I become a god in another world

Chapter 796 Finale (End)

Chapter 796

A series of notification sounds rang in Zhao Fusheng's mind.

Chen Duozi, pale-faced, smiled as he held the ghost fetus in his arms. His mother's disemboweled body lay on the ground, and the stench of blood quickly spread.

Everyone stood frozen in place.

The blood-soaked umbilical cord, which resembled a chain, held Chen Duozi in place.

Just then, Zhao Fusheng lowered his eyes and said, "You are destined to have children in your life, and you will eventually return home with a child. Please send the Goddess of Childbirth back to the list of gods."

Naming complete.

The Investiture of the Gods indicates: The bestowal of titles by the gods and spirits has been successful.

Please return to your divine position, Goddess of Fertility.

Chen Duozi's cold, smiling ghostly figure holding a baby gradually turned into black mist and disappeared on the spot.

Only after the vengeful ghost disappeared did Ding Datong regain his senses, and he began to tremble violently.

Things happened too fast for anyone to stop.

The vengeful ghost disappeared, and Chen Laizi, his face pale, squatted down and began trying to pull at his mother's corpse.

"mother--"

In the distant hall, Lu Yuhe suddenly hugged his son tightly, not daring to utter a sound.

……

Zhao Fusheng invited Chen Duozi back to the altar and remained silent for a long time.

The world is full of irony.

Chen Duozi survived Lu Zhuer's death, survived the calamities of Shangyang County and Wuqing County, and participated in the siege of Paper Man Zhang last night. However, he never expected that such a powerful ghost tamer would ultimately trigger the resurgence of the vengeful ghosts with just his mother's scolding.

"Please ask the Lu family to return to their house. The funeral arrangements for Duozi's mother shall be conducted in accordance with the protocol for the families of those who died in the line of duty as demon tamers in the Demon Suppression Division."

Zhao Fusheng suppressed her turbulent emotions; this was not the time for sorrow, she still had many things to do:
"The situation in Datong and Wan'an County has been resolved—"

As she spoke, she caught a glimpse of the accountant Pang Qing, Guo Wei, and others arriving out of the corner of her eye.

In the distance, at the kitchen of the Demon Suppression Division, Wu Shaochun, who had been working hard all night, rushed out of the kitchen in a panic:

"Have the adults returned?!"

As soon as he finished speaking, his gaze instinctively swept over the demon-suppressing commanders of Wan'an County—and when he saw Zhao Fusheng, a great weight was lifted from Wu Shaochun's heart.

Then he saw Da Fan and Xiao Fan, and Xu Yu and Kuai Manzhou.

On the ground lay a disemboweled corpse, its face a horribly yellow. It was Chen's mother, who had been traveling with the group for some time.

Chen Duozi has disappeared from the Wan'an County team.

Wu Shaochun's smile froze, and a bad premonition arose in his heart.

Zhao Fusheng suppressed his grief:
"Magistrate Pang died in the line of duty last night. The magistrate's integrity remains intact. He died for Wan'an County and should be regarded as the pillar of Wan'an County in this battle."

"My cousin—"

Upon hearing this, Pang Qing swayed several times, his face showing unbearable sorrow.

"Fortunately, the source of the trouble has been eliminated this time, and we will suffer less from ghostly calamities in the future."

Zhao Fusheng said calmly:

"Datong, you will be in charge of handling the aftermath of the Demon Suppression Division's affairs for the time being, while Pang Qing will temporarily take over all the county's administrative affairs."

She has many more things to do.

Ding Datong was filled with fear and trepidation, but when she mentioned that the source of the ghostly calamity in Wan'an County had been cleared away, he could not hide the joy that arose in his heart.

From the decrease in the number of people in Wan'an County, Ding Datong could imagine the severity and ferocity of the ghostly calamity last night.

The battle of Wuqing County failed to significantly reduce the number of people in Wan'an County, but last night Xie Jingsheng and Liu Yizhen died. Not to mention, the remaining people in Wan'an County are all unstable. Xu Yu, the former Yellow-rank general, has gone completely blind, and Chen Duozi, stimulated by his mother, has also been resurrected as a vengeful ghost.

