She had imagined a thousand, ten thousand possibilities in her mind, including all the situations she might encounter.

Those pushing open the door might be successful Little Head Ghost and Big Head Ghost, or it might be the Reception Office discovering something amiss…

But Jian Chou had never thought that the visitor would be a half-“old acquaintance.”

Zhang Tang…

The cruel official Zhang Tang.

How had he come to the underworld?

And why did he appear here?

What relationship did he have with Big Head Ghost and Little Head Ghost?

A series of questions naturally surfaced in her mind.

Big Head Ghost and Little Head Ghost were thrown straight to the ground, both getting mouthfuls of dirt. They immediately began crying out in pain, cursing as they did.

“A gentleman can be killed but not humiliated—Old Zhang, your heart is too poisonous…”

“Ouch, bah! What does this taste like?!”

“Let me go, let me go quickly!”

“Bullying people! You bastard…”

…

Their curses grew increasingly ugly.

Every word entered Zhang Tang’s ears, but couldn’t cause the slightest change in his expression. He acted as if he hadn’t heard at all, still standing steadily and composedly in place.

One body of official robes, one body of severity.

Standing amid the chaos, quite understated, with shallow murderous aura floating in his eyes—something innate.

His gaze never left Jian Chou.

Like in the Killing Red Small Realm, this was a direct, even superior observation, examining a prisoner, observing every subtle change in Jian Chou’s expression and converting it into actual meaning.

Her body bore glaring bloodstains, dyeing her light blue robes red.

Even the ground showed traces of fresh blood.

Her face was slightly cold, and in her eyes that seemed both passionate and passionless, sharp light flashed, regarding his presence with complete wariness.

The moment she heard Little Head Ghost curse out “Old Zhang,” her face suddenly showed a trace of bewilderment, followed by indescribable absurdity and helplessness.

Jian Chou only felt her mouth slightly bitter: “So the Old Zhang they kept mentioning was you…”

Zhang Tang knew she had guessed the ins and outs of the matter. He didn’t deny it, nodding: “Correct.”

“…”

What, what?

Little Head Ghost, still struggling and cursing on the ground, suddenly seemed slapped. His entire person was dazed!

He gaped, staring at Zhang Tang and Jian Chou as if seeing ghosts.

These two people still in confrontation…

That way of looking at each other, even this almost familiar tone of speech—no matter how you looked at it, they didn’t seem like strangers!

Also, when entering, what had Zhang Tang said?

Madam?

Whose madam?

And Jian Chou’s current statement “So Old Zhang is you”…

This…

This…

This…

This was fucking deceiving people!

In an instant, Little Head Ghost’s face turned red with complete agitation.

“Damn! You actually know each other?!”

He stiffened his neck, with snot and tears, howling in grief and indignation!

The terrifying sound nearly lifted the roof.

Dust flew everywhere.

Both Jian Chou and Zhang Tang heard it, but neither spoke.

Little Head Ghost now simply wanted to grab these two bastards and spray them both with curses!

They actually knew each other!

The one about to deceive and the one about to be deceived actually knew each other!

More ridiculous still, before this, neither knew the other existed!

Too much of a trap…

Really too fucking much of a trap!

Only now did Little Head Ghost understand what had happened.

No wonder earlier at the Reception Office, after Zhang Tang saw Jian Chou’s name, he said that strange sentence—

“It seems you never mentioned my name to her.”

At that time, Little Head Ghost was confused.

He only knew the matter was exposed, but had no idea why it was exposed.

How could Zhang Tang determine they had problems just by looking at that name once? Without even checking the Life and Death Registry?

After all this fuss, the reason was here!

Zhang Tang simply knew Jian Chou, even understood this person, so he could immediately react upon seeing Jian Chou’s name, knowing Little Head Ghost was deceiving him.

With cause and effect straightened out, Little Head Ghost was so frustrated he nearly rolled on the ground!

After being discovered, Zhang Tang leisurely said to them: “I’m also curious about new ghosts—I’ll accompany you to escort them later.”

At that time, Little Head Ghost wanted to beat his head against the ground!

The situation was serious, and he wanted to run back to warn Jian Chou.

Unfortunately, when that bastard Zhang Tang’s dead fish eyes looked at them like that, the two little ghosts immediately cowered, no longer daring to harbor any crooked thoughts.

A whole afternoon!

Zhang Tang threw so many registries for them to handle, exhausting them like two mangy dogs, while they had to remain constantly on edge, fearing the executioner’s blade would fall and sever their necks.

What torture…

Recalling it, Little Head Ghost felt it was all a nightmare.

But now he learned it was due to such absurd, ridiculous reasons!

He was so angry he nearly rolled his eyes and fainted!

“What level of bad luck does it take to encounter such things! Too much bullying! Too much bullying! Wuwuwu…”

Jian Chou remained silent.

