novelapdf Chapter 113 Even the Underworld Has Privileges
Chapter 113 Even the Underworld Has Privileges
Chapter 113 Even the Underworld Has Privileges
Most importantly, the State of Jing is now beset by internal and external troubles.
Due to years of war with the refugee army, the country's strength and military power are far inferior to what they used to be.
The 40,000 troops that Liao Shouyi brought to Liaoyuan City were all elite soldiers.
Today, the force facing the northern barbarian tribes consists of only 50,000 remaining veterans, plus 40,000 new recruits in recent years.
Some local military units remained, but Emperor Chongming repeatedly reduced their power to prevent the abuse of local military authority.
For Emperor Chongming, it was necessary to rely on Liao Shouyi to defend the southwest and block the invasion of the Wu Kingdom.
They also worried that he might become like Han Shizhong or Ma Huaian, ruling from his position.
Although Qiaohua and her mother received a tremendous blessing, they also had many servants to take care of their daily lives, and the palace guards were responsible for their safety.
But isn't this also a form of confinement?
Although Chu Xun had lived in Songguo Village for a long time, he had witnessed the struggles and schemes in the imperial court, so he naturally understood them better.
Hearing this, Qiaohua and her mother were filled with fear and gave up their idea of going to Liaoyuan City.
In fact, not only them, but even Qi Ermao and others could not go.
Their children all served as military officers in Liaoyuan City, which was something Emperor Chongming disliked.
The 25th year of Chongming.
Li Guangmao, who loved to drink, was about to pass away, so Chu Xun naturally had to come and visit him.
Li Guangmao was considered to have a long lifespan, living to be over seventy years old, which exceeded many people's expectations.
He used to be as strong as an ox when he was young, but now he's been lying in bed for months and is skin and bones.
But he showed no fear of death; instead, his face flushed red after his grandson fed him a sip of wine.
Even when Chu Xun brought him ginseng slices to feed him, he waved his hand and refused.
"It's no use. I can't even move. What's the point of taking a few more breaths?"
Despite being very weak, his voice was clearer than most people's.
Many people thought that perhaps they could hold on for a while longer.
Only Chu Xun could see clearly that the underworld messengers were already standing outside the door.
This indicates that Li Guangmao's lifespan was running out.
Li Guangmao waved his hand, dismissing everyone in the room except Chu Xun.
After the door closed, he asked Chu Xun to come closer.
He deliberately lowered his voice and said, "I know why Ah Xun hasn't come back."
Chu Xun was taken aback. He knew?
Seeing the slight surprise on his face, Li Guangmao smiled smugly.
"You arrived late, so you may not know about the feud between the Song family, the military man in the county, and our village."
"Ah Xun promised An Xiu and San Chun that he would avenge Uncle Shi Gen."
"The night he left, the entire Song family died."
"I don't know what Ah Xun did, but it must have been him."
He paused, his face flushing even more, but his voice grew even lower: "Don't tell anyone about this. A-Xun isn't coming back because she's afraid of implicating us."
Chu Xun was stunned, and only then did he understand what Li Guangmao meant by "knowing".
"That brat Ah Xun is really talented, and he's good at hiding his abilities," Li Guangmao remarked.
His pupils became increasingly dilated, and his voice grew even lower.
"I wonder if there will still be wine to drink when we get to the underworld."
"The Bai family's old shop is still the best."
"In my next life—I'll also go brew wine—"
His voice gradually faded away, his pupils dilated completely, and he was lifeless.
He passed away so peacefully, without many regrets, only with hope for the next life.
The ghost messenger drifted into the house and lifted the black chain hook.
Chu Xun glanced at him, his voice low and menacing: "Don't be rude. Just take him back to the underworld, or I'll make sure your soul is scattered!"
The underworld official trembled. Chu Xun held the power of the City God of Zhangnan County, so the lowly underworld official naturally dared not disobey him.
He quickly put away the black chain hook: "I will obey the Immortal's decree!"
Li Guangmao's soul left his body. He died of old age and naturally did not harbor any resentment.
After being removed from the body, its face was blank.
The underworld official stepped forward and stopped him, saying politely, "Li Guangmao, your lifespan in the mortal world has come to an end. Please come with me to the underworld."
This is the first time since I started working as a messenger in the underworld that I have treated the souls of the living with such courtesy.
However, the Yin energy of the Yin messenger was too heavy, and the magic weapon in his hand had a natural suppressive effect on the soul, causing Li Guangmao to tremble uncontrollably.
Chu Xun glanced at him again, and the underworld official hurriedly hid the black chain hook behind his back.
"Go back and tell Judge Wen that there's no need to look at the Book of Good and Evil. This person has never done anything evil in his life and should be reborn into a good family."
The underworld official was taken aback. The county-level city god controlled the Book of Good and Evil, the prefecture-level city god controlled the Realm of Good and Evil, and the capital-level city god controlled the Platform of Good and Evil.
Every soul must go through a process of distinguishing between good and evil before it can be determined where it will be reincarnated.
For someone like Chu Xun to intervene directly is naturally against the rules.
