I become a god in another world

Chapter 509 Ups and Downs
Chapter 509
Zhang Chuanshi had worked with Zhao Fusheng on several ghost cases and knew her temperament and personality. He tried to describe Zang Xiongshan's past in as much detail as possible so that she would be more comfortable handling human skin ghost cases in the future.

As he narrated, his eyes gradually changed and he fell into memories.

"In the 184th year of the Han Dynasty, he came to the Imperial Capital and stayed at my house." Zhang Chuanshi whispered:
"He was 27 or 28 years old that year, still unmarried and single. He came to Beijing in late November when it snowed heavily. He wore a patched jacket, the edges of his trouser legs were rotten like brushes, and straw sandals on his feet, his ankles and heels were rotten and full of cracks."

"When he entered the city, the soldiers on duty at the city gate thought he was a beggar and drove him away several times. I heard that he worked for others outside the city for half a month and saved up money to pay the entrance fee before he could enter the city."

"..."

Zhao Fusheng's brows slowly furrowed.

Meng Po, who was originally full of resentment, also looked stunned.

Zhu Guangling's stiff cheeks twitched slightly twice.

In everyone's mind, Zang Xiongshan, who committed the tragic murder of Sun and Shen in Shangyang County 44 years ago and caused many ghost disasters to occur one after another, is the source of many tragedies. This person is truly the culprit and the source of all evil.

He was the creator of the "Right of First Night" in Shangyang County. Because of the birth of this law, many families in Shangyang County have suffered terribly over the years; it also caused extremely bad consequences to the local area.

A state of oppression has been formed.

The Demon Suppression Division oppressed wealthy businessmen and gentry - even Sun Shaoyin's wealthy family could not escape his exploitation.

Officials were suppressed by the Demon Suppression Division, but at the same time, the government, while being suppressed, also attacked the weaker people.

During this period, the people of Shangyang County suffered terribly and had no place to turn to.

Such a person was extremely evil and had committed countless evil deeds. The impression he left on everyone was that of a vicious person. But in Zhang Chuanshi's words, this evil Zang Xiongshan actually lived an extremely painful life when he was young.

There were footsteps in the corridor, and Fan Wujiu, who had dragged Liu Yequan away earlier, came back.

But at this time no one cared about his return, everyone's attention was attracted by Zhang Chuanshi's words.

He is usually sneaky and has a bad image and unpleasant personality, but unexpectedly, when he mentioned Zang Xiongshan, he was very eloquent.

As they followed his narration, they could almost imagine the difficult journey of a poor man trying to find a way back to the capital in the snowy capital.

"He is originally from the Imperial Capital. Our ancestors were ghost riders who made great contributions to the Han Dynasty."

Zhang Chuanshi shouted softly with a hoarse voice.

Mr. Xie's eyelashes trembled.

Not sure if it was Zhao Fusheng’s illusion, but she seemed to hear a faint sigh.

"He left Beijing when he was very young, and he came all the way here relying only on his childhood memories. It was already late at night when he knocked on the door. When my father opened the door and saw him, he couldn't believe his eyes."

Zang Xiongshan's feet were worn out from walking so much and his hands were covered with cracks from the cold.

But the two were blood relatives after all - the clan relationship was close at that time, and Zhang Chuanshi's father recognized Zang Xiongshan immediately when he saw him.

"They hugged each other and cried bitterly."

Zhang Chuanshi had tears in his eyes and whispered:

"My mother immediately got up to boil water for him to wash and soak his feet. His feet were pierced by a lot of gravel and thorns, and it took a long time to clean them up."

Zang Xiongshan came here because he heard that his biological parents had passed away and wanted to come back to pay their respects.

"My family was poor at the time and we had a hard time, but my parents were very welcoming to see our relatives coming." Zhang Chuanshi said:
"It's fate. My father is also a craftsman—"

Having said this, he paused for a moment, as if he was a little hesitant, but in the end, for some reason, he looked up at Zhao Fusheng, then closed his eyes again, with a determined look on his face, and said:

“He runs a lantern shop.”

"Every day before dawn, my mother would get up to light a fire and cook the paste. My father would weave bamboo frames to make lanterns, then paint them with patterns and sell them to the nobles in the city."

The conversation was originally about Zang Xiongshan, but Zhang Chuanshi suddenly interrupted and talked about his own parents.

But he did not stay on his parents for too long. Instead, he changed the subject and returned to Zang Xiongshan:
"The day after my third uncle came to my house, he got up before dawn and helped my parents with their work. At noon, he took out a large purse from his pocket and gave it to me. The purse contained 16 taels of silver."

"It's in tiny pieces, some of the silver is covered with black paste, I don't know how long it has been saved."

Zhang Chuanshi said in a heavy tone:
"Sir, our ancestors were once glorious, but by the time it was passed down to our fathers, this glory had long been worn away, and the Demon Suppression Division no longer remembered us."

