Chapter 25: Demon King’s Soul Artifact

Upon hearing the news of Han Bushang being thrown into the Demon Transformation Abyss, Yang Taizai was dumbfounded. “But from what I know, Han Bushang is not a demon, right?”

“Who cares if he betrayed the Ghost Emperor?” The male ghost lowered his voice. “Kill the chicken to warn the monkey, regardless of what he is. Our Ghost Emperor wants to make it clear to the Netherworld that those who are disloyal will have a bad end. Han Bushang used to be the one he valued the most. If he ended up like this, if anyone else dares to have wild thoughts in the future, they better weigh the consequences.”

Yang Taizai sighed and didn’t get involved in the betting. Thinking of the encounter he had with Han Bushang before, Yang Taizai was once amazed, considering Han Bushang was truly an exceptional individual who could make the Ghost Emperor value him. However, due to his extraordinary nature, he, the Right Guardian of the Netherworld, had become someone else’s gambling stake, both in life and death. At this moment, it seemed that no one was sympathizing with him.

Yang Tazai was unaware that he was lamenting, lost in thought. Suddenly, he felt someone pulling at his sleeve. Turning around, he saw Cheng Shan, whose large eyes reflected some unclear sadness. “Will he die?” Cheng Shan asked.

Yang Tazai gently pushed her away from the crowd, returned to the street, and continued walking. “Hard to say. I actually think the Ghost Emperor may not want to get rid of him.”

“Why?” Cheng Shan anxiously asked, glancing back at the Silent Demon Stele.

Yang Tazai explained, “There’s a rumor that when Han Bùshāng died initially, he was a grudge ghost with unclear consciousness. Even the ghost catchers couldn’t detain him, and he escaped back to the mortal realm, causing havoc. Later, the Underworld mobilized numerous ghost envoys, putting in a lot of effort to bring him back. During this time, it’s unclear which ghost envoy offended him, as Han Bùshāng wasn’t sent to the Department of Reincarnation for judgment. Instead, he was directly thrown into the Abyss of Demonic Transformation.”

“Ah?” Cheng Shan couldn’t help but exclaim. Then, she felt somewhat relieved, knowing that this mentor of hers had been inside before, so he should have experience.

 “Keep your voice down!” Yang Tazai was startled by Cheng Shan, nervously looking around. When he saw no ghost catchers nearby, he continued, “Before that, the names on the Silent Demon Stele were updated every few years. However, after Han Bùshāng entered, the list on the stele rapidly increased. At its fastest, a new name would appear in just over a year, ultimately alarming the Ghost Emperor.”

Yang Tazai paused briefly, turned into a dark alley, and Cheng Shan, with a look of amazement, had already guessed the continuation. However, she couldn’t help but urge, “And then?”

 “The Ghost Emperor personally went to the Abyss of Demonic Transformation to investigate. It turns out that Han Bùshāng not only didn’t get assimilated by the resentment in the Abyss, but he also regained his consciousness. Many demonic entities in the Abyss became his nourishment. He dominated the place, causing a lot of trouble for the demons.”

Yang Tazai spoke as he stopped in front of a closed building. A red lantern hung above the door, with the words “Blacksmith Shop” written on it, and a bell hung below. Yang Tazai paused, then pulled the bell.

Cheng Shan curiously looked toward the door, her mind still on Han Luo’s past. Even without asking, Cheng Shan could guess that in the end, Han Luo was pardoned by the Ghost Emperor and elevated to the position of the Guardian of the Underworld. She wondered how the two of them had resolved their conflicts.

Cheng Shan didn’t have time to ask, as there was movement inside. Someone came to open the door. Inside stood a young man in red with a handsome face, although his skin was not as dark as other ghosts. His demeanor was cold, and the corners of his eyes were sharp. Cheng Shan instinctively hid behind Yang Tazai when the young man’s gaze locked on her. The young man raised an eyebrow and asked, “Zi Dian?”

Yang Tazai laughed. “Indeed, Zi Dian.” He gestured for Cheng Shan to enter. “Come in, and I’ll explain inside.”

The young man stepped aside, giving way to the door. Cheng Shan followed Yang Tazai inside, feeling the young man’s gaze fixed on her. She felt a bit uncomfortable. Yang Tazai, noticing her unease, introduced, “This is Hong Ying. Um, let’s consider him a friend of Zi Dian.”

