Chapter 4: Consulting the Gods

Although Jiang Tao didn't speak, his face was filled with shock at this moment.

Lin Nan, who was busy typing away, subconsciously nodded after hearing Wang Chengyu's question.

This caused the two men to furrow their brows even deeper.

It wasn't that they held any objections to Lin Nan's approach.

Making money through live-stream roleplay wasn't illegal; if they were in his shoes, they would do it without hesitation.

It was just that the person Lin Nan wanted to portray wasn't an ordinary human—it was a god!

In the hearts of all the people of the Dragon Kingdom, gods held a certain status.

Although such a concept, transcending the secular world, felt very distant from everyone's daily lives, and no one had ever witnessed a miracle with their own eyes or could prove that gods truly existed, most people still held a sense of awe toward them in their hearts.

People didn't bring these things up lightly, let alone discuss them casually.

That was why the two had such a strong reaction when Lin Nan said he wanted to portray a god.

Just as that comment in the live stream had said

Professional god-portrayers must always seek the consent of the deity they intend to portray before doing so.

If the deity does not agree, one must absolutely not proceed; otherwise, the performer might suffer the god's wrath, bringing disaster upon themselves or their families.

Jiang Tao advised with some concern

"Lin Nan, why don't we ask for the god's opinion first? Let's avoid any weird mishaps; that way, we can feel more at ease when you perform."

Lin Nan didn't hesitate and nodded in agreement

"Sure, I'll go find a Taoist temple tomorrow to ask."

Hearing Lin Nan accept the suggestion, the deep creases between the two men's brows finally relaxed.

Seeing that Lin Nan wasn't getting up and seemed to be chatting happily with someone, Wang Chengyu simply hopped off his bed and leaned over.

He discovered that Lin Nan was actually chatting heatedly with a girl and had even told her the name of their school. With a mischievous grin, he said

"Impressive, my Brother Nan! We've only been at school for a few days, and you've already hooked up with a girl?"

"Quick, pass the secret on to me! I'll go find someone to date tomorrow too!"

Seeing Wang Chengyu acting like a feverish fan, Jiang Tao rolled his eyes at him and leaned against the bed frame, saying

"Lin Nan has charisma, but you... you should focus on losing that fat first."

"How about starting with three kilometers a day?"

Wang Chengyu groaned in agony

"Brother Tao, have mercy on me! Three kilometers for someone like me? Even three hundred meters is a struggle."

*Clack!*

Lin Nan hit the enter key, closed the page, shut his laptop, and stood up.

Looking at Wang Chengyu's eager expression, he said with a laugh

"What 'hooked up with a girl'? This is a makeup artist I found."

Hearing this, Wang Chengyu said disappointedly

"Sigh, isn't a wonderful college life supposed to be made up of eating, drinking, having fun, and dating?"

Jiang Tao reached out and tapped Wang Chengyu on the forehead.

"Forget it, you'll be crying enough when you fail your exams."

"It's getting late, go wash up. We have to go ask the god tomorrow."

With Jiang Tao's words, Wang Chengyu reluctantly followed Lin Nan to wash up.

...

The next day, the three of them got up early.

After a quick breakfast at the cafeteria, they set off for a large temple deep in the mountains of Yanhai City.

At the foot of the mountain, just after getting out of the car, Lin Nan turned on his live stream.

Yesterday's streaming data had been very encouraging.

The number of people who entered the stream exceeded a thousand, and the peak concurrent viewership broke five hundred.

By the end of the stream, Lin Nan's account had gained over two hundred new followers.

So, as soon as he started the stream, some of the followers who received the notification entered the room.

Within a few minutes, over twenty people were already in the stream.

【The streamer was indoors yesterday, why is he outdoors today?】

【Didn't you say you were going to portray a god? Where are you going?】

Seeing the comments refreshing, Lin Nan held up his phone to film the surroundings and explained in a good mood

"I am currently at the foot of the mountain where the Xuanlan Temple in Yanhai City is located."