Chen's mother was the one who caused her to lose her composure instantly, but the real reason was the big battle last night.

Ding Datong also understood Zhao Fusheng's personality.

She is not one to speak without reason.

Since she said that Wan'an County would enter a peaceful period free from major ghostly calamities, then this must be true!

"Peace!"

Ding Datong sighed inwardly.

He had never experienced peace since he was born.

Ding Datong was born into poverty. Within the Demon Suppression Division of the Great Han Dynasty, apart from people like Xie Jingsheng who controlled ghosts because of their fathers, most of the lower-level ghost controllers came from impoverished backgrounds.

Therefore, they actually share a similarity with Zhang the Paper Doll: they have never been treated kindly, so they are unwilling to treat others kindly either.
They control ghosts, their lives hanging by a thread, constantly teetering on the brink of death. Therefore, they do not value the lives of others, regarding ordinary people's lives as worthless, and killing indiscriminately.

Those who control demons revere violence and take the law of the jungle to its extreme.

……

Ultimately, it's not anyone's fault; it's just the way things are in the environment.

All Zhao Fusheng could do was establish the initial order of hell and use the laws of ghosts and gods to restrain the calamities of the ghosts.

However, this is only a temporary solution and not a cure.

As she said earlier, the calamities of the Han Dynasty were caused by human error.

When ordinary people are treated unequally, the world is filled with resentment, and when people have obsessions throughout their lives, they can cause vengeful ghosts to revive.

After Zhang the Paper Man died, Wan'an County truly entered a period of rebuilding after all the destruction.

Although Pang Qing was grieving over the death of his cousin, Magistrate Pang Maoshan, when he learned the cause of his cousin's death, he could understand his cousin's choice at that moment, whether from the perspective of a scholar or from the perspective of blood ties.

Moreover, he had previously maintained close ties with his cousin and knew in his heart the ambitions that Magistrate Pang had before his death.

The only solution now is to fulfill the ideals that Magistrate Pang failed to achieve and take over the task of rebuilding Wan'an County.

There is still much to be done in the county.

The money Zhao Fusheng brought back from his trip to the capital became his solid backing.

The reconstruction of roads in the county became a top priority for Pang Qing.

In addition, Zhao Fusheng's instructions followed: she would establish temples in various parts of Wan'an County, with Wan'an County as the main focus.

The Confucius Temple in the city is planned to be transformed into the Ghost Judge Temple, where a clay statue of Liu Huacheng will be enshrined so that people can worship him and the Ghost Judge can receive incense offerings.

On that day, July 15, the scene of the gates of hell opening wide was witnessed by many people in Wan'an County.

Countless lantern-carrying ghosts went on a journey, and Liu Huacheng, holding a red book, protected many people at a critical moment.

The commotion that day was so great that Zhao Fusheng decided to stop hiding it and ordered Pang Qing to find a theatrical troupe to play drums and gongs at the government office gate to promote the establishment of the Ghost Judge Temple in the south of the city. At the same time, he asked a quick-witted person to act as a storyteller and compile some stories and legends about the Ghost Festival on the fifteenth of the seventh month to spread in the streets and alleys.

The people of Wan'an County experienced a terrifying night on the Ghost Festival. Many even witnessed the judge taking lives with a red book. Combined with the half-true, half-false story, and the news that the government was going to build a temple for the Ghost Judge and recruit a large number of laborers, paying wages and a small amount of pickled vegetables every day, the number of people who signed up was like a swarm of locusts.

Influenced by this trend, people wanted to build temples and statues for the Ghost Judge in order to seek his protection—not to mention that they could also earn money while working.

In addition, the Erlang Zhenshen Temple is also under intensive preparation.

That night, Zhao Fusheng used the power of Erlang Shen to unleash his divine ability to transform heaven and earth, chasing after the paper elf Zhang and breaking the ghost realm of Tongshan. This scene was still witnessed by some people.

