darknovel Chapter 104 This official is going to report this.
Chapter 104 This official is going to report this.
Chapter 104 This official is going to report this.
The fox continued to look at Ding Xun's answer sheet.
Ding Xun did not rush to answer, but instead started a new line at the beginning of the scroll, writing: "Your subject has been ordered by the prefectural government to go to Tao County to answer the City God's examination and honor the Fox Immortal—"
He wrote a long, rambling passage before getting to the main point.
He first stated that if judged purely by emotion, both parties had their own grievances and seemed to be blameless; if judged purely by law, the matter arose from ignorance and was not a great evil. Therefore, one should consider both reason and emotion while upholding the law.
The judgment was indeed well-written, beginning by praising the fox and then subtly pointing out the oversights of Su and Lu. His judgment naturally reflected both Su An's benevolence and Lu Feng's clear punishment.
"Time is up."
Ding Xun stopped writing at the last moment, held the verdict in both hands, and presented it to the fox.
The fox pretended to scan the area, then nodded and said, "Judge Ding is very thoughtful. His clear distinction between right and wrong, and consideration of both reason and emotion, should be the top priority."
"Judge Ding won the first two questions. If Judge Ding also wins the third question, then the position of City God of Tao County will belong to Judge Ding."
Judge Ding lowered his eyes, his hand unconsciously pressing against his heart, which had stopped beating for many years, and now felt a sharp pain.
He glanced discreetly at the other two.
Su An's expression was calm, and Lu Zheng nodded in agreement.
The fox turned to Su and Lu: "You two need not be discouraged. Under the City God, there are still judges. If you are willing, you can stay and work together to manage Yin and Yang, and protect this region."
"I have no intention of competing. If I can stay in Tao County and continue to do some educational work, that would be the best thing."
"Protecting the people is not a matter of official position; whether you are the City God or a judge, it is still a matter of duty."
The fox nodded in satisfaction: "In that case, I'll pose this final question for Judge Ding. Judge Ding, are you confident?"
"This humble official will do his utmost to live up to the fox spirit's high expectations."
It's almost done.
"Very good. The first two questions tested your abilities, and the third question tests your true nature."
The fox finally revealed its true intentions: "If you were to ascend to the position of City God, only to discover that your superior is acting improperly and recklessly, would you turn a blind eye to it—"
The expressions of everyone present changed simultaneously.
The fox ignored him and quickly finished speaking: "Or should we uphold justice and report the truth to the authorities?"
Ding Xun could no longer contain his thoughts, and all sorts of possibilities surged through his mind.
What exactly is this fox trying to do?
He looked up and met the fox's gaze, and suddenly it dawned on him.
The fox must have done it on purpose.
It went through such a long and complicated process, setting up three questions, clearly aiming at the City God of the State.
It was certainly dissatisfied with the previous actions of the city god, and it was forced to make a choice.
He could feel the intimidating gaze of the city god, but he didn't care at all. This old man would be exposed sooner or later. None of the things he had done over the years could withstand scrutiny. Even if he didn't report it today, someone else would report it tomorrow.
But is that future in the mirror really real? Now that we're on the verge of it all, should we take a gamble?
He continued to look up and saw the portrait of the Lord of the Underworld behind the fox. The Lord of the Underworld lowered his eyes and looked down quietly at the people in the hall.
With the Prefect before me, and the decrees of the Three Departments, plus the secret mirror of the treasury—
How could it be fake? How could it be fake?
"This humble official wishes to file a complaint—"
A beam of divine light shot out from the sleeve of the City God, heading straight for Ding Xun's chest. Ding Xun only had time to slightly turn his body before being struck by the divine light and sent flying backward.
He crashed heavily against the palace wall, spitting out a mouthful of pale gold blood that landed on the murals, adding a touch of color to the scene of mountains of knives and seas of fire.
The city god's expression was gloomy as he continued to wave his sleeves.
Ding Xun felt a lightness in his body as a silver ribbon wrapped around him and led him behind the fox.
Without the slightest hesitation, the City God unleashed a burst of divine light. The fox shook the Plain Moon Silk, throwing Judge Ding to the ground, and then made the silk unfurl, transforming into a three-foot-long ribbon.
The divine light struck, but was absorbed by Su Yueling, which dissipated some of its power.
The fox remained calm and composed, a chill emanating from its lips as it clashed head-on with the divine light.
"Pfft—"
The two spells dissolved each other, their hidden energy undiminished, and rushed straight towards the face of the city god.
The city god's expression hardened, and he had no choice but to wave his sleeve to push it away. The white mist was dispersed, and wherever it landed, a layer of frost covered it. He then took a deep breath, and his divine light condensed in his left hand, forcing back the chill that had invaded his palm.
"Good, very good!"
"How dare you injure someone in front of the Prefect?"
"You set a trap for me, yet you didn't expect me to take action?" The City God sneered. "This whole spectacle today, you've probably been planning it for a long time!"
The fox looked completely innocent: "My Lord City God, what you're saying is completely incomprehensible to me. I merely posed a question—"
"Don't play dumb with me!"
The City God stepped forward: "From the very beginning, I've been wondering why this lowly fox demon was chosen for the position. Now it seems you and this fellow were in cahoots, setting up this scheme, falsely conveying imperial orders, and attempting to frame me!"
"Your Majesty, what you're saying is getting more and more outrageous," the fox shook its head.
The City God was about to speak when he suddenly saw Judge Ding, who was leaning against the palace wall, raise his head and look at him with a sinister gaze.
"I've served you faithfully for twenty years, and you think I'm just a freeloader! I can recite all your scumbag deeds with my eyes closed! I've written down all your misdeeds in an account book, and left them here—"
Before he finished speaking, the City God had already condensed all the divine light around him into his hands. Then, he waved both arms, and the blinding white light overshadowed the lights in the hall, indiscriminately attacking everyone in the temple.
Ding Xun subconsciously looked at the fox, only to see it leap towards Lu Su and the other without hesitation, protecting them with the Su Yue Silk.
"You fox demon!" Under the glaring reality, Judge Ding instantly understood everything, but he could only watch in despair as the overwhelming divine light surged toward him.
"boom-
—
The divine light struck the temple walls, sending bricks and stones flying and the sound of shattering echoing everywhere.
"Hehe, next up are you evil spirits." Since the city god had already decided to silence them, he would not hold back. He swept the dust away with his sleeve and was about to speak when he froze on the spot.
Ding Xun was still alive. He slumped in the corner, staring blankly at the sky.
The wall was broken, but the portrait of the Prefect still hung in its original place, unmoved. The deity in the painting still had lowered eyes and bowed head—
Wait, when did the figure in this portrait develop a face?
The sound of chains clanging rang out.
The ghost soldiers in the mural smiled even more broadly, their empty eye sockets now filled with pupils, and their icy gazes pressed down on the person in front of the painting.
They moved.
The city god felt a chill even more intense than the hidden energy seep into his body. He froze on the spot, watching as ghost soldiers squeezed out of the painting and the leading ghost general walked towards him.
"The City God of the Prefecture receives the imperial decree."
Two ghost soldiers, one on the left and one on the right, forced the city god to kneel and lifted his head.
"By order of the Prefect, you are hereby arrested and brought to justice."