With the giant god's demise, the incense qi he had condensed dispersed on its own. The arrows lodged in the snake demon Yuan Qi also dissolved into plumes of incense smoke, vanishing without a trace.
Xu Ying examined Yuan Qi's wounds, his brow furrowing slightly.
Yuan Qi was gravely injured. He had already sustained internal injuries the previous night, and on top of that, he had just taken sword cuts and arrow wounds in the fight against the giant god. Without proper treatment, his life would not last much longer.
"I'm probably finished," Yuan Qi said with surprising resignation. "Once I die, you can cure me into dried snake meat. That'll exempt you from taxes for a year. Ah, wait, I forgot—going to the yamen to pay taxes would be walking straight into a trap! Hahaha, cough, cough, cough!"
He broke into violent coughing.
Xu Ying smiled. "You won't die. Did you forget? I'm a snake catcher. I catch snakes, and I can treat them too. Huangtianpu Town is just ahead. I'll fetch some herbs there. Once I dress your wounds with my medicine, I guarantee you'll be lively and kicking again."
Lacking breath and visibly languid, Yuan Qi said, "Going to Huangtianpu Town? Isn't that just delivering yourself to their doorstep? The god of Huangtianpu is likely no weaker than that giant god just now. You're barely in better shape than I am—you're no match for Him. I'm a strange snake, and you're a snake catcher; we're natural enemies. If you leave me behind and run right now, I won't blame you."
Xu Ying shook his head. "Huangtianpu Town has no god. I passed through here a while back. Word was that the town's deity received a promotion and was transferred away, and the City God hasn't appointed a replacement yet. Then again, you're right—I really should leave you behind and run."
Leaving the snake demon behind, he walked into the village.
Panicking, Yuan Qi hastily cried, "I can still be saved! Don't abandon me! At least try to save me!"
Xu Ying retorted crossly, "Did you expect me to drag you into town to buy herbs and treat you? I'm starving. I'm going to eat something first. Stay put and don't wander off."
Only then was Yuan Qi relieved.
Xu Ying returned to where the giant god had just been eating. The villagers had all fled in terror to hide, leaving only a little girl of around ten sitting on the ground, clutching a half-eaten chicken leg and staring blankly at him.
Xu Ying looked at the table and saw half a roast chicken left uneaten. He pulled a piece of broken silver from his robes and placed it on the table. "This is the meal payment on behalf of that big fellow of a god."
He wolfed it down, devouring the half chicken clean in no time.
Seeing how ravenous he was, the young girl held out her half-eaten drumstick to him.
Xu Ying sorely wanted to take it and gnaw a few bites, but he restrained himself. He fished out another piece of broken silver and handed it to her. "Little girl, look after my brother over there for me. Bring him a basin of water to drink so he doesn't die. Also, don't get too close. He's venomous."
The girl nodded, licking the shreds of meat from the chicken bone like a kitten.
Xu Ying strode out of the village and arrived at Huangtianpu Town before long.
The town was decked in festive lanterns and colorful banners, bustling with excitement. People along the streets were carrying roasted suckling pigs, chickens, and ducks, leading young calves, and carrying decorative sedans. Horns and suonas trilled merrily as the crowd hurried forward.
Xu Ying blended into the throngs and looked along the street for an apothecary, thinking, "With such a commotion, could some wealthy squire be taking a wife?"
A drum troupe approached, beating large drums. Behind them was a towering festival float led by a yellow ox adorned in red silks and bright ribbons. Atop the float stood a lotus-shaped shrine housing a stone-carved divine idol.
The idol had six arms, with bronze ribbons winding between its arms and palms, draping across its front and back. It bore two faces, one in front and one behind, exquisitely carved and lifelike.
Around the shrine sat two incense burners, one before and one behind, burning candles as thick as arms. Plumes of fragrant smoke curled up, shrouding the statue.
"The god of Huangtianpu was transferred away. Could they be inviting a new god?" Xu Ying wondered.
