You, a living person, are telling me I've served in the underworld for ten years?

Chapter 123 Investiture of the Gods, Mountain God, River God!

"........."

Zhong Kui was startled, and then subconsciously looked around.

The dignified Grand Judge of the Punishment Department, the legendary Exorcist, was chatting with Master Chen. How dare the underworld officials and ghosts disturb him?

Zhong Kui withdrew his gaze and looked at the ground.

Bundles of banknotes were scattered all over the ground, numbering in the hundreds!

This bundle...

That must be tens of millions?
As the chief judge of the Department of Punishment, Zhong Kui's salary was not actually very high.

His main income came from offerings of incense and paper money.

However, the ancestral star is a realm where Yin and Yang are separated. As a "deity" who came from this human realm, his incense offerings have been cut off for more than 1000 years. During these 1000 years, he has lived a very frugal life.

In fact, it's not just Zhong Kui.

Most of the gods in the underworld haven't had a good life for the past few hundred years... after all, most of these gods came from the mortal realm of their ancestral star.

At this moment, Zhong Kui's mind was filled with the "Brief Biography of Zhong Kui" that Chen Huaiyi had recited earlier—

Zhong Kui is a man of great learning, upright and incorruptible, fearless of evil spirits, honest and trustworthy, and loyal to his friends!
If I were to take this money, wouldn't my upright and incorruptible image be ruined?
It's a long story, but in reality, only a second had passed from when Chen Huaiyi said, "True Lord, you've dropped your money." While Zhong Kui was mentally preparing himself and thinking about how to refuse Chen Huaiyi...

Chen Huaiyi had already bent down and picked up the bundles of banknotes.

He immediately stuffed all of it into the sleeve of the Exorcist Lord, and said in a teasing tone, "Lord, don't flaunt your wealth... If you just drop it on the ground like that, be careful someone might have their eye on it."

"Who dares?"

Zhong Kui's eyes widened.

With his leopard-like head, piercing eyes, iron face, and bushy beard, he was already imposing, but when he glared, he was even more terrifying!
The money was already stuffed into his sleeve, so Zhong Kui naturally couldn't take it out again... otherwise, wouldn't that be embarrassing for Master Chen?
He was about to speak...

Chen Huaiyi pushed over several more blonde, blue-eyed paper doll girls.

“My Lord, my unfilial son is useless. All he does all day is burn unusable paper effigies for me… Look, here are dozens more. I keep them in the mansion and maintain them every day. I can hardly afford the expenses anymore.”

"Please trouble you, True Lord, to take a few with you and help ease my burden."

"........."

Zhong Kui looked the blonde, blue-eyed paper doll girls up and down and asked, "Are these people from beyond the human realm?"

Zhong Kui once passed the imperial examination with top honors in the Tang Dynasty. In Tang City, foreigners were collectively referred to as "people outside the civilization of the Central Plains," meaning people "outside the teachings of the Central Plains."

Without making a sound, Zhong Kui pushed the several "paper effigies" behind him and said with a smile, "By the way, Master Chen... what position do you hold in the underworld now?"

Chen Huaiyi: "I am highly regarded by my superiors and now serve as the Yin Ghost Envoy."

Zhong Kui laughed and said, "Are you willing to come to the Department of Punishment of Evil? As long as you are willing to come, I will promote you to the position of Day Patrol God. After you make merits and pass the test, you will have a chance to become the Day Patrol Captain, the Underworld Commander, or even the Prefect!"

Zhong Kui is the head of the judges of the Punishment Department, and he has many other judges under his command, both large and small.

The term "tongpan" means judge.

This offer is incredibly tempting!

You should know that many ghost messengers may never be promoted even after a lifetime of service!
The Day-Roaming God can be considered a low-level "manager" in the underworld.

However, after thinking about it, Chen Huaiyi declined Zhong Kui's invitation.

Chen Yang is a ghost official in the underworld and a subordinate of Lord Cui. How could he possibly go and serve under Zhong Kui?

