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Chapter 482 City God of the Road

"Bang—, bang—, bang—"

Nine gong sounds, and four ghost messengers lead the way, holding two "Silence" signs and two "Avoidance" signs on their left and right. Then, four ghost constables follow, holding iron rulers and short sticks to maintain order.

After that came four blue flags, and one blue fan and one green fan.

Then there were tall and strong ghost messengers, each carrying a copper cudgel, a leather spear, and two golden maces.

After these ceremonial guards passed, a tall flag suddenly appeared in the procession, and this person seemed to be the commander of the troops!

After that came the City God's green-clothed eight-bearer sedan chair.

And as expected, behind the procession came a continuous stream of elite ghost soldiers!
These ghostly soldiers were all incredibly powerful and exuded a strong ghostly aura.

Two rows of banners led the procession, and on a tall pole in the center hung a cloth banner with three large characters that burned continuously with emerald green embers.

Those three large characters read: "Violent Soldier Camp!"
When Mr. Feng and Zang Tianlan saw this name in the mortuary, their expressions immediately changed.

"The Violent Soldiers Camp...one of the three divisions under the command of the Yin Heaven Palace of King Zhou."

"The main force guarding the six realms of reincarnation."

"The Six Paths of Reincarnation have run into trouble. Some of the three branches have been affected and fallen into the turbid realm, transforming into evil spirits. However, the main force of the three branches remains."

"This 'Sudden Death Camp' is formed from the souls of those who died suddenly or violently throughout the world. They enter the Yin Heaven Palace of King Zhou, and then select the most talented among them to form an elite battalion."

"Those who die suddenly possess an extremely strong ghostly aura, making them among the best soldiers for the underworld."

"Although the violent soldiers' battalion is the weakest of the three divisions of the Yin Heaven Palace of Zhou Jue, it is still one of the most elite armies of the Yin Division."

"When a city god takes office, he usually sends out a team of ordinary ghost soldiers from the 'patrol battalion,' just like the city god of Lucheng."

"Why is it the 'Sudden Death Squad' accompanying us this time?!"

Xu Yuan, however, saw something more.

According to the system of rites, the rank of the City God of Champa should be comparable to that of the chief official of a county or prefecture.

That is, the county magistrate and the prefect.

Although the Ming dynasty had a "prefect" in Champa, this prefect's rank was half a grade lower.

The magistrate set out with three gong sounds.

The prefect spoke in seven tones.

Only those above the rank of prefect are entitled to the nine tones.

Moreover, officials below the prefectural level were all so-called "people-friendly officials" and could not use the "avoidance" sign.

This newly appointed Champa City God has all regulations that are higher than those of the Prefect!

Moreover, he took office with elite ghost soldiers and also held military positions!
Xu Yuan frowned repeatedly: Something's not quite right here...

In the turbid realm, the City God of Lucheng and the evil spirits of the Day Wanderer changed their expressions drastically upon seeing such a procession.

The day-roaming gods and evil spirits reacted more slowly, but the City God of Lucheng scratched his head in frustration, tore off large pieces of flesh, and as they fell to the ground, they transformed into many evil insects that scurried away.

"This is terrible!" The City God of Lucheng understood that the appearance of the ghostly army meant that he had no chance left.

It cannot be blamed on the fact that the "Lord" behind it was not powerful enough to delay the process of the underworld.

In fact, the return of the City God's golden seal to its rightful place has been delayed for a very long time.

However, he was held back by Xu Yuan and missed the opportunity to rush into the mortal realm.

Decades of planning, all for naught!

With a roar, the City God of Lucheng leaped up and transformed into a turbid, foul wind, howling as he fled back to Diqiu.

The evil spirits that roamed the day were a step behind and hurriedly followed.

A cold snort rang out from the newly appointed City God's entourage: "Do you think I, the City God, don't exist?"

Suddenly, a hand reached out from the green sedan chair, grabbed a bronze staff from the ceremonial procession beside it, and tossed it away—

The bronze staff, taller than a person, transformed into a beam of yellow light with a "whoosh" and accurately struck the evil spirit of the Day Wanderer.

The evil spirit made no sound and vanished with a "poof" under the blow.

Not a trace was left.

The City God of Lucheng ran even faster.

But the person inside the green sedan chair seemed to simply watch the other party leave from inside the chair, without making another move.

Ultimately, there was some apprehension about the person behind it.

The City God's procession had already arrived nearby, and the soldiers of the riotous army, without needing the City God's orders, scattered like a torrent of dark water.

We must find and eliminate all the lurking evil spirits in this turbid place!

