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

Chapter 247 I Have a Guarantee! (4k)

Seeing Du Yuan spit out her tea after just taking a sip, Mr. Zhang assumed that the young master thought the beginning of his story was too bizarre.

After all, the "quasi-emperor" and "boundary sea" mentioned in these stories are completely different from the emperors, generals, and grudges in ordinary storytelling, revealing a "deviant" view of traditional stories.

He immediately smiled and waved his hand, his tone somewhat reassuring:

"Young master, please be patient. If you listen to this story, I guarantee you'll be amazed by the second half! To be honest, I initially thought the same as you did that the person who made up this story was probably some unruly amateur. But look what happened!"

At this point, he couldn't help but slap his thigh, his eyes filled with reminiscence:
"I heard this story from someone in another city, and I stood outside the teahouse listening for a whole day, not wanting to move an inch! When I finally realized I needed to find a place to rest, I found that my legs didn't even feel like my own anymore!"

Upon hearing this, the entire room burst into laughter. The guests who had initially been somewhat skeptical now had eyes that practically overflowed with anticipation, urging Mr. Zhang to continue.

But Du Yuan didn't laugh along. He raised an eyebrow slightly, a strange look flashing across his face, before he couldn't help but chuckle and said:
"May I ask, sir, did you visit Qingzhou on your recent journey?"

Upon hearing this, Mr. Zhang's eyes widened suddenly, and he leaned forward, exclaiming in astonishment:
"Young master, how did you know? Did you also go to Qingzhou to hear this story?"

Du Yuan tapped the edge of the table lightly with her fingertips, smiled, pointed to herself, and said frankly:
"You might not believe it, but this is the story I told."

"What?!" Mr. Zhang exclaimed in surprise, his voice rising slightly. He quickly asked, "You...you can't be that storyteller from the countryside of Qi County, can you? I've heard that the story of the 'Quasi-Emperor battling the giant creature of the Boundary Sea' originated in Qi County!"

Qi County? Du Yuan was slightly taken aback, then shook her head:

"Sir, you seem to have mixed up some places. I have never been to Qixian. When I told you this story earlier, I was in a shack outside Qingxian."

Seeing that Du Yuan had accurately corrected the mistake he had deliberately made, Mr. Zhang could no longer contain his excitement. He quickly got up and walked towards Du Yuan's table, his steps faster than usual, his eyes full of eagerness.
"Oh! It must be you! But... I heard that you only recently left the monastic life?"

As he spoke, his gaze unconsciously fell on Du Yuan's hair, looking quite puzzled.

The young man in the story was a monk who had just returned to secular life from the temple. Logically, his hair should still be short, but the young man in front of me had neat hair, not at all like someone who had just shaved his head and returned to secular life.

Du Yuan was both amused and exasperated upon hearing this, her tone tinged with helplessness:
"Sir, you have been traveling around for many years, so you should know that the world is constantly changing and opportunities are always emerging. My hair has also grown faster because of some good fortune."

"That's it! That's it!"

Mr. Zhang nodded repeatedly, all the doubts in his eyes disappearing, leaving only admiration. He couldn't help but cup his hands in a respectful gesture towards Du Yuan again.

"I never expected to meet the original owner of this story here today. My apologies for not being able to!"

Having said that, he addressed the assembled guests in a loud voice:

"Ladies and gentlemen, this young gentleman is the one who told me this story, and he also told me many other wonderful stories that I had never heard before!"

The crowd erupted in an uproar.

Then they all eagerly looked at Du Yuan, wanting to see what kind of person this young gentleman was.

Mr. Zhang also bowed to Du Yuan and pleaded:

"Young sir, please sit down and tell us a few more stories!"

Logically speaking, those in the same profession are enemies, but Mr. Zhang is different. Although he also makes a living by storytelling, he doesn't care about those dirty tricks.

Instead, I just hope to hear a few more good stories.

During those days in Qingzhou, he was almost obsessed with finding out about these new stories.

Unexpectedly, after going around in circles, I actually met the person in my hometown!
How could he possibly restrain himself?

The surrounding crowd also joined in the shouting:

"Yes, yes, please tell us about it!"

Seeing that he couldn't refuse such a kind offer, and also because he had been waiting for such an opportunity, he decided to give it to them.

So Du Yuan stood up and said:

"In that case, I will tell you something different, but not the story this gentleman just told. Those stories can be left for another time."

"What I'm going to tell you today is something that most of you probably haven't heard of!"

Everyone listened intently. Mr. Zhang was still around; what he just said would definitely come true.

