Chapter 60: Execution

In the City God Temple within Suiyuan County, a town smaller than Ning'an County, the summoning bells and divine invitation bells, usually inaudible to ordinary people, rang loudly. Subordinates from the various departments of the City God's office materialized one by one, gathering beneath the statue of the City God in the main hall.

The returning Night Patroller immediately reported everything he had seen and heard to the County City God, recounting it clearly and concisely.

"Hmph, presuming on his profound cultivation and exquisite immortal arts, he dares to order around our county's patrol ghost envoys! Does this immortal master not understand the saying that a thief may steal for a thousand days, but a house cannot be guarded for a thousand days?"

While ostensibly scolding the day and night patrollers, this was in fact a criticism of the entire City God system of Suiyuan County.

The head official of the Department of Punishing Evil immediately expressed dissatisfaction with Ji Yuan's roar, while the head official of the Department of Rewarding Good shook his head slightly.

"Not necessarily. That person's single sword strike caused the snake demon to sever its tail and flee in panic, yet he did not strike again. This could be out of arrogance, but it might also be a sign of respect for the judicial authority of our Suiyuan City God!"

"Enough, let's discuss this matter later. The immediate priority is to slay the snake demon. The patrollers have already made a promise on behalf of our Suiyuan Underworld, so we must not let outsiders mock us!"

The County City God, who presided over the Underworld, stepped out from his statue, a magic sword at his waist. With a sweep of his robes, he issued his command.

"Follow me to seal off Ligou River. A snake spirit that steals the vital essence of mortals, and is severely wounded, will surely not escape my hundred-mile domain of Suiyuan!"

As long as the snake demon hadn't fully matured, losing its tail was like a person losing a leg; it couldn't run fast. Moreover, its injuries were likely more severe than they appeared.

When the Night Patroller described it earlier, he had specified the condition of the severed tail: a persistent red glow and an internal fire that writhed like a living thing. Though its power was contained, a hint of sharp ferocity permeated it, suggesting that even with its tail severed by such a sword strike, it would not have an easy time.

This was also a major basis for the head official of the Department of Rewarding Good's inference. If the snake demon had been struck a few feet higher, it would undoubtedly have died. But the master only scorched its tail, which, if viewed positively, could be seen as respecting the Suiyuan County City God's jurisdiction. The head official of the Department of Punishing Evil was annoyed simply because the roar caused him to lose face.

Under the personal leadership of the County City God, four of the seven departmental heads accompanied him, along with dozens of ghost constables from various departments, essentially mobilizing almost all forces.

They also intended to demonstrate their presence and power. The City God, using his golden Dharma body as the local deity of the county, channeled his magical power to unleash divine abilities, leading the City God's departments to approach Ligou River with near-teleportation speed. From a distance, they could already hear the summoning bell of the other patroller ringing.

At this moment, the County City God looked up to see the eastern sky beginning to lighten, a stark contrast to the darkness along the banks of Ligou River.

"Daylight poses some trouble for us. Let's finish this quickly!"

With the City God in front and the four departmental heads behind, ghost constables lined both banks of the river. The large contingent moved swiftly with steady steps.

"Hmph, that creature is indeed gravely wounded!"

The river was churned into a muddy mess by the huge snake, but the foul-smelling bloodstains on its surface were very noticeable. Ahead, a large snake thrashed in the water on the riverbank.

"Right ahead! Go!"

As the City God's command was given, the four officials abruptly accelerated, their respective magical artifacts appearing in their hands.

"Audacious snake demon, prepare to die!"

"Give up your life!"

Moments later, magical lights suddenly appeared, striking into the river. The already muddy water churned, sending sludge boiling to the surface, and waves continuously crashed onto the banks.

Boom... Rumble... Crash... Splash...

The snake demon, already severely wounded, was now torn and bleeding all over, thrashing in agony on the river's surface.

"You dare to take advantage of loopholes before fully refining your transverse bone? You court death! Soul Reapers, drag its soul out for me!"

The City God retrieved his magic sword and stood on the snake demon's head, pressing the large snake down onto the river surface as if an immense weight were crushing it, yet inexplicably, it did not sink. He then issued orders to the ghost constables on both banks.

"Understood!"

Six soul reapers advanced like phantoms, stepping onto the river's surface. From their waists, their soul-reaping ropes materialized, and they flung them downwards into the water.

"Hiss... Roar..." The great snake roared and struggled, but at one moment, its body suddenly stiffened, and all resistance ceased.

A spectral image of a large snake, tightly bound by the six soul-reaping ropes, was dragged out of its physical body.

