Chapter 23

【Sponsor Withdraws Funding in Anger!】

【Hahahaha, so adorable! Piggy Sponsor, this is the first time I’ve heard Little Qi Wu’s clear speech stumble.】

【That’s right, why does three-year-old Little Qi Wu speak so clearly? She’s really amazing.】

Little Qi Wu finally learned the correct pronunciation from Judge Dad this time, sticking out her little tongue: “Sorry, Qi Wu said it wrong!”

She carefully enunciated each word: “Thank you, sponsor!”

 Kong Lin  needed to collect the money, so he also earnestly repeated the advertisement along with her.

This little episode made a much deeper impression than a straightforward ad read. The sponsor, seeing the live broadcast effect, couldn’t stop smiling. Today was indeed a good day.

“Go check it out. I heard this father and daughter don’t have a company. If they’re amateurs, shooting ads shouldn’t be expensive. They look no worse than celebrities, aren’t costly, and have high traffic. They’re perfect for endorsements.”

The assistant beside him sighed: The boss is really shrewd.

Meanwhile, at the Temple of the King of Hell, the first interactive live broadcast, coupled with Zhang Yuan’s live stream being shut down, attracted many curious viewers. After the initial greetings to the husband and baby, many were now curious about what had happened that afternoon. The barrage of comments finally became somewhat normal.

After all, it was already confirmed that Zhang Yuan had been photographed being taken away by the police. Su Wen, who didn’t check Weibo, only now realized that it had already spread online.

He was somewhat surprised. Is the internet really this fast?

The program team kept hinting not to say too much, so Su Wen only said one sentence: “Good and evil will eventually be repaid.”

【How did you figure out he did something bad!】

【How did Qi Wu find that box? What was the paper effigy inside for?】

【The program team added a new metaphysics label. Is it because of you?】

Netizens were like a hundred thousand whys.

 Kong Lin  didn’t know about this episode. He glanced at the little ghost beside him who was staring at the screen and guessed the gist.

…These two are still doing their Underworld business in the human world. Who would have thought people nowadays are so accepting of Ghosts and Gods?

The questions were scrolling quickly.

The program team’s stance was that they could reveal some information about metaphysics, as long as it wasn’t intentionally scary.

So Su Wen raised an eyebrow and retorted: “Is it strange that Qi Wu and I know?”

【Stop flirting while talking!】

【Is Qi Wu a real temple keeper or is it scripted?】

“What’s a script?” Su Wen said indifferently. “As for whether it’s real, you’ll find out eventually.”

Whether it’s before or after death, that depends on fate.

【Let the baby say something! Read the comments to the baby!】

【Tell the baby, mommy loves her! Will give her the best milk to drink!】

Su Wen selectively ignored certain comments and lifted Little Qi Wu onto his lap: “Qi Wu, say something to everyone.”

Qi Wu blinked: “What should Qi Wu say?”

Su Wen: “Anything.”

Qi Wu thought for a moment, then looked at the camera seriously and said: “Qi Wu can’t see everyone and doesn’t know how to read, but now Qi Wu knows everyone is watching Qi Wu.”

“Everyone should do good deeds and be good people.” Little Qi Wu couldn’t think of anything else to say, so she ended with, “Lord Yama will bless good people!”

【Okay, okay, I will definitely be a good person!】

【Can we hear Zai Zai sing? I haven’t slept well for several days.】

Su Wen asked, “Can Qi Wu sing for everyone?”

“The one from kindergarten?” Little Qi Wu nodded, “Sure!”

She cleared her throat and extended her small hand to keep the beat: “A single-plank bridge, a single-plank bridge, take a step and it sways, the brave are not afraid, striding confidently across the bridge~”

The live broadcast site fell silent, but the comments kept scrolling.

【Recorded it, I can sleep well tonight!】

【Thank you, Qi Wu. I’ve been really anxious lately, but hearing your voice has calmed me down so much!】

Su Wen glanced through the comments and selected a few to whisper into Little Yan Wang’s ear.

Little Qi Wu then leaned closer to the screen: “Do you like listening? Then Qi Wu will sing it again.”

She sang once more, and after finishing, she hugged the phone, causing the screen to go dark.

“Qi Wu can’t see you, but she can give you a hug.”

Her voice came through the microphone, “Don’t rush, don’t be afraid, be happy.”

“Grown-ups need to grow up too, and you can only grow up well if you’re happy.”

