Eat a Taiyi Taoist

Chapter 69 Who are you?
Fifty years ago, the Celestial Empire abandoned its control policy and implemented the policy of converting natives into officials in the eighteen foreign states.

With a foundation of continuous rule that lasted for as short as two to three hundred years or as long as six to seven hundred years, the closer a place among the outer eighteen states was to the inner nine states, the faster the speed of the land reform, the higher the efficiency, and the less resistance.

In this way, in just twenty years, the Celestial Empire completely realized the centralized rule of the central-local government over fifteen of the eighteen external states, and implemented the three-level administrative management system of state-prefecture-county.

It is not just a verbal and paper thing, the yamen is usually just a decoration, and in reality it is still governed by the local chieftain families and spiritual forces!
Only the three southwestern states have not achieved satisfactory results in diversion.

These three states are arranged in sequence, roughly forming the shape of the Chinese character "乚 (yǐ)". As the southwestern border, they all border the Million Mountains further southwest outside the territory of the Celestial Empire.

Or to be more precise, these three states were actually territories that the Celestial Empire snatched from Baiwan Dashan.

It happened only two hundred years ago.

The people are brave and aggressive, the power structures are complex, people's hearts are subtle, and the waters are muddy and deep.

Over the past 20 years, officials of all ranks, gods of mountains and rivers, and elites from all walks of life who have been sent to the three southwestern states to implement the national policy of transforming the natives into officials have done their best and have made progress and achieved results.

However, unlike the other fifteen states, the national policy of transforming the natives into Han people was implemented thoroughly and beautifully.

There are still some problems left, big or small, more or less.

These problems are usually not very noticeable, but once they are asked in the test, they can no longer hold the weight.

Too many people and gods have suffered as a result.

As a result, the Celestial Empire also sent many officials, gods, and elites to the three southwestern states to deepen and promote the national policy of transforming the natives into officials.

It was under such circumstances thirty years ago that Miao Zongren, Huang Junshi and Qiu Lao arrived in Liuxian County one after another.

The same is true for the City God of Liuxian County.

Mr. Qiu was tired of many worldly affairs, so he came to Liuxian County, where immortal banquets were held, to retire. He lived a leisurely and carefree life.

All I want to do is lie in a rocking chair and bask in the sun.

It is indeed an alternative way of “hiding in a small building and being in harmony with the world, not caring about winter, summer, spring or autumn”.

Huang Junshi is a quiet and indifferent person. He is not very keen on power. He prefers to stay in the missionary house to teach and educate people, and watch the developments.

However, he accidentally taught a girl, Dao Xiaofeng, who would become a celebrity and topic of conversation wherever she went after leaving Liuxian County. She brought disaster to many young and beautiful female cultivators, left them with countless romantic debts, and made countless young male cultivators love and hate her.

When he arrived at the capital of Dayong Dynasty, Dao Xiaofeng remained true to his true character and was free and easy.

Today he holds the daughter of a certain vice minister in his left hand, drinks wine with her, and tastes her lips; tomorrow he holds a certain female hero who is as brave as any man in his right hand, whispers in her ears, and attacks her directly, causing a big commotion one after another.

The name of Fairy Nihuang spread throughout the inner nine states and outer eighteen states of the Dayong Dynasty.

It has made countless independent female cultivators obsessed with it, and made countless young male cultivators feel mixed feelings of love and hate for it.

However, it also brought Huang Junshi, who had always been low-key, into the sight of some people.

These people hold high positions and great power. What they always want is to make use of the best talents in the world. How could they allow such a talented person like Huang Junshi to continue to be lazy?

The position of the first chief of the Immortal God Department of Liuxian County was thus chosen to be Huang Junshi.

what?
Don’t want to leave the mountain?

It doesn’t matter. A gentleman can be deceived by tricks. There are plenty of ways to get Huang Junshi to come out of retirement.

Miao Zongren is different from Qiu Lao and Huang Junshi.

He just has a questionable background, so he doesn't hold a high position.
But with great ambition, great vision, ability, skill and determination,
After taking office as the county magistrate of Liuxian County, he was determined to promote the process of converting native officials into officials in Liuxian County.

