Chapter 43: The Second Underworld Messenger!

“It really is a health club…” Wang Chenghao poked his head out from behind Qin Ye’s shoulder in surprise. “Didn’t you just say…”

Qin Ye slapped the card against his nose. “What did I say? Can you focus on the important details? If you’re this nitpicky, how will you ever be a competent assistant?”

Wang Chenghao rubbed his nose, feeling something was off, yet unable to pinpoint exactly what.

Qin Ye examined the card closely.

Only then did he notice, below the main text, there was a line in small print: “Open daily at midnight. Simply inject yin energy into the invitation card and the address will appear immediately. First use entitles you to a twenty percent discount.”

This city is wild…

After reading all the instructions, only these three words echoed in Qin Ye’s mind.

Wild beyond belief… Had the underworld society of Baian City already developed to this extent? Now this was how souls should live! Drinking blood, embracing skulls, raving atop graves, drifting in hearse parades… It was nothing like the humble Qingxi County!

“It might be a trap… Who could this be? How can they sense my presence?” Qin Ye frowned.

Wang Chenghao’s mouth opened and closed. Finally, he couldn’t help but ask, “Brother Qin… I get it, but if you think it’s a trap, why do you keep pouring yin energy into the card?”

“Hm? Did I?” Qin Ye replied absentmindedly. “Sorry… my hand suddenly stopped listening to me.” As he spoke, the flames on the skull ignited gently.

Turning the card over, Qin Ye glanced at it. Wang Chenghao coughed lightly, probing, “Brother Qin… I’ve never seen you this eager before. Could it be… you’re a wizard?”

Qin Ye’s hand froze mid-flip.

“No.” Several seconds later, he answered with certainty.

Wang Chenghao let out a sigh of relief.

He thought as much—so strong, decent-looking, and standing at a respectable 1.77 meters tall. How could he possibly be a wizard?

“I am… an archmage…” Qin Ye’s voice sounded as if it drifted from another realm, laced with gritted teeth.

Wang Chenghao suddenly understood everything. He wanted to speak, but words failed him. In the end, all those thoughts condensed into a single phrase: “Heh… men.”

With Qin Ye’s continuous infusion of yin energy, the flames atop the skull transformed, as if guided by an invisible hand, into a bizarre listening sigil. Qin Ye frowned. “This pattern… why does it look so much like the one on my underworld officer’s uniform…”

Boom!!

Before he could finish, a dense wave of yin energy suddenly exploded from the card!

Whoosh! The room’s curtains, as if tugged by unseen spirits, abruptly closed. The hotel’s curtains were specially made; once drawn, sunlight barely crept in. In an instant, darkness enveloped the room. The surging yin energy formed a vortex, filling the space, with Qin Ye standing at its center.

Swish—he had no time to react. His underworld officer’s uniform materialized instantly on his body. Wang Chenghao gasped, shrinking into a corner, staring wide-eyed at Qin Ye, whose hands were frozen in shock. His voice trembled, “Brother Qin… is—something… is something wrong?”

Qin Ye didn’t answer.

His eyes were filled with utter astonishment. The yin energy above him was already approaching the level of a Soul Binder. Moreover… unlike a Soul Binder’s, this was pure, vast yin energy, something no ordinary ghost could possess!

“It’s not me…” He touched his uniform in disbelief. “I… didn’t even transform… This is…”

He stared at the surroundings, enunciating each word: “This is… an Underworld Officer!”

“A living Underworld Officer!”

“It’s already… almost at the Soul Binder level!”

This was a true kindred spirit!

He never imagined that, besides himself, another living underworld officer existed in this world—and clearly, the other party had already discovered him!

“An underworld officer? A living underworld officer?!” At that moment, a similarly shocked, raspy voice spoke. Qin Ye blinked. “Arthas? You’re awake?”

“No… The eruption at Qingxi County was my trump card; I can only use it once. To recover, I’d need a massive amount of yin spirits. But… that’s not the point. The point is… how can there possibly be a living underworld officer in the world of the living?” The Soul Sealing Orb floated out, trembling violently. “After Ksitigarbha attained enlightenment, all underworld officers in both the underworld and the living world were wiped out. I could only survive by hiding beneath the Abyssal Bridge… How did this person survive such a purge? It’s simply impossible!”

“Are you certain?” Qin Ye gazed at the surrounding yin energy, as pure and familiar as his own, and spoke with complexity.

“I’m very certain. Underworld yin energy and that of ordinary ghosts are two completely different levels—they’re two separate systems. I could never mistake the aura of a ‘colleague’!”

No one spoke.

In Baian City… someone had survived the upheaval of the underworld as an underworld officer. Not only that, but they’d discovered Qin Ye and sent him an invitation!

What was this person planning?

After a long silence, Arthas spoke again, her voice still breathless from incomplete recovery: “Boy, here’s the second ironclad rule of an underworld officer…”

“All underworld officers—except you—are underworld spirits. They’re governed by the oppressive ‘system’ of the underworld. Once the ‘system’ collapses, those underworld officers become dozens, even hundreds of times more terrifying than evil spirits! I’m certain… huff… huff…”

“He… cough… he is the culprit behind Baian City’s supernatural outbreak!!”

A sudden clarity dawned in Qin Ye’s mind!

