I became an immortal in the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 170 Envy of Ghosts and Gods
Jiang She glanced at the Red Blade General outside.

"He's asleep."

Li Bai and Yuan Danqiu chuckled beside them, holding their wine cups to hide their smiles so the boy wouldn't notice. They knew perfectly well why General Chidao had become so docile.

The three children stared wide-eyed. The girl asked, "Do ghosts need to sleep?"

Jiang She held his teacup, his tone gentle.

"I think so."

Upon hearing this, the iron sword sheath hanging at the courtyard gate, with the general carved on it seemingly having closed his eyes and riding a fine horse, suddenly felt drowsy.

No one noticed.

The three children opened their eyes wide and exclaimed in surprise.

They found it lively here and lively there. They talked to the spirits, compared their heights, and volunteered to get food for the mice, sweep snow from the locust tree, and dust the screen.

She even poured water into a cup and pretended to drink, joining in with others. Her little face was rosy, and despite being in the cold wind, she didn't get sick.

I spent a long time at someone else's house, and didn't go home to sleep until 7 PM.

Before leaving.

The girl, Xiaohe, stared at Jiang She for a long time before opening her mouth to speak.

She really wanted to talk about hearing her younger brother's voice that day. But she only heard that one voice, and after being persuaded by her older sister, she began to doubt that she had just hallucinated.

After holding it in for a long time, he finally managed to ask one question:
"Mr. Jiang, have you met my younger brother?"

Jiang She looked at the girl with two small buns on her head, her eyes darting away, somewhat nervous.

He said, "I've never seen it before."

The girl lowered her head and muttered something softly.

"It really was a dream..."

She thanked Jiang She again, having eaten his meal for free, then bid farewell to her spirit friends in the courtyard before catching up with the other two and going home.

After the banquet ended.

Jiang She lay on his specially made soft pillow, stroking the cat gently, preparing to drift off to sleep.

The long black cat lay sprawled along the edge of the blanket, insisting on squeezing into the gap in the bed.

Suddenly, its ears twitched.

A commotion came from the alley: the sounds of children arguing, sobbing, and adults scolding each other, mixed with the barking of dogs in the alley.

The cat poked its head out and strained its ears to listen.

Jiang She silently turned around and made way for the cat.

The cat, upon hearing this, wanted to share it with people.

It crept up on people quietly, its round cat eyes full of curiosity.

Jiang She opened his eyes, and a small, dark cat's head peeked out from the pitch-black night, its paw gently patting his hand.

He sighed.

It was late at night, and Jiang She didn't really want to listen to other people's stories about beating their children with the cat, but the cat didn't think so. It quietly flicked its tail, wanting to go outside and take a look.

"Go and see with the mice."

The cat meowed again.

Jiang She turned around and closed his eyes.

In the end, they couldn't escape witnessing the neighborhood's commotion that night. After some restraint, they replaced the rattan cane with a reading stick. The night passed with the three children sobbing.

Another ten days or so passed.

The city of Yanzhou in the twelfth lunar month was filled with the festive atmosphere of the New Year. Jiang She, now with some extra money, wanted to explore more and take in more of the sights.

From afar, one could see the decorated pavilion and the fluttering wine flags, with waiters greeting guests at the entrance.

Jiang She and Li Bai went inside.

This restaurant was one he had discovered in the past two days. Located in the South Market, it was extremely luxurious, belonging to the most expensive category in Yanzhou City. Even a simple meal there would cost one or two hundred coins per person.

If you order a famous dish, you'll have to pay extra.

There were singing and dancing performances, as well as the sound of the pipa (a traditional Chinese stringed instrument) in the restaurant.

These hundreds of coins are well worth it.

He found a secluded spot, and together with Li Bai, they ordered a pot of clear wine, a plate of mutton, a serving of roasted goose and duck, pickled leeks, and two bowls of rice.

The dishes were served quickly.

The two listened to the songs and dances in the restaurant, including the love song composed by Li Guinian, which came from the capital.

The restaurant was noisy, mostly frequented by wealthy young men and officials.