But Chu Xun didn't care about any of that; he had already seen things very clearly.
All these rules and regulations are just a matter of who has the bigger fist and who sets the rules.
If the ancient gods of incense dare to steal even the merits of humankind, what is the point of their so-called ability to distinguish between good and evil?
If no one wants to follow the rules, then I can do it myself.
Just as the underworld messenger was about to pull Li Guangmao away, Chu Xun hesitated for a moment, then suddenly called out, "Brother Guangmao."
Li Guangmao turned his head blankly and asked, "Who are you calling?"
Chu Xun looked at him quietly without saying anything more.
Li Guangmao's eyes gradually became clearer than before.
Looking at Chu Xun, who was much younger than him, he seemed to understand something, and a look of surprise appeared in his eyes.
Just as he was about to speak, Chu Xun said, "Once you're in the underworld, there's no need for further words. If you're reborn into a good family in your next life, you'll surely have endless fine wine to drink."
Li Guangmao's eyes brightened as he listened, and he burst into laughter: "So that's how it is, so that's how it is—"
"I knew it! How could someone as loyal as Ah Xun never come back even once?"
He said no more, but instead pulled up the underworld messenger and urged, "Let's go quickly."
Having fulfilled his last regret, he couldn't wait to be reincarnated.
After watching the underworld officials and Li Guangmao leave, Chu Xun called the Li family members in.
Soon, the sound of crying came from inside the house.
Many elderly villagers, such as Qi Ermao, Zhang Erzhu, Qiaohua, and Chunni, couldn't help but shed tears.
Not long after, at the City God Temple.
Holding the judge's pen and the book of good and evil, he remained silent for a moment after hearing the words relayed by the underworld messenger.
Then the judge casually crossed out a line in the Book of Good and Evil and read aloud: "There is Li Guangmao, a resident of Songguo Village in Jing Kingdom, who has never committed any evil in his life and has been reincarnated into a third-class household."
The upper three classes of households were those that were extremely wealthy, from scholarly families, or from families with high-ranking officials.
However, the cycle of reincarnation is determined by the laws of Heaven, and which family one ultimately ends up in is beyond the control of the judge.
A few months later, Qi Ermao's wife, Chunni, passed away. Zhang Erzhu, who had fought against the refugees during the reign of Emperor Taizu, also died at the end of that year.
Several people suddenly disappeared from the village.
Chu Chen is already thirty-three years old, which is considered middle age.
Sixty-five-year-old Qi Ermao looked noticeably more haggard after presiding over several funerals.
He visited Chu Xun's house much more often, just to chat.
He said a few words here and a few words there.
When he got tired of talking, he just sat there and stared blankly at Chu Xun forging iron.
He often wondered what kind of belief could sustain a person to continue blacksmithing for sixteen years.
And it's always the same thing.
He asked many times, and Chu De's answer never changed.
I want to forge a sword.
"What kind of sword?"
"A sword that can cut through all the winds of the world."
Qi Ermao couldn't understand it. Sometimes when he thought of this answer, he would reach out and try to catch the wind.
Of course, it's impossible to catch it.
That's the wind.
Sparse, white hair swayed in the wind.
When Chu Xun looked over, there was more sadness in his eyes.
After Qi Ermao noticed, he smiled at him and said, "It's alright. Birth, aging, sickness, and death are all part of life."
"You're still young, you haven't seen much yet. When Aunt Anxiu passed away, Xun-ge'er—"
Qi Ermao sighed halfway through his sentence and rubbed his thigh, which had recently become numb.
"I wonder how Xun-ge is doing now, is he still alive? He should be alive, right? Did he really not tell you when he would be back?"
Chu Xun looked down at the fire in the stove. There wasn't much charcoal, but the flames were rising.
"He didn't say anything, but you should have a chance to see him once," Chu Xun said.
Qi Ermao's eyes lit up, and he couldn't help but stand up and ask, "When?"
He had been playing at Chu Xun's house since he was a child, and they had a deep bond.
Chu Xun was a legend in the eyes of their generation. Even Liao Shouyi, who had been enfeoffed as the Duke of Wei, did not carry the weight of Chu Xun in their eyes.
If I could see him one last time before I die, I would have no regrets in this life.
Chu Xun did not answer directly, but only said, "When the time is right, we will meet."
Qi Ermao was not satisfied with the answer and muttered, "You're really different from Xun-ge'er. You always keep things to yourself. It's no fun!"
Chu Xun remained silent. One by one, familiar faces around him passed away. How could he not want to reveal his true identity and bid them a proper farewell?
However, there were too many taboos surrounding them while they were alive.
Only when he is about to die can Chu Xun control everything.
It was the twenty-sixth year of Chongming.
After years of fleeing, the remnants of the refugee army were besieged by government troops on the banks of the Fu River in the southeast of Jing State.
Qi Songren led his troops in an attempt to break through the encirclement, but they were killed by a hail of arrows.
Huang Qi did not flee again, hoping only to protect the old followers who had followed him in his escapes for many years.
