"Hello, this is the property certificate for the courtyard house where Mr. Li lived before his death." Yue Shuxin took out a stack of certificates and a will from his bag and handed them to Xu Zhengyang. "Mr. Li left a will bequeathing this courtyard house to you. Take a look and sign it if there are no problems."
Xu Zhengyang was taken aback, then looked at Li Bingjie.
Li Bingjie nodded.
Xu Zhengyang felt a pang of guilt. Well... the old man was still suffering punishment and loneliness in the City God's Mansion because the City God had ordered that Wang Yonggan was not allowed to have any verbal or eye contact with the old man after he had finished punishing him.
Now look what's happened! Before he died, he actually left me a large courtyard house.
Xu Zhengyang picked up the will and certificate, seemingly reading their contents, but in reality, he had already mentally commanded Wang Yonggan to immediately stop the torture of the old man, and subtly imbued Li Lao with some divine power. He intended for Li Lao to return to the mortal realm with Wang Yonggan's assistance. Within the jurisdiction of Fuhe City, he could go wherever he wanted, get some fresh air; Li Lao had been cooped up for too long.
"Is this appropriate?" Xu Zhengyang asked softly, his brows slightly furrowed.
“Old Li’s will is here. This courtyard house was his private property, but now it’s yours,” Yue Shuxin said.
Li Bingjie nodded and said, "Let's stay."
Xu Zhengyang didn't refuse any longer and picked up the pen to sign for it.
"Zhengyang, come home with me, okay?" Li Bingjie asked softly.
"Okay." Xu Zhengyang nodded.
What's meant to happen will happen. Xu Zhengyang had thought before that Li Bingjie would definitely want to meet her grandfather's spirit, although she might not necessarily make such a request to him. But Xu Zhengyang had already decided that he would definitely make sure Li Bingjie met with Grandpa Li's ghost.
This is somewhat inappropriate, but since Li Bingjie knows Xu Zhengyang's identity as a priest, Xu Zhengyang should help Li Bingjie with this favor and fulfill her wish. He cannot refuse, so it can be considered an abuse of power for personal gain.
However... alas, humans and ghosts are different, so we can't let them communicate verbally. Letting them meet once is enough.
Two cars drove out of the village one after the other, heading towards Fuhe City.
When they arrived in Fuhe City, Yue Shuxin got off the bus. His mission was complete, and there was no need for him to follow Li Bingjie any longer.
The two cars then drove together towards the western suburbs of Fuhe City.
At this moment, in the courtyard house nestled between Xiaowang Mountain and Qinghe River, the ghost messenger Wang Yonggan and the old man's ghost were sitting on the sofa in the living room.
After leaving the City God's Mansion, and learning that he could freely wander around the territory of Fuhe City, Old Li returned to his courtyard house without any hesitation.
If the daily punishments were considered a form of discipline, the old man felt more that the City God was making him reflect on his mistakes by facing the wall.
These past few days, the old man had thought a great deal, though not quite enlightened or thorough, because before he died, he had already considered the severe punishments he might face as a ghost. He just hadn't expected to be given so much time to reflect on his actions.
He is indeed somewhat lost and bewildered, and at the same time, he is also deeply afraid.
When he was alive, he told Xu Zhengyang, "I am not afraid of the underworld."
Xu Zhengyang replied, "That's because you're not dead yet."
Just as I expected.
Volume Four, City God Chapter 211: The Reasons for His Dramatic Change in Temperament
In the past, this courtyard house gave people a sense of tranquility and elegance, with a touch of ancient solemnity. When people came here, they would involuntarily calm their restless hearts, as if all the worldly vanities of life were washed away.
However, the courtyard remains as it is today:
On the platform, the potted plants in the pots and jars have already turned green; the pomegranate trees in the courtyard quietly stretch out their branches, silently watching the visitors; occasionally, a few low and pitiful weeds sprout from the gaps between the bluestone bricks; the blue bricks and dark tiles outline a small patch of sky above...
The objects remain, but they have a desolate and bleak feel to them, devoid of any sense of life.
No matter what kind of people once lived here, once they are gone, nature will take everything back from their lives. Xu Zhengyang thought that if things continued like this, by the time spring and summer arrived, the courtyard would surely be overgrown with weeds and a desolate wasteland.
Pushing open the wooden door to the main room, Xu Zhengyang took Li Bingjie's hand and stepped inside.
