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

Chapter 344 Ji Gong (5k)

Young Master Wang looked around nervously and keenly, but found nothing.

After a moment, he comforted himself, telling himself that he was probably overthinking it.

He's already gone all the way here; it's simply not right.

Fortunately, that inexplicable palpitation came and went quickly.

He gradually breathed a sigh of relief, turned to look at the man beside him, and asked in a deep voice, "Is it forbidden to enter the mountain with the surname Zhang? Are there any other taboos besides that?"

The waiter shook his head, but then added a reminder:
"Sir, our place isn't exactly small, but it's not huge either. This is the only rule that sets it apart from other places. I've heard that once you've heard about that big mountain ahead, this taboo will be disregarded! However, if you're going to the county town and happen to be surnamed Wang, you'd better be careful!"

Upon hearing this, Young Master Wang's heart sank, and even Du Yuan, who had remained silent, frowned, clearly surprised as well.

"What do you mean by that?" Young Master Wang pressed.

The waiter pointed to the road behind him leading to the county town and explained:

“There’s a river on the way to the county town. There used to be a wooden bridge across it, but a few days ago I heard from a deliveryman that the bridge is in bad shape and might collapse any day!”

"Although the officials in the county government and the patrol office have said they would repair it, in these chaotic times of war, what isn't something that gets dragged on and on? If your surname is Wang, be very careful when you cross that bridge, lest you fall off!"

Upon hearing this, a look of understanding flashed in Du Yuan's eyes, and she carefully asked to confirm:
"So, it's like saying 'Zhang doesn't go into the mountains, and Wang doesn't go into the water'?"

The waiter listened carefully and nodded vigorously:
"You're absolutely right! People with the surname Wang can't go into the water; that's a well-known rule throughout the world. It's a real tragedy, and countless people have suffered because of this rule."

Du Yuan nodded slightly and said nothing more. But the young master's expression turned quite ugly—the strange taboos that affected the whole world were far beyond his current abilities to handle.

But the thing he was looking for was most likely underwater, which made things really tricky!
"Please enjoy your meal, sirs. I'll be waiting inside!"

After saying that, the waiter left.

The two of them were left to slowly enjoy their meal. The food wasn't particularly good, but it wasn't bad either. According to them, in a place like this, it was already extremely rare.

After finishing his meal, Du Yuan was about to get up and head to the county town when he heard Young Master Wang, who had originally said he would accompany him, suddenly say to him:
"Since there's something wrong with that bridge, I won't accompany you any longer! I need to go to that imperial estate to get something."

Du Yuan, still somewhat uneasy, asked another question:
"Do you need me to take you there?"

Young Master Wang shook his head and said:

"No need, please make yourself at home."

Seeing this, Du Yuan didn't insist and watched him leave.

What surprised Du Yuan was that when they turned a corner, this young master Wang somehow managed to summon his shiny donkey!

Riding on a donkey, they happily headed towards the Huangzhuang kiln.

After a long while, Du Yuan withdrew her gaze from the other person and turned to walk towards the county town.

The waiter who stayed behind went to clean up the bowls and chopsticks he had used. At first, he didn't pay attention, but after cleaning up Wang Chengsi's bowls and chopsticks, he picked up Du Yuan's set and suddenly realized something was wrong.

He ran his hand over Du Yuan's chopsticks, cups, and bowls one by one, his fingertips feeling dry. Incredulously, he picked up Wang Chengsi's bowls and chopsticks to compare them, and then hurriedly ran to find the shopkeeper.

"Shopkeeper! That gentleman from out of town was quite extraordinary! Look at these bowls and chopsticks he used, and these are from another young master's table, which are so clean they look like they've never been used!"

The shopkeeper was about to make a joke, saying that the waiter was probably so hungry that he ate too much, but before he could speak, the waiter exclaimed in surprise:

"Everything else is fine, but the teacup that this gentleman from out of town just used is spotless, without a single water stain, just like it was taken out of the cup!"

The shopkeeper was immediately taken aback. No matter how clean an ordinary person eats, they could never do it this way.

