The Spirit Medium (Thanks to "Mountains and Rivers in Ink" for the Silver Alliance)

The City God is located outside the county town, about six miles to the east.

Xu Qi'an and his group rode their horses and arrived at their destination in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

A small temple with black tiles and white walls is located not far from the official road. The temple is surrounded by a white wall, and a narrow path connects the temple to the official road.

The City God was very popular, with a constant stream of people, from simply dressed commoners to well-dressed wealthy people, going in and out of the temple along the narrow path.

Several horse-drawn carriages were parked outside the temple.

"Whoa!"

Xu Qi'an reined in his horse in front of the temple gate, dismounted, and helped Mu Nanzhi down. Together with Li Lingsu and Miao Youfang, they tied the horses to wooden stakes by the roadside.

He closed his eyes and sensed for a moment, then was immediately disappointed; there was no trace of dragon energy around him.

Two burly men stood at the temple entrance, reaching out to stop them. They held their heads high and said:

"To enter the temple and burn incense, you must first give twenty coins."

There were entrance fees in this era. Although the matter of the temple god had nothing to do with dragon energy, since they had come across it, they might as well go in and take a look. Xu Qi'an glanced at Li Lingsu, who pouted and took out twenty coins to hand over.

The man on the left took it, examined Xu Qi'an's brocade robe, and chuckled, saying:

Twenty coins per person.

Mu Nanzhi frowned. This guy was clearly looking at Xu Qi'an's nice clothes and was looking for an opportunity to extort money from him.

"Why aren't they using it?" she asked, pointing to a young couple entering the temple.

"They're regulars, so naturally they don't need it." The gatekeeper had his own explanation; he seemed completely unfazed by any potential trouble, and said impatiently:

"If you want to burn incense, pay up now; if you don't have money, get lost."

Xu Qi'an looked up to comfort Mu Nanzhi and said, "Give it to him."

After paying the money, the four of them crossed the gate. Xu Qi'an glanced around and saw that the courtyard was divided in two by a bluestone path leading into the temple. On the left was a merit pagoda cast in yellow mud, with yellow paper burning inside.

On the right are two rows of candlesticks about half a person's height, with red candles burning and wax dripping down.

Many worshippers gathered on both sides, burning joss paper or lighting candles.

The four of them walked through the courtyard and entered the City God. The items enshrined inside immediately caught their attention.

It was an ugly, shirtless little devil with a big belly. It raised its hands high, dragging a stone mirror, which seemed to be broken, with only half of it remaining.

It wasn't the statue that was broken, but the mirror itself.

In front of the sculpture, a dozen worshippers were devoutly praying. To the right of the incense table in front of them stood an old woman with gray hair. She had a thin face and a high forehead, and looked somewhat like a rat.

Both shrewd and mercenary.

There were no fluctuations in energy, no vengeful spirits, and no Yao Qi. Xu Qi'an circulated his Primordial Spirit, scanned the area, and confirmed that it was just an ordinary City God.

Whether it is City God is still up for debate.

A normal City God would obviously not enshrine a little ghost.

Li Lingsu, using the same "opening and closing" technique of the Daoist School at the eighth level, examined the small temple. He then shook his head slightly at Xu Qi'an, indicating that he had not found anything unusual.

Was the waiter exaggerating? Xu Qi'an was somewhat disappointed. Rather than the fact that the things behind it were so sophisticated that he couldn't detect anything, it was more likely that the waiter was lying.

It's impossible for a small county town to have two brilliant but cunning individuals like those in the Heavenly Sect, capable of deceiving the dignified Xu Yinluo.

Xu Qi'an pondered for a moment, then walked up to the sorceress and said:

"We're from out of town. We heard the City God here is very efficacious, so we came to burn incense. You must be the fortune teller. May I ask which deity is enshrined in the temple?"

The old woman glanced at him, and when she saw that Xu Qi'an was wearing a robe of fine material, her eyes lit up. She coughed and said in a deep voice:

"Young man, you've come to the right place."

