Chapter Nineteen: The Underworld Ceremonial Office Is Filled with Monsters and Spirits

The woman strode over, her tone inexplicably sharp. “Don’t you know the rules of the Nether Street?”

Lin Danian nudged Zhou Bai with his elbow. “Sorry, it’s his first time here.”

Rather than reply, the woman regarded Zhou Bai with interest. “You have the Yin-Yang Eyes?”

Zhou Bai was momentarily stunned, then answered, “Yes, I do.”

The woman covered her mouth and laughed, her earlier arrogance vanishing. “That’s quite a supernatural ability. I’m Yu Jun. If the opportunity arises, we might work together.”

Zhou Bai opened his mouth, unsure how to refuse. Lin Danian, coldly, interjected, “He’s a newcomer favored by Lord Wang Zhen. No need to poach him, right?”

Yu Jun snorted, her eyes wary, and turned away. “Lord Wang’s luck is always remarkable.”

Only after she walked off did Lin Danian’s expression soften. He explained, “Don’t use your Yin-Yang Eyes lightly here. The waters of Nether Street run deep; a careless move may draw unwanted attention.”

Zhou Bai nodded, realizing that his habit of frequently activating the Yin-Yang Eyes was far from ideal.

“Don’t worry about it. That power is special. You’ll understand in time—and for that reason, many will try to recruit you.”

Lin Danian glanced around, then led Zhou Bai toward the street. “Too many eyes here. Let’s meet up with Lord Wang first.”

“Alright.”

They crossed the bustling main road and reached a quieter side alley. The more people Zhou Bai encountered, the stranger Nether Street seemed.

Suddenly, a loud commotion erupted, as if something enormous was crawling along the street. The crowd naturally split into two columns, and Lin Danian pulled Zhou Bai aside.

What shocked Zhou Bai was the sight of a giant centipede, five or six meters long, crawling from the distance, its hundreds of limbs propelling its body. The centipede wore a mask etched with grotesque patterns. It moved with astonishing speed, vanishing in the blink of an eye.

Lin Danian stopped in front of a wooden house that appeared ordinary. He pushed open the gate; the courtyard within was sparse, overgrown with weeds.

“We’re here. I know you have many questions—let’s talk inside.”

The vegetation of Nether Street differed from the outside world; the leaves lacked any green, instead showing a grayish-white hue.

Once inside, Zhou Bai saw the heroic woman he’d met earlier sitting in the center of the hall, maskless, a book cradled in her hands.

“Zhou Bai, we meet again. Sit wherever you like,” Wang Zhen said, her tone gentle as jade.

Zhou Bai sat, feeling somewhat constrained. Although the woman seemed younger than him, she gave off an unfathomable, oceanic aura.

Lin Danian nodded slightly and left the room, closing the door behind him.

After a moment, Wang Zhen set her book on the table and spoke slowly. “Your appointment paperwork is being processed. Soon, you’ll be a seventh-rank Cloth Robe in the Nether Registry.”

Lin Danian had explained the ranks of the Nether Registry along the way. Cloth Robe was the lowest rank, seventh grade. The hierarchy ascended as follows:

Seventh-rank Banner Bearer,
Sixth-rank Trial Seal,
Sixth-rank Chief Seal,
Fifth-rank Trial Pagoda,
Fifth-rank Pagoda,
Fourth-rank Warden,
Fourth-rank Patrol,
Third-rank Nether Registrar,
Third-rank Nether Registry itself.

Above third rank, even Lin Danian didn’t know the details. Wang Zhen, as a Warden, held a respectable position.

“Your first time on Nether Street—how does it feel?”

“How should I put it? Isn’t the Nether Registry supposed to hunt monsters and demons? Why is it…”

Along the way, Zhou Bai had seen countless non-human beings. By comparison, Lin Danian’s towering height seemed ordinary.

“That begins with supernatural abilities,” Wang Zhen said, lifting her gaze. Her eyes seemed to pierce through all things.

“I hadn’t noticed before, but it seems you’ve awakened more than one power. One is a human path ability, right? That explains why it’s so hidden.”

She didn’t know Zhou Bai had awakened abilities twice in just a few days; she merely assumed she’d missed the signs at first.

“Besides the Yin-Yang Eyes, the other ability is…”

Wang Zhen smiled, gently interrupting him. “No need to tell me. Though we’re superior and subordinate, this is the Nether Registry—never probe into another’s secrets, that’s the rule.”

“So even if I end up with a hundred powers, it’s alright?” Zhou Bai half joked, half probed.

“Supernatural abilities are merely weapons in your hands. They do not define you. How far you go depends on yourself.”

Wang Zhen poured tea into two cups before her, then pushed one across the table; it slid to Zhou Bai, who caught it perfectly.

“You’ve seen it: Nether Street has become a gathering place for monsters, demons, and ghosts. Why do you think the Registry harbors such beings?”

“It can’t be that they all used to be human, right?”

“That’s precisely it. No one knows when it began, but ordinary people in the Nine Provinces started showing abnormal traits. At first, all were hunted as monsters and ghosts, until the Registry was established. Only then did people like us find a place to survive.”

“Supernatural powers transform a person, turning them into something other than human?” Zhou Bai was surprised, but could think of no other explanation.

“You must have heard from Lin Danian about the types of powers: human path, ghost path, demon path, fiend path, and Buddhist path.”

As she spoke, Wang Zhen raised her index finger. Light gathered at its tip, forming a butterfly that fluttered through the air, then transformed into a bluebird.

“Just as you awakened the Yin-Yang Eyes—you should feel a trace of Yin energy within you, right?”

Zhou Bai nodded instinctively; since he could perceive his internal state, closing his eyes in meditation revealed his body’s condition.

“This Yin energy grows uncontrollably after you awaken the Yin-Yang Eyes. It circulates through your body, and in this subtle transformation, signs of ghostification appear. It is irreversible.”

Wang Zhen pulled a painting from her sleeve and flicked it to him.

Zhou Bai caught it and saw depicted a terrifying ghost, its skin a purplish blue, wild black hair flying behind, hands gripping a scepter, its gaze contemptuous of all.

“The Scepter Ghost—an official in the boundless hell. Its ghostly eyes see through everything; the Yin-Yang Eyes are its vision.”

“You mean I’ll turn into this Scepter Ghost because of the Yin-Yang Eyes?”

Zhou Bai’s expression remained calm. Lin Danian had mentioned something similar; the Registry seemed to have a way to resolve these drawbacks.