I subdue demons and monsters, and cultivate immortality in hell to become a saint.

"Mo Huolie... disrespects the gods, shows no remorse, is arrogant and domineering, wants to demolish temples and kill temple keeper, this behavior is intolerable."

Old Tian's voice suddenly rose, as if it had been amplified, forcefully drowning out the noise of tens of thousands of people, each word striking Mo Huolie's heart.

"Fuck your mother! I told you to stop!"

Mo Huolie completely broke down, his eyes red as he climbed onto the excavator and personally operated the control lever. The huge shovel was raised high and charged towards the old man. He had only one thought: to interrupt the old man, or he would be scared to death sooner or later!

But he was still a step too late.

"Today, Tian Fagu respectfully invites the Yin-Yang Official to discern right from wrong and redress the grievances of the people!"

After Old Tian finished reading the last sentence, he held the petition close to the candle flame, and the yellow paper burst into flames, turning to ashes in less than a breath.

Just then, the sky, which had been dyed red by the talismans, suddenly darkened!

A dark cloud, obscuring the sky, rolled in from afar, pressing heavily overhead. It seemed to be only a few dozen meters above the ground, and even the patterns within the cloud were clearly visible.

"hiss--"

Tens of thousands of people gasped simultaneously, their jaws nearly hitting their toes, their palms sweating profusely, and only one thought running through their minds: No way, no way? Is a god really going to appear?

Zhong Jiu had no time for jokes. The petition had already been delivered to the City God's Mansion. How could he, the "right person," be late?

Rumble!

The dark clouds rolled and churned like boiling ink, and an aura of majesty and coldness seeped out from the clouds, making people feel suffocated and even making it difficult to breathe.

The excavator, which was spraying water on his face, suddenly stopped with a "screech". Mo Huolie slammed on the brakes, his face as white as paper, his lips trembling like a leaf, and his eyes, looking at the sky, were filled with tears of fear.

That aura was ten thousand times more terrifying than the most ferocious demon he had ever seen!

The next second, a figure slowly stepped out from the dark clouds.

He wore a dark brocade official robe embroidered with dark gold cloud patterns, and black official boots that seemed to tread on the void. The white jade on the hilt of the long sword at his waist gleamed coldly in the dim light. One hand rested on the scabbard, and his posture was as upright as a pine tree.

Even though his face was obscured, his divine power, which seemed to say "those who obey me prosper, those who defy me perish," instantly enveloped the entire area.

"I am a rank-eighth-grade official in the Yin-Yang Division of the City God's Palace in Guiling City!"

Chung Kau's voice was neither sad nor happy, yet it resounded like a great bell in everyone's ears, making their eardrums buzz and even the ground beneath their feet seem to tremble.

"God! A god! It really is a god descended to earth!"

Someone was the first to react, so excited they were almost incoherent: "Old Tian wasn't lying, he really did bring the gods here!"

"My goodness! The myths I heard as a child were all true!"

"If there are ghosts, there must be gods; that makes sense!"

The crowd erupted in cheers!

There was no collapse of values, only the excitement of "finally waiting for you". After all, even evil spirits are no longer surprising, so the appearance of a god is more reasonable than anything else!

Moreover, mythology says that gods protect people, so Guiling City is finally saved!

Wu Yuanying's live stream completely crashed the server; the chat was flooded with comments faster than a rocket.

"Holy crap! How much did these special effects cost? I'll pay ten times that!"

"My mom asked me why I was kneeling while watching the live stream, and I said I was paying respects to the gods!"

"Locals of Guiling City, hurry up! Dongcheng City God Temple! If you're late, you won't even see a shadow of the gods!"

Many netizens in Guiling City were filled with regret. They grabbed their coats and rushed to Dongcheng. If they had known they could really see the gods, they would have crawled over there even if they hadn't known!

Wu Yuanying rubbed his wide eyes, muttering in a daze, "This is a deity? Much more handsome than those in TV dramas..."

As Zhong Yingmei stared at the figure in the air, she suddenly felt her mouth go dry and didn't even notice when the walkie-talkie in her hand fell to the ground with a "thud".

She had been searching for the underworld for so long, and now that she had actually seen a living deity, her mind went completely blank. Was this the power of an eighth-rank official?

It's more than a hundred times stronger than the soul soldiers we've encountered before!

Little did she know that the "great god" before her was her beloved older brother; even less did she know that those soul soldiers were his subordinates.

Master Changdeng held his breath, his eyes burning with the fervor of a fan seeing their idol, his mind filled with only one thought: "If I hear the Way in the morning, I can die content in the evening! To have met the true God in this life is worthwhile!"

Zhong Jiu scanned the crowd below, fully understanding their reactions. He raised his voice and asked, "Where is Tian Fagu?"

