I become a god in another world

Chapter 441 Wu Family Old House (6k update)

Chapter 441

Since it involves a ghost case, the reception of the Demon Suppression Division should be decided by the local Demon Suppression Division, with the local county government as a supplement, so as to try not to involve ordinary people in the ghost case.

But the situation in Shangyang County is different.

The matter concerning the Demon Suppression Division was actually taken over by the prefect of Shangyang County, bypassing the Shangyang County Demon Suppression Division's Zhu Guangling, who then sent a letter to the Jin County government office, also bypassing Jin County's Tang Zuwang.

It seemed as if Shangjing was very clear about the local situation and deliberately avoided the Demon Suppression Division.

The Demon Suppression Division's problems were not resolved by the Demon Suppression Division itself, which proves that there is something strange about Tang Zuwang.

"It seems that Dijing is very clear about the affairs of the Jinxian Demon Suppression Division."

Zhao Fusheng muttered to himself.

The fact that Tang Zuwang survived for more than 20 years is already a legend in itself.

Moreover, under his supervision, there have been no large-scale ghost disasters in Jin County in recent years - this is extremely rare.

Especially during the more than half a year that Zhao Fusheng guarded Wan'an County, many ghost cases broke out and countless people died because of ghost disasters.

In comparison, although there have been cases of suspected ghost disasters such as the ghost face sore in King County, the cases are small in scale and the number of deaths is small, which is already very rare.

Although Zhao Fusheng wanted to solve the ghost case, he knew the importance of it. He would not rashly disrupt the balance of Jin County and put the county in danger just because he was in a hurry to solve the ghost case.

After she finished speaking, she glanced at Ding Datong and said, "It seems that your initial guess was correct."

Ding Datong understood what he meant: the court ordered the ancestors of the Xie family to go to Shangyang County this time, probably to take action against Zhu Guangling.

Zhu Guangling is no pushover either.

As early as two years ago, he was controlling a disaster-level evil spirit. Putting aside his character and temperament, he could be said to have the strength of a gold general.

Judging from the situation in Wenxing County, Zhu Guangling governed Shangyang County very poorly and it was very likely on the brink of collapse.

If he still has reason, it means he still has human emotions such as fear, and things will be easier to deal with;
But if he is on the verge of a ghost reviving and has gone mad, that would be a problem.

For Zhao Fusheng, dealing with simple ghost disasters is simple. He only needs to find the laws of ghosts and restrain and utilize them.

But if the ghost still has thoughts, it will be different. The ghost will become cunning and difficult to deal with.

Thinking of this, Zhao Fusheng frowned.

Her two sentences sounded like a riddle. County Magistrate Jiang seemed to understand them but did not dare to ask.

Fortunately, after a moment, Zhao Fusheng looked at him:
"You should stand up first." After that, he added, "Let's not talk about the welcoming ceremony first. I have something to ask you."

As soon as she finished speaking, Mr. Qian trembled all over.

Magistrate Jiang responded and stood up. Then Zhao Fusheng said, "I just asked about the situation in Jin County. I guess something must have happened to Tang Zuwang..." When she said this, Magistrate Jiang's face turned visibly pale.

His pupils were trembling with extreme fear.

Apparently, just the mention of the three words "Tang Zuwang" was enough to scare him.

"I originally wanted to see what happened in Jin County. If there was any trouble, I would solve it. But since the court sent you to contact us after knowing that we were going to Beijing, it proves that the court is aware of the situation in Jin County. I will not touch this matter."

When County Magistrate Jiang heard this, he breathed a sigh of relief.

The temperament of ghost riders is often unpredictable.

The situation in Jin County is special. It is now very stable. Although some people die from "ghost face sores" every year, compared with the large-scale deaths of ordinary people caused by ghost disasters, the number of deaths can almost be ignored.

But if Zhao Fusheng insists on breaking the balance and meddling in this "other matter", then the problem will become serious.

Although County Magistrate Jiang was unclear about the purpose of the Changping County delegation's visit to Beijing, he did receive a piece of news that the leader of this trip was a general-level figure from the Changping County Demon Suppression Division.

A general-level ghost rider!
That was an existence that he didn't even dare to look up to.

If she were to address the situation in King County, perhaps the case of acne could be addressed.

But in this way, Jin County's protective shell will be broken. Once someone dies again, the evil spirit will be no joke after it resurrects.

County Magistrate Jiang was really afraid that Zhao Fusheng would meddle in other people's affairs without caring about the consequences. If something went wrong, the court would not blame Zhao Fusheng, but might hold him accountable.

