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

Chapter 20: Breaking the news
Shocking? Or infuriating?

At this moment, Qian Youcai felt countless thoughts rushing through his mind, but none of them felt quite right.

It wasn't until the men behind him finally let out a scream of fear that the sound of their voices rang out.

Qian Youcai, who had been staring intently at Du Yuan as she approached with a lantern, finally snapped out of his daze and looked behind him.

If he hadn't turned around, things would have been fine. But once he did, he went from being so scared his legs were weak to practically wetting his pants.

Because at first, he thought that these were his ancestors, and he was, after all, a true descendant of the Qian family.

I don't think his ancestors would ever want to take his life.

But now, he clearly saw a dozen men behind him, even though the courtyard gate was not far in front of him.

But they just wandered around aimlessly in a small circle in front of them, like headless flies.

They passed each other by repeatedly, completely unaware of each other's presence!

Qian Youcai immediately recognized the phrase "ghost wall" as something he had just heard of.

And the fact that they've encountered a "ghost wall" phenomenon means that their ancestors were truly furious and had no intention of letting them off the hook.

Upon realizing this, Qian Youcai suddenly grabbed Du Yuan's trouser leg and shouted:

"Master, I was truly blind before. I beg you to forgive my past mistakes and save my life."

"If I am saved, I will repay you in every way I can, with gold, silver, jewels, and land deeds—whatever you ask for!"

The warriors Qian Youcai brought also abandoned their idea of ​​lighting torches and instead knelt on the ground with Qian Youcai, pleading:
"Master, help me!"

"I have elderly parents to care for and young children to raise. I beg the Taoist priest to show me mercy!"

They were bodyguards specially trained by the Qian family, who began practicing martial arts and strengthening their bodies from a young age. Although there were only a few of them, they were not equipped with armor or crossbows.

If they really faced off, let alone the same number of heads, even if it was twenty or thirty bandits, they would not be afraid at all.

This was Qian Youcai's greatest asset on this trip; as a prominent family in the prefecture, he had complete confidence in the guards his family had trained since childhood.

But that's no longer possible. They're good at dealing with people, but the problem is they're now facing ghosts that don't even have a shadow!

This was even the ancestor of the Qian family.

Du Yuan smiled and asked another question:
"So, Young Master Qian believed it?"

Qian Youcai hurriedly nodded and said:
"I believe you, I believe you, Master! Please think of a way to save me!"

Qian Youcai felt that this was the fastest he had ever nodded in his life, as fast as pounding garlic!
But Du Yuan moved the lantern away and, under Qian Youcai's horrified gaze, said:
"Since you believe me, then go in!"

"Alright, alright, I'll go in. Hey?! Taoist priest?!"

Qian Youcai was shocked. "Let me in?!"
Isn't this a sheep entering a tiger's mouth?

Du Yuan did not answer him, but took out a candle from the lantern, lit a torch, and handed it to the warrior next to her.

Upon seeing the torch, the other party immediately grasped it tightly as if it were a lifeline, not daring to let go at all, and even wishing they could stick their whole body to it.

The warriors around him hurriedly crowded around him.

Let me come closer!

"Me too, me too."

Looking at the warriors huddled together like quails, Du Yuan chuckled:
"There's no need to be so afraid. You, never mind, all of you go over there with torches and wake those people up."

"If he keeps running around like this, he'll probably get seriously ill sooner or later."

They were unwilling to leave Du Yuan's side, but they dared not disobey Du Yuan's wishes.

So the warriors quickly gathered together, torches in hand, and headed toward the men who were still running around haphazardly in a small circle.

During this time, a soldier had a sudden inspiration and tried to use the fire to light more torches.

No matter how he tried to bring the torch closer, the fire just wouldn't spread across their raised torches.

Du Yuan smiled and said from behind them:
"It's no use, you're no match for me!"

The warriors were both shocked and deeply in awe of Du Yuan's unfathomable abilities.

They could only huddle together more and more, heading towards the men. It looked both quite funny and pitiful.

Strangely enough, the men who had just been running around blindly, seemingly unable to see anything, suddenly became much more alert when illuminated by the firelight.

He instantly regained his senses and looked at the warriors with a startled cry:
"How did you get here?"

Seeing that it really worked, the warriors straightened their backs and said:

"We have come to rescue you on the orders of the Taoist priest!"

"Is the young Taoist priest really that capable?!"

In the flickering firelight, the men all turned to Du Yuan, their eyes burning with a reverence even more intense than the flames—this seemingly frail young Taoist priest truly possessed the ability to turn the tide!

On Du Yuan's side, Qian Youcai hesitated, looking at the main hall without daring to go in.

Du Yuan, holding a lantern, asked from the side:
"What, you don't even dare to pay respects to your Qian family ancestors?"

Qian Youcai, whose legs were cramping, said:
"Master, I... I'm really scared."

Du Yuan said with a mixture of disappointment and frustration:

"That's why your Qian family ancestors were unwilling to let you leave."

"what?!"

Qian Youcai was greatly surprised, while Du Yuan looked at him and said:

"I'm asking you, when did your Qian family arrive in Qing County?"

As a member of a prominent family, one must memorize family genealogies and lineage records from a young age.

Therefore, Qian Youcai said without hesitation:
“My Qian family settled in Qing County since my great-grandfather’s generation. We established our family on farming and reading, and took benevolence and righteousness as our motto. This has continued for twelve generations.”

"When did your Qian family leave Qing County?"

“It’s from my father’s generation.”

Du Yuan continued to ask leisurely:

How many years have you been divorced?

"Um, about thirty or forty years?"

Du Yuan looked down at him and said:

"Have you come back to pay respects to your ancestors all these years?"

Qian Youcai was instantly stunned.

Du Yuan, carrying a lantern, walked to the front of the main hall and pointed to the twelve memorial tablets standing in the hall, saying:

“Your Qian family hasn’t declined and can’t come back. On the contrary, your Qian family has grown bigger and bigger, and your family is thriving. But for so many years, not a single person has come back to pay respects to your ancestors. Tell me, how come your ancestors don’t sigh with regret every night?”

Du Yuan said, then looked at him and shook her head:

"Everything was fine when we got here, but the problem is, now that you've finally come back, what do you do? Not only do you not pay respects to your ancestors, you also hold a banquet here, saying that I, this Taoist priest, am just making a fuss. If it weren't for your disrespect, do you think your ancestors wouldn't be angry?"

Qian Youcai's Adam's apple bobbed as he stared at the three gilded characters "Qian Shouye" on the memorial tablet, his great-grandfather. For a moment, he was at a loss for words or actions.

In the end, Du Yuan said:
"Why aren't you going inside and kowtowing to your ancestors to apologize?"

Qian Youcai suddenly realized what was happening and hurriedly struggled to his feet, staggering into the lobby.

Without even going to the ancestral tablets, he knelt down and repeatedly kowtowed to them, saying:
"Ancestors above, it is your unfilial behavior as a younger generation. I hope you will forgive me. I will definitely tell my father to repent and correct my mistakes!"

"Please forgive your child, ancestors!"

As Qian Youcai continued to kowtow, he felt a sharp pain in his back, as if someone had suddenly hit him with a cane.

"Alas!"

While in pain, Qian Youcai instinctively tried to get up.

But Du Yuan's voice came solemnly from behind:
"This is your Qian family's ancestor punishing you. If you want your ancestor's forgiveness, you must endure it properly!"

(End of this chapter)