Therefore, it is necessary to plan ahead and formulate a detailed set of rules. After all, there will be more and more ghost messengers in the future. We can't just rely on our own free judgment to assign to the ghost messenger tokens as a standard for judging right and wrong and the severity of punishment, can we?
These rules must be detailed and reasonable, and should also avoid conflicting with the rules of the real world as much as possible. Because so-called legal provisions and the like are the result of countless people's hard work in creating them, and they have been continuously improved step by step. Xu Zhengyang is not so arrogant as to deny these things that are inherently correct.
However, he was uneducated, and it was simply wishful thinking for him to actually come up with a set of laws for ghost messengers.
For now, he could only make decisions based on his own thoughts. So Xu Zhengyang sighed softly, smiled, and shamelessly boasted, "Fortunately, I'm a good person."
God knows how badly the world would be destroyed if a bad person were to assume a divine position and gain supernatural powers.
Looking at the time, it was already past 10 p.m.
Xu Zhengyang summoned the case file and examined Su Peng, the first ghost messenger he had appointed, only to find him still walking alone on the brightly lit street.
"Now that you've become a ghost messenger, don't dwell on your past life," Xu Zhengyang sighed softly, offering this reminder.
Su Peng suddenly looked up at the endless night sky and realized that it was the judge speaking to him through the ghost messenger's order.
Su Peng knelt down in the street, prostrated himself on the ground, and pleaded, "My lord, when I was alive, I was unable to fulfill my filial duties and was sorry to my family and friends. Now that I have been granted the honor of becoming a ghost messenger by your grace, I will do my best to do good deeds, punish evil people, and make life better for those who are alive in the world."
"Go ahead," Xu Zhengyang said with a smile, then stopped paying attention to Su Peng.
Holding the verdict book, Xu Zhengyang stared at it intently for a long time before finally asking, "Verdict book, what exactly are you?"
A: The case file.
Xu Zhengyang smiled wryly: "You're just spouting nonsense."
"I was thinking..." Xu Zhengyang leaned back on the sofa, "If in the past, well, back when all the gods existed, a local earth god could keep getting promoted, and his personal artifacts could keep getting upgraded, wouldn't the heavens be full of Jade Emperors by now?"
The verdict did not provide a response.
"Where did God come from? Was He transformed from a human?"
The verdict did not provide an answer.
"Logically speaking, all gods, big and small, should possess divine artifacts. But I really can't believe that divine artifacts can be upgraded, and not only do they upgrade along with the god's promotion, but they actually help the god to promote... So, does the god control the divine artifacts, or do the divine artifacts control the god?"
Ding Anbo shimmered with light: a divine artifact, a tool used by the gods.
"Yeah, so what exactly are you?" Xu Zhengyang scratched his head. "The matter of the divine appointments is actually decided by a divine artifact like you..."
As the verdict book shimmered, it once again uttered a meaningless phrase: Verdict Book.
Xu Zhengyang wasn't angry; he just smiled wryly and said, "You told me that once I become the City God, I can ascend to the Heavenly Court. I really want to go there and see what it's like to ask..."
The judgment book was quiet, like a top-grade jade, but without any spirit.
"You are more than just a divine artifact... I now suspect that you contain countless Jade Emperors, Lao Tzu, Queen Mother of the West, even Buddha of the Western Paradise, Yama and the Ten Kings of Hell... all watching me, a mortal, become a god and then frolic in the mortal world, treating me like a monkey to be played with and watched. Aren't you bored to death?"
After Xu Zhengyang finished rambling, he took back the decision book.
She got up, turned on the light, and set up the DVD player and stereo. A melodious, ethereal tune filled the air, followed by a heavenly voice singing a song Xu Zhengyang had always loved:
Immortal Mountain Separated by Sea of Clouds
Xialing Jade Belt Connects
It is said that there are celestial beings living in seclusion.
Heavenly beauties should not be envious.
People work hard
Even the most difficult things can be a source of joy.
Ambition can motivate oneself
No need to complain about hardship
Striving and sweating
Laughing at gains and losses
I only wish to add warmth to the world.
One beam of light
A little bit of warmth in progress
Troubles and worries
Strive to put into practice
Day after day
Happy and joyful year
Jade Palace, a golden palace built of jade
The mortal world is no less beautiful than paradise...
Volume 3, Chapter 145: Judges can set fires, but ghost messengers cannot.
