Chapter Two: The Dawning World

When Obsidian showed no reaction, the assembled ghosts called out once more in unison, “We beseech Lord Unchained to show mercy, we implore Lord Unchained to subdue that malevolent spirit!”

Yan Nianqing’s face darkened entirely. With a shadowed gaze, he sneered, “Are you asking, or are you threatening, intimidating, and forcing me? Looks like you lot are plotting rebellion!”

The ghosts grew frantic and hastily replied, “We wouldn’t dare, Your Highness Yan, please don’t misunderstand.”

Yan Nianqing narrowed his eyes, sending a sharp glare their way. “Don’t try pinning blame on me. I hold a position here that has nothing to do with any blood relation to that old man!”

The ghosts wiped sweat from their brows, all nervous at his words. Who could dare call the King of Hell an ‘old man’ and pretend to be uninvolved? They quickly corrected themselves, “It was a slip of the tongue, a slip of the tongue. We pay our respects to Lord White Unchained!”

White Unchained? The legendary Black and White Unchained—are these two really as described? He wore black, the little child wore white; truly a matching pair. But White Unchained turned out to be a delicate, porcelain-like child, little Nian’er?

Obsidian stood behind Yan Nianqing, struggling not to laugh. Yes, he must give little Nian’er full respect.

Ghost Lantern rose and walked over to Obsidian, halting beside him to put an end to the farce. “Enough. Is this how dignified ghost officials ought to behave? Once this matter is settled, every last one of you will spend fifteen days in Hell as punishment. Now, immediately dispatch elite officers from other divisions to Hell. Minimize casualties and get the chaos under control. Fail, and you’ll be banished from the underworld forever. Now, get out!”

At his words, the ghosts disappeared instantly, leaving only Officer C behind.

Officer C dropped to his knees with a thud, sobbing, “My lord, please spare me, I’ll never dare again!”

Ghost Lantern’s eyes darkened. Yan Nianqing tugged at Obsidian’s sleeve. “Mama, um, Daddy, can you take Nian’er out to play? It’s so gloomy here, Nian’er is scared!”

Obsidian sighed inwardly, knowing full well Yan Nianqing wasn’t actually afraid, but he couldn’t bear to see the child’s aggrieved expression. He quickly scooped up Yan Nianqing, nodded to Ghost Lantern, and walked out.

After Obsidian departed, Ghost Lantern’s smile grew ever more sinister. “Now, let’s discuss the reasons behind your actions today in detail.”

...

Yan Nianqing clung tightly to Obsidian’s neck, unconsciously rubbing against him. Then, as if struck by a thought, he patted Obsidian’s shoulder. “Daddy, can I take you somewhere?”

Obsidian was taken aback. “Where?”

Yan Nianqing frowned, appearing troubled. After a moment’s deliberation, he said, “Daddy, given your situation, you must be unfamiliar with this world. That leaves you vulnerable to those with ill intent. So I want to take you to the place where historical records are kept.”

Obsidian’s arms tightened around Yan Nianqing. Who cares about Black or White Unchained! In the end, this little fellow was the most considerate. Overwhelmed, Obsidian showered Yan Nianqing with kisses. “Little Nian’er, you’re the cutest!”

Yan Nianqing wiped his face, brushing off the saliva. For the sake of closeness with Mama, he must endure—just a few kisses, nothing he couldn’t manage! The old man hadn’t even gotten this much.

The Archive.

Once orderly and neat, the place was now a chaotic mess thanks to the big and small pair. Yan Nianqing flopped about in a pile of books, rolling and rummaging. “Daddy, you need to read this ‘Compendium of the Five Realms’. Hmm… Also, this ‘Biographies of Famous People’, and the underworld’s ‘Unofficial Histories’, this one, this one, this one…”

Yan Nianqing lugged over a stack of books, smiling sheepishly at Obsidian. “Daddy, please make sure to finish all of these today.”

Obsidian massaged his forehead, suddenly feeling a headache. There were at least dozens of books here. He grabbed one at random to glance through, and was immediately hit with a shock so severe he tossed the book aside.

Yan Nianqing picked it up, looking aggrieved. “Daddy, what are you doing? Every book here is important!”

He bent his head to look, but Obsidian quickly stopped him. “Little Nian’er, don’t look!”