The imperial court imposed heavy taxes and levies, and Zang Xiongshan was living under someone else's roof and had to support his clan father who had a strange temper. He was an apprentice when he was young and had to pay various taxes on a regular basis. It was really not easy for him to save this money.

When he took out the money and gave it to Zhang Chuanshi, his father was shocked.

Before entering the city, the soldiers on duty at the city gate would search his body and extort the city tax from him. He didn't know where he hid the money and how hard it was for him to bring it in.

"My father said at the time that we couldn't accept it!"

Zhang Chuanshi recalls the past with bitterness and astringency:
"But my third uncle said that we are all descendants of the Zang family. My father's son is almost the same as his son. His life is almost over. It is not easy for him to save money. He will take care of his father in his old age and he will probably never get married and have children in this life. If I don't give these coffins to my nephew, who else can I give them to?"

Zang Xiongshan hoped that Zhang Chuanshi would not be like him. He hoped that he would have extra money in the future so that he could marry and have children. It would be best if he could open a small shop and live in harmony with his wife, like his father, and support his family.

After he said this, Zhang Chuanshi's father could no longer refuse, so he swore to heaven that if Zang Xiongshan had not married and remained single, if he and his wife had children in the future, regardless of whether they were boys or girls, he would adopt the children to Zang Xiongshan, who would take care of him in his old age and see him to the end of his life.

After this incident, the two brothers became closer.

Zhang Chuanshi paused for a moment when he said this.

His words weighed heavily on everyone's ears, and no one spoke to break the silence.

The weather in Shangyang County is very strange.

It can be seen that the sun is in the sky, but the air seems to be covered with a thin layer of gray fog, which casts a shadow on the sunlight. At this time, many water droplets can be seen floating in the air with the naked eye.

Most of the people present had more or less connection with ghosts. Zhao Fusheng and others were ghost riders, while Zhang Chuanshi, Liu Yizhen and others all rode very evil creatures.

Nothing related to ghosts will have a good ending.

Fortunately, among the people in Wan'an County, except Meng Po and Zhang Chuanshi, everyone is still young and has no worries about relatives and offspring. They also don't have to be constrained by reality like Zhu Guangling because of their clansmen.

"My third uncle came here to pay respect to his parents. He stayed in the capital for a few days and then returned. Before he left, my father was reluctant to let him go. He held his hand and wouldn't let him go. He persuaded him to stay and make a living in the capital."

After a while, Zhang Chuanshi continued to talk about the past:

"My family has two houses of our ancestors. They are a little small, but if we can find a way to divide them into half and separate them with bamboo fences, people can live in them. My third uncle is a bamboo craftsman and can weave bamboo. The two of us can open a paper and bamboo shop together and make a living."

Zang Xiongshan refused.

He was born in the capital, but his roots were already in Guanjiang County, Xuzhou.

There is his adoptive father who raised him.

Although his adoptive father treated him badly, he could not be unjust because his adoptive father was not kind. "He said that his clan father was old and needed someone to take care of him." But he did not say anything definite. Before leaving, he promised Zhang Chuanshi's father that after his adoptive father passed away, if he did not get married and had no ties in Guanjiang County, he would come to Beijing to live with his younger brother, sister-in-law and nephew.

The two brothers were very cordial when they met this time.

Zhang Chuanshi said:

"Years after he passed away, my father still thought about it."

Due to the inconvenience of transportation at that time, it was also inconvenient to deliver letters and objects, and Zang Xiongshan was not yet literate, so the two brothers rarely contacted each other since then.

"Until the year 187 of the Han Dynasty, my mother became pregnant. My father was overjoyed and wrote a letter to inform my third uncle of the news, saying that when the child was born, whether it was a boy or a girl, it would be registered under my third uncle's name."

"My parents got married at a young age, and they were very loving to each other." Zhang Chuanshi looked up at Zhao Fusheng again, and said with tears in his eyes:

"Sir, my mother is gentle and virtuous, and she cares about my father. My father has a cheerful temperament, is kind and generous, and never sits idly by when the tribe asks him for help. He has a very good reputation in the Imperial Capital. He loves his wife and children, and does everything he can at home and outside."

"In the winter, my mother sympathized with his hard work in making lanterns, and sometimes wanted to get up early to make the paste so as not to wake my father. My father was even more distressed by the cold weather and was afraid that my mother's hands would get frostbite, so he always woke up earlier than her."

Whoever of the couple gets up first will go downstairs quietly, and when the other wakes up, they will always find the other in front of the stove. They will look at each other with reproachful smiles, and finally start working together with He Meimei.

After Zhang Chuanshi finished speaking, he continued:

"My mother also agreed with my father's decision. After ten months of pregnancy, she gave birth to my sister. She didn't give her a name, but just called her a nickname, hoping that my third uncle would name her."

Unfortunately, after Zang Xiongshan left, no further news was heard.

"The next time I heard from him, it was five years after I last saw him."

"189."

