In front of Youxu's stone gate, black mist churned.
Lin Wantang stood on the steps of the Netherworld King's palace, staring at the slowly cracking stone gate. For the first time, she felt an absurd sense of unreality.
How many days had it been since she died?
To be precise, she still hadn't figured out whether she was truly dead at all.
And yet, she'd already gone from an ordinary departed soul who'd suffered a wrongful soul-reaping to a temporary civil servant of the Netherworld.
And now this.
On her very first day at work, Youxu had opened its gates.
Lin Wantang couldn't help looking at Xie Qi beside her.
"Is working for the Netherworld always this exciting?"
The Soul-Binding Chain in Xie Qi's hand was already clenched tight.
"Normally, no."
"Then why today?"
"Maybe..."
He thought for a long time.
"Because it's your first day on the job?"
Lin Wantang: "..."
She suddenly felt that answer made perfect sense.
Ye Chenyuan stood at the very front.
His black robe moved despite the lack of wind.
One stream of netherworld fire after another spread from beneath his feet, bathing all of Yellow Springs in a dim, frigid glow.
"All underworld enforcers, retreat to the Netherworld King's palace."
His voice wasn't loud.
Yet it carried clearly into the ears of every underworld enforcer.
"Seal off Yellow Springs."
"No departed soul is to approach Youxu."
"Those who disobey will have their souls shattered."
Every underworld enforcer's expression turned solemn.
"Yes, Lord Ye!"
But Lin Wantang didn't leave.
Ye Chenyuan turned back.
"You go back too."
"No."
"This isn't something you can handle."
"I know."
"Then go back."
Lin Wantang looked at him.
"But I'm the record officer for the Soul-Reaping Division."
Ye Chenyuan frowned.
"And?"
"Didn't you say all Netherworld anomalies have to be registered?"
"Yes."
"Then does the disturbance in Youxu count as an anomaly?"
Ye Chenyuan fell silent.
Lin Wantang asked with complete seriousness, "It does, right?"
Gu Changsheng gave a quiet cough from the side.
"It does."
Lin Wantang immediately looked at Ye Chenyuan.
"See?"
Ye Chenyuan: "..."
"So I'm staying."
Ye Chenyuan stared at her for a long time.
In the end, he only said, "Stand behind me."
Lin Wantang smiled.
"Okay."
A deafening boom suddenly came from Youxu's stone gate.
The next instant, countless shadows charged out through the cracks.
An underworld enforcer drew his blade.
"They're here!"
It was the first time Lin Wantang had truly witnessed a battle in the Netherworld.
Those shadows weren't ordinary ghosts.
Black resentment coiled around their bodies, and their eyes glowed blood red.
Some had long, sharp fangs.
Some had incomplete bodies.
Some didn't even have a complete human form.
The most terrifying part was—
The moment they emerged from Youxu, they lunged frantically at the departed souls on both banks of Yellow Springs.
"Evil ghosts!"
Xie Qi shouted.
The Soul-Binding Chain shot out.
*Crack!*
An evil ghost was wrapped up in the chain.
Xie Qi yanked hard.
The evil ghost let out a shrill, agonized scream.
"Get back!"
But in the next second, three evil ghosts lunged at him at once.
"Look out!"
Lin Wantang shouted without thinking.
Ye Chenyuan raised his hand.
A burst of netherworld fire instantly sent all three evil ghosts flying.
*Boom!*
One of them slammed directly into the bank of Yellow Springs, its body turning into a cloud of black smoke.
Lin Wantang stared in stunned amazement.
"So this is the Netherworld King's power?"
Gu Changsheng nodded.
"In the Three Realms, there are no more than five people who can face His Highness head-on."
"What about the people inside Youxu?"
"I don't know."
"You don't know either?"
"Youxu has existed longer than the Netherworld."
Lin Wantang looked toward the stone gate.
"Then what's actually inside?"
Gu Changsheng shook his head.
"No one knows."
Just then, a shadow suddenly shot out from the side.
It moved so fast that it was almost impossible to see clearly.
It didn't pounce on the underworld enforcers.
