Chapter 109 Overexertion is merely a temporary setback, sooner or later, it will happen once...

The voices of those people naturally reached the judge's ears. His face was gloomy, and he really didn't expect that Jiang Yu would regain the support of those fools at this time.

"Does Your Honor think I'm foolish and easily deceived, or do you believe I'm weak and incompetent and afraid to take action?"

The person had made it very clear back then, but unexpectedly, things still went wrong. After carefully considering the matter in his mind, the judge decided to tell the truth.

“Young Master Jiang, it was all my fault just now. I was bewitched. It was indeed drawn by them, but I don’t know who they are. That person was wearing a mask when they came. I am just a lowly judge of the Nine Netherworlds. I don’t know who they are if they are not listed in the Book of Life and Death.”

The judge was deflated. He couldn't afford to offend either of these groups anyway. Jiang Yu had obviously discovered their presence, so he might as well just tell them the truth and save himself another beating.

"This... If Young Master Jiang doesn't believe me, you can ask this old ghost. When that person came, he told us to bring all the ghosts who came down from the Azure Cloud Ladder to the Nine Nether Palace. I really couldn't do anything about it. You see, my palace isn't very big, and it's already been filled up by them."

The judge looked aggrieved. "Later, that person also said that if anyone from Shen Wuke came down to ask questions, I should say what he taught me: 'Young Master Jiang, what I'm saying now is the truth. I haven't lied to you at all.'"

"Actually, they shouldn't have died. The Book of Life and Death shows that their lifespans haven't ended yet. I found it strange at the time. Logically speaking, I shouldn't have dared to accept them, but that person forced me, so I had no choice but to do it."

"When did he come to see you?" Jiang Yu didn't think he would dare to lie again, so she believed what he said.

“About a month ago, he was dressed in black, wearing a white mask. He wasn’t tall and looked very young, like fifteen or sixteen years old,” the judge recounted. He then gave a wink to the Ox-Head and Horse-Face who had entered the hall, “Hurry up and release those people from the Azure Cloud Ladder.”

“Young Master Jiang, I didn’t expect this either. After all, who would come to the Nine Netherworld before? That person didn’t seem like a cultivator from the mortal realm. Instead, I sensed an aura from heaven on him.” The judge sighed. If it weren’t for this, how could he have compromised so easily?

After all, Jiuyou wasn't someone who could be threatened by just anyone and then be expected to do things for him.

"I reckon you have a long way to go to resolve this matter. However, you can take these ghosts with you now, but they have stayed in the Netherworld for too long and have been tainted by the coldness of the underworld. When they return to the human world, they will inevitably fall seriously ill, and it is common for their lifespan to be halved."

Seeing that they were talking, Aunt Zhang stopped cursing. Although she was old, her hearing was still good, and she couldn't help but feel scared when she heard the judge's words.

I'm already in my forties. If my lifespan is halved again, wouldn't I have to come down again as soon as I get back?

"Since Your Honor knows all this, you must also have a way to resolve it. They are all innocent victims who were implicated here and should not bear the consequences because of the actions of others."

The judge looked troubled. He noticed that Jiang Yu was staring at him intently. Although Jiang Yu's tone didn't reveal any domineering attitude, the judge sensed his relentless pursuit.

He really wanted to get rid of this giant Buddha statue as soon as possible.

“Young Master Jiang,” the judge lowered his voice, took small steps to Jiang Yu, and leaned close to his ear, “It’s not that I don’t want to tell you, but this method requires someone with cultivation to do it. It can only be done before they leave the Nine Netherworlds, otherwise it will be ineffective once they leave.”

“In this place, apart from you, we are all ghosts. There are dozens, if not hundreds, of ghosts on the Azure Cloud Ladder. I’m afraid I can’t handle it with your cultivation alone.”

The judge was truly thinking of Jiang Yu's best interests this time, after all, he wasn't born a judge. "This method is extremely harmful to the human body. In my opinion, Young Master Jiang, your cultivation is increasing day by day and you are about to ascend to the heavens. At this moment, you should not overexert yourself, otherwise, who knows what kind of disaster it will bring."

"Thank you for your consideration, Your Honor."

Jiang Yu smiled. He knew what those words meant, especially since he wasn't feeling well to begin with. He had already noticed it when he used Xian Chen earlier.

If he were to use his spiritual power to save so many people, the result would be that he might need to recuperate for half a year after returning to Shen Wuke. He didn't know when the heavenly lightning would strike, and the people behind this matter hadn't been identified yet, but not saving them wasn't Jiang Yu's style.

"It's just ascension, sooner or later, once or twice, what does it matter?"

Hearing him say that, the judge could only tell him the method, "Young Master Jiang, this method is very dangerous. So far, only one immortal who ascended to heaven has used it, and he did it only to save one person. There are many people on the Azure Cloud Ladder today, so you must be careful."

"Moreover, there are several children here who are still young and whose spiritual energy is unstable. They may need to expend more cultivation and achieve less than satisfactory results."

