Chapter 2

Seeing the great Ghosts and Gods remain motionless, Little Qi Wu stood on her tiptoes, stretching her arm to push the milk bottle towards them: “There’s still a lot inside, you can have it.”

Su Wen’s expression changed repeatedly, unsure of what to do. In the end, he couldn’t utter a word, his face contorted as he looked at Kong Lin, urging him to speak.

Kong Lin was both amused and exasperated. He bent down and said, “Thank you, Your Majesty, but we are adults and don’t need to drink milk.”

Little Qi Wu, still on her tiptoes, was momentarily stunned and looked somewhat bewildered: “Then what do you drink?”

Since she could remember, she had always been drinking milk, and even then, it was often a matter of feast or famine. Now, she vaguely understood that this milk was hard to come by, so she considered it a precious thing and wanted to share it with everyone.

The three Ghosts and Gods fell silent. Ghosts and Gods do not need to eat, but they require the Faith Merit from the Human Realm to maintain the cycle of all things in the Underworld.

In traditional rituals of the past, offerings like incense, candles, and paper money were relatively straightforward ways to obtain Merit. However, not only have these offerings diminished, but over the past millennium, without the mediation of the Ten Kings of Hell, the faith in Meng Po, the Judge, and the City God alone has been far from sufficient to sustain the normal operations of the Underworld.

It is precisely because of this that the Underworld has become so desolate and chaotic.

As the King of Hell, this is something that should be known. But the current Little King of Hell is still young. The three great Ghosts and Gods looked down at the Little King of Hell, who was leaning on the old wooden table with her hands, her body almost suspended in mid-air, yet still trying to push the milk towards her subordinates. The weight of these words suddenly made it difficult for them to speak.

Meng Po Jinwen, however, was momentarily stunned and then realized: “Your Majesty, did you say you were full because you wanted to leave the milk for us?”

Little Qi Wu paused, her watery eyes looking up. Before she could speak, her face turned red: “I, this King, am full.”

She had only drunk a little before claiming to be full. Recalling how the Little King of Hell would cry from hunger every few hours when she was just born, the three Ghosts and Gods remained silent.

But it was also at this moment that they noticed that as the Little King of Hell grew older, the frequency of her hunger cries seemed to decrease.

Jinwen, who usually took care of the Little King of Hell the most, quickly realized: “Your Majesty, have you often not been drinking enough?”

Little Qi Wu hung on the table, quietly raising her hand in an attempt to cover her face, her toes kicking in the air. She spoke in a small, uncertain voice: “This King usually doesn’t drink much.”

As soon as she finished speaking, her stomach betrayed her with a loud growl.

Little Qi Wu quickly sucked in her stomach. Everyone was already working so hard; she couldn’t add to their troubles.

Seeing this, Su Wen let out a heavy breath from his chest and scooped the Little King of Hell off the table. He had a rough temperament, having dealt with malevolent spirits for years, and his hands were not gentle. The Little King of Hell winced slightly from the tight grip.

Su Wen then realized he had been too rough. Why was this Little King of Hell still so delicate? He restrained himself and placed her steadily on the ground, then picked up the milk bottle from the table and stuffed it into her arms.

Little Qi Wu looked up in confusion.

Su Wen was a man of few words, skilled in combat but clueless when it came to dealing with children.

It was Kong Lin who explained for him: “Your Majesty, only when you are full can the spirits of the Underworld be more at peace.”

This statement was indeed true. The Little King of Hell was born with the spiritual energy meant to calm the restlessness of the Underworld. Her condition directly affected the Underworld, making her essentially the “Sea Calming Needle” of this realm.

Little Qi Wu remained quiet for a moment, silently taking another sip of milk before murmuring, “This King will grow up quickly.”

She then gulped down a few more mouthfuls, saying, “When I grow up, you won’t have to work so hard anymore.”

Her soft, gentle voice fell like a feather on the hearts of the three Ghosts and Gods. Su Wen lowered his gaze, watching the Little King of Hell eagerly drinking her milk as if she could grow up instantly. His heart softened inexplicably.

She was already growing up fast. As a King of Hell born of heaven and earth, destined from birth, her ability to understand and learn was extraordinary. Her speech was even more fluent than that of an ordinary human child.

