Huangtianpu's Deification

The giant Deity died, and the Incense Qi it had condensed naturally dissipated. The few arrow feathers stuck in the Snake Demon Yuan Qi also turned into Incense Qi and vanished without a trace.

Xu Ying checked Yuan Qi's injuries, frowning slightly.

Yuan Qi was severely wounded. He had sustained internal injuries last night, compounded by the arrow and sword wounds from the battle with the giant Deity just now. If left untreated, he would likely not survive much longer.

"I'm probably done for."

Yuan Qi seemed resigned. "After I die, you can dry me out and preserve me. That way, you can avoid paying taxes for another year. Oh, wait, I forgot. Going to the yamen to pay taxes would be walking right into a trap! Hahahaha, cough cough cough!"

He coughed violently.

Xu Ying smiled. "You won't die. Did you forget? I'm a Snake Catcher. I can catch snakes, and I can also heal them. Huangtianpu Town is just ahead. I'll go there to get some herbs. After applying my medicine, you'll be back on your feet in no time."

Yuan Qi's voice was weak, his spirit flagging. "If you go to Huangtianpu Town, aren't you just delivering yourself to them? The Deities in Huangtianpu Town are probably no less powerful than that giant Deity from earlier. Your current condition isn't much better than mine, so you're no match for them. I'm a Strange Snake, and you're a Snake Catcher. We're enemies. If you abandon me and leave immediately, I won't blame you."

Xu Ying shook his head. "There are no Deities in Huangtianpu Town. I came here a while ago. The Deity of Huangtianpu was reportedly promoted and transferred. The City God hasn't arranged for a new one yet. However, you're right, I should abandon you and leave."

He set down the Snake Demon and walked into the village.

Yuan Qi panicked and quickly said, "I can still be saved! Don't leave me! At least try to save me!"

Xu Ying replied irritably, "Do you expect me to carry you into town to get medicine? I'm hungry. I'll eat something first. Don't move around."

Yuan Qi finally felt relieved.

Xu Ying went to where the giant Deity had been eating. The villagers had been scared into hiding, and only a little girl, about ten years old, was still sitting on the ground, holding a half-eaten chicken leg and staring blankly at him.

Xu Ying looked at the table, where half a chicken remained uneaten. He took a piece of broken silver from his pocket and placed it on the table. "This is the payment for the meal from the big Deity."

He devoured the remaining half chicken at a furious pace.

Seeing how hungry he was, the girl offered him her half-eaten chicken leg.

Xu Ying really wanted to take a bite, but he restrained himself. He took out another piece of broken silver and gave it to her. "Little girl, please look after my brother for me. Bring him a basin of water to drink, and don't let him die. Also, don't get too close; he's poisonous."

The girl nodded and licked the meat off the chicken bone like a cat.

Xu Ying strode out of the village and soon arrived at Huangtianpu Town.

The town was decorated with lanterns and streamers everywhere, bustling with activity. People on the street carried roasted suckling pigs and chickens, led oxen, and carried sedan chairs. The sound of trumpets and suonas filled the air as they moved forward.

Xu Ying blended into the crowd, observing the street and looking for a pharmacy. He thought, It's so lively, could it be a wealthy family's wedding?

A drum troupe marched by, followed by a tall float. Oxen led the way, adorned with red and colorful decorations. On the float was a lotus-shaped shrine, with a carved stone statue of a Deity.

The statue had six arms, with bronze ribbons winding between its arms and palms, wrapping around its front and back. The statue had two faces, front and back, intricately carved and lifelike.

Around the shrine, two incense burners were placed, with arm-thick incense sticks burning, emitting wisps of fragrant smoke that enveloped the statue.

The Deity of Huangtianpu was transferred. Have they invited a new Deity? Xu Ying wondered.

The people of Huangtianpu Town had also set up a banquet along the street, the aroma of food tantalizing. Xu Ying pushed his way forward, grabbing some food and stuffing it into his mouth to fill his stomach.

It was strange, ever since he encountered that great bell on Jian Mountain, he had felt constantly hungry, never able to eat his fill, and his Blood Essence had been depleted.

He followed the float for another half a mile and finally saw the pharmacy in Huangtianpu Town.

The pharmacy owner and his employees were also watching the float outside the shop. There was no one else inside except Xu Ying.

Xu Ying glanced around and called a shop assistant. "Get me some herbs."

The shop assistant looked outside indifferently. "Do you need a doctor's prescription?"

Xu Ying shook his head. "No. I'll tell you the names of the herbs, and you get them. Hurry!" He then laid out his last few taels of broken silver.

He had originally planned to flee to another region and save the money to get married, but now that Yuan Qi was injured, he couldn't afford to wait. He had to buy the medicine first.

The shop assistant's eyes lit up at the sight of the money. "What herbs do you need, sir?"

Xu Ying listed the names and quantities of the herbs. The shop assistant was startled by the amounts he requested, muttering to himself, Is this to treat an elephant? That's a lot of herbs.

