Qiugen is an old police officer who has served in the county yamen for many years. At the end of the Qing Dynasty, when Qiugen turned 60 years old, it coincided with the Wuchang Uprising, and yamen trees fell and monkeys scattered. Qiugen had to return to his hometown.

Qiugen's hometown is a small town with mountains and rivers, and there are dozens of families in the town. In the center of the town, there is a towering ancient tree, next to which stands a small gray brick temple. Due to the lack of management for many years, the small temple has become dilapidated.

On this day, Qiugen strolled around after dinner and strolled to the temple, where she saw a woman with her daughter placing fruit candles in front of the incense table, burning incense and praying. Qiugen knew this woman. She was a young widow. Not long ago, her husband took a boat to do business, but unfortunately the boat capsized and drowned, leaving her and her daughter to live together in a grocery store.

Qiugen didn't want to disturb the mother and daughter, and was about to continue walking forward when he saw a man with a burden on his shoulders walking over. This man was sturdy and had a gloomy look. For a while, Qiugen thought that this person looked familiar, and after thinking for a while, he remembered that this person was called Tu San. Tu San was originally from a small town, and he left town very early to go out and go out, but now he is back. When Tu San passed by the small temple, he saw the mother and daughter burning incense, staring at the widow with gloomy eyes. Seeing this, Qiugen couldn't help but frown…

A few days later, the weather was very hot, and everyone in the town came to the ancient tree to cool off. Qiugen also came, and led a craftsman to point out in the small temple. A neighbor asked, "Qiugen, what are you doing? You want to tear down the bricks of the temple and sell them for money?"

Qiugen said solemnly: "I know an eminent monk. The eminent monk once told me that this small temple in our town is a very spiritual ancient temple. The gods in the temple are powerful and good and evil will be rewarded. The eminent monk asked me to repair the ancient temple after returning to my hometown, but it is difficult for my family to afford the silver taels. I want to ask my neighbors to help me."

Under the ancient tree sat two old men, one named Qiu Laogui and the other Qiu Dafu. At this time, Qiu Laogui heard the words and laughed: "A small broken temple, what kind of gods are there? You are used to eating extra money in the yamen, and you have no choice when you come back. Do you want to think of a way to cheat everyone's money?" Qiu Dafu also helped: "Rabbits don't eat grass by the side of the nest, and you can't hit the villagers if you want money!"

Qiugen said angrily, "You say it doesn't matter to me, I can't desecrate the gods of the ancient temple, there will be retribution!"

Qiu Laogui patted his butt and stood up: "Retribution? Wow, if there is really retribution, I will sell pants and donate money to you." He said, shaking the fan and leaving.

After a while, Qiu Laogui came back with a smile on his face and said to Qiu Gen: "Guess what I did?

When the neighbors heard the words, they all said "ah" in amazement. The dragon's eye well is a living well, clear to the bottom, and the older generation said that this well is the eye of a dragon. Qiugen said indignantly, "You are too wicked to do this, and you will be punished!" Qiu Laogui looked unashamed and walked away.

A few days later, Qiu Laogui walked around the town, walked to Qiugen's door, and shouted loudly: "Qiugen, what's the retribution you have given me?" Qiugen didn't say a word at home. All the neighbors came out to watch the fun. At this time, Qiu Dafu also came, and in front of everyone, he said to Qiu Laogui with excitement: "What retribution, nonsense! By the way, I just took Granny Qiu's dog to my house, locked it in a dog cage and raised it first, fattened up the stewed dog meat hot pot, and we drank." The two laughed happily "haha".

Granny Qiu was a lonely old woman who lost her sight a few years ago. Fortunately, she had a dog that understood human nature. She was led by a dog to pick up firewood and carry water.

In the middle of the night, there was a sudden scream like killing a pig in the silent town. People woke up in their sleep. After listening carefully, it was Qiu Laogui who screamed. Just at dawn, people saw the Langzhong of the town coming out of Qiu Laogui's house and hurried around to ask what was going on. Langzhong said, "Last night, Qiu Laogui suddenly had a strange illness, and his lower body had sores and pus. Based on my experience, it is difficult to cure. I am afraid that he will be tortured to death."

Everyone was stunned and discussing, when Qiu Dafu's wife stumbled over, grabbed Lang Zhong and said, "Go and see Dafu, he's suffering from evil!" Qiu Dafu's wife said that last night, Qiu Dafu went to bed early, and in the middle of the night, a lightning bolt passed by outside the window, and Qiu Dafu suddenly rolled out of bed and crawled on the ground like a dog.

When Lang Zhong heard this, he solemnly said, "I will not go. His illness can't be cured by Lang Zhong!"

The neighbors looked at me and I looked at you, and they all raised their heads and shouted to the sky, "Retribution is coming, retribution is coming!"

On this day, villagers and Qiugen came together under the ancient tree to discuss renovating the small temple. Qiu Laogui's wife came with Qiu Laogui's support, and when she came, she knelt and kowtowed to everyone, saying that their family had re-washed the water from the longan well, and asked the stonemason to make smooth stones and inlay them at the mouth of the well. Immediately after, Qiu Dafu's wife also came, saying that they had brought Granny Qiu home, served her good tea and meals, and sent her to die in retirement. Qiugen nodded and said, "If you know it, you can change it, and the gods know it."

After three days, Qiu Laogui's illness healed as before, and Qiu Dafu changed from a dog to a human overnight. The people of the town believed that there were gods in the small temple, and the gods would listen to what everyone said; whatever they did, the gods would watch.