"Your humble servant is here!"

Old Tian was so excited that tears welled up in his eyes. He bent his knees and was about to kneel down. Seven generations of perseverance had finally earned a divine response. His life had been worthwhile!

But as soon as he bent his knees, he was held up by an invisible force and could not kneel down.

Zhong Jiu's voice came: "Your ancestors have guarded the City God Temple for seven generations, accumulating great merit, which has already been recorded in the underworld register. When you die, you can enter the City God's Palace as an official, enjoy the incense offerings of the mortal world, and coexist with the temple—you do not need to kneel before me."

"thump!"

Old Tian, ​​unable to kneel, collapsed to the ground in overwhelming emotion, tears and snot streaming down his face: "Thank you, Lord Gongcao! This old minister... this old minister, on behalf of seven generations of the Tian family, thanks you for your grace!"

The moment those words were spoken, the entire room fell silent, followed by a burst of envious groans:

"Holy crap! I'll become a god after I die? What an incredible start!"

"I'm so jealous! I'm bursting with envy! I used to laugh at others for being silly, but now I know who the real winner is!"

"Seven generations guarding a temple—that's a blessing they deserve! I couldn't endure it!"

Everyone was green with envy, but upon reflection, they were convinced. Seven generations of perseverance is something not everyone can do, and Old Tian deserves this opportunity!

"I pay homage to the gods! I pray for your protection!"

Someone shouted, and then with a clatter, tens of thousands of people knelt down in unison, the sound of their knees hitting the ground deafening, more lively than the New Year.

As Zhong Jiu watched the power of faith pouring into the City God's Mansion, a barely perceptible smile appeared on his lips. This wave of "opening promotion" had an even better effect than expected.

But he didn't forget his business. His gaze shifted and landed on Mo Huolie, who was unable to move.

"Sinner Song Qingshan!"

Mo Huolie froze. That was his real name!

After he got involved in the underworld, he felt that his name was too rustic, so he changed it to Mo Huolie. Apart from his family, no one knew it!

A black leather booklet appeared out of thin air in Zhong Jiu's palm. After opening it, a clear voice rang out: "Born in Songjia Village, Beixi Town, Guiling City, Huangjiang Province, on the fourth day of the second month of the Renyin year at Chenshi (7-9 AM). Father: Song Nanling, Mother: Sun Yu'e..."

"Even the immortals knew his birth date and time!"

Someone in the crowd exclaimed.

What Chung Kau held was the "Population Register," which recorded the birth, aging, illness, death, good deeds, and merits of every person in Guiling City.

When he read out that Song Qingshan was eighteen years old, his tone suddenly turned cold: "At eighteen, he went astray, disrespecting his parents and ancestors, running rampant in the village, and bullying and monopolizing the market..."

"Yes, yes, yes! He went bad when he was eighteen!"

An old neighbor shouted excitedly.

What followed sent chills down everyone's spines: assaults resulting in disability, extortion of wealthy businessmen, collection of protection money, and even disregard for human life... the list of crimes was endless!

Mo Huolie's underlings were so scared they wet their pants. They were all involved in these things, would the gods punish them too?

Mo Huolie's face turned ashen, and only one thought remained in his mind: "There are gods watching over us, there are gods watching over us!"

He used to think it was a joke, but now he knows it's true!

Zhong Jiu slammed the register of names shut, his eyes as cold as ice: "The sins you committed should have been settled by the judge after your death. But you dared to disrespect the City God, attempt to demolish the temple, and kill my temple keeper—this crime is doubled!"

He paused, then his voice echoed throughout the hall: "I hereby sentence you to have your remaining lifespan reduced, and you shall be handed over to the underworld by the soul messengers to be thrown into the Copper Pillar Hell, where you shall suffer forty years of being burned alive!"

"Copper Pillar Hell? What kind of place is that?"

Someone muttered to themselves.

An old man with a white beard explained, "It's the sixth level of the eighteen levels of hell! It's specifically for evil spirits who commit murder, arson, and all sorts of heinous crimes! Tying them to red-hot copper pillars until their flesh is charred and their souls are scattered is considered mild!"

"hiss--"

Everyone gasped, their eyes filled with nothing but "serves him right" as they looked at Mo Huolie.

"Holy crap! I got chills down my spine after hearing that!"

"Roasting a copper pillar for forty years? Mo Huolie's fat body, even roasted into crispy bits, wouldn't be enough to last forty years!"

"Just imagining that sizzling, oily scene gives me goosebumps!"

A chorus of swallowing filled the crowd. Although the one being punished was a bully, the words "Copper Pillar Hell" still sent chills down everyone's spines, as if their skin were being burned.