The sky was covered with dark clouds. The cold wind howled and ravaged everything on earth, and occasionally a few snowflakes drifted down from the sky.
Behind that courtyard house in the western suburbs of Fuhe City, a path covered with snowflakes winds its way up the mountain. The trees on both sides are withered and yellow, their straight branches swaying in the fierce wind, wiping away the little snow that is left.
A young man wearing a black overcoat and with a crew cut strolled slowly along the path, his footsteps crunching through the snow and the cold wind blowing.
In this freezing winter, this scene evokes a rather desolate and lonely feeling.
Yes, Xu Zhengyang is very lonely.
After returning from Beijing, he went straight to this courtyard house and stayed there. He didn't go back to Shuanghe Village, but just made a phone call to tell him that he had some things to take care of and would return in a few days.
He wasn't angry about being punished by the Heavenly Tribulation, as long as it didn't take his life. Having experienced a trip to the Heavenly Court and learned about its history and the gods through the city scrolls, Xu Zhengyang knew that the Heavenly Laws were created by countless incredibly powerful gods, just like the current underworld reincarnation system, which, despite its shortcomings, still operated steadily and slowly.
Although Xu Zhengyang had gritted his teeth and vowed to dismantle the Heavenly Laws sooner or later after surviving the tribulation, upon reflection, he realized the Heavenly Laws... were indeed true. Even ordinary people in the world know the principle that without rules, nothing can be accomplished, let alone Xu Zhengyang, who was neither a fool nor an arrogant person.
Therefore, Xu Zhengyang could not blame Cheng Juan for not reminding him; rather, he had neglected the Heavenly Laws that Cheng Juan had explicitly reminded him of.
If the gods hadn't joined forces to establish the Heavenly Laws, binding the behavior of deities in the mortal realm and that of humans, the world would likely have descended into chaos long ago. Mortals would strive to cultivate themselves into immortals, ascend to the Heavenly Court, and attain eternal life, which would undermine the very foundation of the gods' existence. Furthermore, excessive intervention by the gods in human affairs would easily lead to conflict and chaos in the human world, as evidenced by the wars fought between humans and the gods in the Heavenly Court throughout history.
Leaving aside the most primordial, thoughtless deity from the primordial chaos, ultimately, gods originate from the mortal world. Whether they are demons, monsters, or divine beings achieved through Confucianism, Buddhism, or Taoism, they are all human. In the later stages of the Heavenly Court, the existence of gods began to maintain the overall order of the mortal world with their boundless supernatural powers. Heavenly Laws, the cycle of reincarnation in the underworld…
We've come back to that agonizing question of which came first, the chicken or the egg.
Therefore, Xu Zhengyang is not thinking about breaking the Heavenly Laws now, but about repairing and improving the Heavenly Laws that have been flawed and damaged in some places.
From a selfish perspective, Xu Zhengyang certainly doesn't want another deity to appear in this world one day.
Since even gods in the human realm can be promoted, who knows, one day someone might suddenly appear who can become an immortal through cultivation.
In that case, not to mention the inevitable conflict between them over resources, namely the faith power needed for the gods to survive, peaceful coexistence would be nothing more than wishful thinking.
Because even God is selfish!
Just like the Yama King of the Underworld and the Emperor or even the Heavenly Emperor of the Heavenly Court, they are not bound by the rules of Heaven and the cycle of reincarnation in the Underworld.
Who can I complain to?
Therefore, the concept of fairness, on a small scale, means that people are pursuing fairness but can never achieve absolute fairness; on a large scale, there is no fairness at all.
Therefore, the concept of fairness that people pursue and yearn for is actually just a pale and empty fantasy.
Xu Zhengyang felt a lot of pressure.
However, my self-confidence has also increased a lot, and I can see further, have more goals, and am no longer confused!
The cold wind had stopped sometime ago, and the scattered snowflakes began to fall more and more densely, swirling and fluttering, quickly covering the mountains and fields with a layer of silvery white...
Beside the stone table that had always existed on Xiaowang Mountain, the person sitting there was no longer the old man, but Xu Zhengyang, a young man who was not yet twenty-six years old.
The heavy snow fell gently, landing on the stone table, on the young man, and around him.
Down the mountain, a taxi stopped at the entrance of the courtyard house.
