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

Chapter 234 I Plan to Change My Identity (4k)

After shaking her head, Du Yuan looked at the remaining people and asked:

"So, what about you? Is there anything else you'd like to say?"

The remaining people looked at each other, then their faces hardened, and they all said in unison:
"We only beg you, senior, not to let this scoundrel, King Wei, go!"

Seeing such a unified response, not only Du Yuan, but even the person standing next to her couldn't help but fall silent.

After a brief, sharp pain in her heart, Du Yuan nodded and said:

"As I said, I will definitely pay a visit one day. This scoundrel will not be able to escape!"

Upon hearing that Prince Wei had been singled out by the Daoist master again, the remaining people all breathed a sigh of relief and bowed in unison, saying:
"We won't trouble you with anything, senior!"

Before he finished speaking, everyone burst into laughter—there was not a trace of fear of death in their laughter, only the unbridled joy of "We can't escape, and neither can you, you little brat."

Before the laughter subsided, dozens of figures fell straight down, committing suicide on the spot.

Looking at the old thing lying dead all over the ground, Du Yuan was momentarily at a loss for how to proceed.

In a sense, they have never disappointed Du Yuan in fulfilling her expectations of them.

After rubbing her temples, Du Yuan turned her gaze to the two remaining members of the various families in the southwest: the old monkey and the patriarch of Yiqing Mountain.

The two had remained kneeling respectfully throughout, without rising. Now, seeing Du Yuan finally looking at them, the human and the demon immediately prostrated themselves in worship, saying in unison:
"We have nothing more to say, we only beg you, senior, to allow us to take our own lives!"

Seeing their reaction, Du Yuan nodded and said:
"Then I won't see you off! Don't worry, I will never go back on my word!"

As soon as they finished speaking, the two took one last look at the sky, a trace of longing flashing in their eyes, before taking their own lives on the spot.

After gazing for a moment, Du Yuan turned to look at the group of people who seemed to have just been pulled out of the water and said:
"Please tell your elders when you return home that I will remember your kindness today!"

It wasn't a big deal, and they even came with some ulterior motives, but in any case, they genuinely hoped that Du Yuan would be alright.

Therefore, Du Yuan was willing to accept this favor.

Several people hurriedly spoke up:
"We dare not! We dare not!"

Just kidding, they don't want to get involved in any karma right now. They just want to go home as soon as possible and make some plans.

Seeing their eagerness to avoid her, before Du Yuan could speak, the woman beside her spoke first. Her tone was crisp and decisive, without the slightest hesitation:

“You can each choose a path to return to the world. Also, take these insects with you; they're really an eyesore.”

These words struck the other families like a thunderbolt from a clear sky. Their expressions changed drastically, and their hearts skipped a beat: Was this to settle the karmic debts of today on behalf of the Daoist Master?

And isn't this a huge undertaking?
Each of them is to choose a path to return to the Jianghu. This does not mean that they should return without water. It is clearly a promise to them of a water god temple and even the inheritance of the divine position of the entire waterway!
You must understand, the position of Water God in a martial arts world is not given lightly. It is the foundation that protects an entire sect and its members, allowing them to establish themselves and even take root in the region!

I never expected to receive such benefits after just one trip today.

But their initial excitement was quickly overshadowed by a deeper fear—they simply dared not take it!
Ever since they vaguely figured out that this Taoist priest was determined to confront the Taoist ancestral court head-on, they had only one thought: hide! Hide as far away as possible!

What kind of entity is the ancestral temple of Taoism? It's one of the three major religions! To challenge such an entity is to risk the complete annihilation of one's entire family. With their meager resources, how could they dare to get involved or even have any connection to it?
Just as they were pondering how to politely decline without offending the two men before them, and yet completely severing ties, their hearts sank—they exchanged glances, all seeing a chill in each other's eyes:
It seems like there's no other choice?
Yes, it's such a big thing. Letting you know in advance was actually giving you a chance. If you don't cherish it, then...
'Bitter! '

After glancing at each other dejectedly, the families gritted their teeth and said:

"We thank God for His blessings!"

"Okay, then don't keep it in the way."

The woman's voice rang out again, devoid of any warmth, as if she were driving away pebbles that were blocking her way.