Hearing Zhao Fusheng's promise not to meddle in other people's business, County Magistrate Jiang felt relieved: "Thank you, sir. To be honest, the situation in Jin County is complicated—"

He said this and looked left and right.

As soon as Zhao Fusheng saw it, he knew that he should understand Tang Zuwang's situation.

"However, when I passed by the Wuxian Temple, I promised the Chang family in the temple that I would bring their daughter back home." After Zhao Fusheng said this, County Magistrate Jiang showed a look of confusion and uneasiness on his face.

He instinctively looked at Master Qian, and Master Qian quickly said, "The Chang family is the Chang family involved in the case I am investigating this time." When he said this, County Magistrate Jiang understood.

"In order to fight a lawsuit with Yang Kaitai in the county, the Chang family sold their land and fields and sold their two daughters to the Wu family. Before you came back, this Lord Zhao was just saying that he wanted to go to the Wu family for a visit."

When Mr. Qian talked about this matter again, his tone and expression were completely different from before.

Although he didn't understand why Zhao Fusheng was still willing to help the Chang family at this point, as a member of the Demon Suppression Division, it was not difficult for him to get the two girls from the Wu family.

As soon as he finished speaking, County Magistrate Jiang was stunned: "Zhao? Lord Zhao? Isn't it Lord Ding from Changping County who is coming this time?"

"It's Lord Zhao." Upon hearing this, Ding Datong said, "It was Lord Feng from Xuzhou who initially contacted the Imperial Capital for this trip to the capital. It was agreed that I would lead the way, but something unexpected happened along the way. Now Lord Zhao is in charge."

After saying that, County Magistrate Jiang turned to look at him: "Then——"

"I am Ding Datong, the general of the Changping County Demon Suppression Division."

When Ding Datong's identity was exposed, everyone was shocked.

The lord of a county!
Mr. Liu Sanye and the others were bewildered. They only knew that the people from the Demon Suppression Division were high and mighty. As for which Demon Suppression Division it was and what the different positions meant, they had no idea at all.

Mr. Qian, County Magistrate Jiang and others were frightened.

Before Magistrate Jiang could react, he fell to his knees again.

The officers were slower in their movements, and when they saw the county magistrate kneel down, they all knelt down as well.

After a long time, County Magistrate Jiang gradually calmed down. He realized belatedly that the leader of this group of people coming from Changping County was actually the general of Changping County, and what he meant was that this Lord Zhao had the full authority. So who was this Lord Zhao?

While he was daydreaming, Zhao Fusheng said:

"Get up, stop kneeling, I need to go to the Wu family."

Hearing this, County Magistrate Jiang looked at Ding Datong, who said, "Lord Zhao said that you should get up. What are you looking at me for?"

Everyone then stood up tremblingly, and someone came in and said that the car going to Wu's house had been prepared.

Master Qian had only had two cars prepared in advance. There were quite a few people from the Demon Suppression Division, including the Lu family, and the two cars could not accommodate them all.

Mother Chen glanced at Lu Yuhe, and Lu Yuhe said, "We, we are not from the Demon Suppression Division, so we simply won't go—"

Mother Chen, who was holding Lu Paner, nodded.

But Chen Duozi hesitated for a moment and suddenly said, "I want to go."

"What are you doing?" Chen's mother asked in surprise, "The Demon Suppression Division is investigating a case, how can you——"

Zhao Fusheng glanced at Chen Duozi.

When Chen's mother scolded her, she was a little nervous. She held her sleeves tightly with both hands and lowered her head subconsciously.

But before Mother Chen could finish her words, Chen Duozi bit her lower lip and insisted, "Mother, you, you and the master, let me stay in the county government, I——" She rarely refuted Mother Chen at ordinary times, and she was a little nervous when she spoke at this time, but when she spoke later, her tone gradually became smoother and her attitude became much firmer:

"I want to go with Lord Zhao and the others." After saying that, he added, "I must go!"

"What's the point of you going? You're really crazy—" Chen's mother said anxiously, "You have a husband and a son. Why are you joining the adults from the Demon Suppression Division for fun?"

Chen Duozi turned his head away without saying anything, but took a few steps and stood beside Zhao Fusheng.

"Okay, Chen Duozi will come with us."

After Zhao Fusheng spoke, although Chen's mother was very unhappy, she did not dare to say anything more.

Chen Duozi breathed a sigh of relief when she spoke, and a faint smile appeared on his pale face: "Thank you, sir."