He hurriedly took the teacup, brought it close to his eyes to examine it carefully for a moment, and before he could speak, the waiter continued:
"Shopkeeper, my mother once told me that this is how immortals eat! Because they are not touched by the dust of the mortal world! She also said that if the food looks the same but tastes bland, it means that the gods have tasted it."

"Judging from this, we must have encountered an immortal!" The waiter said, looking expectantly in the direction Du Yuan had left, his tone full of longing. "Maybe, this chaotic world of ours is about to be cleaned up by the immortal!"

The shopkeeper, also somewhat apprehensive, looked in that direction.

Although they couldn't see anything, the two of them felt as if they could see everything.
-
The mountain seal given to me by a friend remains steadfast even as the world changes.

The art of shrinking distances was still second nature to him. And that's why Du Yuan quickly spotted the wooden bridge the waiter had mentioned.

It looks fairly sturdy, not like it's about to break down.

Just then, a group of people came towards them from the other side of the bridge. They didn't look like government officials, but everyone was carrying weapons and dressed in uniform, making them look more like bodyguards on a mission.

Du Yuan wanted to speak up to remind her, but then she thought about it again and a smile suddenly appeared on her lips.

He crossed the bridge first, glanced around for a moment, then moved several flat boulders and stacked them up.

After doing all this, he shouted to the approaching troops:
"Please be careful, everyone! There seems to be something wrong with this bridge. With so many of you and so many horses, I'm afraid the bridge won't be able to bear the weight!"

As soon as he spoke, Du Yuan patted his head, knowing the other person definitely wouldn't understand him. However, the other person did stop and look at him because of his shout.

Seeing this, Du Yuan stepped forward and gestured to indicate that there was a problem with the bridge.

This action caused the people opposite to frown. The leader was a middle-aged martial artist, not tall, but with a powerful and imposing aura that was extremely intimidating.

He said in a deep voice, "Send someone to check on it."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a man on horseback galloped forward, reached the bridgehead, and leaped down. He first tested the bridge surface, then looked it over from side to side, before turning to Du Yuan:

"Hey buddy, what's wrong with this bridge?"

Du Yuan shook her head: "I only heard it from the shopkeepers in front. They are locals, so I don't think they are wrong."

The other person's brows furrowed even more:

"Who are you from? Why can't I understand a word you're saying?"

He had previously thought it was because the distance was too far and he couldn't hear clearly, but now that they were face to face, he realized that even after traveling all over the country for so many years, he still couldn't understand what the other person was saying.

The world is not peaceful to begin with, and he felt a pang of anxiety, silently clutching the sword at his waist.

Although Du Yuan could not see the blade, she could see the intricate inscriptions engraved on the scabbard, which were tinged with a blood-red hue. There was no bloodiness in that blood-red hue, but rather an extremely masculine heat.

In today's world, it is clearly a rare and precious thing.

This subtle movement was noticed by the leader behind him, who turned to ask a scholar-looking man beside him:
Are there similar evil spirits?

The scholar shook his head: "The 'Illustrations of a Hundred Ghosts' does not record any beings that look like this. There are many evil spirits blocking the road, but none that behave like this."

"So, he's not an evil spirit?"

The scholar shook his head again: "It's hard to say. After all, we've seen quite a few things along the way that aren't in the 'Hundred Ghosts Picture'."

Upon hearing this, the leader sighed deeply: "This damned world is really tormenting people to no end!"

When they set out from Fengtian, there were over a thousand of them, all of whom were his handpicked best men. But when they got here, there were only two or three hundred left.

While this is related to their tendency to venture into dangerous places, such losses are still an exaggeration. After all, it would be difficult to assemble such an elite force anywhere else in the world.

After sighing, he said another sentence:
"Try to avoid conflict!"

Based on experience, if you encounter something you don't understand, try to avoid it or ignore it, and you'll generally be fine.

The scholar nodded, and with a flick of his finger, the people in front of Du Yuan knew what to do.

Du Yuan, unaware of the whispers behind her, explained to the person in front of her:

"I'm from out of town, so please be careful!"

As Du Yuan drew closer, the man immediately became alert, gripping his sword tightly, ready to draw it at any moment.

Even so, he couldn't help but feel panicked—along the way, too many brothers had lost their lives in a daze when they thought they were safe.

