Chapter 42 Part 2

The buildings along the river were completely submerged. Looking out, it was a muddy yellow expanse. Trees on the mountain were toppled in disarray, and mudslides were cascading down.

Even as Living Constables, they were still living people with bodies of flesh and blood. How could they withstand such torment? After painstakingly capturing some souls, they were already so exhausted they could barely move.

Lu Dongqing and Feng Pengqi were also getting on in years. No matter how robust their constitutions, they couldn’t compare to the young. On the very first day there, both had fallen ill.

Song Youzhi was taking care of the two elders when she suddenly sensed a wave of Yin Energy rushing towards her. Looking closer, she realized it was a Ghost Edict sent by the Judge.

Lu Dongqing happened to open his eyes just then and saw Song Youzhi receive the Ghost Edict. The dense, black Yin Energy unfolded in her hand, transforming into an official document. In a hoarse voice, he asked, “Is it a message from the Judge?”

Song Youzhi nodded, not understanding why the Judge was summoning only her while everyone else had received no edict. Feeling uneasy, fearful that the Judge had learned of her accepting the Female Ghost’s orphan entrustment, she lied, “The Judge summons all of us to the underworld.”

Lu Dongqing frowned and coughed a few times, struggling to sit up. “Why is there only one Edict?”

“Perhaps the Judge knows that we’re all gathered together,” Song Youzhi averted her eyes.

Regarding the current situation at Ivory Mast Beach, they were powerless. It was about time they reported to the Judge anyway.

Weakly, Lu Dongqing said, “Then let’s go. We must inform the Judge about Ivory Mast Beach without delay.”

Feng Pengqi, though his eyes were closed, heard everything clearly. From the side, he added, “Call Wu Qixing back. We’ll go down together.”

The five of them arrived at the Two-World Sea in unison. They entered the Nether Pagoda and walked all the way up, but the Judge was nowhere to be found.

Lu Dongqing was frantic with worry. He led his people back down the pagoda and accosted the Gate Guard, a Nether Guard, demanding, “Do you know where the Judge has gone?”

Of the two Nether Guards, only one could speak. The one who could was wooden and dull, opening his mouth only to utter, “Wait.”

The other guard stood stiffly, his eyes bulging enormously. Though a Nether Guard, his appearance seemed even more sinister than the Malevolent Ghosts suffering in the sea.

Fortunately, Lu Dongqing had been in this profession for decades. What kind of ghost hadn’t he seen? A glaring Nether Guard couldn’t frighten him at all. But soon, he realized that this ghost’s glare was actually a struggle—a struggle against the binding on its body!

The Two-World Sea was under the Judge’s jurisdiction. If a Nether Guard had bindings on him, they must have been placed by the Judge.

The Judge was currently weakened, giving this Nether Guard some room to struggle.

But none of the people here were like Wu Yinyu; none had the audacity to remove bindings set by the Judge.

The Nether Guard’s eyes bulged even wider. His stiff body tilted slightly, then he trembled all over, staggering towards the pagoda’s interior like an epileptic.

Lu Dongqing watched in horror. Turning his head, he said, “This…”

Feng Pengqi didn’t understand either, but he could see that this Nether Guard was trying to lead the way. He quickly said, “Follow him.”

The Nether Guard, halberd in hand, entered the pagoda. At the place where countless paper ashes fell, he knelt down low and began frantically kowtowing on the stone slabs, as if begging for forgiveness.

To his shock, Lu Dongqing discovered that beneath the stone slabs, it was hollow.

The Nether Guard was already in the form of a Wandering Soul. Even if he kowtowed until his flesh was torn open, no blood would flow. He then straightened his back, his fingers trembling as they poked at the stone slab, as if drawing something.

Realization dawned on Lu Dongqing. He looked around, then abruptly raised his hand to catch some of the swirling paper ash.

Paper ash that hadn’t touched the ground wouldn’t transform into white butterflies. The moment it touched his hand, it left a gray smudge.

Lu Dongqing crouched down. Following the strokes indicated by the Nether Guard, he slowly drew out a pattern.