The Fighting Ghost and the Yin-Yang Python had already sensed something was wrong and quietly escaped from their hiding place.

However, everything they had painstakingly built up over a hundred years in the turbid realm was destroyed by the ghostly soldiers.

Even the "Little West Temple Old Market" hanging in the turbid room was almost discovered and directly broken!

but……

Whether they truly failed to discover it, or whether a soft cough suddenly came from the green sedan chair just as they were about to be discovered, stopping the elite ghost soldiers... remains unknown.

Xu Yuan and the others in the mortuary had already realized that the newly appointed Champa City God was a scheming underworld official.

Now, in the turbid realm of Champa, only a mass of void remains, the ever-wriggling and undulating waters of the River of Oblivion.

The Forgotten River Turtle hid inside, staring with its round eyes at the large green sedan chair.

It was neither afraid nor resentful.

Although it is highly skilled, it is still an animal after all, so it is not very bright.

It felt that the fault did not lie with me.

I was just following orders.

When the City God of Lucheng came with that token—that thing represented a supreme ruler, who would dare disobey?
Now you're coming after me again, trying to pin the blame on me? On what grounds?!

If you're so capable, go find that venerable one!

I am the only living being in the River of Oblivion. Whether you're in the heavens or on the earth, you'll need me to pull strings. I don't believe you dare to kill me!

"Hmph!" The one in the green sedan chair had obviously noticed the Wangchuan turtle's dissatisfaction and arrogance, and let out a cold snort of displeasure.

The Forgotten River Turtle opened its mouth and let out a half-roar.

An ancient bamboo slip flew out from the green sedan chair.

Like a flying sword, it pierced through the waters of the River of Oblivion with a hiss and stabbed into the back of the River of Oblivion turtle!

Its carapace was incredibly sturdy; Zang Tianlan knew that even with his third-rate tools, he might not be able to break through it with a full-force attack.

But beneath these dusty bamboo slips, they are as fragile as tofu!
From inside the green sedan chair came the voice of the newly appointed City God: "Indeed, a beast who doesn't know his place!"

The Wangchuan Turtle trembled all over in pain, but there was a special restriction on the bamboo slip that sealed its voice!

Upon seeing this bamboo slip, the Forgotten River Turtle knew that it was a treasure bestowed upon it by the Venerable One in the Yin Heaven Palace of King Zhou, specifically to restrain itself.

If it were just a city god, the Forgotten River Turtle would not be afraid at all.

"Lower the sedan chair," the City God ordered. The ghost soldiers lowered the sedan chair, and the clerk beside it opened the door, allowing the City God to step out.

He was tall and strong, with an unusual appearance.

It has an imposing aura that commands respect without anger.

The so-called "unusual appearance" means that one is unusually ugly.

He walked straight to the pool of water in the River of Oblivion and gazed at the Forgotten Turtle in the water.

The reason it's described as "lacking in self-awareness" is, of course, because it's incredibly stupid.

You are indeed the only living being in the River of Oblivion, a "backdoor" deliberately left by those beings in the heavens and on earth.

But don't forget, if those beings could bring you into existence, how could they not have ways to restrain you?
For example, this bamboo slip; killing you would be as easy as turning one's hand.

You think that all those beings, whether in the sky or on the ground, would need your help to cheat?

But now, how many of those positions "in the sky" are still alive?

And your "backdoor" has long been solidified into part of the rules of the River of Oblivion.

Even if I were to actually kill you, it would only be a temporary inconvenience.

Because after several hundred years, the rules of the River of Oblivion will manifest, and another "River of Oblivion Turtle" will be automatically born.

Of course, it could also be the Forgotten River Dragon, the Forgotten River Water Monkey, the Forgotten River Turtle, and so on.

The reason why the Wangchuan Turtle didn't let out its half-roar was because the "syllable" it was about to shout represented that Venerable One.

The one behind the City God of Lucheng.

If they actually shouted it out, it would force a rift within the underworld!

Some things are understood but not spoken.

However, it cannot be said openly, because saying it would mean a complete breakdown in relations, leaving neither side with a way out.

In the waters of the River of Oblivion, the River Turtle struggles in agony.

Turbid, greenish-brown blood slowly gushed out from where the bamboo slip pierced its body, spreading into the surrounding River of Oblivion.

The City God suddenly turned around and came to the two barriers, facing Xu Yuan, and said, "Bring over a bottle."

Xu Yuan was taken aback, vaguely realizing that this City God wanted to give him some benefits.

However, ordinary bottles will transform into bottle monsters when they reach the turbid realm.

Xu Yuan didn't actually have any suitable ones on hand.

Mr. Feng then silently handed a special bottle to Xu Yuan.