But how much faster could she grow? After all, she was still just a child.

As he watched, the Little King of Hell finished her milk in a few gulps and turned the bottle upside down to show everyone. In her childish voice, she asked, “Look, this King has finished all the milk. Will the Underworld be… much calmer now?”

Su Wen paused for a moment before replying, “Yes.”

Jin Wen nodded with a smile, “Your Majesty is truly amazing. Look, the Ghostly Demonic Aura has been dispelled by Your Majesty’s spiritual energy. Today, the lingering ghosts won’t feel as cold.”

With that, she refilled the bottle with the remaining milk, ensuring the Little King of Hell would have enough to drink for the next few days.

Little Qi Wu breathed a sigh of relief, “That’s good.”

After taking back her bottle, she asked, “Can we set off now?”

Due to her young age, the Little King of Hell had spent the past three years almost entirely within the Hall of the King of Hell, rarely venturing out except for her annual trip to the Netherworld Gate to suppress the restless evil spirits.

Today marked her third outing, which was also the reason Su Wen had returned from the Netherworld Gate.

The divine beast Di Ting was already waiting outside the hall. To accommodate the Little King of Hell, a small chair had been specially placed on Di Ting’s back.

The Little King of Hell walked out and gently patted Di Ting, who obediently lowered its head. “Di Ting, hello.”

Di Ting was pleasantly surprised, “Your Majesty has learned to call this subordinate’s name this year.”

Little Qi Wu smiled, her eyes curving into crescents, “Next year, I’ll be even better.”

Di Ting, who had spent years listening to the wails of resentful ghosts in the Underworld, felt its ears had grown numb. Hearing the Little King of Hell’s clear voice suddenly made its ears feel refreshed, and the year’s accumulated frustration inexplicably vanished.

Di Ting nodded, using its tail to gently lift the Little King of Hell onto its back, “Next year, Your Majesty will be able to climb onto this subordinate’s back by yourself.”

As they approached the Netherworld Gate, it seemed to sense something, and the previously restless gate fell eerily silent.

The General Ghost, who had recently been punished and assigned to guard the gate, noticed the unusual quiet and looked up. In the distance, he saw three Ghosts and Gods approaching, accompanied by a divine beast.

Di Ting? Wasn’t that the King of Hell’s mount?

As they drew closer, he noticed a small figure riding on Di Ting’s back. In the entire Underworld, there was only one person of that size who could ride Di Ting.

It had to be the King of Hell child he had mocked not long ago.

The General Ghost stared intently at the little girl on Di Ting’s back. The closer they got, the clearer she became. This was his first time seeing the legendary King of Hell.

Three years ago, there was only the sound of the King of Hell’s cry, followed by a sudden silence in the Underworld. At that time, it was known that a new King of Hell had been born, but no one had seen his true face.

Over the past three years, many ghosts had privately spread various versions of the story that the new King of Hell was a baby, all of them essentially thinking that the Underworld was doomed.

And now, this legendary King of Hell was not far from him. The little child was holding onto a small chair, trying not to sway, but the tassels on his King of Hell hat still swayed back and forth with Di Ting’s movements.

Unlike the ghostly souls and Ghosts and Gods that perpetually exuded ghostly aura in the Underworld, the Little King of Hell was as lively as a living human, even more beautiful than anyone he had ever seen when he was alive.

Noticing the gaze, Little Qi Wu also looked in the direction of the General Ghost.

That gaze fell upon the General Ghost, as if carrying a calm and gentle force that instantly soothed all his ferocity.

The General Ghost had been in the Underworld for many years. Originally, he was a sincere ghost, but he couldn’t withstand the erosion of evil aura, becoming increasingly irritable and his personality worsening.

But now, it seemed that for a moment, he had found the feeling he had when he was alive.

This feeling made him feel unfamiliar, and he just stood there, staring blankly at the Little King of Hell.

Su Wen recognized the ghost he had punished and frowned slightly, saying coldly, “How dare you! Why haven’t you paid your respects to the Lord Yama?”

Suppressed by the Ghostly Divine Power, the General Ghost immediately knelt down with the other guarding Ghost Messengers, saying in unison, “We greet the Lord Yama.”

