I become a god in another world

Chapter 661 The Long-Focus Telescope's Misfortune
Chapter 661

At this point, the conversation became peaceful, with no verbal disputes.

Zhao Fusheng asked:

"Since the old lady died suddenly, it's not like the selection of a feng shui master was planned beforehand. Why did he suddenly propose such a condition: that the area designated for building houses be rerouted to build a tomb?"

"can."

Yu Lingzhu nodded:
"This feng shui master means that building a house on a grave, with the dead living in the yin dwelling and the living living in the yang dwelling, will benefit the Chang family by nourishing the yang with the yin."

She said:
"At that time, yin and yang will be indistinguishable, and the Chang family will prosper for generations to come." Yu Lingzhu closed her eyes briefly, recalling the moment:
"The feng shui master said that living in such a house would bring good health and blessings to the living, who would be protected by the dead. If one went into officialdom, their family would have immense power and influence; if one went into business, they would be as wealthy as a country."

These words caused everyone to exchange bewildered glances, and Liu Yizhen could no longer contain himself:

"Do you believe it?"

"I have no choice but to believe it."

Yu Lingzhu said:

"You saw what happened next; the Chang family's business did indeed flourish and go very smoothly."

"Don't be confused," Meng Po reminded her.
"The Chang family's business is doing well because of you."

"Not entirely." Yu Lingzhu appeared remarkably calm; unlike before, she wasn't easily provoked. She said:

“I certainly played a role, but later on, many ghost tamers had dealings with the Chang family and were willing to be driven by them.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Wu Ciping shuddered.

Zhao Fusheng and Liu Yizhen exchanged a glance. They both remembered the steward of the Chang family they had met in Longyang County—he did indeed have a group of ghost-controlling people under his command, who served him faithfully.

"This is really a strange phenomenon," Liu Yizhen muttered to himself.

Yu Lingzhu then said:
"This person is indeed very capable."

Zhao Fusheng frowned in thought, then suddenly asked Meng Po:
"Where was Old Zhang's ancestral home before?"

Everyone was suddenly startled.

Meng Po immediately remembered:

"Initially, they said they were from Wuqing County, but later, when they were in Shangyang County, Old Zhang mentioned that their ancestral home was the capital, and their ancestors were from Guanjiang County, Xuzhou."

Wu Shaochun's expression changed:

"In other words, Wuqing County was once the temporary residence of Zhang the Paper Man."

The mere mention of 'Paper Doll Zhang' sends everyone's heart sinking.

"It's a pity that Old Zhang is gone, otherwise many things would have been known with just a few questions," Fan Wujiu sighed.

Zhao Fusheng said:

"Lingzhu, have you ever dealt with this feng shui master?"

Zhao Fusheng's trip to the capital was very rushed, and his arrival and departure were very quick. He didn't have time to mention the Paper Man Zhang and the affairs of Wan'an County to the people of the Imperial Demon Suppression Division in detail. However, when Yu Lingzhu saw that everyone's expressions were serious when they mentioned 'Paper Man Zhang', she also felt nervous and realized that this 'Paper Man Zhang' was no ordinary person.

"We've met twice."

Yu Lingzhu nodded:
"The first time we met, my second sister brought him to our house. He looked to be in his early fifties, which was quite young. He had fair skin and didn't look like a vicious person," she paused, thinking carefully.

"But the first time I saw him, I felt a chill run down my spine."

She already possessed the ability to control ghosts and was quite powerful, but upon first meeting this feng shui master, she felt an invisible awe in her heart.

This dispelled Yu Lingzhu's preconceived notion that Chang Erjie had sent a swindler to her door.

"At first I was worried that my second sister had found a conman who was just trying to swindle people, but as soon as she saw me she knew that this person was not someone to be trifled with."

As soon as Yu Lingzhu finished speaking, Zhao Fusheng continued:
"Did he propose at that time that residential buildings should be built on top of burial sites?"

Yu Lingzhu nodded:
"However, he said that even a grave needs a basement, and the basement is extremely rare. He just happened to have acquired one—"

Yu Lingzhu hesitated for a moment as she spoke:

"One body? Why would you say one body? Or must my memory be playing tricks on me?"

She reached out and tapped her head hard again.

The crowd exchanged glances, their minds filled with suspicion.

When people think of something that can be called a 'tool', the first thing that comes to mind is a corpse.

"Then?"

At this point, delving into this issue would be a waste of time.

Seeing Yu Lingzhu's puzzled expression, Zhao Fusheng immediately continued to ask questions.

Yu Lingzhu's thoughts were indeed drawn to hers, and after thinking for a moment, she said:
"I don't remember much after that, but anyway, everyone agreed to the suggestion." After saying that, she seemed to remember something and quickly added:

“At the time, my sister-in-law and the others did not agree. They felt that my second sister was interfering in her family’s affairs. They also said that my second sister was usually absent from her filial duties, but after the old lady passed away, she insisted on holding a grand ceremony to show her filial piety.”

