Gods of the Nation: You worship the God of Longevity, I worship the King of Hell!

Chapter 71 The Demon Whip Master Appears! The Shocking Secrets of "Thousand Demon Contemplation"!

"Aunt Wang, please don't get agitated." Lu Chen supported her and gently reassured her, "Don't worry, I promise you!"

"Really? Thank you so much, Xiao Chen!" Aunt Wang wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes and hurriedly pulled out a wad of banknotes from her pocket: "Here is 10,000 yuan. Take it first. If it's not enough, Aunt Wang will think of something else later."

Lu Chen chuckled: "Aunt Wang, what are you doing? We're neighbors in the same community, how could I take your money? Besides, money from the human world can't be spent down there."

He paused for a moment, then asked, "By the way, what is Uncle Wang's full name?"

"Wang Shufa! 'Shu' as in 'tree' and 'fa' as in 'get rich'!"

Lu Chen nodded: "Okay, I've got it. I'll go upstairs now, my parents are still waiting for me."

"Okay, okay, go slower."

Lu Chen walked through the crowd and straight into the apartment building, the faint whispers of his neighbors echoing behind him.

"Xiao Chen is a really good kid."

"Yes, it's rare to see such a warm-hearted and capable young person these days."

"Not only are they rare, they're practically nonexistent!"

Upon hearing this, Lu Chen took a deep breath as he walked, thinking to himself, "Things are escalating faster than I expected... It seems the time has come to bring things like ghost money and funerary objects to the market."

Lu Chen planned to go home and ask his father how many other people in the neighborhood were in the same situation as Aunt Wang.

Pushing open the front door, the sound of stir-frying came from the kitchen, and the air was filled with the aroma of food.

Looking at the time, it was already around six o'clock in the evening.

This is the taste of home~
"I am back!"

"Son?" Lu Jianming heard the noise and poked his head out of the kitchen. "Why didn't you say you were coming back?"

"Your son is back?" Mrs. Lu put down her spatula and asked with concern, "Have you eaten?"

"Not yet." Lu Chen put down his backpack.

"Then hurry up and wash your hands and eat! You kid, you didn't even tell me you were coming back."

"Brother!" Hearing the commotion, Lu Wan, the younger sister, rushed out from the inner room and threw herself at him with open arms.

Lu Chen picked up his younger sister and gently pinched her nose: "Was Wanwan a good girl while her brother was away?"

"Wanwan is such a good girl!"

As Lu's mother passed by carrying the dishes, she couldn't help but chuckle: "What do you mean 'well-behaved'? You're so naughty."

"Hmph! Mom's talking nonsense!" Lu Wan pouted.

Lu Chen smiled and pinched her cheek: "Okay, wash your hands and eat."

The table was laden with a sumptuous feast—fish, meat, shrimp, braised pork knuckle, seasonal vegetables, and a plate of fresh fruit.

Looking back, there were only two vegetarian dishes at a meal, and my parents would always swallow a bowl of rice with just a bite of vegetables.

These days, life is even more abundant than during the Lunar New Year.

"Dad, I just ran into Aunt Wang downstairs," Lu Chen casually mentioned.

Lu Jianming stopped picking up food, his expression knowing. "She came to see me yesterday too. I told her you were out and we'd talk when you got back. So... what are your plans?"

Are there many cases like Aunt Wang's in our neighborhood?

“There are many!” Lu’s mother chimed in: “Zhang Bo, Aunt Li, Uncle Ge and their families have all been contacted. There are at least twenty or thirty households that have come to discuss this with your father.”

"Didn't they go and beg the King of Hell?"

"I begged, but strangely, I received no response."

Lu Chen knew perfectly well that the King of Hell still remembered their agreement and was deliberately ignoring their prayers.

He already had a plan in mind: "Dad, how about this, after you finish eating, go visit each family and compile the list. I need to know which ancestors are involved first. Once we solve the immediate problem, we can talk about the follow-up."

“Okay, I’ll go right away!” Lu Jianming immediately put down his chopsticks and got up.

"Hey, it's not too late to go after we eat!"

"Why bother eating? I'm the neighborhood manager, how can I not take it seriously?" Lu Jianming stormed out the door.