Meng Po glanced at her with pity and understanding in her eyes. Chen Duozi's eyes turned red and she lowered her head to wipe the corners of her eyes.

"The Lu family will stay here and wait. Chen Duozi will go with us. County Magistrate Jiang and Master Qian will also be in the same carriage. Master Liu San, Chang San, and Chang Si, you will drive the carriage and follow us."

Zhao Fusheng spoke.

When Mr. Liu San heard this, he flinched. "Hey, Chang San, what do you say?"

Chang San didn't understand the hidden meaning in his words, and just said, "Before we set out, mother said that we would ask the Wu family to return the remaining thirteen taels of silver--"

“……” Master Liu San was speechless.

After a while, he whispered a reminder: "The Wu family is not easy to mess with." After that, he sighed again:
"I shouldn't be involved in this, but we are from the same village, and it's not right to back off now." He raised his hand and slapped himself lightly: "The adults have spoken, so we just have to follow their orders. It doesn't matter whether it's bringing back two girls or taking money, whatever the adults say is what we do."

Chang San's eyes showed anxiety: "But——"

Mr. Liu said firmly, "We will all listen to the adults."

He had a high reputation in the Five Immortals Temple. Now that he had said this, Chang San and Chang Si were very unwilling, but they could only respond in unison: "Yes."

Everyone came out of the county government.

Mr. Liu Sanye and his companions were still following behind in their cars, while the Demon Suppression Division was divided into two teams, each sitting in two carriages.

Zhao Fusheng had something to ask Magistrate Jiang, so he asked him to go with him.

The vehicle moved forward slowly.

Magistrate Jiang squeezed his legs together, placed his hands on his knees, and looked nervous and uneasy.

"Do you go to the Demon Suppression Bureau on the first and fifteenth of every month?" Zhao Fusheng asked first.

Magistrate Jiang nodded stiffly, "Yes." After saying that, he realized his tone was stiff, and quickly added, "This is the court's rule."

"The imperial court still has such a rule?"

Zhao Fusheng smiled and turned to look at Ding Datong.

Ding Datong was also surprised and looked at Jiang Ying and the others. Everyone else shook their heads: "Never heard of it——"

Tao Lifang said, "But our county has also been plagued by ghosts in the past two years. Several gentry and merchants in the county often gather at the government office, and from time to time they ask the county magistrate to take the lead in sending some gold and silver treasures over—"

He also didn't remember whether the people in the county came on time on the first and fifteenth days of the lunar month. He only remembered that these people came very frequently.

Zhao Fusheng showed envy on his face.

Tao Lifang said immediately: "After the matter here is settled, I returned to the county and often went to see you and give you gifts."

His words frightened County Magistrate Jiang, who realized that he was also a ghost rider.

But I don’t know who Zhao Fusheng is.

It would have been fine if the generals of Changping County were in awe of her, but the demon-suppressing commanders of other counties were also so respectful to her.

Liu Yizhen said: "Fusheng, is it possible that the situation in Jin County is special, so the court has special regulations for this?"

Wu Shaochun nodded: "It's possible."

The imperial court had no explicit regulations on officials paying homage to the head of the Demon Suppression Division, but it only issued an order to Jin County - combined with Tang Zuwang's special situation, Zhao Fusheng felt that this was not like a visit, but more like a special kind of "surveillance".

She tilted her head to look at County Magistrate Jiang: "Do you go to the Demon Suppression Division on the first and fifteenth of every month?"

County Magistrate Jiang also heard the discussion, but he didn't dare to speak out. After hearing her question, he nodded quickly and said, "I'm going."

"What was it like when you got there? Did you meet Tang Zuwang?"

County Magistrate Jiang hesitated for a moment before answering, "Sir, every time I go to see Lord Tang, it is in the morning. On the first and fifteenth day of every month, Lord Tang will handle official business in the library of the Demon Suppression Department."

His tone was relatively calm, but Zhao Fusheng noticed that when he mentioned Tang Zuwang, his throat began to move, the muscles in his cheeks tensed, and goose bumps appeared on the skin under his ears.

Magistrate Jiang was unable to suppress his body's instinctive fear.

"What kind of person is he?" Zhao Fusheng asked calmly.

County Magistrate Jiang shook his head: "I don't know, Lord Tang is a bit taciturn and never talks to me--" He shuddered:
"I usually sit for half an hour and then get up and leave."

After saying this, he wiped the beads of sweat from his forehead and smiled stiffly, still frightened.

