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536. Make New Friends
🕑 Added 2023-04-14 14:00:03 +0000 UTCHui stood there smiling until the reaper faded away. The second she faded away, the smile dropped off his face. No time to waste. While she’s away, time to find out what happened to all the other reapers before me!
He hurried off into the town, looking around for a clerk with some free time. All the clerks rushed by, eyes dead ahead, clutching records and scrolls to their chests. After a few minutes, Hui frowned. Narrowing his eyes, he leaned against a wall and watched the rushing clerks. There’s no way all of you are that busy all the time. I know your tricks. Someone’s using the old clipboard tactic… I’d bet my life on it!
If I was in the habit of betting. Or betting my life. Or… if I was alive.
A few moments later, Hui stepped forward, into the way of a bookish-looking male clerk in formal robes, a court hat, and glasses. The clerk drew to a halt, startled. He glanced left and right, glasses reflecting light, then went to step around Hui.
Hui moved to the side, blocking his path. “Good evening, Elder Brother.”
“I’m busy,” the man said, adjusting his glasses.
“So busy that you’ve had to take three circuits of the main street with the same four scrolls?” Hui asked politely, smiling.
The man’s eyes widened behind his glasses. He coughed and went to push by Hui more forcefully. “Excuse me.”
“Elder Brother, no, no. Please. I don’t want to give you more work. I just want to chat,” Hui said, backing away in pace with the man.
“We shouldn’t chat with the reapers,” the man said.
“Says who?” Hui asked, still smiling.
The man hesitated. He drew to a halt, momentarily giving up on leaving Hui behind. Stiffly, he bowed. “Please let me pass.”
“Was it Elder Sister Reaper?” Hui asked.
The man jolted.
Hui grinned. He nodded at the man and turned, walking alongside him. “Elder Brother, I’m also a reaper. Do I not have equal standing?”
“Er…” The man coughed awkwardly.
“Ah! I’ve been impolite. I’m not allowed to give my name, but what about Elder Brother?”
“Yun Qianfan,” the man said shortly. He swerved hard down a side alley.
Hui followed, sticking to his side like glue. “Indeed, what a learned name. Truly, it shows Elder Brother’s intelligence. Elder Brother, could you tell me? What happened to the other reapers before me?”
Yun Qianfan stopped dead and took a sharp turn. Unbothered, Hui moved with him. Elder Brother appears to have been a court official in his life, from his robes. He never cultivated a day in his life. Meanwhile, I retain my full cultivation. Elder Brother might have the advantage of knowing the lay of the land, but he still can’t possibly shake me off! The gap between his evasion and my stickiness is simply too high!
Robes swished. Yun Qianfan took sharp turns one after another, but Hui kept pace with him. At last, Yun Qianfan adjusted his glasses and took a long breath. “You’re being petty.”
“Elder Brother, I’m dead. Aren’t I allowed to be a little petty?” Hui asked.
Sighing, Yun Qianfan looked at Hui. “You aren’t going to give up?”
“I’m known to be persistent,” Hui said, nodding.
Yun Qianfan glanced left and right, then darted down a narrow alleyway. He looked at Hui over the rims of his lenses. “What do you want to know?”
Hui grinned. “I’m glad Elder Brother has seen reason. What happened to the reapers ahead of me?”
“Failed,” Yun Qianfan said.
“Failed?”
“They couldn’t handle the job. They went insane, or got corrupted by the dangerous types of qi that lurk around death and resentful souls. Ultimately, Elder Siste—ahem, Mamian had to guide them into the path of reincarnation,” Yun Qianfan said primly, his glasses flashing.
Hui frowned. “Is that all?”
“All—you just learned that your coworker murdered all those who came ahead of you after they went insane and got corrupted, and your reaction is ‘that’s all?’” Yun Qianfan asked, startled.
Hui waved his hand. “Elder Brother, that’s well within expectations.” I know that I’m in a cultivation world, so it’s not that unusual for coworkers to murder one another. On top of that, I’ve personally encountered multiple types of harmful qi already. None of this is unexpected. Hmm, but I guess Elder Sister didn’t want to tell me? Well, it is a bit grim, I suppose, to tell me that she guided all those in the job ahead of me into reincarnation…
Eh, but it’s not that big a deal. We’re dead. It’s the natural progression of things! Naturally, I’m not going to easily go along with the natural progression of death, but then, I’ve got a lot to do before I give up!