In addition, Pang Qing recruited a group of scholars to compile the events of Shangyang County and Wuqing County that day into stories, and the name of Erlang Shen quickly spread.

In the villages and towns below the county seat, Pang Qing quickly arranged for people to build more land temples.

Compared to Erlang Shen Temple and Guipan Temple, the Earth God Temple is relatively small in scale, but it has the advantage of being numerous.

When people go out to run errands or encounter weddings or funerals, they can worship the local earth god for protection.

In every household, people began to worship the Kitchen God and ask the Door Gods for protection.

……

In a very short period of time, Wan'an County quickly eliminated the shadow cast by the ghostly calamity.

On the contrary, a series of subsequent large-scale actions led to a large influx of laborers from nearby villages and towns into the county, resulting in a brief period of vigorous development for the county seat.

Zhao Fusheng adopted a semi-indulgent attitude towards this.

With the influx of people from nearby villages, the county's development has been exceptionally rapid.

Even before the Ghost Judge Temple was established, it had already begun to receive offerings.

With a larger population in the county, the demand for businesses such as inns, restaurants, and teahouses naturally arises.

The previously repaired pier is now being put to use.

As the number of merchants from other places gradually increased, they brought a large amount of local specialties, but also transported away items unique to Wan'an County, such as white perilla and spices.

……

The ideal blueprint that Magistrate Pang didn't have time to realize back then is now being completed by Pang Qing for his cousin.

The household registers that Magistrate Pang compiled back then have now become Pang Qing's greatest asset.

According to the household registration system, land was allocated to each family based on the number of people in the household to ensure cultivation.

This ghostly calamity brought Zhao Fusheng's influence in the county to its peak. Within this county, no one dared to contradict her when she spoke.

Because Wan'an County had just experienced a disaster that nearly wiped it out, the people could not withstand any more setbacks. Zhao Fusheng wanted to leave them a spark of hope, so he planned to give them room to breathe and reproduce within the next two years.

She decreed that for the next two years, only a fixed amount of land tax would be levied on the people of the county. During these two years, due to the ghostly calamity, she went deep into the villages and gained a profound understanding of the various impacts of the people suffering from exorbitant taxes. Therefore, she promulgated a law that allowed the people to replace taxes with silver coins, thereby reducing the increase in losses.

In the past, villagers at the grassroots level paid taxes under numerous categories. Every tax collection season, the constables would come to the countryside like wolves and tigers.

They frequented every household, demanding bribes and stealing things, leaving the people suffering immensely with nowhere to turn for help.

In addition to normal taxes, corvée laborers often added charges under the guise of losses.

Now that the tax can be offset with silver and the types of taxes have been reduced, the burden on ordinary people has been greatly reduced.

However, this method cannot completely appease public opinion.

Most of the servants in the Han Dynasty were hereditary.

Many of the constables were local bullies, but they were also exploited by the upper echelons of the government and the Demon Suppression Bureau.

Since the imperial court was unable to pay them salaries, it effectively allowed them to take money from the common people.

To avoid this situation, Zhao Fusheng took the opportunity to order Pang Qing to include these local constables in the government register, turning them from wandering constables into official government constables.

Once registered, the roster is compiled into a list of officials and sent to the county seat, where the county government will distribute their salaries monthly.

With a stable income, the constables no longer had to rely on extorting money from the people to make a living. Although some bad habits could not be completely eliminated in a short period of time due to the bad practices that had been formed earlier, there was still a great deal of progress compared to the past.

In an instant, the sword hanging over the heads of the people disappeared.

With the tax breaks of the past two years, many people are highly motivated to work during this time.

In addition to taxes, the construction of roads and shops in Wan'an County also started one after another, which required a large number of laborers and manpower, thus solving the problem of many people who had no land in the past and had become local thugs.

Once the shops prosper, they will need all sorts of workers.

Weaving workshops and embroidery workshops needed a large number of female workers, and the government encouraged some women to take on these jobs.

……

Wan'an County is developing step by step, and this trend is beginning to spread from Wan'an County to Changping County and even Xuzhou.

