Black Qi Rises Again

After returning from the county town, Fang Ming had gained a lot. Back at the Earth God Shrine, with a flash of red light, Li Dazhuang came to his senses. He only remembered that last night the Earth God had appeared in his dream and asked him to cooperate in using divine powers. This morning, he had prayed devoutly before the statue, and soon after, his head spun, and he seemed to have fallen asleep.

Looking outside now, it was almost evening. He figured the honored deity's business must be finished, so he lit some incense and bowed respectfully.

He was very hungry, so he took a dozen coins and went to buy wine and meat. He pondered whether he should bring his wife over. After all, the township was better than the village, and suitable for her pregnancy. The Earth God had said last night that half of the incense and fire money was his wages! It was enough to support the family.

Tending to his few acres of thin land, he could barely get half-full meals all year. How could it compare to the joy of being a Temple Keeper? This Earth God Shrine was indeed different from the village. It even had a merit box to collect incense and fire money, and there were always some earnings each day, which was much better than farming.

But would this offend the Earth God? Li Dazhuang was unsure. In the end, he didn't dare to bring his wife over. Instead, he prepared to take some food and money back. Anyway, his wife was used to living in the village, and moving rashly wouldn't be good.

Along the way, many villagers smiled and greeted him, "Hello, Temple Keeper Li!" "We haven't seen you in days! When will you come to my house to sit for a while!" Li Dazhuang smiled and replied to each one, feeling incredibly pleased.

When he reached the wine and meat shop, the owner initially refused to take money. Finally, Li Dazhuang insisted, and the owner accepted. The owner carefully sliced the good meat, added extra wine, wrapped it up, and handed it to Li Dazhuang. Li Dazhuang's smile was so wide it almost split his face as he took it back.

At this moment, Li Dazhuang didn't notice that in the shadows of a street corner, a dark figure had been watching his every move. The dark figure was very alert, and Li Dazhuang wasn't paying much attention. He was followed all the way back to the Earth God Shrine. The dark figure watched for a while longer, confirmed Li Dazhuang didn't come out again, and then left.

The dark figure wound its way through alleys, taking several detours, before slipping into the back door of a large mansion. The doorman seemed to recognize the person. He glanced around, confirmed no one was there, and immediately opened a gap, letting the dark figure slip in.

The dark figure seemed very familiar with the mansion. Upon reaching a certain spot, an old man appeared. The old man nodded and said, "You weren't discovered, were you?"

"Heh heh! You still don't trust my skills?" the dark figure said with a hoarse voice and a cold laugh.

"This is just in case. After all, that person is not easy to deal with, and there's a deity behind him! It's good that you weren't discovered. Come with me!" Steward Zhang said unhurriedly, leading the person to the study room. The dark figure said nothing, seemingly wary of this place as well. Following him in, he saw a middle-aged woman, her face haggard, dressed in mourning clothes. He couldn't help but bow and say, "Madam Zhang!"

This woman was Madam Zhang. She coughed and asked, "Did today's surveillance yield any results?"

The lamplight illuminated the dark figure, revealing a tall, thin man with a pointed mouth and monkey-like cheeks, dressed in tight black clothes. His demeanor was not that of an upright person.

He said, "I followed that person and found he left the township early in the morning. The surroundings were open, so I didn't dare to follow too closely, keeping my distance. I saw that person enter the county town, eat a meal at Yingke Tower, wander around, then go to White Water Temple, and then he returned. Finally, he went to the Zhou Family shop to buy wine and meat and went back to eat and drink, not coming out again."

"White Water Temple!" Steward Zhang exclaimed from the side.

Madam Zhang "Mm"ed, seemingly ignoring Steward Zhang's exclamation. She said, "You've done a good job. Go to the accounting office and collect three taels of silver as a reward... You may go!"

The person thanked her for the reward and then left.

After a moment of silence, Madam Zhang asked, "Is this person reliable?"

Steward Zhang reported, "Although this person usually engages in petty theft, his reputation in the shadows is passable. When the master subdued him, he kept a handle on him, so he can be trusted!"

Madam Zhang nodded and asked again, "You mentioned White Water Temple just now, why were you so surprised?"

Steward Zhang gave a wry smile and said, "Replying to Madam, on the day the master went there, he was preparing to write a letter for me to send to White Water Temple!" He then recounted the conflict between Zhang Huaizheng and the Earth God in detail.

Madam Zhang was shocked and said, "We paid a hefty sum to invite the county coroner to examine the master's body. The coroner said that although it seemed like a sudden illness, his heart was damaged, as if pierced by a sharp object, yet there were no external wounds. It was suspected to be man-made, but we couldn't figure out how. We were greatly puzzled and investigated in secret, and all signs pointed... Could it be that this matter was not man-made, but rather..." At this point, she felt immense hatred but knew the danger, so she didn't speak further.

Steward Zhang's face darkened and he said, "This matter is likely related. This old servant is willing to go to White Water Temple personally to explain the situation and invite Daoist Baihe to come and investigate!"

Madam Zhang was taken aback. She knew the seriousness of the matter. It was possible she might suffer an "untimely death" like her husband. She thought that although Steward Zhang was a bit greedy at times, he was loyal in critical moments. He was much better than those relatives before.

She said emotionally, "This... this is truly a great help to me. I have seen your family's loyalty. The position of steward in the Zhang Family will forever belong to your family... There is no time to lose. Ride your fast horse and enter the city before the city gates are closed!"

Steward Zhang kowtowed heavily and said, "Madam, this old servant will go!" In his heart, he gave a wry smile. It wasn't that he didn't want to avoid it, but his family was already tied to the Zhang Family's fate, sharing prosperity and ruin. He had no choice but to fight for it!

He took his leave and went out. He knew how to ride, so he mounted his horse and headed for the county town.

