Taoist Master, wishing for a sacrifice-based system

Qin Du was holding a clean rag and slowly wiping the offering table.

Faced with Su Nian's "soul-searching question," he stopped what he was doing, turned around, casually picked up three incense sticks from the side, lit them on the ever-burning lamp, and respectfully placed them into the incense burner.

Then, he turned around and looked at Su Nian with an innocent expression.

"It's a real shame that someone with your imagination isn't writing web novels."

Qin Du shrugged, his tone extremely sincere and helpless: "I studied marketing in college, not targeted demolitions. If I had that kind of magical ability to blow up buildings from a distance, I would have been taking on projects in the Middle East long ago, instead of sitting here eating braised eggs that cost a dollar each!"

"Stop playing dumb with me!" Su Nian gritted her teeth. "So what exactly happened? How do you explain that coincidental chain-reaction car accident and gas explosion?!"

"Do I need to explain this? It's clearly stated in the press release."

Qin Du pulled up a grand chair, sat down leisurely, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and began his "Versailles" moment.

"The dump truck driver was fatigued and tried to avoid a cat, so he crashed into the green belt, ran over a protruding manhole cover, causing a tire blowout, and finally lost control and broke the natural gas pipeline."

Qin Du held up a finger and shook it: "More importantly, it was Li Hao himself who, in order to expand his live-streaming room, privately demolished the load-bearing wall on the second floor, causing the entire building's structural integrity to become extremely fragile, collapsing at the slightest impact. A computer short circuit causing an explosion—this is all within the scope of physics and architecture."

He looked at Su Nian, a harmless smile playing on his lips.

"Sister Nian, we should trust science. He destroyed the load-bearing wall himself; what does that have to do with God?"

"..."

Su Nian opened her mouth, but couldn't utter a single word in rebuttal.

Physics? Architecture? Believe in science?!

Who the hell believes in science! Perfectly stringing together these one-in-a-billion coincidences for precise, targeted strikes—and you call that science?!

But seeing Qin Du's frank and open demeanor, as if to say "I'm a law-abiding citizen, I know nothing," Su Nian could only swallow back her words in silence.

At 10 a.m., Qin Du started his live stream as usual.

"Whoosh—!"

The moment the broadcast started, the number of viewers in the live stream exploded, soaring from zero to over 100,000! Even the live streaming platform's servers froze for three seconds.

Strangely, in the live stream with 100,000 viewers, there wasn't a single vulgar word, and no one dared to stir up trouble.

The screen was filled with rows of perfectly aligned, extremely respectful comments:

[Cyber ​​gods, with boundless magical power!]

[Cyber ​​gods, with boundless magical power!]

May the Celestial Master bless me with peace and health. Yesterday, I only cursed that reporter in my heart; I absolutely did not show any disrespect to the Taoist temple!

[I'm sorry, Celestial Master! I was ignorant and questioned you before. I'm kowtowing to you now! *bang bang bang*]

After Li Hao's "bloody living example," netizens across the internet have finally learned what "karma and retribution are absolutely certain" means.

Who would dare to make sarcastic remarks in Qingyun Temple's live stream now? Do they think their own load-bearing walls are too sturdy?

Seeing the screen filled with awe, Qin Du smiled with satisfaction.

With this level of popularity and prestige, it has completely established itself.

however.

As time went by, Qin Du soon discovered an extremely awkward problem.

The Taoist temple has become very famous. Every day, a constant stream of internet celebrities and passersby come to the foot of the mountain to take photos and check in with binoculars, almost flattening the dilapidated road.

but--

For three days in a row, not a single person dared to step into the gate of the Taoist temple to make a wish!

Everyone was terrified by Li Hao's tragic fate of "his entire family turned to ruins and owing 20 million yuan"! No one could guarantee that their own wishes wouldn't trigger some terrifying and unpredictable consequences.

"These people are just paying lip service to love something they don't truly understand..."

Qin Du looked at the incense points on the system panel, which were stuck at [3100] and didn't move anymore, and sighed silently.

If this place continues to be so deserted, how will he accumulate incense points to exchange for high-level rewards in the system shop? How will he cultivate immortality?

Does this mean we'll have to rely on livestream donations to make a living from now on?

……

Qingyun Temple was deserted for three consecutive days.

That afternoon, the sun was blazing.

Qin Du sat in the main hall, idly playing Minesweeper on his phone, wondering if he should hang a banner outside that read "Make a wish today and get an egg" to attract more customers.

Just then, a series of dragging, heavy footsteps, like those of a walking corpse, came from outside the courtyard gate.

Qin Du's eyes lit up, and he immediately put down his phone and straightened his posture.

Four boys were seen helping each other into the Taoist temple.

The four men had a strikingly similar appearance: messy hair, signature plaid shirts, thick black-rimmed glasses perched on their noses, and most noticeably, heavy dark circles under their eyes, like those of pandas, as if they had just crawled out of a morgue for some fresh air.

A second-year computer science student at Yunzhou University, and his roommates in room 404, commonly known as the "Four Heavenly Kings".

"Is this the place, boss?"

The tall, thin man at the front pushed up his glasses, glanced at the golden plaque above the entrance, and spoke in a weak voice as if his life force had just been drained by a female ghost.

The dormitory head took a deep breath and nodded: "Yes, this is what the internet is talking about. Qingyun Temple, where every request is granted, is the primary crime scene of a murder committed under the law of cause and effect."

Upon hearing the words "causality-based murder," a slightly chubby boy behind him nearly collapsed, his legs buckling. "Boss, should we go back to our books? This place could even destroy a reporter's house. We're here trying to exploit a bug in God's system; if things go wrong, won't we get struck by lightning?"

"Reading? Can you even concentrate on reading?!"

The dorm leader turned around, gritting her teeth and growling, "Tomorrow's final exam week! The four of us have spent the entire semester playing games at internet cafes, grinding for rankings! Have you even opened a single page of those three incomprehensible textbooks: 'Advanced Mathematics,' 'C++ Programming,' and 'University Physics'?!"

"Our calculus professor is notorious as one of the 'Four Great Detectives'! The failure rate is 40%! If we all fail, not only will we not be able to afford the retake fees, but we'll also get a demerit and have to repeat the year!"

The dorm leader grabbed the fat guy's shoulder, his eyes flashing with desperate madness: "Brother, is God's punishment scary? Yes, it is! But think about it carefully, is God scarier, or is the headmaster's death stare scarier? Or is the sight of your dad whipping you with his Seven Wolves leather belt scarier?!"

The fat man shuddered, the brutal image of his own father wielding a belt flashing through his mind, and he swallowed hard.

"Let's do it! Even death is better than a fate worse than death!"

The four desperate college students reached a consensus and, with faltering steps but determined eyes, walked into the main hall.

Qin Du sat in the chair, listening to their whispers outside the door, and couldn't help but smile.

Finally, a few stubborn people showed up.