Chapter 2

Xun Yi’s face was tense, and he subconsciously reached for his waist, only to find it empty.

Suddenly, he remembered that he was now a spirit, and the sword was not with him. Clenching his fists tightly, he looked warily at the burly man who was clearly hostile. The tension was palpable, and a confrontation seemed imminent.

Bai Fu rolled his eyes, “General, stop playing around and get back to work!”

Instantly, the burly man’s aura dissipated, and he casually found a chair in the corner and sat down. He asked Bai Fu, “This new scribe seems rather young, doesn’t he?”

Bai Fu pointed at Xun Yi, “This is the young master of the Xun family, a descendant of Maogong. You understand.”

“Maogong? Xun Degong?” The general fell silent upon hearing this.

Then, a group of people entered the City God Temple. The Civil and Military Judges exchanged glances upon seeing the young man and nodded in understanding, “Indeed, a member of the Xun family.”

“Why should we be surprised? Our City God has a deep connection with the Xun family,” another general muttered privately. He recalled that a few decades ago, another young master of the Xun family had come to help with a case.

Xun Yi stood and observed the four deities, who resembled the statues he often saw when he offered incense at the City God Temple. After recognizing the Civil and Military Judges, he turned to the two generals and asked, “Which two of you are the Mountain Patrol, Ghost Catcher, Demon Subduer, and House Guardian?”

The burly man said, “I’m a rough man, but the City God has honored me with the title of Ghost Catcher General, responsible for sending spirits to the underworld. I apologize for any offense, young master.”

The general in silver armor, holding a golden sword, said, “I am the House Guardian General, commanding the door gods. The Mountain Patrol and Demon Subduer Generals are currently on duty outside.”

Xun Yi nodded in understanding and clapped his hands, “Let’s introduce ourselves again—” He pointed at himself, “I am the fifth-generation grandson of Maogong, Xun Yi, with the courtesy name Ziqing. As for my nickname… I don’t think anyone wants to hear it. If anyone calls me by my nickname, I’ll be upset!”

The deities smiled in understanding. They had served in the City God’s office for many years and were familiar with the mortal world.

Xun Yi was born on the 15th day of the first lunar month. It was said that when he was born, his grandfather, in a moment of excitement, saw a bowl of yuanxiao (rice dumplings) on the table and blurted out, “My little yuanxiao, our family finally has an heir!” Thus, yuanxiao became Xun Yi’s nickname.

As a child, Xun Yi didn’t mind his nickname, but as he grew older, he complained about it, disliking it when others called him by it, especially when they were eating yuanxiao. He particularly disliked those with a mischievous streak who would tease him with his nickname.

The deities also introduced themselves, and then Xun Yi sat down again. “So, during my stay here, I’ll need your guidance!”

“We are honored,” the four said in unison, bowing. They then took their seats and began organizing documents.

Seeing their familiarity, Xun Yi knew that the City God must often find substitutes to do the work.

The Civil Judge brought a stack of documents to Xun Yi, “These documents only need your signature. However, you cannot use the current script of the Great Zhou Dynasty; you must use the ancient gold-embossed seal script of the Great Zhao Dynasty.”

“Gold-embossed seal script?” Xun Yi frowned, “Is that really necessary just for a signature?”

“The world is divided into yin and yang, and the interaction between humans and deities must follow tradition. The Great Zhou Dynasty has only been established for a hundred years, and the current divine path still follows the traditions of the ancient Great Zhao Dynasty.”

“Why not use the script of the previous dynasty?” As soon as he asked, Xun Yi scolded himself for the obvious question. The previous dynasty? Forget it, the Great Zhou Dynasty never acknowledged the legitimacy of the previous dynasty.

Sure enough, the Civil Judge sneered, “Previous dynasty? I only know that the Great Zhou Dynasty descends from the ancient Zhao, a descendant of the Yan and Huang Emperors. What previous dynasty?”

“It’s not a ghost; ghosts are better than them.” The Ghost Catcher General suddenly interjected, then buried himself in his work.

Indeed, whether in the mortal world or the divine realm, everyone was completely opposed to the previous dynasty. Xun Yi stroked his chin, dipped his brush in ink, and pondered.

“Young master, you are young and may not know much about the previous dynasty. Just remember that they were a group of traitors who betrayed their ancestors and forgot their roots,” the Civil Judge said, not wanting to elaborate further. He focused on teaching Xun Yi how to sign in the ancient gold-embossed seal script.

“The Great Zhou Dynasty values ancient rituals and governs with filial piety. The gold-embossed seal script is a required course for students at the Lingfeng Academy. You should know some of it.”

“I do know it,” Xun Yi reluctantly picked up the brush and wrote a few characters on a piece of paper, but they were crooked.

