Chapter 60 I found the common ground

Bai Yan waved his free hand in front of Jiang Yuzhi, "Wife? What are you thinking about?"

Jiang Yuzhi glanced at him unconsciously, "It's nothing, let's go."

Passing by a pavilion not far from hell, the outline of hell could already be seen.

Jiang Yuzhi became increasingly certain, and the fog that had lingered in the underworld for years thinned by more than half.

The last time she came, she used the fog as cover to talk with Xie Bi'an in the pavilion.

The ghost guards on duty wouldn't let them in, saying that the Emperor himself was inspecting inside and they needed to be informed.

No wonder I didn't see him in the hall; so he came here. Jiang Yuzhi nodded in understanding.

The burning gaze made Jiang Yuzhi's cheeks flush. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Bai Yan frowning and staring blankly at her. Only then did Jiang Yuzhi remember something. "Is it hurting again? I'll have the ghost messengers send you to the gates of hell first. I'll come find you soon, okay?"

"No, I'm not in pain." He said the denial, but his face looked as pale as when he first met Jiang Yuzhi.

Fan Wujiu carefully observed Bai Yan's soul and found that, just as Xie Bi'an had said, it was in good condition. "It's just a little sore, but there are no other effects. Xiao Zhi, why worry?"

Jiang Yuzhi was skeptical. "Really? If you really can't take it anymore, you must tell me."

Bai Yan nodded like a chick pecking at rice, her eyebrows and eyes curving.

Jiang Yuzhi felt a growing sense of unease. The Bai Yan from the underworld and the Bai Yan from the mortal world were becoming more and more like two different people, and he bore no resemblance to He Ji whatsoever.

In the mortal realm, Bai Yan is more like a well-mannered nobleman, with a unique set of rules for dealing with people. Even when he occasionally loses his temper and touches her inappropriately, Jiang Yuzhi believes that there is part of the reason behind it. After all, they often use physical contact to alleviate Bai Yan's pain and maintain the normal operation of the Sheji Tu (a mythical map of the land).

Bai Yan from the underworld, like an innocent child, clung to her tightly, and the way he addressed her puzzled Jiang Yuzhi. She knew Bai Yan had feelings for her, but they weren't married, so where did the term "wife" come from?

As for He Ji, Jiang Yuzhi's lowered eyelashes cast a shadow under her eyes, obscuring the unreadable thoughts in her red eyes.

Cold and taciturn were the two most prominent impressions Jiang Yuzhi had of He Ji.

He was not talkative, had no particular favorite things, and seemed like a bystander who was forced into conflict but was powerless to extricate himself.

Upon closer reflection, it makes sense; he is the spirit of the "Landscape and Social Map".

Jiang Yuzhi will never forget He Ji's call of "sister" as he lay half-lying under the tree, heavily injured, and the apologetic "I'm sorry" from He Ji, who was on the verge of death, conveyed through the power transmitted from Long Jin.

The only clear commonality among the three is the "Map of the State and the State".

Previously, Jiang Yuzhi could still sense a sense of familiarity in Bai Yan's daily actions, but now that's no longer the case.

Perhaps her memory is hazy, and she can't recall the details of her interactions with He Ji.

Jiang Yuzhi shook her head, trying to get rid of all the random thoughts in her mind.

The messenger returned and respectfully invited the officials inside. He also handed Jiang Yuzhi a hastily written talisman, saying, "Miss, the Emperor said to give this paper to the young master next to you to keep close to his body."

Although the specific effects are unknown, anything the Emperor does is bound to be good.

"Thank you." Jiang Yuzhi took the talisman, folded it a few times, turned to look at Bai Yan, and hesitated about where to put it.

Bai Yan casually opened his shirt, saying, "Wife, put it here."

Jiang Yuzhi could hardly bear to look at the disheveled state of his robe with its collar pulled loose. "No need to pull it so wide. Here, keep it for yourself." With that, she quickly tossed the scribbled talisman into Bai Yan's hand, then ruffled the hair of the drowsy Di Ting, reminding it that they were leaving.

