Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
In the silent black night, I exchanged glances with Ma Han. It seemed as if a crow flew by in the sky, cawing "fool" "fool."
"Aren't you a Ghost Messenger? You can't drown, so why are you afraid of water?" I said, feeling exasperated. With Ma Han's kind of attack, even an average fool shouldn't fall for it.
"Who told you we are Ghost Messengers?" Ma Han replied defiantly. "We are just one step away from becoming Demon Gods."
Demon Gods, second only to the King of Hell in the Underworld, are souls that have cultivated to the level of immortals in hell. The famous Demon Gods are Ox-Head and Horse-Face; they assist the King of Hell in managing hell but are actually on equal footing with him.
Of course, there are other Demon Gods in the Underworld, but they generally do not hold positions there; they simply enjoy themselves within the Underworld.
Reincarnation connects yin and yang, but like the mortal realm, the Underworld is merely a management department of the Underworld. Besides determining the fate of those being reborn, the Underworld also has to maintain order within it. However, the Underworld cannot intervene with the Demon Gods because those Demon Gods have transcended Reincarnation. Although the Underworld cannot manage the Demon Gods, they still dare not act recklessly there because deep in hell resides a Deity—Ksitigarbha!
Under Ksitigarbha is the divine beast Listening to the Truth, which is a nemesis to all Demon Gods. Therefore, even high-ranking beings like Demon Gods obediently follow the policies of the Underworld.
The Ma Han before me was once a capable aide to Judge Bao during his lifetime. Wenquxing, upon becoming Yama King, retained them in the Underworld because he was accustomed to their presence. It is not easy to stay in the Underworld; after all, it is a place filled with Resentment. If one lacks strength, even if allowed to stay, they won't last long. The dynasty they belonged to underwent rigorous training to truly remain in the Underworld and achieve their current positions.
However much Ma Han boasts about his status in the Underworld, the fact that he cannot swim remains unchanged.
At that moment, something suddenly floated up from the water's surface.
By moonlight, I took a closer look and found it was that shadow from before! The shadow floated on the River Surface with its mouth wide open, revealing a mouthful of sharp teeth and a huge lump on its head.
Is this even possible? Did Ma Han really cause this? What kind of idiot is that thing?
"See? It worked," Ma Han said triumphantly beside me. "But where's my treasure? Where did it go?"
"That brick of yours counts as a treasure?" I replied darkly. "I can at least return you one piece."
Crazy! It's just a brick, and he's acting like he lost some supreme treasure.
"Yours? Mine is a gold brick," Ma Han extended a hand toward me.
"What the hell? Are you kidding me?" Is that really a gold brick? Do you think I haven't seen gold before?
"Absolutely true! That’s a tomb brick from Qin Shi Huang—genuine gold!"
"Why is that the brick that Nuwa repaired?"
A sound of water echoed, and something emerged in the center of the river. A mist was holding up a dazzling golden brick, rising from beneath the water's surface.
"My brick!" Ma Han exclaimed in surprise.
"Is it really a golden brick?" I looked at the shining object in astonishment.
Usually, Ma Han kept this brick hidden in his sleeve, and when he took it out, it looked like an ordinary brick. It was typically black and unremarkable, so I never expected it to actually be a golden brick.
"Is this really a golden brick?"
"Of course! It's genuine!" Ma Han cradled the golden brick as if it were his own child.
"Then why is it so black all the time? You really don't keep it clean, do you?"
Ma Han looked at me as if I were an idiot. "If everyone knew this was a golden brick, would I dare to keep it in my sleeve?"
That's true. If Old Black found out that it was a golden brick, I figured he wouldn't be far from losing it. The Underworld is tougher than the government.
The mist that had risen from the river did not dissipate after returning Ma Han's golden brick; instead, it floated right before us. Suddenly, the mist transformed into the shape of a girl, though her features were very vague. If not for her long hair, I wouldn't have recognized her as a girl.
I was used to these bizarre supernatural beings; Ma Han certainly was too—after all, how could someone who stayed by the King of Hell be afraid of ghosts?
"What’s going on?" I turned to ask Ma Han. He should have seen more of these things and had more authority to speak on them than I did.
"I don’t know, but it doesn’t seem like anything like a Vengeful Spirit."
That made sense; if it were a Vengeful Spirit, how could it possibly hold up that golden brick? That brick had already intimidated many Evil Spirits and had developed a sort of deterrent effect against them.
"Could it be a Drowned Ghost?"
“Drowned Ghost?” I had never heard of such a ghost.
In the Shikigami Diagram, there is a similarly named ghost called the Water Ghost, also known as Drowned Ghost. It is an existence that drowns in water and then transforms into a Wraith.
