If you don't give up, I'd like to be your adoptive father.

Chapter 1051 A Prodigy Emerges in a Chaotic World

"My lord, I'm innocent!"

The Earth Goddess adopted a delicate, tear-streaked demeanor and cried out, "I did not commit adultery, and I did not kill Sun Dalang. Your Honor, please understand, I am so wronged!"

"You bastard, you were caught in the act of adultery in public, and all the villagers saw it. How dare you still cry foul?"

Xiao Yu adopted the imposing manner of Zhu Yitao, the magistrate of Tianmen Town, threw out the warrant, and shouted, "Left and right squad leaders, hold her down and give her fifty lashes to wake her up!"

"Yes, sir!" Two burly generals stepped out from each of the left and right sides.

Two men held down Cui Biluo's arms, while two others each held a red-lacquered fire poker and struck Cui Biluo's back and buttocks repeatedly.

"Crackling sounds" After seven or eight blows, blood had soaked through his clothes and pants.

"My lord, I truly did not commit adultery! It was Sun Dalang who seduced me. I admit, I made the mistake that every lonely goddess makes! But I was simply unable to control my emotions, not committing adultery!" the Earth Goddess cried out.

"You mean, every goddess has affairs?"

The City God was both surprised and curious. "Tell me, which other goddesses have had affairs?"

"There are too many to list."

I can explain it, but I dare not say anything carelessly!
"With the City God's knowledge, how many similar things have you seen? Since ancient times, it has always been a beautiful story of a young prince marrying a goddess or fairy."

It is also common for 'ladies' to visit mortal youths and leave behind a love affair.

There are many legends and tales among the people!

Even as she tried to argue, the boards behind her didn't stop hitting her.

Once a person opens their mouth to speak, the breath in their mouth and abdomen dissipates, making the blow on their buttocks even more unbearable.

Before she could finish speaking, she couldn't help but wail, "Master, please stop the beating!"
In any case, it wasn't Xiao Shen who actively seduced Sun Dalang.

Seeing her crying pitifully and wailing miserably, Sun Dalang, who was lying on the ground looking miserable, felt pity for her. Ignoring his own pain, he struggled to get up and shouted, "City God, Biluo is not lying. It was indeed Xiaomin who actively seduced her."

She couldn't resist being seduced by Xiaomin's good looks and talent, and that's why she made a mistake. No, she didn't make a mistake; we were mutually in love and a match made in heaven.

It was the Old Man of the Moon who tied the red thread, allowing us to meet and get to know each other.

Love between a man and a woman is a matter of human nature; we did nothing wrong.

"You have no male beauty whatsoever! You're not even as handsome and dashing as I am!" the City God Yu cursed.

The expressions of the ghosts and gods were somewhat distorted: "Master, if you're talking about might and might, Sun Dalang is indeed no match for you, but as for romance, in recent years you've frequently invited ghost prostitutes into your mansion, which can be considered 'romantic'."

But if you are truly handsome and dashing, would you need to spend money to hire a "male prostitute"?

However, the master is still the master, and they only dared to complain in their hearts, not daring to laugh out loud.

The City God continued, "The reason you were targeted by this harlot is because you're stupid enough! And you have enough yang energy for her to torment."

"I didn't covet the Yuan Yang of the Fiend!" the Earth Goddess cried out.

Sun Yaowu also seemed to have been greatly humiliated, and shouted excitedly: "Biluo and I are in love with each other."

A red thread binds their feet, an unbreakable bond; this is a preordained destiny!

"You bastard, your wife Li is right here, and you still dare to say that you and the Earth Goddess are in love and that it's a match made in heaven?"

Xiao Yu shouted angrily, "If you are both unmarried, I will have no objection to your union, no matter how you try to make love."

Sun Yaowu, you have a wife; Cui Biluo, you have a husband.

"Is the God of Love getting old and blind, that's why he tied another red thread around your ankles?"

Sun Yaowu said, "Your Majesty, it is common for men to have three wives and four concubines."

