Chapter 586: Fish Xuan Soldier

Counting the time spent in the cave, it must have been the next day.

Shi Chun closed his book and put away the pile of books on the ground, then glanced at a richly dressed man lying motionless nearby. The man had been caught earlier when Shi Chun was looking for a suitable messenger. He was a street ruffian whose background was unknown, but he had been captured on the spot simply because his bullying of good people had been an eyesore.

Shi Chun spread his five fingers, and the man on the ground was instantly pulled up, his throat landing in Shi Chun's hand. Ignoring the man's terrified and pleading eyes, Shi Chun snapped his neck with a crack.

After confirming the man was dead, Wu Jinliang, grinning, pulled out the 'Death-Defying Incense' jar. He hooked out a small amount with his finger and ignited it with an open flame.

The two, familiar with the process, quickly created another black hole leading to the Underworld.

Before entering, Shi Chun instructed a visibly eager Wu Jinliang: "We don't know where the exit will appear on the other side. I'll go first, and wait for my signal."

Wu Jinliang naturally understood his meaning—that if anything went wrong, he could still provide support from outside. He nodded, a silent acknowledgment.

Shi Chun flashed inside. The moment he emerged from the other end, he quickly activated his 'Cloud-Stepping Boots' to stabilize himself. For good reason: this time, the exit appeared at a high elevation. Below him, the entire city glowed with flickering lights, like scattered or dense stars across the sky, in shades of red, white, blue, and green. There were houses, streets, and pedestrians; it was a vast city.

As expected, the 'Death-Defying Incense' opened exits in different locations when used on different creatures. He wondered if this was within the territory of Qiangyu Hall.

He quickly pulled out a pair of 'Mother-Child Talismans' and contacted Lao Changtai, asking: "Are you there?"

Lao Changtai quickly replied: "Yes, where are you?"

Shi Chun did not reply immediately. He turned back, tiptoeing through the air to the hole they had emerged from, and quietly whispered inward: "Come over."

"Coming!" Wu Jinliang replied, and his figure shot through.

Shi Chun, standing at the exit, moved aside and scooped up Wu Jinliang. At the same time, he released the bundle of golden threads that controlled the spatial prohibition, and the hole immediately dissipated.

"Whoa, why is it so high this time?" Wu Jinliang exclaimed, hanging from Shi Chun's hand. He then asked, "What city is this? It looks quite lively."

Shi Chun had no idea what city it was; the exit simply opened wherever it did. However, based on his previous experience controlling those golden threads, the exit should be a considerable distance from the golden thread's intended soul-reaping destination, though probably not too far. Therefore, it was not advisable to linger here. There was no precise measure for how long they shouldn't stay, so naturally, the sooner they left, the better.

The crucial point was that the rules in cities of the Underworld seemed to be the same as those in the outside world: unauthorized flying within the city was prohibited, presumably to protect the privacy of residents. For the exit to suddenly appear in the air was a real pitfall, making both of them very uncomfortable.

Fortunately, they had appeared out of thin air without any signs of flight, and it seemed they hadn't attracted attention yet. However, if they were to fly up and down, they would be easily discovered. Realizing the precarious situation, Wu Jinliang said guiltily, "Damn, we're not going to get caught as soon as we arrive, are we?"

Shi Chun scanned the dim surroundings. A thought struck him, and he suddenly pulled out the 'Three Corpses Mirror.' He cast a spell, throwing it above their heads and controlling it remotely. A dark light enveloped both of them. The Three Corpses Mirror, with its dark light, along with the two men, shot diagonally towards an area with fewer lights. Using the special ability of his right eye to control their direction, the moment his feet touched the ground, Shi Chun immediately reached up, grabbed the descending 'Three Corpses Mirror' from above, and put it away.

Wu Jinliang grinned crookedly. He hadn't expected that this magic item, normally used against others, could be used on themselves. Shi Chun didn't want to hear his nonsense and quickly urged him to move. Who knew if someone might have noticed the anomaly and come to investigate?

As they moved through the streets and alleys, Shi Chun contacted Lao Changtai again. Lao Changtai still asked where they were, and Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang only knew they were in a city. After communicating and describing visible landmarks, they confirmed they were in the same place: Qiangyu City, located at the foot of Qiangyu Hall. Shi Chun wasn't sure why they had arrived directly in the city this time, though he knew that their location of appearance in the Underworld was indeed related to their starting point in the outside world. However, this connection was too elusive to deduce how to control it for now.

Their meeting point was easy enough: at the base of a tower near the landmark building.

As they walked through the streets, most people they passed had their heads covered with white or black cloth. It was rare to see someone like them, who had simply grabbed a mask and put it on. Fortunately, they quickly realized they stood out and were attracting stares. They immediately found an alley, grabbed some black cloth, cut it to drape over themselves, and only then did they feel somewhat at ease walking the streets again.

However, the constant invasion of Yin energy into their bodies was truly uncomfortable. The two noticed that the Underworld seemed to have changed little before and after its closure. According to records they had read, the people of the Underworld enjoyed song and dance. As they traveled, they indeed saw many residences where music and dancing were ongoing, and there seemed to be many individuals living in a state of debauchery and self-indulgence. Some sang passionately, while others wailed like ghosts.

