Chapter 203 Nightmare Town (7)
The old turtle repeatedly warned him that he would use his magical powers to escape the imprisonment after arriving at the government office. After that, he should return to the mountains and forests to practice cultivation. The darkness of officialdom could not last long.
Unexpectedly, the county magistrate had already arranged a demon catcher in the escort team, who took action before the old turtle could escape.
Those people claimed to be from the Guiyuan Sect, specializing in catching monsters and suppressing evil spirits. They had powerful methods and many magic weapons.
Soon, the old turtle was defeated and his true form was revealed.
Covered in wounds, he collapsed to the ground, indignant. "Although I'm a demon, I've never done anything that harms Heaven and Earth. This time, it's clearly you who are corrupt, yet you're accusing me of it. Justice is clear, and retribution is inevitable. Do you really think you can do whatever you want?"
"I've never done anything that harms the world?" The county magistrate smiled sinisterly. "Who would believe that?"
"Who would believe that a monster disguised as a human could gain nothing but benefits and diligently serve the people every day? How could such a fool exist in the world?"
"So, you're a monster, an evil creature! You've disguised yourself as a human and infiltrated the officialdom. You must have ulterior motives!"
"The flood in your county this time is strange. It was fine in previous years, so why did it suddenly rain for so long and cause a flood?"
"It must be you! You're the evil spirit in the rivers, stirring up the storms and causing floods, leaving the people homeless."
"Then, posing as a great judge, you came to this county and cried out in poverty. You made an exorbitant demand, demanding one million dan of grain and one million and two hundred thousand taels of silver. It was you who embezzled the grain and silver, while feeding the people corn mixed with sand!"
"Hahaha... Doesn't this make sense?"
Everyone around was laughing, laughing at the fact that this good show finally had someone to take the blame.
The old turtle was furious, his eyes agape, and he spit out blood as he roared, "Bullshit! You're just trying to find a pretext to accuse me! I'm a turtle that's become a spirit, but I'm a land turtle, not a turtle from rivers, lakes, or the sea. I don't have the ability to call the wind and rain! I haven't embezzled anything, I haven't taken a single penny. You're the ones who embezzled, not me!"
The prefect sighed and lowered his voice, "Yes, you are wronged. I know you are wronged. But there is nothing we can do. The court has suddenly launched a strict investigation into corruption and fraud. The money and rice we reported have been found. Fortunately, the special envoy has been bribed and will not touch us. They just need a scapegoat. Otherwise, the special envoy would have a hard time explaining to the court."
"Yes, you are the scapegoat. And since you are a monster, everything is even more logical. Whether you are a water turtle or a land turtle, or whether you can control the wind and rain, it doesn't matter. No one cares."
"Don't think your county residents will redress your grievances. They respected you before because you deceived them and they didn't know you were a monster. If they knew, they would only be afraid of you. How could they remember whether you were a good official?"
"If you don't believe me, just open your eyes and watch carefully!"
During the few days in prison, Lao Gui was entangled in iron chains all over his body and huddled in a dark corner.
He recalled his past life experiences over and over again in his mind, and couldn't understand why he worked so hard to be a good person and an official, but ended up like this.
Why do some people have a devilish heart?
Why is the world so unfair?
Why don’t good people get good rewards?
Not long after, Lao Gui's guilt was confirmed and he was taken to Caishikou for public execution.
Among the crowd watching that day were many residents of Long County.
But in the past, the people who respected him now looked at him with fear and avoidance.
The sheriff stood on the platform and read out his charges loudly:
"Today, there is a tortoise demon named Zhang Ping, who transformed into a human and, by some chance, infiltrated the government, wreaking havoc on the region! Seeking personal political achievements, this demon uses sorcery to bring about a flood, causing disasters that have harmed tens of thousands of people, leaving them homeless and destitute!"
"Fortunately, the Immortal Master of the Guiyuan Sect discovered the true face of the evil demon in time and brought him to justice! In this fair and just world, we will not tolerate evil demons running rampant! Today, he will be publicly beheaded as a warning to others!"
Someone questioned: "But he is really a good official. I don't believe he is a monster!"
Nearby, the Guiyuan Sect member heard this and came out with a cold snort, throwing out a talisman and shouting:
"Show your true form, monster!"
So, in full view of everyone, Zhang Ping revealed his true form as a turtle.
"Oh my god, what a huge turtle! It really is a monster!"
"So he's the one who brought all the disasters in our county? My poor old mother didn't have time to escape when the flood came and was drowned! Woohoo, monster, give my mother back!"
"My son was also drowned. He used to love Magistrate Zhang the most and even said he wanted to be a constable for him when he grew up! Monster, how could you be so cruel as to kill him?"
"No, no, everyone calm down! Hasn't Magistrate Zhang done enough for us over the past decade? He's a good official. Even if he's a monster, he's a good monster!"
"A demon is a demon, there's no good or bad. He was just pretending to be a demon to gain our trust. Don't be fooled by him!"
"Yes, we can't be fooled by him! Kill the monster and avenge our dead relatives!"
"Kill him, kill him!"
Countless stones and rotten vegetable leaves flew towards the old turtle.
The old turtle's head was bleeding, and he was filled with sorrow: "Just because I'm a demon, you are prejudiced and follow the crowd?"
The corrupt officials' framing only made him angry, but the people's insults were like sharp blades that cut his sincerity into pieces!
People in the world are ignorant, pitiful and hateful!
In the end, the old turtle died in endless resentment.
Because of his deep resentment, his soul could not transcend and be reborn after his death, and could only wander in the human world.
He said to Lin Qingyue, "I don't know why I'm trapped here. And the people in this town... it seems they all died overnight. Their souls are trapped here like mine, unable to leave."
"They are pitiful souls like me, and they have never hurt anyone on their own initiative. It's just that the yin energy here is too strong and cannot flow out, so people who mistakenly enter here will be harmed."
Dongfang Qi said, "What they did to you before was tantamount to betrayal, yet you don't even bear a grudge?"
"Hate?" The old turtle sighed softly, "I did hate them once. But the culprits who killed me were those corrupt officials. The ignorant people were just deceived. Now that times have changed, how can I hate them?"
He looked at the souls coming and going, with complex emotions surging in his eyes:
"They were all once citizens under my jurisdiction. I treated them like my own children. What father in the world would hold a grudge against his son because of his misunderstanding?"
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