There was no moon in the sky.

What dimly illuminated the street ahead was the colorful light emanating from the surrounding buildings.

The eighteen-story above-ground tower rose like a sweeping storm, stretching straight toward the heavens, seeming to merge with the dark, brooding sky.

Zhang Tang stood at the edge of this excessively wide street, at the mouth of a narrow, shadowy alley that felt eerily oppressive.

Hearing that Jian Chou hadn’t asked about anything else but specifically inquired about the thousand years of cultivation, he was somewhat surprised. Turning back, he said, “A thousand years is a vague estimate, but roughly accurate. The underworld truly took shape only six hundred years ago, and various records are incomplete. What’s certain is that he was already in the Extreme Realm before that time.”

Before those six hundred years was the War between Yin and Yang Realms.

Prior to this, the Extreme Realm had undergone long, long periods of evolution, and no one knew exactly how much time had passed.

From the Yellow Springs, from the Naihe Bridge, from the eighteen levels of hell, new existences were finally born.

These beings were different from souls that continuously experienced reincarnation, and also unlike ordinary demons and monsters. Born from the Extreme Realm, raised in the Extreme Realm, they were similar to ghosts yet different from ghosts.

They could cultivate and possessed nearly eternal life.

Thus, such existences gradually became the most unique presence in the Extreme Realm and began to influence the entire Extreme Realm: some souls began to avoid reincarnation, instead becoming ghost cultivators and merging with these beings.

The long river of time granted them increasingly powerful strength, allowing them to gradually establish the prototype of the underworld and extend their reach to the territories of Nineteen Continents and the human isolated islands.

The cultivators of the Nineteen Continents keenly sensed the changes in the Extreme Realm, discovering these “things'” malicious intentions. However, before they could prevent it, the cultivators’ reincarnation was completely severed.

Thus, the War between Yin and Yang Realms erupted.

Based on all of Jian Chou’s current understanding, the cultivators of the Nineteen Continents were defeated in this war, suffering heavy losses and losing their right to reincarnation.

Fudao Shanren had once said that when the nine-headed bird died, there would no longer be a ghost carriage to carry souls back and send them into reincarnation. This must have been due to some accident during that war.

Except for the Buddhist sect that migrated to the Northern Realm and somehow retained reincarnation for unknown reasons, all cultivators of the Nineteen Continents, after this war and for the following six hundred years, once they died, would truly be “annihilated,” dissolving in reincarnation and returning to the dust of heaven and earth.

The Extreme Realm, however, fully established the underworld after this war.

“The leaders of the ten great ghost clans are called the Ten Great Yin Marshals, all beings born from the Extreme Realm. Among the eight Yama Kings in the Eight Directions City, some were born from the Extreme Realm, while others were souls from reincarnation who cultivated to become what they are—their origins differ.”

“After the underworld was established, the various affairs of the Extreme Realm began to be recorded.”

“Immortal Wuzhong appears on the first page of the underworld’s ‘historical records.'”

Zhang Tang walked slowly forward, his cold, stern voice drifting through the night air.

Jian Chou walked behind him, with Big Head Ghost and Little Head Ghost following further back. One had just arrived recently, and the other two usually didn’t pay attention to such matters and had no opportunity to access the underworld’s history, so they were all listening intently.

Little Head Ghost pondered for a moment and couldn’t help but click his tongue: “That means Immortal Wuzhong is older than the underworld!”

Jian Chou just smiled.

He was certainly older than the underworld, but in this vast world, what did a mere thousand years amount to?

When Immortal Wuzhong had acted to seal her body today, she had felt a very strange power, much like the “domain” power that Xie Buchen had used when she fought him—the power of “realm.”

This was at least a mighty cultivator with a realm, just one step away from ascending to heaven.

A cloud of mist always shrouded Jian Chou, stirring her curiosity.

“Are there no more records about this person in the underworld? Where did he come from, what was his identity… what about the Book of Life and Death?”

Six hundred years ago, reincarnation still covered the Six Paths, including the cultivators of the Nineteen Continents.

If Immortal Wuzhong truly came from the Nineteen Continents, the underworld shouldn’t have no record of him.

“Early in the period when the underworld was first established, everything related to Immortal Wuzhong was erased by someone.”

Zhang Tang had also been very curious about Immortal Wuzhong initially. Given his temperament, he always examined case files first when arriving at a new place, memorizing them thoroughly before beginning his work.

Even after dying and coming to the underworld, he did the same.

However, the matter of Immortal Wuzhong was truly peculiar.

“Some say Immortal Wuzhong erased it himself.”

“…”

This time, Jian Chou had nothing to say.

She furrowed her brow but smiled: “If that’s the case, this senior is indeed an extraordinary person. But the more it’s like this, the more curious I become about his identity. What does ‘not exactly having a feud’ with Yashan mean? What exactly does ‘not exactly’ mean?”

The wording was too peculiar; for a moment, Jian Chou couldn’t tell whether there was a feud or not.

“Who cares what it means or doesn’t mean. I’m more curious about what he meant when he said we’d know when the time comes. What kind of request will it be?”

Little Head Ghost was still most curious about this, urging Jian Chou: “Why don’t you look at the stone pearl? Maybe you can see it first.”

The stone pearl was stored in the qiankun bag in Jian Chou’s sleeve, but she didn’t take it out.

“Do you think I haven’t looked? I examined it thoroughly when I first got it, but Immortal Wuzhong is at least a mighty cultivator with a realm. When he says ‘when the time comes,’ not even a moment sooner or later is possible. Rather than that, it’s better to think about when we can leave.”

The Heaven-Releasing Creation Array…

Jian Chou suddenly remembered all the things Immortal Wuzhong had mentioned.

