Zombie Life Begins in Hongxi Village

After personally abolishing the cultivation of his disciple and son, Uncle Nine and Shi Jian both felt a sudden clarity in their minds.

It felt like someone had lifted a veil that had been covering our eyes for years, and the previously blurry cause and effect suddenly became clear.

The ordeal is over.

They realized almost simultaneously—

Wen Cai, Qiu Sheng, and Shi Shaojian—these close relatives whom they once protected, indulged, and shielded in every way—are now the greatest obstacles standing in their way on the path of cultivation.

It's not a heavenly tribulation, nor an earthly tribulation, but the most unpredictable human tribulation.

Human tribulations are one of the most dangerous tribulations on the path of cultivation, because they are wrapped in a cloak of warmth.

When heavenly tribulation comes, you know how to hide; when earthly tribulation comes, you know how to defend.

But when someone comes to your rescue, you only feel that they are the person you love most, and you want to protect them and help them, even if they do something wrong, you can't bear to punish them.

When the calamity finally erupts, at best the path to enlightenment will be destroyed, at worst the person will die and their cultivation will be extinguished.

Shi Jian's back was covered in a layer of cold sweat.

He had a vague feeling that if it weren't for today's sudden turn of events, a deadly calamity lay not far ahead of him—

His record of merits and demerits clearly shows Shi Shaojian's crimes, and as his father and mentor, he not only did not stop him, but also protected him.

If things continue down this path, Shi Shaojian will inevitably run into trouble sooner or later, and he, Shi Jian, will be dragged into the abyss step by step by his son.

Even now, their path to enlightenment is over. With the City God's judgment, there is no place for them in the underworld.

There is a shortage of positions in the underworld now, with hundreds or even thousands of people competing for each position, making them even more sought-after than government jobs in later generations.

Those with blemishes are inherently at a disadvantage compared to others in terms of competition.

He glanced at Shi Shaojian, who was slumped on the ground unconscious, and a complex emotion flashed in his eyes.

Uncle Nine saw through this a moment later than Shi Jian.

He looked down at the merit and demerit book in his hand. This book was like a mirror, reflecting his life of cultivation for most of his life.

Throughout his life, he upheld righteousness and warded off evil, capturing ghosts and subduing demons, accumulating countless acts of good karma. However, most of this good karma was offset by the karmic debts of his two disciples.

He wasn't unaware that Qiu Sheng and Wen Cai were unruly and mischievous, nor was he unaware that they often caused trouble, yet each time he would only punish them lightly.

Qiusheng has a sweet tongue and knows how to coax people; Wencai is not very bright, but he has been with him the longest and has the deepest feelings for him.

He always thought they were still young and would mature as they grew up, but he never expected that their ability to cause trouble would become more and more outrageous as they got older...

Qiu Shengwen's offensive words had already aroused Shi Jian's dissatisfaction, and Shi Shaojian's sarcasm made him have a worse impression of Shi Shaojian.

If Qiu Shengwencai clashes with Shi Shaojian, it will inevitably lead to discord between him and the Shi brothers, and may even cause them to become completely enemies.

By then...

This isn't an apprentice; this is clearly a debt collector.

Uncle Jiu suddenly felt that he might have owed Qiu Sheng and Wen Cai two lives in his past life, and they were here in this life specifically to collect the debt.

He placed the merit and demerit book on the altar, then turned and went into the inner room.

A moment later he came out carrying two heavy cloth bags, each containing two hundred silver dollars—

This was his life savings, which he had accumulated over most of his life. He had originally planned to keep it for his retirement, but now... he would help them one last time.

He handed the two cloth bags to Qiu Sheng and Wen Cai respectively: "Take these and find a good job. Remember to think twice before you do anything in the future."

After all, he had been calling him master for so many years, it would be a lie to say that he had no feelings for him at all.

Wencai, in particular, had been with him the longest, raised from childhood to adulthood. He had originally hoped that this apprentice would take care of him in his old age and see him off in his final days.

Unfortunately, God did not wish.

Wencai took the cloth bag, tears streaming down his face.

He sobbed and said, "Master, I'm leaving," then lowered his head and shuffled out of the main hall, looking back every few steps.

Qiu Sheng seemed to have turned somewhat ruthless; he snatched the silver dollar and said coldly:

"Lin Fengjiao, you don't need to pretend to be a good person. These dollars are what I deserve for working for you all these years. From now on, we go our separate ways!"