Bai Yan, slightly disappointed, gathered the scribbles into his bosom, straightened his clothes, and obediently smiled at Jiang Yuzhi, his eyes crinkling, "I'm all done, my wife."

Jiang Yuzhi glanced at it briefly, "How is it? What do you think?"

"I don't feel bad anymore."

"So that's how it is. The Emperor is indeed very thoughtful." Jiang Yuzhi thought to herself with admiration.

Di Ting, standing to the side, almost spilled his inkstone. Ha, so pretentious.

Fan Wujiu was already waiting at the gates of hell, whispering to the ghost guards on duty.

The three who lagged behind caught up quickly, and the three ghosts and the dog went inside together.

The door, made of an unknown material, slowly closed with a dull thud, completely shutting out the lush scenery.

The mournful howls of ghosts surged up from all directions on the wind and entered Jiang Yuzhi's ears.

She couldn't help but frown.

Fan Wujiu and Di Ting were in front of the memorial, with Bai Yan following closely behind Jiang Yuzhi.

I felt a cool touch on my ear, which blocked out most of the piercing howl. All I could hear was the muffled sound of the wind echoing between my eardrums and my palm.

Jiang Yuzhi stopped in her tracks, knowing who it was without even turning around. She reached out and pulled the hand away from her ear, meeting Bai Yan's questioning gaze. "There's no need for that."

“But you look uncomfortable.” Bai Yan stubbornly tried to cover up again, but Jiang Yuzhi stopped him by grabbing his wrist.

"Hell is always like this, you'll get used to it. We'll be out of here soon, okay?"

Bai Yan disliked Jiang Yuzhi speaking to him in a coaxing tone, but he had no choice but to reluctantly compromise, taking his wife's hand and following her.

Stone mill hell.

Fan Wujiu put away his soul-hooking lock and replaced it with the sealing technique of the Fengdu Emperor.

The Emperor of Fengdu stood with his hands behind his back not far from Zhao Qingyun, who was prostrate on the ground. The shadow cast by his imposing figure enveloped the pale-faced evil spirit.

Xie Bi'an stood behind the emperor.

"A new discovery?" Fan Wujiu stepped forward and stood side by side with Xie Bi'an.

"The Emperor didn't say."

Di Ting cautiously circled around Zhao Qingyun, trying to find something out.

Jiang Yuzhi led Bai Yan directly to the side of the Emperor of Fengdu.

The Emperor's tightly furrowed brows slowly relaxed, revealing a kind smile. He raised his hand and ruffled Jiang Yuzhi's hair. "Was Wannan fun?"

"Uncle Yan, I'm not going there to play around..." Jiang Yuzhi said helplessly.

The Great Emperor of Fengdu: "What's the big deal? We're already there, so let's have as much fun as we can!"

Jiang Yuzhi fell silent and shifted her gaze to Zhao Qingyun. The Emperor of Fengdu had always been unreliable; she should have gotten used to it by now.

The Emperor of Fengdu chuckled, then put his hand behind his back again. "How much of Xiaozhi's impression of him remains?"

Jiang Yuzhi's tone remained flat, and her expression unchanged. "The emperor of the previous dynasty wiped out my entire family."

The person with the most emotional fluctuations was Bai Yan. He was first shocked by his wife's background, and then felt sorry for her fate. He subconsciously took a step forward, but was pulled back by Jiang Yuzhi.

An unseen power extended from Bai Yan's body, passed through the barrier of the Fengdu Emperor, and connected with Zhao Qingyun.

The originally ignorant and unaware evil spirit suddenly let out an unbearable low moan. The repeated grinding of the stone mill crushed Zhao Qingyun's soul into powder again and again, and then restored it again and again under the guidance of the rules. Even such pain could not make him make a sound.

At this moment, however, an invisible, delicate thread tugged at the nerve called pain.

Both the Black and White Impermanence and the Emperor of Fengdu were surprised; this was the first time in so many days that they had heard this evil spirit make a sound.

He was like a rag doll, abandoned on the ground, unable to resist or call for help.