"At first, I was worried that Lord Tang would blame me, but, but Lord Tang's momentum was too strong, I, I really couldn't stand it."

He recalled that when he first arrived in Jin County to take up his post, he went to the Demon Suppression Division to pay his respects in accordance with court regulations.

At first I felt nervous and excited.

He was afraid of the existence of the ghost rider, but at the same time he wanted to please Tang Zuwang in order to gain his care.

However, all the preparations made by County Magistrate Jiang in advance were of no use.

Tang Zuwang didn't speak to him. He just sat there, which was intimidating.

When County Magistrate Jiang went to visit for the first time, he sat there for a long time, but in the end he did not get a response from Tang Zuwang.

He started to make small talk, but Tang Zuwang ignored him.

Recalling the scene of his first meeting with Tang Zuwang, County Magistrate Jiang began to tremble again.

He always went back very early, and Tang Zuwang also got up early. The early morning sunlight seemed unable to penetrate the haze of the Demon Suppression Division. When it shone into the library, the light appeared yellowish and had a chilly feeling.

Tang Zuwang sat behind his desk, with a tall cabinet full of files behind him. This shadow lingered over him all year round, making him feel desperate and depressed.

"To be honest, my first visit to Lord Tang was in June. The weather had already warmed up, but after I escaped back home, my hands and feet were frozen and my body was covered with blue and purple marks."

County Magistrate Jiang was so frightened that he lost his composure and said two truthful things: "I even asked my family to boil several basins of hot water for me to take a bath before I felt better."

Zhao Fusheng nodded: "Did Tang Zuwang cause you any trouble afterwards?"

County Magistrate Jiang was relieved and said, "That's not the case."

He said: "I was nervous at first, afraid that Lord Tang would blame me for being rude, but that didn't happen. When I went there again, it was the same as last time. I sat there for about half an hour, and Lord Tang didn't respond, so I got up and said goodbye."

This continues every month thereafter.

Every time he went and sat for half an hour, Tang Zuwang would just work and ignore him, and would not blame him when he left.

It's really strange.

"I have been here for nearly three years and will be leaving this June."

When County Magistrate Jiang said this, a look of relief appeared on his face.

Jin County was apparently safe, and from what he said, Tang Zuwang was not a difficult person to get along with, except for his odd temper and his silence. However, he seemed to be very afraid of Tang Wangzu.

Chen Duozi glanced at Meng Po, and Meng Po asked directly: "You seem to be very afraid of Tang Zuwang?"

"I, I'm not saying I'm scared, it's just that the feeling is very strange—" County Magistrate Jiang shook his head.

He stared at the floor of the carriage for a long while and said, "I always feel that Mr. Tang doesn't seem to be--"

Magistrate Jiang spoke out of fear for a moment, but when he came to his senses, he realized that he had said the wrong thing, so he shut his mouth tightly and said no more.

The Wu family was not far from the Jin County government office. While they were talking, the officer driving the carriage outside said, "Sir, we have arrived at the Wu family."

Magistrate Jiang breathed a sigh of relief.

He stood up first, holding up his robe and jumping off the car: "Sir, the Wu family is here."

Zhao Fusheng was no longer in a hurry to ask about Tang Zuwang.

Anyway, she is now in Jin County, and Tang Zuwang will meet her sooner or later. When the time comes, he will naturally know the truth.

The car stopped in front of a big house. When Zhao Fusheng and others got off the car, they found that there seemed to be a layer of haze lingering around the house.

If you look closely, the fog is light blue in color, with some bright red clouds in the form of silk, mixed in the mist, floating in the air above Wu's house. Suddenly, it looks magnificent, like a fairyland in clouds and mist.

But when Zhao Fusheng and others saw this scene, their expressions changed slightly.

Everyone in the Demon Suppression Division suddenly turned their heads and looked at each other, their eyes conveying the same message: Ghost Realm!

A ghost area appeared around the Wu family.

Ding Datong and others increased their vigilance.

Zhao Fusheng looked at County Magistrate Jiang calmly: "It's already noon, why are there such clouds over Wu's side?" She deliberately asked: "It looks like colorful clouds, very beautiful."

County Magistrate Jiang laughed:

"Clouds like this linger near the Wu family all year round."

She did not mention Tang Zuwang again, which made Magistrate Jiang less defensive and willing to say more: "It is said that this house was once an abandoned house. A murder happened in the house, and later it was haunted--"

After County Magistrate Jiang finished speaking, Zhao Fusheng was surprised and asked, "Didn't they say that the Wu family's house was originally Tang Zuwang's private property?"

