Chapter 109 Underworld II
After Zhen Su suddenly broke away from the group, Ox-Head and Horse-Face and the group of Yin soldiers waited in place for a while. As dawn was about to break in the east, Zhen Su still hadn't appeared, so someone anxiously asked, "Should we go back to the underground palace to check the situation?!"
This was immediately met with opposition. One of the ghost soldiers said with lingering fear, "It was already difficult enough for us to escape, how could we possibly get away unscathed again?"
"Let's just leave that guy of unknown origin alone! He went to his death on his own, and nobody asked him to take on the Ghost General all by himself."
"Alas, it might already be... the time is almost up, sir, if we don't set off soon we won't be able to leave!"
The urging voices of his subordinates interrupted Horse-Face's worries. He knew that Masaki was introduced by A-Gui, and he had a close relationship with A-Gui, so he couldn't bear to leave him here unattended. But he alone was not enough to confront the demon general, let alone snatch food from the tiger's mouth and save Masaki.
Seeing that Horse-Face was about to turn back, Ox-Head grabbed him by the back of the neck and said in a rough voice, "If we don't leave now, we'll all die here!! Forget about that kid, if I hadn't covered the rear just now, none of us would have escaped!"
Horse-faced man glanced at the bull's head, which was missing one of its horns and half an arm, and lowered his head.
The group immediately set off towards the dark coffin.
Unexpectedly, at that moment, a figure quickly passed by them, then seemed to remember something, abruptly stopped, and turned around.
"Ah! You're still here! That's great, we made it in time."
Upon closer inspection, everyone realized it was the unassuming kid who had strayed from the group. Seeing him unharmed, they were first stunned, then exclaimed in shock, "You...you're alright?!"
Mayuki sighed regretfully, "Don't mention it. We couldn't subdue it. That demon was quite strong."
"..." So this kid plans to subdue that ghost general all by himself?! They haven't even asked him how he escaped. Everyone's faces twitched with shock, especially Ox-Head and Horse-Face.
However, time was of the essence, and everyone was filled with mixed emotions, but no one said much for the time being, and they all headed towards the coffin.
.
Just before the appointed time was about to pass, the red light of the magic array finally lit up, and the group was teleported back to the Underworld of the Immortal Ghost Layer. The anxious Agui and the other Yin soldiers immediately went to meet them.
Many of the ghost soldiers were still seriously injured, but they were prepared and withdrew in time, so overall it was a close call.
Agui never expected that Masakura, the temporary reinforcement, would be the one with the most intact siblings.
"Are you alright?!" A-Gui looked the person up and down.
Before Shinju could answer, Horse-face strolled over and said he could take Shinju to get a Ghost Soldier token.
It is clear that this is to give the identity of the True Star Ghost Soldier.
Shinju pursed his lips, concealing the smile on his face, and said, "I'll go first, Sister Gui."
Agui was still somewhat dazed as she watched Masu and Mamiya leave. After regaining her senses, she eagerly leaped over to the other Yin soldiers and inquired about the details of their mission.
The ghostly soldiers of the yamen came and went, still bustling about. Horse-face was thinner than Ox-head, but taller, even taller than the lintel, so he kept bending down to cross the threshold, occasionally glancing at Shinju following behind him out of the corner of his eye.
Shinju could feel Horse-Face's gaze, but he thought to himself, "Am I going to get stuck at the Book of Life and Death again? What am I supposed to do, a living person like me?"
What Zhen Su didn't expect was that the management of the government offices in the Immortal Ghost Realm was all bark and no bite. When he successfully obtained the Yin Soldier's waist token, he was a little stunned. He didn't expect it to be so easy. He didn't even need to remove his veil or ask about his ancestors for three generations. He was directly registered. He even gave a false surname and real name.
The surname Qing was too conspicuous; he didn't know if demonic forces had infiltrated the underworld, and carrying out missions in the mortal realm carried a significant risk of exposing his identity. As for what surname to change to, he wrote down the first one that came to mind—that person's surname.
After the name was registered, the ghost soldier who handed the new waist tag to Shinju was quite surprised. Who exactly was this newcomer who could be personally led over by Horse-Face to register?!
