Start practicing from Mr. Fox

Chapter 166 Questioning at the Grave
The five arts of Taoism: mountain medicine, fate, physiognomy, and divination.

Chen Ji primarily cultivates mountain arts, which is the practice of magic, but he also dabbles in other disciplines in the discussions between the demons of Sendai and the Taoist priests of the human world.

Especially in physiognomy, with the assistance of physiognomy techniques, accuracy is even greater.

Looking at this person now, one can see that he is surrounded by a faint ghostly aura.

If, as he claims, he did go to the deceased's home to ask for money, then that would indeed be normal.

Chen Ji then looked at the debt collector.

The man stepped inside and stared blankly at the foxes holding water and fire sticks on both sides.

After a long while, he looked up and down at the Taoist priest, speechless, only able to swallow his saliva.

Chen Ji shook his head and lightly tapped the table with his finger.

The wooden table, though made of flesh, emitted a metallic sound, jolting those below the stage awake.

"Tell me in detail."

"Yes."

The man came to his senses, forgetting his fright, and lowered his head to think for a moment.

"I am a painter in town, and I make a living by painting engravings for art galleries and murals for temples and monasteries."

"Over the years, I have saved a total of fifty taels of silver. Three months ago, my neighbor was going out to do business and borrowed thirty taels of silver as principal, saying that he would repay me when he returned from his business trip."

"Unexpectedly, less than three months later, news spread that he had died outside. I thought it might be a rumor, so I didn't go to his door to demand repayment."

"But a few days ago, the caravan did indeed bring back the body of a neighbor. His family examined him and confirmed that it was indeed him, so they prepared to hold a funeral."

“I thought it would be inappropriate to ask for money at someone’s funeral, so I brought the IOU but didn’t show it. I also left a note for the funeral.”

"Who knew that when I got home that night, the IOU was gone, and when I went to his house again, he denied everything."

"Since this is a matter of human affairs, why not go to the town supervisor for handling?"

Chen Ji asked.

The artist sighed and avoided eye contact.

“I went to the yamen to appeal my case, but I couldn’t produce a receipt. The magistrate said that I was just making things up and that it was a false accusation. Considering that I’ve always been honest, he didn’t punish me and let me go.”

"If there's no IOU, does that mean there's no witness?"

The artist shook his head again.

“No, there were no other guests. He came to my house late that day, and I was preparing to rest. There were no other guests, just the two of us.”

"Without witnesses or loan agreements, what the supervisor said makes some sense."

Chen Ji sighed.

He had dealt with Li Pingyun and Zheng Yuan quite a bit in recent days and knew that officials, when handling cases, did not seek merit but only to avoid mistakes.

This matter itself is unusual.

When a living person seeks out a dead person to collect a debt, even if there is genuine evidence, it is normal for the debt to be settled upon death. Moreover, since the painter does not have any evidence, the official naturally does not want to cause trouble.

"Therefore, I have no choice but to seek help from the City God!"

The painter's face was full of sorrow.

"What if there's nothing I can do?"

"I can only accept it. I will never lend money to anyone again. I will just consider this bad luck."

Upon hearing this answer, Chen Ji smiled.

As expected, the aura-gazing technique was correct; this person was of a kind heart and had not considered doing anything illegal even after losing thirty taels of silver.

The loan matter is likely not fabricated.

So he looked at him and nodded slightly.

"Then please wait a while."

Where is the stone mill demon?

Chen Ji spoke and summoned, and a ghostly figure appeared beside him.

The artist was so frightened by what he saw that his face turned pale.

He dared to appeal to the City God, but he never expected to see a ghost here. When he suddenly saw the appearance of the stone mill demon, his legs trembled and he could hardly stand.

"Don't be alarmed. This is a ghost messenger from the underworld; he won't harm you."

After inquiring about the painter's origin and age, he picked up his brush and began writing in the dark.

However, this was not the kind of document he had written with Sister Sun before; it was a proper document for reviewing karmic debts.

What this artist encountered is indeed quite unusual.

If you encounter a corrupt and incompetent city god.

It's likely that the painter and the deceased had a karmic debt from a previous life, and this money is a way to pay off that debt.

Unfortunately, Chen Ji himself was the daily inspector of the underworld, and at this moment he also had the seal of the City God, making it very easy for him to access the records of underworld debts.

He also wanted to see what was going on, so he wrote a secret document to investigate.

Of course, this is also why his authority as acting city god was insufficient.

If there truly is a City God, there is no need to go to the underworld to check; one can see the karmic debts, lifespans, and fates of the people under one's jurisdiction.

However, we still need to trouble the stone mill demon to make this trip.

Less than a quarter of an hour.

Black mist surged from the ground, and the stone mill demon re-emerged from the earth.

"Reporting to Your Excellency, we have found it."

The Stone Mill Demon presented a reply.

The handwriting was clear and neat, and it was immediately obvious that it was the work of Judge Lu.