Drowning is also a type of Accidental Death Ghost. The soul does not undergo Wuchang Soul Reaping, thus it cannot reach hell. Moreover, because it drowned in water, it lacks even the ability to become a Lonely Spirit wandering ghost. It can only escape the river where it drowned by finding a substitute. This substitute is someone who suffers in its place underwater, and this person must also drown in the same river. The previous ghost can leverage the resentment generated from the soul of the recently drowned person to escape from the bottom of the water while transforming into a Wraith.
Thus, there were instances where Drowned Ghost would reach out from the water to grab the ankles of those crossing bridges and drag them into the depths.
However, Ma Han is currently a Drowned Ghost.
“Drowned Ghost is quite similar to Drowned Ghost,” Ma Han explained when he saw my confusion about the meaning of Drowned Ghost. “But a Drowned Ghost only arises among substitutes. Those who are taken as substitutes by a Drowned Ghost, and whose souls do not transform into Vengeful Spirits, are called Drowned Ghosts. They too cannot leave the river where they drowned, but they are not considered Evil Spirits.”
In other words, a Drowned Ghost is essentially a Drowned Ghost that has not transformed into a Vengeful Spirit. Such ghosts must have been extremely kind individuals in life; hence, they do not harbor any resentment at death. Furthermore, one significant difference between a Drowned Ghost and a regular Drowned Ghost is that as long as its body is retrieved from the river, it can be liberated without needing to find a substitute. Conversely, a regular Drowned Ghost does not have such favorable treatment; it cannot be freed without finding a substitute.
“What should we do now?” I asked Ma Han.
“It’s nighttime now, and this isn’t my area of expertise. You should consult Old Black, he’s more skilled in this matter.” After grabbing some dirt from the ground, Ma Han re-coated the golden brick with black and tucked it away. “I need to return to Yama's Hall for my shift, so I’ll take my leave.”
Ma Han’s Old Black refers to Black Wuchang. This is his old line of work, and he should know what to do.
Since Old Black works night shifts, I called him, and he quickly agreed to come over.
After disguising the golden brick, Ma Han left me alone by the riverbank facing that mass of mist. In the distance, shadows still floated on the surface of the river; it seemed they wouldn’t wake up anytime soon.
I waited alone by the bank for about one-third of an incense stick's time when suddenly a black hole opened beside me. Old Black emerged from within, dragging along an iron chain with a Red-Dressed Woman locked at its end, allowing her to trail behind him. Once he landed and steadied himself, he sat on the ground hugging his knees and trembling slightly.
“What is this?” I curiously pointed at the red-dressed ghost on the ground.
“She just committed suicide; she’s still warm,” said Old Black, indifferent to her plight. He had seen such things many times before and was no longer fazed by them.
“Really?” I asked curiously. “Is she pretty? Can I take a look?”
“Please.” Old Black handed me the iron chain.
Taking the iron chain, I pulled hard to keep the ghost on the ground from moving. The ghost curled up on the ground; although folklore often depicts female ghosts as beautiful yet malicious, those are merely Wraiths that linger in the human realm. This one, having been locked by Wuchang, had no ability to resist.
"Is this an Accidental Death Ghost?" I casually asked Old Black, who had moved to the riverbank to observe the misty figure.
"Yes, it's an Accidental Death Ghost. I happened to encounter her; she's lucky that I caught her before her Resentment manifested."
Accidental Death Ghosts are those who were not guided by Wuchang due to not being recorded in the Death Register. However, if Wuchang encounters an Accidental Death Ghost, he can directly take them to hell. Of course, the handling of Horizontal Death Ghosts with Resentment differs from those without. Horizontal Death Ghosts with Resentment must go to hell, so this female ghost is fortunate. Still, I suspected Old Black was waiting there specifically because he found her attractive.
With the ghost on the ground, I walked over and gently pushed aside her head.
"What the hell!" A thunderous voice broke the quiet night: "Old Black, you got me into this!"
Earlier, when I asked Old Black if the ghost was pretty, he only gave me a cryptic smile before handing me the chain.
Now I understood why Old Black's smile was so strange.
The ghost wasn't ugly per se; it was just that I couldn't tell how beautiful she might have been in life. Her head was in a shattered state, white brain matter slowly oozing from her nose, making it impossible to discern where anything was.
"She jumped off a building; her face hit the ground first, so I'm still warm," Old Black said gleefully from the side.
So even in suicide, one should find a comfortable position, right? As for those who jumped off buildings, I figured they were likely reincarnated; in their next life, they wouldn't be any prettier.
Comment 0 Comment Count