Collection of strange powers and chaotic gods

In the winter of the [-]th year of Qianlong's reign in the Qing Dynasty, a certain minister (equivalent to the current deputy minister or deputy minister of a certain ministry) inspected the line of the Yellow River according to the emperor's imperial decree. A group of people were stationed at Taozhuang on the bank of the Yellow River.

Time passed quickly, and it was New Year's Eve in a blink of an eye.

This servant has always been diligent and will not be lazy even during the Chinese New Year.

At night. Every household was saying goodbye to the old year and welcoming the new year to celebrate the New Year. He also rode a horse with four followers, holding a torch high, walking on the icy dirt road, and dutifully patrolling the river bank.

Looking up, the banks of the Yellow River are covered with yellow thatch and white reeds. The weather is cold and desolate. Along the way, except for their group, no one else is encountered.

Seeing that everyone else had gone home to celebrate the New Year, but they were the only ones still patrolling the river, the waiter couldn't help but feel a little sad.

After walking for a while, I suddenly found a cloth tent set up by someone among the reeds in front of me, with a faint candle light inside.

The waiter walked up and asked who was inside.

The person inside replied that it was the chief secretary (usually refers to the assistant clerk in charge of documents under the chief officials of various places. Huachengmao believes that this should refer to the local county magistrate or county magistrate) so-and-so.

The minister felt that he was loyal to his duties and insisted on waiting on the front line during the New Year, so he greatly appreciated his behavior.

The chief clerk said respectfully: "Thank you for your hard work, sir! You are not at the official office to celebrate the New Year on New Year's Eve, but you still come here to patrol. It is really admirable!"

The servant said humbly: "It is the duty of the lower official!"

The chief clerk continued: "It is already the third watch, which is the time when the old and the new change. The weather outside is cold and the wind is biting. This place is already far away from your residence.

I have Chinese New Year wine and food here. How about you condescend to me and get drunk with me? This can not only keep out the cold, but also serve as a New Year’s drink? "

The servant smiled happily and agreed.

Several people exchanged glasses in the tent, and after drinking a few glasses of wine together, the waiter and his entourage returned to the mansion where he was staying in Taozhuang.

The waiter worked hard for most of the night and felt sleepy and tired. Because he was tired, he took off his clothes and lay down under the bed and fell asleep.

In a daze, the minister felt that he was still riding a horse to patrol the Yellow River, but he felt that the place he was patrolling at this time was not the same road he had walked before.

I saw that the sky here was gloomy and the ground was filled with yellow sand.

The servant walked about two miles further and suddenly found a bright light coming from a house.

The servant rode his horse, dismounted in front of the house, tied the horse to a tree, and then went over and knocked on the door.

The door opened in response, and an old woman came out to greet her.

The waiter took a closer look and saw that this old woman was actually his mother who had been dead for many years.

The old lady was also very surprised when she saw the waiter! She asked in confusion: "Son, why are you here?"

The minister told the old lady everything about his coming here to inspect the Yellow River according to the emperor's imperial edict.

The old lady sighed and said: "You shouldn't come here when you patrol the Yellow River! This is not the human world! Now that you are here, how can you go back?"

Only then did the waiter suddenly realize! The old lady has passed away, and he actually sees her here, which means that he is also dead!

Thinking of this, I couldn't help but feel sad and burst into tears.

The old lady comforted her: "My son does not need to despair, there may be hope of returning to the earth. I heard that there is an old monk in Hexi who has extraordinary magical power. I will take you to ask him for help!"

When the waiter heard this, he quickly wiped away his tears and followed the old lady away.

The two came to a temple with a solemn building, like the residence of a king. To the south of the main hall in the temple, an old monk was sitting there, closing his eyes and concentrating, not talking.

The servant did not dare to step forward rashly, so he knelt down at the foot of the steps and worshiped again and again.

The old monk did not open his eyes or return the greeting.

The minister asked: "I was ordered by the emperor to patrol the Yellow River. Why did I suddenly arrive in the underworld?"

The old monk remained silent.

The minister was furious and said angrily: "I am a minister of the emperor. Even if you are guilty and deserve to die, you must tell me the reason clearly and make me convinced! Why are you silent, like a mute sheep?"

The old monk then opened his eyes and said to him with a smile: "You killed too many people in the Yang world, and the sins of killing were too serious. All the three qi of happiness, wealth and longevity have disappeared. What else do you ask me to say?!"

The servant said unconvinced: "Although I have killed many people, I have killed only those who should be killed according to the law of the country! This killing should not be my fault!"

The old monk said: "When you first handled the case, were you really doing it all for the sake of national laws? Don't you have any selfish motives? Is it to cater to the Holy One, maintain and consolidate your position, and achieve promotion and wealth?"

As the old monk spoke, he picked up the Ruyi on the desk in front of him and pointed at the servant's heart.

The waiter felt a cold air pressing into his internal organs, his heart was beating wildly, sweat was pouring down his face, he was so frightened that he couldn't speak?

After a long time, the minister felt that he had calmed down a little, and he said with sincerity: "I know I was wrong! I will correct it in the future. Can you let me return to the earth?"

The old monk said coldly: "You are not a person who can correct his mistakes! However, you don't have to worry too much. Today happens not to be the day when your life will end!"

After the old monk finished speaking, he said to the monks on the left and right: "Take him out and let him return to the earth."

The monk took the servant out of the temple and returned together.

Seeing that the surrounding environment was dark, he could not see his fingers, and could not see clearly the road under his feet, he released his right hand, and a small bead appeared in the palm of his hand, which emitted light like the sun and illuminated the maintenance embankment along the Yellow River. From the construction area to the mansion where Minister Tao Zhuang stayed, this stretch was illuminated by the bright light, as if it were daytime.

On the way, when they arrived at the old lady's house, the old lady caught up with her and cried to the servant: "Although my son can go back this time, he will come again soon! My son and I won't be apart for too long. !”

The servant suppressed his sadness, comforted his mother, then decisively went to the tree to untie the horse, mounted his horse and left.

He returned along the same route, and when he arrived at the entrance of Taozhuang Mansion, he woke up as soon as he got off his horse.

It was already noon.

This day is the first day of the first lunar month of the New Year. A group of officials responsible for river affairs are celebrating the New Year and visiting each other to pay New Year greetings.

They came to the door of the mansion and wanted to pay New Year's greetings to the minister, but found that the door was closed.

They knew that the minister was a diligent man and even went to inspect the Yellow River on New Year's Eve. However, it is inevitable to wonder why I still don’t get up so late after all, it’s the first day of the New Year.

The waiter was unwilling to explain the reason to them, so he simply used the excuse of being tired from night training to excuse them.

In April of this year, the minister suddenly fell ill and vomited blood, and he couldn't even get sick.

Sure enough, the situation in his dream came true!