Besides himself, Xu Ying also needed to treat Yuan Qi, the Snake Demon. Yuan Qi was over thirty feet long and weighed eight hundred pounds. While not as large as an elephant, he was still considerable, and thus required a large amount of medicinal ingredients.

As a family of Snake Catchers, accustomed to venturing into the mountains and dealing with venomous snakes, insects, demons, and monsters, they naturally had to understand some medical skills. Xu Ying had followed his grandfather and adoptive father for many years, and his medical skills were not weak; treating injuries was not a problem for him.

However, the amount of herbs Xu Ying needed was substantial, and the shop assistant couldn't gather them all at once. Xu Ying decided to leave the pharmacy and follow the float, thinking, Let's see how they deify.

He had seen deification ceremonies in the countryside, which were very simple. After a virtuous elder passed away, a shrine would be built, and a statue made of mud or wood would be placed there, with a spirit tablet in front of it. Daily offerings would be made, and over time, the statue would gain supernatural powers.

But deification in towns was different from the countryside. Deities in towns were part of the Underworld Court's bureaucracy and had to be officially appointed by it. During the reign of Emperor Zhidao Dasheng Damingxiao, the Emperor's appointment was also required, making the ceremony solemn and grand.

Xu Ying had never witnessed such a deification ceremony before and was naturally curious.

The crowd escorted the float to a temple in the town, which was already packed with people. Xu Ying stopped outside the temple to watch. He saw various offerings and sacrificial animals being continuously brought into the temple. Many strong men carried the statue of the Deity down and moved it onto the shrine inside the temple.

Amidst the fragrant incense, a short Earth God emerged from the ground, unfurled a blue proclamation, and read with a shaking head and a smug expression, "By the decree of Heaven, the Underworld Court proclaims: Huang Sanduo, the Yin God of Huangtianpu Town, was benevolent and charitable during his life, accumulating good karma and performing virtuous deeds. His virtue touched Heaven and Earth, and his righteousness moved ghosts and spirits. Now, by imperial order, Xue Lingfu, the City God of Lingling, hereby bestows upon Huang Sanduo the title of Deity of Huangtianpu, to receive the incense offerings of the mortal realm and enjoy the hundred blessings of the departed! Respect this decree—"

The short, stout Earth God suddenly rolled up the blue proclamation and shouted in a high-pitched voice, "Let the music begin! Dragon God summon the clouds, Rain Master bring the rain! Invite the spirit tablet of Steward Huang!"

As soon as he finished speaking, drums and music erupted, and the trumpets and suonas played even louder!

Suddenly, dark clouds gathered in the sky. Xu Ying looked up and saw enormous creatures flying within the clouds, resembling the divine dragons carved on the temple pillars.

Suddenly, it began to rain. Vaguely, he could see Deities standing in the clouds, controlling the rainfall. It was likely the Rain Master Deities that the Earth God had mentioned.

The Rain Master and the Dragon God were both officials in the Underworld Court. Their presence in Huangtianpu Town to perform the deification was merely a formality. Once Steward Huang Sanduo's spirit tablet was brought in, the rain stopped, the clouds dispersed, and the Rain Master and Dragon God disappeared.

Inside the temple, the deification ceremony continued.

Xu Ying asked the crowd nearby, "Is this Steward Huang a man of great virtue? He was directly sealed as a deity in the town after his death, holding a very high position. He must have done many good deeds during his life, right?"

People sneered. Some spat heavily on the ground in front of Xu Ying, then stomped on it.

Xu Ying was greatly confused and asked for details, but the townspeople of Huangtianpu Town became as silent as cicadas in winter, afraid to speak.

At this moment, an aged voice chuckled, "Young man, you don't know. This Steward Huang, Huang Sanduo, is a renowned great philanthropist in Lingling County. He's known for having abundant fertile land, abundant treasures, and abundant beautiful concubines. The great philanthropist did not do few good deeds in his life. The great philanthropist honored the City God, stuffing a lot of money into the City God Temple during festivals. He also performed numerous good deeds for the townspeople. The great philanthropist opened a brothel, allowing girls to work there to earn money. He annexed land, forcing the townspeople to sell all their fertile land and work for him, so he could pay them wages to support them."

As soon as this was said, the surrounding people suddenly scattered with a "hua la" sound, keeping their distance from them, unable to avoid it fast enough.

Xu Ying looked and saw that the speaker was an old man with graying hair and beard, wearing a dark purple satin robe. He had his hands behind his back, and his chin beard was tied with a small black string. He looked very spirited.

"Steward Huang committed many evils, why was he still able to become a god?" Xu Ying asked, confused.

The spirited old man smiled and said, "He bribed the City God. The City God, Xue Lingfu, used his money to clear the path for him in the Underworld Court, making it easy to buy a divine position after his death, wasn't it?"

Xu Ying exclaimed, "Is the Underworld Court so corrupt?"

The spirited old man chuckled, "If the Underworld Court wasn't corrupt, how could the common people be bullied like this? They are bullied by him when they are alive, and they are still bullied by him after death."

As these words were spoken, the surrounding people became inexplicably terrified and retreated again, moving away from Xu Ying and the old man.

