Start practicing from Mr. Fox

Chapter 167 Beating the Yin Drum, Examining the Living Soul

Everything was planned flawlessly.

They spent the night in a dilapidated temple on a demon mountain, where a demon came looking for blood and food. Many of the caravan members were injured, but the headless ghost was unlucky enough to lose his life.

The team leader cried and wailed, telling everyone that they must collect the body and bring it back.

The headless ghost initially thought the leader was being kind and righteous, but after returning home and seeing what they had done, he realized that his death was inevitable. That's why he was determined to lure people to avenge him.

"Why go through all that trouble and complications? Why not come to the City God yourself?"

The headless ghost paused for a moment, its expression unreadable, but it spoke softly.

"I heard that the town's city god only cares about incense offerings. I am now a lonely ghost with nothing to offer to the city god."

"Seeking help from neighbors is just hoping that one day I might have the opportunity to say a few good words to the officials, so that I won't suffer such injustice until I die."

Chen Ji shook his head upon hearing this.

The local city god has such a reputation...

That town god of Fenshan Town truly deserves to die!

What the headless ghost said wasn't entirely wrong, but there was one thing that needed to be confirmed.

"Where did you die? Why didn't even the underworld officials come to collect your soul?"

The headless ghost was stunned for a moment, then immediately knelt down on the ground.

"I dare not lie to you, sir. It was near Ziyun Mountain that the demon killed someone. Two officials from the underworld came by first, but they happened to run into the exorcist. The two underworld officials seemed very afraid, so they left in a hurry. That's why I stayed."

"understood."

Chen Ji understood the key point.

Taoist priests in the human world engage in magical battles to exorcise demons.

The two underworld officials are only here to collect souls; there's no need for them to take risks. They can simply have one soul disappear or be detained to get the reward. There's no need for them to risk their lives.

They probably just glanced at it and went back.

This matter wasn't considered excessive, and Chen Ji wouldn't say anything more.

All I asked was how this headless ghost planned to handle the matter.

"I wonder how this matter can be handled?"

The headless ghost tentatively asked.

"Just like in the human world, since you have been harmed by evil people under the jurisdiction of this City God, the human officials will not take care of it, but the underworld officials will."

"Pay your debts, and pay your life."

The headless ghost said fiercely.

Chen Ji nodded upon hearing this.

"That makes sense. Go and beat the drum to appeal your case. Then I will hold court and hear the case."

"I will never forget the great kindness of the City God!"

The headless ghost immediately kowtowed and thanked him.

They then went with the painter to the City God Temple to beat the drum.

A moment of effort.

Chen Ji returned to the City God Temple and had just sat down when he heard the drums resounding at the entrance.

This time, however, it wasn't the yang drum, but the yin drum.

Amidst the majestic shouts, the headless ghost entered the City God Temple, knelt down, and presented the petition.

"Your Majesty, I accuse Lady Liu of conspiring with the caravan leader to murder for money. I beg Your Majesty to grant me this judgment!"

Chen Ji casually waved his hand, and the Yin-shaped object floated down onto the table.

The above information is detailed and there are indeed no problems.

So Chen Ji left a message and sent Bai Shijiu to bring the two men's souls over for questioning.

After receiving the order, Bai Shijiu took a step and disappeared from sight.

Chen Ji also felt somewhat helpless.

If he were a legitimate city god, he wouldn't need to go through all this trouble, requiring a fox spirit with dream-entering abilities to capture people.

With the seal of the City God in place, people under his jurisdiction who become officials can transmit messages in their dreams as long as their thoughts are clear.

However, I am only acting as the City God, so I don't need to ask for so much.

As Chen Ji's thoughts flashed, Bai Shijiu suddenly jumped down from the air, landed on the ground, and transformed back into the form of the one holding the Water and Fire Stick.

Two more phantom images appeared in the air.

At first, he seemed a little dazed, as if he hadn't woken up yet.

