Chapter 33: The Savior

A chilly touch brushed Cheng Shan’s forehead. Stunned by the words of the female ghost, Cheng Shan stared at her, unable to utter a word. “You… you too…” People often said that Han Bù Shāng once had three thousand ghost slaves, all of whom were wiped out by the Ghost Emperor. Could there really be survivors? And one of them managed to infiltrate the Samsara Department, becoming a wandering ghost?

The female ghost spoke with a tone of weariness: “Two hundred years ago, during a battle, I luckily saved a trace of my soul. The Soul-Rebirth Gu disappeared on its own. I hid for nearly twenty years, later mistaken for a wandering soul and dragged into the Samsara Department.”

Cheng Shan, not actually interested in the ghost’s past, never associated herself with any “ghost slave.” This female ghost seemed to consider her a kindred spirit, expressing nostalgia, but Cheng Shan remained focused on her current predicament, questioning her intentions.

The female ghost responded, “Of course. But what’s your plan of action?”

“What plan?” Cheng Shan asked, puzzled. “I just want to return to the mortal realm. It would be even better if I could find my two friends.”

The female ghost suddenly raised her head, her expression darkening, a glint of cold light in her eyes. “Aren’t you here to save the Lord? He’s still in the Demon-Transforming Abyss. Do you plan to leave just like that?”

“Save him?” Cheng Shan involuntarily stepped back, wryly smiling. “I don’t have that ability!”

The female ghost coldly chuckled, and a silver chain suddenly extended from behind her, tightly binding Cheng Shan. Cheng Shan hastily pleaded, “Dear sister, we’re fellow disciples. I can’t stay in the Underworld for too long. Please let me go.”

The female ghost said, “In the current world, only you carry the Soul-Rebirth Gu. You can’t ignore him.” With that, she turned around, pulling Cheng Shan along like a human kite. Cheng Shan refrained from screaming, hoping that Yang Taizai or Hong Ying would come to her rescue. Suddenly, her surroundings blurred, and they were no longer in the corridor.

Looking around, Cheng Shan found herself on a wide, desolate road, pitch black and bare. Faint ghostly fires scattered in the air, but there were no red lanterns, and the celebratory ghostly cries were gone.

“Did we leave the Thick Virtue Palace?” Cheng Shan wondered. Suddenly, she noticed a black-robed Grim Reaper coming towards them, leading a headless figure with a bloody body, also bound by a silver chain. Cheng Shan’s scalp tingled, and she asked, “Where is this place?”

“The Yellow Springs Road,” the female ghost answered without looking back.

“Hey, why did you bring me here?” Cheng Shan was furious. “I’m human, not a ghost!”

“You can’t stay in the Underworld for long, right? This is the only way. Walk to the end of this road and cast off your mortal body,” the female ghost suggested.

Cheng Shan broke into a cold sweat, trying to stay calm. With Zidian bound behind her and her true energy seemingly ineffective against the ghost, her only option was to use words. She said, “Han Bù Shāng is my master. If you harm me, he will blame you when he comes out.”

The female ghost indeed stopped, looking at Cheng Shan with confusion. “Master?”

“Yes,” Cheng Shan nodded repeatedly. “Moreover, I am different from you. I maintain the Soul-Rebirth Gu with a mortal body. If I become a ghost, the Soul-Rebirth Gu may wither away.”

“Wither away.” The female ghost stared at the mark on Cheng Shan’s forehead with some envy. “Yes, your Soul-Rebirth Gu is like a flower.”

Cheng Shan was speechless, thinking that the female ghost was good at focusing on the main point. Nevertheless, she had to keep her company and chat with her to keep her happy. She asked, “Yes, what does yours look like?”

The female ghost frowned, lowered her head slightly, and began rubbing her forehead. She spoke with a hint of sorrow: “Mine is a caterpillar.”

Cheng Shan couldn’t help but burst into laughter. In her heart, she felt grateful to Han Luo for not imprinting a caterpillar on her face. Cheng Shan stifled her laughter, and the female ghost didn’t get angry. Instead, she reminisced about the past. Most of the marks of the three thousand ghost slaves looked like bugs, and some were just black spots. In general, they were more ugly than beautiful. Han Luo never cared about these things. The female ghost looked at Cheng Shan again, acknowledging that Han Luo treated her differently.

Cheng Shan, seeing her wavering, quickly said, “First, let’s save my little life. Take care of the only remaining Soul-Rebirth Gu in this world.”

“Do you not hate him?” a female ghost asked.

“Who? Oh,” Cheng Shan said. “Why would I hate him?”

“Don’t people say he took away your true energy, making you forever practice for him? Why are so many people afraid of Soul-Rebirth Gu?” a female ghost inquired.

Cheng Shan was momentarily stunned, then burst into laughter. She turned to walk beside a female ghost, saying, “I don’t understand why people think that way. If he forced us, why would we still practice? If we gave up cultivation, he wouldn’t get anything.”