What Little Head Ghost cursed was exactly what she thought.

Still…

This matter might not be without turning points.

Glancing at the broken door scattered messily on the ground, Jian Chou waved her hand. Fine soul power shot out from her palm, immediately pulling those broken wooden boards from the ground and reconnecting them, blocking the previous opening.

Outside was a stretch of deep black night with the last few rays of light.

But the moment the wooden boards sealed the door, the interior became completely dark.

While Jian Chou acted, Zhang Tang merely watched without any attempt to stop her.

Seeing the door sealed, cutting off the possibility of others looking in, Jian Chou rarely revealed a smile.

Standing before the table, she waved to Zhang Tang: “It’s been two or three years since we parted in the Killing Red Small Realm. Unexpectedly, in this dismal underworld, I can still see Court Minister Zhang. A visitor is a guest—it’s not really a disturbance. Please sit.”

The room contained only the most rudimentary square table and several crooked wooden stools covered in cracks. Even giving them as firewood, people would probably find them objectionable.

Yet when Jian Chou said “please sit,” she truly remained composed and unperturbed.

Both Big Head Ghost and Little Head Ghost were shocked by Jian Chou’s courage and thick skin.

Zhang Tang had come to capture her, right?

She actually invited him to sit?

And fucking sit in such a broken-down place!

You must know, Zhang Tang wasn’t some poor ghost.

Unlike those pitiful creatures with no one to make offerings after death, when Zhang Tang passed through the Ghost Gate, he was followed by a large group of paper figures, paper horses, even carriages and sedan chairs.

Some fool in the mortal realm burned paper money for him, which the underworld authorities converted into a certain amount of dark jade and distributed to Zhang Tang.

Everyone at the Reception Office knew that though Zhang Tang didn’t show off and appeared plain, he was actually rolling in wealth.

He didn’t like displaying it, but the little ghosts at the Reception Office had long since investigated thoroughly.

Unlike Big Head Ghost and Little Head Ghost who lived in such broken houses far from the Reception Office, having to walk a long way to work each day, Zhang Tang had owned a large mansion since he was a new ghost in the City of Unjust Deaths.

Later, when transferred to the Reception Office, he bought another residence in a nearby city, very close to the Reception Office.

Whenever Judge Chu mentioned Zhang Tang arriving early, Big Head Ghost and Little Head Ghost would privately make sour comments: “Nonsense—living so close, of course he’s early.”

So regardless of Zhang Tang’s actual character, he had money.

Jian Chou’s current behavior was like inviting someone wealthy enough to rival nations to stay in her ramshackle home, even moving a tottering chair for them to sit on.

Hehe, this was asking for trouble!

Big Head Ghost and Little Head Ghost secretly lit a candle for Jian Chou in their hearts: “Still a living person after all—doesn’t understand the underworld’s dangers! That Zhang Tang never gives anyone face!”

This time, Jian Chou was probably in for it!

Both little ghosts stared intently at Zhang Tang, watching his every move, waiting for him to lower his eyelids, refuse to give face, and turn to leave.

Sure enough, Zhang Tang lived up to expectations—his eyelids lowered, his robe hem lifted—

The two little ghosts’ eyes immediately brightened.

Then…

Zhang Tang sat down.

“…”

Something seemed wrong?

The two little ghosts were stunned, taking a while to react: “Zhang Tang actually sat down?!”

What situation was this!

Big Head Ghost and Little Head Ghost, faces against the ground, nearly popped their eyes out!

Perhaps their expressions were too exaggerated. Standing beside the table, Jian Chou silently glanced at them. Seeing they couldn’t get up from the ground, she knew this was Zhang Tang’s “masterpiece.” Not wanting to ask Zhang Tang to release them now, she temporarily set the matter aside.

Seeing Zhang Tang seated, Jian Chou also sat across from him.

She looked at Zhang Tang—very blurry in the darkness.

So she raised her hand toward the oil lamp, and a flame automatically lit in the lamp bowl, igniting the wick.

The weak flame illuminated the lamp’s surroundings, and Jian Chou’s face was also tinted with some dim yellow warmth.

After completing this, Jian Chou sat properly and looked at Zhang Tang again.

This should be only their third meeting.

There had been a fleeting glimpse at the Xie Marquis Manor, the Killing Red Small Realm counted as once, and this was the third time.

Jian Chou was very clear about Zhang Tang’s identity.

There were too many rumors about him among the people—truly terrifying, even to the point of stopping children’s night crying.

Zhang Tang, who controlled criminal law, was the sharpest blade in the emperor’s hands.

A so-called blade doesn’t consider right or wrong, only stance.

During his time managing the imperial prison, everyone said that under Zhang Tang’s rule, it had become a place where clean officials could easily become corrupt officials, and good officials could easily become lackey officials.

Of course, undeniably, this person had also done many “good deeds.”