However, Horse-faced also wanted to know.
He looked left and right, but couldn't see anything special about Zhen Su. In terms of Yin energy, he was not as fierce as any imprisoned Yin spirit in the Underworld; in terms of cultivation level, even a powerful being in the Tribulation Transcending stage would be suppressed by the Earthly Fiends upon entering the Underworld; in terms of Yin spirit rank, if he were stronger than Ox-Head and Horse-Face, then this kid should be in the Black Prison, and could not possibly be here.
Therefore, Horse-Face couldn't understand it.
Unbeknownst to the others, he had unintentionally stirred up a storm within them. He fastened the teardrop-shaped ghost soldier's waist tag, and the scene before him changed dramatically—the previously empty areas were now filled with ghosts, mostly imprisoned spirits and shackled spirits. Judging from their clothing, they were cultivators, but most of them were disfigured and terrifying due to their gruesome deaths or severe demonic transformation.
Shinjuku finally felt like he had arrived in the underworld.
It seems that most cultivators don't have good endings; few die peacefully. Zhen Su's gaze darkened slightly, and he shook his head.
But he did see ghosts after all; the waist token was indeed as he had thought, capable of communicating between the living and the dead.
Just as Shinju was about to thank Horse-Face, he noticed that the other was still staring intently at him. After a moment, Horse-Face said nothing, clutched his gaping wound in his abdomen, waved his hand, and went to seek medical help.
"Thank you, Lord Horse-Faced Demon." Shinju bowed from behind.
After chatting with the underworld soldiers of the yamen for a while, when the topic of where to stay came up, Zhen Su learned that most of the underworld soldiers lived in the Earthly Fiends Courtyard in Fengdu, and only underworld officials of the Black and White Impermanence level and above had dormitories to live in in the underworld.
Since he was new to the area and had no salary to receive yet, he had to pay the debts he had borrowed from Agui on credit. After thinking it over, he realized that since his waist token hadn't been activated and he had no missions assigned, he decided to go and take a look at the Earthly Fiends compound first.
.
The Immortal and Ghostly Realm of Fengdu.
This was the first time Zhen Su had ever witnessed such a bustling scene. Ghostly mountains and seas, shrouded in wisps of smoke, with houses, Taoist temples, and ancestral halls built on the cliffs, their dense, eerie flames like scattered stars. Four magnificent, double-eaved, hipped-roof buildings stood intricately connected, their imposing presence like pillars stabilizing the sea, towering in the north of Fengdu, visible from every angle.
That is the Earthly Fiend Courtyard.
However, the Earthly Fiends Compound is far more than just these buildings. Beneath the colorful towers lies a vibrant scene of brothels and entertainment venues, occupying most of the core area of Fengdu and serving as the main destination for the diverse entertainment services provided to the Yin soldiers and spirits.
Therefore, even if Shinjuku manages to see a ghost this time, he will still encounter many bumps and bruises, as the corridors and alleys leading to the mansion are far too crowded.
Although the ghost soldier's waist token is not a rare item, in this compound, it is sufficient to travel to most areas.
One of the managers of the compound, a Mr. White Peacock, came up and, upon seeing Shinju's water droplet waist tag, arranged accommodation for him within the time it takes to drink a cup of tea—a rather secluded one-room courtyard.
Mr. White Peacock happened to also have the surname White, and his service was exceptionally attentive, even a little too attentive. Not long after Shinjuku settled down, two androgynous fox courtesans were brought to his bedside.
However, Masakatsu was once again dragged into a nightmare, and this time he was unaware of it, so he was completely unaware that someone had sneaked into his room and climbed to his left and right sides, keeping a close enough distance that their breath could reach his face, quietly spying on Masakatsu.
A hint of amazement flashed across the eyes of the Snow Fox courtesan, while a playful glint appeared on the lips of the Big-Eared Fox courtesan, which were adorned with black ointment.
Just as the two of them reached out their slender hands to tear open Shinju's collar, a thick, foul-smelling black mist suddenly emerged from between Shinju's eyebrows, emitting a hissing, piercing sound, as if intimidating the two fox courtesans.