Xu Yuan did not know the "Two Realms Technique," but he released Jia Zongdao from "Dreams Come True," opened the barrier between the two realms, and sent the bottle over.

Upon receiving the bottle, the City God couldn't help but roll his eyes at Mr. Feng: "Greedy!"

This bottle is a craftsman's creation, and its purpose is similar to that of the "fish wrapper".

They are born with the ability to control unpredictable changes.

Moreover, this bottle looks only the size of a fist, but it can hold the water of ten large vats.

Mr. Feng kept a straight face and didn't say a word.

Anyway, I've given you the bottle; you can fill it with as much as you want.

I can't just give you a small bottle—what if you want to give me more? Wouldn't we be at a disadvantage?

The City God took the bottle and returned to the River of Oblivion, where he collected a mixture of the River of Oblivion water and the blood of the River of Oblivion turtle.

Originally, the City God only intended to give a fist-sized amount, but after thinking about it, he realized that there were still some things that required Xu Yuan's cooperation, so he gritted his teeth and increased the amount to three times.

Then he threw the bottle back to Xu Yuan.

"The Forgotten River Turtle cannot be killed; consider this its compensation to you."

Xu Yuan caught it and carefully put it away.

This is a rare and precious item that you can only come across once in a lifetime!

Although the water of the River of Oblivion is precious, it is still possible to obtain it.

But the blood of the Forgotten River Turtle may be unique in the mortal world!
The reason why the Wangchuan Turtle is so arrogant is because it has never been injured since it was born!

It was protected by both the heavens and the earth, and no one dared to lay a hand on it.

The City God waved his hand again, and two generals came out from the soldiers' camp. They used a jar to collect the water of the River of Oblivion and the turtle of Oblivion, then clasped their hands in a fist salute to the City God, turned and left without saying a word.

In just a few steps, they disappeared from the murky space.

They were no longer under the control of the City God and transformed into the Forgotten River Turtle.

They took away the Wangchuan Turtle, and also the bamboo slip on its back.

"Alright, I must go to my post now," the City God said.

At the same time, he looked intently at Xu Yuan.

The underworld has long since figured out the tricks these people in the mortal realm use.

If they encounter a problem they can't solve, they'll invite the City God.

Once the matter is resolved, they will try every means to drive the City God away as quickly as possible.

It's truly a case of using people when they need them and discarding them when they don't.

If Xu Yuan were to directly ask Him not to take office, the City God would not be surprised at all.

Xu Yuan hesitated: Why not just talk to this lord about the terms and ask him to return to the underworld directly?

But Mr. Feng quietly tugged at him and stepped forward, saying, "We are so grateful for your timely arrival during this calamity. We respectfully invite you to take up your post."

Xu Yuan followed Mr. Feng Si and bowed to the City God with clasped hands.

Lu Chenghuang was somewhat surprised, but after straightening his clothes and nodding to them, he stepped out from the murky room.

After him, the City God's retinue and the ghost soldiers of the "Violent Soldier Camp" also came in droves.

But once they passed the two walls, they could no longer be seen by the naked eye.

I only felt a cold gust of air sweep past me.

Xu Yuan secretly grasped the Yin-Yang Guillotine, and the City God and others reappeared in his right eye's field of vision.

Mr. Feng and others must have had their own methods.

Everyone watched as the City God and his entourage, in the mortal world, descended seven feet off the ground, seemingly slowly but actually swiftly, from above their heads into the City God Temple of Champa.

Immediately afterwards, a golden light shot into the sky from the City God Temple.

This means that the City God has taken control of the City God's Golden Seal.

But that golden light, which shot up about a hundred feet into the night sky, was suppressed by something, even though its momentum had not been completely exhausted.

It cannot rise even a fraction higher!

They continued like this for a while, then reluctantly returned to the City God Temple.

Seeing this, Xu Yuan and Mr. Feng could only sigh together: "Evil spirits are rampant..."

The evil spirits of the daytime wandering god and the false village were exterminated.

The three cities were thus preserved.

But the chief culprit, the City God of Lucheng, escaped.

The underworld did not want to go to extremes, lest it force the City God of Lucheng to reveal the name of that person in a desperate act.

Although Xu Yuan and Mr. Feng were dissatisfied, they were powerless to pursue Qu Diqiu, so they could only keep this grudge in their hearts!
Once we have that ability in the future, we will make the City God of Lucheng receive the punishment he deserves!

Mr. Feng exhaled a breath of stale air and said, "It can be considered a good result."

Xu Yuan instructed Jia Zong, "Dismantle this sect."

Jia Zongdao accepted the order and disassembled the coffins, placing them back in their original positions.

