Chapter 77

Guan Laozu Guan said: "I certainly don't fear human immortals, but the paths of the living and the dead are different; if a human immortal takes the initiative to smash the Guan Chenghuang Temple, I can counterattack; if a human immortal kills someone in the territory of Yingxiang Mansion, that is a matter of the human way and is not under the jurisdiction of the Underworld... If the forces behind the Eight Immortals of the West want to take action, the commotion will certainly not be small and cannot be hidden.

Even if the commotion is small and hidden from the human way.

Those immortals have profound Daoist arts; if they poke the fact that I violated heavenly law to the Ten Kings of Hell, I will also be in big trouble."

It's still the old saying: some things weigh only four liang if they don't go on the scale, but if they go on the scale, even a thousand jin won't be able to hold them down.

There are countless prefectures and countless City Gods and Earth Gods in the world; there are only ten Yama Kings, and perhaps a few more judges, but they certainly cannot supervise all the behaviors of all City Gods and local deities in the world.

Some ghosts and gods use loopholes in the rules and systems to seek personal gain, and as long as they don't cause any major trouble and it isn't exposed, generally no one pursues it.

After all, ghosts and gods were once human; humans value human relationships, and ghosts and gods also have their own social interactions.

But once the matter becomes known to everyone, the big shots of the Underworld cannot pretend to be deaf and dumb.

Once handled strictly according to the rules, what was considered a small matter on weekdays might become a life-threatening major crime.

If the Guan Guan Chenghuang dares to bully the common people, the common people have nowhere to cry for justice.

But if the Guan Guan Chenghuang dares to provoke the "Eight Immortals of the West," the big shots behind the Eight Immortals don't need to do it themselves; they can just write a memorial that very night and burn it for the Underworld judges or Yama Kings.

"Then what should be done?" Huchen looked at the Guan Laozu with a difficult expression and said: "Xiao Yu ate the Bone-Changing Pill; even if she can't enter Xianyang to serve the Human Emperor now, with her immortal martial talent and sword bone miraculous power, she can become the pillar of our Guan family in the future."

Guan Laozu Guan was a bit irritable, paced back and forth for a moment, and said: "According to my own wishes, of course I am very willing to acknowledge this granddaughter.

With her here, our Guan family will sooner or later produce a human immortal powerhouse.

Just like now, if there were a human immortal sitting in the Guan family, our situation would be vastly different.

A human immortal and a Guan Chenghuang working together would not fear the Eight Immortals' revenge."

If there were a human immortal sitting in the Guan family, even if the Guan Guan Chenghuang took action secretly, it could be pushed onto the human immortal.

The Guan Guan Chenghuang wouldn't even need to take action himself; just by having absolute control over the prefecture, he could make his own human immortal occupy the absolute home-field advantage.

After struggling for another moment, Guan Laozu Guan made up his mind and said: "I will arrange for Wenlong to meet the Prince of Qinghe.

Sigh, the foundation of our Guan family is indeed a bit lacking.

If the Li family is willing to send a human immortal to protect Guan Yu, it will count as the Guan family owing them a big favor.

In the future, let 'Human Immortal Guan Yu' repay it; she can repay it ten times, a hundred times."

"Will the Li family help?" A look of resentment flashed across Huchen's face, "If they were willing to see a human immortal appear in the Guan family, they would have agreed to help us contact the immortals of Mount Wan Shou long ago.

If the Nine-Turn Bone-Changing Pill had been refined twenty years ago, I would have already broken through to human immortal."

"It's different," Guan Laozu Guan said with a complex expression: "Consuming the Li family's big favor to ask the immortals of Mount Wan Shou to take action would at least waste a human immortal opportunity.

Human immortals are also foundation for the Li family.

Therefore, it's normal for the Li family to ignore you.

Protecting Guan Yu, however, doesn't require wasting any of the Li family's resources or favors.

After all, we aren't asking a human immortal to risk their life to protect Guan Yu.

Moreover, Guan Yu beheading Kong Zan and crippling Zhou Lang is somewhat of a contribution to Shu.

Plus, since the chaos of the thirty-six kingdoms, your and Wenlong's contributions and hard work, as members of the Shu royal family, the Li family should show some appreciation.

Otherwise, it would chill the hearts of the meritorious officials, and who would be willing to sell their lives for the Li family in the future?"

After speaking, he looked Huchen up and down and frowned: "Guan Yu's matter can be discussed later; your situation is not better than hers, at least she hasn't died yet, but you are thoroughly dead."

Huchen was startled and hurriedly said: "Great-grandfather, didn't you send away the Soul-Snatching Grabbing Wuchang?