Zhao Fusheng finally spoke at this time.

Zhang Chuanshi lowered his head.

Liu Yizhen continued, "In 189, the headless ghost case in the capital happened."

Zhao Fusheng had seen part of the life record of Zang Xiongshan in the files of Tang Zuwang in Jin County. The approximate time period was basically consistent with what Zhang Chuanshi said - except that Zhang Chuanshi's narrative contained more detailed information about Zang Xiongshan's life and background.

"According to the records of Jin County, Zang Xiongshan was born into a family of ghost riders and held a high position of power."

As soon as Zhao Fusheng finished speaking, Zhang Chuanshi laughed:
"My ancestors did have a ghost rider, but that was many years ago." His smile was bitter. "What do you mean by high position and power? If they are really so high position and power, why do their descendants have such a hard life? I guess they are just minions filling the gap. When people die, it's like a light goes out. Who will remember the past of their family?"

When he said this, his face was full of anger and indignation.

Mr. Xie looked up at him, wanting to say something but stopping himself, and finally sighed softly.

Zhao Fusheng kept his eyes on all directions and his ears alert.

Mr. Xie's every move did not escape her eyes and ears, and her heart moved.

She originally trusted Zhang Chuanshi's words. From what he said, even if the Zang family had a long history in the past, it had long since declined and was no longer known by the generation of Zang Xiongshan.

But at this moment, Mr. Xie's behavior was strange, as if he didn't quite agree with what Zhang Chuanshi said.

Could it be that the Zang family really has a great background?
She kept this suspicion in mind and planned to see if she could find any useful clues later.

"In short, although my third uncle came to Beijing in 189, his journey was not so smooth this time—"

His expression was gloomy, and his lips trembled:
"He was escorted to Beijing to await execution."

Everyone looked at each other, and they were curious and felt strange. Zhu Guangling asked:
"He got into big trouble?"

Zhang Chuanshi nodded weakly:

"We didn't know at the time, but because the case involved a lot of people, including the life and death of officials from the Demon Suppression Division, someone found us through the letter my father sent that year. That's when we found out that Third Uncle had gone to Beijing."

'Alas.' He sighed, wiped his face again, pulled himself together, and continued:

"He got into trouble in Guanjiang County and was involved in a lawsuit. It is said that he killed several people - one of whom was a ghost rider."

Zhao Fusheng blinked.

According to the records of Tang Zuwang of Jin County, when Zang Xiongshan appeared in the records in 189, he was indeed already controlling a ghost.

However, new doubts arose in everyone's mind:
"Being able to kill a ghost rider proves that Zang Xiongshan is at least a ghost rider now."

Ghost riders have special privileges, so how could they be arrested for murder and then sent to the imperial capital?
Zhang Chuanshi lowered his head and smiled bitterly:
"This is a long story. To talk about the origin, we have to start with a lawsuit."

Since the topic has already been raised today, Zhang Chuanshi simply pours out the beans:
"Your Excellency is also aware that the Demon Suppression Departments in various places have their own rules for handling cases every year."

Everyone present was from the Demon Suppression Division and was well aware of this. They all nodded when they heard this.

Zhu Guangling said:

"The county government's Demon Suppression Department must handle three ghost cases every year, otherwise it will be retaliated by the Soul Fate Book."

"Not bad." Zhang Chuanshi nodded:

"Once your name is recorded in the Soul Book, it is equivalent to signing a contract with the ghost. If you fail to fulfill the 'agreement', you will be devoured by the ghost."

This is the special and powerful rule of the ghost minions controlled by Jia Yi.

"This is also for the benefit of local government offices." Zhu Guangling said:
"After controlling ghosts, ghost controllers worry that the evil ghosts will revive. Once the power has passed, they are afraid of ghost cases. That's why the Demon Suppression Department has rules for this. It's to prevent ghost controllers from relying on their power and becoming complacent, fearing that local ghost disasters will spread."

"Maybe the original idea was good—" Zhang Chuanshi said sadly:

"Unfortunately, many things may not go as planned."

There are countermeasures from the top and policies from the bottom.

The ghost controllers in the demon-suppression offices in various places are often in the company of ghosts, so their fear of ghosts is even deeper than that of many ordinary people.

The more power a ghost rider uses, the easier it is for the evil ghost to get out of control - and most ghost riders are still restricted in front of evil ghosts, and the chance of death is very high.

However, the Demon Suppression Division has an iron rule of handling three cases every year. If they try to solve a ghost case, it may result in death (either from a ghost disaster or from the resurrection of a vicious ghost); if they do not solve the ghost case, they may be retaliated by the Book of Souls and Fates.

As a result, many people want to take advantage of loopholes.

They would artificially create tragedies, then add more vicious objects to the crime scene to confuse the public, and finally capture a scapegoat and put him in jail.

Zang Xiongshan was unlucky that year and this happened to him.

When Zhao Fusheng heard this, a speechless look appeared on his face.