Chapter 41: The Underworld is Shaken, Ghosts and Gods Weep
Chen Jiuhui returned, driving a string of horse-drawn carriages. Fortunately, it was in the dead of night, otherwise who knows how many people's eyes would have been shocked off.
The knocking sound of "bang" "bang" "bang" woke up the old shopkeeper.
"Who's there? It's already late at night and I've closed up shop."
"I am the shopkeeper."
"The creaking" sound of the door opening revealed that old face: "Oh, it's the young master who has returned. Weren't you supposed to be in Shuixiang?"
Chen Ji shook his head "Going to Shui Xiang doesn't necessarily mean we have to spend the night there".
"Girls, hurry up and come down, we've arrived at our destination, from now on this place will be your new home."
Chen Jiu's words fell, and a group of swallows came down. The old shopkeeper looked at him with straight eyes: "Young master, you are really formidable, actually bringing back so many girls to stay overnight, how much money is this going to cost? You can't even use up so many girls in one night."
Chen Jiubai said: "I've ransomed them, from now on they'll work in this wine tower, you quickly arrange a place for them to rest".
A group of girls followed the old shopkeeper in, and Chen Jiu looked at the carriage: "It's really good, these five fine horses are also worth over a thousand taels of gold."
After securing the horse carriage, Chen Jiu walked back to the house. The old shopkeeper was pacing around in the main hall and came over upon seeing Chen Jiu: "Master, it's all arranged."
Chen Jiu looked at the house and then said to the old shopkeeper, "There is always a eerie feeling inside this house. Tomorrow, dismantle all the shrines for me."
"Master, this isn't good, ghosts and gods all have spirits, if they get stirred up..."
Looking at the old shopkeeper's worried expression, Chen Jiu sneered: "What can ghosts and gods do? I offer sacrifices to them just to give them face, not offering sacrifices is what should be done. Tomorrow, you will smash all the god statues for me, not a single one is allowed to remain."
After finishing speaking, Chen Jiu walked back into the house, leaving only the old shopkeeper standing in the hall.
Back in the room, Chen Jiu calmed down and casually drew a few talismans: "This is the evil-repelling talisman I drew with all my might. Tomorrow, I'll use that peach wood to make an evil-repelling sword. What ability do these trivial ghosts have to stir up trouble? After all, human affairs are the dominant force; how can the dead interfere with the living?"
When it comes to peach wood, Lao Zhang has a set, I don't know where he got the 800-year-old lightning-struck peach wood, but its effect of warding off evil spirits is quite good.
On the second day, Chen Jiu got up at three o'clock in the morning. The old shopkeeper was about to move the god's throne away, but Chen Jiu stopped him with a twitch of his eyelid: "Don't be in a hurry, wait until I've made my treasure before we do anything."
After finishing, Chen Jiu ignored the old shopkeeper's astonished gaze and ate his breakfast on his own. He watched as the craftsmen worked on something, then after bathing and changing, he somehow produced a jade knife with a handle made of peach wood, about one meter long and as thick as an arm.
After infusing his spiritual energy into the peach wood, Chen Jiu embarked on the grand endeavor of crafting the Demon-Subduing Treasure. Originally, the jade knife was quite fragile, but under Chen Jiu's spiritual energy, the impossible became possible, and a beautiful, majestic sword made of peach wood took shape.
Slowly engraving seal characters onto the peach wood sword, infusing it with magical power, and adding a curse, a magical artifact was formed.
There was no earth-shattering or heaven-moving, just a plain and simple peach wood sword that looked quite unremarkable.
But this unassuming peach wood sword has a considerable killing power, capable of beheading ghosts and gods, breaking evil spirits, driving out ghosts, and trapping ghosts.
Chen Jiu placed the wooden sword at the very top of the wine tower, and laid down a curse around it. As long as someone approached this peach wood sword, they would instantly be attacked by the cursed power.
The peach wood sword was just hung on the roof, a sharp sword energy instantly cut through the sky, ghosts and gods were shocked, the underworld trembled, all the little ghosts around the wine house were instantly torn into powder by the sword energy, dispersing in the air.
The tablet dedicated to the judge and the ghost gods was instantly shattered by a force from the unknown, and the power of the incense disappeared in an instant.
The old shopkeeper downstairs stared blankly at the shattered lineup and muttered: "Disaster has come, disaster has come".
Within an 800-meter radius centered on the wine tower, all the illuminated ghost statues shattered instantly, and a roar of anger erupted between the Yin divisions, with wailing and howling.
