Chapter 168: The Plague Ghost City God
What Gu Qingyuan said was not false; he had really heard of this person.

Zong Qing was a kind and generous person. He was willing to make friends and would never turn away people who came to him for help. Although he had read poetry and books, he was not interested in a career in politics. He believed that knowing a few words was enough and that knowing more was useless.

He did not have the arrogance of a scholar. He would do some charity during festivals and give some money to the poor. He also did not have the attitude of a scholar. Once in the cold winter, he saw a charcoal seller driving a ox cart to sell charcoal. His business was not good, so he bought a cart of charcoal, drove the cart through the busy world, and shouted out his products, but the price kept falling, and he would sell it at half price and give it away for free. There were countless such examples.

He didn't seem to have any business at ordinary times. He only went on long journeys from time to time, for a few days at the shortest and half a month at the longest. He would hang out in teahouses when he had nothing to do, or set up a stall on the street to help people write letters. If the person had some spare money, he would accept some copper coins as a fee, but if he was from a poor family, he would not take a penny.

Although it was a small favor, the people in the city remembered his kindness. Whenever they had surplus at home or caught some deer or rabbits, they would send them to Zong Qing. Zong Qing never refused any gift, saying, "The gift may be small, but the kindness is worth a thousand gold." Therefore, most people in Xiaoye City knew this man and spread his good name. After not seeing him for many days, he would go out again. Now when they saw him, they came to greet him and talked with him. It was not just a casual exchange, but mostly sincere and affectionate.

"I've caught a cold recently and am recuperating. Mr. Xu, you can use it yourself." Zong Qing made way and pushed the snack back.

"Ah, I noticed that you looked pale, sir. It turned out that you had an epidemic. Have you been to the clinic?" A man at the table next to him asked in a loud voice, attracting a crowd of onlookers.

"I've checked it out. Just take a few doses of medicine and it will be fine. Don't worry." Zong Qing waved his hand.

Another person stood up and said, "The medicinal materials in the city are quite expensive. Mr. Qing can lend a hand. If your wallet is empty, I can also help you a little." This person only talked about himself and did not include the people present. But when he started talking about this, the people present looked at him with concern, as if Zong Qing would open his mouth and donate generously.

"Thank you all for your consideration. It's just a minor epidemic. Zong Qing hasn't fallen to this point. Don't worry, if you need anything, I'll definitely ask for it." Zong Qing said with a bow.

An old man in the room coughed and knocked on the corner of the table, "Alright, alright, Zong Qing must know what's going on. He won't tolerate you making trouble. He's not a hypocritical person. If he has any difficulties, he will definitely tell you." Then he looked at Zong Qing, "Qing boy, am I right? I still have some money for your Seventh Master's coffin, so you can use your Seventh Master's money first!"

"Seventh Master, your words really hurt my heart!" Zong Qing said with a smile, "Don't worry, Zong Qing has never cared about face since he was a child. If I'm short of money, I'll go to your house and make a scene, but don't beat me up."

Everyone was making a fuss. They knew it was a joke, but they all replied seriously that it was absolutely not true. Only Old Seventh Master grumbled, "You rascal, you only know how to fool around every day, and you don't know how to run a business properly."

Zong Qing pretended not to hear and looked at Gu Qingyuan: "Mr. Xu looks unfamiliar, did you come to Xiaoye City recently?"

Gu Qingyuan nodded: "I have been here for a few months. I have heard about Mr. Qing's deeds before. Now that I can see him in person, it is worth the trip."

"Mr. Xu, what are you talking about? It's just a small thing. I don't think I'm doing a good deed, but my neighbors will remember it. I'm so ashamed." Zong Qing was a carefree person, but he felt a little embarrassed when he said this.

"Doing the right thing is not considered a good deed, but instead your good reputation spreads far and wide. This is what Mr. Qing deserves." Gu Qingyuan said. It was the first time the two met and they did not have a deep conversation. They just chatted casually until Fang Kuozui appeared for the second time.

"The storyteller opened a new book and just told a passage. Mr. Qing didn't hear it, which was a bit regrettable." Gu Qingyuan said.