“We practice voluntarily, a female ghost stated.

Cheng Shan stopped in her tracks, then quickly caught up. “Why?”

Walking side by side, surrounded by faint ghostly fires, a female ghost slowly said, “At least I practice willingly. Lord Hua Fa brought me back to the mortal realm for revenge, enduring the punishment of the Underworld on my behalf. The Soul-Rebirth Gu is just his way of taking payment. It’s a mutually agreed-upon deal.”

 The expression was somewhat different from the rumors outside, and Cheng Shan felt a bit surprised. She held her breath, and the female ghost continued, “Most of us, the so-called ghost slaves, are those who died unjustly, defying the judgments of the cycle officials and unwilling to wait for the next life’s karma. The Lord Protector stands up for us. Initially, the Ghost Emperor turned a blind eye and didn’t intervene. In the fierce competition of the underworld, we enjoyed a good time following the Lord Protector for a while.

However, later, I heard that the Ghost Emperor was dissatisfied with what the Lord Protector did. He criticized him for being arrogant and violent in the mortal realm, taking arbitrary actions, and administering private punishments. Since then, the Lord Protector has stopped refining the divine consciousness.”

Cheng Shan, upon hearing this, was secretly shocked. If this was the case, Han Luo must have understood it himself. The Ghost Emperor’s dissatisfaction was probably not about his reckless behavior in the mortal realm but rather a fear of the existence of these ghost slaves. “But,” Cheng Shan wondered, “if the master has already stopped refining the divine consciousness, why did the conflict occur two hundred years ago?”

The female ghost shook his head. “That’s something we can’t know. I only know that the Lord Protector always respected the Ghost Emperor before. There must be hidden reasons for the events two hundred years ago. So, we must save the Lord Protector.”

Cheng Shan helplessly smiled, and the topic returned to where it started. After a moment of contemplation, she said, “Actually, I came to find my mother.”

female ghost blinked, remaining silent. Cheng Shan had to continue on her own. “My mother was captured by Ming Yan. I don’t know where she’s being held. The underworld is so vast, and I have no clues.” Cheng Shan sighed heavily and muttered seemingly casually, “My mother is very capable and knowledgeable. If we can rescue her first, she might be able to guide us on what to do.”

“Ming Yan…” a female ghost softly muttered, suddenly looking up. He said, “I am familiar with the Virtue Palace. I’ll help you find out.” With that, he disappeared suddenly.

“Eh?” Cheng Shan was surprised, standing in place with a wry smile. She only intended to delay the matter of saving Han Luo a bit. She didn’t have much hope for female ghost help in rescuing her mother. She casually hinted at it, but unexpectedly, this female ghost seemed to have some tricks. Without saying anything unnecessary, she dared to take responsibility for such matters.

Cheng Shan sighed again and, alone, faced the gloomy wind on the road to the underworld. She shivered for a moment, feeling uncertain about what to do.

On Yellow Springs Road, once you step in the wrong direction, it’s difficult to turn back. Cheng Shan hesitated on whether to inquire from someone, but watching the constant flow of the ghost officials and the various new ghosts with different expressions behind her, she decided not to provoke them actively. Since she didn’t know where to go, she had no choice but to wait in place.

In the midst of anxiety and helplessness, someone suddenly patted her shoulder from behind. Cheng Shan was startled, turning around to find a pleasant surprise—it was Yang Taizai and Hong Ying. “How did you find your way here?”

“How did you end up here?” Yang Taizai looked anxious. “Forget it; let’s not talk about it now. We need to leave here quickly.”

“Wait a minute,” Cheng Shan said. “I met a ghost official just now, and she promised to help me inquire about my mother’s news. Shouldn’t we wait for a while?”

“It’s urgent, very urgent!” Yang Taizai repeatedly sighed. “The underworld is unbearable. We must quickly return to the Tiger Wolf City.”

Yang Taizai spoke while pulling Cheng Shan, not giving her a chance to object. He forcibly lifted her up and transformed into a sheep to catch her.

“Hey? Where are we going?” Cheng Shan asked.

“Tiger Wolf City,” Hong Ying replied, flying alongside them and speaking slowly.

Yang Taizai’s speed was unprecedentedly fast. Cheng Shan felt dizzy, with the howling wind in her ears and the surroundings rushing towards her, making it impossible to see anything clearly. Cheng Shan’s heart pounded, holding onto the sheep’s horns tightly. In the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of Hong Ying, looking solemn. Suddenly, she had an ominous premonition.

Cheng Shan called out to Han Luo in her heart, “Master, are you there?”

Han Luo quickly responded, “What’s wrong?”

“What is Tiger Wolf City?” Cheng Shan asked.

“The residence of the elders of the Yao Clan. Why do you ask?” Han Luo said.

“No reason,” Cheng Shan replied calmly, but she couldn’t help feeling uneasy. It seemed like she trusted Yang, Taizai, and the others too much.