Chapter 6: The World's Transformation

The mortal realm should have been enjoying the warm spring season, with flowers blooming everywhere and life flourishing. Yet one kingdom remained trapped in a bitter, icy winter. Its people were ashen-hearted, moving about like walking corpses.

This country, which should have been basking in the warmth of spring, now had withered vegetation. Domestic fowl, wild beasts, and countless other living creatures had all perished overnight. For a thousand miles, white bones lay in mourning. A catastrophe of annihilation had descended silently upon the land, carried by the sorrowful notes of a flute.

The flute music that had lingered by the people’s ears suddenly ceased. The people, who had been stumbling about like the walking dead, gazed upon the relatives they had slain with their own hands and burst into tears, their wails filling the air. Most of them chose to end their own lives.

Invisible to mortal eyes, threads of red smoke slowly drifted from the corpses of the dead—human and animal alike—flowing toward a single direction. At last, they gathered into a raging torrent and were absorbed by the flute in the hands of the musician, which exuded black vapor.

“Heh. I never imagined this flute would possess such power. Those fools truly did not deceive me!” the flutist exclaimed. His face was shrouded in a mass of black mist.

A flash of red gleamed in his eyes. Narrowing them slightly, he looked at the person beside him.

“I must say, with so many kingdoms in the mortal realm, you chose the very land where you were born and raised. You really are ruthless, Maple Fiend.”

Ink Bamboo—no, Maple Fiend—gave a mocking smile.

“Lord, do stop making fun of me. That person is gone now, and this land is of little use to me. It is better to offer it to you as a test site for the Blood Grudge Flute, the most powerful forbidden artifact spoken of in the Demon Realm. In that way, this kingdom will at least have served some purpose.”

The flutist clapped his hands.

“Well said. But I think you simply wanted to revisit your old home. Tsk, tsk. Since that is the case, let us see just how much power this Blood Grudge Flute can truly unleash!”

The flute sounded once more. Those among the people who had survived by sheer luck felt as though they were hearing a summons from hell.

The Hall of Yama.

Yan Yunqing had moved the place where official documents were handled back into the main hall. Inside, messengers stood in rows, each arriving to report on the same matter.

Recently, tens of thousands of dead souls had suddenly appeared in the Netherworld overnight. None had entered through the proper channels. They had simply manifested in various places throughout the Netherworld, stripped of their three souls and seven spirits, leaving behind only empty shells wandering aimlessly through the realm.

The Netherworld was already overcrowded and could no longer accommodate more dead souls. After investigation, the ghost officials discovered that all these spirits had been inhabitants of the same kingdom in the mortal realm.

Yan Yunqing’s brows drew tightly together. Something had likely gone terribly wrong in one of the mortal kingdoms.

And this upheaval had clearly been caused by someone from one of the other four realms. There were countless races capable of seizing human souls. The matter was truly giving him a headache.

The Five Realms had a tacit peace treaty. None would interfere in another realm’s internal affairs, invade another’s territory, or harm or disturb its people. In all matters, harmony was to be treasured above all else.

The Netherworld naturally had no reason to create trouble for itself. Nor could the inhabitants of Heaven be responsible; proud by nature, they disdained such sinister methods. No human in the mortal realm could possibly possess this kind of evil sorcery, either.

Thus, the greatest suspicion fell, unsurprisingly, upon the most treacherous and cunning of the realms—the Demon Realm.

Since demons were involved, the matter could not be neglected. An upheaval of such scale had appeared in the mortal realm. It seemed that he would have to make the journey himself.

“Your Majesty, what should we do with all those dead souls?” one ghost official asked, striking directly at the problem that was even more difficult than the investigation itself.

In the past, every dead soul in the Netherworld had been registered. Their spirits had remained whole, without anything missing. This was the first time Yan Yunqing had encountered such a massive number of empty shells.

After a moment of contemplation, he said in a deep voice, “Send people to register them immediately. Any vacant area in the Netherworld may be used to house them. Their reincarnation can be left aside for now. In every other respect, proceed as usual.”

Having received their orders, the ghost officials calmed down. With someone to guide them, they began arranging their respective duties in an orderly fashion.

After dismissing them, Yan Yunqing rubbed his brow and sighed. He did not even notice when Ghost Lantern entered the hall.

“Are you troubled by the upheaval in the mortal realm?” Ghost Lantern asked, looking at Yan Yunqing’s harried expression.

Yan Yunqing pinched the space between his brows.

“Such an upheaval in the mortal realm is something the Netherworld cannot evade responsibility for. I will go there myself and investigate.”

Ghost Lantern nodded. He naturally understood the importance of the matter.

“Go without worry. I will handle affairs in the Netherworld.”

Ghost Lantern and Yan Yunqing exchanged a smile. Since the former Yama King had entrusted the Netherworld to the two of them, and they had accepted that responsibility, they had to do everything in their power to protect the Netherworld and preserve the peace of its people.

The Ghost Venerable stood in the courtyard of a side hall adjoining the Hall of Yama, listening to every word spoken by Yan Yunqing and Ghost Lantern.

As the sovereign whom all ghosts revered, the Ghost Venerable had not earned his title for nothing. He had always been exceptionally sensitive to disturbances among ghosts and monsters. The previous night, all the ghosts had wept, and amid their cries, he had faintly heard the sound of a flute.

Not one of the flute’s notes formed a proper melody. They were strange beyond description, yet they could so easily stir the resentment hidden within people’s hearts.