Zhong Kui didn't press the matter, and instead asked with a smile about the contents of the letter.

Chen Huaiyi then had time to read the letter. He quickly glanced at it and then handed the letter that Chen Yang had written to "Lord Cui" to Zhong Kui.

"what?"

"Turbid tides and misty fog... the path of the immortals?"

"The culprit that caused the dissipation of spiritual energy and the stagnation of the Great Dao more than 600 years ago?"

Zhong Kui's expression changed: "After so many years, the Yin-Yang Path has finally become possible to be opened. How can it be cut off by a so-called 'otherworldly path'... It's hateful that I cannot enter the mortal realm, otherwise I would definitely refine that so-called 'otherworldly path' to its fullest extent!"

Chen Huaiyi, unaware of the reason for the severance of the Yin-Yang Path and the dissipation of spiritual energy in the mortal realm, asked, "True Lord, could the severance of the Yin-Yang Path be related to this strange immortal?"

"A mere immortal doesn't possess such great abilities."

Zhong Kui said, "The Path Between Yin and Yang was severed because of a turmoil that broke out in the underworld a thousand years ago... Otherwise, a mere extraordinary immortal would not have been able to cause any trouble or affect the ancestral star's human realm."

At this point, Zhong Kui paused slightly, then said, "But your son is somewhat unexpected... According to our original plan, we intended to wait until the seal between heaven and earth loosened a bit more ten years later before sending underworld officials to cross the Yin-Yang Road."

"At that time, perhaps the underworld officials will have the opportunity to cross the dead end, reach the human world, and then slowly plan to continue the path of life and death between the living and the dead."

Chen Huaiyi repeated the same set of excuses that Chen Yang had used to deceive him.

"Did I travel to the underworld in my dream and receive an imperial decree from Lord Cui?"

Zhong Kui shook his head and said, "Lord Cui's skills are indeed above mine, but he can't do this... This is perhaps the Emperor's method."

"It was your son who first sent a group of souls into the underworld, thus creating karma between him and the underworld. Only in this way could he be registered in the register of the gods in the underworld, and only then could Lord Cui use secret methods to send your son a dream."

After returning the letter to Chen Huaiyi, Zhong Kui said, "Come on... I'll take you to see Lord Cui. This matter is of great importance and must be decided by Lord Cui."

...............

Let's leave aside the matters of the underworld for now.

Wucheng, Yumin Street.

After Chen Yang finished writing a letter to his subordinates and burning the dolls and ghost money, he had been cultivating for less than an hour when he suddenly heard Cat Lord meow and dart outside, speaking in human language and scolding, "What kind of demon are you, sneaking around like this, daring to run wild here?"

With a thought, Chen Yang swept his spiritual power and saw the River God of Qingshui River in Tongxin County and the eighth of the "Thirteen Eagles of the Mass Burial Mound" in the darkness.

They were cornered by Cat Lord and trembled with fear.

"Say!"

"What on earth do you want to do?"

Eight Eagles wanted to explain, but he already had a severe stutter, and after being frightened, he couldn't utter a single word for a long time.

Chen Yang transmitted his voice: "Little Fatty, don't scare them. They're here to see me. Bring them in."

Cat Lord, with his tail held high, said, "Are you here to see the Inspector General? Follow me!"

It turned around and walked towards the funeral home with the utmost elegance.

The old man, having served as a "River God" for some time, was quite knowledgeable and immediately struck up a conversation, saying, "Master Cat, are you a cat spirit? To be honest, I, like you, was once the River God of the Qingshui River in Tongxin County."

Cat Lord turned his head, glanced at the old man, his expression arrogant, and said indifferently, "I am valued by the Inspector and have now been promoted to Yin Ghost Envoy, and have been granted the title of [Nine Netherworld Patrol Envoy], a second-rank deity. How can you, a mere river god of a small river, compare to me?"

Upon entering the funeral parlor, Cat Lord slid down to Chen Yang's feet, his previous arrogance vanishing, and said with a smile, "Your Excellency Inspector, those two little devils have been brought here... I wonder what Your Excellency would like to eat for supper tonight? This humble servant will prepare it for you."