At the same time, we will vigorously develop the livelihood, economy, education, and public security of Liuxian County.
And change the customs!
Under Miao Zongren's diligent governance for 30 years, Liuxian County has been developing rapidly and the situation is very good.

The Yu family, a chieftain family that once dominated the entire Siming Prefecture, had nailed a hook into Liuxian County. As long as they made any rash moves, they would be removed one after another by Miao Zongren.

Any force that dared not to be in the same mind with the imperial court and the county government was struck with an iron fist.

How could a small gang like the Shahe Gang, which made its living from Yudai River shipping and dock handling, have developed during the period when the Yu family "ruled" Liuxian County?

Not to mention the "overlord" chieftains of Siming Prefecture like the Yu family,

Even the Chen family, who was a former county lieutenant and had once been attached to the Yu family, but later repented after being punched several times by Miao Zongren, cut off ties with the Yu family, and completely surrendered to the court, could still devour the Shahe Gang alive.

Who knows, Mo Yuhan, the eldest daughter of the Shahe Gang, would be raped by Chen Zhidao, the son of the county lieutenant, who is an instructor at the missionary academy!
There is no chance to enter Jingling Mountain to practice!
Not to mention the possibility of inheriting the Shahe Gang's family business, both he and his family business will be chewed up and swallowed by others!

People who eat the food from Shahe Gang and Mo Yuhan will spit, saying the taste is not authentic and they give it a bad review!

Do you know what Gao Shanshui and Mr. Zhao mean?

However, these great changes in Liuxian County are only limited to the world of the living!

Miao Zongren obviously did a good job, but he could never get promoted. This was due to his flawed background and lack of strong backing, but also to a large extent this aspect.

As for the order of the netherworld, Ke Youqiu, the current City God of Liuxian County who took office at the same time as Miao Zongren, is not unwilling to do anything, but he is willing but unable.

Let alone implementing the national policy of changing the native system to Han Chinese, being able to maintain stability and prevent the underworld transportation system in Liuxian County from falling into chaos and causing imbalance between yin and yang was already the limit of Ke Youqiu's ability.

It's just some weird stuff that happens in different and unimportant places from time to time.

With the Demon Slaying Department, Demon Extermination Department and Monster Catchers around, the people still have hope and will not panic or fall into chaos!

If this was a problem of ability, it would be impossible for Ke Youqiu to sit on the position of City God of Liuxian County for thirty years with such a figurehead performance.

Just like his predecessor, he was stripped of his divine position and put into a separate category by the Celestial Empire.

However, Ke Youqiu served as the City God of Liuxian County for thirty years without saying a word, even though he was openly sidelined.

This really explains a lot.

For example, He actually did a much better job than the previous City God of Liuxian County.

At least the yin and yang situation in Liuxian County was not too unbalanced, and the ghosts in the underworld did not interfere too much with the affairs of the world of the living, causing negative impact on the main process of the land reform.

For example, with His gentle working method and His ability to get things done without making a fuss,

In essence, he has sidelined him, holding the greatest power in the City God-Land Underworld Transfer System of Liuxian County, forcing the generals of the City God Underworld system and the ghosts and gods of various departments to obey his orders. His background is so extraordinary.

For example, this ghost dared to, under the premise that the Great Yong Dynasty vigorously implemented the national policy of reforming the natives and returning them to the people,
He disregarded the imperial order, acted on his own, behaved recklessly, and disrupted the order of yin and yang. How perverse and arrogant he was in his behavior.