Too late. The child’s face turned bright red, trembling as he tossed the book aside. On its cover, the words ‘Longyang Handbook’ were boldly displayed. It didn’t matter if one could read the title; the illustrations inside—those poses, those acts—were so vivid as to seem lifelike, and the figures depicted were stunningly beautiful.

Obsidian, face flushed, saw the bewildered child and hurried to comfort him. “Alright, alright. Nian’er, just focus. You saw nothing, I saw nothing, okay?”

Yan Nianqing nodded, still deeply embarrassed. How could he not have known such indecent things were kept in the archives? It must be some lecherous ghost official’s diversion. If he found out who had caused him such disgrace in front of Mama—hmph!

Obsidian grabbed another book to study in earnest. As he read, his expression twisted. He set the book down, then resumed a gentle demeanor toward Yan Nianqing. “It would take ages to finish all these. How about you tell me directly what’s most important, little Nian’er?”

Obsidian smiled softly, and Yan Nianqing nodded eagerly. Mama trusted him so much; he’d have to explain everything thoroughly!

Obsidian cursed inwardly. He would never admit it, but he couldn’t understand a single word here. They all looked like cryptic runes. He was a top student back home, yet here he’d become an illiterate fool. Ah, fate’s cruel games!

Yan Nianqing, oblivious to his mother’s thoughts, considered a moment and pulled out the ‘Compendium of the Five Realms’. “Daddy, our world is divided into five realms: the populous Celestial Realm, Mortal Realm, and Underworld, with the Demon Realm and Monster Domain as secondary. From top to bottom, it goes: Celestial Realm, Monster Domain, Mortal Realm, Demon Realm, Underworld.”

Obsidian was startled. So monsters, demons, and ghosts all existed? He recalled legends of spirits and felt uneasy.

Yan Nianqing buried himself in the book, continuing, “The Celestial Realm has three races: Heavenly Phoenix, Heavenly Dragon, and Heavenly Fox. They coexist peacefully, led by the Heavenly Dragon. The Monster Domain comprises orthodox monsters descended from immortals, half-monsters with partial human blood, and creatures who cultivate from all sorts of worldly spirits, ruled by the Serpent Clan. The Mortal Realm needs no explanation—several countries, several emperors. The Underworld has always been governed by the Yan Clan, though the previous Yan left behind a council called the Elders’ Court, which has some privileges and frequently stirs up trouble. As for the Demon Realm, best not to mention it.”

Oh heavens, five realms? How long could he even survive here? Obsidian hesitated, then asked, “Why won’t you talk about the Demon Realm?”

Yan Nianqing’s face became impassive, letting out a cold snort. “The Demon Realm is made up of despicable races. Mentioning them would only sully Daddy’s ears.”

Obsidian, hearing this, walked over and took the book from Yan Nianqing’s hands, looking him in the eyes. “Little Nian’er, here’s your first lesson from Daddy: never pass judgment on others based on hearsay when you don’t truly understand their kind, alright?”

What kind of teaching had this child received? No, he must correct it. Obsidian resolved silently.

Yan Nianqing’s eyes flickered, sensing the issue. He quickly lowered his head in apology. “Daddy, Nian’er knows he was wrong.”

Obsidian pressed his lips together, pinched Yan Nianqing’s plump cheeks as punishment, then settled him in his lap, the two of them reading together. “Little Nian’er, is there anything else I need to know?”

Yan Nianqing was silent for a while, then replied, “Yes!”

“In our five realms, both people and objects can cultivate, and cultivation is ranked by levels. The Celestial Realm, Underworld, and Demon Realm rank from lowest to highest: Earth Stage, Sky Stage, Void Stage, Mystery Stage, Divine Stage, and the legendary Hidden Stage. The Monster Domain and Mortal Realm use: Awakening Phase, Shedding Phase, Union Phase, Thought Phase, Mist Phase. Ascension from the Monster Domain and Mortal Realm requires accumulation of merit and follows the laws of karma.”

Obsidian looked down at the messy nest of hair he’d ruffled, smiling. “Can Daddy cultivate too?” Since he’d arrived in this world, he’d have to adapt and learn some means of self-defense.

Unexpectedly, Yan Nianqing didn’t even look up, replying without hesitation, “Daddy, it’s always good to have dreams!”