Instead, it charged straight at Lin Wantang.
"Wantang!"
Ye Chenyuan spun around.
But Lin Wantang was already too late to dodge.
The evil ghost opened its enormous, blood-smeared maw.
A foul, fishy stench rushed into Lin Wantang's face.
She instinctively raised her hand.
The Yellow Springs Flower on her wrist suddenly flared brightly.
*Vmmm—*
A ring of red light spread outward.
The evil ghost seemed to have been struck by something with tremendous force and was sent flying backward.
Lin Wantang froze.
"I did that?"
Gu Changsheng was just as shocked.
"The Yellow Springs Flower?"
The evil ghost lay sprawled on the ground, its body trembling nonstop.
It stared at Lin Wantang.
Fear actually surfaced in its eyes.
"No..."
"How could you possibly..."
Lin Wantang walked over.
"What about me?"
The evil ghost frantically retreated.
"You're her..."
"You're that person..."
Lin Wantang frowned.
"Not this again."
Everyone kept saying she was someone else.
Yet no one was willing to explain anything clearly.
She crouched down.
"You know me?"
The evil ghost bared its teeth.
"Of course..."
"A thousand years ago..."
Before it could finish, a beam of black light suddenly shot over from the distance.
*Pfft!*
The evil ghost's body exploded instantly.
Lin Wantang's expression changed.
"Who was that?"
Ye Chenyuan looked up, his gaze icy.
"Youxu."
Gu Changsheng immediately said, "Someone's silencing it."
"Which means..."
Lin Wantang stared at the gradually dispersing black mist.
"These evil ghosts didn't get out on their own."
Ye Chenyuan nodded.
"Someone released them."
Lin Wantang fell silent.
"The goal was to find me?"
"Very likely."
A thought suddenly occurred to her.
"Then why are they afraid of my Yellow Springs Flower?"
Ye Chenyuan looked at her wrist.
"Because of your soul."
"What's wrong with my soul?"
"The Yellow Springs Mark on you can suppress the resentment in Youxu."
Lin Wantang frowned.
"So I'm naturally their bane?"
"You could put it that way."
She looked at her own hand.
A thought suddenly struck her.
"Then can I capture them?"
Ye Chenyuan's brows drew together.
"No."
"Why not?"
"It's dangerous."
"But you just said I can suppress them."
"Being able to suppress them doesn't mean you can't get hurt."
Lin Wantang refused to back down.
"Didn't you assign me a job?"
"I'm a record officer."
"Mm-hmm."
"Not an underworld enforcer."
"Mm-hmm."
"So?"
Lin Wantang pointed into the distance.
"Didn't that evil ghost get away?"
Ye Chenyuan turned around.
Sure enough, one of the evil ghosts Xie Qi had just bound had somehow broken free of the Soul-Binding Chain and charged into the Ghost Market near Yellow Springs.
Xie Qi's expression changed.
"This is bad!"
"It went to the Ghost Market!"
Lin Wantang turned around at once.
"I'm going after it."
"Lin Wantang!"
Ye Chenyuan reached out.
But she'd already run off.
The Ghost Market was in complete chaos.
The evil ghost stormed into the streets.
Vendors scattered and fled.
Departed souls screamed as they dodged out of the way.
"Move!"
Lin Wantang chased after it.
Xie Qi followed close behind.
"Miss Lin!"
"Where is it?"
"Up ahead!"
A shadow suddenly dropped from a rooftop.
Lin Wantang twisted aside and avoided it.
The evil ghost turned and ran.
"Stop right there!"
It only ran faster.
Lin Wantang chased after it.
Xie Qi shouted from behind, "Don't go too far!"
"I know!"
The two of them chased it all the way to the deepest part of the Ghost Market.
A narrow alley lay there.
The evil ghost suddenly stopped.
Lin Wantang stopped too.
She slowly raised her head.
Only then did she realize she'd been surrounded.
All around them, more than a dozen evil ghosts emerged from the darkness.
Xie Qi's expression instantly turned grim.
"It's a trap."
Lin Wantang looked at them.
"They lured us here on purpose."
"That's right."
The lead evil ghost bared its teeth.