Li Chengzong remained in the courtyard, quietly observing the familiar objects and unfamiliar surroundings with a solemn expression.
Inside the room, Xu Zhengyang walked over to the sofa and gently rolled up the thin cloth covering the sofa and coffee table to prevent the dust that had settled on them from stirring up and polluting the quiet and clean air inside.
While Xu Zhengyang was doing all this, Li Bingjie stood by his side the whole time. Perhaps it was because of her longing, but she felt that her grandfather was still in this room, still sitting on the sofa, quietly holding a purple clay teapot, taking a sip of tea, flipping through the newspaper, looking at the news with a kind face.
What Li Bingjie didn't know was that the old man, or rather, the old ghost, was actually sitting on the sofa next to her.
Even when Xu Zhengyang rolled up the fabric, it didn't affect the old man's steady posture. He was also looking at his granddaughter, and when Li Bingjie entered the room, he couldn't help but call out, "Girl..."
There was naturally no response; humans and ghosts are worlds apart.
Xu Zhengyang gave the old man a humble smile, but the old man's eyes, as he looked at Xu Zhengyang, revealed a hint of pleading, or rather, pleas? The old man was unaware that, as a ghost, he was only able to see Xu Zhengyang's true form without the divine power Xu Zhengyang had bestowed upon him, granting him certain permissions.
The ghost messenger Wang Yonggan coldly watched all this, when suddenly he heard the City God's instructions in his mind. Wang Yonggan then got up and left the room by passing through the wall.
Xu Zhengyang placed the rolled-up piece of cloth aside, took Li Bingjie's hand, and said softly, "Bingjie, sit down."
"Mmm." Li Bingjie's eyes were a little red, tears glistening in them. She gently sat down, tilting her delicate and pitiful face up. "Zhengyang..."
“I know.” Xu Zhengyang sat down next to Li Bingjie, patted her hand, and said, “Don’t cry. People can’t come back to life, but they’re not gone. You want to see Grandpa, don’t you?”
"Mmm." Tears streamed down Li Bingjie's face.
Xu Zhengyang sighed and said softly, "If you see him, don't be sad, okay?"
Li Bingjie's eyes lit up, revealing a hint of surprise, and she asked, "Is that alright?"
“That is indeed a bit difficult. It goes against the natural order.” Xu Zhengyang scratched his head and smiled. “But I talked to the higher-ups about it, and well, they reluctantly agreed.”
The old man's heart trembled, and he felt even more guilty and grateful.
She felt guilty for having wronged and looked down on Xu Zhengyang when she was younger; she was grateful that Xu Zhengyang was truly a good boy, a person of great loyalty and righteousness, who, in order for Li Bingjie to see her grandfather's ghost, was not afraid to defy the laws of heaven and made a request to that deity.
Just then, Xu Zhengyang's words suddenly came to the old man's mind: "Heavenly secrets cannot be revealed, don't make things too difficult for me."
The old man's heart skipped a beat, realizing that Xu Zhengyang meant there were certain things he couldn't say to Li Bingjie once they met.
Just then, Li Bingjie's joyful voice rang out: "Grandpa!"
The old man looked up and saw his granddaughter staring at him with tears in her eyes.
“Girl…” The old man’s mind raced, and a kind and gentle smile, just like when he was alive, appeared on his face. “Don’t be too sad. Grandpa is doing fine now.”
"You two can continue your conversation... I'll go out for a bit." Xu Zhengyang smiled, got up, and left.
In this situation of life and death, Xu Zhengyang was unwilling to stay any longer. Not only would he disturb them, but he would also feel increasingly guilty.
He no longer cared what the old man might say to Li Bingjie, because he realized that the old man's inner thoughts and beliefs had changed significantly since he was alive, after these past few days of reflection in the City God's Palace. Well, of course, he was still confused.
Xu Zhengyang wondered if everyone in the world would have completely different thoughts and opinions after they died?
The saying goes, "You won't shed a tear until you see the coffin," and "You won't turn back until you hit a brick wall."
That's roughly it, isn't it?
Stepping into the courtyard, Xu Zhengyang took out a cigarette and offered one to Li Chengzong.
Li Chengzong hesitated for a moment, then took the cigarette, lit it, took a deep drag, and looked at Xu Zhengyang who was lighting it, saying, "The way you light your cigarette is different from others. It's strange. Why do you use your index finger?"
