Chapter 126

The scene was chaotic.

Director Wen was startled and panicked: "What’s going on? How did he suddenly faint like that? Will he remember what he saw when he wakes up? Will he still help us clear things up? Daoist Ke!"

Everyone: "..."

Lu Li hadn't expected that his joke would scare someone into fainting. He paused for a moment before asking Ke Xingzhou, "Wasn’t he your client?"

Ke Xingzhou’s eyes flickered: "Could I make him my client?"

Lu Li: "?"

Wasn’t he already?!

After some explanation from the Daoists, Lu Li realized that a ghost official had come earlier and had casually dragged back the soul that had escaped from the ghost gate half an hour ago.

This chubby kid wasn’t here to ask Ke Xingzhou for help, but to cause trouble for them.

His expression instantly dropped: "So, isn’t this causing trouble? Didn’t… you guys come to an agreement? Why call a ghost official?"

Even ghost officials had to abide by the agreement of not interfering with the realms of the living and the dead. If this kid woke up and filed a lawsuit, the formal judgment title Lu Li had just obtained would be in jeopardy!

It wasn’t until now that the Daoists realized their actions weren’t quite right, and they started to panic.

The head of Qingyun Temple was even more nervous. He thought, "Will this ghost official take his anger out on us?"

The ghost official they had been in contact with earlier had a bad temper. Every time they accidentally disturbed him during his office hours, he would fly into a rage, blaming them for delaying the soul-dragging process.

Thinking about this, the head of Qingyun Temple was even more frightened. He immediately said, "I’ll go buy gold paper right now! Ghost official, please don’t be angry. We’ll handle things here ourselves. Please leave us your contact information, and once I’ve folded the gold ingots, I’ll send them to your residence!"

Lu Li felt like the sky was falling, but hearing this, he realized something was off: "Gold ingots?"

The head of Qingyun Temple seemed to see hope and nodded repeatedly: "Yes, yes! It won’t be less than what we gave to the previous ghost official."

Lu Li: "?"

Lu Li was suspicious when he heard Zhu Chu explain: "Oh, it’s just how they summon ghost officials. Like how my master summoned you earlier, they don’t have enough skill, so they have to spend more money..."

Before he could finish, Lu Li suddenly stood up.

Everyone: "?"

Lu Li grabbed a keyboard and spoke sternly: "To be honest, I came here today to catch corruption. Thanks to everyone’s tip, I’ll make sure that the Xiaoyao Sect sends you all a banner of honor later... Your units are all in the capital, right? Perfect, that saves the trouble of asking colleagues from other places."Everyone: "?????"

The head of Qingyun Temple: "........"

--

Lu Li, holding the keyboard, quickly submitted the report, and the ghost official who had been summoned earlier by the head of Qingyun Temple was captured by the inspection team sent by the underworld.

When the news came back, the ghost official was bound tightly and brought back. Judge Cui from the Department of Yin Law held the Book of Life and Death and the Soul-Grabbing Pen, kicking the ghost official in the butt, sending him stumbling.

The ghost official was still desperately defending himself: "Sir, this is a misunderstanding! Since I took office, I’ve always been diligent in my duties, never taking a single needle or thread from the masses. My attendance and performance have always been perfect, Sir..."

Before he could finish, he was dragged in front of the victim.

Judge Cui’s tone softened considerably: "Everyone, don’t be afraid. We are just conducting a routine inquiry, no ill intentions. Who reported Ghost Messenger No. 682 for bribery and corruption? Please provide evidence."

Everyone’s gaze turned to the head of Qingyun Temple.

The ghost official also raised his head, wondering who dared to report him, only to meet the very familiar old face: "......"

The head of Qingyun Temple: "......"

"It’s you?!" The ghost official was both shocked and furious. "I knew it! I was wondering why you suddenly became so considerate, asking me to handle things for you and even giving me some extra rewards, so you’ve been waiting for me here!"

He didn’t think receiving offerings from the head of Qingyun Temple was a wrong act. After all, everyone worked so hard, and the underworld’s salary was so low. If they didn’t get some incense offerings to supplement their income, would they starve while working?

