People worship their ancestors: I'm just burning some paper money, how did I become a Taoist ma

Inside the Hall of Spirit Communication.

Wang Qingyu followed her family into the main hall and, following the proper procedure, offered incense, kowtowed, and burned sacrificial offerings.

The main hall was quiet after being cleared out, and everything appeared solemn and dignified.

But Wang Qingyu's heart could never find peace.

The young man's words kept echoing in my mind—

"If man-made structures could truly enhance the efficacy of worship, the Wang family would have ascended to heaven long ago."

"I've spent so much money, but I've never heard of any ancestors showing their divine power to protect their descendants."

"It's not uncommon for people who don't worship at the Tongling Temple to receive blessings from their ancestors."

Every word felt like a needle piercing her heart.

Wang Qingyu knelt on the prayer mat, in front of her was the "Ten Thousand Spirits Tablet" enshrined in the Spirit Communication Hall, which was said to be able to communicate with all the ancestors who worshipped here.

She closed her eyes, clasped her hands together, and silently expressed her longing and prayers for her deceased loved ones.

But a question kept popping into her mind—

Is the Spirit Hall really useful?

She had never seriously thought about this question before.

The Wang family has run the Tongling Temple for generations, and from a young age she was instilled with the idea that "the Tongling Temple is a sacred place for communicating between the living and the dead" and "it is easiest to receive the blessings of ancestors when worshipping here."

She has always firmly believed this.

But... she had worshipped at the temple so many times since she was a child, and she had never seen any of her ancestors appear.

Even though she would come to pay respects to her grandparents who had passed away a few years ago, burning a lot of paper money and offering many sacrifices, she never received any response or protection.

There were no dreams, no miracles, nothing at all.

What is the most direct manifestation of the spirits of our ancestors? It is a sudden and tremendous change.

Those who seek wealth may suddenly become rich overnight, or making money may suddenly become exceptionally smooth and easy.

Those who seek peace, if blessed by their ancestors, will find it difficult to even stumble, and will be able to turn danger into safety when they encounter peril while traveling.

For those seeking career advancement, the problems and difficulties that would normally arise in their work and entrepreneurship will be easily resolved, making things go incredibly smoothly.

But of all the people she'd seen who came to the Spirit Hall to worship, how many actually had their wishes fulfilled?

Yes, they exist, but the proportion is pitifully low.

Are those whose wishes come true only because they were made at the spirit hall?

Or... were they just lucky?

Wang Qingyu opened her eyes and looked at the huge memorial tablet in front of her. For the first time, a deep doubt arose in her heart.

The young man was right; the sales of sacrificial items at the Spirit Hall were indeed astronomical.

The Wang family, relying on several spirit halls in Tianhai, earns hundreds of millions in profits every year.

The Wang family has indeed become increasingly prosperous, but this is due to the industries they have built up over the generations, and it seems to have little to do with the blessings of their ancestors!

That's why she was so concerned when she heard people questioning the Wang family and the Spirit Hall; it was as if they had hit a nerve!

……

That evening.

After taking a shower, Jiang Yiling went to bed early.

After the morning worship, I treated Li Mu to lunch, and then went back to work in the afternoon. I was exhausted and my body was already overwhelmed with fatigue!

"I really hope I can dream about my great-grandfather and maternal grandparents appearing in my dreams..." Jiang Yiling muttered softly, closing her eyes.

Sleepiness soon overcame her, and she fell into a deep sleep.

In a daze, Jiang Yiling found herself standing in a gray, misty space, surrounded by fog that obscured her vision.

She was startled, then overjoyed—this was exactly the dream scene Li Mu had described!

"Lingling..."

An old yet familiar voice came from the mist.

Jiang Yiling was startled and immediately recognized the voice as her great-grandfather's!

Although she was young when her great-grandfather passed away and her memory is already hazy, she can't be mistaken for this voice!

"Grandpa!" she shouted, looking around.

An old man dressed in tattered clothes slowly emerged from the mist.

The old man had gray hair, a kind face, and a gentle smile.

