??? Ling Tong did not care in the slightest that I cursed him. He only stopped after lashing me several dozen times, leaving me grinning through the pain and feeling sore all over.
I struggled to crawl back to my feet, but my clothes had already been reduced to strips of cloth. I was practically exposed, and Ling Tong had no intention of giving me a change of clothes, so I could only wander around dressed like a beggar.
"Try bribing me with money one more time, and I'll lash your soul into oblivion! The underworld takes souls fairly and impartially. Besides, you've committed a crime against Heaven itself. The underworld warrant is right here. If you dare try anything else, don't blame me for punishing you immediately!" Ling Tong gave me a grim look. With one hand, he produced a white warrant and tossed it in front of me. Then he waved toward the side, and the four or five ghost officers who had been blocking the way hurriedly hauled out their equipment.
The ghost officers lifted the white cloth covering a black cauldron, and rolling oil was bubbling inside. They brought out an exquisite set of tongue-pulling tools as well, looking ready to rip out my tongue. I was so terrified that I nearly collapsed onto the ground.
I picked up the warrant from the ground and took a look. It was filled with the same archaic phrases he had recited earlier—"you," "I," and the like—and it was covered in all sorts of strange seals.
Ling Tong gave a smug smile, his face full of anticipation for the show: "See that? This is the warrant. Handwritten by the City God and stamped with his official seal, it can be sent freely into the mortal realm. Whether you're an