A middle-aged couple, who looked to be around fifty years old, got out of the car and stood at the entrance of the courtyard house, looking somewhat dazed.
The wooden courtyard gate was tightly closed, but the small door opened, and a man in his thirties wearing a black suit came out. With a calm but wary expression, he advised the middle-aged couple to leave.
"Young man, we are Xu Zhengyang's parents. We've come to see him about something," Xu Neng said with a hunched back and a somewhat ingratiating smile.
As guards who accompanied Jiang Lan here, Chen Hanzhe and Zhu Jun shared the same low spirits. However, their duty was to obey orders, and they could only follow the arrangements of their superiors. They had been selected from the mysterious team and dispatched here to be responsible for the personal safety of the Shou Zhang family.
As members of this special team, Chen Hanzhe and Zhu Jun were well aware of the mission they shouldered.
However, having followed their leader for many years, they were transferred to such a desolate place, where life was like living at home. There were no so-called dangerous factors around them, so they gradually lost patience and would vent their frustrations from time to time at night.
For Chen Hanzhe, the name Xu Zhengyang was familiar, but the person was a stranger.
Upon hearing that someone was looking for Xu Zhengyang, Chen Hanzhe was taken aback for a moment. Then he calmly said, "Please wait a moment."
After saying that, Chen Hanzhe returned to the courtyard and closed the gate tightly.
A moment later, Chen Hanzhe came out, smiling, and said, "Hello, uncles and aunts. Xu Zhengyang went to the back mountain. I'll take you there..."
"ah?"
The couple were stunned. It was freezing cold and snowing. What had their son gone up the mountain behind the house to do?
Just as he came to his senses and thanked the burly young man in front of him with a smile, he was about to head up the back mountain when he saw Xu Zhengyang turn around from the path outside the western courtyard wall.
"Father, Mother, what brings you here?" Xu Zhengyang walked over with a smile.
Xu stammered, unsure how to respond.
Yuan Suqin said, "Hey, you've been back for two days now, and you haven't even come home to visit. Your father and I are worried about you..."
"It's cold outside, let's go inside and talk." Xu Zhengyang smiled calmly, took his mother's hand, and gestured to his father, and together they walked into the courtyard.
Chen Hanzhe naturally had no further objections, as they had received explicit orders upon arrival. Xu Zhengyang wasn't their superior, but he wielded absolute power within this courtyard house. In essence, he was similar to the leader residing in the villa in Beijing.
The family of three entered the courtyard, and Chen Hanzhe, who was following behind, closed the gate.
The cotton curtain in the east room was lifted, and the nanny, Xiao Zhou, asked with slight surprise, "Brother Xu, do we have guests today?"
"Yes, it's my dad and my mom," Xu Zhengyang replied with a smile.
Xiao Zhou is a 22-year-old girl with a pretty and innocent appearance. Coming from a rural background, she's not cunning or calculating. She and Wu Ma, the nanny who used to live there, are distant relatives. It was through an introduction that she was able to get a job at the Li family's home. Although she's far from home working, she's quite content because her wages are higher than anyone else in the village working outside, even those working in state-owned enterprises in the county.
Young and inexperienced, she found life here somewhat monotonous and boring, but comfortable and easygoing. Her daily routine consisted of cooking and housework, and the hostess, Jiang Lan, was very approachable and helped her with all the chores.
After Xu Zhengyang arrived these past two days, Xiao Zhou realized that Xu Zhengyang was the true owner of this place. However, Xu Zhengyang was also gentle in nature. Although he rarely spoke, he was approachable and always had a smile on his face when he spoke. He never put on airs or acted arrogantly.
Upon hearing that Xu Zhengyang's parents had arrived, Xiao Zhou hurriedly ran down from the platform under the eaves, ignoring the falling snowflakes. She reached out to help Yuan Suqin, addressing her politely and respectfully, "Auntie, Uncle, you didn't even hear that Brother Zhengyang was coming. Please come inside and sit down; it's so cold outside..."
When Yuan Suqin and Xu Neng arrived, their depression was touched by this simple and warm-hearted girl, and their mood immediately brightened. They smiled and exchanged some polite words before entering the main room.
