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

Chapter 342 I've had another epiphany! (4k)

The candlelight flickered inside the hall, casting shimmering shadows on the blue bricks, and the long silence was like a cold pool.

Finally, it was Wang Chengsi who broke the silence. He bowed deeply, his back almost touching the ground, his voice trembling with barely suppressed emotion:
"Master, this disciple is guilty!"

It is not unforgivable to deviate from the sect's roots and establish a new path. There are many people on the mountain who set up their own sects. As long as they have reverence and do not betray their masters and ancestors, the main family has always turned a blind eye and even lent a helping hand where it is possible.

But he inadvertently pierced the most unbearable layer of truth—even if it wasn't his intention, he still laid bare the truth to the world that the entire sect was nothing more than a plaything in Zou Zi's hands.

Such a humiliation would be an extreme disgrace for any sect, and there would be absolutely no possibility of tolerance.

From the founding patriarch to the disciples, everyone in the sect is just a pawn to be manipulated at will. Even the foundation upon which the sect relies for its existence is nothing more than something deliberately left behind by others.

Such a situation, placed in the world of mountain dwellers, would be enough to become a laughing stock that would last for thousands of years, crushing the entire sect and making it impossible for them to ever lift their heads again.

The grandmaster stood below the hall, his back to him desolate, and he never uttered a word.

There was no thunderous rage as expected, nor any unexpected relief, only silence.

He stood there forlornly, his gaze fixed on Wang Chengsi's trembling shoulder. After staring at him for a long time, he finally spoke slowly:
"You've suffered!"

Wang Chengsi froze abruptly, then lowered his head even further.

His voice was so hoarse it was almost incoherent:

“Grandmaster, although I did not mean to, I have still brought shame to the sect and disgraced our ancestors. I can never atone for this sin.”

The grandmaster slowly raised his hand, his withered fingers pausing in mid-air before finally falling down.

"Shame?" Grandmaster repeated in a low voice, his tone devoid of joy or anger, only a desolate sense of having seen through the world. "From the day Zou Zi laid out this game, from the day the entire sect was established in my hands, we have all been involved in it. The one who is laughable has never been you, but us fools who think we have figured out the Great Dao."

He walked past Wang Chengsi with a hunched back, looking at the distant, dusty mountains.

“Your exposure of everything is not a sin, it’s just that you’ve woken up. You’ve woken up from this unrealistic, laughable dream of ours.” The Grandmaster’s voice gradually rose, but it still carried an undisguised weariness. “It’s just that this wakefulness is too bitter, too heavy, it’s suffocating you, and it’s suffocating us too.”

Wang Chengsi suddenly looked up, his eyes red-rimmed, staring at his grandmaster's back. His lips moved a few times, but he didn't know what to say.

Guilt, resentment, and confusion surged like a tide, engulfing him and leaving him helpless and unable to escape his torment.

Seemingly sensing his inner turmoil, his grandmaster turned around and looked earnestly at his most proud yet most helpless disciple, saying:

“You’re not wrong, child. You’re never wrong in this matter. In fact, we fools should be thanking you.”

After saying this, the old man actually bowed deeply to Wang Chengsi, which startled Wang Chengsi so much that he quickly stepped aside.

But the old man persisted, stubbornly turning around and bowing again. After several attempts, Wang Chengsi finally gave up and stood there awkwardly accepting the grand gesture.

After the ceremony was completed, the grandmaster rose and said to him:
"Now that you've awakened, you must forget about us worthless people. You've already realized the truth in your heart. From now on, just go with the flow and don't linger on us fools!"

"Grandmaster?!"

Wang Chengsi hurriedly stepped forward, intending to say something, but after only a few steps, he saw the entire Ancestral Hall, along with his master, vanish into thin air before his eyes.

Standing in this chaotic void, Wang Chengsi remained stunned for a long time, the panic in his eyes gradually fading. He slowly raised his hand, solemnly cupped his hands in the direction where his grandmaster had disappeared, and bowed deeply, his voice hoarse but extremely firm:
"Grandmaster, your disciple will remember this!"
-
"Hey? Cousin, you're awake?"

When Cui Shilu, who was guarding the bedside, saw Wang Chengsi open his eyes, his face immediately lit up with joy.

Wang Chengsi looked in the direction of the sound and found himself lying on Cui's bed. Several maids stood around him with their hands at their sides, as well as his cousin, whom he wondered how much he owed him in his past life.

"Cousin, your aunt came to see you just now, but left shortly afterward, perhaps she had something important to attend to. Oh, by the way, my mother has already sent someone to make you ginseng soup, it will be served to you in a little while. And, and! The Immortal Master specifically asked me to leave you a message!"

The previous words were all agreeable, but when he heard the word "aunt," Wang Chengsi couldn't help but feel a bitter smile.

But upon hearing the last sentence, certain unpleasant memories surged up instantly, sending a chill down his spine.

