Yes, when Li Chengzong suffered a setback, he did unleash extraordinary fighting power, launching a reckless and ruthless attack on Xu Zhengyang. Although the result was still a crushing defeat, the ferocity of his attacks and the murderous intent he exuded stirred a strange urge in Xu Zhengyang to kill him as well.
Xu Zhengyang felt this was a very bad feeling, very dangerous.
It came quickly and went quickly; that trace of violence vanished as soon as the fight ended.
Entering the house, Xu Zhengyang felt completely at ease. Seeing the ghost and the human, the old man and the young man sitting on the sofa, a pang of guilt welled up within him. Perhaps it was this inexplicable feeling that had led him to his decision to severely punish the old man in the City God's Palace?
"Life and death are all ordained by fate. Humans and ghosts are on different paths. Let's disperse." Xu Zhengyang smiled and stepped forward to sit between Li Bingjie and Old Man Li.
Li Bingjie was stunned.
The old man nodded gently and said, "Go, don't worry about me anymore... We are now separated by life and death, go."
Actually, these things have already been discussed. After this conversation, Li Bingjie felt much more at ease. If people truly know that death is not the end, but rather a good thing, then naturally they won't feel so sad.
So Li Bingjie nodded, looked at Xu Zhengyang expectantly, and said, "I know you still have things to say. Zhengyang, promise me you'll take good care of Grandpa, okay?"
"Okay, don't worry," Xu Zhengyang nodded in response, but felt a little guilty inside.
"I'm leaving..." Li Bingjie stood up, looking at her grandfather and Xu Zhengyang with some reluctance.
"Go ahead, but don't tell anyone," Xu Zhengyang said softly, waving his hand before the old man could speak.
"I know." Li Bingjie wanted to say something more, but in the end she didn't speak. She turned around and walked out gently, like a white cloud.
Inside the room, Xu Zhengyang sat on the sofa, lit a cigarette, leaned forward slightly, and looked at the old man calmly, saying, "Are you harboring resentment and dissatisfaction?"
"Not really." The old man gave a bitter smile.
"Have you figured it out yet?"
"What do you mean?" The old man leaned back like an ordinary person and said helplessly, "Humans and ghosts are different, separated by the realms of Yin and Yang. But gods shouldn't interfere in human affairs in the first place. Either they shouldn't interfere at all, or they should have interfered earlier... Why did it have to be like this now?"
Xu Zhengyang nodded and said, "I don't know much about these things either, Grandpa. I can't help you much. I just want to ask for your opinion: would you rather enter the cycle of reincarnation and be reborn, or join the City God's Palace and take on a part-time divine position?"
The old man was stunned.
This was a problem he had never even considered.
After death, how could a ghost be able to join the City God's Palace and even hold a part-time divine position? That's just too outrageous!
There is no more powerful temptation than this...
However, his inherent pride made the old man hesitate, and he couldn't readily agree.
Xu Zhengyang wasn't in a hurry. He sighed softly and said, "I know what you've been thinking. You've felt humiliated these past few days, haven't you? Actually... it's just like when ordinary people suffer punishment from powerful forces in the human world. Perhaps you won't understand this, because although you have no intention of harming anyone, and you are wholeheartedly loyal to the country and its people, you are standing high and looking far, but unfortunately, you can't see clearly at the foot of the mountain."
The old man remained silent.
“You said that gods shouldn’t interfere in worldly affairs. Why did they have to interfere now of all times? Actually, have you ever thought about it? Do you really want gods to give up their carefree lives and instead interfere in human affairs?” Xu Zhengyang shook his head. “There are just too many things that I can’t stand.”
"There are laws and government agencies in the world."
“Yes, that’s right, they’re all good.” Xu Zhengyang didn’t deny it, and said, “There are injustices and unfairness, there are evil people doing evil, there are police, there are courts, there are law enforcement agencies… But do you know where the drawbacks of these things are?”
The old man looked at Xu Zhengyang with a puzzled expression.
“Perhaps people like you have thought about this, but not thoroughly enough, because you can’t put yourself in their shoes and understand it clearly.” Xu Zhengyang became somewhat agitated as he said this. “Do you know what the result is when a simple rural homestead dispute, with all the facts clear and everything right, is taken to court?”
“If the judgment is wrong, it is the fault of the person, not the fault of the law,” the old man retorted.
Xu Zhengyang said with a sneer, "That's right, but... such cases drag on for three or even five years, and some other lawsuits drag on for eight or ten years before a final judgment is reached. After the judgment, there is still a wait for enforcement, and enforcement takes time... What's going on here?"
“Law enforcement agencies always need enough time to investigate the truth of the matter in order to prevent misjudgments and wrong judgments.” The old man lowered his noble head, clearly lacking confidence, but still said, “There are not just one or two things to do, but many things to do. As you said, there are many injustices in this world.”