Jiang Yu looked towards the small camp in the distance that was watching him. The boy noticed his gaze, and a hint of joy appeared in his dark eyes. He raised his left hand and waved, hoping that Jiang Yu would respond.

“Young Master Jiang, you are a good person. It has not been easy for you to cultivate for so many years. Now that you have finally reached the point where you can ascend, I still hope that you will not let others cause you to fail at the last moment.”

The judge observed the interaction between the two. From the words Jiang Yu spoke, he knew that after the people of Qingyun Ladder died, their relatives blamed Jiang Yu for everything.

Shen Jiuxu mentioned it when he came last time. If it weren't for these things, he probably wouldn't have seen them in the Nine Netherworld. The judge felt that Jiang Yu and Shen Jiuxu were too kind, because these people were ungrateful, yet they were ultimately saved.

He even saved her time and time again.

The judge dared not gamble on what the outcome would be, because Jiang Yu's ascension day had not yet arrived. He dared not imagine what would await Jiang Yu if he failed on that day.

"Please find me a quiet place."

Jiang Yu waved to Xiao Ying, then turned around and said to the judge, "After this is over, please keep it a secret and send some people to take them back."

"Young Master Jiang, rest assured, it is our duty to return them to the Azure Cloud Ladder unharmed."

Inside the Shenwuke Fuyou Hall.

Shen Jiuxu sat by the bed. Jiang Yu had been asleep for a day and a night. He was a little flustered, but he didn't disturb him. The candles in the room had long been extinguished, and the dim environment made him feel very depressed. The rain outside had started falling after Jiang Yu fell asleep.

The rain pattered incessantly. Shen Jiuxu usually loved the sound of rain, especially when it was late at night and he was lying in bed with Jiang Yu. His lover's body was close to him in the warm blankets, and the rain was falling from the eaves. He felt very at ease.

But now, Shen Jiuxu only felt agitated and confused.

Knock knock—

"Sect Master, Sect Master, are you inside?" There were a few knocks on the door. It was 7:15 PM. Dianxing usually wouldn't bother him unless it was something very important.

Shen Jiuxu turned to look at Jiang Yu, straightened his clothes, and then turned and walked out, not forgetting to close the door behind him.

"What's wrong?"

Dianxing was covered in sweat, and his outer clothes were not even properly put on, just casually draped over his body. Shen Jiuxu had never seen him so out of sorts before, and thought that something serious had happened again. "What happened to Qingyun Ladder?"

"No, Sect Master, it's good news."

Dianxing was panting heavily and hadn't uttered a word for a long time. Fortunately, he was the first to say "good news," which made Shen Jiuxu less anxious. He felt a little happy, wondering if it was about Jiang Yu.

The elm leaves, washed clean by the rain, looked brand new. When the wind blew, the unique fragrance of grass and trees reached Shen Jiuxu's nose. The paper crane huddled under the eaves fluttered its wings a few times, and Shen Jiuxu's heartbeat suddenly quickened. Even with the sound of rain, he could still hear the continuous thumping of its wings.

"Xiao...Xiaoying, and Wu Er and the others have woken up." Dianxing said breathlessly, his hands on his knees, half of his body hunched over. "The people from Qingyun Ladder have also woken up."

"Cough cough—"

Two very soft coughs were heard inside the room. Shen Jiuxu didn't hear what Dianxing was saying at all and quickly ran in. Dianxing heard the noise and just looked up when she found that Shen Jiuxu had already disappeared.

His gaze followed the doorway, and then he thought of how the people on the Qingyun Ladder had regained consciousness. Could it be that Young Master Jiang had done something?

As he reached the door, Shen Jiuxu heard the rustling of the bedding again. He was certain that Jiang Yu had woken up. Yet, a sense of trepidation arose within him. He trusted Jiang Yu completely, but with so many people on the Qingyun Ladder, he was somewhat disoriented.

"Cough cough... cough cough cough."

Jiang Yu was pale. He had thought about how weak his body would become before he started, but in the end, it still far exceeded his expectations.

He was relieved that the people from the Azure Cloud Ladder had been sent away by the Ox-Head and Horse-Face demons, otherwise they would have seen his terrible state. Jiang Yu was even more relieved that Shen Jiuxu was not around. When he returned, he only needed to use his spiritual power to conceal himself slightly, and probably no one would be able to tell anything.

But the moment they emerged from the Nine Netherworld, the old water ghost stopped the boat. Jiang Yu's feet touched the ground, and he could barely hold on. If it weren't for Xian Chen, he probably would have collapsed to the ground.

"Young Master Jiang, are you alright?"

"It's alright, thank you."

A metallic, sweet taste rose in Jiang Yu's throat. He desperately tried to suppress it, enduring it until he reached the Fuyou Palace. But he could no longer hold back. After a few light coughs, he turned over and spat a mouthful of blood onto the ground.

Before he closed his eyes, he saw Shen Jiuxu running over. Jiang Yu tried hard to force a smile, but in the end, he collapsed weakly onto the bed.

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Author's note: I had a dream last night and it came up with a really catchy plot. I really want to write about a love-hate relationship. What should I do?