As for my wife, Li, she's like a wooden doll; it's really not much different whether she's here or not.

And Biluo's husband"

Thinking of the cruel expression on the Earth God's face when he tortured him, he shuddered, his face turned ashen, and he was speechless.

"What about Cui Biluo's husband? Do you also want to get a beating to wake you up?"

If he hadn't already been covered in wounds, clearly having suffered torture at the local temple and unable to withstand further torment, Xiaoyu would have already given that dog a good beating.

"No, City God, please have mercy! I have something to say." Sun Yaowu trembled and hurriedly said, "Although the Earth God is Biluo's husband, he has not shared a room with her for three hundred years."

Three hundred years! How many days and nights, how lonely!

Biluo had been living a widowed life for him for three hundred years, and the affection between husband and wife had long since vanished.

Even though the Old Man of the Moon had tied a red string around them before, the red string should have broken long ago.

They were husband and wife in name only.

They were forcibly bound together by their identities as 'Land God' and 'Land Lady'.

Human nature is inherently lovable and cannot be erased.

Without love and affection, a marriage exists in name only; to force oneself to stay together is surely against human nature.

Xiao Yu took out the Book of Life and Death and flipped through it, but couldn't find the page for "Cui Biluo, the Land Goddess of Heron Pavilion".

The Book of Life and Death only contains mortals or mortal demons (including animals) listed in the "Black Register".

No matter how small Cui Biluo's position is, she is still a deity, and her name is not on the "blacklist".

Xiaoyu changed her search method again.

Enter "a person from Fuli County who had an affair with the land goddess Cui Biluo" in the search box of the Book of Life and Death.

Eighty-six pages popped up all at once!

And this is only the "old archives" from the last two hundred years; the earlier ones can no longer be found.

All eighty-six mortals who had affairs with the Earth Goddess died.

The Land Goddess wasn't lying; she truly didn't covet their vital essence.

Even frequent intercourse between mortals can damage one's vital energy, and the Earth Goddess is a yin ghost who makes insatiable demands.

According to the laws of the underworld, it is indeed considered "blasphemy" for a mortal to actively seduce the wife of the Earth God.

To blaspheme a deity as a mortal, especially one who is the guardian deity of one's own hometown, will result in a shortened lifespan and diminished fortune.

Well, it is not considered blasphemy for unmarried goddesses or immortals to have relations with mortal men.

The object of blasphemy here is not the goddess or fairy with whom she committed adultery, but the goddess's male god husband.

Even if Sun Yaowu seduced Cui Biluo and engaged in 108 sexual positions with her, it wouldn't be considered blasphemy against her. However, he cuckolded Yu Xichi, who is a deity, and that is blasphemy.

The identities of the Earth God and Earth Goddess are believed to amplify the effects of "reducing blessings and lifespan".

Despite their lowly status, the Earth God and Earth Goddess are paired together to maintain the yin-yang balance of the earth.

It's somewhat like "two swords combined".

For a mortal to seduce the Earth Goddess is tantamount to violating this divine duty.

Thus, having both shortened one's fortune and lifespan, and being "exploited" by Cui Biluo, anyone who can endure two years without dying is considered a "great man"!
Xiaoyu then turned to Sun Yaowu's page in the Book of Life and Death.

This guy was destined to die young; according to his predetermined fate, he would die in war at the end of this year.

Having hooked up with Cui Biluo, his fate of dying at the end of the year remained unchanged, but the manner of death changed to "exhausted vital energy, terminally ill, struggling to survive, dying on Cui Biluo's belly."

After glancing at Sun Yaowu, who stood tall and proud with an air of "unwavering loyalty," Xiaoyu closed the Book of Life and Death with a disgusted expression, abandoning her intention to warn him with numerous examples.

—Since this guy is so unrepentant, then let him die!
Xiaoyu glanced at Li Shi beside her again.

Although Sun Yaowu was a good-for-nothing pretty boy, he had the courage to speak eloquently in front of the City God and many ghost messengers.