"Well, have you ever thought about how long a person can live? Seventy? Eighty? One hundred years old? A lawsuit can take ten or eight years, or even just one year... I think you understand how precious time is without me having to say it, right?"
"Those are isolated cases; many cases are handled swiftly and efficiently!"
"Wrong!" Xu Zhengyang raised an eyebrow, pulled out the city's official file, and handed it to the old man. "Take a look. It doesn't record much, only some special cases from Fuhe City this year. Admittedly, some cases were handled quickly, but look closely, those all require connections, background, or spending a lot of money to achieve such speed..." Before the old man could say anything, Xu Zhengyang continued, "Don't say they're too busy or have too many things to do. Look at what they're busy with! Look at their attitude and mentality when ordinary people need help! They're pushing it away, delaying it, waiting for people to give them gifts and invite them to meals, complaining about being busy. So they leisurely spend their days with a cup of tea, a newspaper, and a high salary, piling up cases. How can they not be busy?"
The old man silently watched as the city scroll, following Xu Zhengyang's words, displayed scene after scene, along with sound even clearer than on television.
"Let's talk about the case again!" Xu Zhengyang took a breath, trying his best to suppress his anger. "I saw a true story online. It's about a family where two brothers spent eight years hunting down their father's killer. It took them a full eight years to finally capture him in another city. Of course, they received help from the police every time they apprehended the criminal... But I want to know, what were our police doing before that?"
“I know this is a bit extreme. There are good people everywhere, and in fact, good people probably make up the majority.”
"Look again, police officers are being assaulted while handling cases, traffic police officers are being spat on, beaten, verbally abused, and dismissed because they encountered someone with connections and power while enforcing the law..."
"And look at public opinion these days..."
"I think you understand now, right?"
...
After an unknown amount of time, the old man sighed softly, "It's unavoidable. No matter which country, no matter how sound its laws or how perfect its policies, it cannot eliminate human selfishness and greed. Never before in history has this happened..."
"Yes." Xu Zhengyang nodded and said, "You are looking at the big picture. Overall, economic and technological development and people's living standards are improving, and that is progress."
"Isn't that so?"
"Is that so?" Xu Zhengyang asked in return.
"I know you're talking about the decline in education, people's quality, morality, and humanity." The old man shook his head and said, "It always takes time. On the road to becoming a strong nation, we will lose some things. We have to wait until we are strong before we can slowly find them again. Otherwise, if we are humiliated by foreign powers, we may not even have the chance to find them."
...
Now it was Xu Zhengyang's turn to fall silent.
Indeed, over the past few decades, the country's economy, technology, overall national strength, and people's living standards have undergone tremendous changes. Superficially, things are better, much better than before. However, spiritually, too much has been lost... Yet, this is a matter of not being able to have your cake and eat it too. Development has been too rapid, and people have been striding forward to keep up with the trends, but spiritually they have fallen behind, or gone astray.
If you really want to take it seriously, nine times out of ten people in this society will be dissatisfied and complain. But what are they complaining about?
It's nothing more than selfishness and personal gain.
How many complaints are there about the moral and ethical decline of humanity?
Ultimately, the root cause of all injustice lies in the decline and loss of human morality and conscience.
The old man said, "This requires a long period of digestion and transformation; if the country is gone, the country's dignity is lost, then what morality and conscience do the people have left? Can you reason with robbers, thieves, and hooligans? In times of internal and external troubles, the overall situation must be considered first..."
Xu Zhengyang suddenly understood. Yes, those so-called world-class powers, waving the banner of democracy and claiming to maintain world peace, what were they actually doing? Invasion, plunder, hegemony, and power politics…
In fact, the reason why Xu Zhengyang was willing to sit down and talk with the old man today, and why he was so determined to win the old man over, was ultimately because the old man's vision and mindset far surpassed those of ordinary people.
What does Xu Zhengyang need? To learn!
If we continue to act according to his ideas and beliefs, Shuanghe Village is doing well now, and Fuhe City is getting better and better. However... people have become more fearful and lack a certain kind of courage, dignity, and bravery. What will they do when they are insulted? Endure it?
Even Xu Zhengyang himself couldn't do it!
"Grandpa, are you satisfied with the current situation in Fuhe City?" Xu Zhengyang asked.
"Well, it's alright, this is what I've always hoped for."
The old man could not deny that the investigation and data compiled from the city's records showed that since Fuhe City had experienced several upheavals, and with the occurrence of various strange events in various places over the past year, people were filled with fear and trepidation. Even though criminal behavior could not be completely eradicated, it had indeed dealt a blow to many people with criminal tendencies.
Overall, Fuhe City now has one of the lowest crime rates compared to other cities across the country.