Jiang Lan was sitting quietly in the house reading a magazine when she heard people talking outside. Feeling a little puzzled, she got up to go out and see what was going on. Having been constantly busy with work, this sudden quiet life, while making her feel somewhat wistful and lost, also made her feel quite comfortable with this kind of life.
Once she truly integrates into this ordinary life of self-reliance, she may feel that life is easier than before in the short term. However, in the long run, she will miss her previous life and regret the things she did.
For no other reason than the loss of rights and the monotony of life, she simply couldn't bear it.
For a woman who never yielded to anyone and always strived to be above everyone else, this punishment was the greatest psychological blow to her.
Before Jiang Lan even stepped out of the house, the curtain was lifted and Xu Zhengyang strode in, followed by the nanny Xiao Zhou and Xu Neng and Yuan Suqin.
"Auntie, my parents came here today to visit," Xu Zhengyang said politely with a smile.
Jiang Lan was taken aback. In the two days since Xu Zhengyang came to the courtyard, he had been as cold and indifferent as when he first met her. But now he had suddenly become gentle and called her "Auntie," which made Jiang Lan feel quite flattered. She couldn't help but smile and say, "Hello."
"ah……"
Yuan Suqin and Xu Neng were clearly surprised, not expecting Li Bingjie's mother to be there. The couple immediately became somewhat reserved and fearful, after all, they had experienced the power and domineering presence of this strong woman firsthand.
"Hello, Bingjie's mother..." Yuan Suqin was much more open-minded than her husband, so she greeted him with a smile.
Jiang Lan was taken aback. She had never been addressed like that before. She smiled awkwardly and said, "Please sit down, please sit down. I'll go pour you some tea."
After Yuan Suqin and Xu Neng sat down with awkward and uncomfortable expressions, they were slightly flustered when Jiang Lan actually went to make tea and pour water for them. Yuan Suqin even stepped forward to offer her help.
Xu Zhengyang sat on the sofa, somewhat amused and exasperated. He was truly helpless. Jiang Lan's ability to do this proved that she was genuinely afraid! You see, asking Jiang Lan to make tea and water for Yuan Suqin and Xu Neng, this country bumpkin couple, would have been a pipe dream under normal circumstances.
For Jiang Lan, this was also a great humiliation.
Therefore, for someone who wouldn't live more than a few years, especially since she was Li Bingjie's mother, Xu Zhengyang really couldn't bring himself to let Jiang Lan suffer any more injustice.
That wasn't all. After making tea and pouring water, and exchanging pleasantries, Jiang Lan said politely and humbly, "You two chat with Zheng Yang for a while. I'll go prepare lunch. You can eat here."
After saying that, without waiting for Xu Neng and his wife to be polite, Jiang Lan pulled Xiao Zhou out together.
According to rural custom, Yuan Suqin originally intended to get up quickly and help Jiang Lan prepare lunch. However, she had come with her husband today because she had something to discuss with her son, so she could only watch Jiang Lan and Xiao Zhou leave with a very restrained smile.
Xu Zhengyang took out a cigarette, handed one to his father, lit it for him, and then lit one for himself. He placed the cigarette pack and lighter on the coffee table, and said with a smile, "Dad, Mom, what brings you here on such a cold day? Is something the matter?"
These words were indeed meaningless to Xu Zhengyang.
Because he could roughly guess why his parents came here without using his divine power to investigate, and he was able to come down from the mountain to greet his parents immediately, wasn't that because there were ghost messengers guarding the courtyard at all times?
"Oh, it's nothing much, it's just your mother. She was worried about you and insisted on coming to see you..." Xu Neng said, smoking a cigarette, his expression slightly embarrassed. He could no longer use his fatherly authority to discipline his son. It wasn't because Xu Zhengyang had become so successful, but because of Xu Neng's inherently timid nature; seeing his son inexplicably filled him with fear.
This is also a point of helplessness for Xu Zhengyang.
After hesitating for a moment, Yuan Suqin said, "Zhengyang, your two uncles, their construction companies seem to be having some trouble lately... um, and your uncle-in-law too." Yuan Suqin paused, considered her words carefully, and then continued, "I heard from your aunt that it's your old Jinghui Logistics company, and Ronghua Group... oh, they said that Chaojiang became some kind of leader in both of those companies, and he's blocking the work they originally had..."
