I become a god in another world

Chapter 629 Borrowing a Passage Through the Canyon
Chapter 629

Yu Lingzhu's expression shifted, a complex feeling welling up within her, but her eyes revealed a look of defensiveness and provocation:
Do you want to hear me out any further?

'Ugh. '

Zhao Fusheng sighed and said:

"You're talking about the Chang family of Wuqing County, why shouldn't I listen?"

"Hmph." Yu Lingzhu snorted lightly, then said:

“After I survived, the Chang family took me in. At that time, the Chang family was small. Old Mrs. Chang had three sons and one daughter. Her daughter was already married, and the first two of her sons were engaged. Her youngest son was still young. She asked me if I would be willing to marry her youngest son, and I agreed at the time.”

These past events are secrets to Yu Lingzhu, things she is unwilling to mention.

Within the Imperial Capital's Demon Suppression Division, some people had only a vague understanding of her past, but no one dared to bring it up in front of her—this was evident from the earlier incident where Wang Zhiyi's comment that she was a 'husband-killer' had enraged her.

But at this moment, Zhao Fusheng possessed a calming power.

Yu Lingzhu was initially quite resistant to her presence, especially after learning that she was going to investigate the Wuqing County case, and had a bad impression of her.

However, as the two interacted more and more, Yu Lingzhu couldn't help but develop feelings for her, and even these secret past experiences of her heart were easily revealed from her mouth.

After she finished speaking, she felt a little regretful, but she had no intention of stopping.

"But I told the old lady that I have my own things to do," she said calmly.
"The opera troupe members died, and I want to collect their bodies."

Collecting corpses is no easy task.

She was an orphan, and very young at the time. The opera troupe had quite a few members, and it would have been incredibly difficult for her to collect and bury all of these corpses one by one.

Fan Bisi said:

"The opera troupe didn't treat you well either, you even said the troupe leader wanted to—" He paused, then asked:

"To put it bluntly, it's just your good fortune that these people were imprisoned before the opera troupe harmed you, allowing you to be rescued by the Chang family and escape. Why do you still want to collect their corpses?"

Upon hearing this, Yu Lingzhu was not angry; instead, she smiled slightly.
"In this world, is chastity more important than survival?" Her words made Wang Zhiyi's hand tremble.

"The troupe leader was harsh, but during my childhood, he always protected me, provided me with food and lodging, and kept me alive. I didn't die during those years. That is kindness."

She said calmly:
"A favor is a favor, but it's hard to say because later the troupe leader wanted to use me to serve others, which turned into enmity. Besides, what happened later didn't happen."

Chen Duozi and Meng Po felt a little strange upon hearing this.

Meng Po's expression twitched:

"You're quite insightful."

Yu Lingzhu didn't know whether Meng Po's words were a compliment or sarcasm:

"I'll take that as a compliment."

Meng Po said, "She is quite sentimental, but isn't she too sentimental?"

Yu Lingzhu smiled sweetly.

Isn't it a good thing to value relationships?

"It's hard to say," Zhao Fusheng shook his head.

She thought of Zhu Guangling.

Zhu Guangling was also a man of great loyalty and righteousness, but the object of his loyalty and righteousness was his own clansmen. He sacrificed countless people for his clansmen. Such loyalty and righteousness was actually an extreme form of selfishness.

Yu Lingzhu's actions were similar to his.

She was too sentimental and protected the Chang family members who were good to her, which caused the Chang family's power to grow rapidly under her protection, which was not necessarily beneficial to the local people.

However, saying that would take the topic too far, so Zhao Fusheng didn't say it aloud.

Yu Lingzhu seemed to understand her words only partially, but she could tell that she had no intention of dwelling on the matter, so she said:

"In short, I was planning to collect the bodies of the opera troupe, and Grandma Chang agreed and was willing to help me."

At that time, Old Lady Chang's third son was young and married early. Yu Lingzhu's existence was equivalent to Old Lady Chang arranging a child bride for her third son.