The room was deathly silent.

The mortuary returned to peace.

Jia Zongdao, feeling uneasy, bowed and asked, "Lord Xu, my wife..."

Xu Yuan gently shook his head.

Jia Zongdao looked up at the sky and sighed deeply, his eyes filled with tears and deep remorse: "It's my fault for dragging her down!"

Xu Yuan didn't want to say more.

Mr. Feng said, "The guardians of these three cities must be re-elected."

This was only natural; Mr. Feng was afraid that Xu Yuan would be hesitant to speak up, so he took the liberty of doing it for him.

Jia Zongdao immediately declared, "I will copy down the 'Two Realms Law' right now..."

Mr. Feng waved his hand dismissively: "No need!"

"From this moment on, you must have no further connection with the mortuary!"

"The imperial court will select a new guardian from elsewhere."

Jia Zongdao forced a smile: "That's right, it's only right..."

Xu Yuan thought for a moment and said to him, "Xiao Ling's grandfather is still alive."

Jia Zongdao felt a renewed will to live.

"I want to take care of my grandfather in his old age and see him off when he passes away."

Xu Yuan nodded: "I will find you a place to stay near the government office. From now on, you will be considered an advisor to the Champa government."

If there's anything I can help you with, I'll send someone to find you.

Jia Zongdao bowed and thanked him, saying, "Thank you for your kindness, sir."

Jia Zongdao must be monitored.

However, Xu Yuan's words saved face for Jia Zongdao.

Jia Zongdao knew perfectly well what was going on.

People from the City's Purification Bureau and Mountain and River Bureau have arrived.

Zhu Zhanmei and Miao Yu led the team.

Xu Yuan had been under immense mental strain for several days and had experienced several major battles. Now that the dust had settled and he could relax, a deep sense of exhaustion washed over him like a tidal wave.

But the mortuary cannot be left unattended.

To outsiders, Zhu Zhanmei is a capable and valiant female general.

And they are quite adept at hiding their own emotions.

She keenly noticed the exhaustion on Xu Yuan's body and felt a pang of sympathy, but when she spoke, she adopted a businesslike tone: "My colleagues in the Exorcism Department have worked hard for several days. Let us take care of this place tonight."

Miao Yu immediately nodded in agreement: "Indeed, it is our Shanhe Division's turn to contribute."

Xu Yuan nodded in agreement: "Alright, then I'll leave it to you."

Zhu Zhanlei yawned. Dragging someone out of bed in the middle of the night to exorcise evil spirits—this job was truly inhuman.

If Miao Yu hadn't mentioned that Xiao Ling, who was already married, and her husband, Jia Zongdao, the caretaker of the coffin, lived in the mortuary, no one would have been able to drag Zhu Zhanlei out of bed.

Zhu Zhanlei looked around furtively, but couldn't find the girl he longed for, Xiaoling, and couldn't help but feel disappointed.

But after all... you can't just grab Jia Zongdao and ask: Where's your wife?
Zhu Zhanlei didn't really intend to do anything to Xiaoling; it was just... a habitual act of being a jerk.

Not being able to see Xiaoling, and seeing that Jia Zongdao had actually left with Xu Yuan, Zhu Zhanlei became even less willing to stay in the mortuary.

Zhu Zhanmei looked at her younger brother and said, "There shouldn't be anything to do tonight. You can go back with Lord Xu."

She emphasized the words "following Lord Xu" a little more.

You go back with him and take care of Lord Xu.

Also, keep an eye on that bitch Xu Miaozhi.

“Okay!” Zhu Zhanlei immediately agreed, and was overjoyed: My sister still cares about me and doesn’t let me work the night shift.

So he happily went back with Xu Yuan.

Before they even reached the Exorcism Bureau, they parted ways at a street intersection: "Old Xu, I'm going back now. You should get some rest too."

Zhu Zhanlei yawned and staggered toward the Shanhe Division.

Then I heard a series of chaotic and hurried footsteps behind me.

Looking back, it turned out to be Miss Jinxi, Wei Jinyuan, Lang Xiaoba, and the rest of the Exorcism Bureau.

Xu Miaozhi was mixed in with them.

Zang Tianlan led these people to the city gate, but because it was already dark, they couldn't call for the gate to be opened immediately.

Zang Tianlan couldn't wait any longer and jumped over the city wall, heading straight for the mortuary.

They had just been identified by the soldiers at the city gate before they were allowed to enter.

Xu Miaozhi was originally outside the city, overseeing the construction of barracks for the river channel camp.

Hearing the commotion, they rushed over and met them at the gate.

They came in together.