The head of Qingyun Temple was even more reluctant for the matter to be exposed—his temple was relying on the special relationship with the ghost officials to open the market!

He was almost in tears: "It’s a misunderstanding, it’s all a misunderstanding..."

But this kind of thing was always tacitly agreed upon, and once exposed, it was naturally not allowed.

Judge Cui directly switched to another book, poked the ghost official with the Soul-Grabbing Pen, then swiped it across the book, pulling out a long list: "This is the full record of Ghost Messenger No. 682’s income during his service, and the amount clearly exceeds his salary. Please identify how much of the extra income is related to you, so we can proceed with further settlement."

The head of Qingyun Temple still wanted to struggle: "Sir, there must be some misunderstanding in this..."

Ghost Messenger No. 682 quickly defended himself: "Yes, yes, Sir, my income is indeed higher, but didn’t the living people in the human world burn paper for their deceased relatives? This part of the income isn’t counted, right?"

Judge Cui glanced at Ghost Messenger, then stared at the head of Qingyun Temple meaningfully: "You better think carefully. If the testimony turns out to be false, it will be considered as shielding a crime, and you will be treated as an accomplice. You’re not young anymore, and you wouldn’t want to have a criminal record, right? You won’t be able to apply for government positions after going down to the underworld."

"......" The head of Qingyun Temple was almost crying in despair.

But at this point, Judge Cui’s words were very realistic. As Daoists, who didn’t want to apply for a government job after death to avoid the suffering of reincarnation?

For the sake of his future after going down, he had to ignore the furious and surprised gaze of Ghost Messenger No. 682 and began flipping through the long list.

He was getting older, and his memory wasn’t as good, so after a while, he took out his phone and opened a bookkeeping app, checking each entry in detail.

The head of Qingyun Temple quickly shouted loudly: "I’ve never seen these people who made the payments? They aren’t Daoists from our Qingyun Temple... Hey, Daoist Qian, why is your name on this list?!"

Daoist Qian from Changsheng Temple was startled and quickly distanced himself: "This is our Changsheng Temple’s special offering, recognizing the busy work of the underworld officials, dedicated to maintaining the smooth operation of the human world. It’s a fixed offering every year! You can’t say that, we have no connection to corruption!"

Under the gaze of everyone verifying the information, Judge Cui flipped through the ledger.

After a moment, he slowly nodded: "Indeed, this offering is made every year. The underworld has always paid attention to the welfare of the ghost officials, and these incense offerings are directly deposited into the personal accounts of the lower-level ghost officials, which is why this record exists."The Qingyun Daoist Temple indeed crossed the red line. While the Daoist priests are still living well, once they go down, they will likely be judged and punished.

The Qingyun Temple Master slowly turned his head and locked eyes with Soul Messenger 682, decisively choosing to confess his crimes to earn merit: "The remaining funds, though small and in complete amounts, must also be ill-gotten gains!"

Soul Messenger 682: "…………"

--

With irrefutable evidence, Soul Messenger 682 was soon taken away. All the ill-gotten incense offerings were confiscated, and fines were imposed.

Not only that, but Soul Messenger 682's job was permanently terminated, and for the next three generations, his descendants would not be allowed to take public servant exams in the underworld. He himself would also enter the Six Realms of Reincarnation, forbidden from participating in any underworld civil service exams for three lifetimes.

The ghost officers behind Judge Cui looked at the Qingyun Temple Master without a word, their expressions complex.

Qingyun Temple was known for summoning ghost officers, and they were in contact with more than just 682. Many local ghost officers had, to some extent, received offerings from them, with some even helping out in the past.

It was just that 682 had the closest relationship with them.

He had a big appetite, taking and eating, while treating the Qingyun Temple priests poorly. But the people of Qingyun Temple had always silently endured, never expecting such a big incident to happen.

For three generations, no one from the 682 family would be able to join the underworld ghost officer ranks. If 682's descendants found out, they'd probably hate him for life.