If most evil spirits weren't restricted by geographical location or bound by their own taboos, they probably wouldn't have been able to get here at all. But some extreme evil spirits are completely unscrupulous and extremely dangerous; he was truly afraid of encountering another one today.

Fortunately, Du Yuan only took a step or two closer before repeating her previous gesture, emphasizing, "Bridge, be careful!"

Having said that, he walked to the side and sat down on the rock he had moved earlier.

Seeing this, the leader hesitated for a moment before speaking:

"I'll stay here and keep an eye on him. You guys go ahead."

Everything was fine up ahead, and all was well. Although the wooden bridge creaked, it was clearly holding up.

Just as the carriage they had been protecting passed by Du Yuan, the people inside finally couldn't help but call for it to stop.

Seeing this, the leader who had been guarding the area immediately stepped forward, about to ask a question, when the owner of the carriage pushed open the small window covered with numerous yellow talismans and said to Du Yuan:
"Outsider, what's the story behind this stone?"

The window was pushed open, but no one inside was revealed; only the voice indicated an old man. They had all witnessed Du Yuan carrying the boulder.

However, no one cared. In the past, a strong man with such strength might have been worthy of their respect, but nowadays, he was nothing at all.

Putting aside everything else, any one of them could easily lift something much heavier.

It's just ordinary strength, not a real task.

Given Du Yuan's strange behavior, whether out of safety concerns or curiosity, the other party was now determined to ask her questions.

This left the leader somewhat helpless. His original intention was to avoid contact with Du Yuan as much as possible, but he was a subordinate, and the one inside was his superior.

Moreover, his plan might not be correct—accidents have happened on the road due to lack of supervision before.
Upon hearing this, Du Yuan, who had been waiting there, immediately leaned against the rock and laughed loudly, "Ruyi Stone, answering the knot in my heart!"

This time, everyone was surprised to find that they could actually understand the words of this strange man who had previously been unable to understand his language!

"What do you mean?"

Hearing this, Du Yuan's smile deepened:
"Isn't it obvious? This stone of mine is called the Ruyi Stone, and it can untangle knots in people's hearts! Why don't you give it a try?"

Upon hearing this, the leader's expression changed drastically. He quickly stepped forward and whispered to the old man in the carriage to dissuade him:

"My lord, you mustn't! We'd better leave this place immediately! The imperial estate is just ahead, and our mission is about to be accomplished!"

Many evil spirits, once acted according to their will, would be completely doomed! But they dared not act rashly—the depths of evil spirits were impossible to judge, and unless in dire straits, no one was willing to risk their life rashly.

The old man in the carriage spoke calmly:
"Precisely because we are so close, we need to be even more cautious."

Just as some evil spirits will bring disaster if you go along with them, there are also many evil spirits whose will will lead you to certain death if you go against them.

Putting everything else aside, just take the Zhang family in Taotu County, who dares to go into the mountains? Yet other families come and go in the mountains without any problems!

How do you want to assess this stone?

Du Yuan pointed to the wooden bridge behind her and smiled, "This bridge has been in disrepair for many years, and I was thinking of raising some funds to repair it. This Ruyi Stone of mine was prepared for this purpose!"

The old man in the carriage smiled upon hearing this:

"So, all I have to do is help you repair this bridge, and then I can see your Ruyi Stone?"

"Yes. However, my stone is very valuable!"

"How expensive is it? How much money does it cost to build a bridge?"

Du Yuan pointed to the carriage, her eyes seemingly able to pierce through the curtains to see the person inside, and smiled:

"That depends on how much silver you think my stone, which can resolve inner conflicts and repair bridges, is worth!"

After saying those words, Du Yuan felt incredibly refreshed.

These strangers certainly wouldn't understand what this scene meant, and might even think he was a strange and evil spirit.

Only he himself knew that this was his way of paying homage to and emulating the Living Buddha Ji Gong!
"Alright, I'll be generous this once. Here, take it!"

As she spoke, a bag of coins was thrown out of the window and landed in Du Yuan's hands.

Du Yuan opened it and found it was full of Yin De Bao Qian (a type of money).

Such extravagance caused the guards around to glance at him sideways.