“…” The Civil Judge, a former scholar with excellent handwriting, was speechless upon seeing Xun Yi’s writing, “With such chicken scratch, didn’t your teachers at the academy beat you to death?”

Xun Yi stuck out his tongue, imagining the old masters at the academy holding wooden paddles and glaring at him.

Shivering, Xun Yi weakly protested, “It’s just a script; there’s no need to be so picky.”

“True, as long as it’s legible! Get to work. Just sign ‘City God of Qinglong City’!” The Military Judge said impatiently, “Time is short. According to tradition, you can stay for at most half a month. There are five months’ worth of documents to process. Finish quickly, and I have a sword duel with the Land God of Miaoxian County!”

“A sword duel? General, are you skilled in swordsmanship? The Land God of Miaoxian County, could he be the swordsman from fifty years ago?” Xun Yi’s eyes lit up, and he began chatting with the Military Judge. As they talked, he signed the documents with the gold-embossed seal script.

“That’s the sword enthusiast who used to challenge people to duels in Miaoxian County. After he died, he was deified as a land god, and his story is still told in the mortal world.” The two discussed sword techniques, and even the Civil Judge’s coughs of disapproval were ignored.

However, seeing Xun Yi’s quick work, the Civil Judge didn’t say anything, only guiding him on how to write and sign.

“I remember the Maolin Sword Technique of the Xun family is renowned. When Maogong helped the High Ancestor establish the Great Zhou Dynasty, he once used a single sword to repel three sword saints of the previous dynasty. How far have you progressed in the Maolin Sword Technique?”

“The Maolin Sword Technique has three levels. I have only reached the ‘Wood Rising Above the Forest’ level. ‘Wood Rising Above the Forest’ is vulnerable to strong winds, having only the form but not the substance. It will take decades of practice to reach a higher level.”

“The ancient trees stand tall and flourish. Indeed, the third level, ‘Maolin in Full Bloom,’ has not been achieved by all six generations of the Xun family’s patriarchs.” The Military Judge seemed well-versed in the Xun family and the Maolin Sword Technique.

Xun Yi felt that the Military Judge, being a deity, was skilled in swordsmanship and sought his guidance to understand the essence of the Maolin Sword Technique.

As they were discussing, a white-furred giant beast suddenly rushed into the hall.

“Thud—” The beast knelt, causing the table to shake. Xun Yi’s heart pounded, and a complaint appeared on the table.

“Please, City God, help me! I can’t bear this life anymore!”

“This is…” Xun Yi, still shaken, cautiously looked at the giant beast, which was about ten feet tall, and held the complaint.

Bai Fu whispered, “This is the third type of official document in the City God’s office—complaints. The City God’s office is at the boundary of yin and yang. The City God uses his own power to create a divine realm and establish a divine city, corresponding to the mortal city of Qinglong. We are currently in the inner city, while the outer city is also inhabited by various spirits and monsters. One of the City God’s duties is to govern this yin city and manage all the spirits.”

As Bai Fu explained, the white-furred giant beast suddenly looked up and was startled to see the young man sitting in the center, “Why isn’t it the City God?” Its large eyes fixed on Xun Yi, who was intimidated by the beast’s presence.

Compared to the deities, this giant beast was truly terrifying.

“Stop talking nonsense. Whoever is sitting on the divine throne will help you seek justice. Speak, what’s the matter?” The Military Judge leaned forward to read the complaint.

The Civil Judge’s stern and authoritative face frightened the white-furred beast, which trembled and said, “I had no conflict with my neighbor, but a few days ago, he started making a lot of noise, preventing me from sleeping. And he keeps looking at me like I’m prey.” The beast’s red eyes filled with tears, and Xun Yi felt it seemed familiar.

Upon closer inspection, the beast had short legs, a fluffy tail, and long ears drooping on either side of its head.

Xun Yi hesitated, “A white-furred dog-toothed rabbit?”

The white-furred beast nodded immediately, “Yes, my original form is indeed a dog-toothed rabbit. I gained intelligence after eating a spirit grass and have been living in the city since then.”

“…” Xun Yi’s mouth twitched, and he was speechless.

The white-furred dog-toothed rabbit was a decorative animal from the outer sea, harmless, herbivorous, and a type of rabbit. Due to its resemblance to a small dog, it was a popular pet.

“To be scared by a dog-toothed rabbit!” Xun Yi scolded himself for being timid and straightened his back. Dog-toothed rabbits were timid by nature, and no matter how large they appeared, their timid nature never changed.

“So, what do you want? To sue your neighbor?” Xun Yi tapped the complaint, “A snake spirit? You live next to a snake spirit? Aren’t you afraid he’ll eat you?”

