Mixed in the heavens, merits and virtues become immortals

Chapter 363 The right to interpret the law rests with me.

Since Zhao Gou arrived in Lin'an, the temples of the gods in Lin'an have been bustling with worshippers, and scholars and commoners alike have been burning incense and reciting verses. As a result, the temples of the gods in Hangzhou have been expanded several times. The City God Temple is located on Wu Mountain, with a grand view of the river, mountains, lake and city, as well as exquisite buildings reaching the clouds and elegant courtyards.

Liang Lian's spirit watched as everyone burned incense and kowtowed in the City God Temple. At this moment, however, he was completely out of sync with the noise of the incense burning. In the eyes of Liang Lian and other nobles, the courtyard was also divided into different levels. For example, the Liang Prince's Mansion spent money on every inch of land, that is, every inch of land was paved with silver.

This City God Temple, however, spent its money on paper.

However, Liang Lian could not act rashly in this courtyard, so he could only keep looking down at the main hall.

"Bring Liang Lian!"

At this command, the Black and White Impermanence escorted Liang Lian all the way to the main hall of the City God Temple. There were many worshippers in the temple, but when Liang Lian entered, he found the surroundings suddenly empty. The City God, dressed in a crown and robes, sat in the main hall, flanked by more than a dozen other distinguished-looking ghosts and deities, followed by the yamen runners and so on.

The place was solemn and dignified, with the faint scent of incense and paper money still lingering. After being forced to kneel, Liang Lian saw Gu Qing sitting in the hall.

"Liang Lian, what do you have to say before the City God?"

The City God's words, spoken from above, naturally carried authority.

Liang Lian knelt on the ground. Seeing that Gu Qing knew the City God filled him with despair, but this despair also gave rise to anger. He suddenly raised his head, pointed at Gu Qing, and said to the City God, "I want to sue him! He killed me! My lifespan is not over yet!"

The City God, having perused the memorials above, looked at Gu Qing and said, "Master Gu, you committed murder with a knife, what do you have to say?"

“Liang Lian is rampant and tyrannical among the people, and no one dares to retaliate against him. Even when he was sent to the Heavenly Prison, he was still able to escape and commit murder, which is extremely taboo. Such a ruthless person will surely meet a fierce enemy.”

Gu Qing spoke calmly, saying, "I killed him by drawing my sword, which was an act of justice. The underworld should record a merit for me. As for his lifespan not being over, there are many ghosts in this city of the unjustly dead. Let him stay there for a few more years."

Gu Qing has already planned out Liang Lian's future.

"What do you mean by 'just sending them to the City of the Wrongfully Dead to spend a few years'?"

Liang Lian was about to retort when he saw the City God nodding above.

"That's the only way; after all, that's how it's handled in the underworld."

The City God was merely going through the motions.

Liang Lian was dumbfounded, thinking of the ordinary people he had killed in the past by using his power to oppress others.

"Liang Lian's subordinates were also killed by the Taoist priest..."

The City God then surveyed the next point.

“These people have no official responsibilities but wield official power, bullying others and committing many evils.”

Gu Qing said, "He died without cause."

The City God, after going through all that, also cleared up the matter, classifying Gu Qing as someone who acted on behalf of Heaven.

Looking at all this, Liang Lian realized that even when he was running rampant in the world and using his power to settle disputes, he was never so arrogant as to record human lives as acts of virtue. Now, seeing Gu Qing's actions, Liang Lian felt that he himself had become innocent.

If killing someone could earn merit, Liang Lian would be in Heaven right now!
"It seems like everything is going well."

After reviewing all of this, the City God closed the memorial in his hand and said to Gu Qing, "It is also the current underworld, with Bao Zheng as the King of Hell. He is impartial and incorruptible, and he investigates everything very thoroughly. Otherwise, such things would not be worth leaving a trace."

The City God Temple has now completed its initial review, and the next step is the Yama Hall's second review. The City God has also done his work and left records, so it can basically be said that everything is acceptable.

What's done is done.
Liang Lian's face was ashen.

The City God immediately waved his hand, instructing the underworld officials below to serve tea to Gu Qing.

Gu Qing smiled and accepted the tea. He looked at the City God and said, "I saw in the official document that there are twenty-four departments in this City God Temple, including the Department of Punishing Evil and the Department of Criminal Punishment, which are all meant to warn people. I'm in Hangzhou, so why don't I see any efficacy?"

The contents of Gu Qing's ordination certificate were basically the powers and responsibilities of the gods, as well as their communications.

Upon hearing this, the City God felt that Gu Qing was joking, so he jokingly said, "What evil people does Master Gu encounter? Doesn't our City God Temple punish them?"

"Zhao Gou!"

Gu Qing asked, "He killed Yue Fei, so wouldn't he be considered a sinner?"

Upon hearing this, all the gods in the City God Temple fell silent, exchanging glances. Finally, the City God spoke, saying, "People like Zhao Gou and the officials of the current dynasty can easily bring benefits to the people, but they can also easily do evil. Good and evil are mixed up, and many of the evil consequences are not self-inflicted. Only after they die can we make a final judgment. We in the City God Temple have no right to punish them."

