inspire-indiana Chapter 27 I have rules, do you have a life?
Chapter 27 I have rules, do you have a life?
Chu Jiang looked at the incomplete text message on his Soul-Nourishing Wood phone and swiped his finger across the screen.
"The Heavenly Court is interested. Name your price."
His tone was exactly like those scam text messages he received in his past life that said, "I am Qin Shi Huang, send me money."
"Ha, you want to be the client right away, without even leaving a name."
He casually tossed the message into the trash can and looked up at the ferry crossing.
The underworld officials, including Yao Lao, were still craning their necks and staring at him from the queue, their hands almost sweating from holding the millennium soul crystals.
Chu Jiang completely ignored them; his credit score wasn't high enough to qualify him as a customer.
Just then, the nearby section of the Netherworld River suddenly burst open with a huge splash.
A Taoist priest, soaking wet, scrambled out of the river and onto the bank in a disheveled state.
The Taoist priest was in his thirties, dressed in an apricot-yellow Bagua robe, which, though soaked, still revealed its superior material. He also held a peach wood sword in his hand, its blade covered with cinnabar talismans, emanating a pure yang energy that made the surrounding ghosts very uncomfortable.
"Ptooey! What a horrible place! This water stinks even worse than a septic tank!"
The Taoist priest wrung out the water from his robe with a look of disgust, his gaze sweeping over the neatly lined-up ghosts, his face full of contempt.
"Get out of my way, you bunch of rats from the gutter! Don't block my path!"
He swaggered into the ferry terminal, completely ignoring the blood-red words "Queue" on the stone tablet next to him.
Bruch, dressed in a tailcoat, gracefully glided forward and extended a white-gloved hand to stop him.
"Sir, please follow the rules at the Sanzu Ferry and join the queue at the back."
The Taoist priest sized up Bruch, then sneered, "A foreign devil like you dares to boss me around? Get lost!"
With a flick of his wrist, a sword aura condensed from yang energy slashed towards Bruch.
Bruch's expression changed slightly, and he flashed away, narrowly avoiding the attack. The sword energy struck the ground, directly burning a charred mark that sizzled.
"For cutting in line, violating Article 3 of the 'Passenger Instructions,' 100 points of Yin Virtue Credit will be deducted."
Li, the coder, pushed up his non-existent glasses, and a cold voice came from the side. He held a flat, magical artifact in his hand, displaying the Taoist priest's image data.
"Virtue and Credit Score? What utter nonsense!" The Taoist priest laughed angrily. "I'm a living person! I'm an exorcist sent to the underworld on official business! You bunch of ghosts, you don't even kneel before me, and you dare to block my way?"
He looked around, his gaze settling on the Yellow Springs Spirit Boat, a glint of greed flashing in his eyes.
"This boat is quite nice; I've requisitioned it! Send me back to the mortal realm, and this Celestial Master can reward you with a few Rebirth Talismans!"
Chu Jiang was looking at the sales report of Meng Po's milk tea shop when he heard this, and he didn't even bother to lift his eyelids.
Li, the coder, stepped forward and stood in front of the Taoist priest.
"Based on the system's logic, your actions constitute illegal intrusion and misappropriation of public property."
"System logic? I'll use magic to reason with you!" The Taoist priest raised his peach wood sword, the tip pointing directly at Li the coder.
Li, the coder, looked at him expressionlessly: "I'll set a rule for you. If you force your way onto the ship, then your behavior will be considered a loophole."
"What loophole? That's incomprehensible nonsense!"
"The vulnerabilities need to be removed or isolated," Li, the coder, continued. "Therefore, we've activated protective measures. Every step you take forward will send you back to where you started, and you'll never reach the ship."
"Playing tricks!"
The Taoist priest shouted loudly, stepped into the Seven Star Step, and his figure transformed into a blur as he rushed straight towards the Yellow Spring Spirit Boat.
A bizarre scene unfolded.
He was charging in a straight line, but his body kept spinning uncontrollably in place. Every step he took forward, his body would automatically shift one step to the left. Every attempt to jump would cause his body to automatically crouch.
He was like a character in a game who had a bug, twitching repeatedly in place, his movements both comical and bizarre.
