At what age are you still being a traditional monster?

Just listen to him and curse:

"You city god! As a guardian god, why did you teach this epidemic to ravage my Ping'an county? This is a crime of dereliction of duty!"

"It's time to fight!" The crowd echoed.

"Last night, Lao Liang's father gave him a dream, saying that he had been sick and died for more than three months, and he hadn't been reincarnated in the underworld. You are the city god and have the job of managing the underworld in our county. You have failed in your duty again!"

"It's time to fight!" Lao Liang took the lead and shouted.

The black-faced man counted the crimes of the city god one by one. Most of them were relatives who dreamed that they could not enter the underworld and became wandering ghosts. Actually counted 72 crimes.

In the end, the black-faced man took the whip in his hand and declared: "Chenghuang, listen carefully, these 72 crimes are all true, so I should give you a full 72 lashes!"

After all, the black-faced man swung his whip with all his strength, and was about to hit the city god's muddy body. Just as the whip was about to fall, everyone heard:

"Wait a minute!"

The black-faced man hurriedly stopped, looked around, and said, "Who told you to stop!"

"I!"

Everyone looked for the voice, and it was a Taoist priest. The Taoist priest was wearing an old Taoist robe and was covered with a straw mat, and they all moved out of the way.

It's not that everyone admired Taoist priests, but they saw clearly that Lin Xu was carrying a person who had died of an illness, so they all wanted to avoid him.

Lin Xu put the old woman's son on the ground, and said to the old woman and Chen Zao behind him: "Wait, I'll come as soon as I go."

Seeing Lin Xu, the black-faced man said, "You Taoist priest, why did you stop? Could it be that you want to excuse the City God."

Lin Xu said: "If the City God is dereliction of duty in public, you can beat him, but even if the King of Hades decides the case, you have to ask someone to refute the case. It would be unreasonable for you to beat the City God if you can't help but say it."

The dark-faced man didn't hear Lin Xu's sophistry, and said: "If he doesn't speak up, he's pleading guilty, unless you let him speak up to defend himself."

Lin Xu smiled and said, "What's so difficult about this?"

After finishing speaking, Lin Xu took out the fragrant wax yellow paper from the City God's Temple, touched it in front of the City God's clay body, chanted a mantra, and said loudly: "Please meet the City God of Ping'an County!"

"Where did the demon come from to pretend to be a ghost!" Seeing Lin Xu doing this, the black-faced man was furious.

But as a puff of green smoke rose from the clay body of the City God, all doubts disappeared instantly.

Under the eyes of everyone, the green smoke rising from the city god's muddy body gradually condensed into a human figure. The man was dressed in a green cannon, and he cupped his hands at Lin Xu and said:

"The little god is here."

Chapter 26 City God is Difficult to Make

"City God! It's the City God, there really is a City God!"

The crowd made a noise, half of the people saw a city god running out of the city god mud and knelt down to worship, and the other half looked at the city god with hatred in their eyes.

However, the eyes of everyone looking at Lin Xu were the same, this must be a high-ranking person, otherwise the city god who the people of Ping'an County have worshiped for decades would not have been seen, how could he come out when he called out.

Lin Xu enjoyed everyone's admiring gazes, and said to the Qingpao City God, "Poverty Ling Xuzi has seen the City God of Ping'an County."

Chenghuang cupped his hands and said, "It's easy to say, I don't know why you called me so long."

Lin Xu smiled and said: "You, they will use your muddy body to whip and vent their hatred. If I hadn't saved you, you would have suffered a lot of flesh and blood. Why do you ask me?"

The City God said helplessly: "The common people are suffering from the epidemic, I have neglected my duty, and I deserve the pain of flesh and blood."

"Chenghuang, let me ask you why the people in Ping'an County prayed to you for three whole months, and went in and out of the City God's Temple day and night, but you turned a blind eye and watched us suffer!" Someone in the crowd shouted at Chenghuang.

"Yeah, why!"

"And my father, who gave me dreams every night, saying that he would not be able to reincarnate because you didn't bring him into the underworld!"

Questions followed one after another, and the City God's expression was miserable.

Lin Xu interrupted: "Everyone, Pindao has a proposal. Now that people are talking too much, how about letting Pindao interrogate him?"

The black-faced man said: "Hmph, since you invited the City God out, then it's up to you to ask." After finishing speaking, he raised his hands to stop the noise of the crowd.

Lin Xu said to Chenghuang: "Chenghuang, let me ask you, what is the cause of the epidemic in Ping'an County? Is it a punishment from God, or is there a plague ghost?"

God's punishment refers to the fact that the plague department of the heavenly court was ordered by the Jade Emperor to send down plagues, but it is generally only used to warn the innocent emperors in the mortal world, and the righteous gods of the plague department will only bring down plagues that can be controlled by humans. Even if someone is going to die because of this, it is that person's fate is fixed, or he has committed too many crimes in his life, or he has committed crimes in the previous life and will pay back in this life.

