Xu Zhengyang and Old Li sat around a square stone table. A chessboard was drawn on the table, with chess pieces placed on it.
The pavilion sits in the center of a pond, surrounded by calm waters and lush willows along the banks, creating a tranquil and elegant environment, just like a painting.
At this moment, Xu Zhengyang was not dressed as the City God, but simply in his original attire.
These past few days, Xu Zhengyang has been using his divine sense to enter the City God's Mansion every night to play chess with the old man, change his mindset, and ease the turmoil in his heart.
Xu Zhengyang had been planning to go to the United States to see Li Bingjie as soon as possible. He entrusted Zheng Ronghua with the troublesome matters of passports and visas, and they were processed in three days. As the executive director of Ronghua Group, he could fly to the United States at any time.
However, after much deliberation, Xu Zhengyang finally decided to postpone things for a while. He didn't want to suddenly have a burst of divine energy when he was with Li Bingjie and scare her.
This was something that greatly annoyed Xu Zhengyang, because after experiencing the Heavenly Tribulation, his divine power was almost exhausted, and his divinity had also been damaged. However, with a continuous supply of faith power, as his divine power increased, his divinity also recovered quickly, and this recovery was absolutely unrelated to or disproportionate to his divine power.
It's like a person who, even if they are seriously injured and unconscious, will be physically exhausted when they fully regain consciousness, but their personality will remain the same.
After the game ended, Xu Zhengyang smiled faintly and said, "Old Li's chess skills are getting better and better..."
"It's much more leisurely here in the City God's Mansion than when I was alive. I spend my days tidying up and thinking about your chess moves from back then. After so long, I've finally figured some things out," Old Li said with a smile.
"Is that so..."
Upon hearing this, Xu Zhengyang's face suddenly darkened. He turned his head slightly, raised his eyebrows, and stared at Elder Li with lightning-fast eyes. He said in a somewhat threatening voice, "You're not just trying to figure out my chess moves, are you?"
Old Li felt a chill in his heart and unconsciously lowered his head slightly to avoid Xu Zhengyang's gaze, but he did not say anything.
In truth, Elder Li had no reason to fear Xu Zhengyang. Xu Zhengyang was the representative of the City God's Palace, or rather, the Heavenly Court, on the mortal realm. Even if Xu Zhengyang held an official position, Elder Li also had one, albeit an acting one. His superior was the City God himself, so what was there to fear from Xu Zhengyang? Furthermore, in terms of seniority, Xu Zhengyang was a junior among juniors; how could such a concept of hierarchy be erased in a short time?
However... Xu Zhengyang is quite something now.
As Xu Zhengyang had explained, the City God had taken him to the Heavenly Court, but Xu Zhengyang returned alone. He had been authorized to act as the representative of the Heavenly Court in enforcing the Heavenly Laws and Regulations in the mortal realm. In other words, his authority was now limitless. In the mortal realm, he was no longer the representative of the gods, but a true deity!
Old Li was very frustrated and couldn't understand what those gods who were above mortals were thinking. Was it just for fun? They trusted him so much, letting him act recklessly in the world according to his own nature; and they didn't seem to care at all whether he would cause trouble. If he did, the higher-ups would cover for him.
It's like being a spoiled brat in the human world. A bunch of elders at home spoil and pamper you, as long as you're happy, don't be afraid of causing trouble, and don't be afraid of being bullied. If anyone bullies you, a bunch of elders will unreasonably help you get revenge.
Xu Zhengyang's lips twitched slightly, and he let out a soft snort. He lowered his head and fiddled with the chess pieces on the table, saying steadily, "Don't always try to understand God's will based on your worldly thoughts and ideas. That's not good..."
The last sentence was drawn out, carrying a subtle air of authority.
Old Li remained silent; this was difficult for him to accept.
Throughout history, apart from the City God speaking to him with such majesty and supreme authority, who else has ever treated him like this? Let's not even talk about the City God, after all, he is a deity, and he is obviously much older than him!
But Xu Zhengyang... he's gone too far these days! Relying on his powerful backers, he's been incredibly arrogant and fearless in the world.
“You’re dead, you’re no longer human!” Xu Zhengyang held a pawn in his hand, twirling it lightly between his fingers. “Now that you have an official position in the City God’s Palace, you must carry out your duties according to your superiors’ orders. As for the thoughts and intentions of the gods, don’t overthink them. You should still remember why you had five years of your lifespan reduced when you were alive. To speculate about the gods is itself a desecration of them!”
"Your divine duty as a judge is merely that of a proxy!"
"Therefore, I do not yet have the qualifications or authority to ponder God's thoughts."
...
Finally, Old Li lowered his head and softly replied, "Yes."
As someone who once held unparalleled power in the world, he deeply understood that in the face of absolute power, so-called personal dignity was as fragile as a drop of dew under the scorching sun.
As a subordinate, all I can do is obey orders and complete tasks.
