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Chapter 157 The Fair and Just Guan Yu, the God of Incense, is Poisonous and People's Hearts Have Changed! (Please Subscribe)

into the night.

The moonlight, like water, silently bathed the earth.

In Jinyu Hutong, Changshan County, a mist suddenly rose, and then a Yin-Yang Road opened. A minor official dressed as a ghost led a white horse out of the Yin-Yang Road, followed by a troop of ghost soldiers.

The minor official led the white horse to the front of the Zhang residence. The host seemed to have known that a guest would arrive late at night, for the gates were wide open, and an old servant was already waiting there.

"We have been ordered by the City God to invite Master Zhang to the City God's domain to take the exam."

When the junior official saw the old servant, he respectfully handed over the invitation, adopting a very humble and unpretentious attitude.

This is not surprising.

The Zhang family of Changshan County is a well-known family of City Gods in the Great Pine Divine Dynasty. The family has produced dozens of City Gods of various ranks. How could a mere underworld official like him be so presumptuous?

“My master has been waiting for you for a long time. Please come with me.”

The old man was clearly no ordinary person; he could not only see the existence of the underworld officials, but he was also neither humble nor arrogant when facing them.

In the clouds above the Zhang residence.

Niu Jun shook his head upon seeing the scene before him.

To see the whole leopard through a tube, or to know the coming of autumn from a single leaf.

The scene at Zhang Mansion reveals that the boundary between immortals and mortals in this world is not as clear as in the Journey to the West universe.

In the Journey to the West universe, whether they are celestial gods or underworld spirits, they are all bound by heavenly rules and cannot manifest themselves in front of mortals on ordinary days. In particular, gods cannot interfere in human affairs.

What about the world right now?

Ordinary families can form City God families within the lineage of the Yin Gods of the Underworld.

In the long run.

It would be strange if the boundary between immortals and mortals could still be clearly defined.

Who knows when, one after another, massive immortal and divine families spanning the three realms will be born, just like the powerful clans of human dynasties, and begin to encroach on the power of the Heavenly Court and the Underworld, truly dominating one side.

Then, the big fish eat the small fish, and the small fish eat the shrimp.

As they grew stronger and more powerful, they engaged in fierce competition and infighting, causing the complete collapse of the order of the Three Realms and plunging the world into turmoil.

"When even immortals fall in love, the Three Realms are thrown into turmoil!"

Thinking of this, Niu Jun couldn't help but recall a saying from his past life.

Question the Queen Mother, understand the Queen Mother, and become the Queen Mother!

It's not that gods and immortals can't have feelings or take care of their descendants.

The key is that everything should be done in moderation.

Just as Yu Gong said, sons beget grandsons, grandsons beget sons, and so on, generation after generation, without end.

If immortals and gods used their power to make all their descendants immortals and gods, and arranged divine positions for those who could not become immortals in life, how many divine positions would be needed to satisfy them?
Furthermore, deities must be fair and just, and bring blessings to the people.

You've made them all people with connections.

It would be strange if the Three Realms could still function normally.

Niu Jun believed that in the world where the Great Pine God Dynasty was located, there were definitely many families like the Zhang family of Changshan County who were City God families, and they were not limited to the City God system.

There are likely many other systems of mountain gods, river gods, and wandering gods as well.

When all the divine positions were occupied by the families of immortals and gods.

It seems that the time has come for reform and innovation, for a new era to dawn.

of course.

Niu Jun merely made a few remarks about this and didn't intend to do anything about it.

After all, he was just a passerby in this mythical universe, not the Heavenly Emperor of this universe. There was no need for him to use the money from selling cabbages to have the mindset of selling heroin.

The owner of that Zhang mansion clearly knew all along that the underworld messengers would be coming.

After a conversation, his soul left his body, and he mounted the ghostly white horse. He then entered the Yin-Yang Road with the underworld messengers and headed to the divine realm of the City God of the Great Pine Dynasty to participate in the City God's assessment.

Upon seeing this, Niu Jun smiled slightly, then descended from the clouds and blended seamlessly into the ranks of the underworld officials.

The realm of the City God is located in the vast underworld. Without guidance, entering it is no easy task.

Now that the underworld messenger is leading the way, Niu Jun naturally won't miss it.

……

The Yin-Yang Road connects the mortal realm and the underworld.

Niu Jun mingled with the underworld officials and walked for about half a cup of tea's time before arriving at a city.

From afar, the city appeared extremely prosperous, bustling with people. Its prosperity was comparable to that of Kaifeng, the capital of the Great Pine Dynasty.

The city was even more than ten times larger than Kaifeng Prefecture.

This is not hard to understand.

After all, the world of the living and the world of the dead are one entity of yin and yang.

As the City God of the Great Pine Dynasty, the City God's domain naturally encompasses the capital of the Great Pine Dynasty and controls all the City God lands within the Great Pine Dynasty.