For example, this ghost god chose to establish himself in the Immortal God Department, and when there were news of the removal of the Five Evil Gods, the execution of the Lotus Life Avatar, the exposure of the suspected third-rank great cultivator by the governor Huang Junshi, who was an unparalleled swordsman, and the unnamed female teacher of the county literature who came from the capital and was suspected to be a fourth-rank Confucian cultivator,
The restaurant was specially set up in Wushan Temple to "enjoy" the dish "Fuqi Feipian" made with ingredients from Tan Jinxuan, a county scholar and inspector of the Department of Immortals and Gods, and his soon-to-be-married fiancee Xiaoqian.
This was used to challenge Huang Junshi and the female teacher who had been to Wushan Temple. How confident and fearless they seemed!
Tao Tie knew some of the above details clearly, some only half-understood, some were pure speculations, and some were completely unknown. This time he used Tan Jinxuan and the ghost Xiaoqian as bait to lure the nest.
He tried to lure out the ghost from Xiaoqian's family and "force" the ghost from Xiaoqian's family to sell Xiaoqian to the monk Liansheng, secretly spread the false Buddhist scripture "The Sutra of Longevity and Life" and made Qin Shousheng owe a large sum of ghost money, causing constant ghost troubles in the countryside of Liuxian County, and "instigated" Qin Shousheng and the ghost from Xiaoqian's family to join forces to harm the unmarried couple of human and ghost, Tan Jinxuan and Xiaoqian. He was the one behind a series of events, and he just went with the flow.

What trend are you following? Whose trend are you following?

Of course, it is the power of the Celestial Empire, the power of Huang Junshi, the governor of the Department of Immortals and Gods, and the power of Miao Zongren, the county magistrate, whom Tao Tie had never dealt with but had read many files!

There are too many examples showing that there are problems with the Chenghuang-Tudi Yinsi transfer system in Liuxian County.

There are also many signs that the county magistrate Miao Zongren is finally unwilling to endure it any longer after thirty years of endurance, and plans to take advantage of the "spring breeze" of the court's establishment of the Immortal God Bureau to restore the order of the underworld in Liuxian County!
Moreover, Tao Tie's goal was only set at the level of the chief clerk of the Twelve Departments of the City God's Underworld.

No matter how high you go, your rank will not exceed that of the Ox-Headed and Horse-Faced Generals and the Day and Night Wandering Gods.

Eat as much as your appetite allows.

Of course, this is a truly big fish, and it should be eaten by people with good teeth, such as Instructor Huang and Magistrate Miao!
Calling Mo Yuhan, deputy squad leader of Class B, and Taoist Qingyun, deputy squad leader of Class C, will help them share the credit but also spread the risk, thus increasing the probability of success of the plan.

To avoid rollover accidents.

Through the first-person perspective of the five little ghosts, we watched the Yama Palace and the Examination Bureau in the "Illusionary Realm", and witnessed the flesh body of Tan Jinxuan and the ghost Xiaoqian being placed on the long table as ingredients for the dish "Fuqi Feipian". After listening to the slogans of the simple sacrificial ceremony by Qin Shousheng and the four ugly ghosts from Xiaoqian's family,
While Tao Tie was waiting for the arrival of the so-called "His Majesty Yama" and the "Chief of the Examination Department", he was wondering which ghost or god inside the underworld of the City God of Liuxian County would dare to act so boldly and presumptuously.

Yes, up to now, Tao Tie has not determined which specific ghost or god in the underworld of Liuxian County City God is his "hunting" target.

[Knowing Everything] only gives vague hints and no definite answers.

In other words, Tao Tie only speculated that there was a "traitor" among the high-level officials of the City God's Underworld in Liuxian County based on the many pieces of information he had collected, and he speculated that the county magistrate, the chief of the Immortal God's Underworld, and the county City God would all take action against the "traitor"!

Mr. Qiu is right.

Tao Tie is a person who is cautious but always reckless, and reckless but overly cautious.

In his opinion, with the combined strength of an eighth-rank upper Taoist cultivator, a seventh-rank lower martial arts cultivator, and a seventh-rank upper Taoist cultivator on the surface, and with Instructor Huang's protection in secret, setting up a trap to target the "traitors" in the underworld whose highest rank was no more than the sixth-rank Jinhongchi, wouldn't this be an easy task?

There isn’t much risk, but the rewards will definitely be impressive, so why not do it?

Outside Wushan Temple, Mo Yuhan and Taoist Qingyun, who had sneaked in secretly, were ready for everything.

You can enter the battle, save people, catch ghosts and perform meritorious deeds at any time.

Inside Wushan Temple, in the side hall of Manjusri Hall, a ghost suddenly appeared at the main seat on the long table.

