Becoming an immortal and ancestor begins with the golden toad spitting out money.

Chapter 2 Do good deeds and you will be blessed by the Gods.

"what?"

Although it was just a soft exclamation, it put immense pressure on Su Ji.

At this time, Yan Tianchou also gave his prediction: "Ten percent of the people in the courtyard are the spirits of Zhang's ancestors, thirty percent are another door god, and sixty percent are the local earth god."

Su Ji felt a wave of fear followed by a sense of relief.

If the person in the courtyard is indeed the local earth god, it means that all his actions are under the earth god's watchful eye.

If he had taken even a single offering from the local earth god, he probably wouldn't have even had a chance to leave the Zhang family courtyard before being treated as a monster and eliminated.

"A golden toad spitting out money? I didn't expect you to have such thoughts, actually going to look for this amulet coin."

The phantom of the door god stopped its massive footstep, then spun around and transformed into the door god pattern inside the peach wood charm, causing the tightly closed courtyard gate to open a crack.

Clearly, after learning the truth, the doorman figure had no intention of continuing to obstruct them.

Yan Tianchou then warned, "After entering the courtyard, there is a certain possibility of falling into danger. Leaving immediately is the safest option."

Su Ji also knew that the lucky money had already been delivered, and the Zhang family mother and daughter could see it as soon as they looked down. At the very least, they could find it when they cleaned the house in the next couple of days.

However, he had other ideas.

If we leave, wouldn't that mean we have something to hide?

He has nothing to fear if he is upright; as long as he has not done anything wrong, the local deity cannot punish him.

Moreover, he was a guest here, and since the door gods had voluntarily stopped, and the owner of this place might be in the courtyard, he naturally couldn't be impolite and should go forward to pay his respects.

So Su Ji put the lucky coin in his mouth and entered the courtyard through the narrow crack in the door.

The moment Su Ji stepped through the courtyard gate, his eyes suddenly lit up, followed by a moment of dizziness. When he came to his senses, three figures radiating spiritual light appeared before him.
Looking up, one could see that the leader was seven feet tall, dressed in five colors: blue, red, yellow, white, and black, with a bright yellow square scarf on his head. He was tall and thin, unlike the kind and gentle local deity of legend, but rather exuded an aura of authority without anger.

Behind them were two figures, each only about three feet tall, who appeared to be a young man and a middle-aged man, yet they stood on either side like children, their spiritual light not being particularly dazzling.

However, Su Ji felt that the young man on the right looked somewhat familiar.

Before Su Ji could figure out what was going on, the young man on the right said with a half-smile, "This is the Land Spirit Realm. Since you see the Land God here, why don't you quickly pay your respects?"

Immediately, Su Ji understood where the sense of familiarity came from: this person's voice was exactly the same as the shout of the illusory door god just now.

As he subconsciously prepared to bow in respect, he suddenly realized that he had transformed into an illusory human form.

Fortunately, his mindset improved considerably after becoming a toad. He was only slightly startled, but immediately bowed and said, "Homage to the Earth God!"

Perhaps because of the special nature of this place, after he transformed into a phantom figure, he spoke as soon as he had a thought.

Then, he didn't forget the two deities beside the Earth God: "Greetings to the two door gods!"

To show respect for superiors and inferiors, he only bowed slightly.

Upon hearing this, the local earth god's expression shifted slightly, while the two men on either side were quite surprised. With a slight shift in their steps, the faint phantom images of tall door gods flashed behind them.

As Su Ji stood up, the two men quietly withdrew the illusory figures behind them. The young man on the right shook his head and smiled, "We two are just spirit soldiers of the door god lineage. Your bow almost shortened our lifespan!"

Su Ji had no idea about any of this and looked completely bewildered. He wanted to ask Yan Tianchou, but all he could hear was a familiar phrase: "Respond to all changes with constancy."

As expected, seeing that Su Ji didn't understand anything, the middle-aged spiritual soldier on the left explained:

"The Door Gods are of the rank of divine rulers. So many people in the world paste peach charms on their doors. Even if the divine thoughts of the Door Gods can be divided into thousands, it is impossible for them to do everything personally."

"Therefore, the task of guarding the various gates of the world was entrusted to the spirit soldiers, spirit officials, and spirit lords of the door god lineage... and the same is true for other divine lineages."