She had so much to say to Du Yuan, what are you all still doing here?
Upon hearing this, the group felt a chill run down their spines again, and hurriedly lowered their heads in agreement, their feet instinctively taking a step back.

"We'll wait here... Um, what do you think, Immortal?"

The words caught in their throats, and the group froze on the spot, their faces turning even paler. They wanted to bow and take their leave, but as they turned around, they were shocked to realize that they still couldn't muster any magical power, just like before.

Du Yuan then realized that he sometimes even forgot about this skill of his own.

Then he waved his hand towards the sky and said:

"Disperse."

The next moment, the group felt a lightness all over their bodies, and the spiritual energy that had vanished without a trace instantly returned.
At this point, without daring to delay, they all carried the corpses and fled.

Before leaving, Du Yuan also handed the Heaven-Turning Seal to the little demon of the Flower-Shifting Blessed Land, instructing her to send it back.

Once those figures had completely disappeared from sight, she quietly moved her toes, inching closer to Du Yuan.

I was closer than ever before, and I wanted to get even closer, but the closer I got, the hotter my face became, and I couldn't bring myself to get any closer.

He could only force a cold tone and ask:

"What are you going to do after that? Let me tell you, although we have some connections, if you want me to do something for you, you'll have to give me something in return, like, like?"

She wasn't really after any benefits; she just wanted to use the pretext of "wanting benefits" to subtly convey a message: if you're really in trouble, you can come to me.

But she panicked halfway through her sentence—what if Du Yuan took it seriously and thought she was petty, and then refused to talk to her when things really happened in the future?
For a moment, she froze on the spot, her lips moved, her mind churning as she couldn't think of anything to say, so embarrassed that even her neck turned a light red.

Looking at her contradictory expression, Du Yuan couldn't help but feel a little soft-hearted—this silly girl, after living for so many years, how come she still hasn't learned how to be proud and aloof?

He didn't spell it out, but spoke softly, his voice carrying a barely perceptible hint of amusement, which caught her off guard:

"If it's something I can offer, the benefits you want are negotiable. But please, for the sake of our friendship, go easy on me!"

Seeing that Du Yuan was so cooperative, she immediately raised her neck, gave a light snort, and tried her best to maintain her previous "composure" demeanor:
"Hmph, since you're so sensible, I'll definitely consider it when the time comes."

But this forced composure didn't last three breaths before it crumbled. She glanced at the sky, a hint of tension and barely perceptible anger in her eyes, and said, "But you still haven't said what you're going to do next? Those Taoist priest's disciples are not easy to deal with. Even I am struggling to cope with them now."

In the last few words, her voice was lower than before, less sharp than usual, and more honest, even to herself.

She never bowed her head or admitted defeat in her life, but in front of Du Yuan, in order to make him understand the seriousness of the matter, she admitted the thorn that had always been in her heart—she was no longer the same as before.

But as she put it this way, a sudden resolve struck her—so what if!

At that very moment, Du Yuan looked towards Kyoto and said:
"After that? After that, I should go to Kyoto under a different identity."

"Hey?!"

The nascent resolve that had just ignited beneath the pristine white robes was instantly extinguished by a bellyful of bewildered confusion—to go to Kyoto under a different identity? What did that mean?
Du Yuan turned to look at her, a faint smile in her eyes, and said:
"It means exactly what it says: change your identity and go to Kyoto to take a look."

After receiving this person's blessing, Du Yuan's long-standing imbalance between Buddhism and Taoism was greatly improved.

However, Du Yuan did not want to stop there; he wanted more.

The three religions are perfect, isn't it?

She still didn't quite understand and asked:

"Change your identity? Change to what identity? You're already a top-level Taoist leader, what identity could you possibly change to?"

It sounded funny, but she felt a sense of relief. As long as Du Yuan didn't immediately confront someone head-on, things could still change. Putting everything else aside, once she calmed down, she would have more confidence in the future.

Du Yuan turned her head and replied with a smile:

"Go and become a Confucian. Having seen the world of Taoism, I naturally want to see what it's like on the Confucian side. Besides, don't let my current appearance fool you, I'm actually a teacher!"