After Feng Du's death, the Demon Suppression Division of the Great Han Dynasty came under the jurisdiction of Zhao Fusheng.

Once Wan'an County was pacified, Jia Yi from the capital city rushed to Xuzhou to meet her.

At her suggestion, the construction of temples dedicated to ghost judges, the establishment of temples dedicated to Erlang Shen, and the worship of local earth gods gradually spread.

Perhaps Zhao Fusheng will not live to see the method of worshipping ghosts and gods, and the solution of suppressing evil spirits and solving ghostly disasters become popular throughout the world, but she has planted a seed, and as long as it is implemented for some time, it will eventually be effective.

As for how long it will last, Zhao Fusheng couldn't be sure—but she had seen what a peaceful future would look like, and naturally knew that even if humanity went through countless hardships, it would eventually reach that point.

It wasn't the best of times, but she knew that humanity's progress would never stop.

……

Two years later, Tao Lifang and others came to the county government to report their recent achievements to Zhao Fusheng.

Over the past two years, the county government has carried out reforms in accordance with Zhao Fusheng's orders, resulting in the establishment of the Erlang Zhenshen Temple and the Guipanguan Temple. Furthermore, the local people's household registrations have been entered into the Guipanguan's Book of Life and Death. As a result, Liu Huacheng has received a large amount of incense offerings, and his power has once again advanced to the level of a true god.

"Since the beginning of this year, the probability of ghosts resurrecting in Fengning County and Sanyuan County has decreased, with a total of 27 ghost resurrection incidents occurring in the two counties during this period—"

In the past, such cases meant a large number of deaths.

After all, when a ghostly calamity occurs, it first kills people, then the vengeful ghosts advance to form a ghost realm, and then someone reports it to the Demon Suppression Division, which then takes action as appropriate.

By the time the Demon Suppression Bureau arrives, the vengeful ghosts have already grown in strength, and most of the locals are already dead.

Generally speaking, both the common people and the Demon Suppression Bureau are terrified of ghosts.

However, once temples dedicated to deities were established in different regions, the situation changed drastically.

“Door gods and kitchen gods are deeply rooted in every household. In Fengning County, a daughter-in-law of the Huang family had a difficult childbirth. That night, a vengeful ghost was resurrected, but before it could kill anyone, it was stopped and suppressed by the door gods,” Jiang Ying reported.

"On the fifth day of last month, someone drowned. After the body lay still for two days, the evil spirit revived. When a local was crossing the river, he encountered the evil spirit, but he managed to hide in the local temple in time and was safe in the end."

The remaining twenty-odd cases of ghost resurrection were similar to the previous two.

This greatly reduced the workload of the demon tamers in the Demon Suppression Division, and Jiang Ying, Tao Lifang, and others discovered that the demon tamers were no longer constantly walking on the edge of life and death, and began to relax and slowly enjoy life—something they would never have dared to imagine before.

With the threat of death gone, some ghost-tamers in Xuzhou tasted the sweetness of success and began to strictly monitor the summons issued by Zhao Fusheng.

Therefore, temples dedicated to ghosts and gods are particularly prevalent in Xuzhou.

According to folklore, the gates of the underworld will open wide during the Ghost Festival this year.

This is a consequence of the paper doll Zhang being released in Tongshan County more than two years ago.

That night, some survivors witnessed the opening of the gates of hell. The story spread quickly, and now the custom of hanging lanterns on the Ghost Festival has become popular.

According to popular belief, after the lanterns are hung, it is the Ghost Festival, when the gates of hell open, and evil spirits will flee at the sight of the lanterns.

Zhao Fusheng did not interfere, but only reminded local officials to pay attention to public security and not to cause any more cases.

In addition, Ding Datong said:
"My lord, although the chances of a vengeful ghost resurrecting and becoming a powerful ghost in Changping County have decreased, there are still many cases of vengeful ghosts resurrecting. After all, the statues we have erected in various places are just idols, and we are worried that people will still be harmed."

After experiencing the effects of divine protection, Ding Datong himself became the most devoted believer in worshipping the gods.