Somehow, she always felt that this Immortal Wuzhong didn’t harbor much hostility toward her, but couldn’t be said to like her either. There was always a feeling of something standing between them.

The other party had placed what he wanted her to do inside the stone pearl, so she would know what she needed to do at the same time she left.

This proved that what Immortal Wuzhong wanted her to accomplish was mostly in the Nineteen Continents.

Was he scheming something, harboring thoughts of invasion?

Such an old man who lived in a small alley and didn’t even bother with the Eight Directions City seemed unlikely to have such intentions.

Then it must be…

Some unfinished wish?

Thinking it over, the possibility of an unfinished wish seemed more likely.

Unable to figure it out no matter how she tried, Jian Chou sighed: “Forget it, I’ll sort it out again later. Along the way into the city, I’ve already found Immortal Wuzhong’s help, which is already extremely fortunate. At least I have a direction to leave. For now, let’s think about matters in the City of Wrongful Death.”

Now she was genuinely a “ghost soul,” and although she looked rather unsightly due to the incomplete three souls and seven spirits, walking on the road gave her a strange sense of relief.

Probably seeing that Jian Chou found this current feeling novel, Little Head Ghost caught up and fawningly sidled up to her: “It’s different from when you were alive, isn’t it?”

“Uh… it is rather different.”

But am I not still a person now?

Why did this comment feel a bit strange?

Jian Chou momentarily didn’t catch the implication.

Little Head Ghost swung his sleeves, quite pleased with himself: “I was the same way when I first became a ghost decades ago—there’s this particularly liberating feeling, like taking off clothes and walking naked on the street…”

“…” Jian Chou said nothing.

“Right?”

Little Head Ghost still hadn’t noticed anything amiss and pressed for an answer.

In that instant, Jian Chou truly felt that even walking on this main road was a humiliation.

To make such a comparison—there really was no one else like him!

The corner of her mouth twitched as she forcibly suppressed the urge to turn around and spray Little Head Ghost in the face. She raised her eyes to look at the eighteen-story above-ground tower that was now very close.

Flying eaves overlapped, the buildings rose high, standing tall to reach the sky.

The dark black surface had no luster, carrying a sense of solemnity within its oppressive atmosphere.

Jian Chou suddenly said: “I remember you mentioned before that this eighteen-story above-ground tower—climbing to the tenth floor gains appreciation and recruitment from the ten great ghost clans, and climbing to the eighteenth floor gains appreciation and recruitment from the Eight Directions City?”

“That’s right.”

Little Head Ghost immediately forgot about the previous topic. Seeing that Jian Chou seemed very interested, he couldn’t help but get excited.

“This is my first time in the City of Wrongful Death. I’ve never seen anyone go up to climb the tower. Great Lord Jian Chou, are you going to try?”

Jian Chou pondered for a moment and shook her head: “If climbing the ten floors or eighteen floors could grant a chance to leave, I’d be willing to try. For now, let’s quietly wait for other opportunities.”

The City of Wrongful Death was vast in scale. From the city gate to the alley where Immortal Wuzhong lived, they hadn’t changed their general direction.

After coming out, they continued walking toward the city center, and only now had they truly reached the most central area—directly below the eighteen-story above-ground tower.

There was a circle of tall buildings surrounding the eighteen-story above-ground tower, like rows of gate towers, but they were all tightly closed.

Jian Chou looked for a long time but couldn’t see an entrance.

Zhang Tang said: “This above-ground tower can only be entered at dawn, when the doors open automatically.”

I see.

Jian Chou looked at the circle of gate towers and gave up the idea of examining them more closely. Seeing that Zhang Tang had walked around the eighteen-story above-ground tower and was still moving forward, she couldn’t help but ask: “I just entered the city, so I still need to go to the registry office to register, right?”

“Correct.”

Zhang Tang nodded indifferently.

Hearing this, Jian Chou naturally assumed Zhang Tang was leading them to the registry office.

After passing through the center of the City of Wrongful Death, they continued forward, passing through three or five streets. Along the main street were mansion after mansion, looking like places where people lived.

Zhang Tang’s footsteps stopped in front of a pair of substantial dark ink-colored gates.

Jian Chou also stopped and looked up. There seemed to be a plaque hanging above, but the light was too dim to clearly see what characters were written. She asked doubtfully: “Is this the registry office?”

Zhang Tang gave her an inexplicable look, his dead face showing not a ripple of emotion, and said flatly: “This is this official’s residence.”

“…”

His home?

Jian Chou truly didn’t react in time: “But… aren’t we going to the registry office?”

“Since you no longer have a living body, there’s no danger. Big Head and Little Head know the way to the registry office. This matter shouldn’t be this official’s responsibility—just have those two take you to register.”

As Zhang Tang spoke, he had already pushed open the door and walked in.

Jian Chou was immediately speechless. Seeing that Zhang Tang had already entered, she hurriedly called out: “But—”

“Bang.”

Before she could finish speaking, Zhang Tang, sporting that mean-spirited dead face, had already pressed his hands inward from both sides, and the two gates mercilessly closed together.

The door was shut.

Standing outside the door, nearly getting her face caught, Jian Chou was dumbfounded.

Big Head Ghost and Little Head Ghost also felt like they were dreaming. After a long while, they finally snapped back to reality and hazily recalled: This was the cold, ruthless, dead-faced Zhang Tang! He had finally fucking returned to normal…

But…

“J-Jian Chou, Great Lord, w-where are we staying tonight?”

Little Head Ghost’s voice trembled with a crying tone.

Whoosh—a gust of wind blew past.

Jian Chou swept her gaze around. The wide street was completely empty, with only three shivering pitiful ghosts standing in front of the gates…

She stiffly turned her head with a cracking sound.

“Your underworld doesn’t provide lodging for new ghosts?”