Xu Zhengyang sighed, waved his hand, and started complaining for no reason, "How did you raise such a bad boy, as his godmother!"
Ouyang Ying didn't take Xu Zhengyang's unwarranted accusations to heart. She smiled slightly and said, "If you ask me, you still don't understand what the child is thinking. You need to communicate with the child more."
"I don't know?" Xu Zhengyang grinned. "What could a little kid like him possibly think? He's just a troublemaker, a born bad seed..."
"Does this sound like an insult to me?" Xu Zhengyang stopped, somewhat annoyed.
Indeed, Xu Zhengyang had used his divine sense to check what the little guy was thinking, but all he found was that the boy was simply venting his anger, without any discernible reason. There was nothing he could do; the boy was indeed too young, and his will and divine sense were not yet fully developed.
“Brother, I think… you could try letting Xiaotian occasionally let his consciousness leave his body for a bit of fun,” Ouyang Ying suggested with a smile.
"Hmm?" Xu Zhengyang frowned and looked at Ouyang Ying with some doubt.
Ouyang Ying continued, "This child has a natural divine aura; he's lively and active, but not entirely in his physical body. His spirit is bound and unable to move, which will definitely accumulate some violent temper..."
"Silly girl, you want to hug him, don't you?" Xu Zhengyang laughed.
“Yes.” Ouyang Ying said without any hesitation, with a smile, “Xiaotian often looks at me pitifully, and he also wants me to hold him… Brother, whether my guess is right or wrong, it’s worth a try. If it really is because of this reason, it will leave a shadow in the child’s heart.”
Xu Zhengyang frowned and thought for a while, then realized that it seemed to make some sense.
Xu Zhengyang then raised his right hand, and a golden light shot straight into Ouyang Ying's brow. He then said, "I will grant you divine power so you can release him... Hmm, be careful not to spoil him too much. Try it first, and if it still doesn't work... remember to tell me! Hmph, you all spoil him, ah..."
"Huh?" Ouyang Ying was slightly surprised and asked, "How can I make him separate his consciousness from his body?"
Xu Zhengyang got up irritably and walked towards the top of the mountain, saying as he did so, "Chant the incantation."
"What incantation are you chanting?"
"Open Sesame..."
The mumbled reply drifted through the quiet woods.
Ouyang Ying stood on the stone steps in a daze for a long while until Xu Zhengyang's figure disappeared around the bend of the stone path in the distance. Only then did Ouyang Ying finally come to her senses and couldn't help but burst out laughing.
What kind of father acts like this?
...
Let's put aside this annoying and troublesome little devil.
Xu Zhengyang is still very satisfied with the efficiency of the City God's Office and its remarkable achievements so far.
The baby is already 100 days old, and there's basically nothing for him to worry about at home. Regarding security, not only has the number of ghost guards increased near the resort, but after careful consideration, the leaders of the capital city have also transferred an infantry regiment from a unit stationed further west in the mountains to garrison near the Jingniang Lake scenic area.
The regimental headquarters was located below the villa where Xu Zhengyang's family lived.
The sounds of soldiers drilling every day could be heard far into the villa.
Xu Zhengyang was both amused and exasperated. If things were to go this way, his whole family would really have to live here from now on and not go back to Shuanghe Village.
Now, it's time to consider establishing a new City God Temple.
Xu Zhengyang has already fully enjoyed the increasing benefits brought to him by the City God's Palace. If one day he were to hold the power of the second, third, or even any of the nine provinces' state gods, wouldn't he be a first-rank official? At that time, the title of Emperor... hehe, would be nothing more than having real power without a title.
Only by increasing one's own strength and power can one do whatever one wants in the future without having to worry too much.
Damn it, those foreign figures and gangs are probably still plotting how to deal with me.
I'm not going to bother arguing with you anymore. I'll live a carefree, happy, and joyful life. What about you? Everything Xu Zhengyang is currently arranging for his subordinates in the City God's Palace to do is practically torture those foreign figures and groups that have their eyes on him.
Let them try every possible method, rack their brains, but they just can't get anyone in. No matter how many people manage to get in, they'll all die. All their schemes and tricks will be ineffective... You bunch of bastards, you'll die of anger, worry, and frustration.
Xu Zhengyang really put his mind at ease.
It's not that he doesn't hold grudges; on the contrary, he remembers them very clearly. He's just waiting for the day when he's confident enough to go and kill them all... Quietly.
After a series of intense crackdowns, the ghost messengers of the City God's Palace should be free by now, in less than two months, right? Xu Zhengyang took out his phone and dialed Chen Chaojiang's number:
"Chaojiang, go back and discuss with Judge Li Haidong, Su Peng, and this, um, Ouyang Ying, the next steps for the City God's Office. We'll continue to target the social ills that the public is concerned about... Do you have a clear idea now?"