The government accepted his surrender, bound him tightly, and threw him into prison, awaiting his transfer to the capital for trial.
A few days later in prison.
Huang Qi, dressed in prison clothes and wearing heavy leg chains, stared at the wall made of thick stones.
A sliver of moonlight shone through a "window" the size of a bowl.
He just stared at it quietly for a long time before sighing, "What you said is true, sir. Gazing at the moon does indeed make one homesick."
He heard footsteps behind him, but he ignored them.
Sometimes the jailers come to patrol, but today there seemed to be more footsteps.
A moment later, the cell door was opened.
The sound of shoes stepping on rotten thatch made Huang Qi turn around.
Standing before me was an elderly man dressed in a black robe, which covered his head and face, but judging from the wrinkled back of his hands that were visible, he was clearly an old man.
Huang Qi was somewhat puzzled. The man didn't speak immediately, but waited until the jailer left before lifting the hood covering his head.
After carefully examining it by the moonlight, Huang Qi was astonished.
"Lord Zhang!?"
The person who arrived was none other than Zhang Jingheng.
The two had met before over the years. During the Battle of Kyoto, Zhang Jingheng, as the Minister of Revenue, was stationed in the army to oversee the battle.
The Minister of War stood to the side, not daring to utter a single word.
Huang Qi had considered that he might be tortured or even killed, but he never expected to see Zhang Jingheng here.
"Surprised?" Zhang Jingheng asked.
"A little." Huang Qi nodded. "I didn't expect you to come."
"I didn't expect you to surrender. I thought you'd be stubborn to the death," Zhang Jingheng said.
"Are you here to make fun of me?" Huang Qi frowned.
"I came here to kill you," Zhang Jingheng said. "Over the years, you have led the refugee army and caused so many casualties to the Jing Kingdom. You deserve to die a thousand deaths."
"According to the law of the land, it wouldn't be too much to execute your entire family. But someone sent me a letter saying that you have your own reasons, and I'd like to hear them."
Huang Qi didn't know who had sent him the letter; he had guesses but couldn't be sure.
Seeing that he remained silent, Zhang Jingheng said, "If you don't have a reason to move me, you'll die."
Huang Qi was taken aback, as if he had understood something else.
Zhang Jingheng waved his hand: "Don't ask, just tell me."
Huang Qi was silent for a moment, then said, "Before the uprising, someone gave me 30,000 taels of silver."
Zhang Jingheng raised an eyebrow upon hearing this: "Who?"
Instigating rebellion has caused the Jing Kingdom to suffer continuous natural and man-made disasters; such a crime deserves death!
Huang Qi fell silent again, seemingly hesitant about whether or not to speak.
Until Zhang Jingheng said, "If you still want to protect others, then you deserve to die ten thousand times over."
After saying that, he turned to leave.
Huang Qi sighed and said, "Come closer."
Zhang Jingheng turned around and stepped forward without hesitation.
He knew that Huang Qi had developed considerable martial arts skills over the years, but he was not afraid at all.
Implementing national policies, even if it offends powerful figures across the land, is not something to fear; why would it fear defeated adversaries?
When he came closer, Huang Qi leaned in and whispered, "Duke of Ming, Lord Tang Shijun."
The name struck Zhang Jingheng like a thunderbolt, leaving him stunned on the spot.
His face immediately darkened, and he cursed, "I only saw you because we're from the same hometown and someone wrote to speak on your behalf. Yet you've proven yourself to be so heartless and treacherous; you deserve to die!"
Tang Shijun was his mentor and the person he respected most in his life.
Even Uncle Chu Xun had to be ranked last.
Huang Qi, however, said that the person who funded the salt workers' uprising was Tang Shijun.
To Zhang Jingheng, this was a tremendous insult.
It insulted Tang Shijun's name, insulted his own good intentions, and insulted the friendship of those who spoke up for him!
Huang Qi gave a wry smile and said, "You don't believe me either, do you?"
"To be honest, when he came to see me and identified himself, I didn't believe him either."
"But this matter is absolutely true, and if there is even the slightest lie about it, may I be struck dead by lightning!"
Zhang Jingheng naturally didn't believe in oaths. If oaths were effective, more than half the people in the world would be gone.
But for some reason, he wanted to hear Huang Qi continue.
Huang Qi said, "He told me that if I couldn't get into the capital city through the exam, then it would be easier to fight my way in."
"This world is rotten to the core, harboring countless ugly worms. It needs a sturdy hoe to dig three feet into the ground and thoroughly turn over the soil."
He also said that once I turn over the soil, someone will cut off the rotten roots and sprinkle fertilizer. Only by working together can we save Jingguo.
"It wasn't until the national policy was implemented that I realized that the person who came to cut off the rotten roots was you."
Zhang Jingheng listened in a daze. If he had only heard the name Tang Shijun, he wouldn't have believed it.
But when Huang Qi said that someone would cut off the rotten roots, he believed it.
Tang Shijun did indeed say that.
He was to be the sharpest knife in the Jing Kingdom, to cut away the festering sores that grew from top to bottom.
But these words should only be known to the two of them, teacher and student.