【Wuwu, thank you, Zai Zai!】

【My heart is melting, Zai Zai is the best!!】

【It’s really soothing and healing.】

 Kong Lin  quietly watched Little Yan Wang and then looked at the endless stream of comments, feeling as if he had misunderstood something.

The Emperor had said that the Human Realm had developed differently from before, and the needs were different too. Could this be the need of the Human Realm?

As the time was almost up, the audience started chatting, trying to figure out the true identities of Su Wen and Qi Wu, and turned their attention to  Kong Lin .

“A fallen noble?”  Kong Lin  chuckled, “You could say that.”

“Noble indeed, but now, truly fallen.”

“Donations for poverty relief?” Humans are really interesting,  Kong Lin  turned to Su Wen and teased, “What about you, nobleman, do you need it?”

Su Wen ignored him and said leisurely, “No need.”

He slightly raised his eyes, looking at the Little Yan Wang in his arms who was getting sleepy, and said, “As long as everyone remains faithful to their beliefs, that’s enough.”

At nine-thirty, the live broadcast ended on time. Wang Yang was packing up to leave the mountain.  Kong Lin , who was usually good-natured, saw him off and reminded him, “It’s going to rain soon, go back early, be careful of obstacles on the road, don’t fall.”

Wang Yang, who had a good impression of him, thanked him and said, “Don’t worry, I walk this path every day, I know it well!”

 Kong Lin  just smiled without saying anything.

Wang Yang descended the mountain with a flashlight, thinking that people in this line of work always check the weather forecast, and it didn’t say anything about rain. How could it rain?

Moreover, the sky didn’t look like it was going to rain.

But considering this was the Temple of the King of Hell, he remembered his previous encounter and decided to be extra careful.

Being careful paid off, as he noticed a fallen tree branch lying across the path he walked every day. It wasn’t big, but if not seen carefully, one could easily trip over it. If he tripped and fell down the mountain, it would be no small matter!

Wang Yang: “!!”

He carefully stepped over it, looked back at the mountain top, and felt a wave of fear. After thinking for a moment, he moved the branch that was blocking the path with great effort.

Just as he moved it, he felt the wind pick up, as if it was going to rain.

Wang Yang: “…Amazing.”

The people in this temple are not ordinary folks!

Better hurry home!

Here,  Kong Lin  first lit an incense stick for the King of Hell and the Emperor outside before walking back in.

Su Wen was sitting at the table holding the Little King of Hell, knowing that  Kong Lin  wouldn’t come up unless there was something important, so he asked, “Is there something?”

Little  Qi Wu , hearing the voice, struggled to open her eyes drowsily, trying to listen attentively.

 Kong Lin  had indeed come to see how the Karma was being obtained, but it seemed a bit elusive, so he didn’t bring it up. There would be plenty of opportunities in the future, so he decided to let it go for now.

“Nothing much,” he said. “Previously, when you and the Lord were recruiting in the Underworld, many ghosts responded enthusiastically. This time, I’ve brought a few selected technical backbone ghosts for you to take to that processing department for coordination.”

After all, this was a matter concerning both realms. It wouldn’t do to have the human staff here constantly communicating through Dream Transmission day and night. Humans couldn’t descend to the Underworld, but ghosts could stay in the Human Realm, making communication much easier.

Su Wen nodded, “They’ve already clocked out for the day. Let’s do it tomorrow.”

“Alright.” After saying this,  Kong Lin  looked at him curiously and suddenly smiled, “Your temper has indeed improved a lot. No wonder That One is so anxious.”

When  Kong Lin  referred to That One, aside from the Little King of Hell present, it could only be the Emperor below. Su Wen asked, “Anxious about what?”

“She sent me here, insisting that I find a way to bring the Lord down to sing for her.”

Su Wen: …

Hearing the City God mention her, Little  Qi Wu  immediately perked up, “Are you talking about Ben Wang?”

“Yes, sorry to disturb you,”  Kong Lin  said. “The Emperor hopes that if you have time, you could go down and sing that nursery rhyme for her again.”

Going back and forth was quite inconvenient since there was a barrier between the Human Realm and the Underworld, which was why  Qi Wu  and  Kong Lin  rarely returned.

Su Wen frowned slightly, “Tomorrow,  Qi Wu  still has to go to study.”

That fire station thing.

