"Don't push! Don't push!"
The original Confucius Temple in the north of the city was temporarily replaced with a sculpture of the City God. The Jiangnan region was known for its flourishing literary culture, and Liuzhou's education was second only to Nanming Prefecture and Nanyang City. Naturally, there were many Confucius Temple, which were generally donated by wealthy people to provide a place for scholars from other places who wanted a quiet life but did not have much money to study.
Nowadays, there are very few students left in Liuzhou to study. Chen Qing temporarily demolished one of the buildings, but for the time being, no one said anything. Moreover, at this moment, many people missed their relatives so much that they didn't care and all asked to go in and pay their respects.
Naturally, those teachers in long gowns were at the front of the line. People in Liuzhou respected learned people, and even in the current situation, no one would compete with the teachers for a place.
Several elderly scholars cautiously entered, feeling extremely puzzled. It was said to be a newly built City God, but it was basically the same layout as the old Confucius Temple, without any changes. The only difference was that the statue of Sage Confucius had been replaced by the solemn and dignified City God, which was extremely simple and looked like it had been rushed out of the woodwork. This immediately made them hesitate.
With such disrespect, will the City God truly appear?
Just then, the entire Confucius Temple scene suddenly changed. The elegant and refined Confucius Temple suddenly became gloomy and eerie. Everyone suddenly saw a river appear out of thin air on the other side. The river was a river separating the yin and yang. On this side, it was still bright daylight, while on the other side, it was pitch black night with specks of green lights.
But many people saw the familiar faces of their loved ones standing across the river!
" Siya'er, is that you? Siya'er!" One of the teachers suddenly widened his eyes, approached the river, and shouted to the other side.
"Grandpa." The childish voice was choked with sobs; it was the same voice that he had been hearing in his dreams these past few days.
"Is it really you?" The old master was so excited that he wanted to run into the river, but he was stopped by an invisible force.
Several other teachers also saw their relatives, and even the people queuing behind them couldn't stand still and rushed in. They bumped into Fatty Zhou, who was trying to stop them, and he was badly knocked over!
" Cui'er."
" Sanwa!"
"The father of my child."
A cacophony of cries and shouts filled the air, echoing from the other side. Hearing familiar voices only intensified their emotions, and they longed to cross the river and embrace their departed loved ones.
"Quiet!"
A calm voice rang out from the sky, which calmed the chaotic scene slightly. Everyone, without even wiping the snot and tears from their faces, turned to look.
A figure dressed entirely in black robes and wearing a fierce-looking mask stood atop!
"Could it be the City God?" One of the teachers realized what was happening and immediately kowtowed, instantly forgetting the ancient saying that Confucius did not speak of strange phenomena or supernatural beings. He kowtowed repeatedly, saying, "Your Majesty, please show your power! My grandson is only six years old and has suffered such a calamity. How pitiful! Please, City God, have mercy and let my grandson and his family be reunited!"
"Please have mercy, my child is so young." The group of people immediately realized what was happening and began to kowtow.
"The dead cannot be brought back to life. I understand your grief, but the laws of heaven and earth dictate that I cannot grant this wish!"
His words carried authority and unwavering resolve.
Upon hearing this, the teachers swayed, their faces showing even greater sorrow.
"I too cannot bear to see the people suffer this calamity, which is why I have revealed myself to the Underworld, allowing you to see your loved ones across the River of Yin and Yang. You need not grieve too much. This great calamity is not due to the cruelty of Heaven, but rather to the chaos caused by evil spirits. As we are entrusted with the divine duty of protecting Liuzhou, we naturally bear this responsibility. Those who die in this calamity will have their Underworld Lifespan. As long as you accumulate good deeds in your daily lives, you will eventually have a chance to reunite with your loved ones."
Upon hearing this, the Master and the others quickly looked up. Just as they were about to ask about the Underworld Lifespan, they saw that the City God God's voice had disappeared, and the cries of the relatives opposite them grew fainter and fainter until the entire illusion of the underworld vanished before their eyes.
Everyone stood there dumbfounded, unsure of what to do.
