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

Chapter 274 Fate and Destiny (5k)

The man in the straw raincoat was truly terrified.

He came into this mess partly to join the fun, and partly with the intention of picking up bargains.

You should know that any immortal sword that survived that great calamity, even if he wasn't a sword cultivator, would be an incredible stroke of luck to obtain just one.

More importantly, he only intended to "take" the sword, not to "refine" it. Unlike other cultivators, he didn't have to waste countless efforts and still might not succeed in the end, saving himself both time and energy.

But the current situation completely baffled him—he had actually gotten himself into trouble!
He had come to check on the three men, but unexpectedly stumbled upon such a horrifying scene upon arrival. What chilled him to the bone was that he had discerned something beyond those three fools: the Spring Breeze Sword Master genuinely considered himself inferior to this gentleman!
Otherwise, even if he lost his sword, such a person would never fall behind in everything.

That's why he was truly afraid.

He wasn't exactly an evil cultivator; he was just here to join in the fun. But he forgot that often, if you show up where you shouldn't, that's wrong in itself!

While others are openly ready to fight to the death, you, an outsider, are hiding in the shadows. What is this all about? Are you simply joining in the fun, secretly investigating, or perhaps waiting to reap the benefits?

Looking at the straw-clothed man begging for mercy, Du Yuan asked with interest, "Who are you?"

A bitter feeling welled up in the heart of the man in the straw raincoat. Although he could not be considered a great cultivator on the mountain peak, he was still a well-known figure in the area. He never expected that he would end up in a situation where even his name was unknown.

But circumstances are beyond his control, so what could he do?

He could only reply honestly, "Sir, you may not know this, but I am a cultivator from the Buzhou Mountain lineage. As for nicknames, they are really not worthy of mention."

He knew in his heart that the other party didn't even recognize him, and giving his name would be of no use. He could only move out of the ancestral temple and hope that he could establish some kind of relationship and leave himself a way out.

"Mount Buzhou?"

Du Yuan raised an eyebrow slightly and repeated it softly.

He had heard the legends about Buzhou Mountain since he was a child, but at this moment he couldn't help but wonder—could the Buzhou Mountain in his hometown be the same as the Buzhou Mountain in this world? Or were there some unknown differences?

Logically speaking, the two "Mount Buzhou" sites are likely misleading.

"That's right!" the man in the straw raincoat quickly replied, his tone carrying a hint of cautious flattery. "This junior is indeed from Buzhou Mountain. Our sect's founder is the Great God of Cloud Peak."

A pro player in Teamfight Tactics?

Du Yuan had never heard of this name before. This made him think to himself that the "Mount Buzhou" in this world was truly not the same as the one in his memories of his hometown.

Although a barely perceptible sense of disappointment crossed her mind, Du Yuan still asked, "Is it the Buzhou Mountain mentioned in the saying, 'Beyond the Northwest Sea, in the corner of the Great Wilderness, there is a mountain that is not joined together and is called Buzhou'?"

Upon hearing this, not only was the man in the straw raincoat stunned, but even the man in black who had remained silent couldn't help but pause in surprise—which Buzhou Mountain was this? How come I've never heard of it before?
The stunned man in the straw raincoat hesitated for a moment before bowing and replying, "This junior has never heard of the immortal mountain you mentioned. The Buzhou Mountain where we are is the one that is 'the opposite of the Zhou Mountain, blessed by heaven and earth'."

"It seems that things really are different now."

Du Yuan nodded slightly, and sighed softly in her heart.

It's not my hometown after all.
Although the man in the straw raincoat and the man in the black robe were full of doubts, they did not dare to ask any more questions.

Ever since they realized the man's strength and felt inferior in seniority, they had already adopted an extremely humble attitude, only daring to respond respectfully and not daring to make any wild guesses.

Only then did Du Yuan look at the still bowed man in the straw raincoat, her tone softening slightly:

"By the way, you can get up now, there's no need to be so nervous."

Upon hearing this, the man in the straw raincoat felt a sudden relief, and only then did he realize that a thin layer of sweat had seeped through his back.

He still didn't understand why there were two "Mount Buzhou" in the world.
But none of that matters now. As long as we can get out safely and no longer live in fear, that's all that matters!