After Yu Lingzhu finished speaking, she looked at Zhao Fusheng with a slight sense of unease. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Zhao Fusheng nod.

"Wuqing County has become what it is today. I don't think your two sisters-in-law were able to object back then," Chen Duozi said with a sigh.

Yu Lingzhu remained silent.

The two daughters-in-law of the Chang family did not object successfully, and the matter was finally settled.

"The feng shui master said he needed to make some preparations in advance, and that strangers should avoid the area," Yu Lingzhu said.
"Anyway, he was acting strangely. He later carried a big package in and didn't come out until the next day. When he came out, he said that the matter was settled."

Later, Old Mrs. Chang was buried smoothly, and what happened afterward is known to others: the Chang family prospered and had many descendants.

"Besides that, has anything else strange happened?" Zhao Fusheng asked.

"Strange thing?" Yu Lingzhu shook her head:

Nothing strange has happened.

"Do you feel something's not right?" Liu Yizhen asked Zhao Fusheng.

Zhao Fusheng nodded:
"I believe this is a major ghost case in Wuqing County. The case originated from the Chang family, and the source is Old Madam Chang."

When she said that, everyone else nodded in agreement.

Yu Lingzhu hesitated, but now that things had come to this, she no longer denied it and simply acquiesced to Zhao Fusheng's statement.

"Whether Old Madam Chang is a resurrected vengeful ghost is still unknown, but since there is a ghost in the Chang family, and the fact that the ghost has stayed in the Chang family all these years means something that you all understand, right?"

Fan Bisi realized what was happening:

“There is a ghost tamer.”

“Yes.” Zhao Fusheng nodded: “Only when the vengeful ghost is controlled by someone will everything appear calm on the surface. The reason why the vengeful ghost has not been revived is entirely because the Chang family used the lives of people in Wuqing County to fill the void.”

"No no no."

Yu Lingzhu waved her hand:
"The Chang family has no ghost tamers—"

Wang Zhiyi couldn't hold back any longer and turned his head to glance at her:
"you sure?"

"..." Yu Lingzhu was no longer sure.

Returning to Wuqing County and entering Baili Temple shattered her previous belief that "Wuqing County has no ghosts," and also caused her extreme defense of the Chang family to crumble. Faced with Wang Zhiyi's provocation, Yu Lingzhu chose to avoid the limelight and remained silent.

"If we're talking about strange things, after much thought, I can only think of one." Yu Lingzhu's sharpness vanished, and she seemed to have aged ten years in an instant, with faint bluish tinges appearing under her eyes:
"That kid Chang Hao—"

After speaking, she looked at Zhao Fusheng nervously:

"Fusheng, do you remember Chang Hao?"

“He’s your sister-in-law’s grandson,” Zhao Fusheng replied.

Yu Lingzhu revealed a look of joy:
"Yeah."

A sense of satisfaction welled up inside her: Zhao Fusheng remembered the details she mentioned and was able to respond promptly.

"This boy is clever and quick-witted, very eloquent, but for some reason, since the old lady passed away, he has become increasingly quiet," Yu Lingzhu said with some heartache.
"Later he became mute. His eldest and second eldest brothers searched everywhere for miracle doctors to treat him, but they didn't know why."

Zhao Fusheng kept everything she said in mind.

……

After recounting some matters concerning the Chang family, Zhao Fusheng looked at Wu Ciping:

"Lord Wu, are you aware of the situation in Changjiao County?"

Wu Ciping did not expect that the topic would return to himself as they talked.

He thought for a while:

"It's been so long, I might not remember it accurately, and my memory isn't so sharp anymore—" He pointed to his head, then spread his hands, showing a helpless expression:
"However, I've also heard about the severe drought in Changjiao County back then; many people died!"

Zhao Fusheng stared at him until Wu Ciping's eyes flickered—at that moment, Zhao Fusheng said with certainty:

"It seems you know something about Changjiao County."

"No," Wu Ciping denied categorically.

But he spoke too quickly, which made him seem guilty.

As soon as he finished speaking, Wu Ciping realized that he had refuted too quickly and couldn't help but sigh with some annoyance.

“When the case in Changjiao County occurred, more than a decade had passed since I took control of Lizhou.” He made a last-ditch effort.

Zhao Fusheng reminded him:

“Lord Wu, we are now in the same boat. When you chose to come to Wuqing County with us, there was no turning back. Now, hiding things will not help. It will only mislead us and make us careless, putting us at a disadvantage in the confrontation with the ghost.”

After speaking, she smiled and looked at Wu Ciping:
"But what's the benefit of doing this? Are you trying to exchange us for merit?"

Her words, though seemingly a joke, actually put immense pressure on Wu Ciping.