In the following years, Old Mrs. Chang's third son unfortunately died young, before he reached adulthood and got married.

At this time, Yu Lingzhu was not yet married, and she became a widow.

At this point, Zhao Fusheng finally understood why Wang Zhiyi had become so furious when she called her a jinx.

"After Chang Sanfu died, Old Madam Chang didn't blame me. She even said I could consider the Chang family as my maternal family and find a good place to go in the future." Her eyes welled up with tears as she recalled the past.

"Zhao Fusheng, how could there be a problem with such a good family like the Chang family?"

"Hard to say," Zhao Fusheng shook his head.

Yu Lingzhu had initially developed a slight liking for her because of her saying that she was a "husband-killer," but after hearing her say "hard to say" twice in a row, anger suddenly surged into her heart.

She suddenly stood up, her eyebrows raised in anger:

“Zhao Fusheng, I dislike people who speak hesitantly. Can’t you be more straightforward? Black is black, and white is white. If you agree with my character, just say so. If you don’t like the Chang family, just say so directly. What do you mean by always saying ‘it’s hard to say’ and ‘it’s difficult to say’? Do you have a preconceived notion about the Chang family?”

A cold smile played on Wang Zhiyi's lips, his eyes gleaming with mockery as he fanned the flames.
"Yu Lingzhu is a dog in the Chinese zodiac. She'll bite anyone who gets involved with the Chang family."

"Shut up!" Yu Lingzhu turned her head and scolded again.

Zhao Fusheng said:

“There’s no such thing as black and white. The Chang family has been kind to you, so you naturally think they are the best family in the world, but they may not be the best to others.”

"What do you mean?" Yu Lingzhu asked unhappily.

She had feelings for Zhao Fusheng and naturally hoped that he would like the Chang family as much as she did. However, she did not receive the response she deserved, and her anger was even greater than it had been in the previous two days, which made her tone a bit harsher.

Zhao Fusheng's attitude also began to harden:
"Don't pretend you don't understand. The Chang family has only been kind to you, but now you are repaying their kindness by taking from the interests of the people of Wuqing County. This is equivalent to being generous with other people's money."

Yu Lingzhu was somewhat unconvinced by these words.

Before she could speak, Zhao Fusheng continued:
"Don't be unconvinced. Let me ask you this: you are a high-level ghost tamer, you should understand the advancement of ghost ranks, right?"

“That’s natural,” Yu Lingzhu said proudly.

"One way is to help the vengeful ghost complete its laws." The laws of vengeful ghosts are accompanied by slaughter, and Zhao Fusheng's words were tinged with bloodshed.

Yu Lingzhu nodded.

"Another method is to utilize the power of believers to collect incense offerings."

As soon as Zhao Fusheng said this, Yu Lingzhu nodded again.

"If it were you, which one would you choose?" Zhao Fusheng asked her.

Yu Lingzhu did not hesitate:
"Of course, killing is the first choice."

Although Wang Zhiyi didn't understand why the two of them suddenly brought this up, she nodded in agreement after hearing Yu Lingzhu's words.

Meng Po sneered, while Wu Shaochun and the others remained silent.

Zhao Fusheng revealed an expression of 'I knew it'.

Yu Lingzhu said:

"Is something wrong?" She turned her head to look at Zhao Fusheng.
"The common people are ignorant and foolish; collecting offerings and worshippers is extremely difficult and pointless," she said.

"We ghost tamers have short lifespans. A young ghost tamer might perish in a single ghostly calamity. If we're just collecting incense offerings, how long will it take to survive?"

At this point, Yu Lingzhu shook her head:

"Your idea—"

At this point, Zhao Fusheng suddenly sighed: In this world, everyone has their own reasons. But those who control ghosts, possessing power, naturally have grievances to voice.

