I became Superman

Chapter 217 Wang Liulang

Although the Jiang family acted recklessly and tyrannically in Shangning County, they were fond of offering alms to monks and respecting Taoism.

Or rather, the more unscrupulous and domineering they are, the more they offer alms to monks and respect the Tao; and the more they offer alms to monks and respect the Tao, the more unscrupulous and domineering they become.

Over time, the Jiang family became acquainted with many extraordinary individuals and learned about matters of the supernatural.

Jiang Qing knew that the fearsome gods, especially the lower-ranking ones, were not as omnipotent as people imagined; they had to exercise their divine authority within a strict framework.

Just like now, the City God was powerless to take away his own soul because his home was protected by the Buddha's light.

However, he destroyed the Buddhist temple, which was a grave taboo for the City God himself.

Jiang Qing's smug look made all the underworld officials grit their teeth in hatred.

Zhou Ming laughed and said, "Very well, since that's the rule, we can't just ignore it openly. Let's wait until his lifespan is over before sending him to Mount Tai."

Upon hearing the City God yield, Jiang Qing's face immediately lit up with smugness.

But then the City God said, "He was imprisoned in the City God Temple prison before this."

"Judge, what kinds of criminal cases are handled at the City God Temple?"

Judge Lu Sheng said, "It's no different from the Netherworld, only on a smaller scale."

"What kind of punishment should be given to someone who commits adultery and takes a life?"

Lu Sheng said, "The Iron Horse Prison was established precisely for people like this."

Zhou Ming nodded and said, "Alright, throw the two criminals into Iron Horse Prison and transfer them to the Netherworld when their lifespan ends."

Jiang Qing and Wu Niangzi were stunned.

They had all heard the stories of the underworld and knew what the Iron Horse Prison was.

Sinners thrown into the Iron Horse Hell would be bound to the backs of cast iron horses, which would be scorched red-hot by flames. The sinners would suffer day and night being burned on the backs of the horses, their skin charred and their pain indescribable.

Upon hearing that he was to be imprisoned in the Iron Horse Prison, Jiang Qing became agitated and shouted, "I refuse to accept this! You have no right to detain me indefinitely! I will appeal to the Taishan Prefecture!"

As far as he knew, the City God Temple only had the authority to detain souls for a short period of time. Generally, within 49 days after a person's death, they would be put in line at the City God Temple for trial. During this period, they would stay at the City God Temple and then be handed over to the underworld.

Detaining someone for decades, until their lifespan ends, is not something the City God has the authority to do.

Zhou Ming said, "If you want to sue the Taishan Prefecture, you should first think about how to leave this place."

He then signed the document, ordering Ox-Head and Horse-Face to take the souls of the two men and women to the prison for torture.

Xie Bi'an took the two men to the Iron Horse Prison, stripped them naked, and chained them to the back of an iron horse.

Beneath the iron horse was a lake of fire, which made the iron horse glow red-hot.

As soon as the two men sat on the iron horse, a burnt smell filled the air, and their pitiful cries echoed through the prison.

Xie Bi'an returned to the hall to report back.

Zhou Ming nodded in satisfaction, looked at Wu Zhi below the hall, and said, "Jiang Qing still has several decades of life left, so it's not good to let his physical body die."

"Go to the Jiang family immediately and possess Jiang Qing's body. His family fortune is enough for you to enjoy, which can be considered as compensation for you. After you are reborn, you must do good and not do evil."

Wu Zhi was moved to tears and kowtowed several times before leaving the City God Temple.

Only a few underworld officials remained in the hall, each looking uneasy and exchanging helpless glances.

They finally understood that their new master was completely unscrupulous and disregarded all the rules and laws of heaven.

Every single thing he did today was a grave mistake, yet he did them all.

Who knows what kind of punishment they'll face afterward?

Perhaps in a few days, Jiang Qing will be released from the Iron Horse Prison, while this new master will be thrown into prison, and the two sides' positions will be reversed.

They were merely following orders from the underworld officials, hoping not to be implicated in the end.

However, although they were not optimistic about the new master's future, the underworld officials could not help but admire him and admit that he had the heart of a true god.

However, the laws of nature are unjust these days, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to become the deity that people yearn for.

Mount Tai Prefecture is the chief administrator of the Underworld, and the Lord of Mount Tai Prefecture is the superior of the Ten Kings of Hell and the ruler of the Underworld.

On this day, Yama, the King of Hell, hurriedly arrived at the official residence of the Great Emperor of the Eastern Peak.

Although it is a gloomy and terrifying underworld, it is also spacious and magnificent, with a fairy-like atmosphere.

Upon meeting the Great Emperor of the Eastern Peak, King Yama first bowed respectfully, then explained his purpose: "Your Majesty, there has been unusual activity in Shangning County today, and I fear Your Majesty's personal decision is required."