Drops of blood trickled from Zhao Qingyun's tightly closed eyes, his cracked lips, and his high, straight nose, soon forming a small pool of blood beneath him.

"Tsk," the Emperor of Fengdu said impatiently, "You really don't give me any peace of mind."

Before the Emperor could make a move, Jiang Yuzhi and Di Ting locked eyes, and the dog's mouth subtly touched the white inkstone.

Jiang Yuzhi immediately recalled Bai Yan's earlier action of taking a step forward, and decisively pulled him back several steps.

Bai Yan snapped out of his daze, and the silk thread broke silently.

Zhao Qingyun's bleeding gradually stopped, so the Emperor naturally didn't need to intervene anymore. He gave Jiang Yuzhi an appreciative look and then gave Bai Yan a meaningful glance.

Everyone present, except Bai Yan, was a fool; upon seeing this, they knew that Bai Yan was the one who did it.

Bai Yan, still dazed, stumbled a couple of steps as Jiang Yuzhi pulled him along. "What's wrong, my wife?"

"...It's okay, just don't get too close to him."

"Okay, sure."

Fortunately, Bai Yan from the underworld seems to be somewhat immature.

No one wanted Zhao Qingyun to perish more than Jiang Yuzhi, but it wasn't the right time yet. She didn't want to drag herself down with her. Her family hadn't been found, and the map of the state hadn't been repaired, creating a barrier that would prevent her from falling off the cliff.

This did not prevent Jiang Yuzhi from feeling a secret sense of schadenfreude when she saw Bai Yan's unconscious actions, or rather, the instinct of the Sheji Tu (a magical map), causing Zhao Qingyun to suffer.

If the residual power of the Sheji Tu (a mythical map) in Zhao Qingyun's soul were truly refined, he would only be able to use a portion of the theory. The residual power would always want to return to its origin, and the origin would also yearn for its lost child to return home.

One was pulling, the other wanted to leave; in the struggle, only Zhao Qingyun was hurt.

However, Jiang Yuzhi remained skeptical about Zhao Qingyun's ability to refine the Sheji Map.

This conjecture is utterly absurd.

"Little Zhi has an idea?" The Emperor of Fengdu noticed Jiang Yuzhi's solemn expression.

"Uncle Yan, can mortals refine divine artifacts?"

"Ah, clever little lady," the Emperor of Fengdu said, reinforcing the seal of the Graphite Hell with another layer. "Mortals are naturally no match for it. Who knows whose soul is inside their body? Even gods are not omnipotent."

"That……"

"Shh—heavenly secrets cannot be revealed." The Emperor of Fengdu pointed to the sky with feigned profundity. "Take good care of your sheep. Everything else is just prolonging your life. Alright! I'm tired too. Xiao Zhi, take that little judge back. There's nothing to worry about. Uncle will cover for you."

Having said that, he left them with a swaying, departing figure.

The Emperor of Fengdu never lied about serious matters, but Jiang Yuzhi always had a bad feeling.

The biggest threat was gone, and a pair of eyes, with pupils almost filling their entire sockets, suddenly opened, staring straight at Jiang Yuzhi, and let out a malicious laugh.

Jiang Yuzhi calmly looked at him and took two steps forward.

The Black and White Impermanence tried to stop it, but were instead forced to take on the task of looking after Bai Yan.

Of course, Di Ting wouldn't let Jiang Yuzhi get close to danger. It crouched down next to her with its forelimbs lowered, ready to leap up at the slightest sign of trouble from Zhao Qingyun.

Jiang Yuzhi squatted down, a flash of hatred crossing her red eyes. "Do you remember Jiang Yunxiu?"

Zhao Qingyun's half-raised face was stained with the blood that had just flowed from him, his mouth splitting almost to his ears, his voice low and hoarse, as if sanded, "Hehehe..."

Jiang Yuzhi was in no hurry and casually tossed out a sentence with great patience: "I found the guard who died with you."

Zhao Qingyun froze instantly.

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Author's Note: Jiang Yuzhi: Taking care of a child is so tiring, sigh.

Bai Yan from the Underworld: My wife, my wife, are you scared? I'll protect you!

Let me see.