“No choice,”  Kong Lin  also sighed. “But the Emperor’s condition is indeed not good. She’s been heavily affected by the things in the Netherworld Gate, and now even the ghosts say she’s scarier than evil spirits.”

Little  Qi Wu  nodded in agreement, sighing like a little adult, “When  Qi Wu  saw the Emperor, she also felt really uncomfortable.”

Su Wen asked, “Has the Emperor not returned to Mount Luofeng?”

“No, and I don’t know why. She used to stay there all the time and rarely came out, but this time she hasn’t mentioned going back at all.”  Kong Lin ’s gaze fell on the innocent Little King of Hell, pondering slightly, “Perhaps it’s because of the Lord.”

The Underworld had suffered heavy damage. This was the Emperor’s life’s work and a crucial node in maintaining the stability and peace between the two realms. How could she not be worried? And to be honest, the Emperor’s presence did deter many restless ghosts.

“It’s just that it’s going to be hard on the Lord Yama,”  Kong Lin  said. “The Emperor’s emotions are uncontrollable, so the Lord will need to return to the Underworld frequently to comfort her.”

Little  Qi Wu  immediately assured, “Ben Wang will do it.”

Su Wen noticed something was off, “Is the Mystic Seal unusable?”

 Kong Lin  paused, almost imperceptibly shaking his head at Su Wen.

The last time the Emperor mentioned a few people holding a small meeting behind her back, it was already noticeable. She could have joined in; theoretically, her Emperor of Fengdu Seal could override any Mystic Seal, but she just glanced at it and didn’t say anything more.

The Emperor’s condition was probably far worse than imagined.

 Kong Lin  tentatively asked, “So today…”

Little Qi Wu heard the words of the two Ghosts and Gods and had an intuition that the Emperor seemed to be in a bad state. So she said, “This King can go today and will return quickly. I can still go to study tomorrow.”

“This King will wake up early!”

Since she had spoken, even though they felt heartache, no one dared to stop her, as there was no other choice.

 Kong Lin  stood up: “That’s just right, let’s take this little ghost down together.”

After passing through the boundary between the human and ghost realms, everything around them turned dark, with gusts of Netherwind blowing, which greatly frightened Da Zhang Siqing.

Little Qi Wu turned her head and asked, “Are you scared?”

“Um…” Da Zhang Siqing felt puzzled. This Hell King Kid was clearly younger than him, so why wasn’t she scared?

After he asked this question, the remaining two Ghosts and Gods also turned their heads to look at the Little King of Hell.

Little Qi Wu blinked her eyes: “This King is Lord Yama. Lord Yama must protect everyone and cannot be scared.”

She couldn’t walk before, and except for going to the Netherworld Gate, she always stayed in the Hall of the King of Hell. Meng Po often told her about the outside world, but she didn’t understand back then.

But as she gradually grew up, she could occasionally sense the emotions of the ten thousand ghosts outside—helplessness, which made her feel at a loss. She could also hear some ghosts talking.

They all said that with the descent of Lord Yama, the Underworld would get better, and Lord Yama was the hope of the Underworld.

So Little Qi Wu believed that she must be very brave.

Sometimes, when she saw how dark the Underworld was and how many fierce evil spirits there were, she would also feel scared. But if she was scared, the ten thousand ghosts would also be scared.

A brave Lord Yama must not fear difficulties!

After Little Qi Wu finished speaking, she felt herself being picked up. Su Wen held her in his arms: “My Lord can also be scared.”

Little Qi Wu: “Huh? Why?”

Su Wen was silent for a few seconds: “Every person and ghost can be scared; it’s a privilege.”

“So My Lord doesn’t have to think that just because you are the King of Hell, you can’t be scared. Especially since you are still a child, you should be protected.”

 Kong Lin  listened in amazement. Was this still the same cold-faced Judge from before? He was now better at comforting children than even Meng Po.

Returning to the Underworld, Little Qi Wu first took Da Zhang Siqing to the Reincarnation Department. As soon as Jin Wen saw her, she immediately stood up: “Lord Yama.”

Little Qi Wu smiled obediently: “Hello, Grandma Meng Po.”

She took out some candy from her little backpack and handed it over: “This is candy for Grandma!”

Jin Wen accepted it: “Thank you, My Lord.”

Then she looked at Zhang Siqing: “Who is this?”

“This is a little ghost that This King and Judge Dad saved.” Qi Wu pulled Da Zhang Siqing over, “This is Grandma Meng Po, don’t be scared.”