I didn't see the Grabbing Wuchang ghosts, so I shouldn't be considered dead, right?

Since I'm not dead yet, I can be saved.

I beg Great-grandfather to have mercy and perform divine arts to save your grandson."

Saying this, he knelt on both knees, hugging the Guan Guan Chenghuang's legs and wailing.

"Don't cry, stand up!" Guan Chenghuang Guan said in a low voice, pulling Huchen up.

"I didn't say you couldn't be saved; it's just that the death energy in your soul is growing too fast, which makes me a bit worried, so what are you rushing for?"

"Then Great-grandfather, hurry up and take action; the longer we delay, the more death energy there will be," Huchen urged.

Guan Chenghuang Guan said faintly: "Only your soul has returned now; wait until the Red Smoke Steed brings your remains into the territory of Yingxiang Mansion, and I will carefully examine them to determine if they can be rescued, and how to rescue them."

Huchen panicked again, "They must be rescuable; the Red Smoke Steed is running day and night and will enter the territory soon."

"Sigh, even if the Red Smoke Steed runs day and night, Great Shu is too big and Feixian Ferry is too far; it's been almost three days. With the weather about to enter summer, your corpse is probably already stinking," Guan Chenghuang Guan sighed.

Huchen looked at him with eager eyes and said: "Great-grandfather, you not only have divine arts but are also a divine physician; when you were alive, you could already cure the dead and bring bones back to life. Even if your grandson's corpse is a bit stinking, at least it still has flesh and internal organs."

"Guan Old Master, Guan Old Master..." Outside the narrow Earth God Temple, a dull shouting suddenly came.

Guan Chenghuang Guan's expression changed slightly; he turned and instructed Huchen: "The Grabbing Wuchang ghosts who came to snatch your soul are here! Go to the back and find a place to hide. Remember, you are dead; don't breathe, don't speak, don't move, understand?"

Hearing that the Soul-Snatching Grabbing Wuchang ghosts were here, Huchen didn't even dare to open his mouth to say "understand," only nodding in terror with a pale face, and tiptoed into the back room.

After Huchen disappeared, Guan Chenghuang Guan straightened his clothes and walked out with his head held high and a face full of majesty.

Just as he reached the door, a mighty general wearing chainmail walked over, cupped his hands in salute, and leaned into the Guan Chenghuang's ear, saying helplessly: "Guan Laozu, I have already tried my best to ply the two ghost messengers with wine, but they just won't get drunk.

I even went to Qingshui Bay to select a few songstresses who died young and lured their souls to the government office, letting them sing and dance to entertain the two ghost messengers.

They did cuddle and touch the songstresses, but they never got down to business.

Just a moment ago, they suddenly pushed the songstresses away, threw down their wine cups and bowls, and only said they smelled the scent of General Guan Huchen and wanted to come over to handle official business.

Sigh, what do you think should be done?"

Guan Chenghuang Guan gritted his teeth and said: "What else can be done? Since they don't care for mere wine and beauty, we can only continue to increase the stakes until they are satisfied."

After speaking, he walked directly out of the front courtyard and had the green-faced, fanged gate-keeping ghost messenger open the front door.

"Guan Old Master!" The two Impermanences first cupped their hands in salute to Guan Chenghuang Guan.

Guan Chenghuang Guan also returned half a salute: just cupping his hands without bowing.

"The two envoys, please come inside to talk." He pointed toward the house, and only after the two Impermanences crossed the threshold did he lead by half a step and return to the Earth God's residence with the Grabbing Wuchang ghosts.

"Please take the seat of honor!"

"Guan Chenghuang Guan, don't be so polite."

After exchanging pleasantries, the Earth God sent over a pot of hot tea. After Guan Chenghuang Guan finished a cup with the Grabbing Wuchang ghosts, he took out an eight-inch-large book from his wide sleeve and said: "The two envoys, please look; it is written very clearly in the Guan Chenghuang's 'Book of Life and Death' that Guan Huchen is loyal to the monarch and protects the country, enjoying a lifespan of 118 years, and dying of old age on his bed."

The book was opened and turned directly to the page for "Guan Huchen."

It was indeed written in black and white: Guan Huchen, lifespan 118 years, loyal to the monarch and protects the country, brave in handling affairs, should enjoy the blessings of children and grandchildren, and die of old age on his bed.

A few simple sentences, yet they roughly covered Huchen's entire life.

"Guan Huchen is not even fifty years old this year, and is far from the time to enter the Underworld," Guan Chenghuang Guan said, looking at the two Impermanences.

The two Impermanences only glanced casually at the Book of Life and Death.

