Start practicing from Mr. Fox

Chapter 163 Acting City God

"Lu Pan!"

After bowing respectfully, Chen Ji inquired about how Judge Lu had rushed over.

"And... Judge Lu, how did you know I was here?"

Chen Ji was indeed surprised by this.

Judge Lu is busy with his duties in the underworld, so he shouldn't have time to keep an eye on me.

How could he have learned of this so soon after killing the City God?

He looked down at the seal of the Day Wanderer God.

Could it be that this thing has leaked information?

Lu Pan noticed Chen Ji's gaze and shook his head.

"Don't make wild guesses. It has nothing to do with this seal. I had the little devil keep an eye on things here."

"Don't forget that I was the one who sent someone to tell you about the connection between the Blood Demon and the Ghost King."

“I didn’t know you were coming to town, but my ghost messengers were keeping an eye on Blood Demon. He saw you and knew you were coming, but he didn’t report back immediately. He waited until you were taken away by the City God before rushing back to report.”

"In this short period of time, they have already sent me several messages."

"I see."

Chen Ji suddenly understood.

No wonder Judge Lu arrived so promptly; in that sense, it makes sense.

"But how did Judge Lu know about the City God's affairs?"

Judge Lu gave him a deep look, then looked at the fragments of the City God's body on the ground.

"The City God statue is broken in the temple, and even the City God's divine power is not here. The Lesser Underworld has revealed its true form. Even a blind man could see that something bad has happened to the City God, right?"

After saying that, he spoke again slowly.

"It's not like I haven't seen the City God die before."

"Hmm? You've killed the City God too?"

"..."

Lu Pan choked on his breath, almost choking, not even realizing what he meant.

"It's not what you say. When I was exorcising ghosts, I saw a City God on the verge of death. Because I was powerless to save him, I could only watch him perish."

"Even ghosts dare to kill the City God?"

"If you dare, why wouldn't a ghost?"

"Judge Lu, don't speak recklessly."

Chen Ji quickly shook his head.

“Your underworld officials saw clearly that the City God sent us to investigate something. We were brought here by the City God.”

"It was the City God himself who was incompetent and immoral, absorbing the incense offerings of evil spirits, harming the people under his rule, and even condoning the blood demon to kill the guardian incense gods of other villages."

"When word got out, it aroused public outrage, which is why they came and destroyed the incense at the City God Temple."

Chen Ji said seriously.

"you……"

Lu Pan shook his head.

"You're just saying this to me. If it were the City God of the capital, he wouldn't believe it."

"It just so happens that the City God summoned you to the Lesser Underworld, and then these villagers came, escorted by Taoist priests from Qingfeng Temple. Even the underworld officials under the City God didn't dare to make a move?"

"If no one was plotting behind the scenes, it probably wouldn't have been such a coincidence, would it?"

Judge Lu looked at Chen Ji.

Chen Ji simply looked at him calmly.

"If the City God is incompetent and tyrannical, shouldn't he be killed?"

“Indeed, it is the case, but… never mind, this matter is ultimately not your fault. If you hadn’t taken on a mission to the underworld, you wouldn’t need to worry about it. I will go and report to the Lord of the Underworld myself.”

"Thank you, Judge Lu."

Chen Ji bowed and thanked him.

From Lu Pan's words just now, he knew that Lu Pan was concerned about him.

Otherwise, they wouldn't have known that they would come here immediately after entering the Lesser Underworld.

However, he was not used to having others take the blame for him, so he cupped his hands again and called to Judge Lu, who was about to leave.

"Plain magistrate, please wait a moment. I have some clues that might be of some use."

"Oh?"

Judge Lu stopped and waited intently.

A moment later, Chen Ji whispered a few words to him.

"Is this true? If so, it will be much more convenient!"

Judge Lu's eyes lit up, and even his tone became more relaxed.

Chen Ji then handed over the seal for Judge Lu to examine himself, and then pointed to the ghost messenger kneeling beside him.

"They also overheard some of what was said at the time."

Judge Lu's eyes swept over them.

The group of underworld officials lowered their heads and trembled, feeling as if Judge Lu could see right through them.

Judge Lu then nodded slightly and looked away.

“Fellow Daoist is right after all; they can indeed be considered witnesses.”

"Furthermore, I also found the ones you mentioned."

“That’s perfect. Take them back with us, and we’ll have an explanation to give when the City God sends an envoy.”

After saying that, he looked at Chen Ji again and sighed slightly.

"Fellow Daoist, you must not act so impulsively in the future. You are in the right in this matter, but things might be different in other situations."

"nature."

Chen Ji nodded quickly.

"I have also read many classic texts and know what can be done."

"So, you're going to send people to destroy the temples of gods and men?"

Judge Lu sighed. Having already extracted the soul of the City God, he raised his hand to restrain the underworld officials of this place before returning to the underworld to report back.

Besides questioning and trial, he had many other things to attend to and could not stay on earth for long.

"Judge Lu, there is one more thing I need to say."

"Say!"