In addition, the number of souls in the underworld far exceeds the number of living people in the mortal realm.

Therefore, it is normal for the City God's domain to be of such a scale.

Niu Jun followed Zhang Xiucai into the palace of the City God in the capital.

Unexpectedly, before the City God, the master of this divine realm, could even notice, Guan Yu, who was sitting to the side, suddenly spoke up: "Since our distinguished guest has arrived, why not show yourself?"

"I am Niu Jun, a rogue cultivator. I heard that the City God of the Great Pine Dynasty is holding a City God assessment today. I am quite curious, so I have come uninvited. I hope that Guan Yu and the City God will not be offended."

Niu Jun smiled and spoke, removing his disguise and bowing slightly to the City God and Guan Yu, who were seated in the main seats.

He was not at all surprised that Guan Yu had noticed his presence.

Because this was a trace of his aura that he deliberately leaked, intentionally letting Guan Yu (the God of War) notice it.

the reason is simple.

He came here to participate in the examination of the City God's supernatural tales, not to hide in the shadows and watch as a nobody. How could he obtain the power of mythology if he didn't show himself?

As for the Guan Yu deity in front of us?
The Guan Di God before us is not the real Guan Di God, but rather a wisp of his divine consciousness.

Like the incarnation of Guanyin Bodhisattva who guided Bai Suzhen in Qingcheng Mountain, its strength and realm were only at the level of a True Immortal, and it did not exceed the limitations of this world.

According to Niu Jun's speculation.

The Guan Yu deity in this world is at the peak of the Golden Immortal realm, and he follows the path of being enshrined as a god through incense offerings.

Unlike the cultivation of immortality, the gods who take the path of incense offerings and deification have their strength, realm, and control over the laws that are often related to the faith of the masses.

Take, for example, the Guan Yu deity right in front of us.

Niu Jun sensed the power of laws such as life and death, yin and yang, wind and thunder, and destiny from Guan Yu, which correspond to the divine duties of Guan Yu, such as healing diseases and disasters, driving away evil spirits, punishing rebels, inspecting the underworld, and bestowing fortune and blessings.

A single divine office can often condense several fundamental laws.

With so many divine roles combined, plus the immense popularity and worship of Guan Yu among the human world, it's no wonder that Guan Yu became one of the four guardian deities under the Eastern Emperor, holding a high position and great power in the underworld.

"A rogue cultivator?" Guan Di Shen frowned slightly upon hearing Niu Jun's self-introduction and purpose of visit, showing little belief.

After all, he didn't think that a rogue immortal cultivator from the lower realm could deceive his senses and deductions, and that he would have the audacity to come to the City God's divine realm to watch the City God's assessment.

Furthermore, when the person in front of him saw him, he said "Don't blame me" but showed no sign of tension or fear on his face.

He doesn't seem afraid of himself.

It would be strange if this was an ordinary cultivator.

Therefore, Guan Yu did not believe a single word of Niu Jun's claim of being a wandering cultivator.

However, he didn't spell it out, but instead said with a smile, "We are overjoyed that you have come to the Netherworld, so how could we be surprised? May I ask where you cultivated before?"

Upon hearing this, Niu Jun casually replied, "On an unnamed deserted island overseas, I stumbled upon the legacy of my predecessors and have been cultivating my own path ever since!"

He wasn't lying.

Because his cultivation was basically all self-taught, he had never studied under any master, nor had he practiced the core techniques of any sect.

"Incredible! One can even become a true immortal through self-cultivation!"

Guan Yu, the God of War, gave a heartfelt exclamation of praise.

This was a genuine compliment.

After all, before Guan Yu was deified after his death, he was a great martial arts cultivator in the mortal world. However, cultivation is not so easy, let alone attaining the status of a true martial arts immortal and ascending to immortality.

Before his death, he had not even attained the status of a martial arts immortal.

It was only after his death, through the power of immense faith, that he cultivated for thousands of years and became the Guan Yu deity we know today.

This gives us insight into the difficulty of spiritual practice.

Guan Yu, however, was somewhat curious and couldn't help but ask, "I see that you have already reached the limit of this realm and have long met the requirements for ascension. Why are you still staying in this realm?"

Niu Jun said, half-truthfully, "To be honest, I attained enlightenment in the mortal realm, but I have never had the chance to properly explore it. Therefore, before ascending to immortality, I want to take a good look around the mortal world and experience the joys and sorrows of life."

The collection of mythical power is real.

It is true that one wants to travel and experience the world.

Therefore, Niu Jun cannot be considered to have deceived Guan Yu.

Done.

Niu Jun added, "Well, I heard that the City God of the Great Pine Dynasty wanted to hold a City God examination today, and I was quite curious, so I came uninvited. I never expected to have the honor of seeing the God Guan Yu descend to earth."