The so-called "His Majesty Yama" and "Chief of Examination" are here!

The ghost figure was shrouded in a hazy ghostly aura, making its face and figure very blurry.

Twelve equally blurry ghost figures appeared on both sides of the long table.

Tan Jinxuan's soul was grasped by an invisible force and thrown next to Qin Shousheng and the four ugly ghosts.

This invisible force pressed on Tan Jinxuan's shoulders and pushed down hard, trying to force Tan Jinxuan to kneel down.

Tan Jinxuan, who did not resist being grabbed and thrown, struggled violently and refused to bend his knees no matter what.

"Ah……"

The ghost sitting at the head seat at the long table let out an ambiguous laugh when he saw this.

Tan Jinxuan didn't understand what the other party was laughing at, but he was spared the humiliation of being forced to kneel down. He was just roughly pushed into a seat at the bottom of the long table, facing his own flesh and the ghost body of his fiancée Xiaoqian.

And the blurry ghost figure at the top, His Majesty Yama, the head of the Examination Department.

"Are you Tan Jinxuan?"

The ghost at the top asked in a strange tone with a drawn-out voice.

"it's me."

Tan Jinxuan answered calmly.

There was no panic at all due to the sudden change.

"Do you know that the female ghost Xiaoqian you are going to marry is my ghost?"

The shadowy figure leaned forward slightly and said in a low voice, "Even Padmasambhava wanted to transform her into the Flower-scattering Goddess, the Consort Huan Xi Ming, but he had to pay me! It's ok for you, a scholar, to give her away for free, but you want to marry her, but you've been giving her away for free forever. Don't you know that you should pay me a 'redemption fee'? You are so irrational, you are a scholar!"

Tan Jinxuan stared at the two green dots that should be the eyes of the blurred ghost in the hazy ghost energy, and replied righteously: "According to Dayong Law, Xiaoqian has been registered in the underworld of the City God of Liuxian County. Before her life in the underworld ends, as long as she does not violate the laws of the court and does not cause trouble in the world of the living, she is free. I only need to get approval from the Record and Change Office to marry Xiaoqian, and I have never heard of paying any "ransom money". This is nonsense. Although I have money, I will not follow it!"

"Ha ha ha ha……"

The blurry ghost figure at the top suddenly burst into laughter.

The twelve blurry ghosts on both sides laughed in agreement.

After laughing for a long time, the blurry ghost at the top slapped the long table hard, making a bang bang bang sound. He couldn't help laughing, and looked around and said, "He is indeed a pedantic scholar. He actually talked to me about the Dayong Law and free body. Doesn't he know who I am? Doesn't he know that all the ghosts in Liuxian County belong to me? Is he so stupid all the time?"

"who are you?"

Tan Jinxuan, who remained calm throughout, followed the topic and asked directly.

"Huh? You don't know?"

The blurry ghost at the top asked curiously, "You dare to put yourself in danger, do you really not know, or are you pretending not to know?"

Tan Jinxuan answered frankly: "I really don't know."

"Tsk tsk tsk..."

The blurry ghost above made an unintelligible sound.

Qin Shousheng, who had been kneeling on the ground with his head drooped, suddenly raised his tiger head and said to Tan Jinxuan: "Tan Jinxuan, listen carefully. The one in front of you is the son of the Lord of Dadong Mountain, who established the netherworld pure land that all ghost cultivators on both sides of the Yudai River yearn for, His Majesty Yama, who has infinite life and infinite blessings, and is the head of the Examination Department."

As he spoke, a strange look flashed across Qin Shousheng's tiger eyes, as if he was confused and in pain. His voice changed slightly, with some anxiety: "Tan Jinxuan, what are you still hesitating about? Hurry up and offer the ghost money you brought, that's the right thing to do!"

After listening to this, Tan Jinxuan frowned slightly, then ignored Qin Shousheng and went straight to the vague ghost above him and said sincerely: "Who exactly are you? Please explain it in a simple and easy-to-understand way."

After a pause, a hint of embarrassment appeared on Tan Jinxuan's face:

“I can’t remember many of the names.”

(End of this chapter)