Su Ji grasped things immediately, and even expanded his thinking.

Not only gods, but also people in the world who reach a certain high position will not do everything themselves, but will have their subordinates handle it.

In the mortal realm, the imperial court governs the world. Every county has officials such as the county magistrate and the county commandant. Each prefecture also has a prefectural magistrate and a prefectural commandant. The capital city also has a prime minister and a military commander...

Every city in the world has a City God, and every populated place has a Local God, as well as Door Gods, Toilet Gods, Kitchen Gods, Well Gods, and so on.

In this way, this local deity should be a low-level official in the lineage of local gods, a local spirit official above the spirit soldiers.

The reason people call them Earth Gods or Earth Lords is because they are merely divine favored beings, not true gods.

However, even the lowest-ranking officer is still an officer, and even the newest soldier is still a regular soldier.

Not to mention the local earth god in front of us, even the two spirit soldiers of the door god lineage are low-ranking gods with official positions.

After understanding all this, Su Ji not only did not look down on them, but became even more respectful to the three deities before him.

A true god ruling the world should not be subject to the seven emotions and six desires, but now the positions of low-ranking gods in various pantheons are held by humans, and one may offend them if one is not careful.

So Su Ji maintained proper etiquette and sincerely recounted what had happened that afternoon, followed by the prepared explanation.

"When I delivered the lucky charm to the gate of the courtyard, I considered this karmic debt settled. The reason I didn't leave immediately was to report something to the local earth god."

"Because there are dangerous monsters in the wild, I chose to live in the area near the river where the village is located. But I never expected that a strange snake would suddenly appear in the early hours of this morning and almost kill me on the spot."

"To save my life, I had no choice but to transform into a golden toad and hide under the mud and sand at the bottom of the river... I hope the local earth god can inform the villagers about the appearance of the strange snake, so that no one will be harmed by it."

Yan Tianchou advised against him meeting the local earth god, relying instead on the data he had deduced.

He still held a sense of reverence for the gods, and the strange snake that had suddenly appeared in the river was always a potential threat, so he boldly entered the courtyard.

Moreover, he spoke with great tact, neither mentioning his own origins nor explaining why he possessed the "Golden Toad" supernatural power. Everything he said was sincere and without a trace of falsehood.

"A strange snake?" The two spirit soldiers from the Gatekeeper faction exchanged a glance, both somewhat puzzled.

Their duty is to guard the gate; as long as the strange snake doesn't get close to the house within a certain range, it can avoid their detection.

The local earth god's expression suddenly changed, and then he revealed a serious look: "Since you have encountered a strange snake, could you describe its characteristics?"

Although the question is phrased in a questioning tone, it carries a detached, businesslike air.

Su Ji thought this was a good thing, as it showed that the local deity had taken the strange snake to heart and had carefully described it.

After a moment's thought, the local deity solemnly said, "Black-bellied white-ringed snakes mostly live in the mountains and forests, and are at most three feet long. A snake that can grow to four or five feet and develop a protective black water membrane must be a minor demon with minor magical abilities."

The world is full of strange and wonderful methods, and it is difficult to see the cultivation level of a practitioner from the surface. Some people have a high level of cultivation but are not good at killing, while others have strong methods but low cultivation.

Putting aside everything else, Su Ji's toad body, which he had not yet cultivated, was merely a mortal body, yet he was able to save his life multiple times with the help of the [Golden Toad Transformation] supernatural power.

Some people use the power of the spells they master as the standard, some use physical form to distinguish size, and some use individual strength as the basis...

If a strong tiger becomes a spirit, it can be called a great demon. Even if it only has minor mastery of demonic arts, it may not be weaker than a minor demon with major mastery of demonic arts.

There are also factors such as mutual generation and restraint, and the timing and circumstances of events...

"Last night, I went to the prefectural office to report on my duties. Perhaps those with ill intentions noticed something amiss. The snake demon must have come here to investigate the village's true situation..."

As the Earth God finished speaking, he suddenly smiled at Su Ji.

“There was nothing unusual in the village last night. I’m afraid the snake demon saw you disappear into thin air and mistook you for a spy sent by me, so it gave up its plan to investigate the village.” Based on Su Ji’s description, the local earth god judged that the strange snake was a minor demon with minor magical abilities, while Su Ji, who could transform into a golden toad, must be a demon with major magical abilities.