Therefore, the underworld has strict rules and regulations, and there are also gods to deter people in the human world, but the upper echelons of the human world are rarely alerted, and everything goes as usual.

Gu Qing nodded, took a sip of tea, and said, "The Prince of Liang has been dismissed from his post, so it shouldn't count, right?"

Liang Lian, who was kneeling on the ground, looked up and was surprised to find Gu Qing waiting for him there!
The City God chuckled and said, "Of course, King Liang doesn't count." As he spoke, the City God gestured outside, and then continued drinking tea with Gu Qing. Before they had even finished their cup of tea, underworld officials arrived outside leading ropes, to which were bound King Liang and his wife.

"Father, mother!"

When Liang Lian saw his parents, tears streamed down his face, and he cried out, "Your son is unfilial and cannot serve you anymore."

King Liang and Queen Liang were in shock when they suddenly realized that they were no longer in the human world. Seeing Liang Lian being escorted by the ghost messengers, they rushed forward and burst into tears.

"Princess Consort Liang has failed to properly discipline her son; she shall receive thirty strokes of the cane!"

The City God issued an order from above, saying, "King Liang has committed grave evils; he shall receive one hundred strokes of the cane and three hundred lashes."

Before King Liang and Queen Liang could react, they were pulled apart by the ghost messengers, and boards and whips rained down on them. Although King Liang and Queen Liang were spirits, they were now covered in blood and kept screaming. Seeing this, Liang Lian, who was standing to the side, was terrified and no longer dared to challenge Gu Qing. He knelt on the ground and kept kowtowing, begging for forgiveness.

"I deserve all of this because of my own actions. Please don't drag my parents down with me."

Liang Lian kowtowed and said, "Gu Qing, Doctor Gu, Taoist Master Gu, Fahai released me only so that I could raise money to atone for my parents' sins. He said that once their sins are atoned, my Liang family will be spared from this ordeal and released from prison..."

During the beating of King Liang and Queen Liang, Liang Lian confessed to everything.

"Just as I thought."

Gu Qing nodded silently. Bai Suzhen's way of repaying kindness was to get Xu Xian involved, so anything that happened around Xu Xian could point to Bai Suzhen taking action. This time, when Li Gongfu was attacked, Gu Qing felt something was wrong and took charge of everything. And the person behind it all was indeed Fahai.

In the Legend of the White Snake, Fahai was able to defeat Bai Suzhen entirely because of his golden alms bowl. Without the golden alms bowl, Fahai would not be able to defeat Bai Suzhen. However, to use the golden alms bowl, Bai Suzhen would have to commit heinous crimes.

Even in the battle where the Jinshan Temple was flooded, although in the end Bai Suzhen was protected by the God of Literature and was not taken away by Fahai, Bai Suzhen later said that because she was pregnant, she did not dare to go all out in the fight.

Now, it is Fahai who is plotting to make Bai Suzhen commit heinous crimes.

After sorting everything out, Gu Qing looked at the City God, holding a scroll of scripture in his hand, and said, "Today's events are all thanks to the City God's impartiality. Here is a method for cultivating the soul, which may be of some help to the City God and the gods..." Gu Qing presented the City God with a method for cultivating the soul using the ghost path from the world of Jade Dynasty.

"Daoist Master, since Marshal Ma values ​​you, he's one of us..."

The City God declined a few times, but seeing that the Ghostly Soul Nourishing Method was indeed pleasing, he accepted it for the sake of the gods, saying, "Master Gu, if anything happens in Hangzhou in the future, just summon him with your talisman. No matter how hard the people's hearts are, I will enforce the law like a furnace."

The power to interpret the law rests with him.

Gu Qing smiled and took his leave.

When the Prince of Liang and his wife woke up in prison, they suddenly cried out in pain. The jailers came forward and, upon inspection, saw various wounds on their backs. When questioned by the officials, the two lay on the ground, weeping uncontrollably.

The visible scars on his body have confirmed the existence of retribution.

Changming Temple.

Gu Qing slowly regained his senses and saw Xiao Qing and Bai Suzhen beside him. He smiled at the two women, looked down at the pile of heads and flowing blood on the ground, and hypocritically chanted a prayer for the dead: "By order of the Supreme Lord, may your lonely souls be delivered. May all ghosts and demons of the four forms of life receive grace. Those with heads be delivered, and those without heads be ascended..."

Gu Qing is a Taoist priest who has been ordained, so it is perfectly reasonable for him to perform rituals to help the deceased.

The monks in Changming Temple, seeing Gu Qing's fierceness, all cowered and hesitated. They watched as Gu Qing, inside the Buddhist temple, chanted Taoist scriptures to pray for his soul's salvation.

"Amitabha."

Fahai's voice came from outside, loud and clear, making everything buzz. He said, "If you encounter someone who kills, you will suffer the retribution of past sins and die young. Master Gu has committed many killings in my Buddhist temple, and I fear he will not live long."