Da Zhang Siqing nodded.

Jin Wen glanced at Da Zhang Siqing and nodded for the Ghost Messenger to take him for registration. Little Qi Wu was seeing their work for the first time, so she curiously followed along.

Every day, countless people die, and everyone has to queue here for registration, waiting for reincarnation. The reincarnation passage on the other side was already open, and some ghosts were gradually walking in.

Jin Wen walked over to Little Qi Wu: “Today, My Lord has gained a lot of Karma. The reincarnation passage won’t be stagnant for long, and it’s much more stable now.”

Little Qi Wu thought back; it seemed like she hadn’t done much today.

The Ghost Messenger nearby was speaking to a registering ghost: “This is your Underworld Identity Card. You can use the Underworld Identity Card number to obtain corresponding benefits.”

Little Qi Wu’s eyes lit up: “Ghosts have identity cards now?”

Jin Wen nodded: “Yes, after Lord mentioned it last time, we had the Ghost Messengers register every ghost and re-established an Underworld registry for the lingering ghostly souls in the Underworld.”

“That’s amazing!” Little Qi Wu clapped her hands in delight. “We won’t mistake ghosts anymore!”

She was in a hurry to find the Emperor, so after just a glance, she was about to leave. As she walked past the line, she saw Da Zhang Siqing waiting in the queue. Little Qi Wu thought for a moment, then went over and hugged him, giving him a handful of candies: “Don’t be afraid, Ben Wang will make sure you have a good life.”

Then she turned back: “Grandma Meng Po, can we have a kindergarten in the Underworld?”

Meng Po was startled: “What?”

A voice chimed in: “What kindergarten? Isn’t that a place for children to play?”

Little Qi Wu suddenly turned her head: “Emperor!”

The Beiyin Emperor grunted, somewhat impatient: “Why did it take so long?”

 Kong Lin  replied: “The Human Realm was delayed today.”

The Beiyin Emperor then looked at Little Qi Wu: “Come here.”

Little Qi Wu ran over with a patter of footsteps. Before the Emperor could speak, she launched herself like a little cannonball into her arms.

The Beiyin Emperor was momentarily stunned by the impact, and the impatient expression on her face unconsciously softened. She picked up Little Qi Wu as if holding her own medicine: “Speak, why do you want to start a kindergarten?”

Little Qi Wu took out a candy from her little backpack, unwrapped it, and offered it to the Emperor’s mouth: “Emperor, eat.”

The Beiyin Emperor: “…”

She glanced at the surrounding Ghosts and Gods, who immediately averted their gazes. Only then did she eat the candy.

Little Qi Wu said: “Ben Wang learns things in kindergarten. Why can’t the ghosts in the Underworld learn things in kindergarten too?”

“Kindergarten… children!” The Beiyin Emperor rolled her eyes at her. “That’s a place for children.”

Little Qi Wu nodded: “Oh, but there are many children in the Underworld too.”

The Beiyin Emperor laughed: “Then what about the adult ghosts?”

Little Qi Wu was stumped by the question. She pursed her lips and said worriedly: “Qi Wu hasn’t been to an adult’s kindergarten yet.”

A ghost waiting in line to register couldn’t help but whisper: “For adults, it’s called university.”

Little Qi Wu turned her head: “Huh? University?”

The Beiyin Emperor shot a glance over, and the ghost immediately fell silent. The Beiyin Emperor clicked her tongue: “Continue.”

Only then did the ghost dare to speak again: “Kindergarten, elementary school, middle school, high school, university—these are the schools people attend at different ages when they’re alive, learning different things.”

Little Qi Wu thought it sounded amazing: “So all the technology in the Human Realm is learned this way?”

The ghost nodded: “Yes, it’s all from people in different majors at universities, developing in all directions.”

Several Ghosts and Gods also realized, “So that’s how it is. It’s different from before when scholars were just scholars, without specialized fields.”

The Beiyin Emperor, seeing their clueless expressions, scolded: “Idiots, you all need to learn properly.”

The ghost was startled and muttered: “Such a beautiful Ghost God, yet she still scolds ghosts.”

The Beiyin Emperor, whether she heard it or not, turned and walked away with Little Yan Wang in her arms.

The remaining Ghosts and Gods exchanged glances and sighed in unison.

Little Qi Wu was held by the Emperor, pondering for a while before hesitantly speaking, “Emperor…”

“Speak.”