The scholar who spoke first reacted and asked Zhou Haitao, "Sir, do you know what the City God meant by 'Underworld Lifespan in the underworld'?"
After all, everyone has only heard of the concept of lifespan in the mortal realm, and has never heard of Underworld Lifespan.
Upon hearing this, Zhou Haitao straightened his clothes, rolled his eyes at everyone, and thought, "So you finally remembered me, Fatty?"
But considering he still had a mission to complete, he didn't try to be coy and honestly explained, "This 'Underworld Lifespan ' is the lifespan a mortal has in the Underworld after death."
" The Underworld?"
"It is the place where a person's soul goes after death." Zhou Haitao explained based on the words Chen Qing had made him memorize, "After a person's lifespan in the mortal realm ends, there is Underworld Lifespan in the underworld. This lifespan is closely related to the good deeds one has done in life. Those who have accumulated virtue and performed good deeds and have contributed to the country will have a long Underworld Lifespan the underworld, while those who have not will have a short lifespan. After the Underworld Lifespan ends, the soul will fall into the Samsara, either being reborn as a human or as livestock."
"Such a thing is true?" Everyone looked at each other in disbelief, utterly shocked. They wanted to ask many questions, but for a moment they didn't know how to begin.
"Our grandson is still young and hasn't had time to accumulate merit and do good deeds. Doesn't that mean his Underworld Lifespan, as the adults say, is only a few years?"
Zhou Haitao nodded upon hearing this. "I heard from the Prefect that if a child has not committed any evil deeds, he will have at least ten years of lifespan in the Underworld Lifespan. If his family accumulates good deeds and sets up a memorial tablet to offer incense, his relatives will also benefit and have their Underworld Lifespan extended. You, sir, have taught and nurtured countless people, and your merits are profound. If you set up a memorial tablet and offer incense, your grandson's Underworld Lifespan will not be too bad. You and your grandson will meet again someday."
"I see, I see!" The old scholar's eyes immediately filled with tears. "Thank you so much for clearing up my doubts, sir! Thank you so much for clearing up my doubts, sir!"
The group of people understood that people can have a lifespan after death, and that the offering of incense by their families can truly bring blessings to their deceased relatives.
The rumor quickly spread from the City God, and within a day it reached the entire Liuzhou City. Most of the refugees had family members who had died unjustly, and upon hearing this, they not only flocked to the City God to worship, but also rushed to make memorial tablets for their relatives. In a short time, the faith in the Underworld in Wei Gongcheng soared, which made the impoverished Wei Gongcheng extremely happy.
Excited, they rolled up their sleeves, ready to thoroughly expand the Underworld city.
But just as he was about to make a move, Chen Qing stopped him.
"My lord, I'm busy here. If there's nothing urgent, how about we talk another day?"
Wei Gongcheng seemed somewhat anxious. Currently, tens of thousands of residents in Liuzhou are lining up outside the City God to worship because of this matter, and their Power of Faith is rising astonishingly. The Power of Karmic Fruit of the presiding official is almost as tall as an eight-story building.
If handled properly, it could build a whole street. Seeing that it could finally make the Underworld look somewhat presentable, he couldn't wait to make his move. But unexpectedly, at this critical moment, the guy who usually liked to avoid trouble took the initiative to come to him.
"Check if Shen Yiyun has come to the Underworld!"
"Huh? Shen Yiyun? How did he get here?" Wei Gongcheng asked in astonishment. "Didn't you say, my Underworld, that only the dead, besides you, are allowed to come to the Underworld?"
Shen Yiyun is dead!
"Huh?" Wei Gongcheng was immediately startled, realizing that the matter seemed serious, and quickly corrected his attitude, asking, "Does Your Majesty know what's going on?"
"If only I had known." Chen Qing smiled wryly.
When Murong Yunji came looking for him, he was startled. That's why he temporarily sent the fat man to the City God to spread the word, while he followed Murong Yunji to the location of Shen Yiyun's body.
Shen Yiyun died in the city, and her death was extremely gruesome. Her body was pitch black, as if someone had drained all the fluids from her body. Her entire corpse was devoid of flesh and blood, and was so withered that it was almost skin and bones.