As for the plague ghost, the plague ghost is the condensation of the undead and resentment of the dead after a plague in the mortal world. The plague ghost is different from ordinary ghosts and cannot be reborn. It can only wander in the world and strengthen itself through the undead who died of the plague. They will leave only when there is an epidemic.

But plague ghosts hate the smell of herbal medicine. As long as they practice medicine properly, ordinary doctors can dispel plague ghosts. If the plague ghosts are invincible with manpower, it is the responsibility of the city god.

In these two cases, if it is the former, it is because the people of Ping’an County or the county chief did some bad things that caused the gods to punish them, and the city god is powerless.

But the City God said: "Neither, the little god has neither received an order from the righteous god of the Ministry of Plague, nor has he seen the Plague Ghost."

Lin Xu frowned, and asked in doubt: "So there are demons at work?"

Chenghuang said: "The little god's magic power is low, I really can't figure out the details."

"Okay, let me ask you again, many relatives in Ping'an County have dreamed that you failed to lead them into the underworld, so what happened to them not to be reborn?"

The City God smiled bitterly and said: "Those people all died of the epidemic. The little god has checked carefully. Their lifespan does not match the lifespan in the book of life and death. They can't be brought to the underworld before they have reached the end of their lives."

Lin Xu said: "Then they should be taken to the City of Death, and handed over to King Biancheng."

The City of Dead Death is actually a city created by Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva for the ghosts who died of innocent disasters.

"But it's the fault here, but the emissary from the city of vain death said, those people didn't die in vain, they just died of their lives."

Lin Xu couldn't help frowning and said: "Nonsense, their lifespans are written in black and white in the book of life and death, how come your life is not over here, and you will die when you arrive in the city of death!"

The City God said: "The little god is also strange, so he entered the underworld and went to check the life and death book with the judge, only to find that the life and death book of Ping'an County held by the little god did not match the one in the underworld! Those who died because of the epidemic actually died of old age. , but in the book of life and death in the hands of the little god, they all have several years to live."

"The book of life and death is not right, the little god immediately thought that it had been tampered with, but the book of life and death in Ping'an County is under the control of the little god, and it must be the responsibility of the little god if something happened, so he didn't dare to report it when he was in the underworld. Come back and find out why."

The book of life and death was tampered with. In Lin Xu's memory, only monkeys did this. He never thought that other people would dare to do it.

Lin Xu asked: "This book of life and death has always been in your hands?"

"When the little god is busy with other things, it is under the supervision of my subordinates."

"Where is the verdict?"

"Three months ago, Little God disappeared?"

"Never looked for it?"

"The little god is the city god of this county, and the ghosts and gods of this county are not allowed to leave the county, so..."

I!

Lin Xu suddenly regretted saving the City God. He was beaten really unjustly. He actually concealed and did not report such a big incident, and the follow-up treatment was inappropriate, so he deserved to be beaten!

Lin Xu asked again: "Who is that Wenpan, there is always a name."

At this time, the black-faced man said: "I know!"

Lin Xu asked suspiciously: "You know?"

"That's right, we were the ones who invited us into the Chenghuang Temple back then." The black-faced man paused, then continued:

"That Wenpan's surname was Zeng Qi. He is from this county. He grew up as an orphan in this county. He used to wander around the streets all day without doing a proper job, but one day he suddenly changed his ways and started to help the orphans and widows in the village. , One day he unfortunately fell ill and passed away, we thought that he had a trace of a prodigal son and had a good reputation in the county, so after his death, we molded a clay body for him, and invited him into the Temple of the City God to be judged."

Lin Xu said silently: "The prodigal son is coming back?"

A street trick suddenly changed?

The City God also said: "That Tso Qi is diligent in doing things under my command, and he shows concern for the people of this county everywhere, so I occasionally hand over the life and death book to him. I never thought that he would disappear suddenly. I used the law to arrest him." I can't call him, and he is the ghost of this county, and he can't leave the boundary of this county. I sent the God of Day and Night, and contacted the land of the mountain god, and I searched for it every day, but there was no trace."

"That means you have already left Ping'an County." Lin Xu said, "But the local ghosts and gods cannot leave the local area. He is only a civil judge of the Town God's Temple, how can he have the magic power to ignore this heavenly rule?"

After thinking about it, Lin Xu suddenly thought of the post station before, and he must pass by this Pingan County on the way from that post station.

So he asked, "When was Zeng Qi born and when did he die?"

Chenghuang opened the book of life and death and said: "According to what is written on it, he was born 40 years ago and died 20 years ago."