The Qingyun Temple Master was truly a ruthless character.

The Qingyun Temple Master: "…………"

It seemed that from now on, Qingyun Temple would never be able to hire another ghost officer.

The Qingyun Temple Master was nearly in tears. Unfortunately, Judge Cui made it very clear: if he didn't report everything, he would suffer in the afterlife, and his descendants would be the ones punished. They would be unable to take the public exams and join the underworld service!

He silently looked at Ke Xingzhou, and the judge he had summoned, unable to stop his long sob as he felt hopeless.

Ke Xingzhou truly killed in silence; he was indeed a ruthless character.

Ke Xingzhou: "?"

Lu Li cleared his throat twice and quickly changed the subject: "Judge Cui, there’s been a development in the case of the escaped souls at the Ghost Gate. It seems the Ghost Gate has manifested in the human world and swapped the souls of near-death humans into the underworld…”

He had already investigated the situation and explained to Judge Cui the happenings at the Xiaoyao Sect's Taoist cultural experience base.

Hearing this, Judge Cui's face became serious: "Such a thing has happened?"

The Ghost Gate is the final checkpoint for souls to pass through before entering the underworld. It usually does not manifest in the human world. Now that such a situation had occurred, it seemed like a serious problem.

The most critical issue was that the underworld had so many ghost officers, all of whom passed through the Ghost Gate daily, yet no one noticed anything!

Judge Cui suddenly felt embarrassed and turned to look at Ke Xingzhou, realizing his gaze and immediately relaxing his furrowed brows.

Ke Xingzhou: "?"

The others then heard Judge Cui speak: "This is Daoist Ke Xingzhou from the Xiaoyao Sect, right? I’ve heard much about you. I’ve heard your sect has helped the underworld with the problems of benevolent ghosts staying in the human world, significantly alleviating the underworld's pressure. It’s truly a pleasure to meet you in person…”

Ke Xingzhou, still feeling dizzy from the car ride, raised his hand to interrupt him: "Let’s get to the point."Judge Cui: "……"

Judge Cui, who had been in his position for many years, was probably seeing a Daoist this rude to him for the first time. He coughed lightly to calm his expression and then spoke seriously: "This incident happened at the Xiaoyao Sect, Daoist Ke Xingzhou, we ask for your help to stabilize the emotions of the people in the human world. After we return to the underworld and investigate thoroughly, we will certainly give the Xiaoyao Sect an explanation."

He subtly gave Ke Xingzhou a look, probably intending to promise him some benefit.

The benefits from the underworld were not something ordinary people could obtain.

Humans, when they die, will normally report to the underworld without any exceptions. Judge Cui, being one of the Four Great Judges and overseeing the entire Department of Yin Law, his promises were naturally not easy to come by.

The Daoists, as they listened, began to feel something was wrong, but they couldn’t quite pinpoint what exactly.

It wasn’t until Director Wen, who had come along, carefully spoke up to remind them: "Leader, it wasn’t the Xiaoyao Sect that had the issue, but our Xiaoyao Sect Taoist Cultural Experience Base. In this case, Daoist Ke Xingzhou may not be able to help..."

Judge Cui turned his head to glance at him, but instead of the realization that Director Wen had expected, his face darkened: "Nonsense! Do you take me for a fool? It’s called the Xiaoyao Sect, how could it not be the Xiaoyao Sect’s territory?!"

Director Wen: "……"

What really made him feel upset was that Ke Xingzhou also nodded in agreement, seemingly supporting the other’s statement.

He fell silent for a moment, thinking, "What the hell are you agreeing with?! You should know better than anyone that the Xiaoyao Sect Taoist Cultural Experience Base was established several months before the Xiaoyao Sect!"

Before he could argue, they heard a groan of pain as the previously unconscious chubby man woke up.

He probably forgot what he had seen before passing out. He opened his eyes in confusion, stretched lazily, and was startled when he saw so many people in the room: "Wait, who are you guys?! What are you doing in my room?"

