Starting from the folklore forum, making up town objects

Chapter 392 Choice: Rewarding Good and Punishing Evil
Ding Xiuyuan walked to the spot where Li Gongyang had just disappeared, picked up the sticker that had reappeared there, and clicked his tongue, saying, "The methods of the underworld are truly unpredictable."

Zhao Haoran nodded in deep agreement.

Just as the two were about to rescue Li Gongyang, Li Gongyang, who seemed to have lost consciousness, suddenly disappeared from the spot, leaving only a small white sticker.

How should this incident be reported?

Zhao Haoran asked.

"Just report it normally, what's there to worry about? By the way, also report on Li Gongyang's intention to let the ghosts run rampant. Who knows if that's Li Gongyang's idea or the Underworld's own idea?"

Ding Xiuyuan squinted and said, "If it's Li Gongyang's own idea, then so be it; he's just a promiscuous man. But if it's the Underworld's idea, then the significance of this matter is quite different."

What would be the purpose of an organization that allows its subordinates to harbor treacherous individuals?

……

When Li Gongyang woke up again, the first thing he saw was a full-length dressing mirror.

"I was... saved by Ding Xiuyuan and Zhao Haoran?"

"Is this the Bureau of Investigation?"

Li Gongyang turned to look at his surroundings and then froze in place.

Apart from the mirror, there was only darkness around.

It seemed that in the entire world, only he and that mirror remained.

After a long pause, Li Gongyang finally stood up.

After looking around, Li Gongyang did not head towards the mirror, but instead tried to step into the darkness. He wanted to see how big the space was and what the situation was like.

But after he took a few steps, he discovered that the mirror was moving along with him.

Li Gongyang vaguely sensed that it wasn't the mirror that was moving, but rather that he was standing still.

Strangely, his body did not perceive that he was moving in place!

This awkward feeling made him feel nauseous.

He stopped and recalled what had happened before he lost consciousness.

He touched his body.

Not only did the cold sensation disappear from the places where the yin energy spikes had been inserted into his body, but the headaches he had caused from overuse of the crow feather raincoat also vanished.

It seems that after a good night's sleep, he was fully recharged!
Apart from the somewhat strange location, everything is fine.

After that, Li Gongyang ignored the mirror and explored in all directions for a while, but found nothing.

It seemed that he could walk in this darkness forever if he wanted to.

It's the same in any direction.

So, Li Gongyang stopped and walked towards the mirror.

This time, the mirror did not move with Li Gongyang; instead, Li Gongyang walked in front of the mirror.

Despite the complete darkness around him, Li Gongyang saw himself in the mirror and noticed the details reflected therein.

This is an ordinary wooden-framed full-length dressing mirror. The only unusual thing is the two eyeballs embedded in the frame of the mirror.

Those eyes looked so real that Li Gongyang felt as if they were about to steal his soul away.

Looking away, Li Gongyang glanced at himself in the mirror.

There was a pallor, like someone recovering from a serious illness.

As he looked at himself in the mirror, he felt something was off about his reflection, but he couldn't figure out what it was.

"Where exactly is this place, and why did I get here?"

Li Gongyang muttered to himself.

"This is the Netherworld."

A sudden remark startled Li Gongyang.

"Who? Who's speaking?"

Li Gongyang looked around, but all he saw was darkness.

"You came here because you had doubts."

The voice rang out again, and the source of the voice was behind him!

Swish!
Li Gongyang turned around and subconsciously used the Raven Feather Raincoat to attack.

But at this moment, he had no raven feather raincoat on his body, and moreover, there was no one in front of him!
"who are you?"

Li Gongyang shouted something into the air, then took a few steps to the side. He wanted to see what was behind the mirror and find the person who had spoken!
"I am you."

Li Gongyang's body stiffened.

He slowly looked at the mirror.

On the mirror, 'himself' is looking at himself indifferently. His indifference in the mirror contrasts sharply with the wariness and astonishment on his real face.

Li Gongyang finally realized what had been wrong when he looked in the mirror earlier.

Expression!
Even though his whole body was tense, he looked completely calm in the mirror.

"who are you?"

Li Gongyang looked at the 'himself' in the mirror, who was not speaking, and asked.

"I am you."

"Li Gongyang" said.

"You can't be me!"

Li Gongyang stared at the mirror, but his words received no reply.

After a long while, Li Gongyang seemed to understand that it was pointless to investigate whether the thing in the mirror was him or not; the most important thing was how to get back.

How can I get out of here?!

"Let's play a game."

"what game?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the surrounding environment suddenly changed.

It was no longer pitch black, no longer nothing at all.