Yun Qianfan adjusted his glasses again. “If that’s all?”
“Ah, yes, yes. Many thanks! I’ll come ask Elder Brother if I have questions again!” Hui said, stepping aside.
“Please don’t,” Yun Qianfan said, gathering his scrolls close once more.
“I have the premonition that we’ll become great friends,” Hui called after him.
Yun Qianfan hurried out of the alley, leaving Hui behind.
Hui snorted. He shook his head after Yun Qianfan. If you aren’t working, why are you in such a hurry to run off? Elder Brother, if you’re being lazy, then commit to being lazy! Besides, what’s the harm in stopping to chat with me? I didn’t even ask a hard question.
Dusting off his robes, he paused to consider his next course of action. I’ve got a free pass to do what I like for a time, but… what should I do? I could go back to the mortal realm, but I haven’t done much down here. Once I inevitably break free of the Underworld, it’ll be difficult to reenter this space. I know Han Qin’s beloved is down here somewhere, but I haven’t seen her prison yet. Now that the reaper’s away and Zhu Diyu is distracted, as usual, I should take this opportunity to go search for her. After all, it’s relatively easy for me to visit the mortal realm, and for now, Zhubi should be sufficient to train up and watch over my children. If I have time afterward, I’ll stop by the mortal realm, obviously, but first, let’s go find that phoenix lady!
Although I’m easily suppressing the phoenix flames right now, I won’t be able to rely on the Sanzu’s waters forever. If anyone knows how to remove it or snuff it out, it’s the lady who developed the phoenix flame in the first place! Maybe there’s some mystery Han Qin isn’t aware of.
So decided, Hui nodded. He leaped into the sky and flew up, ascending toward the roof of the Underworld. From on high, I should be able to get a better feel for where Han Qin’s beloved is. For where the prisons in general are! Surely the Underworld has prisons. I’m sure of it!
Stone stretched in all directions. The small city of clerks appeared even smaller from above, little more than a blemish on the stone floor. Zhu Diyu’s court and throne stood out more clearly, along with the long line of souls slowly approaching the Lord of the Underworld. He spun slowly, searching the extremities of the world.
Well, I’ve already done this. I can’t be surprised if it doesn’t add anything more.
But instead… Hui focused, reaching out to his soul and circulating his death qi. The third eye on his soul’s forehead opened.
The world didn’t turn black and white this time, but instead, the scenery below changed. Immediately, a cloying scent of iron and rot suffused his nose. Hui clapped his hand over his nose instinctively. What…?
A sea of white bones carpeted the floor, occasionally pitting away to reveal deep pools of boiling blood. Larger bones jutted out of the ground, curling toward the sky. The throne Zhu Diyu sat upon suddenly appeared fleshy and raw, like rotten flesh. Instead of hair, a constant stream of bright crimson blood ran down over his shoulders from atop his bare skull.
Hui jerked back. Is this what the Underworld truly looks like?
Zhu Diyu looked up. Nothing sat in the depths of his eye sockets but shadow, shadow so deep as to have no depth. Although he had no face, Hui got the impression that the man smiled at him. Zhu Diyu’s bony jaw moved up and down.
Somehow, Hui found himself understanding the man’s words. I already gave it to you long ago.
Hui frowned. Gave… what to me…?
Ah! Wait! My talismans—that is, Zhu Diyu’s talisman! The one with the waves. Is that what he means? But… what does that mean? ‘I already gave…’ but what for?
Wait. Hui tore off a bit of his sleeve and bit his thumb. Dark Sanzu river water marked the cloth, and he stared at the formula, thumb to his lips. Waves… vibrations… dimensions… I never fully understood this attack. Is there some further mystery to it, that I haven’t yet comprehended?
His third eye closed. The Underworld returned to its usual appearance. Down below him, Zhu Diyu turned back to the approaching souls. All returned to normal.
Hui looked at his talisman again. You know what? Let’s go use this at the borders of the Underworld, not right in the middle. I’m not sure what it’s going to do, or if it’ll even work, but I don’t want to launch an attack right over Zhu Diyu and have the reaper and all the clerks jump me for ‘attacking the Lord of the Underworld.’ No, no. I must avoid such misunderstandings at all cost!
Nodding to himself, he tucked the talisman into his robes and flew away, hurtling toward the edges of the Underworld.
