Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, but Thunderbolt Taoist Sect

Xi Fangping was so eager to save his father that he wished he could fly directly to Erlang Shen's mansion. Given how ghosts travel, this wish could indeed be fulfilled. However, he had been an ordinary person for the first half of his life, and he had only managed to leave his body by enduring hardship. If he knew how ghosts traveled quickly, he wouldn't be stuck here walking step by step.

Moreover, he had never actually traveled far from home. When he was alive, he had never even left the county where he lived. When he became a spirit, he relied on a general direction and being escorted by ghost messengers to find his way. As for where Erlang Shen's residence was, Xi Fangping only had a concept of the south.

The other two can fly, but theirs is light transformation. In their own worldview, light transformation is a rather special kind of lightness skill. Whether it's Juan Shou Tian or Yuan Wu Xiang, they can carry living people for a while without any problem. But Xi Fang Ping is a soul now, and a soul that is injured and split in half. Whether he can carry it or not is another matter. The speed is very likely to blow the young man's soul away.

Moreover, neither of them were locals, and they didn't know exactly where Erlang Shen lived; at most, they could find out his residence in the mortal realm.

Xi Fangping didn't say anything. In his opinion, he had seen too many ugly faces along the way. The only ones who could be considered good people were the few ghost messengers who deliberately sawed his heart crookedly to protect him when they tortured him with a saw.

He had only met these two strangers by chance, and they were not related to him at all. Not only did they take the initiative to ask for his help, but they were also willing to escort him to file a complaint, which was already very kind of them. If it weren't for these two people, he would have been captured by the ghost messengers long ago, and who knows what else he would have suffered.

However, Yuan Wuxiang insisted that Xi Fangping rest first, as the other party looked truly miserable. However, he noticed that the wounds on the other party's body were healing. After all, he was a soul, and with more rest, he could recover.

"The Daozhen lineage does indeed conduct research in magic, but healing the soul is not our area of ​​expertise. You should rest here and see if those two ghost messengers will return."

Juan Shoutian's sword strike sent two underworld messengers flying. Regardless of the current situation in the underworld, this sword strike has created a grudge. Yama wants to deal with Xi Fangping, this troublemaker, and they want to help him. After the messengers return and report, Yama will definitely have other plans.

How did Xi Fangping heal his injuries in the original story? Oh, he was forced to reincarnate, and then starved himself to death, so his soul had an extra life, although it was only for three days, but he was indeed a newly deceased ghost.

"If you want to seek justice for your father, you first need to have enough strength to do so. Juan Shou Tian and I can ensure that you are not hindered by others, but if you ruin yourself, none of us can help you."

"...You're right, I was too impatient."

Before this, Xi Fangping was only supported by his anger. He wanted to give his father justice and appealed to higher authorities. However, the wealthy merchants had money to bribe officials, and the city god protected him. He had neither power nor money and was fighting alone. In other people's eyes, it was no different from throwing his life away in a fit of pique.

"But I can't understand it. My father didn't do anything wrong in his life, yet he was tortured like this just because he spoke the truth. Good people suffer while evil people go unpunished. Is there any justice left in this world? No, even the law is on the side of the wicked..."

At this point, Xi Fangping fell silent. Of course, there is a law. The law of the living is in the hands of wealthy merchants and high-ranking officials, while the law of the dead is in the hands of those same merchants and officials. It is said that evil will be punished, and those who do evil will go to hell to be punished after death. But as long as you spend more money, the one being punished can be replaced by a good person.

With the protection of others, Xi Fangping, who had been running around, finally had a chance to catch his breath, vent his emotions, and think about what to do in the future. However, the more he thought about it, the more afraid he became. He went to the City God to complain, but the enemy bribed the City God and went to the King of Hell. The King of Hell was also bribed. If... even the gods in heaven are like this, where can he seek justice?

Or rather, does justice truly exist in this world?

"There are countless injustices in the world, but that doesn't mean everyone is beyond redemption. If all else fails, we can help you beat up your enemies; it's not like it's your first time fighting the King of Hell."

Yuan Wuxiang and Juan Shoutian sat opposite each other. They temporarily filled in the plot, in which the King of Hell and those City Gods were pure villains, and it would be perfectly fine for them to go and beat them up.

“This Fangxiu from Peking University is the pinnacle of the Dao Zhen lineage, renowned throughout the Dao world. If there is no justice in this world, he can seek justice for you.”

“The head of the Silver Piao family is learned and knowledgeable, a true leader in the South. In terms of ability and prestige, his friends are no less capable.”