"What's going on! My body! My magic!" The Taoist priest was horrified to discover that his magic was still there, but his body's commands were completely out of control.
The surrounding ghosts, including the high-ranking officials of the underworld who were queuing up, were all dumbfounded.
Without lifting a finger, he trapped a seemingly powerful Taoist priest with just words.
"What... what kind of supernatural power is this?" Yao Lao muttered to himself.
Chu Jiang then slowly stood up and walked over to the Taoist priest who was still doing the "moonwalk" in place.
"You can't understand human language, can you?"
Chu Jiang took out the black "Order Inspector Order".
The Taoist priest's pupils constricted sharply upon seeing the token: "A...a decree from the Netherworld? You're an official of the Underworld?"
"Only realizing it now? Too late."
Chu Jiang raised the token and pointed it at him.
"I am Chu Jiang, Inspector of the Netherworld Order, and I am here to make my judgment on you."
"Your actions have seriously provoked the order of the underworld and shown contempt for the rules. According to the law, you should be executed."
Upon hearing this, the Taoist priest was terrified: "My lord, spare my life! I... I didn't know it was you! I'm a disciple of Longhu Mountain, and my master is..."
"Even if your master is the Jade Emperor, it won't make a difference."
Chu Jiang's voice was calm, yet it carried an undeniable decisiveness.
"Order execution - cultivation stripping."
A beam of black light shot out from the token and instantly entered the Taoist's brow.
The Taoist priest's Seven Star Steps technique collapsed instantly. He felt the magical power within him, like a flood bursting its banks, pouring wildly out of his limbs and bones.
His thirty years of arduous cultivation, his proud pure Yang magical power, and everything he relied on for survival were all rapidly slipping away.
"No! My cultivation! My spiritual level!"
The Taoist priest let out a desperate scream, collapsing to the ground. His robes lost their luster, turning a dull gray. The peach wood sword in his hand snapped in two with a "crack".
In the blink of an eye, a majestic exorcist master was transformed into a powerless mortal.
Chu Jiang retrieved the token and looked down at him.
"Whether you are a dragon or a tiger in the mortal world, once you come here, whether you are round or flat, you have to follow my rules."
He turned to Bruch and said, "Take him away. Sentence him to three years as a cleaner at the ferry crossing, responsible for cleaning toilets. Only when he understands the meaning of 'labor is the most glorious' will we consider reducing his sentence."
"Yes, boss."
Bruch gave an elegant bow and, as if picking up a chick, dragged the limp Taoist priest toward the newly built public restroom in the corner of the ferry crossing.
The ferry crossing was completely silent.
The ghosts queuing up watched this scene, their eyes gradually shifting from initial fear to fervent worship.
In the underworld, these ghosts without any background are at the very bottom of the social hierarchy. Forget about celestial masters in the mortal realm; even a lowly ghost messenger can bully them at will.
But today, Chu Jiang showed them another possibility.
A possibility where all beings are equal before absolute rules.
Chu Jiang ignored the gazes of the ghosts and walked up to the high platform in front of the ferry, his voice echoing throughout the entire Yellow Springs Road.
"Starting today, Sanzu Ferry Management Co., Ltd. officially launches the 'Hell Credit System'."
"All ghosts who have registered with me and have an account on the 'Three Paths Crossing' APP will be automatically included in this system."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over each of the funny faces.
"Your good and evil deeds in this life, and your words and actions in the underworld, will all be converted into your credit score."
"This score will be your only proof of identity in the underworld."
"Those with high scores can get discounts when crossing the river, can skip the queue for reincarnation, and can even apply for a job at our company, enjoying five social insurances and one housing fund, as well as a luxury package for the next life."
"Sorry, those with low scores will have to drink the 'Soup of Oblivion' (a legendary soup that erases memories of past lives) if it goes bad."
"I don't care whether you were an emperor or a commoner in your past life. Here, in my rules, there are only 'good citizens' with high credit scores and 'debt dodgers' with low credit scores."
He extended a finger and pointed to the endless line of ghosts.
"As long as you follow the rules and accumulate credit, even if you are just a remnant soul, you can gain the most basic respect here."
"Now, Li the programmer, put our first 'debt defaulter,' that Taoist priest from earlier, on the application's list of dishonest individuals and pin it to the top for three days."