I was a charlatan in India

Varanasi, India, on the middle reaches of the Ganges River.

"Great Heavens!"

Shenhe had just woken up when he saw a withered old man with a face covered in mud and ash, yelling at him at the top of his lungs!

The old man was shockingly thin, his ribs protruding like bamboo rafts, and there was hardly any flesh under his greasy, dark skin. He swung wildly with his bizarre dance, making a slapping sound.

He had a mouthful of large, yellow, uneven teeth, a manic expression, and was crying and laughing at the same time!

What, what's going on?!

Shenhe instinctively tried to dodge, but found that he couldn't move at all!

This is……

He tried to control his vision to assess his surroundings, only to find himself transformed into an oval-shaped clay sculpture!

Beneath her was a wet, sticky, and greasy mixture of incense ash and wilted flower petals, utterly devoid of any aesthetic appeal.

A pungent odor emanated from the surroundings, much like rotten eggs, and its origin was unknown.

Of course, if he had been to India before, he would be able to tell immediately.

This is the fishy smell of the Ganges River, mixed with the smell of expired masala spices commonly used at roadside stalls.

It's very powerful.

Shenhe was filled with confusion.

I was just drinking heavily at the company's annual party, how come suddenly...

Is he drunk and hallucinating?

Even if it was a hallucination, the scene still made him exclaim that it was an eyesore.

The old man writhed as if having an epileptic fit, making faces and occasionally sticking out his tongue to lick his greasy, black arm with ecstasy.

The way they looked at me was even more fervent and infatuated.

Shenhe felt a chill run down his spine.

Can you please stop jumping?!

You should pay me to watch this dance!

stop!

suddenly!

The old man's movements froze on the spot with a "click," as if he had received a command.

Seeing this, Shenhe felt a glimmer of hope.

Could I possibly control this old man?

or……

Why don't you go out first?

Yes, get out, stay away from me.

Stay away from me!

"Oh God! Why?!"

The next second, the old man smashed his last hope to pieces!

He suddenly burst into heart-wrenching cries.

"Why aren't you responding to me!"

"What should I do to please you?"

"Please guide me!"

Shenhe's heart skipped a beat.

The pause just now had absolutely nothing to do with me.

This old man... Holy crap!

In that short time, the old man's expression became increasingly frantic, and he began to swing his arm wildly, slapping himself repeatedly across the face.

"Slap! Slap! Slap!!!"

Each strike was extremely forceful, showing no mercy whatsoever.

The Shenhe River was struck as if by lightning.

He had no doubt that if there was no further reaction, the old man would do something even more outrageous.

No, sir, how do you expect me to respond?

It's unbelievable, but I'm just a ball of mud right now!

Speaking of which, what's wrong with me, and how can I get out?

Shenhe felt utterly helpless.

"Bang!"

A muffled thud.

The old man lunged forward, only a step away from the Shen River.

Shenhe could even smell the eerie odor emanating from him, a mixture of oil, sourness, and a nauseatingly sweet smell of fermentation.

And...those big yellow teeth with strange stains were getting closer and closer to me.

Don't come here! ! !

Response!

Yes, respond!

Hey, if the heavens don't respond to you, I will!

Am I not allowed to respond?!

suddenly.

The old man seemed to hear his voice, raised his wrinkled face, stared straight at Shenhe, and his face showed wild joy.

at last!

My decades of arduous practice have finally paid off!

"Great Heaven! You've finally seen it!"

"I am your devout follower, Agni!"

"Bless me! Let me serve you better and help you to achieve greater fulfillment!"

His tone was frantic and exaggerated, and he was gesticulating wildly while excitedly spitting out snot and tears.

As Shenhe listened, his consciousness gradually stretched out, plunging him into a vast, pitch-black space.

He seemed to be suspended in mid-air, with a barren land below.

Only at the center is a dark red lake, shimmering with tiny silver lights.

At the same time, the old man's demands gradually surfaced in his mind.

After reading this madman's wish, Shenhe was dumbfounded.

In India, many people from the lower classes believe this claim.

That is, the amount of suffering one needs to endure in one's life is predetermined; this is the hardship they must bear.

But through devout ascetic practice, one can sooner finish all the suffering and enjoy the blessings from the gods, which will help fulfill your wishes.

Of course, there are many variations of asceticism based on different purposes of governance.

For example, ascetic practices can please the Trinity God, cleanse the soul, and atone for sins, etc.

Although the explanations may differ, they all point to the same conclusion: if you honestly persevere and endure hardship, you will eventually achieve your life goals.

Those who believe in these things are called "ascetics".

They tormented themselves tirelessly, hoping to gain power or wealth through this method.

But Agni is different.

His ideal was wild: to be Shiva's father.

Shiva is the Great Deity he speaks of.

The supreme god of India, one of the three principal gods, is usually considered to be "unborn," meaning he has no father.

Agni could not accept this.

How could the great heaven he worships not even have a father?

No!

Let your devout servant Agni be your father and make up for this regret!

Agni's lifelong asceticism was driven by this single wish, but the heavens never responded to him.

It would be a miracle if they even responded!

Shenhe cursed inwardly.

Don't you even realize what kind of outrageous things you're holding back?

Of course, Shenhe was unaware that such bizarre wishes were commonplace in Indian mythology.

Even the Triad Gods have all granted similar requests, allowing me to be reborn as someone else's son.

However, all those wishes ultimately led to the same outcome: beating up Indra, the God of God.

Their motives were impure; they were only after power from the start.

A clear-headed fool like Agni usually doesn't live to see the day he succeeds in his ascetic practice.

In fact, since the old man was praying to Shiva, Shiva should have been the one to respond to him.

Why am I the one doing the handover?

Could it be that I've transmigrated into Shiva?

This old man wants to be Shiva's father, which means he wants to be my father too?

Outrageous!

No, that's not right.

My ability to respond to asceticism does not mean that I am truly Shiva.

Besides, such an outrageous wish should be impossible to fulfill.

As if in response to his idea, a vast white ocean appeared in the entire space.

This ocean is boundless and far larger than that dark red lake.

At the same time, two concepts emerged in Shenhe's mind.

First, to fulfill Agni's wish, one needs the immense power of asceticism, as vast as the endless ocean.

Secondly, since you have responded to the believers, you must satisfy them before they die, otherwise you will perish together with them the moment they die!

Shenhe froze on the spot.

Get sick!

From what I've heard, I either need to find a way to obtain this enormous power of asceticism to help this old madman achieve his goal, or I need to go down with him and perish together.

No wonder there are so many outrageous blessings in Indian mythology; it turns out there are such limitations!

The problem is, judging from his reckless behavior, he probably won't live more than a few days!

However, Shenhe didn't have time to think about it too much.

Because at the same time, Agni outside made a new move!

Seeing that Da Tian did not respond for a long time, the old man suddenly felt that his hard work was not enough!

He grabbed a file, knelt down with a thud, and began muttering incoherent nonsense...

Then, he raised his arm high, the tip of the knife pointing straight at his abdomen!

This is... preparing to cut himself open!

Agni bared his large front teeth, spitting out saliva.

"Heavens! Look at me!"