The people of Huangtianpu Town had also set up open street banquets along the road. A mouthwatering aroma wafted through the air. Xu Ying squeezed forward, grabbed several helpings of meat, and stuffed them into his mouth to fill his stomach first.
Strangely enough, ever since encountering that great bronze bell at Mount Jian, he had felt constantly hungry, never able to eat his fill, while his vitality and blood remained depleted.
Following the float for another half-li, he finally spotted the town's apothecary.
The apothecary's shopkeeper and assistant were standing at the door watching the float as well. There was no one else inside.
Xu Ying glanced over and called the shop assistant, "Pack some herbs for me."
The clerk glanced outside and replied casually, "Do you have a prescription from a physician?"
Xu Ying shook his head. "No need. I'll name the herbs and you weigh them. Make it quick!" With that, he laid out his last few taels of broken silver.
He had originally planned to flee to another region and save this money to take a wife, but with Yuan Qi injured, he could not afford to care about that. Buying the medicine came first.
Seeing the silver, the clerk's eyes lit up, and he quickly said, "What medicinal herbs do you require, honored customer?"
Xu Ying rattled off name after name along with the required weights in jin. Hearing the list and the sheer quantities, the clerk could not help but be taken aback. He muttered inwardly, "Is he treating an elephant? Why does he need this much medicine?"
Besides himself, Xu Ying also had to treat Yuan Qi. The snake demon was over three zhang long and weighed eight hundred jin. While not quite as massive as an elephant, he was still an immense beast, requiring substantial amounts of herbs.
As part of a lineage of snake catchers who spent their days navigating the mountains and dealing with venomous snakes, pests, demons, and ghosts, he naturally understood medicine. Xu Ying had followed his grandfather and adoptive father for years; his medical skill was solid, and treating wounds was second nature to him.
However, because Xu Ying needed so many herbs, the clerk could not pack them all right away. Xu Ying decided to step outside and follow the float instead, thinking, "Let's see how they conduct an investiture."
He had witnessed divine investitures in rural hamlets before. Those were quite simple: after a virtuous elder passed away, an ancestral hall would be erected, a statue made of clay or wood would be crafted, and a spirit tablet placed before it. With daily offerings, the idol would gradually develop divine peculiarities over time.
Yet an investiture in a town differed from the countryside. Deities in towns held official posts within the Nether Court and required formal appointment by the Nether Court. Back during the reign of Emperor Zhidao Dasheng Daming Xiao, there had even been imperial conferrals by the emperor himself, conducted with great solemnity.
Xu Ying had never seen this kind of investiture before and could not help feeling curious.
The crowd escorted the float to a temple in town. The area was already packed shoulder-to-shoulder with people, making it impossible to squeeze inside. Xu Ying paused outside the temple gates to peer in, watching an endless stream of offerings and sacrificial beasts being carried inside. Several burly men lowered the divine statue and transferred it to the shrine within the temple.
Amidst the curling incense smoke, a diminutive Earth God burrowed up from the ground. With a crisp snap, he unfurled a teal scroll. Bobbing his head and swaying, he chanted:
"By the mandate of Heaven, the Nether Court decrees: Huang Sanduo, Yin God of Huangtianpu Town, was benevolent and charitable during his mortal life, accumulating abundant good karma and virtuous deeds. His virtue touched Heaven and Earth, and his righteousness moved ghosts and spirits to tears. Now, Xue Lingfu, City God of Lingling, by decree hereby appoints Huang Sanduo as the God of Huangtianpu, to enjoy mortal incense offerings and receive a hundred blessings in the afterlife! Respect this decree!"
The short-statured Earth God snapped the teal scroll shut and cried in a shrill voice, "Strike up the ceremonial music! Let the Dragon God summon the clouds, and the Rain Master spread the rain! Welcome the spirit tablet of Squire Huang!"
The moment his voice fell, drums and music erupted, and the horns and suonas blared even louder!