"Yesterday, many friends suggested that I should respect the will of the gods."

"So, today, the streamer is here to ask the Thunder Ancestor for his opinion and see if he agrees."

Watching Lin Nan climb the mountain steps one by one, the viewers who were previously confused finally realized what was happening and began to comment one after another.

【Streamer, you're for real!】

【First time following a streamer who listens to advice so well, I feel so satisfied!】

【Good to know you listen to advice. I'll be watching the whole process of you asking the god, so please don't try any tricks to fool us.】

【What is this? Isn't this an outdoor streamer? Why is he in the roleplay category?】

【Did you just arrive today? The streamer is super receptive to advice. Someone suggested he portray the Thunder Ancestor yesterday, and now he's on his way to ask for the Thunder Ancestor's permission.】

Lin Nan interacted with the viewers while climbing the mountain.

"Good morning, everyone."

"Of course I'm for real. I promised you all yesterday, how could I not follow through!"

"Regarding the process of asking the god in a moment, there will absolutely be no faking. I will make sure everyone sees the entire process."

"And for those 'immortals' who just clicked into the stream, feel free to tap that follow button."

"This is the roleplay category, not outdoor streaming. I'm going to portray the Thunder Ancestor next. All immortals are welcome to offer suggestions for the performance."

"Don't worry, the streamer listens to advice! I will definitely perform according to your ideas and try to recreate the Thunder Ancestor in your hearts!"

【Whoa, portraying the Thunder Ancestor? Acting as a god directly?!】

【I've seen people portray celebrities, famous figures, and even animals, but this is my first time seeing someone portray a god.】

【Why does it feel like I'm watching a new form of roleplay?】

【If he actually portrays it well, will he get some kind of buff? Like the 'Rain God' skill from the music industry?】

【You've been playing too many games, haven't you? How is that possible?】

【I heard the streamer listens to advice? I'll follow just for that.】

During the interaction, the three of them huffed and puffed their way to the middle of the mountain.

Just as they were panting from exhaustion, a magnificent structure came into view.

Several large halls were scattered across the clearing on the mountainside.

As the camera panned up, three gold-plated characters on a snow-white plaque at the entrance appeared on the screen: Xuanlan Temple.

Lin Nan introduced

"Friends, we have arrived at Xuanlan Temple."

"Let's not delay; we'll find a Taoist priest now and arrange the god-asking ceremony."

After speaking, Wang Chengyu, being quite observant, communicated with a Taoist priest who was receiving pilgrims in the main hall.

Before long, the priest followed him over.

"Layman, please come this way."

The priest's attitude was indifferent; clearly, he didn't take Lin Nan's plan to portray the Thunder Ancestor seriously.

After all, the number of performers who could actually obtain a god's consent was few and far between; most people were only met with rejection.

After being led by the priest to the hall dedicated to the deities of the Thunder Department, the priest handed Lin Nan a pair of moon blocks (bamboo divination blocks).

Lin Nan first pointed the camera at the blocks and then said

"From now on, the camera will stay focused on me and the blocks in my hands. Everyone can witness the result of the divination together."

He then handed his phone to Wang Chengyu, asking him to act as the cameraman for the time being.

In truth, Lin Nan had no idea what the result would be.

Although the system wanted him to portray a god, this wasn't necessarily the god's own will.

If the divination result was bad today, he would have to think of another way or choose a different deity to portray.

Lin Nan gripped the blocks in his palms, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath.

He silently prayed: *Lord Thunder Ancestor, please agree!*

The priest's calm voice reached his ears.

"First, layman, take off your shoes."

"Hold the blocks, go barefoot, and circle the incense burner three times..."

Lin Nan followed the priest's instructions, step by step.

After circling three times barefoot, he knelt before the statue of the Thunder Ancestor and said loudly

"Lin Nan, born on..."

After stating his birth date, address, and the purpose of his request, Lin Nan decisively tossed the blocks from his hands and said firmly

"I ask the Thunder Ancestor for your guidance!"