He was deeply afraid that this peaceful period would be disrupted, so he hoped that Zhao Fusheng would come up with a plan.

"Don't worry, once the subsequent rules are issued, people will be required to cancel their household registration when someone dies in their family. When the registration is cancelled, you will send the list to me in time. I will ask Da Fan and Xiao Fan to go with the list. If there are any evil spirits, they will be led directly to hell."

Upon hearing Zhao Fusheng's words, Ding Datong and the others' eyes lit up.

The two Fans stood behind her, their bodies shrouded in a blood-red aura, each holding a ghost chain in their hands, their expressions stiff and cold, putting immense pressure on the ghost tamers.

During the battle in Wan'an County, with the help of Chen Duozi, Da Fan and Xiao Fan indirectly controlled a portion of the Ghost Mother's power, greatly enhancing their ability to intimidate the evil spirits.

However, with Zhao Fusheng present, this pressure turned into a source of joyful assistance.

Before he could even smile, Ding Datong's face fell again.

"Your plan is excellent, sir, but Changping County is still far from Wan'an County. Even with the fastest horses—"

Before he could finish speaking, Zhao Fusheng immediately said:

"Walking the Ghost Road!"

"Ghost Road?"

Everyone looked surprised. Zhao Fusheng nodded and looked up at the beam.

A little girl holding a ghost flower was sitting on the beam at some point.

Kuai Manzhouli crossed his legs and swayed precariously in mid-air.

Zhao Fusheng had a sudden thought and summoned Shen Yishu.

The vengeful ghost revealed itself and designated all the ghost-controlling individuals present as messengers.

A messenger can travel the world as long as he has a letter in his hand.

At the same time, a knocking sound came from the backs of everyone: thump, thump, thump. The sound seemed to come from inside their hearts, sending chills down their spines.

A chill ran down everyone's spine, as if there were ghosts standing behind them.

As soon as Zhuang Si Niangzi marked everyone, Zhao Fusheng immediately pulled out a handful of ghost money from hell and spread it out in his hand.

The moment this ghost money appeared, everyone's eyes widened.

Everyone stared blankly at the ghost money, their eyes revealing greed.

"This is ghost money taken from Magistrate Zheng He. Each of you take some. If you encounter danger while walking the ghost road, give the money to ensure your safety. You will be safe when you reach my place."

Upon hearing this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief, but also felt a sense of dread.

Zhao Fusheng seemed to have used the power of the vengeful ghost to its fullest extent.

In the past, using the power of vengeful spirits to do ordinary things was considered extremely unbelievable by everyone—after all, every time the power of vengeful spirits was used, it meant that the time for the vengeful spirits to resurrect was approaching.

People who are afraid of death are unlikely to dare to act so recklessly.

But this vengeful ghost's power seemed to have no effect on Zhao Fusheng at all; she used it in her daily life and used it casually.

Everyone responded and took the coins into their hands one after another.

……

After discussing the important matters in various places, Pang Qing, who was standing to the side, then said:
"My lord, I have also made some discoveries recently."

Zhao Fusheng nodded:
"You said."

Pang Qingdao:
"This year, the police are checking household registrations, and there are reports from spies that some people are worshipping evil gods at home."

At this point, Pang Qing was both angry and anxious.

"Evil God?"

Upon hearing this, Ding Datong and the others became quite curious.

Pang Qing nodded:

"Paper Doll Zhang!"

He gritted his teeth at the mention of this person's existence.

Magistrate Pang died because of this man, and many people in Wan'an County suffered as a result.

However, Zhang the Paper Man lived in Wan'an County for many years, casting a deep shadow over the people, and some people feared him but also respected him.

The midnight battle on the Ghost Festival back then, and the appearance of the paper figure Zhang, left a terrifying impression on some people. In Wan'an County, some people began to secretly commemorate him.

Some people, unaware of the true meaning, follow suit and worship gods whenever they see others doing so.

Pang Qing felt a surge of anger when he thought of these things.

