Chapter 20: The Truth Revealed

Shocked? Humiliated and speechless?

At this very moment, Qian Youcai felt countless thoughts racing frantically through his mind, yet none of them felt quite right. It was only when the men behind him finally erupted into shrieks of terror that Qian Youcai, who had been staring fixedly at Du Yuan ever since the Daoist arrived with the lantern, subconsciously snapped back to reality and looked behind him.

He would have been better off not looking. One glance was all it took; he, who had previously only been weak-kneed with fear, was now truly on the verge of wetting his pants.

Initially, he had comforted himself with the thought that these were, after all, the ancestors of his own Qian family, and he was, by every definition, a true-blooded descendant. Surely, he reasoned, his own ancestors would not take his life.

But now, he clearly saw more than a dozen of his men—despite the courtyard gate being only a short distance away—stumbling about like headless flies within a tiny circle. They repeatedly brushed past one another, yet remained completely oblivious!

A "ghost wall." Qian Youcai recognized it instantly; it was the very phenomenon he had just heard about. And if a ghost wall had manifested, did that not mean his ancestors were truly incensed and had no intention of letting them go?

At this realization, Qian Youcai gave a violent shudder, grabbed the hem of Du Yuan’s trousers, and cried out:

"Daoist, it was my own blindness that clouded my judgment earlier! I beg you, please set aside your grievances and save my life! If I am rescued, I will surely repay you a hundredfold. Gold, silver, jewels, land deeds—name your price!"

The martial retainers Qian Youcai had brought with him also abandoned any thoughts of lighting torches. Instead, they knelt on the ground alongside their master, pleading:

"Save us, Daoist!"
"I have elderly parents and young children at home, I beg you, have mercy!"

They were guards specifically raised by the Qian family, trained in martial arts and physical conditioning since childhood. Even though there were only a few of them and they lacked armor or heavy crossbows, they were fearless. If they were to face an equal number of opponents—or even twenty or thirty bandits—they would not have wavered. This was Qian Youcai’s greatest reliance on this trip; as a prominent family in the prefecture, he had total confidence in the guards his family had nurtured.

But now, they were truly helpless. They were excellent at dealing with men, but the problem was that they were now facing ghosts that didn't even cast a shadow! And to make matters worse, these were the very ancestors of the Qian family.

Du Yuan smiled and continued to ask: "So, Young Master Qian, do you believe now?"

Qian Youcai nodded frantically: "I believe, I believe! I believe! Daoist, please, think of a way to save me!"

Qian Youcai felt this must be the fastest he had ever nodded in his life—it was as rapid as crushing garlic!

However, Du Yuan moved the lantern away and said, to Qian Youcai’s horror: "Since you believe, then go inside!"

"Yes, yes, yes, I’ll go in—wait, what?! Daoist?!"

Qian Youcai was struck with terror. *Go inside?!* Isn't that like walking into the tiger's den?

Du Yuan did not answer him. Instead, he took a candle from the lantern, lit a torch, and handed it to one of the nearby guards. The man grasped it as if it were a life-saving straw, gripping it so tightly he dared not let go, even pressing his entire body against it. The other guards hurriedly crowded around him.

"Let me get closer!"
"Me too, me too!"

Watching the guards huddle together like quails, Du Yuan chuckled: "There is no need for such fear. You—never mind, all of you take the torch and go over there to wake those people up. If they keep running around in circles like that, they’ll surely fall deathly ill before long."

They were unwilling to leave Du Yuan’s side, but they dared not defy his orders even more. So, the guards huddled together, torches held high, and walked toward the men still frantically running in that small circle. Along the way, one guard had a sudden inspiration and tried to borrow the flame to light more torches. But no matter how he thrust his torches toward the flame, the fire refused to spread to the ones they held aloft.

Du Yuan smiled from behind them and remarked: "It’s useless. You do not possess my cultivation!"

The guards were stunned, filled with even deeper awe at Du Yuan’s unfathomable power. They could only huddle closer together as they advanced toward the men. It was a sight both laughable and pitiful.

Strange to say, the men who had seemed unable to see anything but their own frantic escape moments ago instantly regained their senses the moment the torchlight hit them. They looked at the guards and exclaimed in surprise: "How did you get here?"

Seeing that it really worked, the guards straightened their backs and said: "We have been sent by the Daoist to rescue you!"

"The young Daoist truly has such power?!"

In the flickering torchlight, the men turned in unison to look at Du Yuan, their eyes burning with a reverence hotter than the flames—this seemingly frail young Daoist truly possessed the power to turn the tides!

Over by Du Yuan, Qian Youcai stood stammering, staring at the main hall, not daring to step inside. Du Yuan held the lantern and asked from the side: "Why? Are you afraid to pay your respects to your own Qian family ancestors?"

Qian Youcai’s calf muscles cramped as he replied: "Daoist, I... I am truly afraid."

Du Yuan said with a look of disappointment: "It is precisely because of this that your ancestors refuse to let you leave."

"Ah?!" Qian Youcai was shocked. Du Yuan looked at him and asked: "Tell me, when did your Qian family first come to Qing County?"

As a scion of a prominent family, he had been raised to recite his genealogy and family history since childhood. Qian Youcai replied without hesitation: "My Qian family has been settled in Qing County since the time of my great-great-grandfather, establishing our home through farming and study, guided by the principles of benevolence and righteousness. We have lived here for twelve generations."

"Then when did your family leave Qing County?"

"During my father’s generation."

Du Yuan continued to ask leisurely: "How many years has it been?"

"Uh, perhaps thirty or forty years?"

Du Yuan lowered his head to look at him: "In all these years, has anyone returned to pay respects to your ancestors?"

Qian Youcai was instantly struck dumb.

Du Yuan carried the lantern to the front of the main hall and pointed to the twelve spirit tablets standing within: "It is not that your family has fallen into ruin and cannot return. On the contrary, your family has grown ever more powerful and prosperous. Yet, for all these years, not a single one of you has returned to pay respects. Tell me, how could your ancestors not lament this night after night?"

Du Yuan shook his head at him: "Coming here was fine, but the key is that now that you have finally returned, you didn't pay your respects. Instead, you held a banquet here, claiming that I, this 'bull-nosed' priest, was merely pulling a trick. If your ancestors feel neglected, can you blame them for being angry?"

Qian Youcai’s throat worked as he swallowed. He gazed at the three gilded characters of his great-great-grandfather, 'Qian Shouye,' on the tablet, and for a moment, he did not know what to say or do.

Finally, Du Yuan spoke: "Why don't you go in quickly and kowtow to your ancestors to ask for forgiveness?"

Qian Youcai finally awoke from his stupor. He scrambled up from the ground and stumbled into the main hall. He didn't even wait to reach the altar before he dropped to his knees, kowtowing repeatedly toward the spirit tablets: "Ancestors, please bear witness! It is this unfilial descendant who has failed you. I beg for your mercy, and I will surely tell my father to repent for his mistakes! I beg the ancestors to forgive me just this once!"

As Qian Youcai kowtowed, he felt a sharp pain in his back, as if someone had struck him hard with a cane.

"Ouch!" Qian Youcai instinctively tried to stand up in pain.

But Du Yuan’s stern voice came from behind him: "This is your ancestor punishing you. If you wish to receive their forgiveness, you must endure it!"