Am I the old man who's always by my apprentices' side?

Chapter 280 Losing a Son
In ancient times, being unfilial was a very serious crime.

Of course, this is mainly because there was no old-age security in ancient times, and the social system was not sound. When people got old, the only thing they could rely on was their children. This is one of the main reasons why the clan system, which was essentially a form of family slavery, became a stable social structure. Its essence was to improve the ability to resist risks.

This unequal system of slavery has been greatly improved in modern times because various modern safeguards are gradually being improved, and the government (ruling class) has not completely transferred the responsibility of supporting the people.

However, in ancient times, when productivity was low and social systems were not perfect, supporting the elderly was a very important matter. Just like in another time and space, the reason why "filial piety" was highly advocated in every dynasty was that parents could kill their children without being guilty.

Therefore, without being bound by the constraints of the times, in this world, at this very moment, referring to the customary laws of the mortal realm, the charge of preventing the old fisherman from being supported can indeed be established.

At least from the moral perspective of customary law, it is plausible.

Naturally, the reason for this is not a moral issue. In essence, it is because the old fisherman's son, as the old fisherman's "property," was "encroached upon" by the mountain tiger, causing the old fisherman to lose his "property income."

After a long while, the mountain lord finally spoke: "Since ancient times, the fate of a changgui (a type of ghost) cannot be reversed. Now that he has become a changgui, even if I release him, his lifespan in both the mortal and yin realms has already ended, and he can only enter the cycle of reincarnation. Even if you judge me guilty, it will be useless!"

Although it was still lying on the ground, it inexplicably had a kind of "dead pig doesn't care about boiling water" attitude, which looked somewhat ridiculous.

But Bao Chenghuang said, "Since you confess, that's fine. You ate this old man's son, so I'll sentence you to return a son to him!"

The mountain lord's tiger-like face wore a mocking expression: "How can we repay him? We can't just leave his son, a ghost, stranded in the mortal realm, can we?"

Bao Chenghuang chuckled and said, "There's no need for that. His son was greedy and ate you. It's pitiful, but ultimately he has only himself to blame. You just need to compensate this old man, be his son, and take care of him in his old age and see him off in his final days!"

"What!?"

Upon hearing this, the mountain king, drawing strength from who-knows-where, scrambled to his feet, staring wide-eyed and speechless, exclaiming, "How can I be the son of a mere mortal?!"

The old fisherman was also startled, waving his hands tremblingly, "This...this...this...how can this be?! This is unacceptable! This is unacceptable!"

"Father, do not be afraid, this is exactly what should be done."

The City God first offered a word of comfort to the old fisherman, then coldly addressed the mountain spirit:

“You ate someone’s only son, so you should make some compensation. But what this old father lacks is the support of his own son. So naturally, you should take his place, be his son, and take care of him in his old age and see him off in his final days!”
"Besides, you've already been able to take human form. This old man, as you said, is just a mortal. How many more years can he live? Compared to your hundreds of years of cultivation, he's nothing. So why are you making excuses?"

Upon hearing this, the mountain king began to pant heavily again.

This time, he was angry.

To think that a dignified mountain lord, a mountain god (soon to be), would be forced to become the son of a mortal—is this not a humiliation beyond measure?!
but……

As expected, Bao Chenghuang could tell that the Mountain Lord was unhappy. He slammed his gavel again and said sternly, "Mountain Lord! Since this old man has brought this matter to me, I must take care of it. Moreover, whether it is cultivation or enlightenment, one should not be ashamed before Heaven and Earth. If this matter is not resolved, you will probably find it difficult to make any progress in the future. You should think carefully about your actions!"

The mountain god knew this in his heart, because his desire to become a mountain god was his Achilles' heel, which the mountain god could easily control. So he could only swallow his anger and say, "It's just raising him! What's so difficult about that!"

Bao Chenghuang said again, "Wait a minute. Although with your cultivation, supporting an old father is not difficult, what that old father lacks is a son, not a tiger. I hereby sentence you to serve your sentence in the form of a 'son.' Do you agree?" The Mountain Lord glanced at Zhu Ye and the others with a mocking look and said, "My power is merely to conjure a human form. What difficulty is there in that!"

As he spoke, a white mist burst out with a bang, and then the striped tiger transformed into a young man with dark skin, a strong physique, and a broad back and thick waist. He looked as big as two Shi Yizhi!

Although such a burly man standing there was quite intimidating, he was at least much stronger than a striped tiger. At least the old fisherman's legs stopped trembling, but he still didn't dare to look up at him.

"Alright, since you agree, then I will add another spiritual seal to you. Before your father passes away peacefully, you cannot use your magic power or transform into your original form. You can only stay by your father's side in your current form and take care of him."

Without waiting for the mountain lord's horrified expression, Bao Chenghuang formed a spiritual seal and injected it into the mountain lord's body.

"you--"

The mountain god was furious, his face turned red, and his bare chest rose and fell. However, knowing that he was no match for Bao Chenghuang and that he was in the wrong, he could only swallow his anger and give a perfunctory bow after seeing the Xiezhi beast head hanging in front of the hall, which was considered as accepting this "judgment".

Jiang Wanli and Shi Yizhi were the happiest to see this result.

Since the City God forced the Mountain Lord to act in the form of an ordinary mortal, it meant that the other party could no longer harm the two of them. As long as they could not use their magic, what could they do even if they held a grudge?

For a moment, Jiang Wanli, who had been feeling a bit weak, straightened his back exceptionally straight!
"In that case, I will close the case. I hereby decree that Shan Jun shall be the adopted son of the old man, Wu, and shall care for him until he dies peacefully!"

As Bao Chenghuang spoke, he slammed his gavel, declaring the case closed.

The mountain lord, not wanting to linger a moment longer, immediately said to the old fisherman in a harsh tone, "What are you waiting for? Hurry up and take me to your house! If we lack food, I'll have to hunt like those foolish mortals!"

The old fisherman trembled with fear: "This, this, this is unnecessary, this is unnecessary. I, this old man, can fish and exchange them for food..."

The mountain lord roared, "What you've managed to get isn't even enough for me to eat! Enough nonsense! Just leave! Why stay in this gloomy, desolate place and suffer this wretch!"

Knowing that the Mountain Lord couldn't do anything to him for the time being, Jiang Wanli immediately became smug. He coughed lightly and pointed at the Mountain Lord, saying, "Hey, Mountain Lord, you're here to be someone's son, not their father. This attitude is a bit too bad!"

Shi Yizhi, always eager for a good show, chimed in, "That's right, that's right! I've never seen anyone dare to speak to their elders like that before!"

They completely forgot how rebellious they had been in the first place.

The mountain king grew even angrier, his nostrils flaring out, and glared fiercely at the two of them, saying, "It's none of your business to talk!"

Unexpectedly, the City God smiled and advised, "Yes, Mountain Lord, this is also to make up for your mistakes. If you are not in a good mood, it will not be very effective and may not be good for your cultivation... After so many years, with your cultivation, becoming a Mountain God is not a problem for you. Do you know why you are stuck at the key point? You should seriously atone for your sins!"

Although the mountain god was both angry and annoyed, what the city god said resonated with him. So he pursed his lips, stopped speaking so fiercely, and silently picked up the old fisherman, tossed him onto his back, and carried him out of the hall. As he walked, he muttered to himself, "This is too light! It's not even as heavy as a wild boar!"

(End of this chapter)