However, Su Ji's physical body was too weak and small, and he could only be considered a minor demon. In the absence of a life-or-death struggle, transforming into a golden toad to avoid the snake demon was a wise move.

"Someone with ill intentions?"

Su Ji had always lived in the river as an ordinary toad. Today was the first time he had encountered monsters and gods. Little did he know that the local earth god seemed to be fighting with some being from afar.

Even without Yan Tianchou's reminder, he knew that the water here was a bit deep, and if he stayed in this section of the river any longer, he didn't know how many more dangers he would encounter.

Immediately, he had the idea of ​​leaving this area. If he just followed the river downstream, he should be able to find a safe place to cultivate soon.

Having done what he needed to do, Su Ji was ready to leave. He immediately said goodbye, "Earth God, two Spirit Soldiers, I have said what I needed to say. It is time to send the amulet money into the room and take my leave."

There was nothing wrong with this action, but the local deity suddenly shook his head and looked up at the mountains not far away.

"You were originally a demon beast, but you consider yourself a human. You are either a lucky person who has awakened your innate wisdom, or you are a demon specially raised by the demons and ghosts in the mountains."

"Judging from your performance, it's most likely the former. But we can't be too afraid of the worst. If it's all the work of the mountain demons, wouldn't that mean you've discovered the true nature of the village?"

Upon hearing this, Su Ji was startled.

The so-called "innate wisdom" refers to a person who has awakened memories of their past life. If they did not possess a Heavenly Mandate, they might not be able to retain these memories.

As for the second half of the Earth God's saying, it just so happens that Yan Tianchou's calculations show that his toad form is inherently suspicious.

However, just as Su Ji was feeling heavy-hearted, the local deity looked over with great interest and gave him two choices.

"At this moment, two paths lie before you."

"First, I will take you to the City God Temple so that the City God can discern your good and evil deeds."

"Secondly, you will become a spirit soldier under my command, and any unusual behavior will be recorded."

Only then did Su Ji realize that the local earth god had ulterior motives.

Not to mention that the local earth god is currently engaged in a battle of magic with the mountain demons, even if he had the time, he wouldn't go to the county town to use the City God's Divine Mirror just to distinguish between good and evil.

Even Yan Tianchou believed that the local deity had taken a liking to his "innate wisdom" and the supernatural power of the "Golden Toad," and intended to use this "open scheme" to recruit him into his service.

"To become a spirit weapon?" Su Ji pondered for a moment, and then he had the answer in his heart.

He was worried about not having a way to improve himself. If he became a spirit soldier under the Earth God, even if he couldn't get the transformation method, he would at least have the opportunity to acquire more computing power.

Most importantly, he is considered an "unregistered resident" in this world. If he could become a favored one of the gods, it could even be described as a multiple leap in social class.

"Notice!"

Just as Su Ji was getting excited, Yan Tianchou immediately poured cold water on him.

"The local deity may be fighting against demons and ghosts in the mountains from afar. If you become a spirit soldier under the local deity at this time, you may encounter even greater danger."

"Based on the information collected, the village was haunted a while ago, and it took the local earth god more than ten days to resolve the problem. He was probably already at a disadvantage."

"The local deity said he went to the so-called state shrine last night to report on his duties, possibly to seek help in dealing with demons and ghosts, or perhaps he was summoned to be questioned..."

"In any case, the local deity may take risky measures."

"If you agree to become a spirit soldier, be prepared to be used as a pawn."

"If you refuse to become a spirit soldier, please prepare to go to the City God Temple."

Yan Tianchou's analysis was not unfounded; after reading it, Su Ji quickly calmed down.

The haunting of the village certainly makes one doubt the power of the local earth god. The Wu family said that the amulets possessed the earth god's divine power, but he couldn't sense anything about them...

However, even the two guardian spirits on the left and right could transform into phantom images of the guardian spirits with the help of peach talismans, making him feel an unbearable divine might.

Not to mention this Earth God, whose entire body is surrounded by dazzling spiritual light; perhaps if he wanted to, he could borrow a sliver of the Earth God's power.

