Ye Chu, Ye Jingyun, and the rest of their group shot towards the direction of the sound. The sound was already resonating continuously, and each vibration carried a profound mental realm, one that seemed capable of bewildering the human heart.
Having undergone the trial of the Supreme Intent, Ye Chu would naturally not be entranced. Ye Jingyun possessed extraordinary talent, so she would not fall for it either. As for Yang Hui and Yang Ning, their minds and intentions were intertwined, making it difficult to lose their way.
Thus, although the four felt this peculiar phenomenon, they remained clear-headed. Others were not so fortunate. Some wandered in a daze, actually clutching pieces of gold and hurriedly making their way towards the sound.
“This God of Wealth bestows blessings upon you. Gold is the root of all evil, and this God of Wealth shall relieve you of your misfortune!”
The Golden Doll stood on the roof of a tall building. He remained plump, with fair pinkish skin like a porcelain doll. Gold ornaments hung all over his body, especially a massive gold medallion on his chest. It shimmered brightly, making him look every bit the nouveau riche.
His voice spread outwards, still carrying strange ripples and mental resonance. Numerous cultivators became entranced by it and walked towards him.
Standing there, bathed in sunlight and golden radiance, wearing a God of Wealth hat, he truly resembled a deity of fortune.
Beneath his feet lay a mountain of gold. Countless cultivators, in a trance, tossed piece after piece of gold at his feet.
“Gold is merely a worldly possession. I shall grant you kindness!”
“Though your appearance is unattractive, the divine has never abandoned you!”
“Give alms as your heart desires. Gold holds a price, but divine blessings are priceless…”
Standing there, the Golden Doll kept tapping his fingers. Beams of golden light showered those who came to offer gold. His figure emitted strange ripples that spread outwards, reaching the cultivators’ ears. The mental realm entranced them, leaving them to toss gold blocks in a daze.
Of course, some remained unentranced. Yet, upon witnessing this bizarre scene, nobody dared to intervene. The pinkish, plump man was far too uncanny, almost like a phantom, capable of actually clouding human minds.
“Please remember, I am the Golden God of Wealth! Worship me in your homes, and it shall ensure your family’s wealth flows endlessly!” the Golden Doll smiled at the dazed people below. His chubby face beamed, truly resembling a smiling immortal, gentle and harmless.
Seeing people actually kowtow and bow in worship, Ye Chu could not help but want to curse loudly. This fellow truly possessed the potential to be a charlatan. Damn it, fat men really were calamities destined to plague the world.
Ye Chu once again unfairly targeted fat men in his thoughts. His gaze fell upon the gold at the Golden Doll’s feet. In such a short time, the man had actually swindled tens of thousands of gold pieces.
“The divine grants you wealth!” The Golden Doll continued to speak with righteous fervour, truly immersing himself in his role. Golden light shimmered as he conjured palace after palace, all constructed from gold ingots. They were grand and magnificent, truly possessing the majesty of a divine sanctuary.
Some who had initially thought the Golden Doll was merely playing tricks experienced a drastic change in expression upon seeing this. The grand and surging mental realm truly struck terror into their hearts. They genuinely believed a deity had descended, staring blankly at the conjured massive palaces, deeply shaken.
Ye Jingyun was equally shaken. She looked at Ye Chu and could not help but ask, “Could he actually be connected to the divine?”
“Him?” Ye Chu nearly burst out laughing. He knew exactly what sort the Golden Doll was. He was merely an exceptionally powerful, slightly mysterious fat man. What connection could he possibly have with the divine?
However, as Ye Chu gazed at the endlessly conjured, incredibly magnificent palaces, his heart was also stirred. He had to admit that the Golden Doll’s mystical tricks were genuinely convincing. Once these palaces appeared, many would likely feel profound reverence.
Sure enough, the gold at the Golden Doll’s feet piled up another layer.
“The divine takes gold but does not use it, only to repay the world’s poor and relieve great disasters!” The Golden Doll continued his charlatan act. When speaking of worldly poverty, his face showed deep sorrow. Paired with his pink, chubby smiling face, he truly appeared like a saint who had accumulated goodness over ten lifetimes.
If Ye Chu had not known the Golden Doll’s true nature, it might have been fine. Yet knowing exactly what kind of person he was, he felt goosebumps rise on his skin.
“I am indeed extremely destitute! If I take some gold to use, surely the God of Wealth would not refuse.” Ye Chu stepped forward, picked up several pieces of gold, and was about to stuff them into his robe.
Upon seeing Ye Chu, the Golden Doll’s already squinting, plump eyes narrowed even further. Still, he maintained his act and said, “What hardship do you face? This God of Wealth shall naturally bless you. This is divine gold, not for your taking. It may only be given to those truly in poverty. You are dressed in fine garments. How are you suffering? Retreat at once!”
Ye Chu sighed. “I was born into utter poverty. I remember when I was young, my parents despised how much space mystic stones took up, so they threw them all away. We lived in deep mountains and ancient forests, and our house was built from red gold. You have no idea how tragic that is. Red gold absorbs spiritual energy and is freezing cold. When winter arrives, my whole body feels icy. Yet my family was so poor we could not afford blankets. We had to use gold and silver as quilts. They were so heavy I could barely breathe.”
Pausing there, Ye Chu continued, “But that was not the most tragic part. The most tragic was that every room in my house spanned five hundred metres in length and width. The floors were paved with Nine Heavens Dark Jade. When I needed to urinate urgently, I had to walk too far. Because the jade was so slippery, I kept slipping and wetting myself. Tell me, what sort of miserable life is this? So poor that I urinated in my trousers. Could you not spare a bit of gold to craft me a chamber pot?”
“…”
Ye Jingyun stood there blankly. Yang Hui and Yang Ning, however, covered their mouths to stifle their laughter. Their slender bodies trembled, and their chests strained against their garments.
The onlookers stared at Ye Chu in utter bewilderment. They wondered where this figure of such earth-shattering, heaven-moving poverty had emerged from. His plight seemed to provoke outrage among both mortals and deities.
The Golden Doll gazed at Ye Chu, his plump eyes squinting into even thinner slits. As Ye Chu attempted to pocket the gold, a surge of golden light erupted, blocking his action.
“Your suffering is far too luxurious. No one in this world can save you, not even the divine. Please leave.” The Golden Doll stared fixedly at Ye Chu.
“You are the God of Wealth! Can you not even cure the disease of poverty? Will you abandon me? How does that align with your title as a God of Wealth!” Ye Chu looked at the Golden Doll with a bright smile.
Some onlookers could not help but give Ye Chu a thumbs up. They wondered where this lad had come from, truly formidable. He actually dared to provoke such an uncanny God of Wealth.
“The divine is benevolent and can save all in the world, but sincerity makes it effective. A sincere heart turns stone to gold. Only with gold can one achieve true passage!” The Golden Doll spoke smoothly, his words carrying a magical force, attempting to seep into Ye Chu’s primordial spirit and cloud his true nature.
Ye Chu knew exactly what the Golden Doll intended, but dreaming of snatching gold from him was futile. With the Chaos Green Essence and black iron guarding the Green Lotus, Ye Chu did not believe the Golden Doll could entrap him.
I have been far too busy and exhausted lately. Yesterday, after returning to write, I fell asleep right on the desk mid-sentence.
Additionally, I am free today and will be active on WeChat at hqxl. I welcome everyone to message me. I shall answer all sorts of questions. Even if you send inappropriate pictures, I will still blush and reply politely.