Zong Qing smiled slightly: "Nothing is perfect. If I hadn't come, I wouldn't have heard a word. Now I can still hear the second part, so I am lucky."

When the pot of tea was finished and the sun was setting, Gu Qingyuan and Zong Qing did not refill their water. They went out together, said goodbye at the door, and went their separate ways.

Zong Qing walked forward all the way to his own courtyard. He stood in the yard and took a breath for a while. His face became paler and paler. Finally, he couldn't help vomiting a mouthful of blood, which fell into his hand. His palm was red with golden threads, but there were also wisps of black air.

"The symptoms have become more severe. I'm afraid he won't live long." Zong Qing took out his handkerchief, wiped his palms, and pushed open the door. It was quiet inside, with no one else around. There were only two tablets standing on the altar. They were his deceased parents. He took some incense and offered sacrifices. Finally, he glanced at the furnishings in the house, memorized them, and turned to leave.

When he staggered out of the city gate and saw that there was no one around, he turned into a ray of golden light and landed on a dilapidated City God Temple outside the city.

It was indeed dilapidated, with cracks and cobwebs everywhere, and even the statue of the City God was covered with dust. The temple was small and windy, and when the draught blew through the hall, it made a whimpering sound. It didn't look like a temple, but rather a haunted house.

Zong Qing faced the City God Temple straight ahead, without kneeling or worshipping. He stretched out his hand, and golden light fell from the statue, which had changed its appearance.

He was wearing a red robe, holding a large brush, with a booklet in his arm. His eyes were shining, and his aura was as majestic as a prison, very solemn.

Zong Qing played with the pen. Although the pen was magical, it had tiny cracks on it, as if it would break at the touch of a finger. Then he stood still, closed his eyes and concentrated. When the moonlight shook, he suddenly opened his eyes and divine light swept in all directions.

'found it! ’

He silently recited a sentence in his heart, and it turned into divine light and rushed forward.

Tomb of the gods.

The name of this place sounds domineering, but it is not a magical place. When the previous dynasty ended and the dynasty changed, Dayan came to the world. Mountains were cut down and temples were destroyed. The temples with foundations were not moved, but some gods that were enthroned in the previous dynasty were treated as obscene, and their statues were pushed down and the altars were destroyed.

The wooden frame of the powerless statue was transported here by people from all over the city of Xiaoye and the towns in all directions. They dug a deep pit and buried it. However, because people were not very careful, some fragments of the statue were exposed after several heavy rains, so it was called the "Tomb of the Gods".

At this time, the Immortal Tomb was not at peace. At midnight, phantom figures appeared one after another, with pus oozing from their bodies, drooling from their mouths, and covered with green sores. They were actually a group of plague ghosts.

This group of ghosts should not have been a big deal, but they happened to pass by here and got some resentment from the dilapidated statue, and turned into evil spirits. Among the evil ghosts, there are some with higher cultivation, who call themselves "Plague Lord", and they gather ghosts together with bad intentions.

"It's so unlucky. According to what I've learned, Xiaoye City has long lost its city god. I don't know where this city god came from, blocking our way. My original plan was to enter Xiaoye City in a few days and cause plague to spread everywhere to help me practice. But now all my plans have gone down the drain!" said the Lord of Plague.

"Don't be angry, sir. The City God's power is not obvious. He can't stop us for a few days. Once we work together to kill him, it will be a piece of cake to take over the small Ye City. Let those mortals live a few more days." The plague ghost next to him said vaguely with a torn mouth.

The Plague King sneered: "He has been infected by my disease and plague. I'm sure he will be sick and will not live for more than a few days."

Then he stood up and said, "Everyone wake up, the City God has a heart of stone and will definitely fight with us to death. I predict that he will attack us tonight."

"Haha, it seems that the plague didn't poison your brain, you still have some wit."

A cold voice was heard, and a figure fell down. It was the red-robed City God Zong Qing.

　I am typing urgently, trying to publish another chapter. It's really hard to have no manuscripts saved.
　　
　
(End of this chapter)