"My lord, please allow me to immediately bring men to arrest these people and destroy the shrine in my home—"

Zhao Fusheng pondered for a moment, then sighed and shook his head:
"never mind."

Her words surprised everyone.

But she enjoyed immense prestige, and even if her words contradicted everyone's expectations, no one dared to question her. However, after thinking for a moment, Zhao Fusheng still offered an explanation:
“It’s an individual act, and it doesn’t really reach the point of being publicized in a group. It’s just a minor incident, so we turn a blind eye to it.”

Wan'an County has only been stable for a few years, and this big disturbance has already alarmed the people.

The harm caused by Zhang the Paper Figure lies not in himself, but in his despair and resentment. A few people worship him in private, and the government only needs to give a slight reminder or warning.

“Yes—” Pang Qing gritted his teeth, then said:

"The establishment of a county school, which the adults mentioned earlier, is already in the planning stages this year—"

In the past two years, the government has reduced taxes, but the county government's tax revenue has actually increased.

In the past, the people were burdened with heavy taxes and levies, and many people had nowhere to turn but to flee with their families, forming refugees. This not only increased the hidden dangers in various places but also reduced tax revenue.

Uncollected taxes fall on the shoulders of good citizens, creating a burden.

In addition, there were many layers of officials between the imperial court and the people.

The result of corruption at every level of government is that the people pay a lot of taxes, but less money actually reaches the government.

Now that tax reforms have been implemented, people pay less tax and have a better livelihood, so most of them are paying taxes honestly.

With fixed salaries, most of the lower-level officials valued their inherited positions and dared not act recklessly. As a result, fewer people reached out to embezzle, and the income of counties and prefectures in Xuzhou increased, no longer relying on donations from gentry and wealthy merchants as before.

……

The group reported on recent events and discussed some recent developments. They also mentioned other matters in various places and then took their leave.

As soon as they left, the shadow beneath Zhao Fusheng began to swell.

When it was quiet, will-o'-the-wisps rose from the ground, and Granny Xu's shadow slowly emerged from the flames.

"Why didn't you tell them that you now drive the ghost carriage at night and patrol the various places?" Granny Xu said, looking at Zhao Fusheng with a hint of worry on her face.

She is the guardian of the tenth level of hell, and is most sensitive to changes in the power of hell.

In the past two years, Zhao Fusheng's aura has become increasingly indistinguishable from that of hell.

This is both a sign of her greatly increased power and a sign of her gradual assimilation into the Hell Gods List.

In other words, Zhao Fusheng has now begun to lean towards becoming a ghost, but her consciousness still exists, and her strong self-control prevents her from completely losing control.

As the two were talking, a chilling aura emanated from above.

Kuai Manzhou was unhappy.

She didn't want to hear any news about Zhao Fusheng's bad situation.

Zhao Fusheng smiled, changed the subject, and said to Granny Xu:
"Grandma Xu, since you're already out here, let's go find A-Yu and see what she's doing."

Grandma Xu sighed softly:
"Listen to the adults. This child, so young, already has failing eyesight; he's not even as good as an old woman."

The two walked out of the council chamber.

They could sense Xu Yu's presence. Following the gate of the Demon Suppression Division, they found a long table set up in front of Xu Yu in Baoding Alley, not far from the gate:
"Fortune telling, fortune telling, divining fate and future, praying for good luck—"

An unlit lamp sat before her, and on the table lay a piece of black, unidentified leather. Xu Yu held an old pen in his hand, soliciting business.

Grandma Xu was very troubled:
"Did the vengeful spirit, who was supposed to give first and take later, lend her that knowledge?"

Zhao Fusheng couldn't help but chuckle and nodded:

"The evil spirit that used to give before taking has been suppressed and is no longer as powerful as before. Nowadays, the people are protected by Liu Huacheng in the Book of Life and Death, and by the door gods and kitchen gods in their homes. It is no longer possible for the evil spirit that used to give before taking to kill people to actually kill them."

The so-called "one rises while the other falls" principle.

When the people's fortunes are strong, the power of evil spirits will naturally be under control.

