Chapter 1

The Netherworld, the Domain of the Dead, where the cycle of life and death for all beings begins and ends, is ruled by the King of Hell, born of the heavens and the earth.

The Netherworld Gate of Gloom guards the most heinous ghosts who are unworthy of reincarnation. A thousand years ago, the Netherworld was in turmoil, and the malevolent ghosts within the Gate of Gloom seized the opportunity to break through the Restriction. The Ten Kings of Hell had to join forces to barely suppress them, but in doing so, they perished, their souls extinguished.

As a result, the Netherworld fell into endless chaos. The River of Oblivion nearly dried up, and the Bridge of Helplessness was on the verge of collapse. It was only through the efforts of the remaining Ghosts and Gods that order was barely maintained. However, without the mediation of the Netherworld’s ruler, the connection between the Netherworld and the Human Realm was almost severed, and the flow of Karma and faith nearly ceased.

A thousand years later, the faint remnants of spiritual energy left by the Ten Kings of Hell gave birth to a new ruler of the Netherworld, named Qi Wu.

At the moment of Qi Wu’s birth, the Ghostly Demonic Aura that had accumulated and shrouded the Netherworld for a millennium seemed to disperse instantly. Both ghosts and Ghosts and Gods experienced a moment of tranquility.

The Ghosts and Gods thought they had finally found new hope, until the cry of a baby echoed throughout the Netherworld. All they saw was a delicate, newborn baby girl.

The Ghosts and Gods exchanged bewildered glances: “What the…”

The Judge’s expression darkened: “What are you all standing around for? Go find some milk!”

Today, the arch of the Bridge of Helplessness was once again crowded with ghosts of all kinds. Over the years, the Netherworld had accumulated too many ghosts waiting for reincarnation, and the Ghostly Demonic Aura had grown increasingly dense. Even the wind and rain in the Netherworld were bone-chilling, unbearable for ordinary ghosts.

Moreover, the connection between the Netherworld and the Human Realm was tenuous, and the Human Realm now advocated for environmentally friendly rituals. As a result, the ghosts in the Netherworld rarely received offerings and had to find shelter wherever they could to avoid being scattered to the winds before their reincarnation.

“Move over! I’m about to touch the River of Oblivion! Don’t you ghosts understand the concept of first come, first served?”

“How dare you! I was the first to claim this spot under the bridge today! How dare you push me!”

“Wake up, General! It’s a new era now. Drop that feudal mindset!”

“You want to fight, is that it?”

A Ghost Messenger passing by with a new ghost shouted angrily, “Enough! Anyone who starts a fight will regret it!”

The new ghost, witnessing this scene, asked in shock, “Oh heavens, has this old relic been waiting in line for reincarnation all this time? How long will I have to wait?!”

The Ghost Messenger hesitated, then tactfully replied, “It’s hard to say. But based on your time of death, maybe you should go down and learn from the veterans on how to find a good spot to shelter from the rain?”

As soon as he finished speaking, a cold, eerie wind blew through, freezing the surrounding ghosts and causing a chorus of wails. The new ghost’s face fell, his lips trembling, “Brother Ghost Messenger, please! I’ll pay you! Can you let me cut in line?”

A ghost who had been listening nearby looked at him sympathetically, “Judging by your attire, you must be a ghost from 2022, right? The living world now promotes eco-friendly rituals. Where would you get money?”

The new ghost turned to the Ghost Messenger with hope, “Didn’t my family burn me a mansion or something?”

The Ghost Messenger silently pulled out a bouquet of chrysanthemums, “This is your offering. We can only do so much for you.”

The new ghost: “…”

Seeing his look of utter despair, the Ghost Messenger comforted him, “Don’t worry. Our new King of Hell has just taken the throne. The Netherworld’s order will soon be restored, and the reincarnation process will speed up.”

At that moment, several Ghost Messengers with tiger heads pulled a few oxen through the crowd from the opposite direction.

 The new ghost, upon arriving in the Underworld and seeing so many ghosts, didn’t find the Ghost Messenger strange, but instead asked, “Why are these cows being led backward?”

The Ghost Messenger replied, “Probably being led to the Hall of the King of Hell.”

“Ah?”

“The wind in the Underworld is colder today, so I guess Lord Yama needs to drink some milk.” As he spoke, the Ghost Messenger sighed in relief and patted the new ghost on the shoulder. “You’re lucky. If Lord Yama is full from drinking milk, you’ll have an easier time these days.”