"Haha, what a coincidence! I am also very happy to meet you, fellow Daoist."

Guan Di Shen laughed and said, "If you don't mind, please take a seat."

Guandi was also very interested in Niu Jun, this suddenly arriving true immortal cultivator. Ignoring the fact that the guest should take the place of the host, he immediately had someone arrange a seat of honor for Niu Jun and serve him immortal fruits and immortal tea.

The City God and other underworld deities sat there with obsequious smiles, not interrupting.

no way.

Don't be fooled by the fact that the City God sits in the main seat of the main hall.

That's because Guan Yu respected him as the master of the City God's domain, and he followed the host's lead, not because the City God's status, position, or even strength was stronger than Guan Yu's.

Quite the opposite.

In Guan Yu's eyes, the City Gods in the main hall were nothing, just minor officials, far less important than Niu Jun, the true immortal of the mortal realm who piqued his interest.

Because he discovered that he couldn't see through Niu Jun at all, let alone deduce Niu Jun's background and origins.

This was undoubtedly a surprising thing for Guan Yu, the God of War.

While talking.

The second examinee, Song Tao, also entered the main hall under the guidance of a ghost messenger.

Upon seeing that both candidates had arrived, the City God immediately consulted Guan Yu, the God of War, saying, "Your Excellency, both candidates have arrived. Shall we begin the examination?"

Upon hearing this, Guan Yu nodded and said, "Agreed!"

If the City God of the capital is the chief examiner, then the other City Gods in the main hall are the deputy examiners.

The Guan Yu deity who descended in divine form was the imperial envoy in charge of this City God assessment, representing the central underworld.

Therefore, there is absolutely no problem with the City God's address of "Supreme God".

The exam began, and the test papers were quickly distributed to Song Tao and Zhang Xiucai.

Just as recorded in the story of "The Examination of the City God" in "Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio", the test paper only had eight characters: "One person, two people, with heart or without heart".

"Fellow Daoist, which of these two do you think is more suitable to become the City God?"

Seeing the two candidates begin to answer, Guan Yu smiled and asked Niu Jun.

Niu Jun smiled and said, "Guan Yu already has the answer in his heart, doesn't he? With Guan Yu's status, he can descend to the mortal world for a county city god examination. I wonder what kind of background and origin this Scholar Song has."

What is the identity of Guan Yu, the God of War?
In Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, his status in the underworld is even above that of the Ten Kings of Hell, and he represents the Great Emperor of the Eastern Peak.

The so-called City God Examination, though seemingly important, is, in comparison to the status of Guan Yu, the God of War, akin to a high-ranking official of the imperial court going to a remote mountain village to watch a first-grade student take an exam.

It would be strange if you said there weren't any problems here.

The City Gods in the main hall, upon hearing the conversation between Guan Yu and Niu Jun, all kept their eyes and mouths down, like clay statues, as if they heard nothing at all.

After all, this is a question they shouldn't be listening to.

Upon hearing this, Guan Yu paused for a moment, then sighed softly and said, "Fellow Daoist is indeed very capable, to have guessed this. My descent to manifest my divine power this time is indeed for this Scholar Song."

"This scholar Song had some karmic connection with me in his previous life, which is why I gave him the opportunity to take the City God exam after his death."

"Of course, Guan only gave him the qualification to take the City God exam. Whether he can pass and gain the approval of the City Gods depends on Song's true talent and learning."

"If he really has this ability, what's wrong with giving him the position of City God?"

“If I didn’t have that ability, I wouldn’t have been able to bend the law for my own benefit.”

Guan Yu solemnly said that he was only giving Song Xiucai a chance, and whether Song Xiucai could pass the exam to become the City God depended on Song Xiucai himself.

Upon hearing this, Niu Jun smiled knowingly.

Good guy.

Really good guy.

If you, a high-ranking official of the imperial court, go to a county town and specifically ask someone to take a special exam, how could the examiner refuse to let them pass?

If this is fair and just.

There would be no more favoritism or corruption in the world.

Not to mention, in the story of "The Examination of the City God" in "Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio", you, the God of Guan, not only allowed the scholar Song to participate in the examination, but also extended the scholar's life by nine years under the pretext of filial piety.

Isn't this an act of bending the law for personal gain?
Therefore, Niu Jun scoffed at the words of the Guandi deity before him and did not believe a single word.

Of course, he didn't have a problem with Guan Yu, but rather that the very foundation of this mythical White Snake universe was flawed, and the ancient Buddhas and deities of this universe could not be evaluated by common sense.

They are all completely absurd, and differ greatly from the myths and historical records.

Perhaps Guan Yu was an upright person in his lifetime, but the reason why gods are called gods is because they are not free to do as they please, and are bound by incense worship, which is why incense is poisonous.

It's not that people's hearts have changed, but that people's hearts have been altered!
(End of this chapter)