Xu Yu exploited the art of fortune telling to find loopholes. Some people greedily sought "blessings" but did not realize that they were sacrificing their health and lifespan.

With one gain and one loss, the deal was completed.

In a short period of time, each party gets what they need, and both are satisfied.

The vengeful spirit that gives first and takes later can still be cared for, which is a win-win situation.

Someone sat down in front of Xu Yu, saying that he had been poor recently and wanted to make a fortune.

Xu Yu picked up a pen and wrote the words "seeking wealth" on the ghost skin, and the transaction was completed instantly.

This person will receive a windfall, but may pay a price. There may be disasters depending on the amount of money involved, but as long as no one is killed, Zhao Fusheng will turn a blind eye.

The fortune teller left happily, leaving behind a single coin.

Xu Yu happily held the money in his palm.

As if sensing the arrival of Granny Xu and Zhao Fusheng, she excitedly turned around and called out:
"Grandma, Fusheng, I made money!"

Her business was good today; she earned over ten coins.

She had long coveted Kuai Manzhou's string of coins, and now that the county town was peaceful, she had the time to 'earn money' herself.

With money in hand, Xu Yu was full of confidence:
"Grandma, Fusheng, let me buy you some candy. Uncle Zhang is selling candied hawthorns at the alley entrance; they're super sweet and delicious, two skewers for one coin. Wait for me—"

After saying that, the child quickly ran away with the money in his hand.

"This child—"

Grandma Xu rarely showed such a kind expression.

Xu Yu's figure had already disappeared around the corner, but she still craned her neck to look anxiously.

Kuai Manzhou's aura disappeared along with Xu Yu.

Sensing this, Zhao Fusheng suddenly spoke:
“Mother-in-law, you’re right. I may soon become a law.”

Taking this opportunity, she quickly said to Granny Xu:
“I feel that day is not far away. Perhaps I will not die, but my consciousness may just be temporarily asleep. I am not afraid of death. My laws have been formed, and even if I die, the laws will still operate.”

She said:
“But I have a pact with Man Zhou and Da Xiao Fan. Once I lose consciousness, they will also be sent to hell.”

But Granny Xu was different.

The two hit it off immediately and became close friends, so they started traveling together.

"After I'm gone, you must guard the gates of hell for me. If anything goes wrong, I'll trouble you to find a way to handle it."

Zhao Fusheng spoke calmly, and Grandma Xu pretended to be calm, still peering ahead, but her eyes began to redden, and tears welled up in them.

Grandma Xu was unwilling to turn her head and let Zhao Fusheng see her current appearance.

She hadn't cried in a long time.

She had already shed all her tears during the suffering of the first half of her life.

When Consort Xu died, she was heartbroken, but she couldn't cry—she had to fulfill Consort Xu's request to take care of Xu Yu.

Later, when the palace of the Former Han Dynasty caught fire, she did not cry. Instead, she wandered among the evil spirits every day.

Later, when she met Zhao Fusheng, she was moved by his chivalrous and unrestrained nature and was willing to follow him, obey his orders, and help him.

But I never imagined that such a time would be so short, and it's almost coming to an end.

"Grandma Xu."

Seeing that she didn't respond, Zhao Fusheng sighed and called out again.

"Let's go, let's go!"

Granny Xu said in a harsh voice:

"You have transformed into the six realms, suppressed the laws, and accumulated boundless merit. Who in the world would worship you? Some people worship paper effigies but not you. Why are you thinking about these things when you leave this world?"

She said unhappily:

"So young, yet so old-fashioned. I wasn't talking about A-Yu, I was talking about you!"

In the end, he couldn't hide his sadness and disappointment:

"This old woman has had very few friends in her life—"

"Perhaps I'm destined to be alone. First, it was Xu Meiren who left, then A Yu left, and now it's you—"

“Mother-in-law,” Zhao Fusheng sighed.

"I see!"

Grandma Xu said loudly:
"When that old man surnamed Zhang died, you were heartbroken. Later, when Meng Po was gone, you were even more upset. When that boy from the Liu family and that man surnamed Xie were gone, it was as if they had broken your heart."