"..." County Magistrate Jiang was stunned.

He then realized that an official from the county government must have mentioned this matter to Zhao Fusheng and others before he came. He immediately smiled and said, "Maybe that's the case. After all, it's been many years since the incident, so some things are unclear. To be honest, I have only been here for more than two years, so the locals may be more familiar with it."

This person is quite smooth-talking. He is very afraid of causing trouble by his words, so he speaks without making any mistakes.

Zhao Fusheng smiled and said, "Now that you put it that way, I'd like to hear what you know about this house."

"This..." While Magistrate Jiang was hesitating, Mr. Qian also got out of the car behind. Magistrate Jiang winked at him, indicating that he should knock on the door first.

After Master Qian knocked on the door, County Magistrate Jiang smiled and said, "I don't know if what I said is true or not. Since you are interested, just listen for fun."

After that, he said, "I heard that this house originally belonged to a family named Sun more than 40 years ago."

"More than forty years ago?" Meng Po, who was smiling, was surprised when she heard this and asked repeatedly.

"More than forty years ago? Forty-two years ago? Or was it forty-three years ago?"

Her anxious attitude frightened County Magistrate Jiang.

Zhao Fusheng gently placed his hand on Meng Po's wrist, signaling her to be patient.

After all, County Magistrate Jiang was only a latecomer, and he could only tell the truth about these rumors.

He was not from the Demon Suppression Bureau, so some of the historical files and archives related to the Demon Suppression Bureau were not accessible to him.

But he is a member of the imperial court, and the situation in Jin County is special. Since the imperial court wants to arrange for him to do something, it will definitely reveal some things to him accordingly.

Maybe I can get some unexpected surprises from the mouth of County Magistrate Jiang.

After being comforted by Zhao Fusheng, Meng Po managed to calm down, but there was still anxiety in her eyes.

County Magistrate Jiang said, "I'm not sure exactly which year it was. Maybe it was the forty-second year, or maybe it was the forty-third year."

Seeing that he was nervous, Zhao Fusheng comforted him, "It's okay, just tell me."

"Yes." County Magistrate Jiang responded, "I heard that the Sun family was quite well-off at the time and was doing business in other places..." At this point, he paused and looked at Ding Datong:
"Come to think of it, the Sun family seemed to be doing business in Xuzhou at the time, but it's been a long time since then, and I'm not sure exactly where in Xuzhou they were."

More than forty years ago was a special year. Zhao Fusheng was particularly sensitive to this time. He listened very carefully and motioned to Magistrate Jiang to continue.

County Magistrate Jiang said, "In the year when the incident happened, the son of the Sun family brought back a girl, saying that they were in love and wanted to get married, but it happened that the situation in Shangyang County was not good in those two years—"

Speaking of this, County Magistrate Jiang's eyes flickered.

Ding Datong and others immediately understood that the general of Shangyang County at that time was about to revive the evil spirit, acted cruelly and violently, and issued a special regulation on the "right of first night".

"I don't know how the family decided to leave Jin County. Anyway, not long after they left, one night, yellow-red blood suddenly flowed out of the mansion." County Magistrate Jiang said:

"The water was flowing everywhere. Some people nearby might not have noticed it at first, so they left footprints everywhere. Neighbors complained about it and reported it to the police. They said they suspected the Sun family had killed someone and hid in the old house. They fled because they were worried about what would happen."

The neighbors believed that after the Sun family left, no one dealt with the bodies, which had rotted and leaked out over time, so they wanted to ask the government to check.

"The government officials went in and never came back, and the people outside knew that there was something haunted in the Sun Mansion."

The incident was later reported to the Demon Suppression Division, and it was said that many people died and the situation was very serious.

"I don't know how the Demon Suppression Division handled this case, but after the subsequent incidents were settled and the house was cleaned up, it was vacant for a few years." County Magistrate Jiang said, "Some people were afraid and didn't dare to get close to it in the early days. Later, since it was such a large house, some people also wanted to take it. But after the ghost disaster, the Sun family didn't come back, so the house was assumed to be the private property of the successive magistrates of the Demon Suppression Division. It wasn't until more than 20 years ago that the then Lord Tang awarded it to the Wu family, and then the house became popular."

Thanks to '肉肉酱吃肉肉' for the reward in November. At that time, I was one chapter short of updating and I couldn't adjust my state, so I owed it. Today I combined the three chapters into one and made up for it~!