Zhu Zhanlei saw Xu Miaozhi, his "arch-nemesis," and walked even faster.

He went back to the Mountain and River Division to take a nap.

Zhu Zhanmei made a terrible move. Didn't she know what kind of person her own brother was?
He can't even handle tasks clearly when you assign them to him, let alone these subtle hints.

Upon seeing Xu Yuan, Xu Miaozhi stepped forward and asked with concern, "Lord Xu, are you injured?"

I brought three life-saving pills from home, along with several special plasters..."

……

Ever since Mr. Feng left, the stepmother has been restless.

Although Mr. Feng was answering the phone behind her back, Lin Wanmo's intuition told her that it was Xu Yuan.

Finally, upon hearing familiar footsteps outside, Lin Wanmo breathed a sigh of relief.

However, when Xu Yuan came in, he only saw Lin Wanmo looking calm, as if she was busy with a craft item on the table.

He merely raised his eyelids, glanced at Xu Yuan, and casually said, "Why are you back so late..."

Xu Miaozhi followed closely behind Xu Yuan and walked out. Looking at the craftsmanship on the table, she exclaimed in amazement, "What an ingenious design!"

"This... this handling method is top-notch, I've never seen anything like it before!"

Xu Yuan was speechless. "My stepmother asked me why I came back so late, and you ran out. It's like I've been out with you all this time."
Lin Wanmo had a very good impression of Xu Miaozhi; she thought the girl had excellent taste!
Mr. Feng did not come in; he had other matters to attend to.

Xu Yuan could guess what was going on, so he didn't bother them.

Don't underestimate the power of the gatekeeper.

From the beginning, this incident seemed to be just a whimsical trip by Miss Jinxi.

Then, step by step, without anyone realizing it, they progressed to the point where the officials under the jurisdiction of the Imperial Censorate gathered in southern Jiaozhi.

It "just so happens" to thwart a huge conspiracy by the corrupt city god.

Judging from the Supervisor's habits, Champa is the main battlefield, with Mr. Feng Si and Master Miaoyan in charge.

Lucheng and Liancheng are of lesser importance, but there must be others going there to provide covert support.

Mr. Feng must have gone to contact these people.

Xu Yuan's gains this time were quite considerable.

What cannot be told to others in secret is that Pi Long has eaten "Lord Gu".

This fourth-rate evil spirit greatly enhanced the abilities of the leather dragon.

Although this evil spirit is not a dragon, so it is of little benefit to the cultivation of the "Dragon Transformation Technique," its wood-chopping knife, human-skin lantern, and the trickery of the Bird Mouth Abyss have all greatly enhanced the skin dragon's abilities.

Secondly, there's the main source of raw materials.

One is the skin of the Ten Thousand Soul Bat.

Zhong Die said this was an excellent material for making the "Ten Thousand Souls Banner".

The other one was that bottle, a mixture of water from the River of Oblivion and turtle blood.

In addition, Dafu also consumed half of the consciousness condensed by the Fallen City God.

Dafu provided some support, but most of it was "frozen" in the "Dreams Come True" carriage.

But it will be its own sooner or later.

Speaking of this... back then, Dafu dragged the deformed body inside, while Jia Zongdao was still in the carriage.

Jia Zongdao was so frightened that he almost peed in the car.

If he really did lose control of his bladder, "Dream Come True" could just throw him into the underworld on the spot.

Fortunately, Jia Zongdao was still young and in good health, so he managed to hold on.

Otherwise, the guardian of the spirits, Jia Zongdao, would have been on the list of casualties this time.

There's another gain, which I'm not sure if it counts as a gain, but that is that Dafu is really doing well now and has "a harem of wives and concubines."

Xu Yuan could already foresee that his Champa government office would soon be filled with constant chatter and noise.

Those peaceful days are gone forever.

Xu Yuan threw the skin of the Ten Thousand Soul Bat and the bottle to his stepmother.

The stepmother was talking incessantly to Xu Miaozhi about the true wonders of the craftsmanship in front of her—her eyes lit up when she saw the fine material, and she forgot all about Xu Miaozhi.

However, now that Lin Wanmo has a close confidante, she doesn't immediately go into seclusion after getting good materials, as she used to, eager to use the materials to bring out the wonderful ideas in her mind.

Lin Wanmo has now decided to wait:
Let's examine these two pieces of material together with Mr. Feng Si and see what kind of crafts they should be made into.

Lin Wanmo had her own ulterior motives: her child's skill level had improved.

But the other materials I have are not of a good enough standard.

If you want to forge a third-rate craft item for your child, you have to squeeze some more money out of Mr. Feng.

(End of this chapter)