Little Qi Wu, sitting on Di Ting, spoke in a clear voice with the manners taught by Grandma Meng Po, “Rise.”

After saying that, she added, “Thank you for your hard work.”

The General Ghost stood up. By then, Di Ting had already placed the Little King of Hell on the ground. The other three Ghosts and Gods were just guarding the Little King of Hell in such a situation. The Little King of Hell walked step by step, carefully and unsteadily forward, holding something in her arms…

The General Ghost, having interacted with ghosts from various eras over the years, recognized it as a milk bottle.

Huh? A milk bottle?

He was somewhat stunned.

Thinking about it was one thing, but seeing it with his own eyes was another. The King of Hell really was drinking milk!

By now, Little Qi Wu had walked up to him. Seeing his attire, she asked in confusion, “You’re not a Ghost Messenger.”

The General Ghost lowered his head, “I was punished to guard the Netherworld Gate.”

Little Qi Wu blinked, “Do big ghosts make mistakes too?”

The General Ghost, thinking of the things he had said before, found it hard to speak.

Su Wen snorted coldly, and the General Ghost shivered.

Little Qi Wu noticed his fear and said softly, “Don’t be afraid. It’s good to correct mistakes when you know them. What’s your name?”

The General Ghost was momentarily stumped by the question.

Su Wen flipped open the Book of Life and Death and said succinctly, “Xu Ming, born in 619 AD, a Tang Dynasty person, a Nation-Protecting General in his lifetime.”

Little Qi Wu didn’t quite understand what these terms meant; she barely knew any characters.

Su Wen, seeing her confused look, belatedly realized this and handed the Book of Life and Death to her.

As soon as the Book of Life and Death was in her hands, Little Qi Wu tapped the name with her small finger, and Xu Ming’s life story instantly flashed through her mind like a kaleidoscope.

This was the first time she had held the Book of Life and Death and seen such a scene, and she was so shocked that she stood there without reacting.

She was the King of Hell born from spiritual energy, inherently tasked with overseeing life and death. Her resilience was undoubtedly greater than that of ordinary ghosts and gods. Yet, this was the first time she had encountered such scenes, and they still managed to shake her deeply.

Meng Po called out from the side, “Lord?”

Little Qi Wu snapped out of her daze and stared blankly at the ghost before her, at the armor that had been worn and tattered for a thousand years.

After a long while, she tightly hugged her milk bottle and softly said, “General, you are truly remarkable.”

Xu Ming froze in place, his entire body stiffening. He looked down in disbelief at the little child who barely reached his waist.

For a thousand years, this was the first person who had sincerely addressed him as “General,” without any trace of mockery or sarcasm. And that unfamiliar yet familiar sense of clarity and fulfillment he had felt upon meeting the Little King of Hell earlier returned to him once more.

His body trembled slightly, and his eyes gradually turned red. His voice was hoarse as he whispered, “Lord…”

Little Qi Wu took a step forward and gently patted his armor, speaking earnestly, “This King will strive to ensure that the remarkable General can reincarnate sooner and be born into a good life.”

Xu Ming felt somewhat ashamed of himself, but after years of being plagued by evil aura, he had never felt so clear-minded, nor had he ever been so deeply moved by a single sentence.

For the first time, he realized just how irreplaceable and important the existence of this new King of Hell truly was.

His tall figure suddenly bent down, and he knelt on one knee, his voice deep and solemn, “Very well, thank you, Lord.”

Next, Little Qi Wu walked up to the Netherworld Gate. In front of the three ghosts and gods, the Ghost Messenger, and Xu Ming, she placed her hand on the gate. In an instant, a soft white light enveloped her body, not blinding but gentle, wrapping around the entire Netherworld Gate.

She was just a small child, barely able to walk steadily, yet the light radiating from her at that moment made everyone willingly bow in submission.

The evil spirits lurking in the darkness within the Netherworld Gate immediately began to stir, but only for a moment before they were suppressed, falling silent once more.

Suddenly, a childish yet fierce voice rang out, “How dare they! Tell this King, who dared to bully the Judge?”

Su Wen: “…”

Facing the sudden gazes of his colleagues and subordinates around him, he couldn’t help but feel a bit embarrassed.