One autumn day, a young man in a suit and shoes came to town. He was Qiu Wenyuan, son of Qiu Laogui. Wenyuan studied in Wuchang and joined the revolutionary party. This time, he came back to his hometown to visit his parents and publicize revolutionary principles by the way.

Wenyuan entered the small town, and the town was quiet, only the ancient temple was filled with people and incense. Wenyuan shook his head and said, "Foolish, ignorant!" Just as he was sighing, a villager recognized him and shouted, "Big nephew, you're back?" Wenyuan pointed to the small temple and said, "What era do you still believe in these mud bodhisattvas?" The villager hurriedly covered his mouth: "Don't talk nonsense, your father just doesn't believe it, he got retribution, and he almost can't see you!" The villagers told Wenyuan the cause and effect, which made Wenyuan half-believe.

When Wen Yuan returned home, he couldn't help but ask Qiu Laogui while eating: "Father, I heard that you did something bad and suffered retribution, is it true?" Qiu Laogui drank a few glasses of wine and was already a little drunk. He smiled and said: "Nonsense, does your father do bad things? I won't hide it from you, it was a play co-played by your Uncle Qiu Gen, Uncle Dafu and your father..."

When Yuan didn't say a word after listening, he put down his rice bowl and walked out. He quickly came to the small temple, it was the Mid-Autumn Festival, and almost all the people in town came. Wen Yuan stood at the door of the small temple and said loudly, "Everyone listen, I want to expose a shocking secret to you!" Then Wen Yuan told the whole story of his father's acting with Qiu Gen and Qiu Dafu, and finally said, "There is no divine retribution in this world at all, only people who pretend to be ghosts!" Everyone looked at each other and said in surprise, "It turned out to be fake, which made us waste the money for building the temple!"

Wen Yuan's resentment did not subside, and he came to Qiugen's house again. Qiugen was sick and lay on the bed. Wen Yuan said with a face on his face, "You can't get along with the old yamen. If you don't regret it, you will make up some gods to fool the villagers!" Qiugen was about to speak when Wen Yuan continued: "Tell you, today I exposed your acting in front of the whole town, young and old! Tomorrow I will demolish the temple, sell bricks and wood, and pay back the money donated by the villagers."

He struggled to get up, and Chao Wenyuan roared, "Get out of the way, I don't have time to talk nonsense with you!" He picked up a wooden stick by the door and ran out staggering.

Qiugen ran to the widow's grocery store, panting for breath, but he didn't stop. Not far from the grocery store, suddenly Qiugen heard a scream, and saw the widow's daughter running out with a bloodless face, shouting: "Come on, Tu San killed my mother!"

Qiu Gen quickened his pace and saw the grocery store in the distance, only to see Tu San walk out of the shop with a cloth bag as if nothing had happened. His body was splattered with drops of blood. Just now, he brutally raped and killed the widow and looted the silver jewelry.

Qiugen waved his stick and shouted, "Stop!"

Tu San gave Qiugen a sideways glance, looking like no one else was around. The town was mostly filled with old and weak women and children, but in the eyes of a desperado like him, they were just ants, and he could strangle whoever he wanted. He ignored Qiugen and only looked ahead and said, "The little bastard is running so fast!" He was going to chase after the little girl and kill the grass and roots!

Who was Tu San? He was a wanted fugitive. Back then, after he left town, he joined the gang and became a robber. Qiu Gen also participated in the arrest when he was a police officer, but Tu San was ruthless and his whereabouts were secretive.

Back in the small town, the young and beautiful widow had become prey in Tu San's eyes. Just as she was about to steal money, he saw the retribution of the ancient temple vividly, and he was afraid and hesitated not to act. Who knew that later, Wenyuan exposed the secret of "retribution" in public, and Tu San heard it at the scene, and he laughed wildly to the sky three times.

Tu San turned to go home, put on a sharp knife, went straight to the widow's residence, and dragged the widow when she entered. The widow fought for her life. Tu San didn't say a word, took out the knife and killed the widow. The widow's daughter fled for her life, instinctively running towards the small temple.

The little girl ran into the small temple, and she often followed her mother to burn incense in the temple. Knowing that there was a hidden small hole behind the incense table, she drilled out through the small hole. Tu San saw the little girl running into the small temple from a distance and chased after her quickly, but he didn't see anyone. He shouted "come out" while smashing around. Finally, Tu San found the hidden small hole, but couldn't get through it. In a fit of rage, he turned around, lifted the heavy incense table, and pushed it fiercely towards the small hole in the back wall.

Hearing a "clatter" sound, the back wall of the small temple collapsed, and a piece of bluestone fell from the sky, smashing heavily on Tu San's head, Tu San's body fell limp, and then, a ridge on the top of the temple broke and fell, and the sharp wooden teeth like sharp blades were inserted into Tu San's legs.

At that moment, Qiugen arrived. He raised his wooden stick and hit Tu San's knee hard. Tu San curled up on the ground like a dog.

Qiugen said, "The crime you committed is not enough to chop off a few heads. Unfortunately, I don't have official documents, so I can't torture you! However, your legs are already crippled, and you can only crawl on the ground like a dog in the future!"

At this time, Wenyuan also rushed over, he stared at him in surprise, Qiugen said to him: "What your father said is true, the so-called retribution is a play we played together. In these chaotic years, the royal law is like waste paper, what can be used to deter lawbreakers and protect villagers? Only by making some lawbreakers believe that there are gods three feet above their heads, and they will definitely suffer retribution for doing bad things, they will not dare to do anything wrong and harm the innocent!"

After Wenyuan heard this, he lowered his head and pondered…