The person at the inn was killed 50 years ago, and then the Yaodao stayed at the inn for more than ten years. If the Yaodao passed through this peace, how old should Zongqi be? Is there any connection between the two? ?

Lin Xu asked the City God, "Are there any records about outsiders in Ping'an County?"

The City God shook his head and said, "There are only the books of life and death and the books of good and evil for people born in this county."

Lin Xu asked the people below: "50 years ago, were there any foreigners who impressed you deeply?"

Most of the people below are young people. If you want to ask about 50 years, you can only ask those old people, I am afraid it will be difficult.

Sure enough, the people below shook their heads.

Lin Xu saw that it was difficult to have more clues about the matter, and the crowd gathered more and more, so he said to the City God, "Then let's ask this first."

Chenghuang nodded, then looked at the people under his eyes, and said to Lin Xu: "Can the little god go back to the temple?"

Lin Xu said to the black-faced man, "You can continue."

Cheng Huang was stunned and remained silent.

Chapter 27 There are traces

Lin Xu didn't want to take care of this city god anymore, let him be scolded by the people of Ping'an County, he deserved to be beaten and scolded.

"Old man, let's go."

The old woman had just recovered from the shock, there were too many facts that happened just now, and it was the Taoist priest in front of her who called out the city god, and it was her own son's death that seemed strange.

Chen Zao on the side gave a thumbs up and said: "Master Taoist, you are really amazing, not only the land of the mountain god, but even the city god is always on call."

Lin Xu smiled slightly, carried the old woman's son on his back again, and said: "If you want to go first, you don't have to wait for me."

Chen Zao hurriedly said: "Wait, of course we have to wait for the Taoist priest."

There is still some distance to the destination, if Lin Xu is with him, there is no need to be afraid of any monsters along the way.

Lin Xu turned his head to the old woman and said, "Old man, let's go."

The old woman nodded dully, and walked ahead uncomfortably.

Ten miles away from the county seat of Ping'an County, there is a barren hill where the old woman chose to bury her son.

Poor people like her can't find any geomantic treasures. Besides, her son has no heirs, so she doesn't have to think about Yin Meng's heirs.

Lin Xu helped the old woman dig a hole and buried her son's body. The old woman found a piece of rotten wood and wanted to erect a monument for her son, but she couldn't read a single word, so Lin Xu had to help write her son's name.

"My son, you must do well on the way to the underworld, and don't forget to mention the merits of your kindness in front of the king of hell when you arrive in the underworld."

Lin Xu only smiled when he heard this, and he didn't know if there was his own name in the book of life and death in the underworld, or if there was only a wolf demon named "Ling Xuzi".

After the old woman paid homage to her son, Lin Xu said: "Old man, let me take you back."

"Hmm..." The old woman nodded and got up with Lin Xu's support, but she immediately pulled her hand away and bowed to Lin Xu.

Lin Xu immediately supported him, "Old man, what are you doing!"

The old woman's eyes whirled and said: "I don't know if I should bother my benefactor any more, but after I know that my son's death is something else, I really feel unwilling!"

Lin Xu reluctantly comforted him: "Old man, you also heard from the city god that your son Yangshou is only born in these years."

"It would be fine if this was my son's life, but he died in so much pain, was tortured so badly by the disease, and cried 'Mother, I hurt' every night, I feel bad as a mother. "

After a short silence, Lin Xu said: "But now Zeng Qi, the Wen judge who changed the book of life and death, has disappeared, and it is not easy to seek justice."

The old woman suddenly seemed to have thought of something, her eyes lit up and said: "The Taoist priest just asked if there were any outsiders coming to Ping'an County in the past 50 years, I suddenly remembered!"

"Oh, old man, please tell me."

"About 30 years ago, I just gave birth to my son, and my deceased husband was still there. One day, a Taoist priest came to my house to beg for a drink of saliva. When the Taoist priest saw my son, he said that he would not live long. I panicked at the time. In a hurry, I quickly asked what was going on."

"He said that my son's fetal gas was injured in the mother's womb, and he could only live to be more than 30 years old. I asked him what to do, and he said that unless the book of life and death was changed, it would be difficult for gods to save him."

"At that time, I was heartbroken and anxious, but I had no choice but to go to the Town God's Temple day and night to worship and pray for my son."

Lin Xu asked: "Have you ever met that Taoist?"

The old woman said: "The Taoist stayed in Ping'an County for about five or six years. He often met people on the street and collected some money to make a living, but I don't see him very often."

"Then do you still remember what that Taoist looks like?"

"Wearing Taoist robes like you, Engong, but the robes are black, with a lotus flower embroidered with gold thread."

It is that demon way!

Lin Xu was startled, feeling that he had found a clue.

When the Yaodao was at the post station, he used passers-by to refine some longevity pills, and when he arrived in Ping'an County, he seemed to have the idea of ​​life and death book.