For Zhao Fusheng, the passing of each person is like adding a new wound to her heart.

The dead have no consciousness, but the living still have tasks to complete.

She couldn't let go until she had finished what she needed to do.

"What can I do? I'm not as strong as others—" Granny Xu complained, and Zhao Fusheng sighed again:

"Grandma—"

"Alright, alright!" Granny Xu interrupted her.

If she had argued back loudly, Grandma Xu might have been able to get into a fight with her, but her gentle, soft call at this moment only made Grandma Xu feel heavy-hearted:

"I understand. At my age, who knows when the vengeful spirits will resurrect? I'll just have to guard it for as long as I can. What else can I do?"

"You're all gone, leaving me all alone—"

Zhao Fusheng smiled:

"Don't worry, if that day ever comes, my obsession will become a mountain, and I will choose another person of strong character for you, someone who can control me and guide me to complete what I failed to do."

This allowed him to control the Investiture of the Gods and bring the order of hell to its extreme.

"To keep you company, so you won't be lonely, okay?"

Zhao Fusheng's words made Granny Xu burst out laughing, but amidst the laughter, tears welled up in her eyes:
“I’ve found someone new, and I can forget about you, Zhao Fusheng, Lord Zhao, right away.”

"If I forget, I'll forget," Zhao Fusheng said nonchalantly.
"At least I existed. Some people don't remember me, but those I care about will definitely remember me."

Grandma Xu lowered her head:
"Who among those who have dealt with adults can forget their charisma?"

After saying this, she both hoped Zhao Fusheng would hear it and feared she would, so she pretended nothing had happened:
"Is Your Excellency ordering the construction of a temple for many children?"

Grandma Xu wanted to change the subject, so Zhao Fusheng followed suit and changed the subject as well:

"Yes. After these two years, the lives of the people in Wan'an County have become relatively stable, and people's livelihoods have been restored. The number of newborns registered this year has increased, so it's time to build a temple for more children."

Chen Duozi spent the first half of her life confined to the inner quarters of her home, troubled by family affairs.

But she displayed extraordinary strength in the last year or so of her life.

She also made countless contributions to Shangyang County, Wuqing County, the capital, and Wan'an County, and the people should not forget her existence.

"The temple dedicated to the Goddess of Fertility is about to be completed."

Zhao Fusheng said:

"If I don't live to see that day, you'd better watch it for me."

Granny Xu said unhappily:
"Everyone else has considered this, but what about your own temple?"

As the two were talking, the sound of footsteps came from afar.

Xu Yu and Kuai Manzhou each ran back with a string of candied hawthorns. Xu Yu shouted:
"Fusheng, I bought candy."

Before she could even get close, Kuai Manyu shoved her aside and raised the candied hawthorn in his hand:
"Fusheng can only eat mine!"

Tears welled up in Xu Yu's gray eyes. She bit her lip, on the verge of tears.

Zhao Fusheng immediately said:

"Don't make a fuss, I want to eat two skewers, I'll eat them both."

The crying child was instantly cheered up, while Kuai Manzhou revealed a gloomy expression:

"Fusheng——"

"I'll eat the ones I bought this week first."

Zhao Fusheng was the first to pick up the candied hawthorn from Kuai Manzhou's hand.

The child, who had been unhappy, suddenly brightened up and smiled.

"..."

Grandma Xu, whose eyes were already sore, turned away, wiped her eyes, and gave a faint smile when she saw this.

The two children circled around Zhao Fusheng, vying to win her favor.

Grandma Xu thought: Zhao Fusheng has worked hard for years, probably just to see more of this kind of life.

……

As Zhao Fusheng ate the candied hawthorns that Kuai Manzhou had bought, a thought popped into her mind:
Has Kuai Manzhou finally spent the three-copper salary he received that year?
It's time to pay the kids' wages!

　My new book, "The First Interstellar Farmer," is currently being serialized. Readers who enjoy management fiction can add it to their bookshelves!

　　(End of this chapter)