The new ghost: “???”

What? The King of Hell drinks milk?

What’s going on? Is the new King of Hell in 2022 a milk-drinker?

After the Ghost Messenger left, the General, who had already claimed his territory, turned around. His face was filled with a Ghostly Demonic Aura, clearly showing he had been in the Underworld for a long time. He glared fiercely at the other ghosts and said, “This new King of Hell is still a child drinking milk. I think the Underworld is doomed. One day, I’ll rise up, overthrow this place, and take you all to the Human Realm to live freely…”

His arrogant words abruptly stopped when he saw the figure on the Bridge of Helplessness.

A deep, commanding voice came from the bridge: “You’re quite bold.”

The ghosts turned to look and saw a male ghost standing on the bridge, dressed in a red robe. He wore a brocade crown and held a jade brush in his hand. His robe faintly shimmered with intricate patterns.

The new ghost was completely stunned by this “ghost.” If the General had a heavy Evil Aura, this male ghost’s aura was even more overwhelming. Despite his youthful, celebrity-like appearance, the chilling aura around him was undeniable.

The male ghost’s gaze swept over them, and the surrounding ghosts fell silent. The boastful General was suddenly lifted into the air and, in an instant, was held in the grip of the red-robed ghost.

The General Ghost, now completely devoid of his earlier bravado, cried out, “Judge, spare me! I spoke out of turn, I shouldn’t have!”

So, this was the Judge.

However, the Judge paid no attention to his pleas. He tossed the ghost aside and handed him over to a nearby Ghost Messenger: “Take him to the Bureau of Punishments and guard the Netherworld Gate for a month.”

The other ghosts dared not speak, only breathing a sigh of relief after the Judge left. “The Judge is scarier than an evil spirit, and his temper is getting worse every day.”

“I suspect the Little Yan Wang hasn’t grown up yet and might be strangled by the Judge.”

“He looks like a god but has the temper of a demon.”

“But is it true that the new King of Hell is a child who drinks milk?”

Meanwhile, the atmosphere in the Hall of the King of Hell was also tense and quiet, though one could sense the unease among those present. This continued until a tiger-headed Ghost Messenger led a few cows into the hall.

The Tiger Messenger said, “Our Netherworld Envoy picked out a few good-looking cows from the ones that died today. The Boss told us to bring them here!”

Meng Po, sitting at the far end, stood up. “Good, let’s milk some for the Lord.”

“It’s been months since we’ve had any milk to drink,” Meng Po sighed as she milked the cow. “There’s hardly anything in the Underworld for her to eat.”

Since it was milk from dead cows, it would become too saturated with Ghostly aura over time and become unusable. So, not much milk was extracted.

The City God wiped his face. “After drinking this, the Lord’s spiritual power should increase, and our connection with the Human Realm will strengthen. Then, the sacrificial offerings at my City God Temple can be exchanged for more milk.”

At that moment, Judge Su Wen walked in, his face dark and intimidating.

Meng Po and the City God had long grown accustomed to his current state. Meng Po, with her gentle temperament, softly inquired, “How is the situation at the Netherworld Gate?”

Su Wen’s expression darkened further: “It had only quieted down for a few days, but now it’s starting again.”

“Once the Lord drinks the milk, he’ll be fine,” Meng Po said as she carried a bowl of freshly squeezed milk into the Hall of the King of Hell. The two tiger-like Netherworld Envoys, not daring to provoke the Judge’s ire, quickly led away the now-unneeded dairy cow.

The Hall of the King of Hell was left with only Judge Su Wen and City God Kong Lin.

Kong Lin remarked, “You’ve been affected by the things at the Netherworld Gate, and the evil aura around you is growing stronger.”

Su Wen frowned: “I know.”

“Fortunately, the new King of Hell has been born, so things will be easier in the future.”

Su Wen slowly curled his lips: “With the spiritual energy of nature so thin nowadays, the Ten Kings of Hell have been replaced by a milk-drinking child. Easier?”

The more he spoke, the colder his expression became, and the evil aura around him intensified, even more chilling than the malevolent spirits within the Netherworld Gate.

Kong Lin understood his current mood.

No one had expected the new King of Hell to be a mere infant, still wet behind the ears.

Now, three years had passed, and the infant had grown a little, but she was still just a child.