Xu Zhengyang was naturally quite pleased with himself for finally having his top subordinate. The New Year felt even more festive than usual. His family was harmonious and happy, and his career, position, and finances were all thriving. If he could get married and have a son next year, then everything would be perfect.
Well, of course, I'll have to get four more ghost messengers later, and have them all do good deeds within the Fuhe River territory. The merits and faith will all belong to Xu Zhengyang, the Grand Judge, all by himself. When he becomes the City God, he'll have more and more ghost messengers to arrange. This is what a hands-off manager does...
To Xu Zhengyang's surprise, on the third day after Su Peng became a ghost messenger, which was the evening of the first day of the Lunar New Year, he did something that annoyed Xu Zhengyang but also made him feel somewhat sympathetic and helpless.
In Su Peng's hometown of Huanxiang Town, Huanxiang County, what should have been a joyous Spring Festival reunion was shrouded in sorrow due to the tragedy of a parent outliving their child. What saddened the family most was that even the body couldn't be brought home. The person who died in the car accident had to be cremated at a designated crematorium before their ashes could be retrieved, and even now, the body hasn't been cremated.
This family, having suffered such a misfortune, received sympathy from most of their neighbors. Some offered words of comfort, some sighed with regret, and some helped with the funeral arrangements...
Some people were even gloating and laughing behind his back: "When his son got into college, his whole family was so happy, as if they couldn't wait for everyone to know that their son was successful. But look at him now. He graduated several years ago and has accomplished nothing. In the end, he was too ashamed to face anyone and committed suicide."
But no one knows that Su Peng has worked hard and achieved success outside over the years.
He had always had a smooth life, but he couldn't withstand the blows of reality and failure, and in a moment of despair, he took this tragic path.
These gloating words inevitably reached the ears of Su Peng's family, who were angry but helpless.
After becoming a ghost messenger, Su Peng, filled with longing, reluctance, and guilt towards his family, had been lingering in his hometown village for the past two days. However, he dared not show himself in front of his family, firstly for fear of frightening them, and secondly because the judge had explicitly warned him not to reveal himself to them.
However, Su Peng knew how those petty people who had once been jealous of his family were gloating and talking behind his back.
Even though he was furious, Su Peng didn't impulsively rush over to intimidate the villains. Instead, he carefully inquired about the Ghost Messenger's order. After receiving permission to slightly punish and warn such petty people, Su Peng appeared in a house on the evening of the first day of the Lunar New Year.
The four men were playing mahjong and, in the midst of their laughter and conversation, the topic of Su Peng's death came up again.
“I knew he wouldn’t amount to much. He was a bookworm when he was young, studying so much he was practically stupid. My son’s grades weren’t great either, but he’s doing just fine now, isn’t he? Those teachers back then, they scolded my son every day, and kept praising Su Peng to me, but what good did it do?”
“Look at the Su family, they don’t even leave the house now. Hey, have you heard? The owner of that logistics company was kind-hearted and took pity on them, so he paid them 80,000 yuan in compensation. Actually, he didn’t have to pay a single penny… I think even if Su Peng didn’t commit suicide, but was really hit and killed, he’s not worth that much money.”
"What 80,000 yuan? That's probably just something they spread themselves, like they're afraid no one will know. I bet they didn't lose a single penny... Do they think people who run logistics companies are idiots?"
"Exactly, I don't think anyone would be that stupid."
...
Suddenly, the woman who had spoken first froze, shoved the mahjong tiles on the table into a panic, her eyes glazed over, and her lips twitched.
The other three women were taken aback and asked in unison, "What are you doing? Trying to cheat just because you have bad cards?"
After grumbling for a while, the three women realized something was wrong. Why did she look at them like that? And why did her face turn a little pale?
The woman suddenly looked up, a sinister smile spreading across her face, and said, "Old Su's son had an accident and died, and instead of showing any sympathy, you gloated and gossiped behind his back... Have you lost your conscience? If someone in your family died, how would you feel if people said those things?"
"What...what did you say?"
"I said, are you... alright?"
"Oh, her, she... It's getting late, I... I'll go home..."
The woman suddenly stood up, her face ashen, her expression ferocious, and she said with a sinister laugh, "You can't live without a conscience! You'll be punished."
ah……
Amid screams, three women overturned tables and chairs, then staggered out in a panic, shouting and yelling.