The colors in this world were monotonous, and there were no distinct seasons, so great effort was put into decorating with colorful lights. There were no carriages or horses in the city. Those who could survive in the Underworld were not ordinary people, so many used humans as beasts of burden, carrying palanquins at a swift pace. The palanquins were also distinctive: unlike those in the outside world where the poles were at the waist of the palanquin, here the poles were at the foot of the palanquin. The ends of the poles had high or short legs, which could be adjusted to raise or lower the palanquin based on the ground conditions. Some palanquins had seating compartments, others had horizontal compartments for reclining, and there were also simple models with curtains hanging on all four sides.

After walking and looking around, Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang finally arrived at the base of a tall tower. Entry into the tower was forbidden, guarded by Underworld officials. According to what they had read in books, twelve such towers were arranged circularly in each city of the Underworld, serving both as high-rise observation posts to monitor anomalies within the city and as timekeeping devices. At the appointed time, lights would illuminate the corresponding tower, and a bell would ring.

While Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang were still looking around, two figures draped in white cloth from the passing crowd quickly walked towards them. It was Lao Changtai and Chu Jingting. Due to Wu Jinliang's height, they recognized him at a glance, even though he was covered in black cloth. The reason they both appeared simultaneously was also at Shi Chun's instruction. Shi Chun had told them to each carry one soil wolf corpse and act separately, fearing that carrying both corpses on one person might lead to an accident.

"Boss," they greeted him, somewhat joyfully.

There was no need for formalities between them. Chu Jingting said, "This isn't a good place to talk. I've already rented a place to stay here. Follow me."

So the group of four quickly moved on. Since their boss rarely visited, Lao Changtai had initially asked if they wanted to look around first. But Shi Chun felt there would be plenty of opportunities for sightseeing later; doing business was more important now. Again, they walked through streets and alleys, arriving at a secluded residence where no sounds of music or dancing could be heard. Once inside and the door closed, it was even quieter.

As soon as they sat down, Chu Jingting threw two sets of white clothing to Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang. "Boss, your black coverings are incorrect. Black robes aid in the absorption of Yin energy, while white robes block it. Only those cultivating Underworld arts wear black robes. You two should wear white robes, otherwise you'll easily arouse suspicion. Wu, you try yours on. I know you're tall, so I specially prepared this for you in advance."

Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang immediately changed clothes. And indeed, these specially made white cloth garments clearly blocked Yin energy. When they draped the white cloth over their heads, the effect was even better.

"For those who haven't tried it, the taste is quite good," Lao Changtai said, bringing out a plate of colorful pastries and some red wine.

Shi Chun merely looked and smelled, but didn't eat. He told them to first explain the situation here, as he needed to determine a suitable location to use the 'Death-Defying Incense'. Seeing that Shi Chun wasn't eating, Wu Jinliang, in contrast, sampled everything. If Shi Chun had eaten, he would have done the opposite, refraining from touching the food and drink for a while.

After getting a rough idea of suitable locations, Shi Chun asked again, "Lao Changtai mentioned earlier that you'd found a suitable enforcer and were trying to contact them. I didn't get a chance to ask more then. What's the situation?"

Chu Jingting smiled and countered, "Boss, have you ever heard of someone named Yu Xuanbing?"

The name sounded familiar. Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang exchanged glances. Wu Jinliang, still chewing, attempted to say, "I heard there used to be a famous assassin in the cultivation world who killed many officials from the Heavenly Court and Royal Court and was wanted everywhere. I think he had that name. Besides that, I don't know anything else..."

Chu Jingting nodded. "Exactly. He's currently in the Underworld."

Wu Jinliang was surprised. "He's still alive?"

Chu Jingting: "Alive and well. His cultivation, as you can imagine, has already broken through to the Heavenly Immortal realm. It's likely not that he wanted to stay in the Underworld, but rather that he was unlucky and happened to be hiding here when it closed. The problem is, the area where he was originally wanted included the Underworld. He assassinated too many people back then, including some Underworld officials, so how could the Underworld let him go? That's why he's been in hiding all this time.

"It's said that no one initially knew he was living in seclusion in the Underworld. After the Underworld closed, he retired as an assassin. Who would have thought that a quiet, honest man doing odd jobs at home could be a killer? No one really knew Yu Xuanbing's true identity, but then his family accidentally found his belongings, which were recognized by someone with keen eyes, thus exposing his identity. That's how everyone learned that this notorious assassin had actually settled down and started a family in the Underworld. That revelation led to a bloodbath. His acquaintances, neighbors, everyone who knew him, were all killed by him. The Underworld officials who surrounded him suffered heavy casualties, but he ultimately escaped. Perhaps realizing that his hiding place in the Underworld was exposed, he later re-emerged to take on new jobs.

"Boss, this man is reclusive, and his style of doing business for money is utterly trustworthy. Furthermore, neither the outside world nor the Underworld can accommodate him. Don't you think he's the most suitable enforcer?"

Those present immediately understood his meaning: bringing this person out of the Underworld would also minimize the chances of exposing the passage between the two realms.

Shi Chun considered it and realized that the person Chu Jingting had chosen was indeed suitable. He then asked, "Heavenly Immortal realm? The fee won't be cheap, will it?"

Chu Jingting nodded, holding up three fingers. "Indeed, it's not cheap. It starts at thirty million taels, with the price increasing depending on the target. And he's selective about jobs because the Underworld constantly sets traps to catch him, so he doesn't take just any assignment. It's said he rarely takes on work—typically, he doesn't take a job for three years, and then one job can sustain him for three years."

"Only thirty million?" Shi Chun let out a breath of relief. However, considering the value of currency here, he realized it was still quite expensive, but he could afford it. He immediately asked, "So, how have your negotiations gone?"