"Thank you for your kindness, sir."

Seeing his appearance, Du Yuan also gave him a word of advice:
"I know you're just here to check things out and don't mean any harm, but it's best to avoid these kinds of situations in the future. Otherwise, if you get beaten to death, you'll deserve it."

The man in the straw raincoat was extremely ashamed and repeatedly clasped his hands in respect.

"I understand, I understand."

The words had barely left his lips when a slightly hoarse voice suddenly came from the horizon, abruptly cutting in:
"Junior? Liu Yunzi, why are you calling this child 'junior'? And what exactly is going on here?"

The beggar, arriving late, descended from the sky and stared in utter astonishment at his surroundings.

The three men on the ground died a gruesome death; their bodies were not even intact, and he was at a loss for words to describe them. He couldn't understand what had just happened to cause three remarkable cultivators to die so suddenly.

Liu Yunzi of Buzhou Mountain, who was usually quite respectable among his peers, bowed deeply to the little boy, addressing him as "junior" repeatedly.

The old beggar, who had lived for so many years, felt that his understanding had been completely disrupted in that short moment.

When the man in black and the man in straw raincoat saw it was him, a glint of light flashed in their eyes, and they quickly bowed to each other in greeting.

The man in black spoke first, his tone tinged with surprise: "I didn't expect you to be here too!"

The man in the straw raincoat became even more respectful, bowing slightly and saying, "It's quite unexpected that you've come, senior."

After waving to the man in the straw raincoat, the old beggar bowed to the man in black and said:
"We parted years ago and never saw each other again; it's truly a great fortune to meet again. We must have a drink together sometime. However..."

Finally, the old beggar hesitated and looked at the smiling Du Yuan.

"Little old beggar, may I ask you something? You, you..."

He paused abruptly, his gaze lingering on Du Yuan's smiling face for a long time, but he couldn't find the right words.

He always thought Du Yuan was a promising young talent, but by all accounts she was just a little kid.

His previous achievements were likely due to the effective planning of his teachers.

But now... something seems off?

The constant calling of "little baby" might be embarrassing for peers or even seniors.

The old beggar was finding it hard to keep up.

"What does the old man want to ask?"

Du Yuan's smile remained gentle, but the old beggar grew increasingly embarrassed. A sudden jolt went through him, for he had finally pieced together the whole story—

Those three guys just now probably didn't even touch the hem of this man's clothes before being dealt with in a few breaths! With such methods, it's no wonder that Liu Yunzi panicked and lost his composure on the spot; he probably almost knelt down to someone.

As Liu Yunzi's patriarch had long ago said, this fellow was utterly incapable of discerning right from wrong, always eager to jump into any spectacle. Now, it seems his patriarch's words have truly come true; he didn't get to join the fun, and instead, he's gotten himself into trouble.

But thinking about it this way, the old beggar's face burned even hotter. Didn't this mean that he had misjudged the situation before? He had actually treated such a formidable person as a child!

Helpless, the old beggar could only give the man in black a look, hoping his friend could offer some clues. The two had been friends for many years, and the man in black understood his confusion with just a glance, then nodded helplessly.

Upon nodding, the old beggar's face turned completely red. He had truly lost face utterly today!
This also made Du Yuan realize that people can really change their expression in an instant.

This popularity is both incredibly fast and exaggerated!

After a long silence, the old beggar finally stammered out, "How embarrassing! How embarrassing! I'm leaving now, this old beggar is leaving!"

After saying that, he turned around and was about to transform into a streak of light and escape. Having lived for so many years, he had never been so ashamed. He felt that it was unbearable to stay in this place for even a moment longer, and he wished he could disappear from everyone's sight immediately.

But as soon as he turned around, Du Yuan's voice came from behind him, gently calling out, "Sir, please wait."

The old beggar paused, reluctantly stopping. Such was the rule in the cultivation world: whoever had the higher cultivation level carried more weight, leaving him no choice but to obey.

He didn't turn around completely, but simply turned to the side, cupped his hands, and said in a complicated tone, "May I ask what else you need, sir? This old beggar is too ashamed to stay any longer, please understand."

Du Yuan stepped forward, cupped her hands, and smiled, "Sir, please don't take offense. I had promised an old man that I would keep an eye out for his granddaughter. So, I dare to ask today, sir, if you have any intention of taking on a disciple?"