Regardless of whether his words make sense or not, at least he managed to justify himself.

Li, who was clearly the one who truly understood the great truth, was now timid and hesitant, as if his tongue was tied in knots.

They're so disappointing.

"Mrs. Li, what do you say about this adulterous couple's sophistry?" Mrs. Li hesitated, "This humble one wishes to take my husband home."

Xiaoyu said irritably, "He already said that you're a blockhead, it's the same whether you're here or not."

Marrying you is like not marrying at all. Why did you bring him home?

Li lowered her head and said sadly, "Since I married into the Sun family, I have served my husband and parents-in-law every day, and also taken care of my younger brother and sister-in-law. I have never slacked off. Alas, my life is hard. Let's bring my husband back to life first, and then we can talk about other things."

Xiao Yu turned to Sun Yaowu and said, "Now your case can be divided into three parts, three smaller cases."

First, as a mortal, you seduced the wife of a deity, disrupted the 'divine marriage,' and interfered with the yin-yang harmony of this land, which is a grave sin!
Secondly, Cui Biluo is a land goddess, yet she commits adultery with a mortal.

It is immoral and desecrates the divine duties of the Earth Goddess, disgracing the gods and their dignity. It has a very bad influence among the people and is a heinous crime.

Third, the local fisherman from Xichi is trying to kill you and has even threatened to wipe out your entire family.

The Heavenly Court is just and impartial, and the gods are benevolent and virtuous; he has seriously violated the laws of Heaven.

Landlord Yu Xichi is currently on the run and has not yet been apprehended, so let's not discuss the third case for now.

Only your case and Cui Biluo's case.

Logically speaking, this government office has no need to listen to your sophistry.

According to the laws of Heaven, you are blaspheming, and you will have your blessings and lifespan shortened, or even be sent directly to hell.

Cui Biluo, on the other hand, wanted to abolish her divine status and banish her to the underworld of Fengdu.

The two men's expressions changed drastically, and they opened their mouths to shout.

They absolutely refuse to accept this outcome.

Xiaoyu then added, "But you also gave reasons for adultery."

Sun Yaowu disliked Li Shi, not thinking she was a qualified wife who could not satisfy him.

Cui Biluo, do you also believe that your relationship with Yu Xichi is merely a formality, and that you and Sun Yaowu are a match made in heaven?

Cui Biluo became conflicted.

She couldn't accept the first outcome: "Removed from her priesthood, her soul banished to Fengdu."

But it seems the City God intends to separate her from Yu Xichi and put her together with Sun Yaowu.

The reason she and Yu Xichi could become the Earth Goddess and Earth God of Lusi Pavilion was not only because they had sufficient ability, merit, and background, but also because they met one condition: they were husband and wife, and could form the Earth God and Earth Goddess to harmonize yin and yang.

Just like in Xiaoyu's previous life, some professions require one to be single and unmarried.

Being "unmarried" is a requirement for employment.

The Earth God and Earth Goddess cannot be paired up arbitrarily; they must have been husband and wife in their previous lives.

If she divorces Yu Xichi, and is all alone, can she still fulfill the role of "Land Goddess"?

Xiao Yu gave a wink, and the squad leader immediately picked up his water-and-fire stick and smacked Cui Biluo's wet, bloodied buttocks, shouting, "The City God is asking you a question, what are you daydreaming about?"

Cui Biluo cried, "Brother Tu, we have known each other for thousands of years, why are you being so harsh today?"

Xiao Yu sighed, "In the past, you were outrageous, but did this manor care about you? Today is different; things have gotten out of hand."

After your case is closed, I'll have to send wandering spirits to the nearby villages to "disperse dreams."

Let the villagers know what happens to those who steal other people's land goddesses, and how majestic the divine laws are.

Only in this way can we uphold the law and rectify social customs.

Cui Biluo said, "As the saying goes, when a country is about to perish, there will surely be monsters."

The world is in chaos now, with evil spirits rampant and righteousness lacking.