Li Gongyang felt himself return to reality, appearing at a road intersection.

The people, cars, and sun all around me—everything felt so real!
This scene left Li Gongyang somewhat dazed.

Was the darkness we just saw an illusion, or is what we're seeing now an illusion?

Just as Li Gongyang was unable to distinguish between reality and illusion, a commotion suddenly came from behind him.

Turning around, Li Gongyang looked at the scene behind him.

I didn't hit you!

"Why did you help me up if you didn't hit me! Pay up!"

"You asked me to help you, and I kindly helped you, and now you're trying to extort money from me!"

"You're the one who hit me, don't even think about getting away!"

Seeing what was happening in front of him, Li Gongyang frowned.

He had seen this scene many times in short videos, but when it actually appeared in front of him, he couldn't help but feel disgust.

But what does this have to do with the game you mentioned?
As the old man and the young man argued more and more fiercely on the roadside, more and more people gathered around to watch.

Some people were recording videos with their phones, while others were pointing and whispering about the old man. Still others were acting as peacemakers a few meters away, saying things like, "Since he's alright, let it go," "Young man, just apologize and it'll be over," and "Old man, you seem to be in good health."

As the voices of the onlookers grew louder, both the young man and the old man became agitated.

"Why should I apologize? I didn't hit anyone. If I apologize, wouldn't that confirm that I hit someone?"

The young man said excitedly.

"I'm fine? You think I'll let it go just because I'm fine? With his attitude, I'm going to pursue this to the end! He has to pay compensation!"

The old man replied angrily.

After hearing this, the surrounding people started talking even louder.

Some people have even uploaded the recorded videos to short video platforms.

Suddenly, Li Gongyang noticed that everyone's movements had stopped, as if someone had pressed the pause button on a TV program.

"If you were to make the judgment, whose fault do you think it is?"

Li Gongyang looked at the mirror that had suddenly appeared beside him.

The 'he' in the mirror is looking indifferently at the scene of the accident.

Although he didn't understand the mirror's intentions, Li Gongyang could only follow the mirror's train of thought.

"It should be the old man's problem. The bicycle was more than two meters away from the old man, and there were no tire marks on the old man's body. In addition, the old man keeps talking about paying compensation. It should be a case of extortion."

After Li Gongyang finished speaking, he saw himself in the mirror and said with a half-smile, "Oh? Is that so?"

As soon as he finished speaking, everything around him began to recede, and soon, Li Gongyang saw a frozen scene of the young man riding past the old man on his bicycle. The bicycle did not hit the old man, but... the young man stretched out his foot and kicked the old man in the hip.

It seems the old man mistook the kick for being hit by a car.

Li Gongyang's expression turned somewhat grim, and his gaze towards the young man became dangerous.

"Now, whose fault do you think it is?"

Li Gongyang frowned.

"Does this need to be said?"

"Whose problem is it?"

Li Gongyang, reflected in the mirror, continued to ask.

"The problem with young people is that they not only maliciously kick people, but they also deny it and falsely accuse the elderly!"

Li Gongyang said.

"Oh, really?"

Li Gongyang heard this sentence again.

Before he could even wonder, he saw the screen start to rewind again.

Li Gongyang then realized that the young man had deliberately turned around to kick the old man.

As his disgust for the young man's actions intensified, he witnessed a scene that astonished him.

When the young man and the old man first met, the old man spat directly onto the young man's clothes.

That's why the young man turned back and kicked the old man.

"So, whose problem is it now?"

Li Gongyang remained silent.

"Both sides have problems, but it's clear that the younger generation is more at fault. The older person's actions were unintentional, while the younger generation's were deliberate revenge!"

"Oh? Really?"

He heard that phrase again, and Li Gongyang watched numbly as the screen rewound once more.

This time, only elderly people were present.

At another intersection, an old man spat, and the spit landed squarely on the clothes of a girl riding by on a bicycle. The girl didn't notice, and the old man smiled.

The scene continues to rewind, revealing another intersection, and this scene repeats itself many times.

They kept going back to the old man's house, where the old man would spit phlegm down from the sixth-floor balcony.

"So, whose problem is it now?"

After a moment of silence, Li Gongyang said, "Both sides have problems, but if we were to investigate, in reality only the young man would be held responsible for kicking the old man, and the old man's lack of conscience would not be counted in the accident caused by that kick."

Li Gongyang shook his head in the mirror.

"All I need to know is, if you were to make the judgment, whose fault do you think it is, and who should be punished?"

As they spoke, the scene around them shifted back to the time when the old man and the young man were struggling.

Looking at the young man and the old man, Li Gongyang kept calculating the magnitude of their mistakes in his mind.