Just then, a resonant voice came, sneering, "Steward Huang bribing the City God is indeed true, but how good can the government be? Hasn't the government also benefited from Steward Huang?"

Xu Ying followed the sound and saw the crowd parting to the sides as a giant, about the size of two ordinary people, walked over. The giant wore black gilded Qilin devouring-heaven boots, a red dragon-python robe, and a black and red official cap. His face was thin and vigorous, his sleeves fluttered, and his bearing was extraordinary!

Wherever the deity passed, the crowd seemed to be pushed aside by an invisible hand, parting automatically to the sides.

Xu Ying's heart skipped a beat, and he thought to himself, "The City God statue!"

That giant was precisely the City God of Lingling, named Xue Lingfu. He had been in office for five hundred years, serving since the time of Emperor Zhidao Dasheng Mingxiao, enjoying incense offerings!

City God Xue Lingfu walked directly in front of Xu Ying and the spirited old man, sneering, "During his life, Steward Huang did not fail to stuff silver into the government. When he forced good girls into prostitution and the women in the brothel hanged themselves because they couldn't bear it, the government took his money and declared him innocent. He annexed land and engaged in forced sales. When commoners were forced to jump into wells and rivers, it was also the government that cleaned up his mess. These things, you officials can do, can't I in the Underworld Court do them?"

"This old man is an official?"

Xu Ying's heart trembled, and he quickly took a step back, putting more distance between himself and the spirited old man. He thought, "Is the City God talking about him? Who is he? He seemed righteous and like a good person just now, but it turns out he's in cahoots with the City God. Neither of them are good people!"

The spirited old man laughed heartily, showing no fear towards City God Xue Lingfu. With his hands behind his back, he said leisurely, "The City God speaks the truth. This old man has indeed received quite a bit of money and treasures from Steward Huang's offerings. In this life, one should naturally enjoy as much as possible. If the higher-ups are unclean, how can we officials down here be clean?"

Seeing him admit it, City God Xue Lingfu was somewhat surprised and chuckled, "I thought you living people would be shameless and refuse to admit it. I didn't expect that you, Master Zhou Yihang, would admit it. You officials have skin as thick as tempered steel, even thicker than I imagined."

The spirited old man, Zhou Yihang, was unfazed by his mockery and said with a smile, "My son is the County Magistrate of Lingling County. Why would I dare not admit what he has done? Is it the Emperor who can control my Zhou family, or is it the Underworld Court that can control my Zhou family?"

Xu Ying took another step back, thinking, "This old man is the father of County Magistrate Zhou Yang! This is bad..."

If it were ordinary Nu Masters like Ding Quan or Wei Chu, he could handle them. But if it were a Nu Master from the Zhou family, he wouldn't be able to cope. Moreover, Zhou Yihang was the father of County Magistrate Zhou Yang, and his strength was unfathomable!

City God Xue Lingfu's expression changed drastically upon hearing Zhou Yihang mention the Zhou family. Nowadays, imperial power was in decline, and the Zhou family was indeed a behemoth that imperial power could not control!

"The defendant Xu Ying, for killing Steward Jiang, has violated the law. I will take him away," Zhou Yihang said with a confident smile.

Xu Ying's body suddenly sank heavily. He felt his limbs being firmly gripped by an invisible force, rendering him unable to move. It was the aura of the old man, Zhou Yihang, locking onto him!

Under the pressure of his aura, Xu Ying felt his Blood Essence stagnate, making it impossible to circulate, let alone break free from the aura lock!

City God Xue Lingfu laughed heartily, his voice like thunder, and said leisurely, "Imperial power is in decline, aristocratic families wield power, and regional lords are in conflict, but the divine power of my Underworld Court has not declined! The Zhou family has no restraints in the mortal realm and acts rather tyrannically, but before my Underworld Court, even your Zhou family patriarch would have to show some respect! Xu Ying has violated heavenly laws and should be escorted to the Underworld Court for trial!"

Xu Ying's body sank heavily again. Another extremely powerful aura locked onto him, precisely City God Xue Lingfu's aura!

Xue Lingfu and Zhou Yihang, one a City God who had been deified for five hundred years, and the other an unfathomable Nu Master of the Zhou family, either one was far superior to Xu Ying!

With just a wisp of their aura, they were enough to firmly lock Xu Ying in place, making him unable to move!

"Two old geezers, not very strong, but very arrogant," a mysterious voice suddenly echoed in Xu Ying's mind.

Xu Ying was both surprised and delighted, and quickly said, "Senior, can you make a move and kill these two old geezers?"

"No!"

Great Bell flatly refused him, saying, "I am seriously injured right now and can barely protect myself, so I can't deal with them."

City God Xue Lingfu and Zhou Yihang naturally couldn't hear Great Bell's words, but they heard Xu Ying utter the words "two old geezers" and immediately turned their heads in unison, their gazes fierce, falling upon him.

Xu Ying grunted and blinked innocently, whispering, "Two sirs, the old geezers I spoke of were not you..."