Chapter 98

Chapter 98: Old Friends IV

Yin-Yang Path, three zhang three.

Open the Underworld, see the souls of the living.

This is a song passed down among ghost hunters and those who know a bit about Yin-Yang in the living world.

The third line, "Open the Underworld," is a general term.

It doesn't necessarily refer to the Underworld controlled by the Ten Kings of Hell and the Four Judges, but refers more broadly to the "Netherworld."

The scope of the Netherworld is vast.

It includes the domain of Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva, Fengdu, the Underworld, Hell—these all count.

The attributes of the Yin-Yang Path are peculiar. Where it's from is where it stays, and where it goes is where it goes.

It won't mistakenly send a soul back to the wrong place just because of a long physical distance or a difference in summoning points—

For example, when a living person burns paper in the imperial capital and meets a soul imprisoned in Fengdu, after the Yin-Yang Path disperses, the soul still gets sent back to Fengdu, crossing planes without any issue. The 1700 kilometers between the imperial capital and Fengdu doesn't complicate things at all.

At this moment, in the mountains and forests outside the Yin-Yang Path, Bai Linlang and An Xueru are howling in agony, desperately calling for ghost hunter Chen Tong and Li Xianzhou. Mingyue doesn't know any of this. She only knows that, in a blind panic, following her older brother and charging into the Yin-Yang Path was one of the most wrong decisions of her 20 years of life.

Before her is a gray haze, her whole body feels like it's submerged in gray water—she can't see the sky above or the ground below.

It's all a blur, with excellent sound absorption and noise reduction effects.

Mingyue touches the water dripping from her head, “…”

Weak, pitiful, and helpless.

Just as she stepped into the radiant light of the Yin-Yang Path, Mingye, her older brother, turned around and saw his little sister rushing in, his jaw almost hitting the ground.

However, the Yin-Yang Path collapsed, and Mingye no longer had the right to stay in the living world. He was forcefully dragged away, leaving behind a loud cry:

“Sis, are you crazy—crazy—crazy—!!”

“Go back—go back!”

Mingyue: “…”

That was too ridiculous.Whether it was Mingyue's daring venture into the City of Wrongful Death, or "Mingye"'s parting words, both would have dulled the sorrow of the last meeting before the siblings' reincarnation, leaving only the dark comedy of the situation.

Around her, the sinister aura howled and gathered like mist. Mingyue was drenched in cold sweat.

She realized that she had suddenly stumbled into a situation she hadn't encountered in the past twenty years.

Her left eye glowed brightly like a torch.

Her right eye gradually grew weaker.

It was too rare.

Mingyue rubbed her hands, all sweaty. She calmed herself, thinking that since she was here, she should accept the situation. First, she needed to figure out a way to escape back to the living world.

—Forget about any "tour" of the City of Wrongful Death. Ming Erge (Second Brother) had neither the thief's heart nor the courage.

The City of Wrongful Death was a city of wronged souls.

What was a living person doing wandering here!

The surroundings were so quiet that even a fart seemed like an explosion. Mingyue, with a talisman of the Earth God pressed against her right eye, felt it move of its own accord, the directions confusing—she stumbled forward, thinking she couldn’t just sit there and wait to die.

Aimlessly walking, half an hour later—

The river flowed gently, splashing in a rhythmic pattern. Mingyue pulled out the Ming family knife and thrust it into the riverbed, releasing a long chain of vengeful spirits and water ghosts, stretching out like a snake made of clay. Their heads and faces stretched grotesquely, resembling the figures in the painting The Scream. The more she pulled, the longer they became. She fought back the urge to vomit, used a fire talisman to sever the chain, and sat on a stone by the river, sighing deeply.

Mingyue: "I was wrong."

Mingyue: "I really was wrong."

Mingyue: "Could I get a ghost that actually knows what it's doing? The bottom-tier folks in the living world need to report this situation!"

Ming Erge sighed deeply, understanding one of humanity's greatest difficulties.

Where was the difficulty?

It wasn’t that there were numerous dangers ahead—ghouls, ghosts, and monsters.

It was that there was no path ahead, and no path in her heart.There are no enemies, only you.

The opening of the Yin-Yang Path only happens once a year.

The adventurous act from half an hour ago made Mingyue realize that if she couldn't get out of this situation…

She would have to fight for survival every single day for the next 365 days, and wait for the next Ghost Festival to find another way out.

It was terrifying.

Spending a year in the City of Wrongful Death among vengeful souls would turn someone from a person into a ghost.

Mingyue felt anxious and pulled out her phone—no signal.

Her watch displayed the time: 12:25 AM on the 16th of the 7th month in the lunar calendar.

Calm down, calm down.

You're a living person. With such a large amount of yang energy entering the City of Wrongful Death and not being burned by heavenly or ghostly fire yet, it means there is still hope.

Mingyue stared carefully at her watch, and a previously overlooked thought came to her.

All of China uses Beijing time, which is in the East 8 Time Zone.

However, with a vast land of 90,000 miles, only one time zone can be covered.