“I wasn’t afraid before, but now I am.” The white-furred beast looked pitifully at Xun Yi, as if the young man was a ferocious beast.

Too timid, Bai Fu thought. Seeing Xun Yi still confused, he whispered, “Young master, the spirits and monsters living in the city have already overcome their basic instincts and do not need blood. The city has a special place for making monster food, and even those who prefer blood cannot eat other spirits in the city.”

I see, Xun Yi understood and read the complaint carefully, “If that’s the case, why are you worried about being eaten? You said there’s been a lot of noise recently. Could it be shedding?”

“Exactly. Because of shedding, I feel he’s losing control of his instincts. That’s why I came to the City God to request a new residence.”

Change residence? Xun Yi asked Bai Fu in a low voice, “Is housing in the city tight?”

“No, it’s not. Generally, you can move as long as you apply. But—” Bai Fu glanced at the white-furred beast, “The problem is that this beast is too timid, and many spirits have strong territorial instincts. This beast has moved three times before because the neighbors were too powerful, and he would be so scared that he couldn’t move. It’s hard to find him a place to live.” He pulled out a map and pointed to the outer city.

The map showed various animal symbols, representing the rulers of each area.

“The outer city to the east is where the high-level spirits live, each powerful. The dog-toothed rabbit wouldn’t dare go there. To the south, there’s a group of fierce beasts led by a two-headed tiger. He wouldn’t dare go there either. To the north, there are the Blue-Winged Black Eagle and the Mandarin Duck. He’s timid, so he lives in the west. The snake spirit is kind, which is why he allowed the dog-toothed rabbit to live next to him. Now, he’s complaining?”

The Civil Judge agreed, “Indeed. I handled the dog-toothed rabbit’s three relocation applications and was already annoyed.”

“The snake spirit was enlightened by a sage in the past and has excellent character. Even during shedding, what could happen? This beast is just timid and scares himself. Ignore him, send him away, and in a few days, the snake spirit will be fine.”

Xun Yi listened to their words and remained silent. As a newcomer, he naturally followed the deities’ advice.

However, another complaint appeared on the table. Before Xun Yi could speak, a pair of birds flew in.

The Mandarin Ducks, divine birds of the phoenix family. They immediately frightened the white-furred beast, which hid under the table. But the table was too small and was quickly overturned, almost causing Xun Yi to fall off his chair.

Swish—

The documents scattered on the floor, and ink splattered on the Civil Judge and Xun Yi.

Xun Yi glared at the white-furred beast, his mind racing with ideas to punish it.

The Civil Judge was furious and wrote a “small” character in the air with his brush.

“Transform!”

The golden “small” character floated to the white-furred beast’s forehead, shrinking it to the size of a palm and landing at Xun Yi’s feet.

“I… I know I was wrong. Please, sirs, spare me.” The white-furred dog-toothed rabbit apologized, raising its small paws.

“Hmph!” The Civil Judge wrote a “clean” character, and the ink on their bodies disappeared. “Stay small for three days as punishment!”

“Indeed, why go to such lengths, sir?” Xun Yi smiled, picking up the white-furred dog-toothed rabbit, “I believe it wasn’t intentional. Let’s forgive him this time.”

The white-furred dog-toothed rabbit nodded, but Xun Yi continued, “Of course, not punishing him would make him feel guilty, which could be bad for his mental health. So, let’s reluctantly punish him. Three days is too long; one hour should be enough.”

Xun Yi’s smile was deceiving, and the white-furred dog-toothed rabbit felt a chill, especially as Xun Yi’s smile grew more sinister.

“Just pluck his tail fur and roast him for an hour. No need to shrink him for three days. It would hurt his pride if the other spirits saw him like this.”

The white-furred dog-toothed rabbit felt a chill and fainted at the sight of Xun Yi’s sinister smile.

The deities’ mouths twitched, watching Xun Yi poke the rabbit’s fluffy tail, seemingly ready to pluck its fur.

“I haven’t even started, and he’s already fainted?” Xun Yi clicked his tongue, “We’ll deal with the punishment when he wakes up.”

Bai Fu helped tidy the table, and they began to handle the second complaint.

Bookworm’s Tea Room:

The Lantern Festival, and the new book is finally out. I mentioned before that the reason for releasing it on this day is because the protagonist’s birthday is on this day.

Let our little yuanxiao wish everyone a happy Lantern Festival, with family and friends gathered together.

The new book needs your support—favoriting, clicking, and recommending. Together, we can make it a success, and everyone can enjoy a warm bowl of yuanxiao (Xun Yi). Mobile users, please visit http://m.piaotia.net

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