Although they are not the same kind of Yama, they are professionals when it comes to fighting and beating people. Moreover, most people in the underworld are afraid of sunlight. The characteristics of Juan Shou Tian's technique are, in fact, a magic weapon against ghosts.

However, Xi Fangping did not know that this King Yama was not the same King Yama. When he heard Yuan Wuxiang say that they had beaten the King Yama before, he was shocked and forgot to criticize the injustice of the world.

"However, I'm afraid the underworld won't be able to manage this place for long. When we first arrived here, a friend told us that there was an accident in the East Sea and several dragon relatives died. With their abilities, the victims could have told their families about the murderer's whereabouts in their dreams after death, but in reality, there was no news. They suspect that someone in the underworld did something and is planning to punish them."

"East China Sea?"

"If this gets to the Dragon King of the East Sea, even the King of Hell won't be able to escape."

The Dragon King is not easily fooled. Those two illegal transmigrators have killed countless people and collected a huge amount of bone products. If all the victims' families are gathered together, it will be enough to deal with the other side.

As darkness fell, it was time to find a place to rest. Although none of the three needed much sleep, they still hoped to find a sheltered spot. Juan Shoutian and Yuan Wuxiang were fine, but Xi Fangping definitely needed a good rest.

Moreover, nighttime is when spirits are most active. They could ask around and perhaps find a way to heal Xi Fangping's injuries. His injuries were all to his soul, but they appeared in the same way as the marks of suffering on a living person. However, the methods for treating a living person could not be applied to him. Although they could find Xi Fangping, they could only stop there. They could not apply medicine to his wounds, and their internal energy cultivation did not have real meridians. The whole thing was abstract and stream of consciousness. Without a professional to operate it, they really did not know how to start.

Yuan Wuxiang and Juan Shoutian were both considered medical miracles of Daozhen, but they both had physical bodies, while Xi Fangping's was entirely at the soul level, with nothing to draw upon.

If he could see any signs of human habitation, he could ask where he was and head south to find out where he was. The King of Hell wouldn't just drop you off on a wide road. Xi Fangping didn't intend to go home, so he turned off in another direction. After all this trouble, he had no idea where he was.

In addition, we can light some incense. Ghosts eat incense. This treatment approach should be fine. The only question is whether Xi Fangping can eat this incense because the two worldviews are different.

Underground, the two ghost messengers were terrified by Juan Shoutian's sword strike. Knowing that those two were not to be trifled with, they quickly crawled back to the underworld to report back.

Based on their descriptions, even the King of Hell wouldn't know which deity these were. He had seen countless deities, but none of them matched his memory.

That's secondary. The more important thing is that those two mysterious individuals are extremely powerful and can interfere with the ghost messengers' work. Xi Fangping can't catch them in a short time. If they really find a way to report them, then there will be big trouble.

Why won't he let Xi Fangping go? That stubborn brat not only refused to back down in court, but also threatened to reveal everything from the wealthy merchant to the King of Hell. Such a stubborn fool can't be allowed to find any opportunity.

When Xi Fangpingshuo stopped complaining, Yama didn't really believe it. The boy hadn't uttered a sound while being tortured, and his perseverance was truly frightening. So he sent two ghost messengers to follow him and bring him back immediately if he didn't really want to go home.

Unexpectedly, at this critical juncture, not only did a Cheng Yaojin (a legendary figure known for his unexpected intervention) appear, but he also brought along a Cheng Yaoyin (another legendary figure known for his unexpected intervention), thus protecting Xi Fangping, this troublemaker.

He couldn't think of a solution for the time being. Frustrated by the two guys below who hadn't accomplished anything, he waved them away and went to figure it out himself, while also finding out which meddlesome person had interfered.

The two ghost messengers left tremblingly. This underworld had many similarities to the mortal world. It was not only a place to judge all kinds of ghosts, but also a market and streets. When Xi Fangping came to complain to Yama, he was arranged to stay at a nearby inn to wait for the City God to arrive.

The news of Xi Fangping's complaint had already spread in the underworld. When he filed a complaint with the City God, the City God, having received a bribe, deliberately suppressed the complaint. Even so, Xi Fangping persisted for more than half a month, causing chaos at the City God's place. Finally, he was tortured and realized that this path was blocked, so he turned to Yama, the King of Hell, to file a complaint.

Ordinary people, realizing they couldn't outmaneuver the powerful and would only suffer, would often give up. They figured they couldn't gain anything, so they might as well quit and go back to a more peaceful life. But Xi Fangping didn't think that way. During his time at the inn, the City God sent him gold, which he refused. The other ghosts in the inn advised him not to be so stubborn, or he would suffer more later, but he wouldn't listen, ultimately leading to the current situation.