Under Xu Zhengyang's instructions, Chen Chaojiang has also started to frequently go online and browse social news these days.
"Yes, I've got it." Chen Chaojiang replied, and was about to say something to Xu Zhengyang when Xu Zhengyang's voice came from the phone: "Once you have an idea, go and make preparations. Tell me when you're ready."
"yes."
...
Volume Six, Chapter 335: I am for everyone, but who is for me?
Early autumn, the sky is high and the clouds are light. The wind is gentle and the sun is warm.
On the vast, shimmering river, a luxurious five-story cruise ship sails upstream. The banks are lined with sheer cliffs, some bare rock, others lush with vegetation, creating a breathtaking and beautiful landscape. The magnificent scenery of the mountains and river inspires a sense of openness and tranquility.
On the fifth-floor observation deck, Xu Zhengyang, his wife, son, parents, and mother-in-law Jiang Lan sat around a round table, sipping tea and chatting while admiring the steep cliffs on both sides of the river and the rapids and gorges. The whole family enjoyed a harmonious and happy time together.
On this luxurious Victoria-class cruise ship, besides Xu Zhengyang and his family, there were only a dozen or so security personnel and crew members.
Chartering this cruise ship, with facilities comparable to a five-star hotel, is definitely a luxury.
Xu Zhengyang was initially a little pained by the expense... but there was no other way. Firstly, it was for safety; secondly, it was for convenience. After all, his family was already quite large, with many people accompanying them. If they shared a ride with other tourists, they would inevitably be too conspicuous.
Originally, Xu Zhengyang hadn't planned to travel with his family. He just wanted to take Zhu Jun and others out for a month or two, build a few city god temples along the way, and then go back.
As a result, the mother and the mother-in-law who came from Beijing to see her nephew somehow started discussing going on a trip together.
Yuan Suqin and Xu Neng had lived most of their lives, and the only place they'd ever been was Beijing. Where else had they been? They'd always dreamed that now that their family was better off, they could follow the example of the wealthy city dwellers and travel around. But being from a farming background, these thoughts were easily forgotten; they never really thought about them every day.
As a result, at Jiang Lan's suggestion, the couple also became interested. The family had been celebrating many happy events in the past two years, and now that they had such a unique little darling, it was time to go on a trip!
As for whether it's suitable for the child to go out since they are still young...
This child is nothing like a typical baby. Lately, he's been constantly struggling and tugging at home, enjoying walking along mountain paths and playing by Jingniang Lake. He even babbles and stutters about wanting to ride a boat. Well... in just half a month, this little guy has explored the entire Jingniang Lake scenic area.
There was no other way; his grandparents doted on him and protected him, giving him whatever he wanted and letting him go wherever he pleased.
Li Bingjie has always been easygoing, so she naturally wouldn't say anything about her in-laws spoiling their child.
Xu Zhengyang was utterly helpless. He would glare at his son a few times and yell at him. In the past two years, his mother, who had already developed some fear of him, would immediately revert to her former self, protecting her grandson to the point that she might hit Xu Zhengyang with a broom at any moment.
So after thinking it over, Xu Zhengyang simply agreed and the whole family went!
He felt that he had been getting a bit obsessed lately, focusing all his attention on how to expand the power and territory of the prefectural capital, while neglecting his life as a person.
What people really want is a harmonious family, happiness, and joy.
What people care about most are family and friends, right?
He hasn't yet achieved his goal of becoming a god, but as a human being, Xu Zhengyang can say he lacks nothing: he has a virtuous wife at home, elderly parents to care for, and young children to raise; he has friends both ordinary and high-end; and financially, he lacks nothing except money.
With such spiritual and material fulfillment, wouldn't it be the greatest luxury and waste not to enjoy life to the fullest?
...
The afternoon sun was even warmer, and Xu Neng, Yuan Suqin, Jiang Lan and the others all felt sleepy. Xu Xiaotian, the little guy who had been playing excitedly all morning, had long since fallen asleep in his grandmother's arms.
The group of people went down from the observation deck and went to rest in the guest rooms on the fourth floor.
Only Xu Zhengyang and Li Bingjie remained, sitting together on the side of the boat, enjoying the endless scenery of the river gorge with a happy and sweet embrace.
At either end of the ship's gunwale stood Zhu Jun and Qingling, both wearing sunglasses.
"Zhengyang, Yingying came along too, right?" Li Bingjie asked softly with a smile.
"Hmm." Xu Zhengyang nodded calmly, but felt rather embarrassed inside.
Ever since Ouyang Ying inadvertently revealed that Xu Zhengyang had promised to make her a goddess, Xu Zhengyang has felt somewhat guilty whenever he and his wife talk about Ouyang Ying alone. Although his wife has never expressed any dissatisfaction or mentioned the deification, Xu Zhengyang knows that his wife is somewhat unhappy about it.
