Merit Stone

This little stone house looked very much like a common Land God Temple. It was only half a person tall, with many red strips of cloth tied to the stones and the surrounding branches. A stone altar had been built in front of it and filled with earth, where there were many burned-out incense sticks with only their bases remaining.

Judging from the leftover incense, this little temple received a decent amount of worship.

Pan Yun stared blankly at it and asked uncertainly, "Is this... our Master?"

"That's right," Wang Fei Yin said. "Lord Pan is the mountain god of Mount Sanqing. This entire region falls under his jurisdiction and protection. Within fifty li of Mount Sanqing, there are three such mountain god temples. This one has existed the longest and is also the largest."

This was large?

Pan Yun asked, "Senior Brother, have you never thought of building a larger temple for Master?"

"We originally intended to, but every time I prayed to Master, he refused."

Pan Yun did not understand. "Why?"

Wang Fei Yin said, "Perhaps the person praying was wrong."

"Huh?" Pan Yun's heart stirred. She pointed at herself. "Could it be that I'm the one who has to do it?"

Wang Fei Yin handed her the incense and candles he had brought. "Offer incense to Master first."

Pan Yun set the cat aside and crouched down to burn the incense and candles.

As for incense and candles, their tips needed to be rubbed before lighting them, yet they were not easy to light. Pan Yun had always needed a long time to light incense and candles before, but this time, the moment she opened the fire striker, they caught fire. It happened so quickly that she blanked out.

Pan Yun paused, twisted the fire striker shut, then inserted the candles and began lighting the incense.

This time, the incense burned quickly and smoothly as well.

Pan Yun gave half the incense to Wang Fei Yin. Holding a bundle in her own hands, she stood before the temple and gazed ahead. After a moment, she lowered her eyes and sincerely murmured in her heart, Master, today's incense and candles burned so smoothly. That proves you truly do care for your little disciple, doesn't it?

Don't worry. In the future, I will often come and burn incense for you, spreading the great name of the mountain god of Mount Sanqing across the four seas.

Pan Yun bowed, then inserted the incense.

Seeing the incense smoke curl upward, Pan Yun smiled in relief. She turned to look expectantly at Wang Fei Yin, her left eye practically bearing the words "gift," and her right eye "meeting gift."

Wang Fei Yin picked her up and leaped into the air, stepping on five or six trees in succession as he flew toward the enormous boulder behind the mountain god temple.

The mountain slope rose gradually, while the trees slowly disappeared. Only a giant rock wall, like a screen of heaven, stood before them.

Yet Wang Fei Yin drifted upward like a wisp of cloud on the breeze, still carrying a Pan Yun who was crying, "Cat, cat, cat!"

He stepped on the giant rock and shot upward, landing within a crevice between layers of stone. He set Pan Yun aside, then struck out with his palm. The rock cracked apart. He shifted aside, and the shattered stones fell down the cliff.

Pan Yun turned her head and saw a fist-sized stone, golden-white in color, within the split rock. It seemed to twitch faintly. She blinked. "Is it alive?"

But when she focused on it, it no longer moved.

It was embedded entirely within the rock, seemingly one with it, yet also seemingly not.

"It can't be jade, can it? Isn't this granite?" Pan Yun looked at Senior Brother's hand, feeling that he was incredible too, crushing granite with his bare hand.

Wang Fei Yin tucked that hand behind his back and explained, "This is an incense stone, also called a merit stone. More than a hundred years ago, anyone who wished to pray to the mountain god had to climb up here to offer incense."

Pan Yun glanced down once. Her vision swam, and she immediately pulled her gaze back, staring firmly at the stone that seemed neither gold nor jade. She also pressed herself as close as possible to the innermost rock. "It's so high. How could ordinary people get up here?"

Wang Fei Yin said, "Those with heartfelt wishes would naturally find a way up. For thousands of years, the nearby people prayed this way. Daoists and believers from afar would also come here to pray. It was not until our Ming Dynasty was established that mountain god temples began to be built below the mountain, and people switched to burning incense and praying down there.

"But no matter where they worshipped, the incense ultimately drifted toward this incense stone."

Wang Fei Yin reached out and grasped the jade-like stone. Channeling power into his palm, he gave it a hard twist and removed it whole. He handed it to Pan Yun.

Pan Yun reached out and took it. It felt icy cold at first, but within moments, it became warm.

She felt close to this stone. Cradling it in her palms, she rather liked it, and she did not hide her fondness at all. With starry eyes, she told Wang Fei Yin, "Senior Brother, I feel like this merit stone and I have met before. It feels so familiar."

Wang Fei Yin said, "This is a merit stone, a gift and acknowledgment from the Heavenly Dao. Forget you—even an animal, a pig, ox, dog, or sheep, would feel close to it upon seeing it."