"You really came."
Lin Wantang frowned.
"I'm the one you're looking for?"
"That's right."
"Who sent you?"
"Take a guess."
"Youxu?"
The evil ghost laughed.
"You're smarter than you were a thousand years ago."
Lin Wantang's heart jolted.
"You really do know me."
"Of course."
"Tell me."
"Who was I in my previous life?"
The evil ghost didn't answer.
Instead, it suddenly lunged forward.
"Kill her!"
More than a dozen evil ghosts charged at once.
Xie Qi swung the Soul-Binding Chain.
"Get back!"
But there were too many of them.
An evil ghost lunged at Lin Wantang from the side.
She instinctively raised her hand.
The Yellow Springs Flower lit up again.
Red light exploded outward.
The evil ghost let out a scream.
"Aah!"
Its body actually began to smoke.
Lin Wantang froze.
She suddenly understood.
The Yellow Springs Flower wasn't merely defensive.
It could hurt these evil ghosts.
"So that's how it is."
She clenched her fist.
"Then I won't hold back."
Lin Wantang charged straight into the evil ghosts.
She had no weapon.
She had no magic power.
All she could rely on was the strength of the Yellow Springs Flower.
Whenever an evil ghost came near, she raised her hand.
Red light flashed.
One.
Two.
Three.
The evil ghosts fell one after another.
Xie Qi stared in stunned disbelief.
"When did you get so powerful?"
"I don't know either!"
"Then watch out!"
A massive evil ghost suddenly pounced from above.
Lin Wantang had no time to dodge.
Xie Qi rushed over.
"Miss Lin!"
*Boom!*
The two of them were sent flying at the same time.
Lin Wantang crashed to the ground.
A sharp pain shot through her wrist.
She looked down.
The Yellow Springs Flower had actually gone dark.
"Oh no."
Xie Qi had fallen beside her as well.
"Did you use up all your power?"
"I don't know."
The enormous evil ghost walked toward them one step at a time.
"The Yellow Springs Mark..."
"As expected, it still hasn't fully awakened."
It raised its hand, its sharp claws reaching for Lin Wantang.
Lin Wantang closed her eyes.
The next instant, a black chain shot through the evil ghost's chest.
*Boom!*
The evil ghost was pinned to the wall.
Ye Chenyuan walked in from the mouth of the alley, his expression frighteningly cold.
"Who gave you permission to leave the Netherworld King's palace?"
Lin Wantang opened her eyes.
"I..."
"Go back."
"But..."
"Go back."
She looked at his face and suddenly felt a little guilty.
"Fine."
Ye Chenyuan withdrew the Soul-Binding Chain.
The evil ghost dropped from the wall.
But just before it hit the ground, Lin Wantang suddenly noticed a strange mark on its chest.
"Wait!"
She rushed over.
"Don't kill it!"
Ye Chenyuan halted.
Lin Wantang crouched down and examined the mark carefully.
"This isn't an ordinary Youxu Mark."
Gu Changsheng had arrived as well.
He crouched down and took a look.
"It's a soul contract."
"A soul contract?"
"Someone entered into a contract with it."
Lin Wantang's eyes lit up.
"Can we follow this to find the master of the contract?"
Gu Changsheng nodded.
"Yes."
Ye Chenyuan immediately said, "Bring it back to the Netherworld King's palace."
The evil ghost was trapped by the Soul-Binding Chain.
But it suddenly laughed.
"Catching me is useless."
"Why?" Lin Wantang asked.
The evil ghost stared at her.
"Because you'll never catch him."
"Who is he?"
The evil ghost didn't answer.
It only whispered, "He's already by your side."
Lin Wantang froze.
She whipped around.
Behind her were only Xie Qi, Gu Changsheng, and Ye Chenyuan.
Three people.
Who exactly was it?
Back at the Netherworld King's palace, the evil ghost was locked in the Soul-Sealing Prison.
Gu Changsheng began deciphering the soul contract.
Lin Wantang sat outside, holding a cup of milk tea.
She took a sip.
"This milk tea seems sweeter than usual today."
Xie Qi sat beside her.