Unexpectedly, such a huge sum of money only elicited one sentence from this strange man:
"Okay, then you can see the words under the first stone!"

Upon hearing this, several guards couldn't help but tighten their grip on their sword hilts.

With so much virtuous merit, isn't it enough to repair a dilapidated wooden bridge?
However, they dared not retaliate, because they truly couldn't discern whether this strange man was greedy or evil.

Du Yuan ignored them and simply walked to the side, gesturing for them to move the stones.

A guard immediately stepped forward and casually lifted and moved the first stone.

The characters on the stone below, entirely composed of stone patterns, were revealed.

It's a local expression, and it only has three very simple and straightforward words: "Get off the bus and leave."

As soon as these three words were uttered, the surrounding guards couldn't help but gather around Du Yuan, because they felt that this was not an evil spirit, but a scoundrel who used the name of an evil spirit to cheat.

But the old man inside the carriage said another thing:
So, there are words on the stone below you?

Du Yuan corrected:
"Yes, I can still answer!"

"Hehe, interesting. Here, have another bag. Now you can keep watching, right?"

Looking at the other party throwing another bag of Yin De Bao Qian (a type of in-game currency).

Du Yuan shook her head repeatedly and said:

"Hey, I treasure this stone so much! If you want to see the next one, you'll have to pay ten times the price!"

These words immediately made the guards' mouths twitch and their teeth itch.

Even the old man inside the carriage said something:
"So, if we want to see the next stone, we'll have to pay ten times the price?"

Du Yuan nodded:

"This child is teachable! This child is teachable!"

"Aren't you being a little too greedy?"

Du Yuan shook her head and smiled:
"Now that I've switched to someone with discerning eyes, they won't think I'm being greedy; they'll think it's practically free! Think about it, where else can you find a treasure that can answer your inner questions!"

The old man inside the carriage didn't answer, but after adding nine bags of Yin De Bao coins, he said:
"Move the stone!"

One of the guards was about to step forward, but the leader held him back and then moved the stone himself.

At the same time, as he unleashed a burst of hidden force, his expression changed slightly.

But he didn't make a fuss; he simply carried the stone and silently retreated.

The next rock revealed the characters, still formed by stone patterns.

Compared to the previous one about getting off the bus and leaving, this one is still incredibly blatant and extremely inappropriate.

Because this time it's about—it won't work!

What does this mean? How could these carefully selected experts not guess?
So they all flew into a rage and drew their swords at Du Yuan. Along the way, they had lost countless brothers' lives.

You actually dared to say, 'It can't be done?'

At the same time, they also shouted:

"Sir, please don't be fooled by him! This fellow is definitely using some tricks of a charlatan to fool us!"

They didn't think this guy was an evil spirit, nor did they think he was really capable. They just thought he was one of those charlatans!
The so-called "going forward" will never come to fruition; it's nothing more than the other party deliberately choosing those grand and empty words to write down!
After all, these words can be explained in any way!

But the leader stopped them, then whispered something to the old man inside the carriage:
"My lord, I couldn't move the stone below even an inch!"

Since the world has become increasingly strange, the strength in his hands has far exceeded a thousand pounds.

He once tried to make ten fine horses wrestle with him, but the result was that he was the only one pulling all ten horses backwards.

But now, a stone that even his own guards could easily move, he couldn't budge an inch from!

This scene is enough to show that this guy is definitely not some swindler who would dare to show his face in this day and age.

But immediately, the leader glanced at the one who said "can't succeed" and added:
"But... he could also have been sent by someone else!"

With such a large investment and so much loss, how can we just dismiss it with a simple "it won't work"?

The elderly man inside the car did not answer.

After a long silence, he simply asked:
"Friend, if you were to place the next stone, couldn't you offer a discount of a little?"

One hundred bags of Yin De Bao Qian (a type of in-game currency) is an amount more valuable than the entire Taotu County, and he simply cannot afford it now.

Who would carry so many things around with them for no reason?
Du Yuan simply shook her head.

Seeing this, the old man inside the carriage had no choice but to get out and step onto the wooden bridge, saying:
"Let's go over there then!"

(End of this chapter)