Then, Li Gongyang uttered the words 'young man'.

After all, he was an old man.

After Li Gongyang made his judgment, the surrounding scene changed again.

The actions of the young people were made public, and netizens who had previously insulted the elderly after seeing short videos taken by passersby began to turn against them and turn their guns on the young people.

Young people's personal information was exposed, and they were subjected to cyberbullying.

Then, the young man jumped off the building.

Looking at the pool of blood beneath the young man, which was gradually expanding, Li Gongyang stared blankly, his mouth opening and closing, unable to utter a word for a long time.

The surrounding scene changed again, and everything returned to the time when the old man and the young man were struggling.

"If you were given another choice, who would you choose to be punished?"

Looking at the two men, Li Gongyang recalled the young man's resolute decision when he jumped off the building. After hesitating, he said in a low voice, "Old man."

Scene changes.

After the young man's behavior was discovered, he explained why he kicked the old man. People around who knew the old man also began to condemn his heartlessness.

People around him were verbally attacking the old man.

The elderly man was so angry that he suffered a sudden heart attack and died on the spot.

Seeing this, Li Gongyang was bewildered.

The scene rewinds, returning to the moment of the verdict.

"Who will you choose to be punished this time?"

Li Gongyang remained silent in response to the mirror's question.

It seems that no matter what choice he makes, there will be times when he regrets it.

How to choose?
Li Gongyang was unaware of this.

It might be an hour, or it might be a day.

Li Gongyang raised his hand, pointed to the onlookers, and drew a circle with his arm, encompassing everyone, including the elderly and the young.

"Everyone should be punished!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Li Gongyang's vision blurred, and when he could see his surroundings clearly, he knew where he was.

In the underworld, at the Three Mountains' residence, in the room he rented.

At this moment, his protective charms were placed beside him.

What I experienced before seems to have been just a dream.

Li Gongyang got up, put away his protective charms, sat on the bed in silence for a long time, and then went out.

As soon as he opened the door, Li Gongyang saw a crow that had landed in the yard.

"Li Gongyang, are you willing to undergo the examination of the Underworld's Envoy of Rewarding Good and Punishing Evil?"

……

Chen Xin turned his gaze away from the Crow Prophet.

After learning about the duties of the Rewards and Punishments Commissioner, Li Gongyang agreed to conduct an assessment of the Commissioner.

The evaluation of the reward and punishment system has no fixed time limit. When Chen Xin feels that he is ready to be promoted, that's fine.

What are the assessment criteria?
No!

There are no specific assessment criteria, but everything Li Gongyang does in the future will be used as the basis for his assessment.

As for why Chen Xin chose Li Gongyang to conduct the first test for the envoy of rewarding good and punishing evil.

One reason was that they happened to meet, and another reason was Li Gongyang's personality.

When Chen Xin learned what Li Gongyang was planning to do with the Soul Sealing Altar, he was speechless.

Aside from the Wise Ghost, Chen Xin had never seen any other ghost or spirit that possessed any humanity.

Chen Xin also couldn't understand Li Gongyang's actions.

Therefore, Chen Xin used the telescope to make Li Gongyang experience choices one after another, so that he would understand that there is a price to pay for every choice he makes.

However, it cannot be denied that Li Gongyang's promiscuous and overly kind nature is something most people do not possess.

It is easy for a person to become evil, but difficult to become good.

Therefore, Chen Xin was willing to give Li Gongyang a chance because of his personality, a chance to become the envoy in charge of rewards and punishments in the Three Mountains.

Of course, this assessment wasn't just for Li Gongyang; Shen Zhihong was also included.

Shen Zhihong also wants to take on the kind of 'multiple-choice questions' similar to those in iris examinations!

Not only do they have to do it, but in the days to come, they will have to go through this choice every now and then, even if they become the real messengers of good and evil.

During the assessment of the two, Chen Xin will also begin accepting underworld officials.

The number of underworld officials is too small.

It's time to expand the number of underworld messengers.

At the same time, it's time to begin compiling information about the 'Gates of Hell'!

……

P.S.: Happy Dragon Boat Festival! I couldn't finish the extra chapter this month, so I'm punishing myself with a red envelope in the group chat.

Let's calculate the extra chapters owed: 4000 monthly votes this month, 8 extra chapters, and 8 more chapters to make up for the unpaid ones, for a total of 16 chapters, which will be included in next month's plan.

I will definitely make up for the extra chapters in this book, and I'll make up for it in the next one too!

From now on, if I don't finish all the extra chapters for the month, I'll punish myself with a red envelope!

(End of this chapter)