I become a god in another world

Chapter 771 Case Reenactment
Chapter 771

The gates of hell have not yet closed.

Cao Gu stared at the unknown abyss, his heart pounding violently.

Due to extreme fear, his hands and feet even began to go numb and became unresponsive.

How did all of this happen?
His mind started to become less sharp.

"My lord, my lord, what exactly is going on?"

Hao Jin, now a ghost, seeks justice. Zhao Fusheng summons spirits to help the deceased pick up his feet and recall his past life. In the end, the gates of hell open, and the vengeful ghost, having "finished" his case, is taken into hell.

Cao Gu vaguely sensed that he had discovered something, but he also felt that he didn't know anything at all.

His mind was in complete disarray; he couldn't tell whether he genuinely didn't know, or whether he was instinctively unwilling to think about it, or simply didn't want to know.

Just then, without his noticing, a series of strange footprints approached him—perhaps he did notice them, but he had nowhere to hide.

The fierce ghost fears the great ghost; the suppression of rank and laws is from top to bottom, and he cannot escape it.

The mysterious ghost footprints landed on his feet, and he couldn't help but begin to recall his life.

His last obsession before his death was the death of Hao Jinyi.

Therefore, Cao Gu's timeline begins with the death of Hao Jinyi.

As his soul returned, his thoughts drifted back to earlier times: the Hao family ghost case had taken a turn for the worse, and Zhao Fusheng suggested that they enter Hao Jin's abandoned house to investigate the case and see when the vengeful ghost of the Hao family would appear.

Then his memory regressed further, back to before he stepped into the Hao family home, back to the resurrection and suppression of the golden eagle ghost last night, and the arrival of people from the capital—

Cao Gu could not recall his earlier memories.

With Cao Gu's 'death', the Ghost Realm of Tongshan County began to reveal its ferocious and terrifying side.

Night quickly returned.

Cao Gu's complexion changed from white to yellow, and then from yellow to transparent.

His neck was incredibly fragile, and his spine was like a charred lamp wick, easily broken.

The round head fell down, but instead of hitting the ground, flames ignited inside.

This special ghost lamp shines a flickering light through the holes in its eyes, lips, and nostrils.

Cao Gu was completely unaware.

The Hao family mansion began to decline. Under the black fog, the grass and trees withered and decayed, and the leaves turned yellow and fell to the ground, piling up to half a foot high.

The paint on the once brightly colored furniture has peeled off, and the exquisitely carved furniture has decayed.

……

The moment the vengeful spirits of Tongshan County revived, Zhao Fusheng spread the shadows of hell across the sky, carrying the people from Wan'an County overhead.

At this moment, the actual scene of Tongshan County came into view.

Zhu Guangling's laws were activated, and the phenomenon of ghosts and spirits returning to life spread throughout the entire county government in an instant.

The ground was covered with countless footprints, and wherever the footprints went, a strange scene unfolded.

In the dark, ghostly realm, tiny sparks of light suddenly ignited.

At first, the firelight was only scattered, like stars in the night sky, but before long, it spread like wildfire throughout the entire county.

As the stars lit up, countless vengeful ghosts carrying severed heads walked through the dilapidated streets.

These are no longer just a hundred ghosts, but thousands, tens of thousands, even tens of thousands of fierce ghosts.

Zhu Guangling's footprints landed on the feet of ghosts, and these vengeful spirits returned to tell of their deaths and grievances.

Time reverses, and the vengeful ghost reveals its appearance from when it was alive.

They could no longer be called 'human'; they were emaciated, timid, short in stature, and sallow-faced with hunger.

Then a small number of lantern bearers began to appear, and wherever they went, the people knelt down.

After the lantern bearer cleared the way, shadows descended, and a strong stench of decay instantly filled the entire Tongshan County.

The ground shook, as if some great terror was resurfacing.

The people were trembling with fear, but dared not hide.

Just then, the ground seemed to transform into turbulent waves, and beneath these undercurrents, a strange 'hand' emerged from the ground.

It destroyed streets and houses, crushing the people along with the seemingly powerful lantern bearers that had appeared earlier.

Black smoke billowed into the sky, and a monster was resurrected.

Zhao Fusheng could not describe its appearance.

It resembles a 'person' pieced together from a withered corpse and countless remains, with fragmented internal organs filling the gaps between each of its withered bones.

The terrifying monster tried to stand up, but its legs were different sizes and uneven; its arms were of different lengths, which made it impossible for it to stand.

Even so, it remains as tall and terrifying as a mountain.

Its head is made up of either fresh or decaying human bones and emits a horrible odor.

Wherever it goes, the people are filled with fear and cower in fear, crawling on the ground and submitting to its fate.

……

"My God, what is this—"

The moment Magistrate Pang saw the monster revive, he couldn't help but gasp, then let out a small, trembling cry of alarm.

As soon as he said it, Magistrate Pang regretted it.