The story of a filial son seeking justice for his father and appealing to higher levels of government has become a topic of conversation in the underworld. However, because the matter involves high-ranking officials, ordinary ghosts only dare to discuss it in private.

Some ghosts thought Xi Fangping was a rare filial son who was not afraid of power and had a strong backbone. Other ghosts thought he was just stubborn. Even when the City God came to offer him gold, he still insisted on appealing. In the end, he was sawed in half by Yama. This kind of person is like someone who keeps hitting a brick wall and will die.

As soon as these two ghost messengers appeared, a bunch of ghosts surrounded them, tapping on their faces, all wanting to know how things had unfolded. In principle, the King of Hell did not allow them to reveal anything, but when chatting and drinking, they would let slip a little bit here and a little bit there. They would say they hadn't said anything, but in reality, they could piece together the whole story.

Two unfamiliar deities, one gold and one silver, and a sword seemingly imbued with the aura of the sun—this was even more extraordinary than Xi Fangping's accusation against the City God.

"A deity? What kind of deity has that appearance, with golden horns and silver horns?"

In an inconspicuous corner, two people who were different from ghosts sat there. No one found it strange. Ghosts weren't the only ones living in the underworld; it was normal to see other creatures occasionally.

"This is Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, where did this Golden Horn and Silver Horn come from? Besides, do Golden Horn and Silver Horn even use swords?"

The person sitting on the other side retorted. They were all wearing cloaks that covered their bodies. Although their attire was strange, the inhabitants of the underworld looked more frightening than the last. It was good enough if they looked human. Even if they covered their heads and faces, no one would say anything. What if there was something particularly unsightly about them, such as a gruesome death or bloody holes in their bodies?

"But Jinjiao and Yinjiao are indeed Taoists."

"...Xi Fangping's story has deviated from its original course. Those two are probably like us. Notify the two above, and also test that Asura King."

According to the original storyline, Xi Fangping should have been caught again at this point and tricked by Yama into reincarnating.

"The appearance of that Asura King was too coincidental and too suspicious."

With all sorts of abilities at their disposal, it's not surprising that transmigrators can look anything. But that new guy who said he wanted to follow them was too suspicious. With such powerful abilities, he could easily turn this place upside down without alerting a few powerful figures.

……

Turning their attention back to the ground, Xi Fangping's injuries prevented him from walking normally. Except for a few individuals with special constitutions, ordinary people couldn't see him. They first found a dilapidated temple so he could rest properly and avoid being blown apart by some strange wind. Juan Shoutian and Yuan Wuxiang went out to take a look and saw a village in the distance.

Furthermore, to prevent any spirits from causing trouble for Xi Fangping, Juan Shoutian drew a circle around the temple with his sword. This not only ensured the safety of the people inside but also left a mark so they could easily come back to find him. Xi Fangping could also enjoy a rare moment of peace and quiet inside.

Before the two could even enter the village to inquire, they were invited to a banquet by someone who appeared out of nowhere. This person was dressed in coarse cloth and looked unremarkable, but he was not human at all; he was a spirit with weak demonic power and posed virtually no threat.

The two followed, and in a few steps they entered a special place. There were countless pavilions and towers, layer upon layer, one after another, with houses close together. The roads were winding, and palace maids and female officials came and went. It felt like they had seen thousands of households along the way.

After passing through these places, we finally stopped in front of a door. People dressed in coarse cloth asked us to wait there, as there were other guests.

"Traveling the world and encountering extraordinary events, our trip has been a classic setup. Juan Shoutian, what does this place remind you of?"

"The housing market is layered and closely packed, like a honeycomb."

“Yes, a beehive.”

Yuan Wuxiang looked at the wall next to him. Although all the surrounding buildings were built in the style of human beings and were not special except for being too close together, they could still smell the sweetness of honey in the air.

"I wonder if the cakes would be even sweeter if we used the honey from here... Don't look at me like that, I haven't tried it yet."

Yuan Wuxiang chuckled. When the topic of cakes came up, Juan Shoutian seemed to brighten up even more. Thinking about it carefully, he and the honeycomb sea were quite a good match in terms of color scheme.

The two didn't wait long before the man in the coarse cloth clothes returned with another person. This person looked like an ordinary person, out of place with everything around him.

The person opposite was also surprised to see them. Having walked this far, he was already certain that this was no human world. But seeing the two people in front of him who seemed to be radiating light, he felt even more that the person opposite had mistaken them for someone else.

This place is unlike anything in the human world. There are two god-like figures standing in front of him. He himself is just an ordinary mortal who has at most read a few books and is not someone who should be here at all.

"A feast for bees, a scholar..."

It turns out she was Princess Lotus.