Completely baffled, Su Ji took a roundabout approach: "I heard that the village was haunted a while ago, lasting for more than ten days. Could it be that they lost some spiritual weapons, which is why there's a vacancy?"

The saying goes, "One radish, one hole," meaning that many people who want to get promoted still need to outlast those above them.

He just revealed his supernatural powers and "innate wisdom," and someone recently "retired." What a coincidence!
The two guardian spirits couldn't help but change their expressions slightly. The ghost incident a while ago had indeed had a significant impact. Just as the little demon who had awakened the "innate wisdom" of humans had said, a great spiritual change had taken place in the village.

However, the inside story was quite sensitive, and at this time the toad was just a minor demon, so he had no right to know.

The two spirit soldiers dared not speak openly, but the local earth god knew better and bluntly said, "I was previously a night-roaming spirit general under the City God. It was because of the ghost case a while ago that I became the local earth god."

Since it is a major change in the divine order, it is certainly not just one or two spirit soldiers, but the highest deity of this land, the Earth Spirit Official.

Su Ji was immediately startled.

If even the local earth spirit official died just over ten days ago, how rampant must the demons and ghosts in the mountains be?

If he becomes a spirit soldier in the village, wouldn't he only have a few days left to live?
Fortunately, the local deity didn't keep him in suspense and immediately told him the truth, which relieved the bewildered Su Ji.

It turns out that no local spirit official died in the ghost story, and even every spirit soldier was safe and sound.

The reason for the change of the local earth spirit official is that the previous earth spirit official knowingly broke the law and allowed demons and ghosts to use the villagers' dreams to cultivate evil magic. When the night-wandering spirit general, who is now the earth spirit official, caught him, he ended up losing his position and being imprisoned.

There are twelve spirit soldiers in the village. Apart from one earth spirit soldier, the rest belong to the spirit retinues of the left and right door gods, the bed god and bed goddess, the stove god, the central sill god, the toilet god, the well god, the millet god, and the day and night wandering gods.

Among them, four spirit soldiers, namely the Earth God, the Central God, and the Day and Night Wanderer, colluded with the previous Earth God. The two spirit soldiers, the Bed God and Bed Mother, were coerced by the previous Earth God. The first four were dismissed and investigated, while the latter two are currently making amends for their crimes.

At this point, the Earth God suddenly looked down at Su Ji, his face serious.

"When I came here to take up my post, I only brought two Night Wanderer Spirit Soldiers with me. One of them was converted into a Mid-Level Spirit Soldier, and the other into a Land Spirit Soldier... Before I could even begin to select candidates for the Day and Night Wanderer Spirit Soldiers, you appeared before me."

The night before last, he was still a night-roaming spirit general under the City God. Only after returning from the State God Temple did he officially take office as the Earth God. If Su Jiwan appears in two days, the quota for the day and night-roaming spirit soldiers will be gone.

"So that's how it is!" Su Ji's mood changed several times in a short period of time, and he even felt like he was dreaming.

As a mere toad, his activity range was limited to the small river basin near the village, and his perception range was only within a three-foot radius of Yantianchou. He had no idea what was happening in the village.

Now that the truth has come out, and it turns out that it was just the previous local deity colluding with mountain demons, his situation is no longer as dangerous as it was during the "divine calculations" incident.

So Su Ji bowed respectfully again: "Thank you for telling me the truth, Earth God. If you all don't mind, I'll serve as a spirit soldier!"

Since the local earth god dared to reveal the inside story of the haunting case, he must have predicted that Su Ji would become a spirit soldier. As for Su Ji's toad body, it was not worth mentioning at all.

"Leaving aside demons like you who have awakened human-like wisdom, even true demon beasts, as long as they possess a certain level of intelligence, can become spirit soldiers, spirit officials, or even spirit lords..."

Having served as a divine favored god for over twenty years, the local earth god was no longer surprised.

Humans and animals can live in harmony, let alone deities. Such examples are not uncommon in city god temples and land god temples, and are even more common in mountain god temples and water temples.

Su Ji's heart stirred. In the past, for safety's sake, he had deliberately avoided places where there might be monsters.

Now that I've become a spirit soldier under the Earth God, wouldn't it be easy for me to come into contact with some demon gods?
If done properly, one might be able to obtain the magical powers to transform into human form without needing to perform divination or calculations.

(End of this chapter)