Lu Pan had already transformed into black mist and was about to disappear into the wormwood when he heard this and stopped in annoyance, asking Chen Ji what else he wanted to say.

"Before he died, the City God said that the corpses of the soldiers in Fenshan Town were deliberately displayed to train unruly soldiers. I think Judge Lu should know what this means."

Lu Pan's body trembled, and he looked at Chen Ji with a slight movement in his eyes. After a moment of hesitation, he nodded slightly.

"I understand. I will also report this matter to the Prefect and have it recorded as a merit."

"Any thing else?"

"That's all, really, that's all this time."

Chen Ji waved his hand.

Lu Pan then turned into black smoke and disappeared into the wormwood.

After Lu Pan disappeared, Chen Ji suddenly remembered something and slapped his forehead.

"Oops!"

"What's wrong, sir?"

"I forgot to ask Judge Lu just now, how is this place to be managed now that he has taken away the City God of Fenshan Town?"

Miss Bai was speechless.

However, she also understood Chen Ji's concerns.

The City God is in charge of all matters in the underworld of a certain area. If it is a place where ordinary mortals live, there is no City God, so it is normal to send a few soul-collecting messengers to watch over it.

However, the cemetery town is a melting pot of demons, humans, and ghosts. Without the City God, it would probably descend into chaos within three to five days.

They will likely suffer the consequences of those actions.

Just thinking about it.

Another surge of black mist rose from the ground; it was none other than Xue San, the ghost messenger they had seen before.

"This humble servant greets Your Excellency the Imperial Inspector!"

Xue San appeared and immediately bowed down, then began to speak of the words that Judge Lu had asked him to bring.

"I have already informed the Prefect, and used my supernatural powers to tell the City God of the whole country about this matter."

"The position of City God here is vacant, and they will need a few days to select one. During this period, you, fellow Daoist, will temporarily lead the City God of this place on behalf of the Underworld and the City Gods of all the world for a few days."

"The City God's seal is on the ground; you can take it yourself."

"Gone?"

Chen Ji looked at Xue San, waiting for him to say a few more words, but Xue San simply shook his head.

"Gone."

After delivering the message, Xue San jumped up and disappeared into the swamp, leaving the two men and the fox staring at each other in bewilderment.

"..."

Chen Ji sighed.

It would have been better not to say anything at all. Who will act as the City God?

Should we let him?

He's just a person, how could he...

Chen Ji looked at Miss Bai, then at Daoist Xiyun, his eyes flickered, and he gritted his teeth.

"Do you want to become the City God?"

"Not enough ghosts."

"It's also difficult to find a suitable kid."

Without the slightest hesitation, Yi Hu answered.

"No ghosts."

"What do you want?"

They looked at each other, neither understanding Chen Ji's meaning.

What kind of City God Temple is it if there are no ghosts in it?
Chen Ji smiled slightly and looked at them.

"There are foxes, and Taoist priests too; who knows, they might even catch a few monks as well."

Yi Hu was stunned for a moment, then understood Chen Ji's meaning, and his expression was particularly strange.

Before Miss Bai could ask any questions, Daoist Xiyun looked intently at Chen Ji.

"Fellow Daoist, are you sure you want to invite these people to build a City God Temple?"

"Why not?"

Chen Ji smiled and pointed to the ground.

"You all heard what I just said. It's not like we set up the City God Temple on our own. It was the result of discussions between the City Gods of all the cities and the underworld."

"Even if there are any problems, they should be the ones to discuss them. What does it have to do with us?"

"Indeed!"

Miss Bai thought for a moment, then smiled and nodded in agreement.

"That's something we can give it a try. I've never seen a City God Temple like this before."

"I have never seen it either."

"Then let's go back and bring them here to broaden their horizons."

"Very well, I should go and ask Fellow Daoist Zhenru if he wants to come here for quiet cultivation."

Since the matter here has been resolved, and they need to escort the villagers back anyway, this is a good opportunity to take care of it.

Chen Ji stayed behind to keep watch and prevent the demons and ghosts in the town from causing trouble.

Two days passed quickly.

As Chen Ji was reviewing the various documents left behind by the former City God of the cemetery, he sensed the presence of living people and demons outside the house.

Look up.

The fox clan of Sendai Mountain and the Taoist priests of Qingfeng Temple have entered the temple gate.

"gentlemen!"

"Master Chen!"

The foxes bowed and greeted the monks, and the young Taoist priests of Qingfeng Temple also bowed in unison.

Chen Ji glanced at them and knew that the foxes and Taoist priests brought this time were the best ones from the mountain.

It should be relatively easy to get started.

Just then, Daoist Xiyun and Miss Bai stepped forward to ask Chen Ji if he had encountered any problems in the past two days.

"There are some, but they don't count for much here."

Chen Ji casually recounted the demonic and ghostly events he had witnessed in Fenshan Town over the past two days.

It's nothing more than wandering spirits scaring people on the streets at night, only to be captured and eaten by powerful demons who conceal their identities. And these powerful demons often fight each other over trivial matters.

