The more you believe me, the more true I am. Chapter 040

The twenty or thirty people inside the temple at this moment all looked at Du Yuan and the divine statue beside him with awe and bewilderment.

After a long while, the woman finally broke the silence.

She was the first to bow and say:

“Your humble servant is Han Tang, a daughter of the Han clan of Yidu. We originated in Qilu. My grandfather served as a (shìláng) in the Zhongshu Province, and my father was the (biéjià) of Qingzhou. Many of our clan’s disciples also serve as officials. We are considered prosperous in terms of population and quite influential.”

“Today, I am fortunate to witness the Daoist Master’s divine power. Therefore, your humble servant boldly invites the Daoist Master to join my Han clan and accept our offerings. At that time, your status will be equal to my grandfather’s, and you will be the one to guide and steer my Han clan!”

The Han clan of Yidu was indeed far inferior to the Five Clans and Seven Surnames. But where in the world was there a great clan that could compare to the Five Clans and Seven Surnames?

In this regard, even the imperial family couldn’t.

After all, dynasties changed, emperors came and went, but the Five Clans and Seven Surnames remained firmly seated, overlooking the land.

Therefore, she had to secure this living immortal for the Han clan.

The ability to exorcise demons, ward off evil, and slay monsters from a distance was unheard of!

If it could be achieved, she even believed that they could add one more to the Five Clans and Seven Surnames!

But she was destined to be disappointed, because Du Yuan simply smiled and shook his head:

“Although the woman’s earlier kindness towards me contained a bit of caution, it was mostly due to her inherent goodness. Therefore, I am willing to be kind to the woman to repay her heart. Now, the woman’s kindness towards me is for her own benefit, but my original intention is to relieve the suffering of the world! How can I abandon the greater good for a small family?”

The Han clan was a large family, but how could it compare to the greater family of the world?

How could wealth and glory be compared to the well-being of all people?

Do not be greedy, our (yuán) ends here.

This was all the woman understood.

This made her heart skip a beat, like stumbling upon unexpected wealth only to lose it immediately.

She clearly saw the path to heaven, but she could see it but not touch it.

The many guards dared not speak, they could only bow along with their mistress towards Du Yuan.

As for the two men who were there at the very beginning, they hadn’t woken up, Du Yuan could even hear their snoring.

But a moment later, her eyes lit up again as she looked at the dilapidated divine platform.

She couldn’t invite the living immortal into the Han clan, so could she respectfully invite this Mountain God Lord?

Frankly speaking, among what she had seen tonight, Du Yuan was indeed more profound and mysterious. After all, he had slain the monster that the Mountain God Lord could not kill.

Moreover, Du Yuan was a living person, capable of communication and interaction, and could move freely in the world.

The Mountain God Lord, however, sat on the divine platform, quite far from her Han clan of Yidu.

But, since the Daoist Master couldn’t be obtained, then the Mountain God Lord must be sought after.

And the Mountain God Lord was at least not as detached as the Daoist Master. The incense offerings the Han clan could bring would surely please the Mountain God Lord!

But how to speak required discretion.

“The Daoist Master cares for the world, it was my ignorance. But since I have been saved by the Daoist Master and the Mountain God Lord tonight, how can I not repay their kindness with reverence?”

“So, firstly, I wish to invite the Daoist Master to stay briefly at my Han clan for entertainment. Secondly, I ask the Daoist Master how to reshape the golden body for the Mountain God Lord and rebuild the temple!”

Du Yuan stood with his hands behind his back, looking at her and saying:

“You want to invite this one to protect your Han clan?”

The woman, Han Tang, no longer maintained her bowing posture but knelt deeply on the ground, bowing both to Du Yuan and to the divine statue.

Seeing this, the many guards were greatly alarmed and quickly knelt down.

Their mistress was a noble lady, bestowed with the title of Wu Tong County Mistress by the imperial court. She was a genuine sixth-rank official. Besides facing heaven, earth, emperor, parents, and teachers, who else could make their mistress kneel?