Du Yuan had her own considerations: the old beggar was a decent person and not a cunning one, and the old man's granddaughter was quite talented. If the two could become master and disciple, it would be a wonderful thing.

The old beggar shook his head repeatedly:
"Old beggar, I have no intention of taking on apprentices, nor do I know how to teach. Please rescind your order, sir!"

Du Yuan said helplessly:
"Sir, I'm not asking you anything, I'm just asking. After all, that young girl is truly exceptional!"

Upon hearing the words "little girl," the old beggar's heart clenched. He turned around, took off his wine gourd, slowly took a sip, and then said:

"Sir, this old beggar really has no intention of taking on an apprentice."

Du Yuan nodded regretfully.
"In that case, I won't try to persuade you anymore. But you might as well go back and take a look. Maybe you'll change your mind after meeting her in person?" Du Yuan found the young girl quite endearing. Perhaps things would change after the two of them met?

Seeing that Du Yuan had gone this far, the old beggar could only cup his hands and say:
"Since you've said so, sir, I'll go take a look now, but I don't intend to take on any apprentices."

Du Yuan cupped her hands in understanding, but also said:
"I must say something to the old man: they are, after all, ordinary people. Given your appearance, perhaps it would be more appropriate for you to tidy yourself up a bit before going?"

Upon hearing this, the old beggar laughed, pointed to his tattered clothes, patted his wine gourd, and said nonchalantly:

“Sir, the concept of fate is all about letting things take their natural course. If there is truly a connection, how could I miss it just because I am poorly dressed or have a rough appearance? If we break off our connection because of such a small matter, then we were never meant to be.”

"Don't worry, I'll go just like this, it's fine, it's fine!"

Seeing that his mind was made up, Du Yuan knew that further persuasion would be futile, so she said no more. The two exchanged a glance, bowed to each other, and then parted ways.
-
The old beggar, swaying his gourd, leisurely headed towards the small mountain village.

Before long, they found the small village.

After glancing at it, the old beggar also laughed:
"Good heavens, it's right next to Dingjian Village. Tsk tsk, what a great place. No wonder it produced such a remarkable person. Everyone says he's a prodigy with exceptional talent."

"However, this old beggar really has no intention of taking on any apprentices."

He tilted his head back and gulped down several more mouthfuls, the liquor dripping down his chin and soaking his tattered collar, making him look even more disheveled.

He swayed towards the east side of the village, burping every few steps, the sour smell and alcohol wafting through the air, causing the surrounding villagers to pinch their noses and move away, their eyes full of disgust.

But he had only walked a short distance when the old beggar heard a sweet, delicate voice:
"Grandpa, you can't drink anymore! If you drink any more, you'll get drunk!"

The old beggar didn't look in the direction of the sound, but simply shook his gourd and said:

"Hey, this old beggar has never been drunk before! Little girl, don't worry about me."

The little boy, however, refused to listen. He rummaged through his embroidered purse for a long time, pulled out a few candies wrapped in paper, compared them, and then took the largest one and blocked the old beggar's path.

He proudly held out his palm, revealing the candy, and said:
"This is the biggest candy I specially saved. Here, have it. If you eat it, you might not want to drink anymore. Grandpa, drinking is bad, and getting drunk is even worse. My mother said so! She's not lying!"

The old beggar was about to burst into laughter at these words, but then his eyes widened in surprise, and he looked at the little girl in front of him with a start.

'Could it be those eyebrows and eyes?!'

The old beggar was initially unsure, but when he saw the slingshot at the little girl's waist, he hurriedly asked:
"Little girl, let me ask you something. If the county magistrate wanted to arrest your mother and father, what would you do?"

The little girl immediately pulled out her slingshot and said:

"My mother and father are both good people. Whoever tries to arrest them is a bad person. So I'm going to shoot them with my slingshot!"

"Little girl, do you know that's the county magistrate?"

The little girl angrily said:

"I know, he's the highest-ranking official! But so what?!"

The familiar scene and the identical tone instantly made the old beggar feel disoriented.

He felt as if he had returned to those days. He saw again the little girl who held a silly wooden bow and wanted to demand an explanation from her master.