Including Zhu Guangling, he seemed to have a lot of sense. When talking about his past pain, he spoke eloquently and logically. Moreover, since everyone was a ghost tamer, they could understand and tolerate him.

"Am I wrong?" Yu Lingzhu asked, responding to her words. Zhao Fusheng shook his head.
“You’re right. I can even understand now why you and Feng Du both think Zhu Guangling is right. This world is a bad place, and everyone has their grievances to confide in.”

She smiled slightly:
“But you can speak out about your suffering, but who can the common people tell about their suffering? Perhaps the common people have already resigned themselves to their fate.”

Yu Lingzhu and Wang Zhiyi were stunned for a moment.

"Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. There's no point in arguing. Let's get back to the Wuqing County case."

Zhao Fusheng, not wanting to say more, brought the topic back to Wuqing County.

Yu Lingzhu's face turned pale. For some reason, her enthusiasm for the conversation was suddenly ruined, and she almost didn't want to continue.

"You all know what happened next. In the following years, I began to control ghosts and joined the Demon Suppression Division. The Chang family's life gradually improved."

She said with difficulty:

"Grandma Chang lived a long life, reaching 76—" As she said this, she glanced at Zhao Fusheng as if by some strange impulse:
"Before the old lady died, she begged me to take care of the Chang family. I kept my promise and have been doing so ever since."

After saying this, she felt a little uneasy for some reason.

To suppress the inexplicable unease that was rising in her heart, she said:
“Although I keep my promises, I am not someone who cannot distinguish right from wrong. So over the years, I have always strictly instructed the Chang family not to do anything wrong. They are just doing some business now, and have never bullied the villagers or been arrogant. I will not allow them to do things like bullying men and women, murder, or committing crimes.”

She unconsciously crossed her legs, and changed the position when she spoke—this action showed that she was not as calm as she appeared. Zhao Fusheng saw this but did not point it out.

"In short, it's definitely a lie to say that the Chang family didn't take advantage of my name, but I can guarantee they didn't do anything wrong—" After saying that, Yu Lingzhu looked at Zhao Fusheng, then changed her tune:
"At least they didn't make any major mistakes."

Zhao Fusheng remained silent in the face of her words.

After a long while, she asked again:

"What is the current situation in Wuqing County?"

Yu Lingzhu was somewhat disappointed at not receiving a response, but she still forced herself to stay positive:
"What do you mean?"

Zhao Fusheng decided to break down the issue into more details:
"Generally speaking, the law in various places is that the Demon Suppression Division is above the officials appointed by the imperial court, while the imperial court is above the gentry and wealthy merchants. What about Wuqing County?"

These words inexplicably made Yu Lingzhu feel pressured.

But Zhao Fusheng's question was perfectly normal. She took another deep breath, forcibly suppressing her anxiety, thought for a moment, and honestly admitted:

“In Wuqing County, the Chang family might even hold a higher position than the Demon Suppression Division.”

After she finished speaking, and considering Zhao Fusheng's two previous ambiguous "difficult to comment" responses, she vaguely understood the meaning behind Zhao Fusheng's words.

Yu Lingzhu wanted to open her mouth to explain, but her lips moved and she ultimately did not say anything.

"In other words, the Chang family is the actual controller of Wuqing County," Zhao Fusheng concluded.

Yu Lingzhu wanted to retort; she opened her mouth, but the words that came out were filled with helplessness:
"……Yes, it is."

“I had dealings with the Chang family in Longyang County. He claimed to be surnamed Chang and was in charge of the Chang family. He treated the ghost tamer as a servant.”

Yu Lingzhu's lips moved, but she ultimately lowered her head in a disheveled manner and remained silent.

"Who are the members of the Chang family now?" Fortunately, Zhao Fusheng did not press the issue further, but instead asked a different question.

Yu Lingzhu breathed a sigh of relief:
"Grandma Chang's two sons survived, married and had children. Now the eldest son's family has 107 descendants, and the second son's family has 86 descendants."