People's thinking has also undergone tremendous changes. Admittedly, some are forced to endure it and dare not commit crimes.
"From now on, you will temporarily act as the judge of the Fuhe City God's Palace," Xu Zhengyang said earnestly. Although he had no authority to bestow divine titles, it was still possible to have a ghost messenger act as the judge and obtain some divine power and authority from Xu Zhengyang. "Heavenly affairs are numerous, and the City God is too busy. He originally wanted me to act as the judge of Fuhe City, but I was truly powerless... The City God asked me to pass on a message to you: there are some recent files in the City God's Palace. Please take a look and understand the divine realm's punishments and judgments against humans... I will go and plead with the City God to spare you from further punishment in the underworld."
Why did you choose me?
"Don't look down on my low rank. I don't have the authority to bestow godhood upon you, and even the Heavenly Court won't immediately make you a god..." Xu Zhengyang waved his hand and said, "I know little and have a narrow perspective. Come and see more, take charge more, and familiarize yourself with the work of a god. Soon, I will put you in charge of more areas!"
The old man was speechless.
Xu Zhengyang raised an eyebrow and said seriously, "Don't act according to your human thoughts anymore... You are a ghost, no god will pity you as they would a human."
The old man's heart trembled, and he felt even more grateful to Xu Zhengyang. From Xu Zhengyang's words, he understood one thing: if Xu Zhengyang hadn't spoken so well for him before the gods, he didn't know how much punishment would have awaited him!
Fortunately, I know Xu Zhengyang; fortunately, Xu Zhengyang is still an individual; fortunately, Xu Zhengyang is a... good person.
"Go ahead, go to the City God's Mansion and check those files first, learn more about them, so that nothing goes wrong later, sigh." Xu Zhengyang sighed.
Just then, the ghost messenger bravely walked through the wall and led the old man outside. As soon as they reached the door, he suddenly vanished in a flash.
Naturally, they went to the City God's Palace in the void.
Xu Zhengyang lowered his head and lit another cigarette. He felt guilty and hypocritical.
Just now, if he hadn't suppressed his aloof, proud, and stubborn heart with his true nature and forced himself to have a long talk with the old man, he would have been quite annoyed by the old man's rebuttals to some of his words.
What's wrong with me?
Just as Xu Zhengyang was frowning and hesitating, the scroll on the coffee table suddenly began to shimmer with light, making the entire quiet room seem to radiate endless brilliance.
The scroll displayed lines of clear gold lettering:
Xu Zhengyang
Zodiac sign: Pig
People from Shuanghe Village, Huaxiang Township, Cixi County, Fuhe River City
Twenty-three years old
Position: Imperial Censor under the Eastern Heavenly Court Emperor.
Responsibilities: The guardian deity oversees the altar, responsible for investigating and correcting injustices and violations of heavenly laws among the gods of the human realm. He travels to the territories of various prefectures and states to judge those who are unjust or unfair.
Its nature is fierce and unyielding, loyal and upright, intolerant of injustice, unfairness, or blasphemous behavior; wherever its divine power reaches, all the gods under the local gods in the human realm follow it.
— Volume Four, City God (Completed)
Volume Five, Spirit Official, Chapter 212: Humanity and Divinity
Xu Zhengyang was both surprised and puzzled by this promotion. It was as if he had been promoted three times in one step, far surpassing the position of the State God and any other positions that the State God might have held, and directly becoming an Imperial Censor under the Emperor of the Eastern Heavenly Court. As for whether there were any other official positions in the Heavenly Court that were far superior to the Imperial Censor, Xu Zhengyang had no idea.
But there was one thing Xu Zhengyang was certain of: the sky was definitely not this one!
Otherwise, there would be no such thing as the "Eastern" Heavenly Emperor.
Clearly, the place where Xu Zhengyang lives is under the jurisdiction of the Eastern Heavenly Court. It seems that the so-called East of the world is not unfounded, nor is it a world view determined by Western countries on their own self-centered basis. Rather, it is a conclusion already reached by the divine realm.
Xu Zhengyang pondered that since the Earth is round, the so-called eight directions (east, west, south, north) are rather absurd; up, down, front, back, left, and right are more practical. However, Xu Zhengyang quickly added to his own dissatisfaction: If you want to say where you're going, you can't just drive and say "go forward" or "go backward," can you? That's even more ridiculous…
Therefore, Xu Zhengyang believed that this so-called direction was actually the same as the terms "father" and "mother".
It's a tradition passed down from our ancestors. We call our father "father" and our mother "mother." If our ancestors had called our father "mother" and our mother "father" when they created the characters and words, wouldn't people still have to call them that now?
Well, that sounds a bit like stating the obvious.
But Xu Zhengyang actually came up with a lot of random ideas in this courtyard house.
Because he was thinking about how humans came to be—evolution? Creationism? And where did God come from?