Pan Yun asked, "I thought it was something like the power of the people's faith. It's actually a gift and acknowledgment from the Heavenly Dao?"

"Of course, it also includes the power of the people's faith. The matters within are complicated. I can't explain them clearly either."

As Pan Yun stroked the stone, she muttered, "How can you not explain it clearly?"

Wang Fei Yin said, "If I could explain it clearly, that would mean I had understood how this merit stone was created and understood what the Heavenly Dao was thinking. If I could think the same way as the Heavenly Dao, then I would no longer be human—I would be the Heavenly Dao.

"Isn't the lifelong pursuit and study of us cultivators simply to understand what the Dao is?"

Pan Yun fell into thought. It seemed she had never considered that question. She had only shallowly wanted to cultivate, to make herself a little stronger, then stronger still.

Whether in her past life or this one, she had never deeply investigated what the Dao was.

Pan Yun lowered her head to look at the merit stone in her hands and asked, "Master wants to give this merit stone to me?"

Wang Fei Yin nodded.

"Why?"

Wang Fei Yin said, "He'll tell you tonight."

In other words, he would come find her in her dreams tonight.

Pan Yun tightened her grip on the merit stone in her hands, feeling a little nervous.

Seeing this, Wang Fei Yin reached out and patted her little head. "Junior Sister, remember this: even a gift from a god comes with a price. You must see whether the price is one you can afford. If you do not wish to comply, even a god cannot force a person."

He said meaningfully, "Gods, ghosts, and demons all seem stronger than humans, but all things under heaven lie beneath the Heavenly Dao. The Heavenly Dao permits people the right to refuse."

So she could refuse the mountain god.

Pan Yun hugged the merit stone tightly and nodded at Wang Fei Yin. "I understand, Senior Brother. Then do you know what this merit stone can do?"

Wang Fei Yin said, "Its benefits are countless. It can calm the mind, nourish the soul, and make people and things more favorably inclined toward you when you carry it. Just as you are holding it now and unwilling to let go, others will find you more lovable upon seeing you."

So it gave her the attributes of a universal heartthrob?

Pan Yun asked, "That's all?"

"What else could there be? It can calculate the merit of the person carrying it? The more acknowledged by the Heavenly Dao someone is, the richer its golden color becomes?" Wang Fei Yin said. "In the end, doesn't it merely make you more approachable?"

Pan Yun's eyes had already widened. She suddenly clutched the merit stone in her arms tightly. She knew what this thing was for!

She stiffly lowered her head to look at the stone in her arms. So the great mountain god knew everything.

That made sense. Sanqing Temple was on Mount Sanqing, which meant they were practically living on Lord Pan's body. Naturally, nothing Pan Little Black and she did could escape him.

She just did not know how much, exactly, he knew.

It felt as though she had been stripped naked and seen by someone. Pan Yun disliked that feeling very much.

Before she could think it through, Wang Fei Yin had already picked her up and flown out again. This time, they headed directly over the cliff.

As they plunged through the air, Pan Yun's legs went weak, and her whole body began trembling uncontrollably. She screamed, "Aahh—" without stopping, even as wind poured into her mouth.

Wang Fei Yin descended at high speed. The moment they reached the ground, he set her down on the grass to one side. Her legs were so weak that she could not muster any strength, and she flopped onto the ground with a plop.

Wang Fei Yin finally confirmed it. "You're afraid of heights?"

Wind had gone into her stomach, and Pan Yun let out a hiccup. Her eyes were reddened at the corners, but she flatly denied it. "No, I'm not afraid of heights! You were too sudden, Senior Brother. If you were going to fly down, why didn't you tell me beforehand?"

Wang Fei Yin stared at her for a while, then nodded. "I'll tell you next time. Come, let's go up the mountain."

With one hand holding the merit stone and the other bracing against the ground, Pan Yun struggled to get up. Staggering, she followed behind Wang Fei Yin.

Seeing that she had simply left him behind, Pan Little Black could only follow with endless meows, making a tremendous racket all the way.

Pan Yun said, "Keep making noise, and see if I let you inside."

Pan Little Black immediately did not dare make another sound.

Wang Fei Yin smiled. "Little Junior Sister, your cat is quite intelligent. Have you raised it since it was young?"

Pan Yun nodded. "Yes, I've raised it since it was little. It has been by my side ever since I was born."

Upon hearing that, Wang Fei Yin could not help examining the black cat. Frowning, he asked, "This cat is eight years old?"

"It's a spirit cat. It grows rather slowly and will live a long time too." Pan Yun changed the subject. "Senior Brother, can this merit stone be used as an array stone or something similar?"

This chapter's lucky number was still a number ending in 3. Screenshot as proof.