Chapter 111: Peeking at the Storm Beneath the Surface of Prosperity
“Gods are gods, and humans are humans. Though there are many connections between the two, there are also boundaries and distinctions. Some matters of the gods are not for humans to interfere with, and some matters of humans are not for the gods to meddle in,” the City God said.
Realizing that his words contained a negative tone and might be misinterpreted, he quickly added, “Of course, you are neither a god nor a human, Immortal Master. That is, um, not what I intended to imply.”
“…” Song You roughly understood his point. Gods had their own duties, and humans had theirs.
Ordinary people seldom dealt with divine matters, but it was also true that many humans could influence the gods. Wasn’t this City God appointed by the emperor? Throughout history, there had been numerous cases where gods were renamed or even discarded and abandoned by the human courts due to the taboo of using the emperor’s title or other reasons, and some gods were even slain by powerful mortals.
Naturally, gods were meant to oversee human affairs, one of the primary purposes of their existence. However, exceptions did exist. Some gods were known for their strict or irascible natures. Even if they failed in their duties, mortal authorities might be wary of challenging them. Conversely, some powerful individuals were too influential to be easily judged by the gods, even if they committed crimes.
In essence, it was a matter of protecting the powerful and shunning the weak, a form of mutual protection among officials.
Regarding the City God’s role, his duty was to protect the city, prevent demons and ghosts from causing chaos, and handle malevolent spirits. For matters between mortals, the sanshi yamen was responsible, and these were not within the City God’s jurisdiction.
Song You thought for a moment before asking, “Could it be that these troublesome demons and ghosts are actually humans in disguise?”
“Not exactly.”