"The temple enshrines the God of Heaven, who is an omnipotent god. The precious mirror he holds is called the God of Heaven Mirror. Through this Divine Ability of Heaven can see all things under heaven."

"I see your forehead is dark, which foretells misfortune. The fact that you came here to burn incense means that the God of the the Unseen is protecting you; He has foreseen your impending doom."

Xu Qi'an cooperated by showing a "terrified" expression and said:

"What do you mean? I... everything has gone smoothly for me along the way."

The old woman said calmly:

"The time hasn't come yet. If you wish to avert misfortune, I can show you the way."

After Xu Qi'an nodded, she examined Xu Qi'an clothes and said:

"The temple god loves money; offering two hundred taels of silver and making offerings for seven days will dispel bad luck."

Two hundred taels, what a huge appetite. Xu Qi'an noted down the names of Hun Tian Shen and Hun Tian Shen Jing, planning to ask the members of the Heaven and Earth Society about it later in the Earth Book fragments.

Although he was fairly certain that the old woman was a charlatan.

Just then, a middle-aged man dressed in light clothing walked over. He wore a t-shirt underneath a worn-out cotton-padded jacket with holes through which straw could be seen.

The cotton-padded jacket was stuffed with straw.

The middle-aged man had a weathered face; years of hard work had made him look somewhat dull. He said in a muffled voice:

"Fortune teller, my wife is dying, why isn't she better yet?"

"You said that if we offered sacrifices to the temple deity for seven days, her illness would be cured, but she can't eat anything today."

The fortune teller frowned. "That means you're not devout enough. You need to continue offering sacrifices for three more days."

Upon hearing this, the middle-aged man's weathered face revealed a bitter expression. "I... I have no money left. All my savings have been donated to the temple."

The goddess said displeased:

"That's your problem. If you don't have money, you can sell your land or borrow from someone."

"The temple gods are impartial; they won't favor you just because your family is poor. Don't other worshippers also make offerings? Aren't they also poor?"

After hearing this logic, the middle-aged man was speechless, his lips trembling slightly.

"But my wife can't eat anything, she just can't eat anything!"

In the common people's simple mindset, being unable to walk or eat is a matter of life and death.

The sorceress snorted, her voice carrying a veiled threat:

"The temple deity will protect us, and will punish anyone who offends us."

The middle-aged man seemed to realize something, his face showing extreme fear. He bent over and dared not speak again.

Miao Youfang, who was not far away, listened to the whole process, his eyebrows standing on end.

On the other side, Li Lingsu cleverly inquired about information from the worshippers; his target was a young man.

"Brother, you're so young, what brings you to the temple to pray for?"

Li Lingsu was exceptionally handsome and had an elegant demeanor, making him hard to ignore; however, the young man's words were evasive.

"No, it's nothing."

Li Lingsu smiled and said, "Since we're all here to burn incense, let's talk."

He subtly exerted influence through the power of his Primordial Spirit, his voice possessing a captivating charm that drew the young man in, making him unconsciously open his heart and say with a wry smile:

I've come here asking for a child.

Li Lingsu said "Oh," and then asked, "Seven days too?"

The young man nodded.

"It must have cost a lot of money," Li Lingsu said, glancing at the middle-aged man.

"The money is alright."

The young man looked puzzled, as if he wanted to say something but hesitated. Just then, the curtain leading to the inner hall was lifted, and a pretty woman strode out.

Her face was flushed and her hair was a little messy. When she saw everyone looking at her, she immediately lowered her head and quickly walked back to her husband's side.

A moment later, the curtain was lifted again, revealing a burly man. He glanced at the delicate woman's figure, his face showing lingering desire.

"Mother, I have already performed the temple deity's blessing for a child; you should collect your payment now. The young lady is very satisfied."

The man said with a grin.

The old woman looked at the young couple and said with a smile:

"Young lady of the Zhang family, husband of Zhang, are you satisfied?"