He feared that his presence would attract the attention of monsters, which would then bring about the deaths of everyone.

But the terrifying, strange ghost seemed to ignore the people in mid-air.

Zhao Fusheng was also shocked by the situation in Tongshan County, but seeing that Magistrate Pang was afraid, she immediately said:

"Don't worry, this is just a phenomenon caused by the Law of Return of Souls, it's not real—"

Her statement wasn't entirely correct, Zhao Fusheng thought for a moment and then said:

“Real ghosts certainly exist, but the ghosts we see now are not like this.”

It is still hidden.

Its appearance now is merely a recreation of the scene when the incident occurred in Tongshan County decades ago—similar to a time rewind.

The four people from Wan'an County were merely spectators in this time travel. They could observe and learn the truth, but if they did not intervene or use the law of time loop to return to the past, they would not have any interaction with the ghosts that have now been revived.

While the two were talking, the vengeful ghost became enraged because it could not stand.

It seemed extremely hungry, opening its terrifying, blood-red maw.

The ghost stretched out its long, giant arms and reached out to grab at everything around it.

A large number of people were held in its giant hand. They cried out in pain and trembled with fear, but the rules of Tongshan County bound them, leaving them nowhere to escape.

So the living were captured by the ghosts, and the hungry ghosts stuffed them into their mouths and chewed them up.

A large number of living people died tragically.

Blood plasma flowed down the corners of the vengeful ghost's mouth, like a river of blood.

Upon seeing this scene, some people in Tongshan County wailed, while others cheered.

The cheering crowd stood up.

They observed the ghost's movements and, seeing it try to get up, guessed its needs. They then organized a group of people and forced a large portion of the wailing crowd to lift the mountain-like ghost.

Led by the lantern bearer, a large number of people surged forward like a tide, carrying and lifting the evil spirit.

With the combined strength of the entire county, they carried this enormous, mountain-like ghostly body on their shoulders.

The ghost reigns supreme over all living beings, crawling on the heads of the common people. It no longer needs to take a step or lift a hand; the people will do it for it.

When it gets hungry, it reaches out and touches the surroundings. The people, who are like ants, obediently let it grab them and let it swallow them whole.

Bloodstains were everywhere in an instant, and Tongshan County became a blood-soaked ghost town. ...

This scene was terrifying and eerie, exceeding Magistrate Pang's understanding and imagination, leaving him terrified and speechless.

Just then, Zhao Fusheng sighed:

"Zang Xiongwu, is this the kind of painting you wanted me to see?"

As soon as she finished speaking, a soft sigh rang out:
"Wonderful?"

Paper Man Zhang responded to her words.

"For over fifty years, after my family suffered misfortune, my initial sole purpose was revenge." Paper Man Zhang's tone was calm, revealing no anger or resentment.
“At that time, I had no power or influence, and no strength to rely on. Later, I risked my life to enter hell, hoping to seek help from the ancestors of the Zang family.”

Unfortunately, he was disappointed to discover on this trip that his ancestors, whom he thought were wise and powerful in the past, had actually been resurrected as vengeful ghosts after their deaths, transforming into terrifying demons that suppressed hell.

This discovery greatly disappointed him.

His brother, Rakshasa, also disappointed him.

When Rakshasa was alive, he hated evil as if it were his enemy.

“My brother made a great vow that if he were a servant in life, he would become a ghost after death to subdue evil spirits and make the world free of ghosts.”

Paper Doll Zhang's tone carried a hint of melancholy:

"The vow remains, but everything has changed. Not long after his death, a vengeful ghost has been resurrected."

At this point, he let out a few cold laughs:
"Humans are truly fragile; they cannot control their destiny while alive, nor can they control themselves after death—"

After listening to him finish speaking, Zhao Fusheng was not as angry as he had been when he spoke to him earlier.

Paper Man Zhang is a person of extreme temperament, who takes unorthodox and unconventional approaches, and is stubborn and self-willed in pursuing what he believes in.

“Actually, he kept his promise,” Zhao Fusheng said calmly.

"what?"

Paper Man Zhang was recounting his past in a great deal when he was interrupted by Zhao Fusheng's soft sigh.

He remained silent for a while, then asked again:
"What did you say?"

“I said, Rakshasa has kept his promise.”

"Hahaha--"

Paper Man Zhang burst into laughter, seemingly finding it extremely ironic:

"His vengeful spirit resurrected; his head was with me, his body was suppressed, and finally he fell into your hands. You gave him a beast's head, neither horse nor human—"

"After his death, the evil spirit did indeed rise up, but after it rose up, the law was to suppress the evil spirit."

Zhao Fusheng was unaffected by his words and instead said:

"It can slay and suppress evil spirits."

Paper Man Zhang said coldly:

"It also kills people."

“You’re wrong,” Zhao Fusheng shook his head.

"I was wrong?" Paper Doll Zhang was somewhat skeptical, then found her statement utterly absurd and laughed:

"I was wrong?!"