"A few days ago, the City God of Shangning County suddenly resigned and came to say that a new City God had taken over. However, after searching through all the official documents, I found no successor. Today, there was another change in the Book of Life and Death, which showed that Jiang Qingyang of Shangning County had not yet reached the end of his lifespan, but was detained in the City God Temple prison."

"These kinds of things are all unconventional."

"My subordinates then ordered an investigation into the identity of the imposter, only to find that the person had no background and was highly suspicious."

The Great Emperor of the Eastern Peak said, "I have also heard about this strange phenomenon. The other day, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva came to visit and accused this person of destroying Buddhism. We two have discussed the identity of this person and both guessed that this person might be someone from the Heavenly Court who is playing around in the mortal world. Let's not worry about him for now, but just keep an eye on him."

If no trace of them can be found in the Book of Life and Death, yet they can take over the authority of the City God, then the range of possibilities for guessing their identity is very small.

Although the City God's authority is concentrated in the golden seal, it is not something that anyone can use simply by obtaining the golden seal. It only becomes effective when there is an appointment letter from the Taishan Prefecture to use the seal.

The fact that the man accepted the golden seal of the former Shangning County City God indicates that he himself belonged to the divine system, and held a high position within it, thus enabling him to take over the authority of the City God.

Therefore, the Great Emperor of the Eastern Peak and the Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha speculated that the person might be a celestial emperor playing in the mortal realm.

As for which emperor it was, they couldn't determine it for the time being, and could only keep an eye on it.

A strange thing recently happened in Shangning County that has amazed the locals.

A fire suddenly broke out in the house of the wealthy Jiang. Jiang Qing, who was hated by everyone in the county, was so shocked that he fainted. When he woke up, he seemed to be a completely different person.

Jiang Qing first repaired the tomb of the deceased Wu Zhi, then selected one of Wu Zhi's distant nephews to continue the family line, and gave him a large sum of money so that he would have no worries about food and clothing.

Subsequently, Jiang Qing used a large portion of the Jiang family's wealth to repair bridges and roads and to relieve the poor. The once hated local tyrant had transformed into a great philanthropist.

This is arguably the most talked-about event in Shangning County in recent years.

Another noteworthy thing Jiang Qing did was to rebuild the City God Temple.

The county's dilapidated City God Temple has been renovated and a perpetual lamp has been lit inside.

It is said that Jiang Qing was punished by the City God, which led him to repent and reform.

In no time, the City God Temple became a popular place of worship, with people from near and far coming to offer incense and make wishes every day.

Even the square in front of the City God Temple has seen an increase in vendors and fortune tellers performing for money.

Seeing the City God Temple becoming increasingly prosperous and the Golden Seal's divine authority growing ever stronger, Zhou Ming felt deeply satisfied.

That day, he had the idea of ​​recruiting people for the City God Temple again.

The incense offerings at the City God Temple are now far greater than before, enough to support even more underworld officials.

Suddenly, Judge Zhang Da said, "My lord, there is something to be done. I need you to issue a soul-summoning ticket."

Zhou Ming asked, "Is there some newly deceased ghost somewhere that refuses to leave?"

Zhang Da laughed and said, "It's not a new ghost, but an old one."

Seeing the adult's puzzled expression, Zhang Da said, "That was a water ghost from Beiguo Town. His surname was Wang, and he was the sixth child in his family, so everyone called him Wang Liulang. He was a heavy drinker and drowned after falling into the river while drunk."

"All ghosts who drown in this world must have their karma fulfilled and a replacement be found before they can be released from their suffering."

"Wang Liulang's term is complete today, and at that time, the underworld messengers will need to bring him here."

Zhou Ming nodded thoughtfully and asked, "Who suffered in his place?"

Zhang Da flipped through the book and said, "It is a woman from a neighboring village. The two had some karmic connection in their previous lives. In her previous life, the woman suffered a disaster and begged at Liu Lang's door. Liu Lang kindly helped her and saved her life. So in this life, she helped Liu Lang escape his calamity and settle this karmic debt."

Zhou Ming had seen this kind of cause and effect here many times. He couldn't say he completely agreed with it, but he didn't feel too much malice either.

What he couldn't fully agree with was that, since the memories had been erased, it was hard to say whether the two lifetimes could truly be considered the same person.

If the two lifetimes cannot be considered the same person, it would be somewhat unfair for the later generation to suffer the consequences of the earlier one.

However, even so, since they are the same soul, it's not entirely unfair.

Zhou Ming said, "No need to trouble Lao Xie. We have nothing to do, why don't we go and take a look ourselves?"

Zhang Da smiled and said, "I'd be happy to accompany you, sir."

Just as Zhou Ming was about to take a step, he suddenly turned to Zhang Da and said, "You've been spending a lot of time at the temple during the day lately. Doesn't your family suspect something?"

Zhang Da laughed and said, "I have already given up on the imperial examinations. With the gold provided by you, sir, I am quite leisurely on weekdays. I can sleep in a lot during the day, and no one will suspect anything."