How could he not remember that the last time he was at the Southwest Camp, wasn't it the same scene?
He stared in horror at his adopted cousin, and for a moment, he even felt that the other's figure overlapped with that of his adopted uncle. His lips trembled as he asked, his heart pounding with fear:
"What message did you leave behind?"

"Uh, the immortal said he won't leave you any messages this time. Cousin, did the immortal leave you any messages before?"

Wang Chengsi was taken aback and filled with confusion. Something was wrong; there was no such thing! That master had never left him any words before, so why did he specifically say "I won't leave any more" this time?

But the next second, he slapped his thigh, suddenly realizing what was happening, and then exclaimed with elation:

"Ah—! I understand! I understand again!"

"Huh? Cousin? What did you realize?"

Cui Shilu was startled by the sudden exclamation and stared blankly at him, thinking to himself: Could my cousin really be having hysteria?
Wang Chengsi, however, completely disregarded this and excitedly explained:
“I’ve never met that gentleman before, but he said that on purpose. This means that he knows I’ve met that Taoist priest and that the Taoist priest left me a message before!”

“Before, I wasn’t able to completely sever the karmic ties with the Taoist priest, which is why I got involved in these things again. Although this may not necessarily be a bad thing, it’s clear that small fry like us shouldn’t get involved anymore!”

“The master is kind-hearted and has great supernatural powers. My little thoughts could not possibly escape his notice. Besides, since he was entrusted by the Taoist priest to deliver this congratulatory gift to me, he must know the whole story.”

At this point, Wang Chengsi looked intently at Cui Shilu, his tone solemn: "Do you know what this means?"

"Huh? What does that mean?"

Cui Shilu still looked bewildered, and then he heard Wang Chengsi leaning against the bed, slapping his thigh and laughing loudly:

"This means that the master himself severed the karmic ties between us and him! As long as I don't do anything foolish and run into him again, we can finally avoid this!"

Cui Shilu's expression gradually changed, and he suddenly exclaimed, "Does that mean we've severed our connection to immortality?!"

Oh no, my cousin has really gone mad! His chance to become an immortal is gone just like that, and he's still so happy!
Throughout history, countless emperors and generals have sought immortality but failed to obtain it. Yet, these two, having finally obtained immortality, simply threw it away.
But Wang Chengsi gave him a disdainful look, his tone full of disappointment:
"Fool! Even a chance to ascend to immortality depends on who it comes from! Do we, with our status, even have the ability to climb up to such a high level? Think about it carefully: what happens when a tenant farmer inexplicably gains a connection with the emperor, yet isn't qualified enough to be constantly on the emperor's mind?"

"Naturally, it will soar to the heavens! And then..."

Cui Shilu's expression suddenly changed halfway through his sentence. Yes, it may seem like you're soaring to the sky, but in the end you'll only crash and be smashed to pieces!
The greatest good thing about Cui Shilu is that he listens to advice and is good at giving advice.

"Understood?" Wang Chengsi asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Brother, I've learned a lot!" Cui Shilu said, his face flushed with embarrassment, and quickly cupped his hands in response.

However, he quickly remembered something else and hurriedly added, "But the Immortal Master also said that you should go to the tavern in front of the Jade Bridge, cousin. He said there is a senior there, and you should go and meet him."

"He also specifically told me that I didn't have to go, because this is a private matter between you two, and we outsiders can only touch on it briefly. Cousin, what do you think of this?"

Wang Chengsi frowned slightly and remained silent for a long time.

He had a vague idea of ​​who it was, but... did he really have to go and meet them?

At this moment, what he feared most was not Master Du Yuan.

After a brief hesitation, he propped himself up from the bed and said in a deep voice, "I'm going out for a bit. Tell my mother and the others not to worry about me."

Cui Shilu quickly nodded in agreement, then pressed on with the question:

“Cousin, the situation outside is still not peaceful. Should I call a few guards to accompany you?” “No need. I’m not that weak.”

Having said that, Wang Chengsi wanted to be alone, so he gently pushed Cui Shilu aside and walked straight outside.

After leaving the Cui residence, he did not head directly to Baiyu Bridge, but instead took a detour to the Xiao family.

His trip was specifically to see Xiao Qingyan, the youngest daughter of the Xiao family.

Upon meeting, Wang Chengsi cupped his hands and smiled, saying, "Senior, I have come to pay my respects."

Xiao Qingyan raised an eyebrow, a faint smile playing on his lips:
"In this state of affairs, you still call me senior?"

As she spoke, her eyes shone brightly. Having experienced a sudden enlightenment and then risked his life, this young man is truly different!

This change, ironically, made him more and more pleasing to her eye. Now that he had turned back, she was happy to put aside her previous airs and be more affectionate.

Wang Chengsi raised his hand and scratched his head, smiling somewhat awkwardly, "It's safer to call you 'senior,' I'm not quite used to this situation yet."

