Chapter 105: City God

“Fengxian, we’re not practicing swordplay today.”

When Xiao Yu and Zi Ying arrived at Yihong Academy, Jin Lian’s residence, Jin Lian was standing before a large bronze mirror, being dressed and adorned by her maidservant.

“But you don’t need to leave—later, I’m going to the City God Temple to pay respects to City God Grandpa; you should come too.”

Xiao Yu scanned her from head to toe: her face bore delicate makeup—fine powder, faint rosy blush on the cheeks, arched willow-brow eyebrows, lips painted deep red, and a tiny phoenix outlined in gold dust on her forehead; her hairpins and jade ornaments formed a composition like emerald peaks greeting the rising sun.

Her pink robe and skirt, made of light gauze with wide sleeves falling below the knees and a hem dragging on the ground, would surely make her look as graceful and beautiful as a waterborne immortal if she danced.

Yet she wasn’t about to perform on stage—she was going to the City God Temple to worship.

This was unmistakably a "Buddha beauty"!

“Sister, have you heard about the City God’s night trial of the counterfeit silver case?” Xiao Yu asked.

Before Jin Lian could speak, Chun’er beside her burst out excitedly: “You’ve heard too? No wonder City God Grandpa can handle cases the mortal officials can’t—cases the magistrates could handle but refuse to! He’s impartial, determined to restore justice to the mortal world!”

“Honestly, I say we don’t even need a County Magistrate or Prefect in Yingxiang Prefecture.”

“Just let City God Grandpa judge the living by day and the dead by night—peace under heaven would be right before our eyes!”

“Judging the living by day and the dead by night—can City God Grandpa handle it all?” Zi Ying chuckled.

“City God Grandpa is immensely powerful—you can’t treat him like an ordinary mortal official,” Chun’er said seriously.

Xiao Yu glanced at them and said: “Even if Sister Jin Lian plans to visit the City God Temple, you’d better wait a few days.”

The City God’s night trial of the counterfeit silver case has spread through every alley and street; everyone knows.”

“When I had breakfast, I heard Aunt Zhang from Soy Sauce Alley and Uncle Li already planned to go to the temple and burn incense for City God Grandpa after finishing their household chores.”

“So today, the City God Temple will be packed—you won’t be able to squeeze in.”

“And this outfit isn’t suitable for squeezing into the City God Temple.”

Jin Lian smiled at this, turning her head to admire herself in the mirror as she spoke: “How could I not know what you’re saying? I’m going to worship City God Grandpa—but not in Tianmen Town.”

“Last night, Wen Lang and I made plans—he and I will go to Yingxiang Prefecture today, and meet with several young masters of the Guan family!”

“We’ll meet at Zui Xiang Pavilion, opposite the Huang Temple in the prefectural city—first worship the City God, then drink.”

Wen Lang was Wen Ruyu, the Wen family’s young master Xiao Yu had met at the “Tea Tasting Gathering.”

Jin Lian hadn’t just recently become close to Young Master Wen.

Calling him “Wen Lang” was something she’d only started doing recently.

After spending time with Jin Lian, Xiao Yu could understand certain things without being told.

For instance, earlier Jin Lian had lamented that cultivating the Nine Flower Divine Charm would help her marry well.

She wasn’t just looking for any husband.

She wanted a perfect match.

To satisfy Jin Lian’s standards, at least three conditions were needed: Pan An’s beauty, Deng Tong’s wealth, and peerless martial prowess.

In her past life, in the material world, martial prowess didn’t matter much.

But in this life, in a world of gods, buddhas, immortals, and demons, martial strength is a vital condition for securing status, wealth, and safety.

Conversely, in her past life, a courtesan who achieved “talent and beauty” still needed luck and discernment to find her perfect match.

In this life, a woman’s martial cultivation and talent matter more than literary talent.

For example, Madam Hu, who at fifteen attained the Peony Divine Charm, was considered a prodigy; as a “pure girl,” she was directly taken into the General’s Mansion as the principal wife.

Though the old General and his wife had reluctantly agreed to let a courtesan become their son’s wife only after he threatened to kill himself, the outcome now proves the General’s Mansion gained far more than it lost.

The General and his two sons died in last year’s Thirty-Six Kingdoms Rebellion, leaving only one young son and several daughters—but with Madam Hu, the General’s Mansion’s prestige remains undiminished.

Since returning from Busi Gui, Xiao Yu had cultivated the “Furious Sword Intent” from the “Plum Orchid Shattered Sword Form.”

Later, based on Jin Lian’s traits, Xiao Yu crafted for her the “Little Peony Sword”—actually the “Apricot Sword,” also called the “Red Apricot Sword Intent.”