“That’s right… First, the pattern of supernatural events, the direction of activity in Baian City—none of it is random; someone is orchestrating it. But whoever organizes it, wherever the yin energy is densest, they’d have been discovered long ago! Old Zhang told me they’re still investigating.”

“That’s impossible… there’s no way it could go undiscovered for this long. The reality is… there’s no way to find it!”

He muttered, “This person, like me, is a formally appointed underworld officer. Our yin energy is beyond that of ordinary ghosts. With the current tools and cultivators in the living world… just as no instrument or practitioner has ever detected me, no one can detect him either! Only an underworld officer could wield enough lingering authority from the underworld to command so many ghosts!”

“Then… why would the kingpin of Baian City invite me?”

No answer.

After a long while, Arthas finally recovered from her shock and spoke in a grave, breathless tone: “Boy, you’d best think carefully about this invitation…”

“I’ve been imprisoned beneath the Skeletal Bridge for centuries; I no longer understand the ecology of modern ghosts. If you accept this invitation… you’ll learn the real state of affairs in Baian City. The true situation. You two might be the only surviving underworld officers left in this world. He will definitely meet you in person…”

“This is a microcosm of the modern underworld. Other cities are likely similar to Baian City. Even if they lack underworld officers, they’ll have other powerful ghosts—it’s just a matter of strength… Understanding him is like seeing a miniature of the living world after the collapse of the underworld. This will be invaluable to your future. It’s critical.”

Qin Ye pondered aloud. “But this is his turf. If negotiations break down, it would be all too easy for him to kill me. His strength… it’s almost at the level of a Soul Binder, isn’t it?”

After his battle with the Soul Binder’s puppet master, he knew all too well what that meant.

“Cough, cough…” Arthas panted. “I can shield you with the yin energy of the Judge’s Seal for three days. If anything goes wrong, none below the Judge could harm you. However…”

Qin Ye said dryly, “However, if we fall out, he’ll immediately realize I have the Judge’s Seal. Then… whether I die or not, I’m as good as dead, right?”

Arthas fell silent.

“The risk is too great.” Qin Ye put the card away. “By the way, could you wrap me up with a fragment of the Judge’s Seal first? I just can’t shake the feeling of unease…”

Arthas said nothing more. An intense surge of yin energy erupted from Qin Ye’s chest, instantly seeping into every pore of his body.

Then, silence—a return to slumber.

“Let’s get ready.” Qin Ye’s smile faded. He jerked his chin at Wang Chenghao. “We’re heading to Hui University tomorrow.”

They could no longer stay here.

A pair of kindred eyes had already pinned him in the darkness.

Whatever the other’s intentions, he absolutely did not want to engage right now.

That night passed without dreams. The next morning, the two first bought some cheap clothes, as theirs had been worn for too long. Then they made their way to Hui University.

Hui University was located in the suburbs. After an hour’s drive, they arrived at the main gate.

Atop the faux-ancient archway, the large characters for Hui University stood out boldly. The sprawling campus was shaded by tall trees, and from time to time, rousing shouts of “One, two, three, four!” echoed across the grounds.

“Late October—must be military training season… but it should be ending soon.” Qin Ye looked around the campus, feeling a pang of nostalgia.

Back in the day, he’d wanted to experience university life so much that, when boredom struck, he’d just enroll for a taste. With this visit, he was close to achieving the feat of entering and leaving seven times…

Wang Chenghao found everything new and fascinating. It was still early in the semester; all kinds of club banners were posted everywhere. Though not as lively as the very start, it was enough to open a whole new world for him.

“So this is university?” “It’s way better than our county high school! Brother Qin, look—a beauty over there!” “Damn… there’s even an anime club! Can I join too?”

Qin Ye wished he could sew Wang Chenghao’s mouth shut with a needle.

A troop of camouflage-clad trainees marched past, their thunderous chants making Wang Chenghao’s blood surge, his face flushed red. Qin Ye frowned, glanced around, and took out his phone.

In the Student Union office, Zhang Linhua had just handed a form to a classmate when his phone rang.

“Hello?” It was an unfamiliar number, but he answered anyway.

“Mr. Zhang? This is Qin Ye.”

“Qin Ye? Which Qin Ye?” Zhang Linhua nearly hung up. Just as his finger pressed down, he suddenly recalled and forced a smile. “Ah, so it’s Mr. Qin… What can I do for you?”

On the other end, Qin Ye glanced at his phone. “Here’s the thing—we’ve come to register at the school today. Could you help us get to the Academic Affairs Office?”

“The Academic Affairs Office?” Zhang Linhua’s barely suppressed laughter was obvious. “Mr. Qin, let me be blunt—you didn’t get in through the proper channels; my father pulled some strings for you. If you go to the Academic Affairs Office, aren’t you just slapping him in the face?”

“Mr. Qin, which gate are you at now? …Oh, that’s the back gate. The building opposite you is the Science Building. Go straight ahead and you’ll reach the library. After the library, take a left at the intersection, and the slightly older building is the Finance Department. Fill out a registration form there, then come to the Student Union to pay your fees. I’ll assign you a dorm… Right, that’s all…”

Qin Ye remained calm.

He had no particular impression of Zhang Linhua; his relationship with Zhang Baoguo didn’t extend to his son. That Zhang Linhua was indifferent seemed only natural. He never expected everyone to serve him.

“All right. Thanks.”

After hanging up, in the Student Union, Zhang Linhua snorted, tossed his phone aside, and muttered, “Idiot.”