Cheng Shan was puzzled. A bow also had friends. At this moment, Zi Dian’s image in her mind was elevated. The young man nodded. “I’ve seen you before, before you took shape.”

“Ah?” Cheng Shan continued to be bewildered, and Yang Tazai quickly explained, “She is not Zi Dian; Zi Dian doesn’t have a soul yet.”

Cheng Shan’s mind quickly turned, and a thought emerged. She asked the young man, “Who are you?”

Yang Tazai continued, “Hong Ying is a soul tool.”

Cheng Shan suddenly understood. Without further ado, Yang Tazai got straight to the point with Hong Ying: “Accompany me to the Department of Reincarnation; snatch a living soul from Ouyang Jun’s hands.”

“Ouyang Jun?” Hong Ying looked puzzled. “A disciple of Changchun, the sword cultivator, Ouyang Jun?”

Yang Tazai sighed, “How many Ouyang Juns in the world can I not handle? You help me entangle his sword, and I’ll attack him. As for you,” he turned to Cheng Shan, “find an opportunity to snatch your father’s soul.”

Cheng Shan thought for a moment and asked, “Does he have a soul retrieval furnace?” Just in case, she wanted to be prepared.

“What Soul Retrieval Furnace?” Yang Tazai quickly understood Cheng Shan’s meaning. “It’s not easy to inquire about that. I’ve only heard that Changchun Immortal Lord has a Soul-Calming Flute, but I don’t know what tool Ouyang Jun uses to capture souls. Be flexible.”

With the plan settled among the three, they immediately left. Yang Tazai didn’t introduce Cheng Shan’s background, and Hong Ying didn’t inquire. They silently followed behind the two.

Whether it was the Ghost City or the Underworld, the entrance and exit to places like the Department of Reincarnation or the Abyss of Demonic Transformation were all located at the Virtuous Deity Palace. Just as the three reached the street, they suddenly heard a commotion. After a tumultuous noise that sounded like cheers or gasps, Yang Tazai couldn’t help but quicken his pace. “There’s a change in the Silent Demon Stele!”

 Cheng Shan was startled by the words, following Yang Tazai, and they quickly returned to the riverside square where the ghosts gathered. They saw the towering Silent Demon Stele shrouded in a blood-red glow, with violent winds swirling around it. The Blackwater River splashed waves in all directions. The ghosts who were previously leaning against the railing retreated, but their eyes remained fixed on the inscriptions on the stele. Some eagerly asked nearby ghosts, “What’s happening? Is it Han Bùshāng?”

“Are you silly? It’s Han Luo!”

“Not Injured” was just a title given by the Ghost Emperor. Now that it was withdrawn, it seemed that they truly intended to kill him.

Cheng Shan was anxious, forgetting to conceal herself. She pushed aside the ghosts, went against the flow, and squeezed to the railing, leaning over to look at the stone stele in the river. Yang Tazai, seeing this, quickly followed, standing behind Cheng Shan to block the sight of the other ghosts. Hong Ying also walked over calmly and stood silently to the side.

Yang Tazai and Hong Ying, one selling yang energy and the other a master craftsman, had some prestige in the Ghost City. Sensing that something was wrong with Cheng Shan, the ghosts who saw this situation dared not entertain any evil thoughts.

On the Silent Demon Stele, Han Luo’s name flickered intermittently, appearing and disappearing. The red light surrounding the stele also varied in intensity, casting a vivid or faint glow. The Blackwater River seemed like a flow of blood, and whether it was an illusion or not, Cheng Shan faintly detected a scent of blood.

The smell of blood rushed to her head, leaving Cheng Shan in a state of blankness. Concern for Han Luo instinctively dominated her thoughts. Without time to think, facing the biting cold river wind, she retreated into her sea of consciousness, searching for the spirit gu flower she originally had no intention of looking at.

It certainly didn’t look good. Cheng Shan focused her awareness and saw it in an unprecedented state of language. Two petals had fallen off at some point, drifting along with the currents in her sea of consciousness, inexplicably making it seem fragile and pitiable.

Cheng Shan felt a wave of panic, with only one thought in her mind: awaken it.

—

**Author’s Note:**

I suddenly realized that this story could also be named “The Whole World is Waiting for Me, the Useless One, to Save It.” Glancing at the outline, it’s basically a waiting list for rescue…