He quickly waved his hand:
"That's absolutely not true."

However, since Zhao Fusheng has already said so much, if he still tries to hide it, he will inevitably arouse suspicion.

Wu Ciping then said helplessly:
"This story begins the year I entered Wuqing County."

That May, it was almost Dragon Boat Festival, but the people of Wuqing County did not send the usual New Year's gifts.

At that time, Wu Ciping was greedy and arrogant. He was very unhappy with the rudeness of the Demon Suppression Division of Wuqing County. So he found a pretext to send someone to reprimand them. His purpose was also to intimidate the people of the Demon Suppression Division in the county and ask them to send generous gifts.

"The Chang family is incredibly wealthy and generous, and they've always treated the Demon Suppression Division with great courtesy. I think if I send someone over, the Chang family will at least send me two cartloads of gold—"

Wu Ciping was filled with deep regret as he recounted this.

He coveted the unexpected wealth, but unexpectedly, he not only failed to obtain the gold, but also lost himself in the process.

Zhao Fusheng made a comment:
"You've really done nothing to hurt the enemy, but you've hurt yourself 10,000 times more."

"..."

Wu Ciping's lips twitched; he too deeply regretted his actions.

Who could have predicted that back then?

Anyway, the people he sent to Wuqing County never returned, like mud flowing into the sea, without the slightest reply.

At first, Wu Ciping did not connect the matter with the ghost story in Wuqing County.

After all, he had heard about the ghost case in Wuqing County, but since Cheng Mengyin disappeared, there had been many years of peace, so it was inevitable that those who came after would lower their guard.

"I initially thought that these people might have been blinded by the allure of Wuqing County and lingered there, forgetting my orders, so I sent some more people over, but they still haven't returned."

As a result, Wu Ciping naturally realized that something was wrong.

He's not stupid either.

Being appointed to such an important position suggests that Wu Ciping, besides being greedy for money, must also possess some ability.

He immediately thought of Cheng Mengyin's disappearance years ago and wondered if the two groups of people he sent were trapped in Wuqing County.

Once he had a guess, Wu Ciping immediately began investigating all the cases, big and small, related to Wuqing County in the two years before and after Cheng Mengyin's disappearance.

“It’s not just the ghost case; I’ve also looked at some related clues, including this lawsuit in Changjiao County.”

Wu Ciping's statement proved that he knew more about the situation in Changjiao County than Yu Lingzhu.

"The accurate record of events in Changjiao County dates back thirty-nine years," Wu Ciping said.
"At that time, it was during Cheng Mengyin's administration of Wuqing County. There was a case in Changjiao County where a ghost had appeared. The people of Changjiao County couldn't handle it and asked Wuqing County for help. Wuqing County was also unable to handle the aftermath. It was Cheng Mengyin who sent people to handle the aftermath. It is said that three ghost controllers died before the case was settled."

His words took everyone by surprise.

Yu Lingzhu was also very surprised.

The person in charge of Changjiao County is Dong Da, who is under her protection. However, she was completely unaware of such a serious incident that occurred under her wing.

"I only found out about this by chance; it wasn't recorded in my file." Wu Ciping said somewhat embarrassedly.
"I have a habit of searching for traps and mechanisms wherever I go, to see if there are any treasures left by our predecessors."

After he took over as the general of Lizhou, the place he moved into was the same house where Cheng Mengyin had lived in years ago.

During his 'treasure hunt', Wu Ciping happened to find the secret chamber left by Cheng Mengyin, where Cheng Mengyin had hidden these secret documents.

This matter should have been known only to Heaven and Earth, and only to Cheng Mengyin and those involved in the case. However, Wu Ciping was later found and became one of the people who knew the truth.

"What's the story behind the case in Changjiao County?" Zhao Fusheng asked seriously.

Wu Ciping then said:

"It's the son-in-law of the Chang family, Dong Fugui. He's a very lecherous man with aggressive methods. Back then, he was said to have taken a fancy to a young lady in Changjiao County. It's said that this young lady was quite beautiful, but she had married early. Her husband was a pig butcher, and he was very strong and powerful."

Dong Fugui was originally from a poor family, but he had a stroke of good luck and married Chang Erjie. After the Chang family became wealthy, he also rose in status, which revealed his bad nature.

After gaining power, he resorted to any means to seize beautiful women.

This person is indiscriminate in his desires, accepting both men and women, and forcibly taking any good-looking woman into his household.

At that time, Dong Da had inadvertently seen the young woman from the butcher's family, and he was immediately captivated by her, determined to possess her by force.

"That young woman was very strong-willed. After being raped by Dong Fugui, she jumped into a well and died."

Her man stormed into the Dong residence with a knife, seeking revenge on Dong Da. He killed many people along the way, but ultimately, outnumbered, he was subdued by the Dong family's servants and died under a hail of knives.

……

(End of this chapter)