This means that, at the same moment, China spans several time zones from east to west.

East 5, East 6, East 7, East 8, and East 9.

Currently, Beijing is on East 8 Time, with it being 12:25 AM on the 16th of the 7th month.

However, Fengdu, located in Yuzhou, should be on East 7 Time, which would make it 11:25 PM on the 15th of the 7th month! [Note]

In other words, Fengdu is still in the “Ghost Festival” on the same day.

Mingyue was deeply moved and tears flowed from her eyes.

Thank you to my high school geography teacher for your earnest teachings! I will always love you!

No wonder, as a living person, I violated the heavenly path and entered the Netherworld without being struck by lightning.

It turns out, we’re still in "garbage time"! [Note]Mingyue: "..."

Ming Erge immediately jumped up from the stone, screaming and running forward, shouting as he ran:

"Someone—anyone—come here!"

"A living person has entered the City of Wrongful Death!"

"If you're still breathing, make a sound—ahhhhh!"

... But where would there be anyone still breathing?

The river was filled with tens of thousands of vengeful souls, rustling and whispering.

On the riverbank, two "experts" were leisurely strolling through the countryside.

What countryside were they strolling through?

It was a forest of vengeful souls’ gazes.

Wherever their feet touched, the souls knelt down, each scrambling to block the path, eager for a sip of ghostly energy, hoping for a chance to reincarnate and live a new life.

With a wave of his hand, the King of Equality scattered the swarm of souls rushing towards him, their shrill screams exploding into the air. His expression remained unchanged, as still as an ancient ice sculpture.

Mingye crouched down with interest, his fingertips releasing black ghostly power, touching the shattered fragments of the souls, playing with life and death at will.

The King of Equality, hands in his pockets, looked on with an impassive face, watching Mingye play with ghosts.

One minute.

Two minutes.

Three minutes.

The King of Equality: "It's been years, and you're so bored, Your Highness."

Mingye hummed in acknowledgment, "It's been a long time since I came down here, needed to get closer, or else these little ones might forget my scent."

Such a flirtatious remark.If Mingyue had been there, she would definitely have made a snarky comment.

Unfortunately, the only one present was the King of Equality, that grand ice sculpture. He simply watched quietly, and no one could guess what thoughts were brewing in his mind about the King of Reincarnation.

The King of Equality was dressed in a dark black ghost king’s robe, wearing an official hat, his face deathly pale with no beard. On his chest was a grim image of hell, with ghost statues standing behind him, over ten feet tall. Thin strands of black energy emanated from the statues. The ghost statues themselves were hideously ugly, their snarling faces enough to give anyone three months of nightmares just from a glance.

Ghosts and ghost statues together—at first glance, it resembled a large black kite.

A moment of silence.

The King of Equality: "How is the Reincarnation Pool?"

Mingye: "All good."

The King of Equality: "And you?"

Mingye: "I can't die."

The King of Equality: "..."

The King of Equality: "I am, after all, the ruler of the City of Wrongful Death. You could have just told me you were using the vengeful souls to experiment with the Reincarnation Pool. I would have arranged things for you."

Mingye stood up, a living person standing beside the towering King of Hell, unshaken:

"I understand your difficulties. I haven’t managed Fengdu in years, and the Underworld is almost devouring itself. You need to hold the fort, and be careful of the remaining few. There's no need to burden you further."

"If it can be done, do it yourself."

The King of Equality said nothing.

Two people with terminal awkwardness, meeting, and there’s no cure.

This time, the King of Equality was the one to ask first:

"Have the affairs of the living world been arranged?"

Mingye gave a vague answer: "It’s nearly done. Only by being a living person do you realize how many trivial things there are."

The King of Equality scoffed, "Who are you blaming for that?"

"When your body was close to being scrapped a few years ago, you didn’t come back, and insisted on struggling with these trifles.""Then I was tangled up by a few living people, and even if I wanted to leave, I couldn't get away."

Mingye glanced at him, "You already know the answer."

"I still have a younger one who hasn't grown up yet."

The King of Equality's face wore an even more mocking expression: "The seven emotions and six desires—utterly useless."

Mingye nodded, "You're right."

"But, kindness must always be repaid."

The King of Equality sighed, "What kindness?"

"Everyone in the living world, all the living people, and the kings of the Underworld, all owe you a debt of kindness. Who is going to repay it?"

"Your reincarnation is the foundation of the Underworld's existence."

Mingye smiled, "That sounds good."

The King of Equality: "I never speak falsehoods."

"And I don't think you owe anyone any kindness."

Mingye stood up, gazing at his old colleague who had been working together for millennia, "That’s not how you should say it."

"As for reincarnation, you shouldn't expect me to stay completely untainted by the mundane."

"I have blood relatives, flesh and blood, so I must carry their expectations."

"They gave me the qualification to walk in the living world, and that is a kindness that must be repaid."

The King of Equality snorted coldly, "Then you’ve also given the living a chance to reincarnate and be reborn."

