Chapter 615 This county does not believe in strange powers and chaotic gods
Chen Enze, the magistrate of Baifu County, treated Zheng Deliang, a ninth-grade Jinxiu pen official, to a meal in the county government hall.
Zheng Deliang was injured while subduing the evil people, and the county magistrate should reward him.
But Magistrate Chen was a poor man, so he was rewarded with a meal, and the meal was a bit bland.
A plate of tofu, a plate of mountain vegetables, a plate of pickles, and a piece of pickled fish.
This piece of fish is the only meaty thing on the table. It is not a whole fish, but a piece of fish meat the size of a palm.
Chen Zhixian was reluctant to eat and put the fish into Zheng Deliang's bowl: "Young man, eat more. When you are full, you can serve the court well and be loyal to the god."
This is the style of senior officials: never leave the imperial court in five sentences and never leave the divine monarch in three sentences.
Zheng Deliang took a bite of fish and burst into tears.
Chen Zhixian was surprised: "Deliang, why are you crying?"
Zheng Deliang wiped his tears and said: "What you spared from your mouth was returned to your humble position."
Chen Zhixian shook his head and said with a smile: "At my age, what will happen if I eat one more mouthful or one less meal? The great ambitions of the God King depend on you young people, so eat quickly!"
Zheng Deliang ate the fish in small bites while tears kept falling.
These tears were half a joke and half sincere.
It's easy to act when the occasion arises, and Zheng Deliang's acting skills are not bad.
But sincerity comes with hard work.
This fish was really unpalatable. Every time he swallowed a mouthful, Zheng Deliang was worried that he would vomit it.
Can't vomit, absolutely can't vomit.
Chen Zhixian has been frugal all his life. If he vomits out his fish, his career will be over.
After a meal with tears of gratitude, Zheng Deliang left the county government office.
Chen Zhixian returned to the backyard, took off his patched official robe, and lay down on the hard bed. The bedding on the bed was a bit rotten. Chen Zhixian didn't care, covered himself with bedding, and fell asleep.
After sleeping until midnight, Chen Zhixian was woken up by the cold. He thought it was damp and cold in early spring, so he covered himself with a quilt more tightly.
After sleeping for a while again, the room became colder, and covering himself with a quilt was of no help. Chen Zhixian shouted: "Hu Sheng, give me some charcoal!"
Hu Sheng is a servant of Chen Zhixian. As we all know, Chen Zhixian is a poor man. He has been an official for thirty years and has only such an old servant beside him.
This old servant is next door to Chen Zhixian, and he usually comes as soon as I say hello. He may have been sleeping too deeply tonight, so he shouted for a long time, but there was no movement.
Chen Zhixian shouted: "Hu Sheng, why are you deaf? Give me some charcoal!"
There was still no movement outside.
Chen Zhixian was shivering with cold. Unbearable, he opened his eyes slightly, but felt that something was wrong.
There was a light blue halo in the room that was supposed to be dark.
The halo came from nowhere, and it was shadowy and foggy. In front of me, I could see the outlines of the large and small furnishings in the room.
Chen Zhixian broke out in a cold sweat and lost all sleep.
He wanted to get out of bed, but as soon as he stretched out his feet, he retracted the quilt.
"Hu Sheng! Hu Sheng!" Chen Zhixian called several times. He felt that his voice was dry and thin, and could not reach the room at all.
Looking at the ground, the mist is lingering on the ground and no shoes can be seen.
Looking up, the mist spreads in all directions and the roof is not visible.
Look towards the door again.
Beside the door, beside the door... there was a person standing by the door.
Chen Zhixian shivered and shrank back into the bed. His jaw trembled and he was speechless.
The man was wearing a white shirt and a white hat, holding a mourning stick in his hand. His body did not rise and fall at all. He floated over and stood beside the bed.
Chen Zhixian used all his courage and shouted: "Who are you?"
The man in white said expressionlessly: "Do you still need to ask?"
"What are you here for?"
"The time has come!"
The time has come?
Four words, each one hit my heart!
Chen Zhixian is educated, although Qianchengguo does not believe in the theory of gods and ghosts, especially officials, who call it heresy.
But disbelief in words and disbelief in heart are two different things. The folk customs of Qiancheng Kingdom and Xuan Kingdom are almost the same, the myths and legends are almost the same, and even some strange stories are basically the same.
He knew that this was Bai Wuchang coming.
Chen Zhixian had two lines of tears hanging down his face and murmured to himself: "I can't, I can't, I'm still four months away from fifty-six, how come the time has arrived..."
The man in white said indifferently: "I won't come until the time comes."
Chen Zhixian raised his head and said: "I am an official of the imperial court and a servant of the gods. This county does not believe in strange powers and chaos, so naturally there are no taboos!"
Bai Wuchang remained indifferent: "Believe it or not, it has nothing to do with me, just hurry up and get on your way."
"Where are you taking this county?" Chen Enze shouted, "You have come to the wrong place. Officials in Qiancheng are protected by the gods. As long as they are loyal to the gods, they have no fear of ghosts and gods."
