Chapter 879: Good Deeds

"You can't say that... child."

Aunt Tong was extremely patient. Even though Bai Yang had shown aggression in his language countless times, trying to force her to back off, she acted as if she hadn't heard a word of it.

I always felt that Aunt Tong's way of thinking was different from that of ordinary people... or perhaps her thoughts were on a higher plane?

"Although 'Bing Chu Yu Nian' might earn the favor of 'Mu Shen', it doesn't mean that having 'Yu Nian' is unacceptable." Aunt Tong continued, "Child, the fact that we two can stand here and talk is due to the unseen intervention of 'Mu Shen', so she must have already noticed you."

"Is that so?" Bai Yang responded with vague doubt. "Then is your 'Mu Shen' prepared to help me?"

"Yes, but before that..." Aunt Tong smiled, "I need to ask you a question on behalf of 'Mu Shen'."

"Go ahead."

This time, instead of placing her hand on Bai Yang's chest, Aunt Tong gently cupped one of his hands with both of hers.

In the distance, a bell tolled, and an eerie atmosphere emanated from Aunt Tong.

Bai Yang seemed to sense that something was off, but he didn't pull his hand away; he just stared at her expressionlessly.

"Child, how many 'Shan Shi' have you done?" Aunt Tong asked abruptly.

"'Shan Shi'...?" Bai Yang's eyes went blank for a few seconds before he regained his cold demeanor and replied, "Almost none. I'm a con artist; I rarely do 'Shan Shi'."

I was slightly taken aback upon hearing that. I'd imagined Bai Yang's profession in the real world many times—I'd even guessed something like a "negotiation expert"—but I never thought of "con artist"...

How should I describe this feeling...?

In short, Bai Yang and I had been in contact for a long time, but I'd never sensed any aura of "evil" from him.

Honestly, even someone like Zhang Qiang, a petty thief, had a stronger aura of "evil" than Bai Yang did.

Was it because Bai Yang's level was just too high for me to perceive?

"So you're a 'con artist'...?" Aunt Tong nodded after hearing this. "It seems I still can't understand the will of 'Mu Shen'..."

After saying that, she gradually furrowed her brow and looked at Bai Yang. "Child, are you really a con artist?"

"Do I have any reason to lie to you?" Bai Yang asked.

"Always been a con artist?" Aunt Tong asked again.

"Believe it or not, that's up to you."

As Bai Yang moved to pull his hand back, Aunt Tong gripped it firmly once more.

"Anything else?" Bai Yang asked.

"Child, I often can't understand the will of 'Mu Shen'," Aunt Tong said. "But every time, I unconditionally believe in her, because she is everything. Since she arranged for us to meet, there must be a reason for it."

Bai Yang didn't speak; he just silently stared at Aunt Tong.

"I thought that only enough 'Shan Ye' could accumulate to bring good results, and everything would fall into place naturally. But unexpectedly, 'Mu Shen' extends an olive branch to a child like you, so you must have your own exceptional qualities."

"I don't get it." Bai Yang said, "Are you trying to activate some 'Hui Xiang' on me? Or are you saying that 'Mu Shen' is actually a product of your 'Hui Xiang'?"

"'Mu Shen' is a product of 'Hui Xiang'?" Aunt Tong shook her head. "No, child. All 'Hui Xiang' are products of 'Mu Shen'. She grants us these strange abilities and hopes we use them to sense her presence."

"Hah." Bai Yang nodded. "Then what strange ability did 'Mu Shen' grant you?"

"Child, I am 'Ye Li'."

"Ye...?" Bai Yang was slightly startled, his eyes full of suspicion. "Are you joking with me? Is there really a 'Hui Xiang' called 'Ye Li' here?"

It wasn't just him—I felt confused too.

From all the 'Hui Xiang' I'd heard of so far, you could at least get a sense of their abilities from the names, but how were we supposed to understand a religious term like 'Ye Li'?

Aunt Tong turned back with a smile and looked at Jiang Ruoxue. "If Xiao Jiang can be 'Yin Guo', why can't I be 'Ye Li'?"

"'Yin Guo'...?" Bai Yang followed Aunt Tong's gaze to Jiang Ruoxue, remaining silent for a while before saying, "Interesting."

"Child, I thought you'd done many 'Shan Ye' and would thus reap good fruits in the future." Aunt Tong said. "But your behavior is improper, accumulating 'E Ye', so your path ahead is unclear."

"Then how do you distinguish my 'Shan Ye' from my 'E Ye'?" Bai Yang said. "What if what you see as 'E Ye' is actually a 'Shan Ye' I've been planning for decades? What then? With a thousand people comes a thousand thoughts—how do you judge my actions?"

"Child, good and evil don't depend on me, nor on the views of all beings in the three thousand worlds..." Aunt Tong said, "They depend on you yourself."

"What...?"

"As long as you believe what you're doing is 'Shan Ye', one day 'Mu Shen' will surely grant you the blessings you deserve." Aunt Tong continued. "This blessing will manifest in places you can see or not see—small things like changing the writing on a piece of paper, or big things like influencing a person's fate. In this world, everyone reaps what they sow; all beings are thus."

"Everyone reaps what they sow; all beings are thus..." Bai Yang murmured the phrase softly, as if he'd suddenly understood something.

"So when you said you're a 'con artist', you confirmed your own 'E Ye'." Aunt Tong said. "But 'Mu Shen' is still 'Mu Shen'—her thoughts are beyond our comprehension. Even though you've confirmed your 'E Ye', she still chooses to favor you. That's her will, and I'm just following it."

"'Yin Guo'... 'Ye Li'... I get it..." Bai Yang's eyes flickered slightly, and even his tone became somewhat respectful. "I think... I've suddenly figured it out... 'Mu Shen'... maybe she really exists here."

"Child." Aunt Tong said, "It's not 'maybe'—you will see her. She will give you what you deserve."

Bai Yang stared at Aunt Tong for a long time before slowly lowering his head. "I was rude earlier. Thank you."

"The one you should thank isn't me." Aunt Tong smiled. "It's 'Mu Shen' and yourself."

Jiang Ruoxue and I stood dumbfounded behind Aunt Tong for a while, not knowing how to interject.

Even someone as outspoken as Jiang Ruoxue couldn't interfere in their conversation... what could I say?

"Ruoxue..." I whispered, "Did you understand any of that?"

I called out once and got no response, so I turned to look and saw that she hadn't been listening at all. She was hiding behind me, flipping through the comic book that Bai Yang had dropped on the ground earlier.

"Ruoxue!!" I called out urgently.

"Huh?" Jiang Ruoxue looked up, completely bewildered. "What's up? Are those two masters done talking?"