Chen Yang waved his hand, signaling Cat Master to step back first.

Cat Lord knelt on the ground with his front paws, took a few steps back before getting up, and then stood respectfully beside Chen Yang.

Seeing that even a cat was so respectful, the old river god and the eight eagles dared not be negligent and immediately knelt down to pay their respects.

"Get up and talk."

Chen Yang said, "I told you thirteen brothers to settle the old River God's usurious loans and then come to Wucheng to see me. Why did only you come... Where are your other brothers?"

Pfft!
Eight Eagles knelt on the ground again, wailing, "Your Excellency... Your Excellency the Inspector, please save my brothers! They... they... they were... killed by the Flying Ghost King..."

Chen Yang looked at the old river god: "You tell me."

The old River God said, "Your Excellency the Inspector, the other twelve eagles have been detained by the Flying Ghost King... The reason why the eight eagles were able to escape is that the other twelve eagles disliked his severe stutter and were afraid that he would lose face when meeting the Flying Ghost King, so they did not take him into the city."

"what?"

"That Flying Ghost King has such a huge dog egg, how dare he detain the Inspector General's ghost!"

Cat Lord jumped out.

Although it didn't know who the "Flying Ghost King" was, or who your so-called "loan shark" was... it could roughly tell that this stutterer and his twelve brothers were working for the Inspector General!

It knelt on one knee and shouted, "Your Excellency Inspector, give the order... As long as you give the order, I will immediately summon the underworld messenger Yang Shuai and Lady Hongshan to attack the lair of the Flying Ghost King and wipe out its ghost city!"

"Don't be impatient."

Chen Yang said, "How did this get involved with the Flying Ghost King?"

River God: "My lord, the [Yixianglou] in the Ghost Market is the property of the Flying Ghost King."

"Then you didn't mention my name?"

"It's been...it's been...it's been raised!"

Eight Eagles said, "At first, the Flying Ghost King was still quite reasonable and expressed his willingness to give face to Lady Hongshan and you, the Inspector, by waiving all of the old man's debts. But later, my third brother made just one small request, and the Flying Ghost King got angry and imprisoned them."

Chen Yang asked curiously, "What are the requirements?"

Ba Ying was a little embarrassed and stammered, but stopped stuttering: "My third brother said that Your Excellency the Inspector's face is very valuable. It's not enough to just waive the debt. He wants that Flying Ghost King to pay back 1800 million."

"Humph!"

Chen Yang snorted coldly: "A bunch of idiots. Since you've invoked my name, why did you only ask for 1800 million?"

Eight Eagles: "Huh?"

Chen Yang then said, "Little Fatty, go and call Gu Jinghui and Yang Shuai down. Also, contact Ali and have her come to the funeral home for a meeting."

Gu Jinghui and Yang Shuai went downstairs, while Li Ali and Ruyi arrived at the funeral home ten minutes later.

Chen Yang didn't mention the "Thirteen Eagles" first, but said, "Gu Jinghui, the Helan Mountain Temple will be completed soon, and your golden statue is also being cast... Today, I will bestow this title upon you!"

Before Gu Jinghui could react, Yang Shuai slapped Gu Jinghui's leg twice and shouted, "Old Gu, why aren't you kneeling down to receive your appointment?"

Gu Jinghui immediately knelt down on the ground.

Chen Yang flipped his hand and took out the "Book of Yin and Yang Good and Evil," using his divine soul power as a pen to write Gu Jinghui's name on it.

Instantly, Gu Jinghui's past and present lives, as well as the good and evil deeds of his ancestors for eighteen generations, all came to light.

An imperial edict then emerged—

Heaven and Earth are positioned, Yin and Yang are divided.