After Gu Qing killed the man, Bai Suzhen had already silently calculated the cause and effect. When she saw Fahai arrive, she understood even more clearly that Gu Qing had shielded her from a calamity. Now that Fahai was in front of her, Bai Suzhen did not confess, but when she looked at Gu Qing, her gaze was more tender.

Qing'er's sweetheart is so considerate.

"Fahai."

Bai Suzhen composed herself, stood at the front, and said, "You and I know perfectly well what is right and wrong, and besides, these people all deserved to die..."

"What about him?"

Fahai casually pointed to the advisor lying on the ground.

This man was the advisor to Chen Lun, the prefect of Suzhou, and had little connection with the people of the Liang Prince's Mansion.

"He deserved to die too."

Gu Qing calmly said, "Just now in the City God Temple, the City God has already checked the records. The money he offered to the Liang Prince's Mansion this time all came from Zhang Baonan's family. Zhang Baonan was granted an official position through hereditary privilege, but when he was in Suzhou, he took a fancy to Liu San's wife, He Shi, and the two of them got together. Zhang Baonan even paid a large sum of money for Liu San to do business outside."

"The three of them had calmed down, but this clerk, relying on a rotting corpse, insisted that Zhang Baonan and He Shi had murdered their husband. He not only seized Zhang Baonan's property but also ordered the execution of both Zhang Baonan and He Shi in order to gain a false reputation for solving the case."

Gu Qing recounted the story, looked at Fahai, and asked, "Do you think he deserved to die?"

Upon hearing this, Xiaoqing kicked the advisor's corpse.

"hehe."

Fahai couldn't help but laugh out loud. Looking at Gu Qing, he said, "You mean you are Zhang Baonan, Xu Xian is Liu San, Bai Suzhen is He Shi, and this old monk is this advisor?"

Fahai naturally brought the matter into the conversation.

When Gu Qing asked the advisor whether he should die, he was essentially asking whether the advisor himself should die.

Bai Suzhen blushed. After Xu Xian and Pei Yaoqin got married, Bai Suzhen secretly calculated and sensed that everything was caused by Gu Qing. If it weren't for Gu Qing, Bai Suzhen would probably have married Xu Xian.

"Don't make assumptions about me!"

Gu Qing called out unhappily.

You're making a veiled accusation when you're just stating the facts of a clerk's crimes!
Xiaoqing snorted and said, "Gu Qing and my sister are completely innocent." After saying this, Xiaoqing felt a little awkward. Gu Qing's name contains the character "Qing" and Bai Suzhen's name contains the character "Bai." Both of their names sound innocent.

Fahai chuckled and looked at Gu Qing, saying, "Benefactor Gu, do you really want to continue getting involved in this matter?"

These words sound like my final ultimatum.

Gu Qing looked at Fa Hai, then at Bai Suzhen... and thought of the Ziwei Star that Marshal Ma was alluding to. This was originally the fault of the different scriptwriters, which led to Xu Shilin's identity changing from the Ziwei Star to the Wenqu Star incarnate. However, Marshal Ma's meaning seemed to be that Bai Suzhen had the destiny of the Ziwei Star.

The Ziwei Star represents destiny, but Gu Qing doesn't know the specifics. However, the great deity Ziwei Emperor exists in both Buddhism and Taoism.

In his contemplation, Gu Qing also thought of a hellish joke: it is said that those who died in the Investiture of the Gods became star lords, and that Bo Yikao, the Ziwei Emperor, turned into a sky full of stars after his death...

"What's wrong?"

Gu Qing looked at Fahai, still asking him questions with an air of ignorance.

Upon seeing this, Fahai nodded and said, "Then this old monk will have no choice but to subdue you and her together!"

This time, Fahai came to give Gu Qing an ultimatum. He had been betrayed by Gu Qing three times and stabbed in the face once. Now, he had planned an event, which was also directly thwarted by Gu Qing. This made Fahai certain that he could not defeat Bai Suzhen without dealing with Gu Qing.

Upon hearing this, Gu Qing chuckled and said, "Master Fahai, I'm afraid you can't subdue us."

Fahai's gaze, imbued with Buddhist intent, scrutinized Gu Qing and Bai Suzhen.

Gu Qing smiled slightly and said, "Master Fahai, your repeated attempts to carry out your schemes are really not what one would expect from a high monk. Since you want to fight us, why don't we arrange a place for a proper contest? The loser will then keep to himself and avoid causing trouble for each other. What do you say?"

One she is thirty li; if one retreats three she, the two sides will have little to do with each other.

Fahai looked at Gu Qing and Bai Suzhen, silently chanting scriptures. He examined both of them; one was a Golden Core cultivator, and the other was undergoing tribulation. They wanted to fight him, who controlled the Golden Bowl... Fahai couldn't see any chance of victory for either of them.

However, Gu Qing is someone who can often thwart his schemes...

"Alright!"

Fahai had his doubts, but he readily agreed, saying, "Our feud will be settled in a fight."

Gu Qing extended his palm and struck Fahai Tang three times.

(End of this chapter)