Finally, he made up his mind to start deduce and calculate the girl's origins.

But just as he raised his palm, he suddenly shook his head and smiled.

Whether it is or not is no longer important; this little girl has already pleased him!

So the old beggar squatted down, took the candy from her, and said to her with a smile:
"Little one, I'll tell you a secret. I am an immortal, a cloud-riding immortal! I want to take you as my disciple! In the future, you will be an immortal too!"

"How are you? Are you happy?"

Unexpectedly, as soon as she said this, the little girl's expression slowly changed, and she took a few steps back. She stared intently at the old beggar for a long time, her eyes filled with confusion.

Then suddenly she burst into tears:
"Grandpa! Auntie! Mom! A bad guy is trying to kidnap me!"

As soon as the shouts began, the gates of each house creaked and groaned as villagers rushed out in droves, hoes in hand and carrying poles in hand.

"Who, who wants to kidnap our little Yuanyuan?"

When they saw the old beggar, they were immediately enraged:
"You old beggar, you've lost all humanity! Folks, beat this old bastard to death!"

The old beggar hurriedly explained:

"No, no, no, you've misunderstood. I am an immortal, and I want to take this child as my disciple!"

Little Yuanyuan's grandfather was the fastest runner. Seeing that he still dared to talk nonsense, he grabbed a stool from the courtyard gate and threw it at him, cursing:

"Fuck your mother's head!"

Seeing this, the old beggar had no choice but to wave his hand and immediately take away the weapons from the villagers' hands.

"Look at me, I'm truly an immortal! I have magic powers!"

But saying this would have been better; as soon as it was said, the villagers' faces all changed, and they shouted in unison:

"It's a monster! Quick! Hide in the ancestral hall!"

After shouting, someone picked up Xiao Yuanyuan and everyone scattered like birds and beasts, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

Only the old beggar remained, carrying his wine gourd, standing at the empty village entrance, slapping his thigh in frustration:

"Hey! Wait! I really am an immortal! I am the current head of Tianding Mountain! Not a monster! Come back, come back!"

Looking at the scattered villagers, the old beggar really didn't know what to say.

He could only look at his clothes with dismay; they were indeed tattered and in a sorry state.

"This really is."

After shaking his head in frustration, the old beggar left the area first.

Soon after, the old beggar, eager to take on a disciple and afraid of missing out again, returned dressed in a different outfit.

This time, he was no longer that stinky old beggar, but the master of Tianding Mountain!
A plain ramie robe hung smoothly over her body, its hem adorned with pale blue cloud patterns that rippled across her sleeves with the passing breeze. A golden wooden hairpin held back her long, graying hair, with a few strands at her temples moving slightly with her breath.

The lines on his face were still there, but the weariness of the past was gone. His eyes drooped like the moon over Shengshan Mountain. He lightly held a bronze whisk in his fingertips, which was simple and unadorned but still had a grand air about him.

Just by standing there, it absorbed a third of the cloud mist, and all traces of the previous sour and foul odor were gone!
Dressed like this, he glanced at himself and instantly felt smug:
"Oh dear, now you should believe me!"

But as soon as he stepped into the village, he heard the villagers shouting in panic:
"That monster has returned in different clothes! Splash him with black dog blood!"

With a splash, the old beggar, who had just stepped into the village, was drenched in black dog blood.

His otherworldly demeanor vanished completely, leaving him and the villagers staring at each other in bewilderment.

Soon, the villagers fled in panic, shouting, "It's not working!"

He remained rooted to the spot, bewildered by the wind.

At that moment, he suddenly remembered what he had said to Du Yuan earlier:
"They are, after all, just ordinary people. Perhaps it would be more appropriate for you to tidy yourself up a bit before going?"

"Don't worry, I'll go just like that, it'll be fine, it'll be fine!"

'If we break off our relationship over something so trivial, then we were never meant to be.'

After a moment of stunned silence, the old beggar began to calculate and deduce with trembling hands.

After a long pause, the old beggar looked up to the sky and said:

"Oh no, I disconnected myself!"

At that moment, the old beggar was filled with regret.

They clearly saw the cause and effect, and pointed it out again and again, so why can't I grasp it no matter what?!
(End of this chapter)