Zhou Ming smiled and then activated his Shrinking Earth to an Inch technique.

Nowadays, the City God Temple is very popular, and the ability to shrink distances is no longer as pitiful as before, when one could only move a dozen steps.

He took a step and was already two or three miles away. It was only a dozen miles to Beiguo Town, and he arrived in just five or six flashes.

Zhou Ming and Zhang Da concealed themselves and looked at the river in front of them.

There is a river that is several dozen feet wide, with a bridge spanning it.

In the shadows beneath the bridge, a water ghost lurks.

Judging from his appearance, the water ghost was a young man of good bearing, who should be Wang Liulang.

Zhou Ming noticed a small boat moored by the river, with a fisherman wearing a straw hat on board.

The fisherman seemed uninterested in fishing, but instead stared intently at the bridge, as if he knew something was about to happen.

Zhou Ming found it strange and asked, "Who is that?"

Zhang Da glanced at it and laughed, "That's Fisherman Xu, quite a character."

"Xu the fisherman also loved to drink. Every night when he went fishing, he would drink. Each time he drank, he would first pour a cup of wine into the river to appease the ghosts in the river. Wang Liulang would drink his wine and then drive the fish downstream for him. Therefore, Xu the fisherman always caught more fish than others."

"Over time, the man and the ghost actually became friends. Now that Wang Liulang has escaped his calamity, he should have already explained the truth to the fisherman, which is why the fisherman is worried about him."

Zhou Ming nodded.

As they were talking, something happened on the bridge.

A woman in her thirties, holding a child, was crossing the bridge from the other side of the river.

As the woman walked into the middle of the bridge, their karmas intertwined, and she suddenly felt dizzy and fell into the river.

The woman forcefully threw the child onto the bridge, then fell into the river herself. She thrashed about in the water, quickly losing her strength, and...

It sank underwater.

When the fisherman Xu saw the woman fall into the river, he couldn't bear it and wanted to rescue her. However, he thought that this was to save his friend Liu Lang from a calamity, so he had to stop. He thought that there was a child on the bridge, and for his friend's sake, he couldn't bear not to save him. If anything happened to the child on the bridge, he would be unable to atone for it even if he died a hundred times.

So they walked onto the bridge.

Zhou Ming and Zhang Da watched from the sidelines as the woman gradually lost consciousness.

Suddenly, the water ghost Wang Liulang approached the woman and carried her to the riverbank.

The woman choked on some water, staggered to the bridge, took the child from the fisherman's arms, and walked away into the distance.

Zhang Da was greatly surprised and laughed, "It must be that Liu Lang is kind-hearted and couldn't bear to see the mother and child separated, so he rescued the woman. But in this case, I don't know when he will be able to escape his predicament."

Zhou Ming said, "He would rather suffer himself than see others suffer; such compassion deserves to be rewarded."

"Bring him to the City God Temple later. Our temple is too short-staffed and needs to be replenished with some talent."

Zhang Da smiled and said, "Yes, sir."

night.

Fisherman Xu returned to the riverbank, prepared a pot of wine, and waited for his friend to arrive.

My friend mentioned escaping a calamity yesterday, but today the woman actually came out of the water, which left him a bit confused.

Although the woman had escaped unharmed, he was relieved.

The feeling was complicated; I hoped my friend would escape the disaster, but I couldn't bear to see an innocent person fall into the water in my friend's place.

The fisherman stayed on the boat for a while, and then Wang Liulang came out of the river and onto the boat.

Seeing the fisherman looking at him with a puzzled expression, Wang Liulang gave a bitter smile and said, "I couldn't bear to let the mother and child die so that I could escape this calamity alone. If I miss this opportunity, I don't know when I'll be able to escape it again. It seems that our friendship is not over yet."

The fisherman sighed, "I would rather lose a friend than see you suffer in the river every day."

Liu Lang had told him that the ghosts of the drowned were in the water, constantly enduring the agony of their death.

Therefore, he understood what a great sacrifice Liu Lang had made by saving people today out of compassion.

He wanted to say a few words to comfort his friend, but he didn't know how to begin.

Both of them were somewhat depressed.

Suddenly, footsteps were heard from the shore, and the footsteps stopped beside the boat.

The two looked towards the shore and saw a man who looked like a scholar standing there.

The fisherman did not recognize Zhang Da, but Wang Liulang knew he was the judge in the City God Temple. He hurriedly stood up and bowed, saying, "I was unaware of your arrival. I have failed to greet you properly."

Zhang Da laughed and said, "Sixth Brother has escaped his tribulation; congratulations!"

Wang Liulang said with a wry smile, "Please don't make fun of me, sir."

Zhang Da said, "I'm not joking, but today, Liu Lang's act of kindness moved the City God. He has ordered me to take you to the City God Temple, where you will surely be given an important position."

Wang Liulang and Xu Yufu both looked delighted.

Fisherman Xu said, "People say that a single thought of compassion can move even God, and it's certainly true!"