The blush on the pretty woman's face faded, turning pale. Humiliation and anger flashed in the young man surnamed Zhang's eyes as he forced a smile:

"Satisfied, satisfied"

With a forced smile, he took off his purse and handed it over.

The man reached out and took it, weighed it in his hand, his gaze lingering on the pretty woman, and grinned, saying:

"Four more days. Remember to come on time, or the temple god will be angry."

Fear flashed in the eyes of the young couple, and they nodded repeatedly.

Why didn't you report it to the authorities?

A sigh reached the ears of the young man surnamed Zhang. He turned his head and saw the handsome man with a dignified appearance.

He was once again moved by the voice, and a strange courage welled up within him. With a hint of fear in his voice, he said:

"Those who reported to the authorities all died, and those who disrespected the temple gods also died."

"As long as we make proper offerings to the temple deity, the deity will protect us."

Li Lingsu asked, getting straight to the point:

"Since you know that those who disrespect the temple gods die, why do you still come here to burn incense?"

As locals, this young couple should have known the trouble that comes with getting involved with temple deities, and they could have simply chosen not to come.

The young man surnamed Zhang gritted his teeth and said:

"It wasn't our idea to come; it was him. He took a fancy to my wife and came to our door, telling us to go to the City God to pray for a child, or the temple god would punish us."

Li Lingsu understood. This was the same as the bullying of men and women by the sons of the powerful and wealthy. The difference was that one relied on power, while the other relied on the temple gods.

He couldn't help but look at Xu Qi'an, who had a gloomy expression and remained silent, as if deep in thought.

"Mom, where did this idiot come from?"

The man listened calmly, showing no fear whatsoever, and even a hint of disdain.

The sorceress's face was grim. Pointing at Xu Qi'an and Miao Youfang, she said, "These are outsiders from the same place."

Then, she gave the young couple a cold, mocking laugh:

"Mr. Zhang, Mrs. Zhang, the temple gods have seen your disrespect."

The young woman's face turned deathly pale, and she said in a tearful voice, "Temple God, please forgive me! Witch, please forgive me!"

After giving the young couple a warning, the sorceress snorted coldly, looked at Xu Qi'an and the others, and announced:

"You have disrespected the temple god and angered him; you are facing certain death. If you wish to appease the temple god's wrath, offer him three hundred taels of silver; otherwise, even I cannot save you."

Her son clapped his hands in agreement, and three men from outside the temple immediately came in and surrounded Xu Qi'an and the others.

The surrounding worshippers pointed and whispered among themselves.

"These outsiders are really bold."

"Yes, hurry up and hand over the silver, or you won't even know how you died."

By this time, Zhang Xiangong had come to his senses and was no longer affected by Li Lingsu. He realized what he had just said and was so frightened that his legs went weak.

He said in a trembling voice, "Temple God, please forgive me, Temple God, please forgive me."

The sorceress's son ignored him, glaring at Xu Qi'an and the others with fierce eyes, and threatened, "Hurry up and hand over the silver."

The pilgrims nearby quickly advised:

"Outsider, quickly apologize to the temple god!"

Why court death?

"Yes, hurry up and hand over the silver, lest we implicate Master Zhang."

The middle-aged man opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to join in the persuasion, but resentment flashed in his eyes, and he silently clenched his fists.

"Silver? Go ask the King of Hell for it, you son of a bitch."

Miao Youfang cursed, took two quick steps, clenched his fist, and leaned his right arm back.

Bang!

Before anyone could react, he punched the sorceress's son in the head.

The head exploded like a watermelon, with blood, flesh, and bone fragments splattering everywhere, onto the ground, the walls, and the temple sculptures behind it.

A few seconds of silence fell over the temple, then screams erupted as worshippers fled in panic.

Three men who guarded the City God fled into the courtyard with the worshippers.

"My son!"

The sorceress screamed shrilly, collapsed before the headless corpse, and wept bitterly.