Because back then, Xu Zhengyang personally promised to bestow a divine title upon his wife, but what happened?
Yes, Li Bingjie declined at the time, enjoying the feeling of having her husband as a god and relying on him. But after Ouyang Ying was deified, as a woman, Li Bingjie naturally felt a strange sensation, as if this divine position should have belonged to her, but had been taken away by someone else, and from her own husband.
"It's all thanks to Yingying, otherwise Xiaotian would probably have caused a lot more trouble by now." Li Bingjie smiled slightly, seemingly understanding her husband's little scheme.
"The bystander sees most of the game; that's probably what it means," Xu Zhengyang said with a smile.
Ever since Ouyang Ying suggested trying to occasionally release Xiao Xiaotian's consciousness for fun, the little guy's usual violent tendencies have indeed been completely suppressed, and he has become just like before. Except when he is in front of his parents, he is extremely well-behaved. What's even more endearing is that the little guy, who is just over four months old, can now take steady steps and, although his speech is not clear, he can still say a string of words.
If it weren't for the fact that his height is the same as that of a normal baby, he would definitely be mistaken for a child who is one and a half to two years old.
However, the little guy seemed to have a fearful aversion towards his father. Even when Xu Zhengyang gently called him to allow him to project his consciousness, he would hide inside his physical body and refuse to come out to play. Only when Ouyang Ying gently called him would he happily come out and play under her watchful eye.
Li Bingjie regrets that, without her husband's assistance, she could not see her child's spirit while her consciousness was still outside her body.
This always gave Li Bingjie a strange feeling, as if she hadn't given birth to a son, but rather twin brothers. One of them was raised, loved, and cared for by her, while the other already belonged to his godmother, Ouyang Ying. Li Bingjie understood that this was a feeling called jealousy stirring within her.
However, that's just her personality; she won't take such things to heart or amplify them.
Moreover, to be honest, she also liked Ouyang Ying very much, and at the same time, she felt a little pity and sympathy for Ouyang Ying.
"Where is Yingying? I want to see her," Li Bingjie suddenly said.
Xu Zhengyang paused for a moment, then smiled and pointed to the rushing river in front of the cruise ship, saying softly, "There, let's splash around."
As soon as she uttered the words, Li Bingjie's eyes shone brightly with divine thought. She saw a girl, dressed in a light green dress, as beautiful and carefree as a fairy, splashing in the water a hundred meters away, her face full of excitement and curiosity, occasionally dancing gracefully.
No, to be precise, Ouyang Ying is now like a fairy dancing on the water.
"Yingying is so beautiful..." Li Bingjie exclaimed sincerely.
"Ahem." Xu Zhengyang coughed lightly twice and chuckled, "Want to go and play on the water like Yingying?"
Li Bingjie turned to look at Xu Zhengyang. Her beautiful eyes sparkled, and she smiled gently, saying, "Even if you could help me do that, you still have a physical body. Can you really keep your feet completely dry?"
"That's a bit difficult." Xu Zhengyang frowned and said, "Be careful, it should be possible."
"That's so boring." Li Bingjie shook her head and turned her gaze back to the beautiful sprite frolicking on the water in the distance.
Are you jealous?
“Hmm.” Li Bingjie didn’t hide anything and smiled, “Jealousy and anger are two different things… Yingying is great.”
"I will now bestow upon you the title of god. Your divine consciousness will be able to leave the water, just like Yingying, dancing gracefully on the surface without your feet touching the water." Xu Zhengyang changed the subject, "Do you want to?"
Li Bingjie tilted her head slightly, smiled and thought for a moment, then nodded and said, "Okay."
This was indeed not a difficult task for Xu Zhengyang.
With a thought, Xu Zhengyang's expression turned serious, his eyes gleaming as he stared at Li Bingjie, his divine sense probing into her mind.
Li Bingjie was startled by Xu Zhengyang's sudden serious expression. Just as she was wondering what was going on, she heard Xu Zhengyang's voice, with its ancient and weathered charm, echoing in her mind. It was ethereal, as if it had fallen from the highest heavens, or as if it had suddenly reverberated in her mind. It was faint yet incredibly clear:
"I, in my capacity as the God of the Eastern Heavenly Court in the human realm, hereby appoint Li Bingjie, a mortal in the human realm, as the Acting Chief Clerk of the City God's Palace in the capital. She is authorized to perform the duties of a Chief Clerk and will receive the divine blessing of the God of the Human Realm..."
After he finished speaking, Xu Zhengyang's eyes slowly emitted a soft yellow light, which entered Li Bingjie's somewhat dazed eyes.
Li Bingjie felt a gentle, trickling stream flow into her eyes, slowly washing away the thoughts in her mind. It then spread downwards, reaching her limbs and bones, bringing a cool and comfortable sensation that made her feel... the blissful, ethereal feeling of a passionate moment with her husband, a feeling of floating on air...