Plum Orchid symbolizes purity and frost-defying dignity; the Red Apricot Sword Intent is unrestrained and bold—not licentious.

This Jin Lian is not the Jin Lian of The Golden Lotus.

Moreover, Xiao Yu herself could not and did not endorse Jin Lian’s “licentious abandon.”

The Red Apricot Sword Intent Xiao Yu created was merely like modern women: unbound by old customs.

In short, the custom-made “Nine Flowers: Little Peony” was excellent—Jin Lian had already begun to show a hint of “Red Apricot Charm.” Thus, her relationship with Young Master Wen suddenly heated up.

Uh, the name “Red Apricot Sword Intent” was known only to Xiao Yu and Jin Lian.

“Red Apricot” looked beautiful but sounded unrefined—just like Zi Ying’s “Cannabis Sword Art,” renamed “Little Yellow,” which was publicly called “Little Peony Divine Charm.”

And let’s be honest: modern women’s confidence and boldness, when placed in ancient times, was unmistakably “nobility.”

Even Jin Lian herself, knowing the truth, thought Xiao Yu had deliberately used “Red Apricot Sword Intent” to mock her—when in fact, she was practicing “Minor Modified Peony Sword.”

“Young Master Wen is a relative of the Guan family—does he know the inside details of the City God’s night trial of the counterfeit silver case?” Xiao Yu asked.

“City God Grandpa isn’t judging cases for the first time—what inside details are there?” Jin Lian said absently, adjusting her makeup before the mirror.

“Well, I mean the trial details—like how Aunt Zhang described Judge Zhu Yitao’s case with vivid detail,” Xiao Yu explained.

This time, Jin Lian smiled: “Actually, no one else knows as much as I do.”

“The temple keeper of the Tianmen Town City God Temple is also surnamed Wen—he’s Young Master Wen’s own uncle.”

“Uncle Wen watched the entire trial that night.”

“Just like Aunt Zhang watched Judge Zhu Yitao’s trial at the government office gate.”

“Good miss, if you know the details, why didn’t you tell us sooner!” Chun’er was even more eager than Xiao Yu, urging repeatedly: “Tell us, tell us—is the mastermind the Hu Shopkeeper? Why was he beaten?”

Jin Lian laughed: “The process wasn’t complicated, just a bit strange.”

“You’ve all met Madam Xu, right?”

“Alas, she’s dead, but her resentment hasn’t settled.”

“Or rather, her attachment to her daughter is too strong to let go.”

“Her body was placed in the coffin, but her soul went to the City God Temple’s gate to cry injustice.”

“She even asked some old ghost to write a petition and submit it to Cai’s Court Office—not our county’s court office, but the City God’s own Court of Justice.”

“Judge Zhu Yitao and the government office’s useless officials couldn’t find the counterfeiters—but Madam Xu knew who they were.”

“Besides, how could anyone hide from divine investigation?”

“After hearing Madam Xu’s grievance, City God Grandpa flew into a rage and immediately threw down a bamboo tally, sending the Blue-Faced Ghost Envoy Yageli to the ‘Mao’er Village’ fifty li outside the city to seize the soul of the suspect Jia Yintong and bring him to the City God’s court.”

“At the time, Jia Yintong knelt beneath the dais as the City God thundered: ‘Jia Yintong, you scoundrel! You forge silver ingots and copper coins to defraud innocent people—your crimes are countless, your guilt beyond pardon!’”

Chun’er clapped her hands: “Well said! City God Grandpa’s mirror shines bright, he is impartial—he is truly our protector!”

Xiao Yu felt something odd.

Blue-Faced Ghost Envoy Yageli.

So detailed—even the ghost envoy’s name and appearance were clear, and even the City God’s scolding. Though Aunt Zhang and Uncle Li hadn’t described it so precisely, they had mentioned both “sending a ghost envoy” and “City God’s angry shout.”

Surrounded and listened to intently by Xiao Yu and the maids, Jin Lian grew animated and continued: “Madam Xu also cursed Jia Yintong from the side, saying she died wronged and unjustly, unable to close her eyes—if he enjoyed fortune and peace, heaven’s justice would not allow it!”

“At first, Jia Yintong, intimidated by the City God’s aura, trembled and dared not speak.”

“But when he saw Madam Xu, his courage swelled—he dared to cry out to City God Grandpa for justice, claiming that while forging silver was indeed a crime, Madam Xu had been driven to death by gamblers, not him.”

“He was willing to repay the money, but not to bear the blame for a murder.”

Zi Ying frowned: “Gambling dens truly ruin lives.”