Miao Youfang took out a long knife from the storage Law Artifact given to him by Xu Qi'an, and smashed it wildly, kicking over the incense table and the incense burner. With the last stroke, he chopped the temple god sculpture in half.

"You."

The sorceress glared venomously at the four of them and said sternly, "The temple god will not let you go; you will all die."

"Kill them!"

Xu Qi'an said calmly.

He still had doubts and questions about the temple deity, but that was alright. He would have Li Lingsu summon the spirit later, and he would personally interrogate the sorceress's soul.

Miao Youfang immediately swung his knife and beheaded the sorceress, then kicked her skull until it exploded.

Having underlings makes all the difference; I don't need to lift a finger myself. Xu Qi'an nodded in satisfaction, glancing at the Zhang couple, who were still standing there dumbfounded, and the middle-aged man, and sighed inwardly.

The young couple were stunned into silence when the sorceress died. Their hearts trembled violently, and they couldn't tell whether they felt joy or fear.

The middle-aged man was dumbfounded.

The worshippers in the courtyard were equally dumbfounded.

Xu Qi'an knew these people needed to be appeased. He stepped out of the temple, looked at the worshippers peering into the courtyard, and said:

"I am a constable from the capital, and these are my colleagues."

"Someone went to the capital to file a complaint, saying that some people in Shengyi County were performing licentious shrines and sacrifices, harming the people."

"I have investigated secretly for several days and have found out the truth. That sorceress has learned some sorcery and is secretly harming people. She impersonates a temple god to frighten the people."

"Now that he has been executed, there is no need for you to come here to offer sacrifices."

Upon hearing that the young man was a government official, the worshippers felt much more at ease.

The world is vast, but the imperial court is the most powerful. That's why the imperial court's intervention makes them feel safer.

"But, but the temple god is truly efficacious," a worshipper said.

Intimidation alone is not enough to make them willingly burn incense and make offerings.

"The owner of the rouge shop on Guanghua Street was murdered by a sorceress. I have already investigated and confirmed this matter," Xu Qi'an said.

The worshippers were then relieved.

Xu Qi'an turned and entered the temple, took out a silver ingot from his pocket, handed it to the middle-aged man, and said:

"If you're sick, you need to see a doctor."

After obtaining the middle-aged man's address, he turned to Li Lingsu and instructed, "Go there later and check on the situation."

He was worried that the middle-aged man's wife was terminally ill and that ordinary doctors were powerless to save her.

Li Lingsu nodded.

The middle-aged man knelt down tremblingly. "Thank you, sir, thank you, sir."

At this moment, Miao Youfang picked up the money pouch next to the sorceress's son, tossed it to Zhang Xiangong, and said:

Forget about what happened here, and don't look down on your wife because of it.

The young man surnamed Zhang glanced at the corpses of the sorceress and her son, spat fiercely, silently kowtowed to the three of them, and left with his wife in his arms.

Miao Youfang turned his head and spat at the corpse, looking as if it were a common occurrence.

"I've been roaming the martial world for many years, and I've killed countless villains like this."

"This is not a good thing!" Xu Qi'an said.

This shows that the imperial court's control and rule over various regions has become very weak. As order is gradually shaken, chaos will occur frequently.

Someone will eventually step forward to establish a new order. At that time, either the dynasty will be overthrown or it will suffer a great blow and barely survive.

Xu Qi'an glanced outside, confirming that all the worshippers had been driven away, then immediately closed the temple gates and gave the order:

"Li Lingsu, summon the spirit!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Miao Youfang suddenly clutched his chest, his face turned ashen, and he slowly slumped to the ground.

His face turned a suffocating, liver-colored hue, his eyes rolled back, and his life force was rapidly fading away.

How could a martial artist at the peak of the Spirit Refining Realm inexplicably be on the verge of death?

P. S.: I recommend this book: "The Records of the Past" by Xiong Lang Gou.