Only then did he notice his friend’s body, which had been cold for a long time on the bed. He was horrified: "What the hell! What did you do to my brother?"

He grabbed a chair and held it in front of him, waving it around to intimidate everyone from getting close. Then, without hesitation, he took out his phone to call the police.

"Yeah! A bunch of people in black clothes! They beat my brother to death in the hospital!!"

Judge Cui glanced down at the work uniforms of his own ghost officers, and noticed that they were probably the only ones wearing black in the room. He raised an eyebrow: "Can he see us?"

Everyone: "…………"

The Daoists quickly went over to restrain the chubby man, while explaining the situation to the police on the other end of the phone.

After hanging up, the chubby man was still struggling like a big fish: "I remember now! You bunch of spooky pretenders think you can scare me just by dressing up as ghosts? I know whether my brother’s body is fine or not! Even if I’m dead, he wouldn’t have died!!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Li, who had been typing on the keyboard, paused his fingers and looked up at him with a complex expression.

The chubby man still remembered the strange scene when Lu Li first appeared, and his chubby body shuddered.

Then, Lu Li spoke: "Your lifespan is almost up. Do you want to call your family?"

The chubby man snorted coldly: "This kind of trash talk, you’re trying to scam me now, huh? Next you’ll tell me I need to buy some talisman water from you guys to change my fate, right? Let me tell you, I’m not going to…"

The next second, his body suddenly went limp and collapsed onto the ground. A chubby soul rose from his body.

Chubby man: "……"

Daoists: "……"

Judge Cui furrowed his brow: "Soul Messenger 682 just passed through this ward, and yet he missed taking one soul. Poor work attitude, deduct his performance for this month."The 682nd person already taken to the underworld: "............"

Ke Xingzhou looked at the dazed expression on the little fat boy’s face and felt that the other party would probably start believing what they said now. He slowly spoke: "Can you help clarify things for the base and the online community?"

The little fat boy was very displeased: "Clarify what? I’m already dead! Are you going to bring me back to life?"

It was hard enough for him to accept his sudden death, what was this guy talking about?

Then, the young man beside the handsome guy came forward with a big smile and fluently pitched: "Handsome, I see you're clear-minded, you must be a good ghost. Would you be interested in coming to our Xiaoyao Sect for a job to secure your future in the afterlife?"

The little fat boy: "?"

At the side, Lu Li coughed softly and handed over a tablet to show him his underworld account balance. The little fat boy looked at the empty page on the screen, and his eyes immediately widened.

A moment later—

"Okay, so what do I need to do? Should I go convince my brother to help? Hah, he still owes me 200 bucks and 13 lighters, honestly, if I use that to get him to help you clear things up, I’d be at a loss... Isn't this all part of our duty..."

The Daoists: "......"

Director Wen: "......"

In the end, things were resolved in this bizarre way—thanks to the help of the underworld's ghost messengers, the little fat boy and the young man's souls temporarily returned to their bodies and recorded a clarification video for the experience base.

In the video, both of them sadly stated that they had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and would soon pass away. As for any claims of crossing the ghost gate and dying, that was absolutely false, likely just fainting from climbing the mountain too quickly, with no major connection to the experience base. They urged netizens not to over-speculate.

As a reward for their help, Judge Cui slightly adjusted their lifespans, allowing them to go home and see their families for the last time.

When Zhu Chu saw them off at the airport, he couldn’t help but ask Ke Xingzhou: "Master, is this really allowed?"

They were both dead, especially the little fat boy’s friend—his body was almost stiff in the hospital room, and yet he came back to life just like that.

Judge Cui also came over. Hearing this, he coughed twice and said, "They helped the underworld capture corrupt officials and made a contribution. We just converted their merit into lifespan."

Zhu Chu immediately stopped feeling envious: "Then I’ll stick to earning good merit and getting a better reincarnation."

Judge Cui: "......"

The Daoists: "......"

Now that the matter was settled, Judge Cui had to return to the underworld to handle cases. Before leaving, he anxiously asked Ke Xingzhou again: "Please pay attention to the public opinion going forward. If Xiaoyao Sect needs help, or if any traces of the ghost gate are found, feel free to contact me."