Even His Majesty the Emperor only required ladies of the literati class, like their mistress, to kneel during important occasions such as sacrificial rites to heaven.

But now, their mistress was kneeling before Du Yuan.

“The Daoist Master is the most eminent person I have ever met in my life, and the Mountain God Lord is the only deity who has protected me.”

“Privately, I must repay the life-saving grace a hundredfold, and publicly…”

The woman’s forehead drooped even lower as she continued:

“I am from the Han clan, and I was fortunate to be sheltered by my clan and granted the title of County Mistress. My lifelong expenses are those of a wealthy commoner. I had no worries in my youth, and I have no anxieties now. How can I forget the kindness of my clan for all of this?”

“Therefore, I naturally hope to invite both of you to accept offerings from my Han clan!”

After much deliberation, she decided to tell the truth. With such an eminent person, one must not resort to foolish tricks.

That would surely be courting death!

Du Yuan stared at her intently for a long time, then finally smiled and said:

“Quite honest.”

Hearing Du Yuan’s light chuckle, the woman almost collapsed from relief.

She hadn’t guessed wrong, it was indeed best to tell the truth!

She had experienced two situations where she dared not speculate or maneuver.

The first was when she had the grace of her grandfather, was granted the title of County Mistress, and met His Majesty the Emperor.

His Majesty, known as the Heroic Emperor, sat on the dragon throne, naturally exuding boundless majesty.

But that majesty came more from the laws of the court, the armies of the realm, and the intricate web of enmities and favors between noble families and the imperial house, making it difficult to distinguish between them.

As for the second, that was today!

It was no longer human majesty, but another kind, truly high above, looking down upon the mortal world!

“However, whether this one agrees or not is not up to this humble Daoist.”

“The Daoist Master is a true eminent person, surely you know a way or two. Please enlighten me, Daoist Master, so that I can reshape the golden body for the Mountain God Lord, rebuild the temple, and offer incense.”

Du Yuan looked back at the dilapidated statue and then at the pitiful temple.

Then he thought of the situation where this one even remembered his single stick of incense…

Alright, everyone gets what they need.

I’ll build the bridge and connect the lines. Whether it succeeds or not depends on their own thoughts and (yuánfǎ).

But first, a word.

Du Yuan did not look at the woman, but turned to the divine statue and bowed, asking:

“Then, if this humble Daoist attempts to arrange it, are you willing, Your Excellency?”

‘Hmm.’

That voice reappeared in his ears.

Having received the main deity’s consent, Du Yuan no longer had any reservations.

He turned to the woman and asked:

“Have you truly thought this through?”

Han Tang said with great joy:

“Naturally!”

Du Yuan asked again:

“Will your clan truly agree?”

“How could they not agree to such a great thing!”

Du Yuan nodded and said:

“Very well, then. You seek this one’s protection, so you must carefully measure this mountain with your own feet.”

“By doing so, once you have seen its true form, you will understand your heart’s desire and show your sincerity. At that time, you can return to your Han clan and discuss the matter of sculpting the statue and rebuilding the temple.”

“Remember, since you are requesting the Mountain God’s protection, you must truly walk through it with your own feet.”

The woman hastily kowtowed and said:

“Your humble servant will surely understand!”

“Hmm, that’s good.”

“Can I start now?”

Du Yuan glanced at the divine statue, and seeing no objection from it, he said:

“If you think you can, then go.”

The woman let out a long breath. Such a matter, it was clearly best to secure it early.

Bowing once more to Du Yuan, she said:

“It is not that your humble servant wishes to neglect the Daoist Master, but inviting a deity is too important for a woman like me. Therefore, please forgive me, Daoist Master. When the matter is concluded, your humble servant will surely visit to apologize and show gratitude.”

Du Yuan waved his hand and smiled:

“No need to worry.”