He showed the majesty of the county magistrate and changed the phrase "never leave the god" to "never leave the god", hoping to scare away Bai Wuchang.
The man in white seemed to have lost his patience: "Are you going to start on your own, or are you waiting for me to lock you up?"
Chen Zhixian curled up and his voice was not quiet, but his tone was trembling: "You, are you really Bai Wuchang?"
The man in white raised the mourning stick and said, "This stick can kill half of your soul. Do you want to try it?"
County Magistrate Chen shook his head repeatedly and said: "I don't want to give this a try. I trust you. I just want to discuss one thing with you. Can you give me some time?"
The man in white frowned and said, "What are you talking about? The King of Hell told you to die at the third watch, who can keep you until the fifth watch!"
Chen Zhixian said: "The officials in this county are upright and the villagers have a good reputation. For this merit, I should be given some grace!"
The man in white said: "Don't you know whether you are honest or not?"
Chen Zhixian added: "The officials in this county are honest and have a good reputation in the court. Even with such a character, I should be given some grace."
The man in white said: "Don't you know how honest you are?"
Chen Zhixian pointed to the clothes on his body and the quilt on the bed: "My clothes are not willing to be damaged no matter how many patches they are patched. My quilt is rotten in many layers. It has been covered with it for many years!"
"This is an acting outfit, don't you know it?"
The more Chen Zhixian talked, the more frightened he became. It seemed that Bai Wuchang knew him thoroughly and there was no point in lying.
In desperation, he told the truth, and this truth allowed him to stay in the officialdom for thirty years without ever failing.
"I have money!" Chen Zhixian looked very determined.
The man in white smiled contemptuously: "Whether you have money or not, you don't have it in your heart...you must know it in your heart!"
Things have eased, and Magistrate Chen feels a little more at ease.
Regardless of whether he is Bai Wuchang or not, he is a strong man after all. Let’s stabilize him first!
Chen Zhixian quickly clasped his fists and said: "White Soul Envoy, I will give you money. I will give you three thousand taels in exchange for one year of longevity."
The man in white curled his lips and said: "Three thousand taels less!"
"Five thousand taels!"
The man in white smacked his lips: "You are so unhappy!"
"Then it's easier, ten thousand taels! What do the soul envoys think?"
The man in white nodded and said, "This looks pretty cool!"
"Now that it's agreed, let's go get the money now!"
"Isn't the money in the county government office?"
"The spirit messenger was joking, I have been honest all my life, how could I put my money in the county government office?"
Chen Zhixian led the way, followed closely by the man in white.
He still feels that Bai Wuchang may not be true.
He thought that by leaving this house, he could get rid of Bai Wuchang.
He even fantasized about letting the gatekeeper subdue Bai Wuchang directly.
But when he walked to the gate of the county government office, these thoughts were abandoned.
The yamen servants who were originally on duty at the county yamen gate disappeared.
Walking on the street, the houses on both sides are shadowy and the fog on the ground is layered.
This didn't seem to be the Momofuku County he was familiar with.
This doesn't seem to be the world he's familiar with!
"White Soul Envoy, are we still in the Yang World?"
"If you wait a little longer, I'm afraid I won't be here."
"I'm really giving you money, so you must keep your word!"
"I've said too much, and I might regret it!"
Chen Zhixian did not dare to say anything more and kept his head down as he walked forward.
The man in white asked: "How far is the place you want to go from here?"
County magistrate Chen said: "If we have carriages and horses, one day would be enough."
"Why didn't you tell me earlier?" the man in white scolded, and then took out a horse from his backpack.
The horse seemed to be as tall as a man, but it was very light in the hands of the man in white. He lifted it up and put it down, then landed on the ground without making any movement.
Chen Zhixian stared at the horse for a moment, and his face instantly darkened.
"This, this, this is made of paper..."
The man in white got on the paper horse and said, "Let's go!"
Chen Zhixian didn't want to get on the horse, but when he saw the man in white raising the mourning stick, he didn't dare to resist. He waited for the paper horse. In less than half an hour, the two of them walked more than sixty miles and arrived at a village outside the county town.
After getting off his horse, Chen Zhixian came to the door of a house. The house was not small, with three courtyards in front and back, but it was very dilapidated. Ordinary people passing by would even suspect that the courtyard was deserted and no one lived in it.
"This is the old house of the Chen family. Although it is a bit dilapidated, I have always been a simple person. After all, I am not willing to abandon this house and let Zhuo Jing and my youngest son live here."
Chen Zhixian knocked on the door for a long time. An old woman came out and opened the door. She said with a surprised look on her face: "Master, why are you back?"
This old woman was the wife of the magistrate of Chen County. She was dressed in plain clothes and her face was full of vicissitudes of life. She did not look like the wife of the magistrate.
Seeing his wife's look, Chen Zhixian's face was filled with tears.
Since meeting Bai Wuchang, this is the first time he has seen a living person!
And they are still relatives!
"Has the child fallen asleep?"
"No, spring is coming soon. The child has been working hard these past two days."