The living and the dead govern together, and gods and humans unite in virtue!
There is a mountain called Helan Mountain, towering high into the sky, spiritually connected to the netherworld. It is truly a place where the earth's veins converge and where ghosts dwell. Now, according to a report from the underworld, the mountain has long lacked divine protection, causing evil spirits to invade and the souls of the dead to be restless!

You, Gu Jinghui, were upright in life and your spirit remains heroic in death. You are of a stern and righteous nature, yet compassionate at heart. Therefore, I hereby bestow upon you the title of Mountain God of Helan Mountain, to oversee the peace of this region, protect the mountain boundary, purify the evil spirits, bless all living beings, and accumulate merits in secret!

You must be diligent in your duties and not bend the law for personal gain. When your merits are fulfilled, you will be promoted to the rank of gods. If you are negligent or derelict in your duties, the laws of the underworld will not forgive you!

hum!
This imperial edict flew out from the "Book of Yin and Yang, Good and Evil," transformed into a ball of light, and shot into Gu Jinghui's body!
Gu Jinghui's body trembled, and his aura surged rapidly.

He has a special physique. He had already condensed a Yin spirit before his death, and then died in a car accident. Now, with the blessing of the "god" position, his cultivation level has risen steadily and has even surpassed Yang Shuai and Ruyi.

at the same time.

It also has a strange connection with "Helan Mountain" in some mysterious way.

If he were in the Helan Mountains, Gu Jinghui could borrow the power of the mountain and water's energy, and his strength would increase dramatically!
He kowtowed in gratitude, and when he stood up, his yin body was even more solidified, and his body was radiating a holy glow.

Chen Yang looked at the old river god and asked, "What's your name?"

The old river god had already guessed what Chen Yang was going to do next. Overwhelmed with emotion, he said excitedly, "Reporting to the Inspector General, my surname in life was Niu. Because I was the fourth child in my family, I was called Niu Si (Niu Fourth)!"

Niu Si died while saving a child from drowning; this was a great act of merit.

Chen Yang wrote his name into the "Book of Yin and Yang Good and Evil," and re-bestowed upon him a title, saying, "Tomorrow I will contact the human government and have them rebuild your temple and golden statue on the banks of the Clear Water River. I hope you will guard the Clear Water River well and not disappoint my good intentions."

Niu Si knelt down and kowtowed to express his gratitude.

Chen Yang then looked at Ruyi.

Ruyi looked on with anticipation.

Chen Yang wrote his name into the "Book of Yin and Yang, Good and Evil," and then another imperial edict flew out.

Heaven and earth are in perfect order, and yin and yang are clearly distinguished.

The paths of the living and the dead diverge, and spirits and deities work together to govern them.

It has been found that Ruyi performed many good deeds during his lifetime, and his spirit remains clear after his death. He has been diligent and conscientious in abiding by the laws of the underworld. Now that the position of the underworld inspector is vacant, we hereby appoint you as an underworld inspector, responsible for inspecting the human world, arresting souls according to orders, handling grievances, and protecting the virtuous.

You must maintain a firm and impartial mind, and uphold the law with unwavering resolve.

Those who perform meritorious deeds will be recorded in the annals of the dead, while those who commit wrongdoings will be condemned to the death by a mountain of knives.

Be careful! Be careful!
The eight eagles stared wide-eyed at Chen Yang with anticipation.

Chen Yang put away the "Book of Yin and Yang Good and Evil" and said, "It has been verified that there is a ghost king at the foot of Jinlong Mountain in Gansu Province who is gathering people to cause trouble and disregarding the laws of the underworld. You shall set off immediately to Jinlong Mountain and capture him to see me!"

Cat Master, Gu Jinghui, Yang Shuai, Li Ali, Ruyi, and Hebo Niu Si all responded in unison: "We obey the orders of the Inspector General!"

"Go."

Chen Yang said, "Go early and come back early... Remember, if any fools resist, kill them on the spot!"

…………

P.S.: I'm writing this on my phone at the hospital. Everything is arranged. I'll get up around 6 a.m. tomorrow for fetal monitoring and other tests, and have a C-section around 8 a.m.

(End of this chapter)