In an instant, the world spun. The Five Gates members standing in the pagoda were “sucked” underground.

Lu Dongqing’s heart pounded like a drum. He never imagined such a concealed place existed beneath the Nether Pagoda.

He wanted to find the Judge, but as he turned, a massive Stone Mill crashed into his view.

Beside the Stone Mill was a group of souls tied with thick ropes, strenuously turning the mill.

Those souls were faint and transparent, but their features were still discernible. Each and every one of them looked terrifyingly familiar.

Lu Dongqing saw the ancestors of the Five Gates, his own children and grandchildren, and then, he even spotted his own soul there!

The souls pushing the mill seemed… to all be from the Five Gates. And the Judge was standing right beside them.

The Judge, who hadn’t expected anyone to intrude, was nearly scared out of his wits. He shouted, “How did you get down here?!”

All five were panicked, momentarily at a loss for words.

Ancient texts had mentioned that the Two-World Sea indeed contained a great stone mill. If someone committed an unforgivable sin, their descendants for generations to come would have to forfeit a soul to turn the mill in the Underworld. Their physical bodies also had to serve the Underworld to repay the debt.

That was the origin of the very first Living Constables.

Lu Dongqing was completely baffled. He had thought the Five Gates’ role as Living Constables was merely a traditional means of livelihood, never imagining it was to repay a debt.

But, what sin had the ancestors of the Five Gates actually committed?

The Judge abruptly looked at Song Youzhi. The Ghost Edict he had sent out was clearly only one. Song Youzhi must have had ulterior motives.

Song Youzhi was trembling with fear, clutching Wu Qixing’s arm tightly. In a hoarse voice, she said, “It was the Nether Guard guarding the pagoda who taught us how to come down.”

The Judge wore a mask, making his expression impossible to read. But his words were spoken through gritted teeth, clearly indicating fury. “Tell me, how exactly did Wu Yinyu come to be?”

No one but Song Youzhi expected the Judge to ask this. All four of them turned to look at her.

Song Youzhi’s eyes widened. “She…”

“Speak!” the Judge said coldly.

Song Youzhi closed her eyes tightly and said, trembling, “Twenty-three years ago, I was carrying a stillborn child. A strange woman happened to come by to entrust an orphan to us. She stayed temporarily at the Wu residence for a few days. She was neither human nor ghost. Qiyu and I were very frightened, so we had no choice but to accept.”

The Judge gasped. Then he demanded, “That woman, did she look exactly like the Head of the Yu Family?!”

Song Youzhi opened her eyes and looked towards the distant Mill-Turning Ghosts. Scanning the group, she didn’t see Yu Zezhi. It was likely Yu Zezhi wasn’t a descendant of the Yu family at all.

Her voice trembling, she said, “She… she did look somewhat alike. They both carried a piece of red jade!”

The Judge raised a hand to press against his head. Somewhat alike? They were the very same person!

When Yu Zezhi performed Body Possession, that physical shell was still young. Afterward, her appearance, influenced by her Soul Spirit, would increasingly resemble her original form.

“You’ve truly done a good deed!” the Judge roared, his voice fierce. He lashed out with his sleeve, Ghostly Qi surging from his entire body.

Lu Dongqing immediately grabbed Song Youzhi, exchanging a meaningful look with Feng Pengqi.

Both of them swiftly threw out their Five Emperor Coins, frantically burning talisman papers. In a flurry of flames, they pulled their companions out of the Nether Pagoda.

For a single moment, the Judge hesitated. He didn’t dare violate the Heavenly Dao again. And that brief moment of hesitation was enough for Lu Dongqing and the others to leave the Underworld.

The five returned to Ivory Mast Beach, hearts heavy with dread. They exchanged glances, then fell into a collective silence.

Song Youzhi was gasping for breath, trembling uncontrollably. Covering her face, she said, “Qiyu and I have wronged the others of the Five Gates.”

“Leave the matter of repaying the ancestors’ debt for now.” Lu Dongqing propped himself up, letting out a long sigh. He looked at Song Youzhi. “Tell us everything that happened back then. No more secrets.”