Comparing the two, this 'new thing' is naturally more appealing!
Because of the momentum that Mr. Zhang had inadvertently created, when Du Yuan was invited to the main hall...

The area wasn't just full of people, it was overflowing with people!

Seeing this, Du Yuan cleared her throat and said:

"Hexi County is located near water, so today I'm going to tell you a story that is closely related to your lives!"

Having said that, Du Yuan continued without any hesitation:
In western Henan

The story Du Yuan first told was naturally the one she had told the boatman. It was a very classic folk tale, not a fictional story that Du Yuan had modified.

However, the people of Hexi County had never heard of him before. So every time he spoke, the whole room fell silent, with only his voice echoing in the restaurant. Sometimes he spoke calmly, and sometimes he raised his voice slightly, making people dare not blink.

When the story was finished, the audience was still savoring it, and some of the more straightforward ones couldn't help but mutter to themselves:

"So such strange things exist in the world. But where is western Henan?"

Just then, Du Yuan suddenly changed the subject, her gaze slowly sweeping over the guests in the room, and she smiled as she posed a question:

"As I just mentioned, this story is closely related to your lives. But what I just told you was about a mandrill in the mountains. You all live near water, so how could a mandrill be relevant to you?"

He paused deliberately, observing the expressions of the crowd—some frowning in thought, others peering out as if to ask questions—before slowly continuing:
“In the mountains dwell spirits and monsters of unknown origin and strange appearance, which are collectively called ‘xiao’. So, what should we call things that are inexplicable and mysterious, if they are hidden in the waters you deal with every day?”

The moment the question was asked, the entire room fell silent. Even those who had been whispering just moments before shut up, all staring at Du Yuan with curiosity in their eyes.

A "xiao" in the water? This was something they had never thought about, yet it was so close to their lives, making them even more eager to know the answer.

"Sir, please stop being so mysterious and tell us!" someone couldn't help but raise their voice.

But as soon as he finished speaking, the crowd gathered at the door was suddenly pushed aside by a force, and a smelly figure squeezed through the gaps in the crowd, but lost his footing and fell hard to the ground with a "thud".

The beggar didn't get up. He just looked up at Du Yuan for a moment, squinted, and then pointed at him, chuckling as he said:

"You little rascal, you're quite amusing. Come, come, let's make a deal. You treat me to a good meal and some fine wine, and once I'm satisfied, I'll give you a piece of advice. Do you think that's a good deal?"

The crowd was so engrossed in the story that they couldn't wait to find out what happened next, and they didn't want a smelly beggar to spoil the fun. Immediately, a man's face darkened, and he rolled up his sleeves, ready to step forward:
"Where did this filthy beggar come from! Doesn't he know where he is? He's an insult to the local customs of Hexi! Come on, everyone, let's throw him out!"

As soon as he finished speaking, several men who were nearby surrounded him and hurriedly tried to lift the beggar up. The first man who reached out to grab him had just grabbed the beggar's arm when his brow suddenly furrowed.

It feels incredibly heavy when you hold it, like you're carrying a lump of cast iron!
But when another man next to him reached out to grab him, the previous heaviness inexplicably disappeared, and the beggar became as light as a withered leaf, and was lifted up almost effortlessly.

The man wondered to himself: Could it be my own problem?
In a short while, the beggar was being carried out the door by the crowd, but he was still struggling and shouting:

"I'm not here to freeload!"

Seeing that the beggar was about to be thrown out, Du Yuan quickly stood up, raised her hand to stop the crowd, and said gently:

"Please don't worry, everyone. This old gentleman hasn't done anything heinous. Let's put him down for now. Manager, please order the best food and wine in the shop, and put all the money in my account."

Seeing that Du Yuan had spoken, the crowd, though still dissatisfied, had no choice but to reluctantly let go and put the beggar down.

But as soon as the beggar regained his footing, he pointed at Du Yuan and smiled, a mischievous glint in his eyes:

"Little brat, are you really sure you want to agree? This old beggar hasn't eaten in ages, and I'm afraid you won't have enough money on you!"

Upon hearing this, Du Yuan simply shook her head and smiled.
"Please eat as much as you like, don't worry about the money."

Then, he turned to look at everyone in the room and continued in a calm tone:
"Come on, let's continue."

The old beggar sat alone to one side, and the shopkeepers brought him some simple food to fill his stomach and also to save the young man some money.