"Oh, I know all that, don't worry about it." Xu Zhengyang waved his hand, interrupting his mother.
Xu Neng tentatively said, "Zhengyang, if it really was you who arranged it, I think we should just let it go. They know they were wrong, after all, they're family..."
“Yes, yes, Zhengyang, your uncle and aunt’s company bought a lot of new machinery and equipment and added so many people to take on these jobs. If these jobs are delayed, they will lose all their money. How will they make a living in the future?” Yuan Suqin said.
"How they live is their business!" Xu Zhengyang sneered.
Xu Neng sighed and said, "At least, they're relatives..."
Xu Zhengyang raised an eyebrow, his face cold, and pointed his right index finger a few centimeters above the coffee table, moving it back and forth. His voice was rough but ruthless as he said, "Relatives, relatives, you all treat them as relatives, but do they treat you as relatives? Huh? It's too late to regret it now!"
Having said that, Xu Zhengyang turned his face back and forth with a fierce expression, and said in a cold voice, "Stop talking, Dad, Mom! You know I gave them time to repent and admit their mistakes, more than twenty days! Huh? Why don't they come to apologize? Do you think our family, me, Xu Zhengyang, your son, care about their little bit of money?" Xu Zhengyang's brows were furrowed, his eyes narrowed as he looked at his parents, his lips were tightly pursed and slightly pouted, and he snorted a questioning sound from his nostrils, "Hmm?"
“Zheng, Zhengyang…” Yuan Suqin couldn’t speak. She was also angry, but she cared too much about the kinship between her siblings.
At this moment, Xu Neng displayed the attitude a father should have, and rebuked loudly, "No matter what, you can't let your uncle and aunt's families go hungry, can you?"
“That’s their business!” Xu Zhengyang didn’t care about his parents’ feelings at all. He tapped his index finger on the coffee table a few times and said in a deep voice, “This matter cannot be decided by one or two people… Two uncles, one aunt… even if my aunt or my maternal aunt came to apologize and express their attitude, I wouldn’t pursue it! I’m not that petty…”
"What's most hateful is that not a single person feels any remorse for this!" Xu Zhengyang took a deep drag on his cigarette, stubbing out the half-smoked end in the ashtray. "Don't think I don't know anything. How many times did they come to my house while I was sick? My two uncles and aunt came a total of four times, and my aunt and uncle came three times... What were they doing there? Were they visiting me? Were they asking how our family's lawsuit was going, whether we had any money left, and whether Li Bingjie's family had come to see me!"
"What are they thinking? Hmm?" Xu Zhengyang looked at his parents, his tone full of stern questioning.
Xu Neng and Yuan Suqin were stunned.
Yes, think about it. Ever since Zhengyang fell ill, when these relatives come to our house, they seem to ask a few questions about Zhengyang's condition, but they quickly change the subject to other things.
What they care about is not Zhengyang's illness or physical condition, but whether Zhengyang can still bring them any benefit!
Are they relatives?
Outside, Jiang Lan stopped Xiao Zhou, who was about to go inside to pour hot water into the teapot. She shook her head, signaling Xiao Zhou to go back to the east room and not to the main room. Jiang Lan herself stood on the porch, listening absentmindedly to Xu Zhengyang's stern words inside.
"Don't say I'm heartless or ungrateful." Xu Zhengyang directly cut off his parents' hopes of persuading him. "Family ties and feelings are still necessary... If their family really can't make ends meet and comes to us for a loan, we can still help them out... But we can't give them too much at once. We can give them small amounts each time, so they can keep coming back for more! But we need to make sure they know they owe us a favor every time, so they remember it and don't forget that they did something wrong!"
"This is the bottom line!" Xu Zhengyang raised his index finger, his expression resolute. "Father, Mother, this is only out of consideration for family ties; otherwise, they wouldn't even be able to make a living! So don't say anything more, don't put me in such a difficult position..."
Xu Neng and Yuan Suqin looked terrified and dared not say anything more.
Because they seemed to understand from their son's words that this was not something their son could completely control, but rather that the deity behind their son was angry.
Volume 5, Spirit Official, Chapter 228: Good and Evil Are Not Fixed
Under an octagonal pavilion in the side courtyard of the City God's Mansion.