Deity Faith!

Inside the City God Temple, within the divine statue's space.

Shen Zhui and Wang Long reappeared under the starry sky.

"Shen Zhui, do you know why I showed you these things?"

Shen Zhui pondered for a moment. After experiencing these three scene replays, he could somewhat guess Wang Long's intentions.

"To let your subordinate understand the reason why that Young Master Li cannot be killed?"

"Tell me, why is it that even though you were ambushed, and I was present to witness it, you still couldn't kill him?" Wang Long countered.

Shen Zhui recalled the disappearing figures from the scenes he had previously witnessed and said, "Because there was no evidence."

Wang Long nodded and said, "That's right. Because they possess treasures that can conceal investigations, you couldn't see the two masterminds within the divine statue's space."

Shen Zhui couldn't help but ask, "Captain, can't we use witness testimony, physical evidence, and confessions to convict them?"

Wang Long shook his head. "No matter how clear-headed an official is, or how rigorous the chain of evidence, as long as humans wield power, there will always be loopholes."

"Witnesses can be bought, physical evidence can be forged, and confessions can be extracted under torture. These can only guarantee relative justice."

Shen Zhui nodded. If one were to disregard the Divine Law of this world, the methods and processes for solving cases would seem outrageously crude to Shen Zhui.

Investigate the facts based on the indictment, pass judgment according to the law, and establish the case based on the confession!

Someone submits a lawsuit, the authorities arrest the suspect, and the case is concluded based on their confession, and that's it.

The entire process is decided by the highest local official!

If the judicial official is an honest and good person, a relatively just outcome might be possible.

But if they are corrupt, lazy, fear the powerful, or are complicit for various other reasons, then the outcome is predictable.

Even with the advanced legal system and sophisticated methods of his previous life, they couldn't claim absolute fairness.

Let alone here.

"To seal the deities and establish the Divine Law is to seek justice for all people under heaven."

"Absolute justice requires absolute evidence. Only the results obtained through divine investigation can be considered ironclad proof."

Shen Zhui sighed.

Without the Divine Law in this world, the legal loopholes and methods of operation were incredibly backward.

But with the supervision of the Divine Law, it seemed to have become absolutely just.

Official deities are different from ancestral Yin Gods.

Official deities are selfless, they strictly adhere to the heavenly rules of the imperial court, and they possess mysterious means to replay crime scenes, which are absolutely infallible.

However, after the previous ambush, Shen Zhui felt an unspeakable sense of absurdity.

This absolute justice, decided by deities, seemed difficult to extend to everyone.

Otherwise, Li Ming and others wouldn't still be at large.

Wang Long saw Shen Zhui shaking his head slightly and asked, "You seem to have some doubts."

Shen Zhui shook his head. "I just feel that ordinary people seem to have difficulty obtaining this kind of fairness."

Wang Long sighed. "You are right. This is the problem, and it is also the main reason for destroying ancestral halls and abandoning temples."

"Clan families have the protection of their ancestral Yin Gods, which can conceal heavenly secrets and block divine investigations."

"To eliminate the disciples of those clan families, their protective layer must first be broken."

"The best and most fundamental method, of course, is to destroy all ancestral temples in the world, leaving only the City God Temples of official institutions."

"This is how the destruction of ancestral halls and abandonment of temples began. Three years ago, the great scholar Wei Xuancheng first submitted a memorial proposing it."

"But over the past three years, despite the strong push in various prefectures and counties, the results have been minimal."

"In our Heyuan County alone, after three years, out of thirty-six large and small families, the true bodies of the Yin Gods of two families have still not been found."

"However, although we cannot immediately eliminate those Yin Gods at present, it is not entirely hopeless. Do you know why I was able to kill that Xiantian Master from the Li family?"

"You mean summoning deities?"

"Exactly," Wang Long said. "The First Summon of Deity distinguishes good and evil, the Second Summon of Deity discerns right from wrong."

"Besides doubling the strength of those who borrow divine power, it also has the effect of breaking the concealment of Yin Gods."

"We have conditions for borrowing the power of deities, and they also have requirements for borrowing the power of Yin Gods to conceal heavenly secrets."

"The First Summon of Deity can break the concealment of all crimes committed by Houtian Martial Artists."

"The Second Summon of Deity can break through the concealment of all Xiantian Martial Artists."