The Bai Wuchang said expressionlessly: "Guan Old Master, you are a veteran official and well-informed; you should understand that the 'Book of Life and Death' applies to most people, but is not suitable for everyone.

For example, immortals who have jumped out of the Three Realms, if they guide others to become immortals or kill the wicked, it is something the 'Book of Life and Death' cannot predict in advance; the destinies of those guided and those wicked people eliminated will all change.

Even if they are not immortal powerhouses, certain accidental events can create many wronged ghosts.

Not to mention the distant ones, just take the recently deceased Flag-Hunting Immortal Kong Zan; his lifespan in the Book of Life and Death was at least another 1,800 years.

1,800 years later was his first tribulation of a scattered immortal, not his time of death.

After mastering the Yin Spirit, he entered the Underworld and modified his name in the 'Book of Life and Death.'

Eliminating his name from the 'Human Register' and re-registering in the 'Immortal Register,' becoming an immortal recognized by the Heavenly Court and the Underworld.

From then on, he was one of the carefree immortals, no longer restricted by the ghosts and gods of the Underworld.

As a result, he died, his soul almost scattered, leaving only a wisp of resentment condensed into an evil ghost, falling into the City of Wronged Souls, and he doesn't know how much suffering and tribulation he will have to endure in the future."

The Black Grabbing Wuchang then said expressionlessly: "According to the Underworld's rule that 'the dead are the greatest,' if someone's lifespan exceeds the limit recorded in the 'Book of Life and Death' and they haven't died, it is a crime.

The soul-snatching envoys should take the initiative to find them and take their souls to the Underworld for judgment.

If someone dies before the lifespan recorded in the 'Book of Life and Death,' then death is death, and they should re-enter reincarnation according to the normal process."

Guan Chenghuang Guan stuffed the "Guan Chenghuang's Book of Life and Death" back into his sleeve, and while scraping the foam with the cup lid, he said slowly: "This Duke is a veteran official and has experienced many things.

Once, this Duke accepted the soul of a virtuous man named Zhang and prepared to keep him by my side as a clerk.

The Underworld judge sent a letter saying that the virtuous man Zhang's lifespan was not yet exhausted and he should be sent back to the human world.

At that time, the virtuous man Zhang had already been dead for forty-nine days, and his corpse had long been buried in the earth.

But this Duke sent a dream to his young son, and the next day the coffin was dug up, and the virtuous man Zhang was indeed resurrected."

The Black and White Impermanences looked at each other, both remaining silent.

Not to mention Guan Chenghuang Guan's personal experience, the number of times they themselves had personally sent souls back to life in the last fifty years added up to more than a hundred times.

Those who died "accidentally" before their lifespan was exhausted were fine.

Some who clearly should have died were quietly given an extra one or two 'ji' of lifespan by the judges, and then they said the lifespan was not exhausted and they should be sent back...

A 'ji' is twelve years!

Those events of adding lifespan and returning to life generally had immortal and Buddhist big shots intervening behind the scenes.

They didn't dare to ask, and even felt it was a matter of course.

But do you, Guan Chenghuang Guan, count as a "divine big shot"?

Guan Chenghuang Guan put down the teacup, fumbled in his sleeve for a moment, and pulled out two golden-yellow "small sticks" the thickness of a little finger and four feet long.

The Black and White Impermanences finally couldn't maintain their wooden expressions.

Their eyes widened, and a longing flush appeared on their pale ghost faces.

A look of heartache quickly flashed across Guan Chenghuang Guan's elegant face; he handed the two "small sticks" to the Impermanences and said: "Since this Duke took office, for a hundred years as one day, I have been diligent and conscientious, performing my duties, and protecting the millions of people in the prefecture; now, at last, there is a slight return.

These are two 'Vow-Power Burning Incense Sticks.'

The incense fire power offered by the believers in the entire prefecture has been refined by this Duke's Guan Chenghuang seal and purified into pure vow-power, which can be absorbed by any ghost or god.

The total amount of one stick is equivalent to the incense fire of ten thousand households for one year."

"Thank you, Guan Chenghuang Master!" The Black and White Impermanences were overjoyed, hurriedly took the Vow-Power Burning Incense Sticks and tucked them into their bosoms, bowed their backs, and respectfully bowed to Guan Chenghuang Guan in the seat of honor.

—Equivalent to the incense fire of ten thousand households for one year after purification, that means at least twenty years of offerings from ten thousand households before purification! Guan Chenghuang Guan's generous hand is more than just a "divine big shot," he is a "divine giant"!

Since he is such a "giant," of course he is qualified to send back the souls of the dead whose lifespan is not yet exhausted.