The only consolation for the ghosts and gods was that this child seemed to possess an innate spiritual energy that could calm the chaotic ghostly aura of the Underworld. Since her birth, the restless ghosts of the Underworld had gradually settled down, bringing a brief three-year period of peace to the realm.

However, whenever the Little King of Hell grew hungry, this peace would be slightly disrupted.

Kong Lin said, “At least there’s hope now.”

Su Wen remained silent. He could also feel that after Meng Po brought the milk inside, the surrounding turbid ghostly demonic aura had dissipated significantly.

Kong Lin continued, “Now that the Little King of Hell has grown a bit more sensible, the connection between the Underworld and the Human Realm is slowly being reestablished. Let’s think of a way to regain Faith Merit, as that is the only permanent solution to stabilize the Underworld.”

Su Wen glanced at the dilapidated Hall of the King of Hell, his handsome brows still furrowed: “To gain Faith Merit, the Human Realm must believe in the new King of Hell.”

This conclusion left Kong Lin silent as well.

With faith dwindling, even the Ten Kings of Hell received little, let alone the newly arrived Little King of Hell.

As the two gods sat together, their faces filled with worry, a clear, childish voice rang out from within the hall: “Grandma Meng, I’m full.”

The moment the little girl’s voice sounded, the two gods, who had been weighed down by their troubles, felt as if they had been cleansed. Their hearts lightened, and their expressions relaxed considerably.

Meng Po also spoke softly, “Lord, you are the King of Hell. When addressing your subordinates, you should refer to yourself as ‘Ben Wang’ (This King).”

Not long after, the little girl’s voice rang out again, filled with childishness yet soothing and pleasant: “Okay, Grandma Meng, Ben Wang can’t drink any more milk.”

The two gods outside: “…”

As the little girl’s voice faded, two figures, one large and one small, emerged from within.

Meng Po held the hand of a three-year-old girl, dressed in a miniature King of Hell’s Robe, wearing a small Crimson Tasseled Crown on her head, and a cinnabar mark on her forehead. She was as delicate as if carved from jade, her eyes moist and pure. One hand was held by Meng Po, while the other clutched a milk bottle made by Meng Po herself, as she toddled out unsteadily.

Su Wen and Kong Lin stood up simultaneously: “We greet the Lord Yama.”

Upon seeing the two Ghosts and Gods, Little Yan Wang blinked and spoke with relative clarity, “No need to be polite.”

Although young, as the King of Hell born from the heavens and earth, Little Yan Wang had a vague understanding of all changes in The Underworld. She let go of Meng Po’s hand and walked up to Su Wen. Pressing her lips together, she placed her hand on the back of his hand. With just a light touch, the Evil Aura surrounding Su Wen diminished significantly.

Little Yan Wang pressed her lips together and softly said, “Those Evil Spirits have been bullying you.”

Her tone was certain and filled with concern.

Su Wen was momentarily stunned. He spent most of his time at the Netherworld Gate, often staying for months or even half a year. His interactions with Little Yan Wang were not as frequent as those with Meng Po and the City God. This was the first time he had spoken to her so closely. The last time they met, her speech had not been this clear.

The Little Yan Wang before him had grown a bit taller, looking up at him with earnest and worried eyes.

Su Wen had never felt such calm yet somewhat awkward before. After a moment, he finally shook his head and replied, “No, they haven’t.”

Little Qi Wu knew immediately that he was lying to her. These adult Ghosts and Gods were always like this. She silently began to disperse the Evil Aura that had tainted the Judge before her.

Then, tilting her head in thought, she took hold of the Judge’s finger with her small hand and gently patted it, “Don’t be afraid. If you’re being bullied, tell me…”

Remembering what Meng Po had taught her earlier, Little Qi Wu corrected herself, “Tell Ben Wang, and Ben Wang will… will…”

She racked her brains for the right words and finally managed to say, “Will bully them back for you.”

Hearing this, the three Ghosts and Gods couldn’t help but laugh and cry at the same time.

Su Wen felt a strange yet not unpleasant sensation being protected by a child. The soft touch of her hand made him feel somewhat elated.

The three great Ghosts and Gods remained silent. Wanting to comfort them, Little Qi Wu placed her milk bottle on the old wooden table beside her and declared in a childish yet solemn voice, “You’ve worked hard. Ben Wang invites you to drink milk!”