Dark clouds suddenly gathered in the sky. Xu Ying looked up and saw a colossal creature gliding through the mist, resembling the divine dragons carved onto the pillars of the temple.
Rain abruptly began to fall. Cloud-borne deities could be faintly seen controlling the rainfall, presumably the Rain Master mentioned by the Earth God.
The Rain Master and the Dragon God were both officials of the Nether Court; attending the investiture at Huangtianpu Town was merely going through the motions. Once the spirit tablet of Squire Huang Sanduo was ushered in, the rain ceased, the clouds dispersed, and the Rain Master and Dragon God vanished.
Inside the temple, the grand investiture continued.
Xu Ying asked the bystanders beside him, "Could this Squire Huang be a man of great virtue? To be directly appointed as the town's deity upon his death is a lofty rank. He must have done many good deeds in life, right?"
The people around him sneered. One man spat two thick wads of phlegm right onto the ground before Xu Ying, grinding them into the dirt with his heel.
Xu Ying was thoroughly bewildered. But when he pressed further, the townsfolk clamped their mouths shut, too terrified to speak.
Just then, an aged voice chuckled, "Young friend, you wouldn't know. This Squire Huang Sanduo was a celebrated philanthropist in our Lingling County, renowned for three abundancies: abundant fertile fields, abundant treasures, and abundant beautiful concubines. In life, this great philanthropist performed no shortage of good deeds. He showed great piety to the City God, funneling handsome sums to the City God Temple during every festival. Toward the townsfolk, his 'benevolence' was just as abundant. He opened brothels so young girls could work there and earn money. He annexed land so the townsfolk had to sell off all their fertile fields, leaving them to labor under him so he could generously pay them wages to keep them alive."
The moment these words were spoken, the surrounding crowd scattered with a rustle, backing far away as if dodging a plague.
Xu Ying looked over. The speaker was an elder with white hair and beard, dressed in purplish-black silk robes, his hands clasped behind his back. A neat black cord bound the beard beneath his chin, giving him a spirited air.
"If Squire Huang committed so much evil, how could he be made a god?" Xu Ying asked, perplexed.
The spirited elder said with a beaming smile, "He bribed the City God. City God Xue Lingfu used his money to grease palms throughout the Nether Court, buying him a divine post after death. What could be easier?"
Xu Ying blurted out, "The Nether Court is that corrupt?"
The elder chuckled. "If the Nether Court weren't corrupt, could the common people be bullied to such an extent? Trampled while alive, and trampled still after death."
At these words, the bystanders were struck with utter horror, retreating even further to put distance between themselves, Xu Ying, and the old man.
Just then, a booming voice rang out, accompanied by a cold sneer: "Squire Huang bribing the City God is true enough, but is the government any better? Did the government not receive Squire Huang's favors as well?"
Xu Ying looked toward the voice. The crowd parted to either side as a giant twice the height of an ordinary man strode forward. The giant wore black, gold-gilded, heaven-devouring qilin boots, a grand red dragon-python robe, and a black-and-red gauze official cap. His features were lean and vigorous, his wide sleeves billowing, carrying an extraordinary presence!
Wherever this god passed, the crowd parted automatically, as if pushed aside by an invisible, massive hand.
Xu Ying's heart skipped a beat, and he inwardly gasped, "The City God idol!"
That giant was none other than the Lord City God of Lingling, named Xue Lingfu. He had held the seat of City God for five hundred years, enjoying incense and sacrifices ever since the reign of Emperor Zhidao Dasheng Mingxiao!
City God Xue Lingfu walked straight up to Xu Ying and the spirited elder, sneering, "In life, Squire Huang shoved no small amount of silver into the government's pockets. When he forced decent women into prostitution and they hung themselves from the rafters in despair, the government took his silver and acquitted him of all crimes. When he annexed lands through coerced sales, driving the destitute to jump into wells and rivers, it was also the government that wiped his backside clean. If you officials can do such things, why shouldn't my Nether Court?"