Moreover, you can't shirk this position...
Who can I complain to?
Since becoming the acting judge of the City God's Palace, he has hardly performed his duties, always remaining in seclusion as if reflecting on his mistakes. Now that he thinks about it, perhaps the City God is trying to make him completely forget the arrogance and stubbornness he had when he was a person.
Xu Zhengyang's expression softened, and he smiled and said, "Come on, let's play another round."
This time, Old Li didn't hesitate at all, and his expression was calm, though his body seemed slightly restrained. He set up the chess pieces and placed the central cannon.
As he placed the chess pieces, Xu Zhengyang said, "What I just said might have made you feel uncomfortable, but don't feel too much pressure. The reason I said this to you is that I hope you can understand it better so that you can get promoted sooner in the future."
Old Li's hand, which was holding the chess piece, trembled slightly. He looked up at Xu Zhengyang with a puzzled expression.
“That’s inevitable.” Xu Zhengyang smiled and said, “Actually, it’s useless for you to think about anything, because the things above are beyond your comprehension. So exhausting your energy will only be futile. You know me, although I’m fortunate enough to become a god in the human realm, I don’t really know much, I’m not meticulous enough, I lack a sense of the big picture, and I always tend to act on emotion… So in the future, you can still offer some thoughts and opinions on me personally. Of course, I will also often ask you for advice…”
The old man nodded, but he didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
"You've been in the City God's Palace for so long, you must have seen many mundane matters that the City God has handled. What are your thoughts and opinions on these matters? You can speak to me now," Xu Zhengyang said calmly.
The old man thought for a moment, then said calmly, "Divine grace is as vast as the sea, divine might as severe as a prison, unyielding and incorruptible..."
"That's not what I asked you to say," Xu Zhengyang said with a smile, waving his hand.
The old man fell silent and said nothing more.
Xu Zhengyang sighed and said, "I plan to deploy judges and ghost messengers all over the country. Do you have any good candidates in mind?"
The old man was startled and looked up at Xu Zhengyang.
"Go ahead and say..."
"This...is it going to replace the ruling power of the world?"
Xu Zhengyang was taken aback, then laughed and said, "You misunderstand. The Heavenly Court tries to interfere as little as possible in the management of the human world. It's just that sometimes the human government's response to injustices is too slow, and humans' cunning always manages to find loopholes, which the gods don't want to see. At present, there isn't much need to arrange judges and ghost messengers throughout the country; they're just temporary agents. With you, me, and these few ghost messengers, we can't handle it all..."
"So, there are no City Gods in the whole country now?"
Xu Zhengyang's face turned cold, then he nodded.
The old man, of course, saw the flash of anger in Xu Zhengyang's eyes and realized he had asked something he shouldn't have. He quickly shut his mouth.
"I might as well tell you," Xu Zhengyang's expression had softened. "This time, the Heavenly Court executed a large number of deities, all of whom were idle and irresponsible in the mortal world... The one above has decided to select deities from the mortal realm, after all, the ideas of the Heavenly Court's gods are too conflicted with human concepts..."
Xu Zhengyang paused here, momentarily at a loss for how to offer a more reasonable explanation.
However, in Old Li's heart, he believed that other matters were probably beyond the knowledge of someone of his level. Therefore, Old Li nodded but dared not ask further. He simply continued, frowning, from the questions Xu Zhengyang had previously raised: "If this is the arrangement, then the ghost messengers of the City God's Mansion are currently..."
Old Li looked up at Xu Zhengyang, and hesitated for a moment whether he should continue speaking, wondering if it would displease Xu Zhengyang.
"Go on, it's alright," Xu Zhengyang said with a smile. "You should say that they are all unqualified, right?"
"Hmm." Old Li breathed a sigh of relief, then continued, "Since the Heavenly Court wants a deity from the mortal realm, well, that is, you, Zhengyang, to be one, then they should select a group of capable individuals who understand the importance of things and can formulate detailed laws..."
"A staff officer?"
Old Li smiled wryly and said, "I suppose so."
"Okay, go on..."
"These candidates, besides being capable in law and criminal matters, must also have a tough hand..." The old man trembled as he said this, and then continued, "Talent, the ability to demonstrate divine power without going too far."
“What you said about ‘going too far’ makes a lot of sense.” Xu Zhengyang nodded in agreement.
“But the right person… since they are to temporarily serve as a subordinate of the gods, they must be chosen from among the best. It’s hard to find one among the people who die every year in the human world.” Old Li shook his head and said, “Human hearts are selfish. It is undeniable that even if I have a good impression in the eyes of the people, I still have selfish motives.”
Xu Zhengyang said, "Good, it's good that you think that way."