Among those who died under his various punishments, clean and good officials were very few—after all, the emperor wouldn’t let them die. More were ministers with mixed merits and faults or treacherous officials who abused power.

Therefore, this person had mixed reputation among the people.

Recalling all this now, Jian Chou’s gaze slowly changed accordingly.

She should never have had any real contact with Zhang Tang, yet he had just called her “Madam”…

Whose madam could she be?

That Zhang Tang didn’t add the word “Xie” at least wasn’t disgusting to her.

In the mortal realm, Xie Buchen was a fugitive being pursued. As his wife, she hadn’t died but disappeared with him.

Zhang Tang neither knew about the cultivation world nor what truly happened in the mortal realm. If he investigated after returning, learning they later married wouldn’t be surprising.

However…

She didn’t like this form of address at all.

The flickering lamplight illuminated her eyes like deep pools.

Jian Chou spoke unhurriedly: “This barely counts as old acquaintances meeting. Court Minister Zhang is no longer a Great Xia official, but rather a cultivator. Though I married, I’ve now severed all past connections. If Court Minister Zhang doesn’t know how to address me, simply calling me ‘Fellow Daoist’ will suffice.”

Zhang Tang’s brows furrowed slightly.

Clearly, he hadn’t expected Jian Chou to say such things.

People say thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river.

When they met in the Killing Red Small Realm, Jian Chou had knocked Zhang Tang away with an axe. Now, Jian Chou’s cultivation was insufficient and she was constrained by the Extreme Domain’s rules, so the tables had turned to Zhang Tang’s side.

The contrast between past and present gave rise to some strange feelings.

Zhang Tang’s mind rarely entertained some inappropriate thoughts before returning to Jian Chou’s words.

Severing all past connections—these words…

Seemed to indicate no relationship with Xie Buchen.

He observed Jian Chou.

Jian Chou’s face was calm. Though smiling, there was no real sense of joy.

Former forest lovebirds had shared wealth and hardship, even escaping together from the capital to the remote south, hiding in a small mountain village.

What kind of noble prodigy was Xie Buchen?

After his downfall, someone still remained loyal.

Even old foxes who had mixed in official circles for many years couldn’t help but sigh after seeing those case file descriptions: “True matrimonial love in the world is nothing more than this.”

But now…

Zhang Tang temporarily didn’t ask more, simply following her lead: “Fellow Daoist Jian Chou.”

Thus, Jian Chou’s face showed an inexplicable smile.

“I once heard Court Minister Zhang was a clerk who rose from the smallest details to the high position of Nine Ministers, with ruthless methods and cold heart, killing countless people—a difficult person to deal with. After exchanging a few words now, I know worldly rumors can’t be entirely trusted.”

Zhang Tang didn’t speak.

“You and I met in the Killing Red Small Realm. Zhang sir personally saw the ghost axe and must know it’s my magical artifact. Now, seeing the words ‘Jian Chou’ on the City of Unjust Deaths’ new ghost registry, you didn’t make a big show of bringing Reception Office ghost cultivators to kill me. Instead, you came alone carrying two little ghosts to ‘disturb’ me.”

Jian Chou’s smile deepened.

In the quiet night, surrounding sounds could be heard.

Big Head Ghost and Little Head Ghost couldn’t get up, only straining their ears to listen.

Every sentence Jian Chou spoke challenged their understanding while making them—or rather Little Head Ghost—increasingly nervous.

Big Head was a fool who couldn’t understand.

The dim yellow lamplight left a faint halo on Jian Chou’s body.

Her tone was gentle and slow, yet with unusual certainty and confidence, so she spoke unhurriedly: “I wonder, what brings Court Minister Zhang here?”

A clever woman.

Zhang Tang again recalled various descriptions in the case files: “Lady Xie Jian Chou once answered three questions from the Daming Temple abbot for Lady Xie, cleverly solved eighteen linked rings, had photographic memory second only to Third Young Master Xie… Though from orphaned origins, she possessed unique wisdom, was quick to learn, and infinitely clever, worthy of being called ‘pure and intelligent as ice and snow, swift and sharp as thunder.'”

In such a short time, she knew he hadn’t come to arrest her for Judge Chu, reasoned logically, remained composed…

Now, she even asked him “what brings you here.”

Zhang Tang had been dead for long, in the underworld for some time.

But this didn’t mean worldly matters had left him. On the contrary, some unfinished business had become deeply branded obsessions in his heart.

His gaze examining Jian Chou acquired a slight fierce quality, seemingly just light coloring at the bottom of his eyes—inconspicuous and non-threatening.

“I come for two purposes. First, for the City of Unjust Deaths matter. Second—”

Zhang Tang paused. His tightly pressed thin lips carried somewhat inhuman coldness, while that trace of fierceness in his eyes became real and sharp.

“Where is the rebel Xie Buchen?”