Chapter 18: Something Was Wrong With Me

The Old City God had known Mr. Chen was there for a while.

He thought perhaps Mr. Chen wanted to see their strength, which was why he hadn’t rushed to intervene.

Now, however, it was a critical moment. The Old City God had no choice but to ask for help.

Outside the rundown little courtyard, Chen Changsheng cursed inwardly when he heard the shout.

What does this have to do with me!?

Chen Changsheng felt helpless inside. But since he had already boasted so much before, he couldn’t just do nothing. Otherwise, he’d be exposed.

He couldn’t even say for sure if he could stop this evil ghost.

Given the situation, he didn’t have time to think too much.

Chen Changsheng stretched out his Divine Sense, focusing his mental energy onto the mass of black mist.

Unexpectedly, his spiritual power condensed into a huge hand spanning about ten zhang wide.

It grabbed the mass of black mist.

The black mist was tightly clutched in that hand, with nowhere to escape.

Song Zhishu felt sheer terror.

“Boom!”

A sound came from within the palm. The mass of black mist was instantly crushed into fine pieces. Not even a scream could be heard.

Chen Changsheng’s face showed shock and horror.

The Yin Attendants from the City God Temple present there all widened their eyes, staring in disbelief at this scene.

When the enormous hand dissipated…

There was no sign of the evil ghost left. It had already, beneath that single palm…

Shattered into pieces! Its soul disintegrated!

Chen Changsheng withdrew his Divine Sense and snapped back to his senses abruptly.

His lips parted slightly, his eyes filled with disbelief.

This evil ghost…

Why did it disintegrate so easily?

The Old City God let his Dharma Sword fade away. The Yin Attendants in the broken courtyard seemed to breathe sighs of relief, sitting down one after another.

Then, they saw a grain of sand drift down from the sky.

The Old City God watched as that grain of sand floated towards Chen Changsheng.

Chen Changsheng felt a slight hesitation in his heart. He reached out his hand and caught the grain of sand.

“Hum…”

As they watched, the grain of sand released a faint glow, transforming into a strand of hair.

‘It really was something from me…’

Chen Changsheng furrowed his brows slightly, suddenly feeling something strange.

How could a single strand of his hair possess such tremendous power?

It was just too strange to believe.

The golden Dharma Form behind the Old City God vanished. He drifted down from mid-air, landing in front of Chen Changsheng.

“I, a minor god, thank Mr. Chen for stepping in.”

Hong Sancai also walked out of the small courtyard with a group of Patrolling Yin Attendants.

“We greet Mr. Chen.”

Hong Sancai cupped his hands respectfully and bowed his head, a look of deep reverence on his face.

Chen Changsheng hurriedly tucked away the strand of hair. He reached out to help the Old City God up and then said to the group of Yin Attendants before him, “You’re too polite, Old City God. Please rise, all Yin Attendants.”

Now, the way Hong Sancai looked at Chen Changsheng was completely changed.

Today, he had truly witnessed what it meant to wield the power of an Immortal.

The Old City God said, “Mr. Chen, perhaps we should go somewhere else to talk.”

Chen Changsheng glanced over the ruined courtyard and agreed, “That might be best.”

The Old City God led Chen Changsheng away from the place.

Hong Sancai and the group of Yin Attendants stayed behind to deal with the aftermath.

“Hey Boss, who is this ‘sir’?” one Yin Attendant asked.

Hong Sancai turned his head and said, “Just know this: Mr. Chen is someone even the City God dare not offend.”

The Yin Attendants recalled the enormous hand from moments ago and shuddered involuntarily.

Who would dare to offend someone like that!

And as for Hong Sancai, he thought silently, ‘Is this Mr. Chen’s cultivation level…?’

It was truly awe-inspiring.

.

.

Chen Changsheng and the Old City God came to a Teahouse in Autumn Moon Market.

They picked a secluded spot and ordered two cups of hot tea.

The Old City God took a small sip of tea and said, “Thank you again for stepping in just now, Mr. Chen.”

Chen Changsheng replied, “It was what I should do. Since I was here, I couldn’t just stand by and let it happen.”

The Old City God didn’t expose his earlier attitude; he still thought Mr. Chen was testing them.

The Old City God sighed in relief and continued, “This minor god leaving such a dangerous threat in Autumn Moon Market was wrong. If not for you, sir, today might have led to a huge disaster.”