Song Youzhi didn’t dare hide anything anymore. She recounted all the past events, including returning the Prayer Wheel to Wu Yinyu.

Lu Dongqing said hoarsely, “According to the previous divinations and the Judge’s hints, the missing people from the Five Gates may indeed have been taken by Yinyu. It’s just… this matter must also involve the Gaozu Generation of the Five Gates.”

Half a day later, the heavy rain at Ivory Mast Beach finally stopped. Communication base stations were gradually repaired and restored.

However, Lu Dongqing and the others still couldn’t reach Wu Yinyu. This time, they couldn’t even contact Yu Zezhi.

That night, Wu Yinyu was woken by the shouting. After waking, she stared at the Prayer Wheel for a long time, then took it to the bathroom and soaked out a sink full of ink.

This time, she wanted Yu Zezhi to see it with her own eyes. She walked out of her room, only to be nearly startled by the Paper Effigies wandering the hallway.

Colorfully painted Paper Effigies, one after another, moving like Yin Soldiers, their eyes all lifeless, roaming aimlessly.

Wu Yinyu let out a sigh of relief and looked downstairs. She found Paper Effigies even sitting on the sofa, staring intently at the turned-on television.

How lively. The Yu family certainly never lacked playmates.

She went and knocked on Yu Zezhi’s door but didn’t go in. Standing in the hallway, she crooked her finger and said, “Boss Yu, come here.”

Yu Zezhi looked at her for a few seconds, then silently followed. Once inside the bathroom there, she immediately saw the sink full of ink, with the Prayer Wheel soaking inside.

Wu Yinyu folded her arms and leaned against the doorframe, gesturing with her chin. “Last time, I soaked it like this and the same ink came out. After soaking, the shouting subsided.”

“You’ve figured it out by now. The Ink Qi comes from inside this Prayer Wheel,” Yu Zezhi said.

Wu Yinyu gave an affirmative hum, her posture still languid.

“When you soak out the ink traces, the Ink Qi released obscures the Living Souls, hiding their presence. That’s why the last time you soaked the Prayer Wheel, the Judge could no longer provide guidance.” Yu Zezhi stirred the water’s surface, her fingers soaking in it.

Wu Yinyu was momentarily stunned. She hadn’t realized it was so. “So it’s saving people, isn’t it? But it’s getting heavier and heavier. Could it be unable to bear any more souls?”

“It could,” Yu Zezhi replied, her brows furrowed tightly as she looked at the person leaning against the doorframe.

It was that direct gaze again. Wu Yinyu joked, “Last time, I even thought about taking this Prayer Wheel apart to release the souls inside.”

“Don’t dismantle it.” Half of Yu Zezhi’s palm dipped below the water’s surface, stirring the ashes into a swirling dance.

“I know. I wouldn’t want to harm those souls.” Wu Yinyu gave a wry smile. “But, the Yu house wasn’t this lively a couple of days ago. What was Boss Yu thinking, letting me see such a ‘show’ the moment I opened my door?”

Yu Zezhi fished out the Prayer Wheel and explained, “This morning, someone came here looking for you. They used a Soul Searching Technique. I blocked it for you.”

Wu Yinyu wasn’t surprised. “The other families?”

“Yes. Tomorrow at daybreak, I’ll leave with you,” Yu Zezhi said.

Wu Yinyu blinked. “Then what about Suhan?”

“The nanny is here,” Yu Zezhi said, her heart apparently quite broad.

Wu Yinyu chuckled softly, her body involuntarily leaning a bit towards Yu Zezhi. “Boss Yu doesn’t actually have to go with me. I can just leave. But there’s one thing. After pondering it over and over, I feel I still have to tell you, lest you think I’m not being honest.”

“What is it?” Yu Zezhi drained the Charm Water from the sink and unhurriedly began washing her hands.

“The Judge couldn’t find my Underworld Register. He tried every way to make me drink the bitter water, the antidote to Oblivion Brew, but it didn’t work at all.” Wu Yinyu looked straight into Yu Zezhi’s eyes. “I might not be from ‘here’. What about you, Boss Yu?”