Yin Temple, Cheng Huang Fu, the high and mighty Cheng Huang frowned: "Why is Yin Temple shaking, and the ghosts and gods on both sides have not quickly gone to investigate."
"As" fell, two figures disappeared into the underworld.
The judge's face turned gloomy: "Who is it that has destroyed the incense burner, a crime punishable by death? Guards, go and investigate immediately."
Chen Jiukou didn't know that his actions had inadvertently turned the Yin Si Cheng Fu into a mess, and the whole thing was blown wide open.
"Returning to the city, there is a wine tower in the mortal world that has a treasure emitting sharp aura, ghosts and gods cannot approach, my magical power is not enough, please ask the master to dispatch the law enforcement officers to go".
Cheng Huang furrowed his brow upon hearing that it was a mundane matter: "Forget it, I don't know which Daoist is causing trouble again. In the underworld, except for major events of life and death, we are not allowed to interfere with mundane affairs at will. Let this matter be, and wait until the owner of the wine shop has exhausted his yang lifespan before investigating."
The gaze of the City God turned towards the mortal realm, where the human momentum was now surging. The imperial army's expedition had intimidated countless ghosts and gods, but they couldn't let those annoying things get a handle on them.
Outside Qingzhou City, a young man looked at the sharp aura emanating from the Qingzhou Prefecture and showed an expression of admiration: "What a pure treasure, it's just a pity that its power is insufficient, it can only intimidate small ghosts. Look at that rich spiritual energy, it's indeed a rare material for refining equipment. What a shame, such a precious item has been tarnished by someone."
After finishing speaking, he lowered his head and stared at the chessboard in front of him, lost in thought.
Chen Jiu didn't know he was being despised, and looking at the slightly absent-minded old shopkeeper, Chen Jiu smiled faintly: "Shopkeeper, there's no need to be nervous. This is my worldly affair. The great powers of the underworld wouldn't easily intervene. Once the ruler of the world gets a handle on it, it would be another war of reversing heaven, punishing ghosts and gods, and destroying temples."
After finishing, Chen Jiuyou leisurely drank the "daughter red" that Lao Zhang had hidden away for decades: "This 'daughter red' has a slightly different flavor from that 'Zhuangyuan wine', but both are rare and good wines."
After finishing speaking, Chen Jiu looked at the old shopkeeper: "Have you invited a famous chef?"
Lao Zhanggui came back to his senses, looking at Chen Jiu with a complex expression: "As for the chef, he has already been invited, and he is one of the top chefs in Qingzhou. If it weren't for the annual salary of 100 taels of gold, I'm afraid we wouldn't be able to invite him."
Chen Jiu stroked his chin: "A hundred taels of gold, as long as he's worth the price, it doesn't matter, a penny for a penny's worth."
The old shopkeeper looked at Chen Jiu and hesitated: "Boss, what's going on? You're bringing those girls back, what are you planning to do?"
Chen Jiudao said: "Not long ago, wasn't a stage built? From now on, let the girls perform dances on it to entertain our guests."
Lao Zhanggui nodded after listening, and was about to leave when Chen Jiu suddenly said: "Wait a minute, find me two young servants, I'm going to pay my respects to the Qingzhou Prefect today".
Looking at the Qingzhou Prefecture government office, Chen Jiu's eyes slightly narrowed, and the two young servants behind him each carried a box, following closely with difficulty.
The official at the gate of the provincial government saw Chen Jiu, who was wearing a purple robe and had an air of nobility about him. He didn't dare to be slow: "I've seen the young master, I don't know what important business the young master has come to the provincial government for."
He took out some silver and placed it in the hand of the official: "Please pass on a message, I would like to pay my respects to the parents of Qingzhou Prefecture".
The yamen runner accepted the silver and nodded, then went off to spread the news.
After a while, the bailiff came out: "Young master, the governor has just finished his business, please go in."
Chen Jiubuzi cupped his hands: "Thank you."
The prefect of Qingzhou was a thin-faced old man who seemed to be short of breath at first glance, and his official air was indeed thick.
Looking at this serious-faced old man, Chen Ji quickly bowed down: "Your humble servant has seen the Honorable Magistrate".
The old man looked at Chen Jiuyi and nodded: "Sit down".
Chen Jiudao said: "Your humble servant does not dare to sit down, but there are a few words to say. After saying them, I will leave and do not dare to waste the noble's time."
After finishing speaking, Chen Jiulang asked someone to open the box behind him. Two boxes of gold were shining brightly, probably worth three thousand taels.
The governor's face changed instantly and he rebuked: "What do you mean by this?"