There was a table right in front of us talking animatedly, and their voices were clear.

At first, someone exchanged pleasantries and asked:
"Zezhi, how have you been lately? I just returned to Yanzhou City and heard that you were ill. Is that true?"

He then looked the other person up and down, examining their face and body.

"It looks like things are getting better." At the banquet, someone raised a wine glass and said drunkenly, "Wang Sheng, you haven't been in Yanzhou for a whole year, you must have missed a lot."

That person thought it was a sage performing the Fengshan ceremony.

It is said with a smile that one can occasionally see the emperor and nobles in the palace in Chang'an and Luoyang, and the number of civil and military officials is countless.

If you miss this one, there will be another.

"No."

Seeing his friends laughing, the man looked surprised. He followed up with a question:
"what is that?"

The man who spoke kept everyone in suspense, stroking his beard and smiling.

"I can't say that to you; let Zezhi tell you himself!"

"Pei Shiyi, tell us quickly!"

"That's right, hurry up and say it!"

Someone poured him more wine.

A familiar-looking young man put down his wine cup.

Under the intense gazes of everyone, Pei smiled slightly, quite pleased with himself. Only after being urged by his friends did he choose one thing to talk about.

"Last time, my wife and I were enjoying the snow in the courtyard when I suddenly fainted, scaring the servants half to death..."

Wang Sheng asked:
"Is he sick?"

"No. I, Pei, have actually benefited from this misfortune, as I met the City God and the civil and military judges."

Recalling the events of that day, Pei said with emotion.

"I was almost scared to death at the time. I thought it was because my lifespan had come to an end and I was dying, and that's when I saw ghosts and gods."

Wang Sheng pressed for an answer.

Why did the City God seek you out?

"That's a long story. Some time ago, my house was haunted by ghosts, making it impossible for me to sleep or wake up. So I went around seeking out many experts."

"The City God came because of this, asking if I had encountered a ghost. Then he asked about someone else, saying... that person helped my Pei family once, and is also a highly skilled person, and he wanted to pay him a visit."

Pei avoided mentioning the fact that his family had left behind a magical scroll.

All the servants who saw the deity paid money to sign a life-or-death contract, promising that the Pei family would take good care of them from then on. Not a single word of it was to be uttered.

During the banquet, several friends were hearing about this for the first time.

They asked.

What does the City God look like?

Pei recalled with a smile.

"They look almost identical to the statues in the temple, appearing extremely dignified. The civil judge is elegant and dashing, while the military judge holds chains..."

Friends listened intently, trying to recall what the statues in the City God Temple looked like.

A look of envy crossed his face.

"You, Pei Ze, what a coincidence!"

"This should be recorded in the county annals!"

Seeing their longing, Pei picked up his wine cup and drank, feeling smug.

"I think so too, haha. I'll tell your men later that this is a rare event and should be mentioned in the county annals!"

Wang Sheng said with emotion.

"That would be remembered for hundreds or thousands of years."

Pei smiled and toasted them.

"Today, I share this with you all!"

The guests were enjoying the food and drinks, watching the singing and dancing in the restaurant, and listening to the melodious sounds of the pipa and zither. Pei drank the fine wine and chatted with his friends, saying that after the evil spirit in his house was exorcised, his health had improved considerably.

Actually, there was one more thing he didn't say.

After he went to the City God Temple to pray, he saw ghosts and gods again that night.

The judge suddenly appeared and berated him for not asking during the day. Then, with his hands behind his back, he slowly said, "This is the character '正' (zhèng), which can protect his household and keep it clear from ghostly disturbances."

Even in his dream, Pei Ze dared not look closely at Judge Wen's expression.

I only vaguely felt it.

The feeling behind those words...

It seems even ghosts and gods feel a sense of envy...

He was incredibly lucky to have such good fortune, even the gods in the temple envied him. Pei Ze made a plan in his mind: next time he would buy some sheep and other New Year's goods and ask Taibai to deliver them.

【Ask for monthly ticket】

(End of this chapter)