I refuse to be human anymore! I will become an immortal！

Chapter 8

By taking advantage of these two individuals, he could establish his status and reputation in Mingguan Post. This move was designed to lay the groundwork for developing future believers. As a newly arrived young Taoist priest, how could he expect these rustic villagers to come and burn incense in his honor? Naturally, he needed to display his abilities and prove that he was a god with genuine powers.

Li Changmeng sat in a chair, seemingly at ease, his eyes half-closed as if in a light slumber.

"Brother, I clearly saw that there were several large silver ingots in the bag where that kid kept his money."

"I know. Once this job is finished, we brothers will move elsewhere and live carefree for the rest of our lives."

The two men huddled by the fence, waiting for their chance. Of course, they were not afraid of an eight-year-old, but they were cautious about being seen by other villagers.

Finally, once Yang Jian'an and the others had nearly finished tidying the area outside the house, they all went indoors to clean and organize. Now, no one was around.

"Come with me. The moment we get there, cover the kid's mouth, then run out of the village and take the money. As for the kid, we'll just give him a knife…"

"Got it, brother!"

The two brothers exchanged glances, then charged at full speed toward the sleeping Li Changmeng.

"Who are you villains causing trouble here? Soul-repelling charm, activate! Listen carefully to the divine command—soul repelling!"

Li Changmeng sprang from his chair and swiftly cast a spell with his hand, striking the man ahead.

"Brother, why did you stop?"

The younger brother, trailing his elder, nearly collided with him. Confused, he watched as his elder raised his hand and slapped him across the face.

Stunned by the blow, the younger brother was utterly bewildered. He looked up at his elder with wide, innocent eyes, while the elder glared at him fiercely—as if seething with a scandalous rage.

Shortly, another slap followed. The elder, being strong and robust, easily overpowered his younger sibling, who had no chance to resist.

Though confused, the younger brother, seeing his elder appear as if possessed by an evil spirit, could only run away while shouting, "Help! My elder brother is possessed by an evil spirit! He doesn't even recognize his own kin and is about to kill someone!"

He cried out in tears, utterly terrified. Before long, those who heard the commotion abandoned their tasks and rushed toward the source.

"Aren't those Wang Hu and Sun Er? Is this their comeuppance for all the misdeeds they've committed?"

"Didn't Sun Er mention that Wang Hu is possessed by an evil spirit? Everyone, stay away! Who knows what sort of demon has taken hold of him? Let's go ask the village chief what to do."

Those two, notorious for their extortion and shady dealings in the village during the week, now found no one willing to help them. Instead, many were delighted by the spectacle, with some even secretly cheering. Soon, about a third of the village had gathered, including the women who had been seen at the village entrance earlier, now hurrying to the far end to witness the commotion.

Li Changmeng sensed that his moment had arrived.

"Everyone, please be quiet."

Channeling his spiritual power, his voice resonated across the crowd. At that moment, Wang Hu's movements ceased, leaving him standing in a daze.

With all eyes upon him, Li Changmeng stepped forward. "These two attempted to harm me. Dao Lord Mimen Wangqing has meted out punishment by pitting them against each other."

"Dao Lord Mimen Wangqing is akin to primordial chaos. The entire universe lies within his divine dream. With a single thought, he manifests all the phenomena of heaven and earth—in one dream, three thousand worlds emerge."

"I am a devout follower of Dao Lord Mimen Wangqing. The great god has granted me the form of a spiritual child to spread his majestic divine name. These two dared to disrespect me, and thus they have incurred his punishment."

The villagers had never heard such words and were stunned, straining to understand Li Changmeng's proclamation. Seizing the opportunity, Li Changmeng then cast the soul-repelling spell on Sun Er once more.

Controlling two souls simultaneously was challenging for Li Changmeng, who had only just entered the first level of Qi Refining. He could only command them to perform simple actions.

"Quickly, kneel and repent for your sins!"

His command thundered like a drum. Under his control, both Wang Hu and Sun Er immediately fell to their knees. Simultaneously, they clasped their hands together and repeatedly chanted, "I am guilty," even slamming their heads to the ground, kowtowing so fervently that the muddy floor turned bright red.

"What is the background of this Dao Lord Mimen Wangqing?"

"Are you crazy? Didn't you see what happened to Wang Hu and Sun Er? We should revere the gods. Dao Lord Mimen Wangqing is above us. My wife uttered those words by mistake—don't take it to heart."

A faint smile curled at the corners of Li Changmeng's mouth. Fear was the most effective medium for influence.

Initially, he had considered using the Five Spirits Healing Technique to spread faith by curing the sick and saving lives. But upon reflection, he resolved to first employ intimidation to convince these villagers of Dao Lord Mimen Wangqing's existence. Then, by following up with benevolence, the effect would be far superior to immediately beginning to cure the sick.

His internal spiritual power nearly depleted, Li Changmeng dispelled the spells affecting Wang Hu and Sun Er. They soon regained control of their bodies. Glancing at one another, they immediately crawled on their stomachs to Li Changmeng's feet.

"Lord Spiritual Child, we were blind; we should not have entertained such wicked thoughts. We are guilty. Please forgive us, my lord!"

They were desperate to avoid that dazed, utterly controlled sensation ever again. It was no wonder he boldly displayed his wealth—if he was indeed the Lord Spiritual Child, it was only natural. They, blinded by greed, were at fault. Now, they only hoped for leniency; offending the god and falling out of favor would leave them restless even in death.

Li Changmeng withdrew his leg from the grasp of the two men, his expression softening with compassion as he said, "Once the temple is built, if you offer several incense sticks with sincere hearts, the sin of your wicked thoughts will be naturally absolved."

Wang Hu and Sun Er kowtowed once more, exclaiming, "Thank you, Dao Lord Mimen Wangqing, for your mercy. We are willing to help build your temple."

"The god will surely see your deeds."

Then, Li Changmeng placed his hand on their foreheads, channeled the last vestiges of his spiritual power, and activated the Five Spirits Healing Technique to mend the injuries on their foreheads caused by excessive kowtowing.

By blending kindness with power, one could win the hearts of the people. This scene of healing did not go unnoticed by the villagers. If the terror of being possessed by an evil spirit instilled fear, then this healing technique inspired hope. After all, who has not suffered from illness? If they truly believed in Dao Lord Mimen Wangqing, might they be healed—or even remain free from sickness altogether?

The women who had first glimpsed Li Changmeng soon could not contain their gossip, chattering among the crowd about the astounding abilities he had displayed—abilities that seemed to bring the divine within reach with a single step. Now, no one regarded Li Changmeng merely as an eight-year-old; they saw him as the exalted Lord Spiritual Child.

Even Yang Jian'an, who had taken the silver, felt a twinge of unease. Had he truly taken silver from Lord Li, the Spiritual Child? When acting on behalf of the Dao Lord, how could one ask for money? Wouldn't that be seen as greedy and disrespectful?