"This old man is an official?"
Xu Ying was shaken to the core. He hastily stepped back, putting distance between himself and the spirited elder. "Could the City God be talking about him? Who is he? Just moments ago he sounded so righteous, like a good man, yet he's actually in cahoots with the City God! Neither of them is good!"
The spirited elder burst into laughter. Facing City God Xue Lingfu without the slightest hint of fear, he kept his hands clasped behind his back and said leisurely, "The City God speaks the truth. This old man indeed accepted no small amount of money and treasures from Squire Huang. While alive in this world, one should naturally enjoy life as much as possible. When those above us are filthy, how could those of us serving as officials below stay clean?"
City God Xue Lingfu was somewhat surprised to see him admit it so readily. He smiled coldly. "I thought you living mortals would be shameless and deny everything. I never expected Lord Zhou Yihang to own up to it. The hides on you officials have been tempered a thousand times over; they're even thicker than I imagined."
The spirited elder, Zhou Yihang, paid no mind to the mockery and smiled. "My son is the county magistrate of Lingling. Why should I fear admitting what he has done? Can the emperor rein in my Zhou clan, or can the Nether Court rein in my Zhou clan?"
Xu Ying took another step back, thinking, "This old man is the father of County Magistrate Zhou Yang! I'm completely done for..."
If it were ordinary Nuo masters like Ding Quan and Wei Chu, he could still manage. But against a Nuo master of the Zhou clan, he stood no chance—not to mention that Zhou Yihang was the old father of County Magistrate Zhou Yang, possessing unfathomable strength!
City God Xue Lingfu's expression shifted when Zhou Yihang brought up the Zhou clan. Nowadays, imperial authority had waned; the Zhou clan was indeed a colossus beyond the reach of the crown!
"The criminal Xu Ying beat Squire Jiang to death, violating the royal law. I am taking him away," Zhou Yihang said with calm certainty, a faint smile on his lips.
Xu Ying's body suddenly sank heavily. He felt his limbs clamped tight by an invisible force, unable to move—he had been locked down by Zhou Yihang's aura!
Under the crushing pressure of that aura, Xu Ying found his vitality and blood sluggish and obstructed, completely unable to circulate, let alone break free of the lock!
City God Xue Lingfu burst into thunderous laughter, his voice carrying far as he said slowly, "Imperial authority may have waned, aristocratic clans may usurp power, and warlords may carve up territories, but the divine authority of my Nether Court has not waned! The Zhou clan may act without restraint in the mortal realm, but before the Nether Court, even if your Zhou clan's ancestor showed up in person, he would have to show three parts deference! Xu Ying violated heavenly law, and he must be escorted to the Nether Court for trial!"
Xu Ying's body sank heavily once more as another immensely powerful aura locked onto him—the aura of City God Xue Lingfu!
Between Xue Lingfu and Zhou Yihang, one was a City God consecrated for five hundred years, and the other was an unfathomably powerful Nuo master of the Zhou clan. Either one far outmatched Xu Ying!
With just a wisp of their aura, they were enough to pin Xu Ying firmly in place, leaving him powerless to move!
"Two old codgers with paltry skills, yet putting on such grand airs," the mysterious voice suddenly echoed in Xu Ying's mind.
Surprised and overjoyed, Xu Ying quickly asked, "Senior, can you strike these two old codgers dead?"
"I cannot!"
The bell bluntly rebuffed him, saying, "I'm heavily injured and can barely protect myself. I can't handle them."
City God Xue Lingfu and Zhou Yihang naturally could not hear the bronze bell, but they clearly heard the words "two old codgers" tumble from Xu Ying's mouth. Both turned their heads at once, glaring murderously at him.
Xu Ying let out a stifled grunt, blinked with an innocent look, and whispered, "My lords... the old codgers I mentioned weren't you..."
Chapter 13