"Lingling has grown so much." The old man looked at her with a smile, his eyes full of satisfaction. "I received all the things you burned for your great-grandfather, not a single one was missing. It's a pity that I didn't have much power down there and couldn't visit you in a dream. Now that you've burned those things down here, I have money and can visit you in a dream."

"Grandpa, are you doing well down there? If you need anything, just tell me and I'll cook it for you!" Jiang Yiling asked hurriedly.

"Good child. Your grandfather doesn't need anything now. What you burned is enough for him for a while. From now on, burn some every few days during festivals, just like you did today. If we don't have money, life down here will be harder than up here."

Jiang Yiling wanted to say something more, but the old man's figure had already begun to blur.

"Grandpa doesn't have much time left, Lingling. Take good care of yourself. Grandpa is leaving. I'll pray for you once I've saved enough money."

Before she could finish speaking, the scene before her eyes shattered, and Jiang Yiling abruptly opened her eyes.

Looking at the pitch-black room, I felt a surge of unease.

"Great-grandfather..." Jiang Yiling was a little stunned. He really dreamed about his great-grandfather!

……

at the same time.

The Wang family's large villa.

Wang Qingyu lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep.

She thought a lot about ancestor worship and spiritual communication, and the more she thought about it, the clearer her mind became.

She didn't know how much time had passed, but drowsiness finally overcame her, and she slowly closed her eyes.

In a daze, Wang Qingyu found herself standing in an unfamiliar place.

It was all gray and hazy, and you couldn't see anything clearly except for some blurry shadows moving in the distance.

"Girl."

A voice came from behind, old yet familiar.

Wang Qingyu was startled and turned around abruptly.

An old man dressed in black cloth slowly emerged from the mist.

The old man appeared to be in his seventies, with a thin face and a resemblance to Wang Qingyu in his features.

"Grandpa?!" Wang Qingyu's eyes widened, her voice trembling slightly.

Her grandfather, Wang Zhengyuan, passed away from illness seven years ago. Could it be... that her grandfather appeared to her in a dream?

"You've grown so much, little girl." The old man looked at her with a smile, his eyes full of affection.

"Grandpa, is it really you?" Wang Qingyu's eyes instantly reddened. "Why...why did it take you so many years to appear in my dream?"

The old man's smile faded slightly, and he sighed.

"It's not that Grandpa doesn't want to appear in your dreams, but Grandpa has suffered for years down there, and he can't even afford to send you a message!"

Wang Qingyu felt a pang of sadness, and tears streamed down her face. She had never expected that the dream below would ask for money!

"Grandpa, you've suffered so much..."

"It's alright, it's alright now." The old man waved his hand, his smile returning. "Grandpa came to see you today because I have something important to tell you."

Wang Qingyu was taken aback, quickly wiped away her tears, and listened attentively.

The old man leaned closer and said in a low voice, "Qingyu, go and investigate someone right away."

"Who are you looking for?" Wang Qingyu asked, puzzled.

"Li Fengnian," the old man said, enunciating each word clearly, "there's an old fellow named Li Fengnian in Yangxia, a man from Tianhai. He received massive amounts of gold and silver from the descendants of Yangshang twice, all intact!"

Wang Qingyu was shocked.

They didn't usually burn paper money for their grandfather, but judging from his description, he obviously didn't receive anything, otherwise he wouldn't even have money for a dream!

"The fact that he received so much gold and silver means that his descendants must have used some unusual method to worship him. I've never seen anyone in the mortal world receive so much gold and silver. You must find his descendants and find out the truth. Pay him ten million and ask him to burn offerings for our Wang family as well! The address is Mingyang Street, Tianhe District, Tianhai City, Great Xia Kingdom."

"Grandpa, you even know the address... Could it be!" Wang Qingyu's voice trembled slightly.

"I appeared in your dream to borrow money from Li Fengnian, promising to pay his descendants five million, and then spend another five million to ask them for help!"

Wang Qingyu wanted to ask something more, but the old man's figure had already begun to blur.

"Whisper, remember what Grandpa said, burn as much as you can for me."

……