Clearly, he hated his Ninth Uncle for abolishing his cultivation.

Uncle Nine stood there, his face ashen.

He felt his old face burning – how could he have ever chosen such a disciple with such a bad character?

Oh, I remember now, it was because I was attracted to his "Three Yangs Bring Prosperity" destiny.

With the arrival of spring, all evils will be unable to invade; he is a natural-born talent for cultivating the Tao.

However, this promising young man became impulsive and never practiced diligently after entering the sect. As a result, he did not stand out among the younger generation. Instead, his vital essence was destroyed by a female ghost, and his destiny was thus ruined.

He should have punished him severely back then, but he was too soft-hearted and thought that it was inevitable for young people to make mistakes, and that a lesson would be enough.

It seems that his misplaced kindness not only harmed Qiu Sheng, but also himself.

Seeing this, Lin Yi shook her head. Qiu Sheng's character was indeed problematic.

He recalled a scene from the movie "Zombie Supreme": when the hundred ghosts attacked, Qiu Sheng grabbed Wen Cai and ran away, shouting for Uncle Jiu to take their place.

They're all talk about "Master" all the time, but when it really matters, they're the first to run away.

Furthermore, when Shi Jian came to the mortuary to help, Qiu Sheng showed absolutely no respect from beginning to end. Not only were his words offensive, but he also tried to sow discord between Uncle Jiu and Shi Jian.

Before Shi Jian could even witness Uncle Jiu's blunder, he felt a cold gaze fixed upon him.

He turned his head and saw Shi Shaojian getting up from the ground.

His son, whose cultivation he had personally destroyed, was glaring at him with an extremely resentful look.

Shi Shaojian didn't say anything, but glared at Shi Jian fiercely before turning around and staggering out of the hall.

Shi Jian watched his son's figure disappear through the door, his face expressionless, a thought flashing through his mind—

I must sever my father-son relationship with this spoiled son!

Anyway, Shi Jian has more than one son.

Shi Shaojian was his son born late in life, and he was spoiled too much, which led to his unruly nature.

The other illegitimate children, though mediocre, at least didn't cause trouble.

Lin Yi stood up, breaking the somber atmosphere in the main hall.

"Prefect Wang, since you are here, you can serve as a witness."

His voice wasn't loud, but everyone in the main hall instinctively straightened their backs.

"I have just ascended the throne and am in dire need of capable people." He paused slightly at this point.

This pause caused everyone in the main hall to hold their breath for a moment.

They understood the hidden meaning in Lin Yi's words, and they all held their breath, staring intently at the young Hades in the main seat.

Whether it was the composed Uncle Nine, the aloof Shi Jian, or even Wang Yunpeng who had been dead for decades, their eyes all held a hint of fervor.

The allure of clergy is more direct for those who seek spirituality than anything else.

What was the purpose of their lifelong efforts to slay demons and accumulate good karma?

Isn't it just that they want to get a position in the underworld after they die, so they don't have to fall into the cycle of reincarnation and start over?

Lin Yi sensed their rapidly beating heartbeats and felt that the recruitment was likely going to be successful.

He stopped teasing him, his gaze first falling on Shi Jian, and slowly began to speak:

"Shi Jian, you are skilled in Taoist arts and decisive by nature. You have slain countless demons and monsters throughout your life. Although you have not been strict in disciplining your son, fortunately you were able to pull back from the brink in time and have not yet made a serious mistake."

"I wish to appoint you as the judge who punishes evil; are you willing?"

Shi Jian's heart skipped a beat in his chest.

The Judge of Punishment is one of the four judges of the underworld. He is in charge of punishing evil spirits and holds the power of life and death. His rank is two levels higher than his master, Wang Yunpeng.

He had lived for fifty-five years and never imagined that he would one day sit in this position.

After a brief moment of disorientation, he almost instinctively knelt down, no longer caring about maintaining his composure: "I'm willing, I'm willing!"

Lin Yi nodded in satisfaction: "Alright, since you're willing, then come forward, and I'll help you dismember."

Shi Jian stood up without hesitation and strode over to Lin Yi.

Lin Yi raised her hand and slapped him on the head. The force of the palm penetrated his body, and Shi Jian's body suddenly exploded in the horrified gazes of the crowd, turning into a cloud of blood mist.

Before the blood mist could dissipate, Lin Yi opened his mouth and inhaled, and the entire cloud of blood mist was drawn into his mouth as if by a vortex, without wasting a single drop.