Mingye: "That’s my duty, the meaning of my survival for thousands of years."

"But they are not like that. To me, they are purely family love."

The King of Equality: "There is no such thing as selfless love."

Mingye: "I agree.""But kindness itself is an act that inherently involves repayment."

"My brother gave me his body, my biological father’s flesh and blood made the seal, and my biological sister's Yin Eye gave me the ability to stay in the living world."

The King of Equality was very familiar with the wheel of reincarnation and was quite disdainful of the trivial tricks of the living world:

"Your brother and you are just a plaything of the world’s affairs."

"Min Dinghai gave you his flesh and blood to retain his son’s soul."

"The Min family girl’s gift of her eye wasn’t voluntary; she didn’t even understand what was happening."

"You’re the one who’s in a hurry to find trouble for yourself."

Mingye paused for a moment before answering:

"Even if everything you said is true..."

"Min Dinghai died because of me, and I ruined Mingyue’s exceptional talent, that’s also a fact."

The King of Equality didn’t reply, nor did he deny it. After a long silence, he asked, with a hint of curiosity:

"Is it true that the Min family girl’s Yin-Yang Eye talent is truly extraordinary?"

Mingye leaned against a nearby stone: "She’s my sister. If you don’t want to call her properly, just say her name."

"Of course, she’s the best."

"Otherwise, how could my soul resist the corrosion of the body?"

After saying this, the King of Equality sighed deeply: "The world is vast, and there’s nothing strange about it."

"When I learned that you had an accidental reincarnation, I predicted that a living body could never withstand the corrosion of Yin energy, and that it would be stillborn from birth."

"But in the end, you lived."

"Reincarnation truly is a treasure of the world."

"If it isn’t born, then it won’t be. But once born, Yin and Yang must be in balance."

For ordinary souls, Yin-Yang balance means a core matched with a shell.

But for the King of Reincarnation, this body was truly a poison fighting poison.Soul, body.

One Yin, one Yang.

The King of Reincarnation's soul is extremely Yin. When Mingye’s original body returned, one plus one is greater than two. A successful birth meant that this body had to be strong enough to suppress the Yin energy of two souls (one of which is a King of Hell).

How powerful must the Yang shell be.

Mingye nodded, "You're right."

"So, when Mingye died young, my soul couldn't suppress the body anymore."

The King of Equality sneered, "Saying that out loud, isn't it enough to make people laugh?"

"And there’s also the Yang body that even the King of Hell couldn't endure."

"Actually, there is." Mingye tapped the stone, self-mockingly, "I underestimated the mysterious Dao of the living world. Otherwise, why would Min Dinghai have sought the moon’s Yin Eye before he died?"

"If he didn’t give me the eye, my soul wouldn’t have been able to stay, and his son’s body wouldn’t have survived either."

The King of Equality: "…"

The King of Equality sincerely asked, "Who is the moon?"

Mingye glared at him, "Your logic is truly something."

"Of course, it’s my younger sister."

The King of Equality: "…"

You really think your surname is Min, don’t you?

"You really are quite the responsible parent," said the King of Equality.

"I’ve always been." Mingye said naturally.

The King of Equality: "…"

Like a father.Why did I even agree to come to the riverbank with him?

Suddenly, the river carried a light breeze, bringing a hint of Yang energy. Mingye’s expression was subtle, and the King of Equality shouted, “Who’s there!”

With a wave of his hand, the gray mist on the river’s surface dispersed in layers, and in the blink of an eye, the river's source could be seen.

However,

There was nothing.

A moment of silence.

The King of Equality glanced at Mingye, “Are you satisfied now?”

Mingye knowingly asked, “What?”

The King of Equality: “I said, you were just checking the list of the souls in the City of Misfortune carefully, but suddenly you drag me to the riverbank to walk around. Turns out you knew your sister was coming and wanted to set up some ‘eavesdropping’ thing, right?”

Mingye smiled, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

The King of Equality: "…"

Hah, really like a father.

The King of Equality: "If you didn’t know, that would be strange."

“Is it that hard to be honest? Do you really find it fun to set up a persona of deep grievances for yourself?” Mingyue left, and the King of Equality dropped the act, returning to his usual nature of casual sarcasm.

Mingye: "Of course, it's interesting."

"As you said, I’ve sacrificed a lot, I have to let her know."

The King of Equality couldn’t stand the King of Reincarnation’s pompous attitude and waved his sleeve, "Enough already."

"You’re just afraid that if Ming Xiaoyue gets angry, she won’t recognize you as her brother anymore."

"Alright, alright, you’ve done a great job."

“Now hurry up and go back to the City of Misfortune to work.”

In the forests of Fengdu Mountain—A sudden gale swept across the ground, and Mingyue tumbled and crawled out of the wind, crying out as she landed on a stone.

As the storm subsided, she was still shaken, rubbing her head and checking her watch.

The time in the Imperial Capital was exactly 12:59 AM.

Mingyue: "…"

If one survives a great calamity, there must be blessings to come!