The envelope also bears the seal of the underworld, and only Chen Ji's Day Wanderer God Seal can open it. If any other person or ghost opens it, the contents will be destroyed.

Chen Ji casually unsealed the seal to check the reply from the land surveyor.

Because it was official business, Judge Lu didn't say anything else in the letter, only clearly stating the painter's karmic debts and mentioning that there was no mention of the neighbor's thirty taels.

Then, seemingly casually, yet also deliberately, he reminded Chen Ji at the end that the soul of the painter's neighbor who had died had not yet returned to the underworld, and that he could go and ask him.

Chen Ji raised an eyebrow when he saw the last sentence.

Seven days after a person dies, the underworld messengers come to collect their soul. As the painter said, it is very strange that this neighbor's soul is still lingering in the world more than seven days after his death.

So he looked at the artist.

"Sir, has this officer already found out?"

The painter also saw and heard the Stone Mill Demon return, and now he nervously looked at Chen Ji, waiting for the result.

What is your relationship with that neighbor?

Chen Ji didn't answer him, but instead asked a question.

"We've known each other for over ten years and have frequent contact, so we should get along fairly well."

After the artist finished answering, he suddenly thought of something, looked at Chen Ji, and swallowed hard.

"This... Your Excellency doesn't suspect that I killed him, does he?"

"Of course not."

Chen Ji shook his head.

"I just want to ask, do you know the exact time and cause of his death?"

"I heard some stories at the funeral that day. He said that he was harmed by demons on his business trip. Fortunately, a Taoist priest came to exorcise the demon and saved the rest of the people. However, much of his goods were lost. He has been dead for almost a month now."

"When you attended the funeral that day, did you notice anything amiss?"

"Wrong? What do you mean?"

"Feeling cold, or being confused, or experiencing changes in body temperature all count."

"It seems not."

The artist shook his head, then concentrated and thought carefully again.

A moment later, he suddenly opened his eyes wide.

"I've got it! I remember now!"

"That day I saw a painting in his house that looked strange."

"Explain in detail, what kind of painting is it, and why is it incorrect?"

"As you know, I am a painter, and our families often visit each other. That painting is the one I drew after watching him lead a donkey across the mountain."

"Originally, the painting simply depicted a distant mountain, with him leading a donkey across the scroll."

"But... now that I think about it carefully, when I saw this painting that day, the mountain scenery had changed, the donkey had changed, and it seemed as if there was a layer of mist covering the painting."

"Yes! That's absolutely right!"

The artist suddenly nodded firmly.

"Sir, I'm sure there's something wrong with that painting. It's different from the one I gave him before."

Then, realizing something, he froze on the spot. "My lord... could it be that the painting has turned into a monster?"

"You'll only know after you see it."

Chen Ji thought for a moment, then issued a token to Bai Shiliu.

"Go and fetch that painting, but don't disturb them."

"Yes, sir."

After receiving the order, Bai Shiliu put down the Water-Fire Cudgel, took a few steps forward, and disappeared underground.

"Wow! Foxes can burrow underground!"

The artist was so shocked that his legs went weak and he fell to the ground with a thud, staring in astonishment in the direction Bai Shiliu had left.

Chen Ji burst out laughing.

"Your painting is quite strange. Not to mention that fox demons know earth and wood escape techniques, even ordinary foxes know to dig holes in the ground to hide."

"Besides, you've painted murals for Taoist temples and Buddhist monasteries, so you must have seen plenty of ghosts and spirits. Everyone knows that officials are useless if they have to appeal to ghosts and spirits at the City God Temple, so why are you surprised by this?"

"This……"

The artist blushed deeply and lowered his head in embarrassment.

"I previously thought that demons and ghosts were harmful to people, but this is the first time I have seen such an obedient demon and ghost. Please forgive my ignorance, sir."

Before anyone could say anything more, Bai Shiliu ran back from outside, spitting out a scroll.

It flew up and landed in front of Chen Ji, just as it was laid out on the table, revealing a traditional Chinese ink painting of a donkey being led by a donkey.

The picture shows a mountain range shrouded in mist, with the outline of the mountains vaguely visible. At the foot of one of the cliffs, a man in black is leading a donkey, but his face is blurred and appears to be smiling or crying. He is gazing thoughtfully at a misty place by the roadside.

The painter, gazing at the painting, nodded and trembled.

"Sir, it's this painting! It's the one I gave him back then."

"But the feeling in this painting is not quite the same as that day."

“The ghost isn’t here, so things are naturally different.”

Chen Ji's eyes flickered, and he understood most of it.

It's possible that the painter's neighbor's spirit didn't disappear after he died, nor did it remain in the area.

Instead, they somehow returned home and even altered the original content of the painting.

There must be another reason why he didn't show up, but only left a hint in the painting, which was specifically left for his friend.

"what?"

The artist stood there, stunned, unable to believe what Chen Ji had said.

