I subdue demons and monsters, and cultivate immortality in hell to become a saint.

Upon returning to the City God's Mansion, Zhong Jiu immediately sat in the main seat of the Yin-Yang Division. Since the position of division chief was vacant, it wouldn't hurt for him, as the "second-in-command," to take over for now.

It took him two hours to fully understand the system of the City God's Palace.

The City God has two core responsibilities: first, to "protect" the peace and tranquility of Guiling City; and second, to "enforce the law" between the living and the dead, rewarding the good and punishing the evil, and determining life, death, fortune, and misfortune.

However, the current City God Temple is just an empty shell. He has the rank of an eighth-grade official but cannot mobilize a single soldier. Even a skilled cook cannot cook without rice. If he wants real power, he must first increase the number of believers and make the City God Temple flourish.

Zhong Jiu looked up towards the City God Temple, where a thin golden thread floated, so faint it seemed it might break at any moment. This was the City God Temple's last remaining faith value.

"In Guiling City, with a population of over 500,000, is there only this one thread of faith?"

Zhong Jiu sighed, feeling a little sad.

He quickly found out the source of this faith: it came from the old temple guardian, Tian Fagu.

Since the development of information technology, people have been flocking to popular temples, and the City God of Taoism has long been forgotten.

Guiling City is somewhat conscientious in preserving this dilapidated temple; in other cities, the City God Temples would probably have been demolished long ago.

As Zhong Jiu looked at the golden thread, information about Tian Fagu automatically surfaced in his mind: seventy years old, his only son died young at the age of thirty, seven generations of his family had been temple keepers, and he had spent his whole life guarding this dilapidated temple.

After he passes away, there won't be anyone to succeed him, and this temple will probably disappear completely.

"Seven generations have guarded the temple, their virtue is profound, they deserve to be rewarded."

Chung Kau picked up the Yin-Yang Brush and drew a document about the underworld in the air: "After Tian Fagu's death, he will enter the City God's Palace as an official, inherit the virtue of the temple priest, and enjoy the salary of the underworld forever."

As soon as the document was completed, a golden ball of light flew out of the City God's Mansion and silently merged into the old temple keeper's body.

Tian Fagu, who was reading an old book, suddenly shivered. He felt warm all over, and he didn't need to wear his reading glasses anymore. He could read the book clearly, and his back straightened up. He felt like he was twenty years younger.

He touched his chest, looking bewildered: "Is this... a miracle from the Bodhisattva?"

Unbeknownst to him, he had already received an "employment notice" from the underworld, meaning that after death he would be able to enter the City God's Mansion, which he had guarded his entire life.

Zhong Jiu withdrew his gaze, his eyes sharpening.

He walked to the entrance of the City God's Temple, looking at the myriad lights of Guiling City, a wildly arrogant smile curling at the corner of his lips: "Starting tomorrow, let the entire city of Guiling know that the Underworld has returned!"

He had already devised a plan: first, he would appear in Li Wanqiu's dream to get the Li family to pay for the temple's repair; then, he would use Wu Yuanying's identity as a news anchor to create momentum; and finally, he would use several "god-level operations" to thoroughly establish the reputation of the City God's Temple.

Five hundred thousand faith points?

It's just a matter of time.

The night wind blew, and the brocade robe fluttered in the wind.

Zhong Jiu stood on the eaves of the City God's Mansion, like a guardian deity. His gaze encompassed the territory he was to protect and the land of faith he was to reap.

……

The next day at noon, on a street corner in the old town of Guiling City, Wu Yuanying strolled back and forth in her little leather shoes, holding two cups of milk tea in her hand, with a selfie stick set up next to her. The live broadcast room was already bustling with activity.

"It's already 1:05! That jerk actually dared to be late!"

She puffed out her cheeks at the camera, her sweet voice filled with anger, "I haven't even settled the score for knocking me out last time! This time he asked me out, and I thought he was coming to apologize, but he actually dared to stand this fairy up!"

The screen was instantly flooded with "hahaha" comments, filled with schadenfreude.

"So, even Wu Xiaoge has met his end? Those who shirk their responsibilities will inevitably be shirked in return; karma is a cycle!"

"I suggest changing your name to 'Wu the Pigeon,' meaning you'll be a professional 'pigeon' for a hundred years!"

"You didn't have this attitude when you made us wait three hours before!"

Wu Yuanying was so angry she almost threw her milk tea. She was a top female anchor in Guiling City, with a nine-point+ beauty rating. She was usually pampered and coaxed by others. This was the first time in her life she had taken the initiative to wait for someone, only to encounter such a clueless straight man!