Jin Lian laughed: “City God Grandpa immediately ordered Ghost Envoy Yageli to drag the ‘Down-the-Mountain Tiger’ from Busi Gui over.”

“Ah, there was a little twist!”

“It turned out that Busi Gui gambled day and night, and the Down-the-Mountain Tiger hadn’t slept at all. City God Grandpa waited until nearly dawn, but Yageli hadn’t returned, so he pulled out the ‘Book of Life and Death’ and personally knocked the Down-the-Mountain Tiger dead.”

“Hahaha! Everyone in the gambling den thought the Down-the-Mountain Tiger had suddenly dropped dead—they were already wailing and preparing his coffin! It killed me, hahaha~~~”

“Hahaha!” Chun’er and Zi Ying joined in laughing.

Xiao Yu laughed too, but quietly grew more wary: the City God needed the soul’s owner to be asleep to summon them—if they couldn’t, he cheated with the ‘Book of Life and Death.’

Summoning souls was one thing—but the City God actually had a ‘Book of Life and Death!’

After laughing, Jin Lian continued: “The Down-the-Mountain Tiger was also a man of insight—he didn’t wait for City God Grandpa to order punishment; he cried out his own injustice first.”

“He said he saw Madam Xu using counterfeit silver to deceive him—he was furious at first, but calmed down to listen to her explanation, then even gave her three days to find the counterfeiters. But before the three days passed, Madam Xu took her own life by jumping into the river.”

“After saying this, he shouted passionately at Madam Xu: ‘When everyone was raising money to buy your coffin, I, Wang Xiaohu, contributed two taels of silver! You’re dead now, turned into a ghost—still, you must have conscience!’”

“City God Grandpa scolded him: ‘Madam Xu’s family fell into despair because the gambling den set up the trap.’”

“He not only turned the ‘Man-Eating Tiger’ into a dead tiger, but immediately opened the Book of Life and Death and slashed thirty years from his lifespan.”

“Thirty years!”

“Sssss~” Chun’er gasped, turning pale: “So this trial directly cost the ‘Man-Eating Tiger’ thirty years of life? How many years does he have left?”

“We don’t know how many years he has left—but the thirty-year reduction is already written in the Book of Life and Death,” Jin Lian said.

“How was the Hu Shopkeeper involved?” Zi Ying asked.

“Hehe, seeing that even the ‘accomplice’ Down-the-Mountain Tiger had his lifespan slashed by thirty years, Jia Yintong burst into tears and immediately implicated the Hu Shopkeeper.”

“They weren’t partners, but they knew each other.”

“Before the Hu Shopkeeper rose to wealth, he had forged counterfeit silver himself.”

“Or rather, the Hu Shopkeeper’s rise to wealth depended on forging counterfeit silver.”

“That day, when Madam Xu stepped out with her jade pendant, he had planned to follow her.”

“But then he saw Jia Yintong pass by the door—he hatched a wicked plan: let Jia Yintong be the mantis, and himself the oriole.”

“Jia Yintong often scouted for easy targets outside shops—the Hu Shopkeeper knew his methods well.”

“Sure enough, Jia Yintong spotted Madam Xu, approached her, asked a few questions, learned the jade pendant hadn’t been sold yet, and immediately conceived a wicked scheme.”

“When he got the jade pendant, the Hu Shopkeeper jumped out from behind, laughing and saying he’d turn Jia Yintong in.”

“Jia Yintong knelt and begged, selling the jade pendant back to the Hu Shopkeeper for five taels of silver.”

“With such a vast fortune, is it worth it for Master Hu to earn a few taels of ill-gotten silver?” Ziying murmured.

“If he didn’t earn money with a corrupted conscience, how could he have amassed such wealth in just a few decades?” Jinlian said.

She sneered again. “Too bad—the fortune built on a black heart cannot be held.”

“The City God not only took ten years of his yang life, but sentenced him to freeze without clothing, starve without food, beg on the streets, and die of consumption—without a coffin, his corpse abandoned on a wasteland, pecked by crows and magpies, white bones exposed to the wild, gnawed by stray dogs.”

“I heard Master Hu is ill,” Xiao Yu said.

She had heard from Aunt Zhang that Master Hu was beyond cure, delirious, lying in bed, only moaning in pain.

Jinlian laughed. “It’s not illness—it’s a heavy cang.”

“A heavy cang?” Xiao Yu exclaimed. “What kind of heavy cang?”

Jinlian said: “Have you never seen prisoners in the government office wearing cang? Two thick wooden boards clamp the hands and neck, bending the waist.”

The earthly government office has heavy cang, and crimes punishable by public display in cang; so too does the netherworld City God.

How else can one serve as a warning to others, to alarm the living, if not by publicly displaying the cang?