After all, we've eaten our fill first; we can't possibly eat more, can we?
The others gathered even closer to Du Yuan. Du Yuan smiled and pointed to the Sweetwater River:

“There are just as many creatures in the water as in the mountains, but they are much harder to cultivate. After all, humans are the most intelligent of all creatures, and the wild animals in the mountains, having seen so many humans, have gradually developed some spirituality.”

“It’s different in the water. How often do ordinary aquatic creatures see people? But that’s not always the case. There are already quite a few people living along the riverbanks.”

"Therefore, over time, those large aquatic creatures that have lived for many years, having become accustomed to seeing people and things on the river surface, gradually became enlightened, developed spirituality, and even cultivated some Taoist skills."

"But if that happens, how can the people who make a living on the rivers live in peace? If there are spirits in the mountains, whether good or bad, they can at least hide from them; but if there are spirits in the water, where can the people who live on the water hide?"

The crowd listened intently, leaning even closer, when Du Yuan suddenly raised her voice:

"And this is the key point I want to make to you all!"

After he finished speaking, he turned to look at the boatman—who had vaguely understood what was happening and was so excited that his body trembled slightly.

"This boatman had encountered a water monster before, but not only did he escape unharmed, he also received a perfectly timed gift as a result."

Du Yuan paused, her gaze sweeping over everyone, and slowly said:

"Ultimately, the key lies in the fact that he once 'fed' the creatures in the water!"

“Look at Taoism, Buddhism, and even Confucianism. Among these three religions, ‘giving alms’ has always been considered a great act of kindness and virtue.”

"Yes, by giving food to aquatic creatures, you not only gain merit, but you also accumulate good karma for yourself. Don't you agree, boatman?"

The boatman was so excited he couldn't speak, and he nodded repeatedly, saying:
"Yes, yes, many people here know me. I think they all know that I encountered a strange thing before. I tried to find a solution everywhere, but I had no clue."

"Previously, thanks to this young master, no, thanks to this young gentleman, I finally understood."

"That's because every time my boat speed increases, it's because I habitually throw food into the water, so my boat is carried forward by 'it'! It saves a lot of energy and makes me much faster!"

Everyone knows the boatman, and quite a few people do know about what happened to him recently.

At this moment, when she spoke, everyone was in an uproar, and then they all pressed Du Yuan for answers:
"Sir, is everything you're saying true?"

Du Yuan laughed:

"Of course there are stories and truths, and this one is the truth!"

"When you travel by water in the future, you may wish to scatter some food into the water, or you may bring a stick of incense with you before you set out, so that when you suddenly feel that you have encountered something, you can offer a stick of incense."

"In this way, even if you encounter something malevolent, you can turn danger into safety! Conversely, if you encounter something inherently good, you can gain even more good fortune!"

The crowd listened with skepticism, for they had never seen a spirit or monster before. But Master Zhang had stepped forward and said:
"Everyone, everyone, you must remember this well, because when I came from Qingzhou, I heard a lot of strange things! And it was said that the Buddha had even manifested himself in Qingzhou!"

Even though he had already left Qingzhou, he could clearly see the magnificent Buddha light emanating from Qingzhou.

As for believing Du Yuan's words, it was because he felt that such an unbelievable story could only be told by a master who had seen different scenery!
Once someone took the lead, others with more connections followed suit and spoke up:

"Yes, yes, I've heard a lot of strange things too."

"The southwest side doesn't seem right either."

The people inside were talking amongst themselves, while the waiter outside stared dumbfounded as the old beggar ate a whole stack of plates.

This... this would take seven or eight strong men to eat!
But the old beggar was still not satisfied and continued to shout:

"Hurry up, this old beggar is only a third full!"

The waiter hurriedly went to the kitchen to urge them on.

After glancing inside, the old beggar suddenly shouted at Du Yuan:
“Little kid, I know you have a bit of a desire to show off, but you mean well most of the time. But this method of yours can’t be taken as a rule.”

Du Yuan laughed:

"Thank you for the reminder, sir, but I have my reasons for speaking up!"

The old beggar immediately frowned and said:

"A monster is a monster, and those in the water are even more unruly. A stick of incense and a bite of food can only satisfy those little creatures; they're useless! If you encounter them, your method will not only be ineffective but will also delay your escape."

Looking at the old beggar in front of her, who was clearly no ordinary person, Du Yuan laughed even harder:

"I told you, I have something to rely on!"

The old beggar didn't believe it at all:

"I didn't mean to undermine you, but you've become so entangled in karma that I couldn't help but speak up. Don't continue to take my kindness for granted!"

(End of this chapter)