He handed Ke Xingzhou a business card and added that the underworld would soon send someone to assist Ke Xingzhou with the investigation: "Judge Lu just developed a social software that works between the underworld and the human world. You can contact him through that when the time comes."

After saying that, he disappeared with a group of ghost messengers.

Director Wen: "Huh? No..."

This Xiaoyao Sect is not the same as that Xiaoyao Sect!

However, after this incident, the Xiaoyao Sect Taoist Culture Experience Base couldn’t continue to operate. Director Wen planned to ask Ke Xingzhou and the Daoists to stay longer at the experience base to investigate the problems that had occurred.

On the way to the experience base, Zhu Chu checked the itinerary on his phone and couldn’t help but remind Ke Xingzhou: "Master, 'All-Round Idol' is starting its fourth semi-final live broadcast tomorrow. They’ve been urging us to return."Ke Xingzhou blinked, almost forgetting about this show.

When he initially agreed to participate in this show for the Ke family, it was because the Ke family promised that once the show was finished, all debts would be cleared, and also because Ke Xingzhou thought that one episode would wrap things up and be relatively hassle-free.

Now, one episode after another, his popularity was skyrocketing, and no contestant dared to challenge him. He was about to enter the fourth semi-final.

To be honest, Ke Xingzhou didn’t really want to go. He wasn’t very good at winning others’ favor, especially with so many viewers.

But it seemed like there would be a penalty fee for not going.

The rain, which had been brewing for half a month in the southern city, finally came down, drizzling against the car window. Ke Xingzhou stared at the rain that gathered into streams on the window and, unknowingly, his mind wandered to Nie Chen.

It had been two days since he last saw Nie Chen. Ke Xingzhou leaned against the back seat of the car, frowning as he fought off the nausea from motion sickness. His mouth had the Chenpi candy his eldest disciple gave him, but it never tasted as good as the ones Nie Chen bought for him.

He took a couple of bites and spat it out, turning his face with a sigh.

Before Zhu Chu could ask what was wrong with his master, Ke Xingzhou’s phone suddenly vibrated, and a message came through.

[Lü Li: Test test, can you receive this? Volume King calling Merit King, Volume King calling Merit King.]

Ke Xingzhou: "......"

[Ke Xingzhou: .]

[Lü Li: Okay, as long as you can receive it. Boss Cui just reported the situation, and the underworld has arranged for a big shot to go over. I heard this person has a bad temper, so remember not to provoke them.]

As soon as this message was sent, the car arrived at the experience base.

Ke Xingzhou put the mysterious software that had suddenly appeared on his phone and the "Merit ATM" together, when a tall, upright figure suddenly appeared in his sight.

He froze for a moment, almost blurting out "Nie Chen."

But the next second, the figure turned around, and his long black hair had been styled in a trendy young manner for the living world. His eyes were still covered with a white cloth, and as he turned, he precisely met Ke Xingzhou’s gaze.

Everyone from the Cultural Tourism Bureau and the Daoist priests paused for a moment.

"This guest, the Taoist Culture Experience Base has been closed, and visitors are not allowed to stay in the area. Please wait for the notice when it's open again..."

Lian Cheng remained unmoved, standing tall in the rain.

Director Wen was about to frown when the Daoists had already noticed something unusual about this person—

He stood in the rain without an umbrella, but not a single drop of rain touched him. His hair and clothes remained dry, clearly not an ordinary person.

Recalling what Judge Cui had said before leaving, they suddenly understood that this was probably the ghost messenger sent by the underworld to assist them.

The Daoists carefully approached him to talk, and no one noticed that, just a few dozen meters away from Lian Cheng, in the bushes, a young man with grayish-white eyes stood up, leaning on his waist. Seeing this scene, he couldn’t help but curse.

"Damn you, Lian Cheng, forgetting your loyalty for a woman! Stealing my chance to meet with my disciple and even hitting me! I don’t agree with this marriage!"