The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. She couldn't help but mutter to herself, "I was fast asleep at the time. Even if he were a gentleman, he should have at least carried me to the bed in a princess carry, right? Instead, he just tossed me onto the sofa. Did he think those few steps from the living room to the bedroom would kill him? This is the ultimate insult to a beautiful woman!"

"Idiot, it's so noisy."

A familiar voice rang out, and Wu Yuanying turned around abruptly, the camera snapping towards the person who had just arrived.

Chung Kau was dressed in a well-tailored casual outfit. Although it wasn't a designer brand, he exuded an indescribable charm, standing in the crowd as if he had his own spotlight.

Zhong Jiu smiled at the camera: "Hi everyone! My name is Zhong Jiu!"

The live stream went silent for half a second, then the chat exploded:

"Is he Zhong Jiu, the one Xiao Yingzi was talking about who can slay evil spirits?!"

"Holy crap! This guy has amazing charisma! He's not super handsome, but I can't take my eyes off him!"

"It's that clean, refined air of nobility! Like a young master from an ancient aristocratic family!"

"Little Yingzi, quickly ask if he needs a girlfriend! I'm open to it!"

In terms of facial features alone, Zhong Jiu is not particularly stunning, but as an eighth-rank Yin-Yang official, he possesses the authority of an underworld official and the aura of a deity. His mysterious and noble presence is something that ordinary people simply cannot withstand.

The girls became more and more obsessed with watching, and the comments section changed from "urging for more updates" to "asking for the handsome guy's contact information".

"You're completely different from last time!"

Wu Yuanying circled around him, her eyes wide open. It was still the same eyes, the same nose, but the temperament was completely different. Before, he was a handsome landlord, but now he looked like a high-ranking official on an incognito visit.

However, she was thick-skinned and didn't dwell on it for long. She swung her little fist and charged forward, yelling, "You jerk! Being late is one thing, but making me wait this long! Do you know how precious this fairy's time is?"

Zhong Jiu rubbed his stomach, looking innocent: "Sorry, my appetite has increased since I upgraded. I ordered three more bowls of noodles from the boss, which caused the delay."

He can now eat the equivalent of five people's worth of food in one sitting, but one full meal can last him for several days, which can be considered an upgraded benefit.

But to Wu Yuanying, these words were like a bolt from the blue.

"You...you've already eaten?"

Her eyes widened in disbelief. This person had asked to meet her at one o'clock in the afternoon, and she thought he was going to treat her to a big meal, so she came on an empty stomach. But it turned out that he had not only eaten, but he had also eaten three bowls of noodles.

The live stream audience was laughing hysterically.

"Haha, Yingzi's expression is just like mine when I'm caught in a compromising situation!"

"Jung Gau is the epitome of straight men! Inviting beautiful women to dinner? Forget about it!"

"Suggested title: Shocking! Top streamer stood up on date, and the date was showing off three bowls of noodles!"

Wu Yuanying glanced at the comments and angrily snatched the milk tea that was originally meant for Zhong Jiu. She inserted two straws and slurped it up from both sides, her cheeks puffed out like a hamster's, as if she was competing with the milk tea.

"Speak, what do you want from me?"

She mumbled through her milk tea, having completely given up hope.

An apology? Or appeasement?

For Chung Kau, that's pure wishful thinking.

"Isn't Guiling City peaceful lately? Let's find someone to go out for a stroll."

As Zhong Jiu spoke, his steps seemed casual, yet he subtly led the way towards the City God Temple in the old city.

There were indeed more pedestrians on the street than before. He had cleared out most of the ghosts, and the citizens finally dared to go out for some fresh air. This was all thanks to him.

Wu Yuanying didn't think much of it and readily agreed, seeing it as a good opportunity to do an outdoor live stream.

Not far along, a dilapidated temple came into view.

The camera panned across the screen, and someone in the live stream immediately asked a question:

"What kind of temple is this? It looks so dilapidated. Is it for praying for marriage or for wealth?"

"Xiao Yingzi, why don't you go pray? You've been losing followers on your livestreams lately, so please get a good luck charm!"

"This is the City God Temple, a centuries-old building in Guiling City. My grandma said it used to be very efficacious."

As a local, Wu Yuanying immediately began to explain, "But nobody believes it anymore; it's almost abandoned."

The comments section instantly went cold:

"The City God Temple is boring. We'd rather go worship the God of Wealth."

"Everyone goes to the trendy temples now, who would come to a shabby place like this?"

"Let's go take a look."

Chung Kau took the lead, with his mind on something. He originally wanted to use Wu Yuanying's live broadcast to promote the City God Temple, but before he even got there, he heard a commotion.

A crowd had gathered at the entrance of the City God Temple. Zhong Jiu thought it was a sign of a revival of incense offerings, but when he squeezed in and saw what was happening, his face immediately fell.