When asked, Murong Yunji said that Shen Yiyun had disappeared this morning. Apparently, he was very curious about the wandering spirits in the city that night, so he followed them out of curiosity. Murong Yunji felt bored, so she wandered around the city on her own, hoping to find the young man who could wield the power of thunder that had stirred her heart that day.
Unexpectedly, after searching around, the young man didn't find Shen Yiyun's body, but instead found it.
According to them, the two had been separated for only about an hour, and the distance between them was not far, only three streets. With their abilities, they could cover such a distance in an instant, but Shen Yiyun was killed in such a short distance!
Chen Qing felt a chill run down his spine upon hearing this. Could someone who could silently kill Shen Lao'er have actually infiltrated the city?
If his assessment is correct, the Lao'er of the Shen Family is definitely stronger than Wang Ye. After all, he is a great sorcerer who has lived for three hundred years and has mastered such a powerful technique as the Ghost King's Arm. In the Great Jin Dynasty, he would at least be at the level of a Nine Minister.
Absolutely Above First Rank warlock!
How could someone like that be killed right under Murong Yunji's nose?
Who has such ability?
And this person is actually in Liuzhou City?
Chen Qing felt that things were getting out of her control!
"My lord, with Shen Yiyun's abilities, if he were dead, would the Day and Night Wandering God be able to capture him?"
"Yes," Chen Qing nodded. "The sorcerer's strength lies in using a mortal body to manifest the abilities of some ancient demons, not in their inherent strength. Although their souls are stronger than those of mortals, they are far inferior to those of the Divine Path. Once separated from their bodies, they are at most a level three evil spirit. If you encounter one, Brother, you can capture it directly."
"That's strange," Wei Gongcheng shook his head, took out a roster. Although the roster was made of paper, the names inside kept changing and scrolling down like numbers, which was incredibly magical.
"The wandering souls that Chen Ye apprehends will all appear in the register. If Shen Yiyun's name is on it, I'll definitely see it immediately."
Chen Qing nodded upon hearing this. The fact that his elder brother hadn't been caught meant that Shen Yiyun's spirit had hidden away immediately. That made sense; he was a very cunning person and naturally wouldn't trust him. But if they couldn't find him and didn't quickly find out the killer's background, he probably wouldn't be able to sleep peacefully.
After figuring things out, the two immediately moved, instantly transporting themselves from the Underworld to the mortal realm, specifically to the location of Shen Yiyun's corpse on North Street.
"It really is the Lao'er of the Shen Family." Wei Gongcheng frowned. The corpse looked like nothing but skin and bones, and the death was gruesome, but you could still tell from the outline that it was Shen Yiyun!
"Your abilities are quite interesting these days, sir," Murong Yunji's voice echoed softly. "To vanish without a trace in an instant, and then reappear just as quickly, is truly frightening."
Chen Qing rolled her eyes at the other person. "You should be more afraid of the person who killed your Lao'er."
"Well? Can you figure out how he died?"
Murong Yunji shook her head; she wasn't good at this. Wei Gongcheng, standing to the side, frowned. "Should we let Chen Ying take a look? She studied medicine and traveled all over with Lord Mu; she should have more experience."
Chen Qing nodded slightly upon hearing this, and was about to pull Chen Ying over when a voice slowly rang out from afar.
"It's poison."
The three were taken aback and immediately looked over. A graceful woman with a large pregnant belly—who else could it be but Thousand-Faced Fox?
Chen Qing stared blankly at the other woman's belly. How could her belly have grown so big in just a few days?
There are more and more people complaining about the plot in Pan Household Stronghold, haha. Mofang can't ignore it either. Although it doesn't affect the main plot, I've decided to revise that part. Well, it's two or three chapters long and it needs to connect the previous and subsequent parts, so it's quite troublesome to revise. Please give me some time.
We will correct it within a week, and we will notify you as soon as it is done. You can then go back and watch it again as if you were watching a new piece of content for free.
Mofang will continue to strive to make this book live up to everyone's expectations. Thank you again for your support!