Lu Chen chuckled: "My dad has a really strong sense of responsibility."

"What sense of responsibility? He's just a power-hungry official." Mrs. Lu said bluntly.

"By the way, Mom, is the incense burning at the King of Hell's place still going strong these days?"

“It’s incredibly popular! Ever since so many people from our neighborhood went to worship last time, the news has spread. Plus, the Sun Family Temple is also intentionally guiding people to worship. Right now, the most popular deity in the temple is probably the King of Hell. Your dad said that at least one or two thousand people went to offer incense yesterday, and I expect there will be even more people in the future.”

"One or two thousand people a day?" Lu Chen secretly calculated.

At this rate, the three thousand number I agreed upon with the King of Hell might be reached today.

A slight smile played on his lips: "It's time to give Old Yama another hundred million gold coins."

Before long, Mr. Lu returned with a list.

"The names are all here, so hurry up and get it done, son."

"Don't worry, I will never let you, the manager, lose face."

"You little rascal..." Lu Jianming couldn't hide his pride. With a son like this, it would be hard for him not to get whatever he wanted in the neighborhood.

"Mom, I'm going to stay at Cloud Top Mountain Villa tonight."

"Go ahead, your dad and I have already tidied up for you. That house is really nice."

"Then you guys can come along too."

"You go first, and we'll come and stay for a few days when we have some free time."

"OK then."

After packing his luggage, along with the statues and memorial tablets, Lu Chen took a taxi straight to Yunding Mountain Villa.

Ten minutes later, he stood in front of his villa.

style!

It's incredibly impressive!
A detached villa with a spacious courtyard—the Sun family's gift of gratitude is indeed substantial.

The interior decoration of the villa is elegant and tasteful, without any ostentatious gold and glitter, but it shows good taste in every detail.

Lu Chen put down his luggage, looked around the place, and then started to get down to business.

He first placed the altar on the shrine, offered a stick of incense, and bowed twice, thus completing the home-setting ceremony.

Afterwards, Lu Chen walked back to the living room with his hands behind his back, and the Yama Decree on the back of his hand emitted a ghostly light.

Two black whirlwinds swept past, and Xie Qingyi and Fan Rusong appeared from the light.

"General!" The two men bowed in salute.

Lu Chen sat down on the sofa and waved his hand to indicate that there was no need for formalities.

"General, where is this? It's so grand!" Xiaoqing was full of curiosity about the villa, excitedly looking around.

In contrast, Xiaoru appeared much more composed. She merely glanced around before standing respectfully to the side, awaiting instructions.

"Xiaoru".

"Yes, General."

"Go and bring those two people from earlier today... no, now I should say two ghosts, bring them here."

"Yes, sir!" Fan Rusong waved his sleeve and vanished in a puff of green smoke. Lu Chen then noticed that Xiao Qing was staring longingly at the table full of snacks and fruits.

Although the underworld officials can touch souls, they are powerless to deal with things in the mortal world, especially food, which they cannot enjoy at all.

Lu Chen walked over with a smile: "Want some?"

Xie Qingyi nodded vigorously: "Father said that the snacks in the human world are delicious! I ate them once when I was a child, and I haven't tasted them since..."

"Your dad really loves you. Even the King of Hell can't enjoy offerings from the mortal world, so it's really not easy for him to get you a bag of snacks."

"Yes." Xie Qingyi nodded vigorously: "Father loves me the most."

Lu Chen smiled and took out a piece of yellow paper from his pocket.

He carries these with him at all times, just in case.

Then he took out a cinnabar brush and drew a "Life-Saving Mantra" on the paper.

This incantation can strip away the life force of things in the mortal realm, transforming them into usable objects in the underworld.

Industry specializing in surgery.

Although Lu Chen didn't know Taoist arts like thunder magic or scattering beans to create soldiers, he excelled at ritualistic talismanic arts.

The talisman emitted a faint blue light, enveloping the entire table of snacks.

Lu Chen gestured, "You can eat now."

Xiaoqing reached out and touched a grape with some skepticism, and to her surprise, she actually managed to squeeze it!

She picked one with delight and immediately put it in her mouth.

"How's it going? Is it delicious?"

