I was a charlatan in India

"So, you mean... this woman is carrying my dad?"

Honestly, even Shenhe himself found this content absurd.

But Arti actually listened to his story very attentively.

Yes, by looking.

Since Arti had not yet become a believer, Shenhe could only manipulate the incense ash to convey the current situation to Arti, like drawing a diagram.

He had also considered whether he could develop the ability to display images, but he didn't expect it to be so expensive. His cultivation power, which had already shrunk by a third, was simply not enough.

Mina responded by adding a little bit of her arduous training power.

It's really just a tiny bit, about the size of a thumbnail.

Mina is a proper Brahmin. "Sarasvati" is the name of the goddess of wisdom. Her caste position corresponds to priesthood, and she comes from a proper clergy family.

In the past, they would undoubtedly have been from a prestigious and aristocratic family.

But as her father said, her grandfather and great-grandfather were very traditional believers who refused to use their positions for personal gain and even distributed their family wealth to help refugees.

In India, such a kind person would be considered a great traitor and would be harmed to death.

So my family is very poor now.

Of course, even if a family declines, they are still a large family compared to those in the same social class and the lowest rungs of society.

So Mina's so-called asceticism was nothing more than worshipping more and not indulging in worldly pleasures.

It's incomparable to a madman like Agni, and the power of asceticism it provides is naturally not on the same level.

Although it was hard to accept the fact that her father had been reincarnated, Shenhe still forced a response: "...That's right."

"So, what does this have to do with me?"

Arti's eyes were bright and innocent, but his words were somewhat ruthless.

It's not her fault.

In her view, her father had spent his life in asceticism and now his wish had come true, which should be a good thing.

Moreover, Agni hadn't provided her with any education, so she genuinely couldn't understand the connection.

Strictly speaking, this little girl doesn't have warped values; she doesn't have any values ​​at all.

Shenhe's brain went into a brief malfunction.

Since becoming a Linga, he has come into contact with three people.

The mad Agni, Mina who got pregnant before marriage in a daze, and this Arti who has no moral compass.

They each possess extraordinary wisdom, but none of them are compatible, and Shenhe struggles to adapt to them.

Arti waited for a long time, and when he saw that there were no new words on the incense ash, a hint of certainty flashed in his amber eyes.

It seems I was right.

Even if this woman is pregnant with my father's child, it has nothing to do with me.

These are clearly the sources of distress for the linga before him.

Then, she timidly spoke up, asking about something she was more concerned about.

"Can you... really give me food, water, or a bed to sleep in?"

Her needs were direct and simple.

Hearing this, Shenhe couldn't help but feel speechless and somewhat heartbroken.

"……Can."

Shenhe tried it out and found that the consumption of conjuring these things was not too great.

In addition, in extremely rare circumstances, he should be able to manipulate the incense ash to go out and steal food.

But the thought was ruthlessly extinguished by Shenhe as soon as it arose.

I, Shenhe, am now at least a god, so even if I starve to death or jump off this cliff, I would never do such a despicable thing!

"Then...do I have to torture myself as frequently as my father?"

"Could you please reduce the amount... even just changing the food a little less would be fine."

Arti hesitated for a moment, then continued to ask questions, as carefully as if he were confirming the terms of a contract.

...So that's what you were worried about.

Shenhe was at a loss for words, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

It seems her father showed Arti quite a few tough acts before, leaving her with a lasting trauma.

Shenhe manipulated the incense ash to spell out: "Don't worry, Arti, I don't need your asceticism."

He paused for a moment, then added.

"Your father, Agni, has already paid the price for you."

"You just need to follow my instructions when necessary."

Upon hearing this, Arti stared at the words for a long time.

She wasn't quite sure what price her father paid or what he gained in return.

But Linga promised to give her food and water, and even a bed!

Moreover, she wouldn't have to suffer, which sounds... more cost-effective than being a father's daughter.

After all, her father's most frequent communication with her was to persuade her to practice asceticism, but it was too painful for her to endure.

However, this gave her a strange sense of joy.

My dad cares about me; he has paid attention to me!

Perhaps, this is how Dad felt when he received this "great heaven's" approval?

The girl bit her lower lip and nodded hesitantly.

As Arti nodded, I immediately felt a strong connection between myself and Arti.

From now on, whenever Shenhe is willing, he can fix his gaze on her as he would on Agni.

With a sudden thought, he began to try to pull Arti into his own space.

The next moment, the girl's figure disappeared from the spot and appeared in the void.

At the same time, the outline of a mansion quickly solidified, taking shape and standing quietly nearby.

The layout of the courtyard is somewhat similar to Mina's house, but it lacks some details.

Forming a house within this space does not require additional energy consumption.

Rather than letting Arti live in the perilous shack, it's better to let her stay here with me.

Moreover, this is much more convenient than living outside. As long as you come out of the linga, Arti can contact you at any time.

It's just that having a girl rub this is a bit...

As for this house, it was completely taken from Mina's house by Shenhe.

He knew nothing about architecture and could only imitate what he saw.

In addition, the place where Agni was reincarnated is such an environment, so letting Arti get familiar with it in advance might be helpful in the future.

He planned to turn Arti into his ally.

Because he received very little arduous cultivation power from Mina, Shenhe realized that this thing was quite precious and not easy to accumulate.

If we rely on force for everything, we may soon find it difficult to sustain.

If you want to accumulate the power for ascetic practice, you might have to find a way to create a religion and trick people into practicing asceticism.

Hmm... having a bunch of people torture you, that sounds a bit creepy.

However, whether it was to protect Agni or to establish a religion, he needed his own advocates.

Clearly, Arti is more free than Mina, and therefore more suitable.

Of course, she is too young and too weak right now, and her understanding of the world is a complete mess.

Throwing her directly into the vortex of Varanasi is tantamount to sending a lamb to the slaughter.

This house could serve as both her sanctuary and a classroom, allowing Shenhe to try and nurture the girl.

But Arti did not approach the yard immediately.

She had seen the mansions of those high-caste people; those were not places for someone like her to set foot in.

If you rashly barge in, you might be lucky enough to be chosen by one of the servants inside and become their slave, or you might be beaten to death on the spot, or sold off after they've had their fill of you.

So she didn't dare go in at all.

"Arti, this is yours. Go inside."

Sensing Arti's thoughts, Shenhe reluctantly added a sentence.

It seems that within this space, no believer's thoughts can escape Shenhe's perception; this is true for Agni, and it is also true for Arti.

His voice was gentle, but in Arti's heart, he preferred the dancing incense ash, which was like a spirit that belonged only to him.

After receiving permission, the girl carefully moved her feet, tiptoeing closer to the courtyard...

On the other hand, Mina's situation is not so optimistic.

"Snapped!"

Her father slapped her across the face, his angry voice suddenly exploding out.

"You mean, Shiva's father was reincarnated and entered your womb!?"

"Mina, don't think everyone else is a fool. These lies might fool the believers, but they won't work in the Nabu family!"

"How can you be so unchaste? What will become of the Saraswati family's reputation!"

"So that's why you're always kneeling! You were hiding your belly!"

"Tell me! Where is that bastard?!"