Madam Zhang watched in the direction of the county town, her hands clenched tightly.

Neither Madam Zhang nor Steward Zhang knew that Fang Ming was nearby, listening to their conversation, and watching Steward Zhang ride away.

"This calamity is indeed not so easy to avoid!" Fang Ming looked up at the Zhang Family's mansion and murmured to himself.

He was the Earth God, connected to the destiny of the land, and had his senses. He had long seen the Zhang Family's little schemes but had other plans, so he hadn't acted.

In his eyes, gray and black qi had gathered above the Zhang Family and was rushing towards him.

However, this qi was only about half the size of last time. He knew in his heart that this was due to the improvement of his strength.

The disaster was the same as before, but its impact naturally differed for different people.

For him, who was previously a subordinate eighth-rank official, this would have been a great disaster. But now, having taken over Qingxi Township and his divine position rising to true eighth-rank, this black qi had halved, reaching a level he could withstand head-on.

If he were to advance a few more levels, it would probably be like a breeze brushing past his face, having little effect.

He also knew that this Calamity Qi could not be avoided simply by trying. Even if he acted now and killed Madam Zhang and Steward Zhang, it would only suppress it temporarily. After some time, when the entanglements of fortune and destiny occurred, it would erupt with other misfortunes, making the disaster even more severe.

It was better to let it erupt now. Once he weathered this tribulation, the gray and black qi would naturally dissipate.

He turned back and commanded, "Xie Jin, send two Yin Soldiers to guard here day and night. Report immediately if there are any developments, without fail!"

Xie Jin, standing behind Fang Ming, received the order solemnly and went to make arrangements.

Fang Ming returned to the Earth God Law Domain and summoned the various departments in his study room.

He Dong and the others were all present. After paying their respects, He Dong handed over the accounts. Fang Ming reviewed them one by one and, finding them in order, said, "Very good. This shows your dedication!"

He was secretly pleased. The previous system, after time and adjustments, was now operating smoothly. Every day, He Dong calculated the accounts, while Guo Sheng, Zheng Kuan, and Wang Liulang received divine power to help believers fulfill their wishes. Fang Ming only needed to expend divine power and check from time to time to ensure the smooth operation of the incense and fire, saving a lot of time. Today, he was able to go to the city.

He looked at his subordinates below, knowing that he couldn't use them for free indefinitely, as it would easily lead to resentment. So, he said, "You four have worked very hard in this task. I will issue a salary each month. Hmm... let's set it at thirty large coins per month for now!"

He Dong led everyone in bowing, saying, "Our Lord saved us from peril and spared us from the fate of our souls scattering. We are deeply grateful and only wish to do our best for our Lord, not seeking any salary!"

Fang Ming waved his hand and said with a smile, "Even so, I cannot let you labor for nothing. This is not in accordance with the system. Let's set it like this for now. As for the others, Yin Soldiers will be rewarded with beheading their leaders. The remaining clerks and laborers will not receive a salary for now; rewards will be based on merit!" It had to be said that Fang Ming was very stingy with divine power.

He Dong led everyone in bowing to express their thanks.

Fang Ming looked at his subordinates' pleased expressions, knowing that this matter would surely inspire them to strive for excellence and work towards his great cause. Their daily work would also gain more momentum because they had something to look forward to.

He waved his hand, signaling his subordinates to withdraw. Fang Ming, however, lowered his head in thought. Although he could withstand the Zhang Family's matter head-on now, it would still cause some damage and affect his foundation. It would be better to increase his strength further to reduce the losses. Having understood the situation in the county this time, he already had some ideas.

However, at this moment, putting that aside, he went to a small courtyard, which was reserved specifically for He Yuqing and was very elegant.

He knocked on the door, and it opened. A young man came out. He had previously been appointed as a Servant Soldier and assigned to serve He Yuqing. Upon seeing Fang Ming, the young man bowed deeply and said, "My lord, are you here to see Master? I will go inform him right away!" He slightly bowed and then hurried off to deliver the message.

Fang Ming smiled. Because he was ignorant, he felt no fear. These two young men had been here for some time and, after witnessing the fate of ordinary ghosts, had become increasingly respectful towards him. However, he hadn't even remembered the names of these two youths, which showed the difference in their status.

Not long after, He Yuqing came out. After exchanging greetings, he said, "Honored deity, have you come to enjoy tea and play chess?"

Fang Ming smiled and nodded. The two entered the courtyard and arrived at a small pavilion where two servants had already set up the tea set and a chessboard. This was, of course, arranged at He Yuqing's request, with Fang Ming using his divine power to manifest it.

He Yuqing finished brewing the tea. Fang Ming picked up a cup and took a sip. Indeed, the fragrance was refreshing. However, it was just that. He didn't understand much about the art of tea, but He Yuqing's skill in brewing tea was truly a pleasure to behold; he could be called a master.

After they had finished their tea, they began to play chess. This was Go. This world had it, but not Chinese Chess. Fang Ming pondered whether he should invent it later.

Speaking of which, Fang Ming had been preoccupied with matters of incense and fire wishes before. Now that he had delegated those tasks, he finally had some free time. There were few pastimes in this world. For scholars, it was enjoying tea and playing chess, composing poetry, or listening to music and watching dances, or admiring beautiful women.

As for Fang Ming, Zhenzhu could barely be considered a beautiful woman, and she couldn't sing or dance. He couldn't bring himself to do things that he considered extravagant and decadent. After all, divine power was precious; it shouldn't be wasted like that.

He could only come to Mr. He's place to enjoy tea and play chess. He knew nothing about Go. But under He Yuqing's guidance, he could now barely play a teaching game, with He Yuqing leading him. However, Fang Ming had some talent for Go and gradually grew fond of it, getting used to thinking while playing.