"Tsk, what are you doing hiding here? You're the 'evil spirit' in 'evil spirit,' not the 'ghostly spirit.' If you keep sneaking around and ruining people's good deeds, don't blame us for being impolite."
"If you know what's good for you, get off him!"
The fox courtesans abandoned their leisurely and alluring demeanor, baring their fangs and emitting menacing growls.
The black mist spun sharply in the air and retorted, "I was clearly here first!"
"Did Mr. Bai allow you to come?" The snow fox smiled disdainfully, and then slashed the black mist with snowflake-shaped flakes.
Big-eared Fox then took out a feather fan from his sleeve, and with a gentle flick, a strong gust of wind swirled and swept towards the black mist.
The black mist did not dodge, but instead took the opportunity to split itself into several segments, which were then twisted into rope-like tentacles. These tentacles wrapped around Shinju's wrists, ankles, and neck, and then suddenly tightened, emitting a silvery, arrogant laugh.
The two courtesans immediately withdrew their attacks, their expressions uncertain.
If they attack the evil spirit directly, they will inevitably injure the true master by mistake. This is the new master that Mr. Bai told them to take good care of, so it is not good to accidentally bump into him.
"Sui, you just want to accumulate evil energy. I'll go get you some earth crystals. That'll be enough to compensate for what this gentleman has. How about that?"
The black mist, however, seemed to have heard a joke, trembling and roaring, "Hahaha! So you can go and get reinforcements? Don't be delusional. All of you, step back. I've got this kid in my grasp. You have no idea how much murderous aura he exudes..."
The black mist stopped talking in time and eagerly burrowed back into Shinju's brow, merging with the remaining part that had already invaded Shinju's secondary dantian, ready to devour Shinju's soul.
As the aura around Shinju's forehead gradually darkened, the fox courtesans grew increasingly anxious. Caught between a rock and a hard place, they decided to summon the all-powerful Mr. White. However, before they could even step out the door, a wisp of demonic energy leaked out, their fox ears perked up sharply, and their ten fingers extended sharp claws as they turned around abruptly.
The evil spirit, ten times more rampant and ruthless than any demon, was sliced into black hair by the flying petals of the black lotus. After landing gracefully, it left no trace.
It turned out that the black hair was not a fragment of the black mist, but merely a final afterimage.
The evil spirit was devoured in the blink of an eye, leaving the fox courtesans dumbfounded.
At this moment, Shinju slowly opened his golden eyes, his eyes revealing a hint of anger at being disturbed, which made him appear rather cold and aloof.
But Masaya's appearance struck a chord with the two courtesans. They felt that when those bright golden cat eyes glanced at them, it was as if they were silently coquettishly scolding each other, just like a tanuki's paw pad flicking lightly and softly across their faces.
Seeing the two men's strange reactions and their flushed cheeks, Masaya realized that he had removed his disguise veil before going to bed. But putting it back on now would be a bit like burying his head in the sand, so he didn't move.
"Who let you in?" Shinju felt much lighter and his sleepiness was gone. He rubbed his brow with his fingertips and asked.
The snow fox and the big-eared fox courtesan exchanged a glance and then lowered their heads and said meekly, "It was Mr. Bai who sent us to serve our master."
Shinju instinctively felt it wasn't fake, so he didn't pursue the matter further, simply saying, "Go out and tell Mr. Bai that there's no need to send anyone else."
Shinjuku's tone wasn't harsh; it even carried the groggy softness of someone who had just woken up. But he didn't expect the two of them to burst into tears. Large, glistening tears hung from the corners of their eyes, and their bare shoulders, exposed by their open collars, trembled as they pressed themselves against Shinjuku.
The nightmare is over, but trouble has come again.
Meanwhile, in the Nian Dynasty, King Zhen also awoke from his nightmare, still reeling from the erotic scene of himself and the young man in his dream. His dark eyes, now stained with desire, rippled as if a boulder had been thrown into them.
Who exactly is that boy...?
This is the third time I've dreamed of him.
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Author's Note: P.S.: Qingbao took her husband's surname (just kidding).
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