Chen Changsheng said, “I have also heard about this evil ghost. One could say Song Zhiyuan brought about his own doom. This old incident is finally over.”

The Old City God couldn’t help but say, “Once it turned into a vengeful ghost, there was no way back.”

Chen Changsheng, however, responded, “There’s something I find puzzling. If Song Zhiyuan hadn’t turned into an evil ghost… what punishment would that Young Master Gao family get?”

The Old City God, hearing this, answered honestly: “Good and evil will be rewarded accordingly. After death, when entering the Netherworld Tribunal, every wrong committed in life must be repaid. Actually, compared to what awaits him there, being devoured by Song Zhiyuan would have been letting him off easy.”

“Letting him off easy?” Chen Changsheng asked.

The Old City God nodded. “Based solely on the crimes the young master of the Gao family committed before, after entering the Netherworld Tribunal, he would face eighty years of constant flogging without stopping. Then he’d be cast into hell, forever denied reincarnation.”

Chen Changsheng understood. “In that case, it seems fair.”

Good deeds are rewarded, evil deeds are punished. At the place of the City God, reward and punishment were indeed clear.

As for Song Zhishu, seeking revenge for harm done to him was understandable. However, after death, he no longer belonged to the Human Dao. The Ghost Dao and the Human Dao each had their own rules.

Grievances within the Human Dao should be dealt with by the government offices (Yamen). Good and evil in the Ghost Dao were managed by the City God and the Yin Attendants.

What Song Zhishu had done was a violation of these rules.

Furthermore, his greatest mistake wasn’t necessarily the killing. It was dragging so many innocent people from the Gao family into it that led to his final downfall.

“A thousand wrongs, ten thousand faults, stem from the human heart.”

Chen Changsheng couldn’t help but sigh, “If the government office (Yamen) had acted justly and openly, the Wen Family Daughter wouldn’t have died unjustly in the public court, and Song Zhiyuan wouldn’t have been driven to this point.”

“The human heart is hard to fathom.”

The Old City God also sighed, adding some more tea to Chen Changsheng’s cup. “Please don’t blame me, sir. As the City God, this minor god oversees only matters after death. What happens in the living realm… this minor god is powerless over.”

Chen Changsheng smiled gently. “I know that.”

He just felt somewhat uncomfortable inside.

Ultimately, such filthy things happen everywhere. What can you do when the world is like this?

The Old City God then asked, “By the way, sir, there is one thing I, this minor god, don’t understand. What exactly was the origin of that treasure Song Zhishu used? Why couldn’t even my Heaven and Earth Dharma Sword shatter it?”

“This…”

Chen Changsheng thought for a moment, then raised his hand, displaying that single strand of hair to the Old City God.

“This strand of hair? It’s what the grain of sand turned into,” Chen Changsheng said.

“A single strand of hair?”

“Exactly.”

“Whose hair is it?”

Chen Changsheng answered, “Old City God, how would you feel if I told you this strand of hair is mine? Would you believe me?”

The Old City God looked at the hair, then at Chen Changsheng. “Believe? Why wouldn’t I believe? But how did this strand of your hair end up in that evil ghost’s hands?”

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“I’m afraid that’s my fault.”

Chen Changsheng explained, “When I last left Autumn Moon Market, I stopped briefly in that small courtyard. I probably dropped it by accident then. It seems the evil ghost happened to find it.”

The Old City God said, “Ah, that’s how it was.”

Inside, Chen Changsheng still had doubts.

Why did just one strand of his broken-off hair wield such incredible power?

It was far too strange to believe.

It wasn’t just the hair strand that puzzled him; it was the Divine Sense too.

Chen Changsheng then asked, “Old City God, there’s one more thing I’d like to ask you about.”

“Ask away, sir.”

“For Cultivators in this world, what level could one reach after three years of Cultivation?”

“Three years…”

The Old City God responded, “This minor god isn’t too certain either. But I once read a passage in some Immortal records stating that after stepping onto the Path of Immortality (Path of Immortality), it would take at least a hundred years just to establish a solid foundation (reach Foundation Establishment).”

He paused, confused, “Why do you ask, sir?”

Chen Changsheng maintained a calm expression. “Just making casual conversation.”

He lifted his tea cup calmly and took a small sip, revealing nothing on his face.

It seemed… this Divine Sense of his wasn’t quite right either.