Shen Zhui asked doubtfully, "Then why was Young Master Li able to..."

"Although he only has the strength equivalent to a Houtian Martial Artist, he is on the path of a Qi Cultivation True Person, and he is a direct descendant of the Li family. The level of concealment of heavenly secrets is naturally higher than that of outsiders."

"To break through the Yin God's protection on him, at least the Third Summon of Deity or higher is needed."

"The power of Yin Gods is not inexhaustible. Every time a clan disciple who is granted the power of a Yin God to conceal their actions is killed, the power of that Yin God's true body is weakened by a fraction."

"When this weakening reaches a certain level, the County Magistrate can use the power of this temple to locate the true forms of those Yin Gods and eradicate them completely!"

"Of course, our use of divine power is not without limit. Firstly, if we use it too often, we ourselves will consume lifespan. Secondly, it also depletes the temple's strength within the city, so we cannot act rashly. If we must act, it must be a decisive blow!"

Inside the City God Temple, in the hall of the seven divine statues.

"Shen Zhui, you have now reached the Ninth Stage of the Acquired Realm. You can now attempt to borrow the power of a deity by holding the County Magistrate's edict."

"As long as you reach the level of the First Summon of Deity, you will be comparable to a Xiantian Master for a short period. Furthermore, your technique has achieved Unity of Heaven and Man, so I estimate you should be able to defeat an early-stage Xiantian Martial Artist."

"With your current strength, you should only be able to reach the First Summon level."

"To reach the Second Summon level, you will likely need to reach the Peak Houtian stage."

"However, I must state upfront that summoning a deity has certain limitations."

"In a short period, you can only perform it once, and the duration is extremely brief. You must seize the opportunity, confirm that the target is truly deserving of death, and retreat immediately after delivering a killing blow."

"Otherwise, if you wish to borrow divine power again, you will have to pay with your lifespan! The specific cost varies from person to person and also depends on the amount of divine power borrowed."

"In severe cases, it could lead to the exhaustion of your lifespan. You need to think carefully. If you are unwilling now, you can still withdraw."

Shen Zhui did not hesitate and immediately replied, "This subordinate is willing."

It's a joke, withdraw now?

He already knows so many secrets and has gained so much. If he were to withdraw now, he likely wouldn't have a good outcome.

Although it might not be life-threatening, with his current cultivation and having offended two major families, unless he never leaves Heyuan City, his life would be in danger the moment he steps outside!

As the saying goes, it doesn't matter who you work for, as long as you stand on the side of righteousness. Moreover, the County Magistrate has treated him well.

"Please instruct me, Captain, on how I can achieve the First Summon of Deity."

Wang Long nodded with satisfaction upon seeing Shen Zhui's commitment. A small booklet appeared in his hand, which he handed to Shen Zhui.

"Summoning a deity, reaching the Ninth Stage of the Acquired Realm is only the first condition."

"The second condition is to have faith in the deity, be devout, and achieve a Clear Mind, only then can you wield divine power."

"This 'Heyuan Biographies' records the heroic deeds of these seven deities during their lives. Read it diligently, and it will help you more quickly fulfill the second condition."

"Reading?" Shen Zhui was taken aback, but he quickly accepted the book.

"So heavy." Shen Zhui was surprised. He carefully examined the yellowed booklet. It wasn't many pages thick, only about a finger's width, but holding it felt incredibly strenuous.

Keep in mind that Shen Zhui was currently at the Ninth Stage of the Acquired Realm, with a physical strength of 900 jin. In his previous life, he would have been a mighty warrior capable of lifting a cauldron.

Yet, now, just holding this thin booklet, he felt a sense of strain.

"For the next few days, you will reside in the courtyard behind the temple. When you feel the booklet has become one-fifth lighter, you will have reached the level of the First Summon of Deity."

"The temple has statues of the Seven Divisions, and the 'Heyuan Biographies' also records the past deeds of the seven deities. You can choose one of them to focus on. I suggest you start with General Gan Gong of the Punishment Division."

"Don't rush to summon the main deity, the Earl of Heyuan."

"I estimate that within a month, you should be able to achieve the First Summon."

Apologies, the author is moving to the city today to look for a job... I only managed to settle things very late, and I didn't have internet, so this is delayed. I apologize to everyone.