"They just all tacitly agreed not to fight in important places in the city."

"If that's the case, then it's still acceptable."

Master Xiyun nodded, but he was also curious about how the City God of Fenshan Town had become like this.

"Incense."

Chen Ji said slowly.

"Because this place is full of demons and ghosts, and many strange things happen, both demons and ghosts and people go to the City God Temple to pray for good luck and peace."

In this way, the incense remains on the City God's body, becoming part of the incense that permeates his body.

“Is that so…”

Master Xiyun shook his head as he looked at the huge incense burner in the City God Temple.

“This matter is indeed unpredictable. So don’t go to collect the incense ash today. Let me and my disciples deal with it first. Besides, no one is offering incense today.”

"Alright, but we should still assign tasks to each other first."

Taoist Xiyun said slowly.

"Fellow Daoist Fox exists between the realms of the living and the dead, and also has the ability to guide souls. Therefore, he can serve as a night patrolman and investigator."

"it is good."

Miss Bai thought this job was good, perfect for a fox, and she had done it before on the mountain without any problems, so she nodded in agreement.

Master Xiyun picked up another stack of account books, flipped through a few pages, and handed them to the young Taoist priest.

"You don't need to be shy when you walk around here. You are responsible for recording all kinds of bills and documents from the City God Temple. If there are any important matters that need to be dealt with, just report them."

The young Taoist priests' faces lit up with joy.

This matter sounds no different from what the Taoist priest who observes the mountains and winds is talking about.

So she happily agreed.

Finally, there was the monk Zhenru and his disciples.

Master Xiyun looked at them, thought about it carefully for a long time, and finally gave up. He simply asked them what they wanted to do.

The monk Zhenru looked around and then chanted a Buddhist mantra.

“Amitabha, how could a monk know such methods as Taoist priests? The only Buddhist teachings I can use right now are a passage of scripture for deliverance.”

"If there are any demons or ghosts causing trouble in the town, I hope we won't need to use it."

"Master has mercy!"

Master Xiyun recited the Zi-Wu formula and bowed.

Chen Ji looked at Zhenru respectfully.

Nowadays, there aren't many practitioners like Master Zhenru left.

Chen Ji nodded and agreed as Daoist Xiyun had said. He arranged for the fox and the young Daoists to settle into their rooms before returning to his own room.

It wasn't for rest, but rather because a familiar feeling washed over me when they returned.

At this moment, I opened the "Tales of the Strange" and sure enough, another page had been added.

"Dai Chenghuang"

"Chen went to Fenshan Town and saw a goose demon making a windmill of human bones. He argued with it. The goose demon fled, but harbored a desire for revenge. It then asked demons and ghosts to intercept Chen, but none of them were able to defeat him. Later, Chen saw that there were many demons and ghosts in the town, many of whom had the appearance of eating people. He angrily killed the blood demon, but the city god was incompetent and wanted to capture Chen. Chen fought with him and learned of the city god's secrets. He then asked the villagers to destroy the temple and the god. However, this place was special and could not be without a city god. They asked Chen to take over the duties of the city god. Chen then learned the art of raising soldiers."

It has been a long time since I have seen such a simple record of strange tales.

Chen Ji glanced at it quickly and then focused his attention on the new military training techniques in his mind.

Just as he was thinking about how to cleanse the demonic sword, he came up with a spell, saving him the trouble of asking someone else.

So I looked it up.

The above description is indeed clear.

From the most basic methods of raising wandering spirits, to more advanced methods of subduing vengeful ghosts, and then to setting up an altar to subdue the Five Witches' army...

All the methods are written in there.

Fortunately, I had nothing else to do.

Chen Ji summoned the stone mill demon, first giving it ten sticks of incense, and then retrieved the food that could be used to feed the ghost messengers, as recorded in the book.

"It was supposed to be much better than this, but I don't have any with me right now, so I can only do a test."

The stone mill demon looked at Chen Ji, simply curious about what kind of test this was.

Rice, blood offerings, incense, and wine were already laid out on the table.

"This food was prepared especially for you."

The words had been spoken, but the stone mill demon just watched without making a move to eat them.

Chen Ji then began to recite incantations and use his magic to harmonize the ingredients, as recorded in the book.

Before long, a large, round dumpling appeared on the table.

Its appearance was similar to the blood glutinous rice that Chen Ji had seen, but it had a different aura when observed.

But this time, the Stone Mill Demon had a different look in its eyes, staring longingly at the food on the table and swallowing its saliva.

Chen Ji's eyes lit up, and he handed it to the table.

The stone mill demon lunged forward and took a bite, actually swallowing the whole thing whole, even holding itself up to eat it.

"It really works!"

Chen Ji's mind raced, and he nodded slightly, already understanding how to cleanse the evil aura from the six ghosts.

However, thinking about what to feed the barbarians as described in the book still gave me a headache.

That recipe is probably not even available near Sendai Mountain; we'll have to ask a merchant caravan in Zhanshui Town.

(End of this chapter)