"That's because His Highness told the owner to add twice as much sugar."
"He did?"
"Mm-hmm."
"Why?"
"He said you were startled today."
Lin Wantang blinked.
"Oh."
She lowered her head and drank her milk tea, but the corners of her lips couldn't help curving upward.
Ye Chenyuan walked over from the distance.
"Does it still hurt?"
"What?"
"Your wrist."
Lin Wantang glanced at it.
"It's fine."
Ye Chenyuan reached out.
A cool power settled over her wrist.
The Yellow Springs Flower slowly regained its luster.
Lin Wantang looked at him.
"Thank you."
"You shouldn't have gone."
"I know."
"Don't do it again."
"Got it."
"Really?"
"Really."
Xie Qi couldn't help murmuring from the side, "Your Highness, that's what she said last time too."
Lin Wantang glared at him.
"Nobody would mistake you for mute if you stopped talking."
Xie Qi immediately shut his mouth.
Ye Chenyuan, however, actually smiled for once.
Lin Wantang stared.
"Did you just smile?"
"No."
"You absolutely did."
"Your imagination."
"Do all Netherworld Kings like calling things your imagination?"
Just then, a scream suddenly came from inside the Soul-Sealing Prison.
Gu Changsheng rushed out.
"Your Highness!"
"What happened?"
"The soul contract has been destroyed."
Ye Chenyuan's expression turned icy.
"What?"
"Someone severed the soul contract from a distance."
"What about the evil ghost?"
"It's still alive."
"Good."
Gu Changsheng shook his head.
"No."
"It lost all its memories."
Lin Wantang's heart sank.
"Another silencing."
Gu Changsheng nodded.
"Yes."
Ye Chenyuan looked at Lin Wantang.
"The one you caught today wasn't an ordinary evil ghost."
"Mm."
"They know who you are."
"Mm."
"And someone is trying to stop us from uncovering the truth."
Lin Wantang fell silent.
She suddenly lowered her head and looked at the milk tea in her hands.
On her first day at work, she'd caught an evil ghost.
She'd also come into real contact with Youxu for the first time.
But she never expected this seemingly ordinary job in the Netherworld to gradually bring her closer to the truth of her own death.
Even more surprising—
The soul-contract mark she'd seen on that evil ghost had the exact same pattern as the Yellow Springs Flower on her wrist.
What did that mean?
She didn't know.
But just as she was about to stand, the Soul-Reaping Division token on the table suddenly lit up.
A line of blood-red text appeared.
"Congratulations, Record Officer Lin Wantang, on completing today's first task."
"Reward: Five hundred merit points."
Lin Wantang's eyes lit up.
"Five hundred?"
Xie Qi leaned over.
"That's more than your monthly salary."
"Does this count as overtime?"
"It does."
"Then can I exchange it for two cups of milk tea?"
Xie Qi nodded.
"You can even get a third."
Lin Wantang immediately smiled.
"This job in the Netherworld..."
She thought for a moment.
"Maybe it's not so bad after all."
Ye Chenyuan looked at her, the corner of his lips curving faintly upward.
However, in the next instant, the blood-red words on the Soul-Reaping Division token suddenly changed.
The original task reward vanished, replaced by a cold notification.
"Warning."
"Illegal departed souls detected entering the Netherworld."
"Quantity: 127."
"Source: Youxu."
Lin Wantang's smile disappeared instantly.
Xie Qi shot to his feet.
"One hundred and twenty-seven?"
Gu Changsheng's expression grew grave.
"How is that possible?"
Ye Chenyuan looked up.
The next second, urgent bells rang throughout the entire Netherworld.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Lin Wantang looked toward Yellow Springs.
Countless shadows were crawling out of the surface of the Wangchuan River.
Among them was a woman in a white dress.
She stood in the middle of the river, raised her head, and stared straight at Lin Wantang.
That face...
It was exactly the same as Lin Wantang's.
The woman smiled.
"Lin Wantang."
"Long time no see."
Lin Wantang went rigid.
For the first time, she saw clearly—
Who the woman hidden in the depths of her past-life memories really was.