“It’s difficult to choose a candidate…” Old Li said tentatively, with a hint of caution, “It might take ten, twenty years, or even longer…”
"It's not that strict." Xu Zhengyang waved his hand and said, "It would be difficult to find people like you, but we can find some upright and honest people, or rather, ghosts... Of course, ghosts who are too kind are not suitable. They need to have a tough and ruthless mindset. Ghosts who are soft-hearted, hesitant, and indecisive in their work, and who insist on so-called benevolence and morality towards evil people, are not acceptable."
"Then what about these ghost messengers..." the old man wondered, but he didn't dare to voice his question.
Xu Zhengyang waved his hand: "I was referring to the acting judge, not the ghost messenger."
Old Li was stunned.
Xu Zhengyang also frowned and fell silent.
This was indeed a very difficult problem for him.
It should be understood that, in the long run, it would be better to choose evil people to serve as ghost messengers. After all, the human world is prosperous, and being reborn as a human is the true blessing. If good people become ghost messengers, they will be busy all day long, dare not disobey their superiors, and have no freedom, which would be somewhat unfair.
However, in the short term, all humans hope to preserve their memories, whether they are good or bad, they all hope for the immortality of memories and the soul.
Therefore, choosing good and choosing evil becomes an unfair concept, both now and in the future.
After a slight pause, Xu Zhengyang asked softly, "Tell me the truth, think it over carefully. If you had to choose, you could either become a ghost messenger, toiling endlessly with no freedom, or be reincarnated. Which would you choose?"
Old Li pondered for a long time before saying, "Reincarnate as a human."
Xu Zhengyang nodded, then asked, "Why?"
"The mundane world is bustling and colorful, but once it becomes a memory, after a long time in a monotonous, boring, and emotionless life, the memory of the past beauty becomes a kind of pain."
"If we follow your logic, wouldn't even gods be boring?"
“There is a difference between the two.” The old man lowered his head and hesitated before saying, “Gods can do whatever they want. Even if they want to enjoy the worldly pleasures like you, when they are tired or fed up, they can go back to being gods. When they want to, they can go to the mortal world. I dare not speculate about the Heavenly Court, but you are indeed like that.”
"That makes sense." Xu Zhengyang clapped his hands with a smile.
"So..." The old man uttered these two words, but then fell silent, a hint of fear flashing in his eyes.
Seeing this, Xu Zhengyang waved his hand and said, "Go on."
"The prosperity of the secular world lies precisely in the coexistence of good and evil, just like the beauty and ugliness of people. Only through comparison and contrast can beauty and ugliness be revealed." The old man carefully chose his words, cautiously glancing at Xu Zhengyang. Seeing that his expression remained calm and unchanged, he continued in a low voice, "If, if this world truly contained only beauty and no evil, then human life would fall into a dull, monotonous, and mechanical state..."
"No more aspirations? Is that it?" Xu Zhengyang asked.
"Hmm." The old man's eyelids drooped.
"So, according to you, evil people should also exist, and they should have merits, right?" Xu Zhengyang's tone rose considerably, and a cold glint flashed in his eyes.
The old man grew increasingly nervous, but gritted his teeth and said, "Merits and demerits can offset each other; good and evil are different."
"How so?"
"Not bothered by trifles." The old man breathed a sigh of relief and said, "It's like, like the punishments in the world, you can't sentence someone to death just for stealing chickens or dogs."
Xu Zhengyang nodded and said, "Go on..."
"The existence of laws governing freedom in the world means that justice is determined and managed by people... Unless, unless there are some extremely unjust and wicked individuals, those whom the world cannot eradicate, then the gods will intervene; for example, just because there are poor people doesn't mean that the gods should arrange gold bricks and gifts for them. People often say that there is something hateful about the pitiful, and there is some truth to that; in other words, the poor should not resort to despicable acts of theft and robbery simply because they are powerless..."
Xu Zhengyang sat up straight, narrowed his eyes, and slowly said, "Poor mountains and bad waters breed unruly people. That makes sense. Go on."
"Since good and evil are subject to reincarnation, then..."
Upon hearing this, Xu Zhengyang abruptly waved his hand to interrupt Old Li, stood up abruptly, and walked out with his hands behind his back.
After leaving the pavilion, Xu Zhengyang stopped, paused for a moment, then turned back and pointed at Old Li, saying with a gloomy expression, "When people die, they go to the underworld. The guilty are punished, and the innocent are reincarnated to live a good life in the next life... But it's all too late! You should understand without me saying it. After reincarnation, all memories of the previous life are erased. What's the use then? Are we just going to let kind and honest people suffer in this life and wait for the next reincarnation?"
Xu Zhengyang looked up at the vast, chaotic sky, raised his right hand, held up his index finger, and gently waved it. He opened his mouth but said nothing.
Xu Zhengyang knew that what Old Li said made sense, but...
If gods don't interfere in human affairs, how can they convince humans of their existence? Why do they follow the example of those evil gods of the past, harming people and forcing them to believe in them?
Xu Zhengyang could never do such a thing.