"Oh? So you were thinking of breaking off the engagement, but now you've given up on that idea?"

Xiao Qingyan found it increasingly amusing and deliberately teased him.

To everyone's surprise, Wang Chengsi's smile vanished, and he shook his head with an extremely serious expression: "I won't back down, and I will never mention breaking off the engagement again!"

With him staring straight at him like that, even Xiao Qingyan, who had once been the master of Beiyue Mountain, couldn't help but feel a little flustered.

She turned slightly to avoid his gaze, coughed lightly, and asked, "So, what brings you here today?"

Wang Chengsi then composed himself and solemnly said:

"That gentleman has severed our karmic ties. From now on, we should be completely safe."

Compared to Cui Shilu, who was completely unaware of the implications, Xiao Qingyan instantly grasped the weight of those words.

She abruptly looked up at Wang Chengsi, her tense shoulders instantly relaxing as she let out a long sigh and said repeatedly:

"That's good, that's good! The conflicts between the three religions, the struggles among the hundred schools of thought, and the affairs of heaven and man are not things that we should meddle in!"

Beiyue Mountain is not small, but it depends on what it is compared to, especially in the face of such a momentous upheaval that can truly shake the three religions and a hundred schools of thought.

"That's right. But there's something else I'd like to tell you today, senior."

Before Wang Chengsi could finish speaking, Xiao Qingyan interrupted him: "Is it because of your little palace master?"

A bitter expression appeared on Wang Chengsi's face as he nodded slightly.

Seeing this, Xiao Qingyan softened her tone: "Don't worry, I'll take care of her. Nothing will go wrong. It's just... her condition is too complicated. How do you plan to help her recover?"

Wang Chengsi's eyes were firm as he said, word by word, "Perhaps, we should go to another world."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Qingyan's eyebrows shot up instantly, and his tone became serious:

"Are you really sure? Things are different now than before; this is no child's play!"

In the past, traveling across realms to other worlds was difficult, but not particularly dangerous; it was merely a bit cumbersome. But in this world today, even with powerful cultivators protecting you, it is far less secure than before. A slight misstep can lead to a near-death experience.

“I have already made a plan. If this matter is not resolved as soon as possible, I will never be able to rest easy,” Wang Chengsi said resolutely.

Xiao Qingyan stared at him for a long time before finally relenting:

"Now that you've made up your mind, go for it with confidence. I'll take care of things here."
-
After bidding farewell to the youngest daughter of the Xiao family, Wang Chengsi finally mustered up his courage and stepped into the tavern.

Upon entering, he saw Zou Zi, or rather, his master.

Compared to him, Zou Zi was much more enthusiastic:

"Sit down, just sit down!"

After Wang Chengsi took his seat, Zou Zi carefully examined him and then said something that left him utterly taken aback:

"You've really suffered!"

The words that my grandmaster once spoke, I heard again in Zou Zi.
Wang Chengsi opened his mouth, but in the end he didn't say anything and just sat there silently.

But Zou Zi said seriously:

"I asked you before if you wanted to join my Yin-Yang School, and you said no. Now, I'm asking you again, do you want to join my Yin-Yang School?"

The Yin body told him to change his allegiance in order to completely crush the novelist lineage.

He did it simply out of affection and fondness.

Wang Chengsi was also perfectly aware of this.

But he still shook his head and said:
"No, I will not change the dynasty."

This answer was clearly not unexpected by Zou Zi. He simply smiled and nodded, asking:
Are you sure?

"Well, the Yin-Yang School doesn't need someone like me who's neither here nor there. But novelists are in dire need! Master, I can't leave!"

Zou Zi smiled and nodded, then picked up the teapot and personally poured tea for him.

But at that moment, Zou Zi suddenly heard Wang Chengsi stand up and plead:

"Master, I beg you to send me to Huangya Heaven, where the Three Realms are divided!"

Upon hearing this, Zou Zi was startled and quickly looked up at his apprentice.

Huangya Heaven, one of the thirty-six heavens of Taoism, is the top of the realm of form, connecting the four Brahma realms of reincarnation above and suppressing all beings in the three realms below.

But none of that matters. What matters is that the Yin energy in this realm belongs to the water element, representing 'utmost tranquility, serene and all-encompassing illumination'.

In other words, if he wasn't mistaken, the person imprisoned here was either Xi or Ji. It was a place that young man would inevitably go!

Thinking of this, he didn't even notice the tea was overflowing before he uttered a sentence:
"Where are you going? What are you doing? Aren't you..."

But Zou Zi had only uttered half a sentence when he had to stop, because he was shocked to see that his cheap disciple had reconnected the cause and effect that he had finally managed to sever.

"Fine, just don't regret it!"

Before he could even process what his master was saying, Wang Chengsi respectfully cupped his hands and said:

"Disciple will never regret it! Never!"

(End of this chapter)