Little Qi Wu: “Ben Wang heard that ghost say, ‘stupid cunt’ is an insult to ghosts.”

The Beiyin Emperor denied it: “He’s talking nonsense.”

Little Qi Wu straightened up to look into her eyes: “Really?”

The Beiyin Emperor: “…You little brat, you dare question me now?”

Little Qi Wu shook her head: “Ben Wang thinks it’s not good for the Emperor to curse at ghosts and gods. Teacher said such words are not nice.”

“You’re teaching me how to behave, giving me a lesson? Your milk scent hasn’t even dried yet.”

Little Qi Wu blinked and said earnestly, “But Mom Mengmeng said, as long as what you say is correct, you can give a lesson, it has nothing to do with whether Ben Wang drinks milk or not.”

The Beiyin Emperor was momentarily at a loss for words. This little brat is quite articulate. Just as she was about to speak, Little Qi Wu suddenly hugged her.

“The Emperor curses because she’s unhappy, right? Ben Wang will give you a hug.”

The words the Beiyin Emperor was about to say were swallowed back. She wearily carried Little Qi Wu back to the Hall of the King of Hell and leaned back in her chair.

“The ghosts and gods are all worried about the Emperor,” Little Qi Wu said. “Ben Wang saw it, Judge Dad and City God Uncle both offer incense to the Emperor, they all like the Emperor very much.”

The Beiyin Emperor scoffed lightly: “What do you know?”

Little Qi Wu nestled in her arms: “Ben Wang doesn’t know, but Ben Wang can see.”

“Ben Wang is also worried about the Emperor, so Ben Wang came to give you a hug. Emperor, don’t be sad.” She looked up, her small hand touching the Emperor’s face, her eyes bright. “The Emperor is the most beautiful ghost and god Ben Wang has ever seen.”

The Beiyin Emperor lowered her gaze: “They’ve spoiled you, giving you the audacity to mess with me.”

Though she said so, she wasn’t really angry.

Little Qi Wu sensed this and hugged the Emperor tightly, smiling: “The Emperor is a good ghost and god, Ben Wang knows.”

The Beiyin Emperor remained silent for a while before saying, “I asked you to sing, why didn’t you?”

“Ben Wang sang many times today,” Little Qi Wu said, then took the Emperor’s hand. “Ben Wang will teach the Emperor to sing!”

She gently patted the Emperor’s palm with her tender little hand. The Emperor’s fingertips twitched but did not close, letting her pat away.

After Little Qi Wu finished singing, the Emperor hummed: “Little cub.”

“Hmm?”

The Beiyin Emperor closed her eyes: “Tell me about what you encountered in the Human Realm.”

Little Qi Wu: “Does the Emperor like to hear about this?”

The Beiyin Emperor did not say whether he liked it or not, only remarking, “If you speak well, I’ll let Jin Wen open a kindergarten in the Underworld.”

Little Qi Wu’s eyes lit up, and she thought very seriously: “There are so many things to tell! I’ll start from the beginning!”

“I went to the Human Realm with Judge Dad, and we rode in a very fast car. It was so comfortable…”

Her voice was soft and gentle, but as she spoke, she noticed that there was no sound from above her head. Little Qi Wu looked up and saw that the Emperor had closed his eyes and fallen asleep.

She gently patted the Emperor’s palm and whispered, “Be good, Emperor.”

After saying that, she obediently hugged the Emperor and stopped talking.

When Su Wen came over to take Qi Wu back to sleep, he saw the two of them tightly embracing, fast asleep.

He paused for a moment, then quietly walked over.

But before he could get close, the Emperor suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze filled with a sinister and oppressive Evil Aura. Seeing that it was Su Wen, her breath hitched, and she slowly leaned back, yawning.

Su Wen bowed slightly and said, “Emperor, it’s time for me to take the little one back.”

The Beiyin Emperor glanced at the little child sleeping soundly in his arms, gave a faint “hmm,” but did not move.

Su Wen waited patiently.

After a while, the Beiyin Emperor slowly stood up, carrying Little Qi Wu over to him.

Su Wen took the Little King of Hell, his gaze inadvertently falling on the Emperor’s tightly clenched fingers, which were gripping the Little King of Hell’s clothes so hard that the tips of his fingers turned white. His movements paused for a moment.

But soon, the Emperor withdrew his hand and turned away on his own. “You may go,” he said.