"Wow! This is delicious, General! I've never tasted anything so good before!"

Xiaoqing was so excited that she danced with joy.

"If you like it, eat more. I'll buy you more when you're done."

"Waaah... General, you're so kind!" Xie Qingyi's eyes reddened with emotion. She opened her arms wide, revealing her ample bosom: "Want... a hug?"

Lu Chen: "Ah... okay, then let's hug."

Xie Qingyi happily threw herself into his arms.

Wow, this feeling is actually pretty good!
Just then, several streaks of black light appeared.

Fan Rusong and Ox-Head and Horse-Face appeared just as they were escorting the Ling Shui Master and his wife.

Seeing this, all the ghosts were stunned.

Fan Rusong: "..."

Ox-Head and Horse-Face: "..."

Even the Ling Shui couple were stunned.

Xie Qingyi cried out in surprise and, her face flushed, hid to the side.

Lu Chen coughed twice to cover up his embarrassment.

The ghosts then came to their senses.

Ox-Head and Horse-Face immediately looked around and said, "This house is really nice, much more impressive than my place."

Horse-faced replied, "Of course, this is the general's residence."

Fan Rusong glanced at Xie Qingyi, then covered his lips with his sleeve and chuckled softly.

Lu Chen picked two grapes and walked towards the Ling Shui couple, who were bound hand and foot and looked ashen-faced.

"Tell me, what exactly is the origin of the 'Thousand Demon Contemplation'?"

He picked up a grape and fed it to Fan Rusong.

Fan Rusong was taken aback at first, then understood. She immediately bent down, opened her cherry-like mouth, swallowed the grape, and after chewing it carefully, her beautiful eyes lit up: "Delicious!"

"Sister, come quick, there are still plenty here!" Xie Qingyi called out softly.

"I don't know! I don't know anything!" Master Lingshui kept shaking his head, still acting arrogant even in death!

Lu Chen sneered: "I think you guys are a bit out of touch with reality, you ox-headed and horse-faced demons!"

"Yes, General!"

"Initiate the punishment! Give each person a hundred lashes!"

"Order!"

Two whips gleaming with an eerie light appeared in the hands of the Ox-Head and Horse-Face.

"Snap!" The whips struck each other, making a piercing sound as they cut through the air.

The Ling Shui couple were so frightened that their souls trembled violently.

"Wow!!"

The whip fell, instantly sending the two devils rolling on the ground in agony.

The whips of Ox-Head and Horse-Face are specifically designed to subdue ghosts; each lash brings excruciating pain.

Before he had even been lashed twenty times, Master Lingshui was wailing and begging for mercy: "I'll talk! I'll talk! General, spare my life!"

Lu Chen ignored them until Ox-Head and Horse-Face each had lashed him ten times, at which point he waved his hand to stop them.

At this moment, even the soul of the Venerable Lingshui was somewhat scattered. His voice was hoarse, almost a cry, as he spoke:

"My knowledge of the Thousand Demon Contemplation is limited... I only know that it allows one to communicate directly with the gods by contemplating them. Even if one suffers a backlash, at most one's soul will be injured or one's cultivation level will drop, but it will never cross the line and turn one into a soulless idiot, much less cause one to die!"

"What did you say?!"

Upon hearing this, Lu Chen's originally cold and stern gaze suddenly widened in disbelief.

He immediately crushed another grape in his hand, and the pulp turned into blue smoke and dissipated.

"You're saying this 'Thousand Demon Contemplation' can directly communicate with all the gods in the heavens?!"

　Many readers have asked why the Four Dragon Kings don't just summon Nezha when they encounter him.

　　Please, I already made it very clear when I carved the God of Wealth by Chen Tiansheng.

　　There are some types of deities that cannot be carved.

　　Physical sanctification is one of them.

　　Master Lingshui's purpose was precisely for this chapter.

　　Many people also say I'm unskilled.

　　Dude, my plot is so tight, you can't say I'm padding it out.

　　Waaaaah, the data has dropped drastically these past few days.

　　I'm so heartbroken...

　　I was thinking of writing it according to the outline.

　　Unfortunately, reality doesn't seem to allow it.

　　Eyes full of tears.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)