"Hmm?" Xu Zhengyang, with a freshly lit cigarette in his mouth, paused for a moment, then fiddled with the lighter and flicked it a couple of times before laughing, "It's just a personal habit."
"oh."
The two seemed to have little in common, and given that the old man had recently passed away, they couldn't talk as freely as they used to, which made things rather awkward. They ended up rambling on and on.
"Are your sister-in-law and the child alright?"
"Um."
"I've never seen you go back before..."
Li Chengzong paused for a moment, then said, "I go back often."
"I really admire you. There aren't many people like you in this world these days," Xu Zhengyang said, looking up at the azure sky with a touch of emotion. These words came from the heart, because in today's world, people like Li Chengzong are truly rare; ordinary people can't even comprehend them. They're like servants in ancient wealthy families, loyally guarding their masters generation after generation, without considering much else.
"Zhengyang, I've heard you're quite skilled in martial arts." Li Chengzong didn't address Xu Zhengyang's seemingly casual question. He looked at Xu Zhengyang intently.
Xu Zhengyang tilted his head back, squinted at the sky, gently exhaled a puff of smoke, and chuckled, "Not bad."
"I've been itching to show off my skills lately..."
Before Li Chengzong could finish speaking, Xu Zhengyang said, "After we get to the capital, go find Chaojiang and have a match."
"He can't do it."
"So confident?" Xu Zhengyang looked Li Chengzong straight in the eye. Although he knew Li Chengzong was definitely a formidable opponent, he had never seen him fight. Someone who could beat Chen Chaojiang… hmm, that's pretty impressive. Is Li Chengzong just a braggart?
"Although I know it has nothing to do with you, I, like them, am somewhat dissatisfied with you." Li Chengzong's expression turned cold.
Xu Zhengyang nodded; he understood.
So Xu Zhengyang turned and walked into the passageway between the east room and the main room, leaving behind the words: "Come to the backyard, I'll give you a chance."
That's very arrogant and confident.
Li Chengzhong looked around the room. He couldn't leave because of his responsibilities.
"Don't worry, nothing will happen," Xu Zhengyang said calmly, turning his head.
Li Chengzong hesitated for a moment, then walked into the corridor. He didn't know why, but he chose to believe Xu Zhengyang's words—well, perhaps "trust" would be a more accurate word.
...
It took about two minutes.
Xu Zhengyang walked out of the corridor with a relaxed expression and stood under the porch in front of the main room, looking up slightly at the cotton-like white cloud on the southern horizon; then, Li Chengzong walked over with a frown, thinking and looking somewhat dejected, and stood next to Xu Zhengyang.
The fight is over, and the outcome is decided.
For Xu Zhengyang, the outcome was inevitable; for Li Chengzong, it was shocking and unbelievable.
Anyone confident in their ability to stand at the pinnacle of human combat would find it unacceptable that someone with absolutely no fighting techniques or routines could so easily defeat them.
In the simplest terms, martial arts combat is nothing more than a contest of explosive power, speed, and precision.
Reaching the pinnacle in these three aspects makes one a strong person.
However, Li Chengzong felt that Xu Zhengyang had already transcended this so-called peak and reached a level of unparalleled skill. How could that be possible with the limits of human physical ability? Li Chengzong was not arrogant enough to think that he was the strongest fighter in the world, but he knew that even the strongest opponent could not be defeated in unrestricted unarmed combat by simply defending without launching an attack.
If you throw a punch, it will be thrown back; if you kick, it will be kicked back; if you ram your body into it, it will be rammed back.
I will neither dodge nor avoid; let the lightning and thunder rage, I will still control the clouds and rain.
You have to admit it.
Li Chengzong mentally simulated the situation and arrived at a relatively accurate conclusion: without any weapons, relying solely on hand-to-hand combat, it would take at least three skilled fighters of similar level to defeat Xu Zhengyang. The problem was that Xu Zhengyang had not received professional, rigorous training. If talent was the only factor, then Chen Chaojiang's level would already be considered among the most talented.
"If you can't figure it out, then don't think about it..." Xu Zhengyang flicked his cigarette butt under the pomegranate tree, smiled, patted Li Chengzong, who was more than half a head taller than him, on the shoulder, and turned to go into the living room.
On the platform under the corridor, Li Chengzong was still pondering.
At this moment, Li Chengzong had no idea what a dangerous process he had gone through. If Xu Zhengyang had not suppressed the violent impulse in his heart with a strong mentality, someone would probably have died just now.