The Ghost Venerable had nearly reached a conclusion, but there was now something more important to attend to.

Yan Yunqing had gone out to handle official business. For him, it was the perfect opportunity to return to Ashura Hall and properly refine the soul-stabilizing artifact.

念儿 was staying in the Hall of Yama, with the Soul-Eating Bell by his side. Once he had set up defensive barriers and restrictions outside the Hall of Yama, it would surely be the safest place for the child to remain.

The Ghost Venerable made up his mind. Not long after Yan Yunqing left, he established the barriers and restrictions outside the Hall of Yama. Once everything was ready, he returned to Ashura Hall. As soon as he entered, he summoned the Four Fiends and Black Slave.

Seeing the Ghost Venerable’s grave expression, Black Slave asked, “May I ask what has happened, my lord?”

The Ghost Venerable shot him a cold, cutting glance.

“You are a member of the Demon Realm, yet you failed to notice?”

Black Slave frowned.

“Could you be referring to the disturbance last night?”

He had indeed sensed the upheaval in the mortal realm the previous night. However, he had been ordered to remain in Ashura Hall. Unless his master gave him another command, he would never leave the hall even for a single step.

The Ghost Venerable carefully studied the Four Fiends and Black Slave. Then, all at once, he smiled.

The smile made their entire bodies stiffen.

“How long has it been since you last left Ashura Hall?” the Ghost Venerable suddenly asked.

Black Slave answered in a solemn voice, “It has been some time.”

No—not merely some time. They had not left Ashura Hall for a very long while.

Upon hearing this, Fiend Chi’s dim eyes immediately brightened. He hurriedly asked, “Does this mean you are granting us permission to leave?”

The Ghost Venerable nodded with a smile.

“You may leave, of course. But I am not sending you out merely to squander precious time.”

Fiend Chi shrugged indifferently and spread his hands.

“A mission is no problem. So long as we can get out.”

“Very well. I command you to make a trip to the mortal realm. First, protect the Netherworld’s current ruler. Second, locate the source of the upheaval. Third, determine why that source initiated it. Once these three tasks are complete, you need do no more. Do not interfere in anything else.”

The Ghost Venerable’s smile faded, and his voice grew stern.

The Four Fiends and Black Slave spoke in unison.

“We obey, my lord.”

They immediately transformed into several wisps of differently colored smoke and sped together toward the mortal realm.

The Ghost Venerable’s body swayed faintly. After finally steadying himself, he walked, somewhat weary, toward the artifact-forging chamber in Ashura Hall.

In one of the side halls of the Hall of Yama, Yan Nianqing, who was usually attentive during his lessons, answered his tutor’s questions with unusual absentmindedness. Suddenly, he asked loudly, “Teacher, has something happened in the Netherworld?”

The tutor stroked his long beard and replied slowly, “Your Highness, rest assured. With the Yama King here, nothing will happen to the Netherworld. At present, Your Highness should focus on your studies. You must not let your thoughts wander and disappoint those who have devoted themselves to you.”

Yan Nianqing lowered his eyes, looking somewhat dejected. It had been quite some time since he had been alone with his mother.

“You are right, Teacher. I understand.”

His mother had said she was busy with something, but what could it be? Could it truly be more important than he was?

The officials of the Netherworld were all so busy they seemed ready to collapse. Even those who usually greeted him and exchanged a few words hurried past with anxious expressions, never slowing their steps. How could he fail to realize that something had happened?

A trace of unwillingness flashed through Yan Nianqing’s eyes.

It was all because he was too young and too weak. That was why everyone around him worried about him and refused to tell him what was happening.

He felt frustrated because he understood even better that, had they told him, he would still have been powerless to do anything. He would not have known how to resolve the matter or offer any help.

Yan Nianqing suddenly grew dispirited.

The tutor walked over to him.

“Your Highness, I once taught your father as well. At your father’s age, he was already capable of handling the Netherworld’s affairs. He did so more skillfully and flawlessly than some veteran ghost officials. Yet even at the hour of the Horse, he would still be studying the historical records and official documents of the Netherworld.

“Your Highness, becoming the ruler of the Netherworld is no simple matter. What you need to do now—and the greatest help you can offer others—is to remember everything this old teacher tells you. Study diligently and work hard. One day, you will surely become a ruler of the Netherworld even more dependable than your imperial father.”

Yan Nianqing clenched his hands tightly. After a moment, he slowly relaxed them.

His teacher was absolutely right. A deeper resolve appeared in his eyes.

“Teacher, I have thought it through. Please continue.”

The tutor nodded in satisfaction and resumed his account of the Netherworld’s history: how the Fifth Realm had suddenly emerged from among the other four realms, how it had endured countless trials and tribulations to become the Netherworld of today, and how it had supported and assisted the other four realms.

Outside the courtyard stood a pear tree. Its snow-white blossoms released a faint fragrance. The flowers, which had remained in bloom for so long without withering, slowly fell into the small pond when a gentle breeze passed through.

Ripples spread across the water, stirred by the pear blossoms, and drew the koi into a frantic scramble. In the end, the koi discovered that what they had fought over was nothing but emptiness. There was nothing there at all.

The pear blossoms rested quietly upon the pond’s surface, drifting with the breeze and floating along with the current.

At last, several somewhat dusky butterflies flew up to the branches and delicately inhaled the flowers’ fragrance.

In the tranquil little courtyard, some things had begun to change.

And yet, it also seemed that nothing had changed at all.