We, the gods and spirits who worship incense, reside among humans and are inevitably affected.

It's normal to feel irritable and restless, find it hard to stay focused, and sometimes overdo things.

There's really no need to be as strict as during times of peace and prosperity.

—Take Brother Tu for example, if you secretly hire a prostitute, who wouldn't know?

If you can hire prostitutes, it's perfectly reasonable for me to sleep with one or two ordinary young men. We should be considerate of each other!
It's unacceptable for officials to be allowed to set fires while ordinary people are forbidden to light lamps.

Xiaoyu was furious. "What kind of talk is this! Do you think you're some kind of deity?"
"Cui Biluo, you have fallen! You have desecrated your divine duty! You must be removed from office!"

The landlady was so angry that she almost couldn't help but expose all of "his" shameful deeds.

But her butt still hurts!
It hurts like hell.

—Damn it, that old devil Tu used to be very good at dealing with people. He would even call my wife and me "brother" and "sister." But today he's been blinded by greed. In front of all the ghosts and gods, he spouts all sorts of polite and moral nonsense. Who is he trying to impress with this fake respectability?

"Biluo, what are you still hesitating about in front of the City God?"

Cui Biluo thought a lot, but Sun Dalang didn't think that far ahead. He looked anxious, but there was also a hint of joy hidden in his anxiety.

He wasn't stupid either; like Cui Biluo, he could tell that the City God intended to help them get together.

“Tell the City God that your marriage with the Earth God is indeed dead in name only. I will divorce Li, and you will divorce the Earth God.”

Thus, you are unmarried, and I am unmarried; we are a perfect match, a match made in heaven, a union ordained by the God of Marriage!

After saying that, he looked at Xiaoyu with longing, "City God, you are wise and discerning, and you know our destiny. Please grant us, this ill-fated couple, a chance to be together!"

Xiaoyu asked with a blank face, "Are you sure you want to divorce Li?"

“Absolutely true!” Sun Dalang said with certainty.

“Mrs. Li, what do you say?” Xiaoyu turned to Mrs. Li again.

Li covered her face and sobbed.

The head constable shouted, "The master is asking you a question, and you just keep crying? Do you want to be beaten to wake you up?"

Li shrank back slightly and said, "I have two purposes in complaining to the City God: one is to save my husband's life, and the other is to remove the curse of the Earth God on the Sun family."

Once these two things are achieved, everything else is up to fate.

Ordinary people have a hard life, and they can only accept their fate.

Xiaoyu sighed, "Although you are cowardly, you are a kind and righteous person."

This prefecture can guarantee that the local official Yu Xichi will not seek out Sun Dalang again, nor will he attempt to harm the Sun family.

Li looked at Sun Dalang.

Sun Dalang only stared at the Earth Goddess.

Xiao Yu said in a deep voice, "Since you two have agreed, I, along with all the deities in this hall, will bear witness. Judge Wen, please write a divorce document for Sun Dalang."

Wenpan walked to Sun Dalang and Li Shi and said, "You should both know the rules of the human world."

There are four main categories of marital breakdown: first, the husband divorces the wife; second, the two parties agree to separate; third, they sever all ties; and fourth, the wife asks to leave.

Li has no son, which meets the criteria for the "seven grounds for divorce," but we have all seen what happened today.

Sun Dalang found a new lover and thus abandoned his wife; it was not that Li committed any of the seven grounds for divorce.

On the contrary, Sun Dalang committed a serious crime, while Li Shi bravely went to the City God's Office for her husband and the Sun family. She was loyal and righteous, and was judged as a 'good person' by the master.

You, the 'good person' Li, can request to sever all ties with the sinner Sun Dalang.

Alternatively, you don't need to say anything; the City God can directly decree that you and your spouse are estranged.

Of course, Li could also take the initiative to request to leave.

Sun Dalang, you have no choice.

Now, Li, you have the choice: to divorce, to sever all ties, or to actively seek a separation?

(End of this chapter)