaxed his tense shoulders and back, exhaling a long breath he had been holding for a long time. His posture became more steady as he cupped his hands, and his voice carried the clarity of someone who had survived a calamity:
"On behalf of my father, I thank the immortal for his kindness!"

"Has everything been decided?"

Du Yuan's gaze lingered on the two faces for a moment, but her tone remained calm.

Without the slightest hesitation, the two bowed in unison and said, "It's decided!"

Seeing that the two had made up their minds, Du Yuan turned around, her gaze sweeping over the hundred or so cultivators behind them. Her voice was not loud, but everyone could hear her clearly:
"Since you have come for me, this karmic debt should be settled by me personally. Today, I will stand here and will not move an inch."

As soon as he finished speaking, he raised his hand and pointed to the water curtain in the distance that separated life and death, saying:
"I will not make things difficult for you—you don't need to think about how to defeat me. You and the other two can join forces to fight the enemy, or you can fight separately. The water curtain will be the boundary. As long as you can escape from the other side of the water curtain, I will spare your lives today and will not make things difficult for you."

After speaking, Du Yuan's gaze returned to the two people, and she said:
"These hundred or so cultivators who survived the great calamity are the last bit of help I can offer you. If this still fails to accomplish your goal, then don't blame me for showing no mercy!"

The two remained silent and bowed in unison.

Finally, Du Yuan looked at the owner of the plain white robe, her tone lacking the discretion she showed to others, instead carrying a familiar air of entrustment:

"Please help me, remove the water curtain barrier, and leave it as just a boundary!"

As soon as these words reached her ears, her fingertips subtly tugged at the hem of her dress inside her wide sleeves. Her face remained calm, but she secretly felt relieved—in his eyes, she was indeed different!
He glanced at the few people next to him who were at a loss and whose posture was stiff.

What is this? It's clearly a way of separating her from those guys who can't even stand up straight!

She always remembered Du Yuan's earlier words, "There's no reason to drag you all into my affairs."

Thinking this, she finally raised her chin, letting out a soft hum through her nose, her tone carrying a subtle hint of pride:

"Hmph, I told you long ago, in the end you'll still have to rely on me, won't you?"

He clearly meant to say something like, "You're no good, you still have to watch me," with an air of arrogance, but his words were full of the joy of having been begged for.

(End of this chapter)