Zhao Fusheng still said:

"Yes, you're wrong."

"Let's not go back too far. More than forty years ago, at Liu Huacheng's birthday banquet, you personally witnessed the headless ghost and vengeful spirit resurrect and kill people—" Paper Man Zhang said in a sinister tone.

Zhao Fusheng said:

"Yes, it killed someone back then."

Paper Man Zhang was taken aback by her contradictory words:
"So—oh, so that's what you meant—"

He was a smart man, and immediately understood the meaning behind Zhao Fusheng's words:

"It doesn't kill people; it simply follows its own laws."

After the Rakshasa was beheaded and died, the vengeful ghost revived. Its primary rule was to piece together the remains.

“Yes.” Zhao Fusheng nodded again:
"They don't intend to kill; they just want to piece together a body, so they look for a suitable head."

Murder is the result, not the cause.

The headless ghost messengers simply caused the deaths of those who had lost their heads while searching for a suitable head.

"Absurd!" exclaimed the paper figure Zhang.

"That's utterly absurd and twisted logic. Although you make your point perfectly, the fact that it involved murder is undeniable—"

"Yes."

Zhao Fusheng nodded:
"It has killed people all along. The reason you think it is so heinous is because deep down you still regard the ghost messenger as your friend, and you have too high expectations of it, so you are disappointed too much."

The paper figure was stunned.

He had not yet revealed himself, but his voice disappeared for a moment.

Zhao Fusheng could sense that his presence was still there, and that the paper figure Zhang had not left.

His brief silence proved that he was affected by Zhao Fusheng's words and simply didn't know how to respond.

After a while, he suddenly sighed:
"You're talking in a very interesting way, but what do you mean by that? I don't understand."

“You believe that ghosts are guilty of killing, while the underworld messenger was your friend in life, a like-minded friend. So when it revives as a vengeful ghost and starts killing as well, you think that order has collapsed and humanity and promises are worthless,” Zhao Fusheng said.

“Yes!” Paper Man Zhang disagreed. “Don’t you think that’s wrong?”

Zhao Fusheng smiled:

“A man dies like a lamp going out.”

After she said this, Paper Man Zhang fell silent.

But Zhao Fusheng was certain that Paper Doll Zhang had heard what she said.

"Before Rakshasa died, he strictly kept his promise and did not betray you. He valued loyalty and affection, and was willing to go through fire and water for you. Isn't this the goodness of human nature?" Zhao Fusheng said.

“I once heard Old Zhang say that you had done a favor for Luocha, and he repaid you with righteousness. He helped your third brother get revenge for him, killed corrupt officials and evil bureaucrats. In the end, he did not fail in his duty as a constable. After killing the man, he did not flee, but instead turned himself in with a sense of responsibility.”

"Before he died, he entrusted you with the task of sewing his body and sweeping his grave. But at the moment of his death, a person dies like a lamp going out. Once dead, he is dead. Even if a vengeful ghost were to revive, the same ghost body would no longer be the same person."

"I...I don't understand—" the paper figure Zhang said, bewildered.

He understood everything Zhao Fusheng said, but he still didn't understand why Zhao Fusheng was saying these things at this time.

"You see the underworld messengers as demons, stubbornly refusing to acknowledge your brother's death, and imposing your obsession and expectations of your former brother onto the ghost, hoping for a response from the ghost. Isn't that ridiculous?"

Zhao Fusheng's words instantly enraged Zhang the Paper Doll:
"you--"

Before he could finish speaking, Zhao Fusheng continued:
“I said, when a person dies, it’s like a lamp going out. If a Rakshasa dies and disappears from this world, it won’t be a ghost, but a knife, a gun, an axe—” Zhao Fusheng smiled:
"In short, it's a murder weapon. Would you still hate it?"

If someone kills your loved one with a knife, do you hate the murderer more, or the knife more?

Zhao Fusheng asked several questions in a row, which stumped Zhang the paper figure.

"The reason you hate Rakshasa who has turned into a ghost is simply because you still treat ghosts like human beings. This is your problem, not Rakshasa's problem."

She said coldly:

"In my opinion, he lived a life without regrets, and he died without betraying his vow. He succeeded in subduing the evil spirits!"

"At Liu Huacheng's birthday banquet more than forty years ago, the headless ghost did kill people. But don't forget, if it is in the ghost realm, and there are ghosts, the headless ghost will kill ghosts first when it appears. That is its law."

"Ghosts are much fairer than humans." Humans will weigh the gains and losses and even kill in a certain order.

"But ghosts don't care about all that. They treat everyone equally under the rules. You can't compare to them. You have consciousness, but you've done all sorts of bad things. You act according to your own will, just relying on your strength to run rampant. How is that any different from the ghost tamers of the Demon Suppression Division in Guanjiang County who oppressed your third brother back then? How is that any different from the perpetrators you can't stand who are above the common people?"

(End of this chapter)