Chen Zhixian said in a low voice: "We have a distinguished guest at home. You and your children should hide in the house and don't come out. I'll say a few words to the guest and then leave!"
The old woman didn't dare to ask any more questions and hurriedly hid in the house. Magistrate Chen led the man in white to the backyard, went to the woodshed, took a key from under the hatchet, and entered the side room.
Chen Zhixian opened a box in the side room with a key, took out a porcelain vase from the box, turned the porcelain bottle upside down three times, and took out a key.
Then, Chen Zhixian took the man in white to the cellar. Under a pile of charcoal, Chen Zhixian used the key in the porcelain bottle to open a secret door.
After entering the secret door and walking down the stairs, Chen Zhixian lit the candlestick on the left wall and turned the candlestick three times. A secret grid opened on the wall and five wooden boxes appeared in front of him.
"This is ten thousand taels of silver. Soul Envoy, please count it in person!"
The man in white opened the box. There were silver ingots neatly stacked in the box, fifty taels per ingot, forty ingots in one box, and exactly ten thousand taels in five boxes.
The man in white took a general look and said casually: "I don't like money, but two silver ingots are missing corners. After calculation, there should be three taels missing."
Chen Zhixian was relieved. He held another candlestick and turned it six times. A small secret compartment opened.
Chen Zhixian took out two ingots of silver from the secret compartment and put them into the box: "These are considered as replacement!"
The man in white nodded and said, "That's all. I'll accept the ten thousand taels of silver and sell you this year's life span."
Upon hearing this, Magistrate Chen put his knees on the ground, his hands on the ground, his forehead on the ground, and kowtowed three times to the man in white.
This is the ancient ritual.
The man in white nodded and said: "I won't hook your soul within a year, but it's hard to say for other soul envoys."
Chen Zhixian was startled and frowned: "Soul Envoy, if you say this, you are not sincere! If other Soul Envoys come and ask me for silver, how can I afford it?"
The man in white said: "This is what I'm worried about, so we have to sign a deed and explain everything clearly. You bought your life span with 10,000 taels of silver. After I received the money, I will naturally give you my life span.
Once the deed is signed, the business is done. If other soul envoys come again, show them the deed, and no one will dare to cause trouble!"
As soon as he heard about leaving a deed, County Magistrate Chen thought it was very good.
The man in white asked: "Do you have a pen and paper?"
Chen Zhixian's youngest son is preparing to take the exam, so there is no shortage of paper and pen.
When paper and pen were brought, the man in white sighed: "I haven't written a deed in a long time."
County Magistrate Chen said: "It doesn't matter, I'll do the writing for you!"
This county magistrate is very experienced. He can clearly explain the cause and effect in one piece of paper, and there is no leakage.
The deed was made in two copies. Magistrate Chen signed his name on the deed first. The man in white shook his head and said: "It's not enough to have a name, there must be blood stains. You put your bloody fingerprint on it."
Chen Zhixian quickly pressed the bloody fingerprint, and the man in white also pressed the fingerprint. He moved quickly, and it seemed that he also used the blood on his thumb.
After the deed was completed, the man in white still frowned: "According to the rules, someone must witness it, at least two people."
Chen Zhixian asked in confusion: "Who do you want to witness?"
The man in white said: "As long as you are from the underworld, you can testify by pressing your fingerprints on the deed. With the testimony, the King of Hell will recognize the deal, and other soul envoys will never dare to approach the deed again!"
"Easy!" Chen Zhixian took the deed and quietly returned to the bedroom. He first discussed it with his wife and pressed one fingerprint, then discussed it with his younger son and pressed another fingerprint.
The younger son was reading "Spring Paintings" and his fingerprints became a little sticky.
After both fingerprints were pressed, Magistrate Chen showed the deed to the man in white.
The man in white received the deed, and the five boxes of silver disappeared in the blink of an eye.
Chen Zhixian looked at the deed and felt that something was missing.
"Soul Envoy, I haven't seen you write down your name yet."
The man in white was startled: "Didn't you write it down? I really forgot. I'll write it down now."
After saying that, the man in white wrote three words on the deed - He Laowang.
Chen Zhixian was stunned!
He Laowang?:
Isn’t he the honest man who fishes?
How could he be a ghost?
Is this person He Laowang?
impossible!
Could it be the demon he invited?
Chen Zhixian gritted his teeth and said, "Who are you?"
Xu Zhiqiong said with a smile: "As I said, I am a seducer. I said you should die when your life span is over. I let you live a few more years, but you are still lucky!"
"You monster, how dare you deceive this county!" Chen Zhixian was furious and stepped forward to snatch the documents back.
Xu Zhiqiong lightly touched the bloody fingerprints on the document. Magistrate Chen stumbled to the ground and vomited a mouthful of blood.
Spell.
Xu Zhiqiong said: "There is more than just your fingerprints on this. There are three members of your family, and He Laowang is also a family of three. You know what to do."
After saying that, Xu Zhiqiong touched another fingerprint, and the young master, who was still reading at night, sprayed a mouthful of blood on the window.
Blood also spurted from another place, squirting on the table.