“There are quite a few people,” Zhao Fusheng said.

Yu Lingzhu nodded with slight satisfaction:
"Many children, many blessings."

"..."

No one else responded.

The conversation eventually ended without a conclusion, as no one was in the mood to continue.

In the past, when Zhao Fusheng handled ghost cases, he liked to understand the whole story, including the life and upbringing of the people involved, in order to understand the vengeful ghost and the laws of the universe.

However, when it came to the past of Wuqing County, she felt at a loss for words.

After speaking with Yu Lingzhu, she felt heavy-hearted.

A gloomy atmosphere seemed to hang over the carriage; everyone lost the will to speak, and no one uttered a sound the entire way.

As evening approached, the vehicles stopped temporarily to rest.

The horses were untied and led by the driver to graze and rest for a while, while the others got off the carriage to get some fresh air, fill their stomachs, and take care of their urgent needs.

After resting for about half an hour, they heard rumbling thunder in the sky.

It looks like it's going to rain.

Meng Po came over and said.

After leaving the capital, the roads became dilapidated and difficult to travel on, and it was even more difficult to proceed when it rained.

After discussing with Yu and Wang, Zhao Fusheng decided that everyone should set off immediately and try to enter Wuqing County of Lizhou as soon as possible.

Yu Lingzhu said:

“I know of a road located at the border of Lizhou and Wuqing County. Taking that road will take us directly into Wuqing County, saving us about two hours of travel time,” she said.

"However, this road is treacherous, located in a canyon, and it's not easy to travel after dark, especially when it rains and the road becomes slippery—"

Yu Lingzhu paused:

"However, the advantage is that it's in the middle of nowhere, with no villages or shops in sight, and completely deserted."

The advantage of fewer people is fewer ghosts, which also means that if people are traveling at night, they are less likely to encounter ghosts.

"Sir, the sky looks strange to me. I have a feeling that a ghost story is going to happen."

Meng Po's left eyelid twitched rapidly:
"It would be best to enter Wuqing County as soon as possible."

"Then let's take a detour into the prefecture instead of going through the subordinate prefecture."

Zhao Fusheng decided to believe Meng Po's prophecy and made the decision immediately.

Everyone nodded.

Everyone boarded their carriages and sped off towards Wuqing County.

The closer we got to Lizhou, the heavier the rain became, instead of stopping.

Some roads along the way were washed away, and in many places, there were even turbulent rivers. The road to Lizhou was blocked by a large river.

Therefore, the only option for everyone was to take the route through the canyon that Yu Lingzhu had mentioned.

Although this was a decision Zhao Fusheng had already made, the celestial phenomenon still gave people a sense of foreboding.

As darkness fell, the carriage was completely soaked by the heavy rain. Rainwater dripped into the carriage through the seams, making the interior feel dark and damp.

"We've started on the mountain road."

The coachman shouted nervously.

Wu Shaochun is no longer afraid of ghosts, but he can hardly suppress his unease about this natural disaster and danger. He peeks out and looks out – there are several lamps on the front of the carriage, but the rain is heavy tonight and the lights cannot penetrate the black fog, only illuminating a few feet away from the carriage.

Furthermore, due to the steep mountain road, the vehicle swayed violently, causing the hanging lights to jump and thrash around like fish out of water, almost going out several times.

Under the lamplight, a narrow, winding path, barely wider than a horse-drawn carriage in Wu Shaochun's eyes, stretched out along one side of the mountain, with sheer cliffs below.

The gravel and mud slid down the road with a 'rustling' sound, and it took a long time before the echo of a piece hitting the ground could be heard, reverberating through the valley.

Everyone was on tenterhooks the whole way. Liu Yizhen's face turned ashen from the jolting, and his stomach was churning, but he dared not utter a sound.

Fortunately, the journey was uneventful. About an hour later, someone in the lead vehicle shouted:

"Successfully exited the track!"

(End of this chapter)