Hearing shouts from inside the house, he suddenly opened his eyes, staring wide-eyed at his surroundings, his face filled with horror.

Unfamiliar faces sat in grand armchairs resembling those in a government office; a group of foxes wielded fire and water sticks, while the advisors appeared to be Taoist priests and Buddhist monks. "Who are you? Where is this? You… ah… ghosts!"

The team leader was still questioning when he turned around and saw a headless ghost standing in the corner. He was immediately terrified, screamed, and then trembled all over as he hugged Liu Shi.

Liu huddled in the man's arms, shivering.

"You...what are you going to do?"

"Bah! What a despicable couple! How dare they act like this in front of the City God! I was blind before, thinking you were good people!"

Seeing that the two had come to their senses, the artist, his blood boiling, couldn't help but shout and curse.

"why you?"

The two recognized the voice and turned to see the painter. They hurriedly let go, but then suddenly remembered something.

The team leader then grabbed Liu's small hand again, pulled her in front of him, and glared at her fiercely.

"It's you again!"

"You're still up to no good and want more money? You were already being disrespectful by causing trouble in Jianzhen, and now you're resorting to ghost stories. Do you really think I'm afraid of you?!"

"Pooh!"

The artist spat out a mouthful of saliva.

"You hired demons to kill people, harmed your own clansmen, and colluded with other men's wives. You have done all these things and you are utterly devoid of conscience!"

The team leader's expression changed, and after a moment of hesitation, he let out a cold laugh.

Do you have any evidence to support your claims?

"He wasn't the only one who died from encountering demons and ghosts on the road, so how can you say I hired a demon?"

"Besides, he was a relative of mine. Is it wrong for me to take care of his wife and children after his death?"

"But you, staying up so late and daring to disturb people's sleep, do you really think I wouldn't dare to do anything?"

The team leader grinned maliciously at the artist.

"You fabricated the IOU out of thin air and intended to seize someone else's widow and property. If this news gets out, everyone in town will be able to drown you in their spit."

"you!"

The artist was so angry that he was trembling all over.

"How can there be such a despicable and vile person? Heaven is watching what people do. Aren't you afraid of ghosts and gods? The City God is here. Are you still going to lie?"

"City God?"

The team leader looked at Chen Ji, scoffed, and shook his head.

"Let's not even talk about how many ghosts and gods in the world can actually manage human affairs. If ghosts and gods were truly useful, how could they allow demons and ghosts to run rampant throughout the world!"

"I think you've gone mad from painting temples all day long, and you've even created a City God Temple to scare people?"

"Unfortunately, they are passable when taken out individually, but they are full of flaws when put together."

"A fox wielding a stick, a Taoist priest judging cases, and a monk chanting sutras—you probably didn't finish building your City God Temple and just found some random people to put together the place, didn't you?"

The team leader glared fiercely at the artist.

"You think you can keep me here in a mere dilapidated temple? I bet you want to die on the ground like your neighbor."

After saying that, he reached out and grabbed the painter's collar.

only……

The team leader grabbed at him, but his arm went straight through the painter's body, stopping in front of the painter's chest, as if a third arm had grown out of the person's body.

His fierce gaze instantly turned to terror.

He swallowed hard, staring in shock at the stage.

Looking around, he felt the chill emanating from the City God Temple and his body trembled.

"This...how can this be real?"

"No, this must be fake!"

"Fake!"

The team leader grabbed the painter's face again. The painter instinctively tried to back away, but after taking half a step back, he remembered something and stood firmly.

Despite his hands waving around on her body, she suppressed a chill and looked at him, then laughed out loud.

"So, do you believe this really is the City God now?"

The team leader turned pale instantly, staring blankly at Chen Ji kneeling on the ground, regretting the words he had just said.

After a long pause, he only managed to utter one sentence.

"I beg the City God to spare my life!"

(End of this chapter)