The woman, possessed by Su Peng's spirit, slumped to the ground, looking around the mess in the room with confusion. What had happened? Suddenly, the door was flung open, and her family rushed in, helping her up and asking what was wrong. What had she done? How had she scared everyone away? Many villagers in the street were already gossiping, saying she was crazy, had hysteria, or was possessed by a ghost…
After being comforted and persuaded by her family for a long time, she finally came to her senses and wondered if she had been so busy during the Lunar New Year holiday and stayed up all night playing mahjong that she was delirious and had a fit of hysteria. After going out and explaining to the neighbors, the family returned home still feeling uneasy, but no neighbors came into their house again.
However, the matter did not end there.
That night, all four women encountered in their dreams a person dressed in black, with a dark, bluish-black face that was obscured, holding a ghost messenger's token. This person claimed to be a ghost messenger under the City God of Fuhe City, and said: "You women are talkative and wicked, and I will punish you today. If you dare to do evil or speak evil words again, I will take your souls to hell and subject you to the punishment of having your tongues pulled out."
After speaking, the ghost messengers swung out their soul-striking rulers and struck each of them ten times.
Before leaving, the ghost messenger warned, "Heavenly secrets must not be revealed. Anyone who dares to divulge them will be cast into the eighteenth level of hell, never to be reincarnated." The women awoke in terror to find several clear black marks on their bodies, and they were in excruciating pain. They were filled with fear and unease…
When Su Peng breathed a sigh of relief and walked out of the last house with some hesitation and trepidation, it was already 3:30 a.m.
On the deserted streets, red lanterns can be seen hanging high in front of every household; it's the second day of the first lunar month.
The streets were deserted, a slight chilly wind blew, and lanterns swayed gently in the wind, occasionally making soft creaking sounds.
Just as Su Peng was wondering whether to inform the judge, a person dressed in a dark red official robe and wearing black boots appeared out of nowhere on the street in front of him. The person stood with his hands behind his back. Although he could not see the person's face, he could feel the person's sharp and serious gaze staring at him.
Who else could it be but the Judge?
"My lord!" Su Peng immediately knelt down.
Xu Zhengyang said coldly, "I've been watching all along..."
Su Peng was overjoyed. It seemed that the adults were not angry, otherwise they would not have just watched him do these things without interfering.
"Ten punishments, please."
As soon as he finished speaking, Xu Zhengyang took out the Soul-Slaying Whip and walked slowly towards Su Peng. Su Peng looked fearful and terrified, but he couldn't even move an inch.
*Crack crack crack...* Ten blows of the Soul-Striking Whip landed.
Su Peng's shrill screams rang out, but in the quiet and peaceful night, the sound could not reach the ears of ordinary people.
“Those gossipy women, while they deserve some punishment as a warning, it's not enough for you to use your status as a ghost messenger to punish them just because of their words. Ultimately, you're not unaware of this, but you were driven by selfish motives…” Xu Zhengyang blushed and felt guilty as he said this; wasn't he the same? The saying “If the upper beam is crooked, the lower beam will be crooked” certainly applied here. “Are you satisfied with being whipped?”
"Yes." Su Peng lowered his head, trembling.
“Su Peng, the punishment is for your selfishness. Now that you are a ghost messenger, you should not have selfish thoughts when you are doing your job.”
"Yes, sir." Su Peng prostrated himself on the ground.
Xu Zhengyang sighed softly, and his soul vanished in a flash.
Su Peng remained prostrate on the ground for a while, only to find that the judge had already left. He then stood up, sighed softly, and looked at the soul-beating ruler and the ghost messenger's token in his hand, as well as his black attire. He thought to himself that this matter concerned his family from his past life; if he had informed the judge beforehand, he probably wouldn't have been beaten like this. Sigh…
Just as Su Peng had thought, if he hadn't initially acted out of spite, wanting to punish that family to vent his anger, and then fearing the judge's disapproval, and instead acting first and reporting later after learning it was feasible through the ghost messenger's decree, Xu Zhengyang would likely have understood and allowed him to scare those gossipy women. However, Xu Zhengyang would never agree to Su Peng suddenly being possessed by a ghost to frighten people; that wasn't something a ghost messenger should do, as it could easily cause panic and disturbance. Entering dreams to intimidate and punish with the soul-striking ruler, on the other hand, was acceptable.