Upon hearing this, she immediately burst out laughing, raising an eyebrow with a mischievous glint in her eye:

"You? You're a teacher? Do you have any official records in Confucianism? How much of the teachings of the sages do you really understand? The three schools do seem to have something in common, but the higher you go, the clearer the distinctions become! That's why over the years, there have been countless people who are proficient in all three teachings, but none who are proficient in all three."

But as she spoke, she slightly pursed her lips, her tone softening:

"Fine, fine, no matter what happens, it's better than you being like this. Go if you want—but I have to make this clear! You're already too high up in the Taoist lineage. If you want to go and enjoy the show from a high vantage point, then go ahead and do what makes you happy."

Finally, realizing she might have been worrying too much, she gave a half-hearted hum as a way of making amends. But then she couldn't help adding another word of advice:
"But if you're greedy and try to have it both ways, be careful you don't end up suffering!"

Du Yuan wasn't teasing her; she simply cupped her hands respectfully and said:

"I will keep that in mind!"

These words made her immediately cover her mouth and laugh out loud, her eyes curving into crescent moons:

“Oh dear, now he doesn’t even use ‘this humble Taoist’ anymore, he’s starting to sound like a Confucian gentleman.”

After laughing, she remembered something and asked curiously:
"That forbidden character you wrote earlier, could it be the Confucian natal character you figured out?"

Although I don't want him to go too far, to the point that he becomes trapped and unable to extricate himself.

But what does one or two of your birth characters matter?
But Du Yuan shook her head and said:

"No, it's just a spell."

She nodded slightly as she listened.
"No wonder it doesn't seem to follow the Confucian path. But speaking of which, how much do you actually know about the Confucian core principles?"

After recalling what she had seen and heard, Du Yuan said:

"Not too many, just know that they have endless uses, and whether or not one has a natal character, it doesn't depend on cultivation level, but only on the depth of one's understanding."

As soon as she finished listening, she curled her lip, her tone full of disdain, as if to say, "I knew it."

"Although it's roughly the same, you're supposed to be a capable person in Taoism, yet you only know this much? You really are someone who cultivates life and techniques but not the mind."

But then, changing the subject, she recounted everything in detail, even raising her chin as she spoke, a hint of smugness in her eyes that seemed to say, "You're lucky to have me around."

"But you're lucky to have run into me. Let me tell you, the Confucian natal character is a real supernatural power, even if it's not considered a 'minor position'! Ordinary characters with no special features are fine, but those obscure characters that appear out of nowhere are not worth mentioning."

"But do you know? There are many words that, once you understand and master them, can make you rise to the top in one step and soar to great heights!"

At this point, she abruptly stopped, her face saying, "Come and ask me what this character is."

But after waiting for a while, she only saw Du Yuan listening quietly, showing no intention of asking any further questions. So, she had no choice but to silently apologize and start making amends herself:
"However, even within the Confucian school, there are probably very few people who can clearly explain such words. Let alone an outsider like you who is just about to step into the door."

She deliberately dragged out her words, with a hint of probing in her voice that she thought was hard to detect, and her gaze was fixed directly on Du Yuan's face.

Seeing that he still didn't press the matter, she became even more anxious, but she couldn't bring herself to say it directly, so she added another sentence, subtly steer the conversation towards "I have something good":
"Not everyone is so lucky to run into someone like me who's willing to speak so frankly. Anyone else would have kept their knowledge tightly under wraps; why would they tell you these things? Let alone the things they've kept even deeper secrets."

In fact, Du Yuan had already figured out her thoughts. Her probing and expectation were all laid bare, which made it all the more interesting.

So he deliberately suppressed his laughter, only looking up at her, his tone still sincere and calm:

"Thank you for your guidance. I will keep it in mind."

Every word he uttered was filled with respect, but he deliberately avoided mentioning "whether you are hiding anything," showing no intention of pressing her for answers.

This made her feel incredibly uncomfortable, but not wanting to appear too forward, she turned her face away and deliberately changed the subject with a disdainful tone:

"Hmph, it's a waste of breath to talk to someone as dense as you. Let me tell you, there are some words that I've been holding onto tightly and will never let anyone take them away."

"Take this word I'm holding, for example. Confucianism, both inside and outside, from top to bottom, has been longed for and dreamed of by countless people for many years. It's a pity that no one asks about it, and I don't need to rush to talk about it, right?"

(End of this chapter)