The sky gradually brightened from dim gray to full daylight. By now, most of the villagers had gathered by the riverbank, their emotions a mixture of fear and excitement, to gaze at the section of snake tail lodged beside a broken wooden boat.

The snake's tail, which was floating on the water, appeared charred. Its thickest part was like an adult's thigh, and it was about ten feet long, causing many villagers to exclaim their good fortune.

Some villagers living near the riverbank embellished their descriptions of the scene.

"Oh, it was truly terrifying! All the dogs in the village were barking last night, and I knew something was wrong!"

"So that means for a while now, the village dogs have been barking incessantly every night!"

"Yes, yes, always before dawn!"

"Hiss... The more I think about it, the more frightened I get!"

"If not for that master passing through, someone in the village would have died sooner or later!"

"I think that master came specifically for this. Otherwise, why would he come yesterday and not earlier or later?"

"Exactly!"

"You don't know, but that master was standing on Er Zhuang's roof, and he let out a huge roar at that beautiful snake! Many people heard it."

"Yes, yes, I almost wet my pants from fear!"

"Me too! I was paralyzed with fear, and my ears were ringing."

"That's right, if not for that loud roar, that unfortunate merchant would have been eaten long ago!"

"And then, what happened then?"

"Then, then he subdued the demon! I didn't even see how it happened, but flames erupted around the snake demon, and it started writhing in agony."

While the villagers by the river were still exclaiming in awe and relief, Ji Yuan had already accompanied the village chief and others to the chief's residence.

Outside, many villagers pretended to be passing by or gazed from a distance. If the village chief hadn't angrily come out to drive people away several times, a large crowd would likely have gathered, just as by the river.

Ji Yuan felt a little uneasy. He wasn't someone prone to stage fright, but neither did he enjoy being the center of attention. This applied to being watched as well; however, he didn't overtly show his displeasure. Still, the village chief, being shrewd with age, driving away the onlookers was an action Ji Yuan appreciated, as it brought much-needed peace and quiet.

At this point, the merchant had just regained consciousness. Moments before, he had been so terrified that he was disoriented and weak. Only after being pinched on his philtrum and given ginger tea here did he finally recover.

Upon waking, he saw his fellow merchants and several village elders, as well as Ji Yuan, who was sitting on a long bench in the courtyard, drinking tea. He immediately broke free from his friend's grasp, stumbled over to Ji Yuan, and knelt down.

"Thank you, Immortal Master, for saving my life! Thank you, Immortal Master, for saving my life!"

Thud, thud, thud...

The merchant repeatedly bowed and prostrated himself before Ji Yuan, knocking his head against the muddy ground with loud thuds.

Ji Yuan didn't immediately stop him. After receiving his bows, he reached out and gently held the merchant's forehead, preventing further kowtows.

"Remember this in the future: lust is a knife hanging over one's head, and greedy desires can ruin lives, whether others' or your own. Next time, no one may come to save you!"

"Yes, yes, Immortal Master's lesson is spot on! I will never forget this incident, never!"

"Alright, I'm not really qualified to be called an Immortal Master. I just have a few tricks, and certainly no great immortal path..."

Ji Yuan's first half of the sentence was for the merchant, while the latter half, spoken with a slight humorous shift in tone, was for the villagers who were listening intently.

The merchant nodded in agreement but kept one thing to himself: after he relaxed last night, he was so terrified that his soul almost left his body, and he saw the ghost constables. At the time, those two ghost constables identified themselves as Night Patrollers under the County City God and addressed this master as "Immortal Master."

That's why, upon waking, the merchant instinctively called him "Immortal Master" and kowtowed.

Just then, Old Man Xu also entered from outside, carrying Ji Yuan's luggage.

"Mr. Ji, your bundle and umbrella!"

Ji Yuan glanced at it and immediately knew it hadn't been rummaged through. He took the bundle and nodded with a smile towards Old Man Xu.

"Thank you, elder!"

"Mr. Ji, you flatter me. You've helped us get rid of a demon..."

"Hey, didn't you, Old Man Xu, let me stay the night last night too?"

Ji Yuan chuckled, patted his clothes, and stood up. He couldn't stay in this village for long. Being watched by villagers was a minor inconvenience, but if government officials came to investigate, it would be troublesome. It was better to leave.

In truth, such immature demons wouldn't dare to harm people excessively. While old mountains and deep forests were one thing, in regular towns and counties, if common folk died inexplicably violent deaths, the City God's Office's Registers of Good and Evil and Longevity would show anomalies, easily leading to discovery. The snake demon's deceptive ritual was nothing but a means to exploit loopholes.