After taking a closer look, he pointed to the mist beside the donkey and nodded firmly.

"My lord, this is the place. When I painted this picture before, there were no clouds or mist here."

"Does Your Excellency mean that this cloud and mist are the message he wanted to send me?"

"It's just a guess."

"Otherwise, he wouldn't have died with his eyes wide open, crossing mountains and rivers to return to the painting and change its contents."

The painter stared at the painting on the table, his whole body trembling.

After a long while, he straightened up and respectfully bowed to the painting.

“If it is what the City God said, it must be true. My friend, if this is truly your wish, I will certainly fulfill it. Go in peace.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the mist beside the donkey slowly dissipated, revealing a new grave by the roadside, adding a touch of desolation to the scene.

Upon closer inspection, one can see traces of freshly dug soil on the ground, as if the person in the painting had dug it out by hand.

"This...is it really true?"

The artist was stunned, and then his breathing became heavy.

"Sir, I understand. It's his grave. He must have left something for us inside!"

"Perhaps it's not a thing."

Chen Ji shook his head, guessing a thing or two.

"His spirit is waiting for us to come to him in his grave."

The artist was startled by these words, and after a long while, he sighed.

"May I have some time, sir, to fetch some wine, fruit, and other offerings to him?"

"Go ahead and see him at his grave later."

"Does Your Excellency know where he is buried?"

Chen Ji smiled and shook his head.

"If the City God doesn't know, then probably no one in the world knows."

"Indeed, then I shall take my leave."

The artist realized what was happening and, without wasting any more time, immediately went to buy things.

Chen Ji then took over the space and went with Miss Bai and the others to the neighbor's grave.

Upon arriving at the grave, one sees paper horses and paper figures planted beside it, and a soul-summoning banner on the grave mound.

The yin energy in the tomb was even stronger than that in the surrounding area, which told us that the ghost was indeed dwelling there.

The information in the painting should also be here.

Just then, the artist arrived in a hurry.

In his hand, a bamboo basket contained a small jar of wine, three plates of vegetarian dishes, and a stack of unfolded ingots.

"Please forgive me, sir, I am late."

Upon seeing Chen Ji and his group, the painter hurriedly bowed and apologized.

"It's alright, there's still plenty of time, you can chat at your leisure."

After saying this, he used the Soul-Binding Technique and indeed felt something in the grave leave its body and appear in front of him.

It was a headless ghost, its clothes relatively clean except for the bloodstains.

A moment later, things that had been burned or destroyed beside the grave appeared beside him.

Two paper horses with saddles and bridles, and four servants with rosy cheeks carrying various daily necessities...

Compared to the headless ghost, it was much more lifeless and looked even more sinister.

"Brother Zhou, what happened to you?!"

The artist recognized the clothes on the ghost as those worn by his neighbor in life, and couldn't help but let out a loud wail.

"Just over a month ago, we were drinking and having fun together. How did we end up separated by death?"

The ghost stood beside the grave, its neck empty and headless, yet it seemed to be watching Chen Ji and the others.

Chen Ji then released his Yin energy.

"I am the acting City God of this place. I am here today because your neighbor has accused you of owing money and not paying it back. If you have anything to say, you can say it later."

"No need to wait, I can tell you now."

The headless ghost twisted its body, its chest serving as an eye and its navel as a mouth, like Xing Tian, ​​and looked at the painter.

"I must also thank you for speaking up for me and pleading with the City God."

"I have no one else I can entrust this matter to but you are the only person I can trust."

"I can never repay this kindness in this lifetime, but I will do anything to repay my brother's kindness."

After saying this, the headless ghost knelt down and kowtowed. Then, standing up, he looked at Chen Ji and spoke hatefully.
"The people who killed me were Liu and the caravan leader."

"How could this be?"

Before Chen Ji could react, the painter cried out in surprise, his face filled with disbelief.

Then, seeing Chen Ji's expression, they realized that they were still unaware of the situation and hurriedly explained to Chen Ji.

"Liu is the wife of my good friend, and the caravan leader is a distant relative of their clan."

"How could they kill someone?"

Chen Ji already had some guesses after hearing this.

Upon hearing the headless ghost's explanation, it indeed matched up.

The accident was actually quite simple to explain.

Although the headless ghost was kind in life, he didn't have much of a way to make a living, and his family wasn't wealthy.

Liu was also very beautiful, which inevitably attracted attention, and the team leader was one of them.

Having been fortunate enough to see Liu at her wedding, he could never forget her.

He then orchestrated a chance encounter on the street, using the guise of kinship to build a closer relationship. Later, he gifted Liu with rouge, face powder, and fine fabric, thus winning her over naturally.

The only obstacle was this headless ghost, so the two plotted their next wicked scheme.

He would feign sending the man to borrow money for business, then kill him on the way, embezzle the money, and wait for the opportune moment to marry Liu.

(End of this chapter)