Chapter 1636: A Talent Like You

In a remote and desolate corner of the Underworld, Ye Chen reappeared. He looked around, ensuring no one was in sight, then took out the storage bag he had snatched from Bao Tou Jing.

Inside the bag, there wasn't much: a single book, about a dozen pitch-black stones, and three jade bottles. Ye Chen opened the jade bottles and sniffed. They contained spiritual medicines infused with the yin energy of the Underworld, yet still packed with considerable medicinal power.

After putting away the jade bottles, he picked up the black stones, weighing them in his hand and examining them from every angle. These stones were peculiar, roughly the size of Yuan Shi, each containing a mysterious force that occasionally emitted a faint glow. Ye Chen exerted a bit of force with his fingers and crushed one of them. Immediately, an aura similar to spiritual energy escaped and merged into his body in an instant, making him feel incredibly invigorated.

"This must be Ming Shi!" Ye Chen muttered to himself. In the Underworld, this was the standard currency, serving the same purpose as Ling Shi in Da Chu or Yuan Shi in Zhutian: money. Money was a wonderful thing—essential for eating, drinking, showing off, wooing women, or visiting brothels. It was even more useful than divine artifacts.

"Good stuff." Ye Chen tucked them away and picked up the book, sitting cross-legged as he flipped through it page by page. The book provided a general introduction to the Underworld, including a rough map. The place was vast beyond measure, not smaller than Zhutian Wan Yu.

What shocked him most was that the Underworld had a living emperor, known as Ming Di, the supreme ruler who held absolute power. This was truly astonishing—Zhutian Wan Yu had no cultivators of that level, yet this realm of the dead had one. "No wonder they can handle the reincarnation of souls; an emperor's divine abilities must involve seizing heaven's secrets and creating life," Ye Chen thought, his mind far from calm.

Continuing on, the book described those below Ming Di: the Ten Halls of Yan Luo, along with judges, Ming Jiang, Hei Bai Wuchang, and Niu Tou Ma Mian. Next, it outlined the rules of the Underworld, listed clearly one by one, with punishments for any violations.

After some time, he put the book away and gazed into the distance. He had visited the Underworld once before and had his memories erased by a supreme being, who now seemed to be Ming Di. The three realms—heaven, earth, and human—were unequal. The human realm of Zhutian was weak, with no emperors. Yet the Underworld had one, which explained why people from Zhutian dared not enter recklessly. Who could afford to provoke such a figure?

He wondered if Tian Jie had an emperor too. If it did, then the human realm was truly inferior, with no comparison. They were all realms, so why the massive gap? Ye Chen scratched his head, sensing that the three realms hid some earth-shattering secret. After pondering for a while, he set aside his thoughts and headed off in a certain direction. His top priority was to obtain a Tong Guan Wen Die so he could at least meet Chu Ling and help restore her past-life memories. In this area, only a judge could issue such a document; figures like Hei Bai Wuchang were far from qualified.

When he arrived at Yan Luo Hall, before the gatekeeping Gui Wang could even scold him, a massive hand reached out from the hall and dragged him inside. By the time he reappeared, he was already in the hall. Pan Guan sat there like a stern county magistrate, perfectly upright, with Hei Bai Wuchang standing on either side. Hei Bai Wuchang seemed fine, but Pan Guan's already pale face darkened even more upon seeing Ye Chen. "I was just about to track you down, and here you are. I've been holding in a bellyful of anger, nearly exploding."

Ye Chen scrambled to his feet, acting as if nothing was wrong. He straightened his collar and stepped forward. "I greet you, Pan Guan."

"You've got some nerve! You can drink Meng Po Soup, disrupt reincarnation, gather Yuan Shen, and throw hell into chaos." Pan Guan shouted. If not for this guy, I wouldn't have been reprimanded for no reason and nearly lost my position. It's all because of Ye Chen.

"That's a misunderstanding," Ye Chen dryly laughed.

"Maybe I shouldn't have been sent to the animal path; perhaps the heavenly path was meant for me."

"Are you saying I judged wrongly?" Pan Guan glared fiercely, his eyes sharp and sparkling with anger.

"Of course not! Who are you? You're the top judge of the Underworld, wise and mighty. How could you judge wrongly? Someone like me is perfect for the animal path. Your judgment was spot-on."

"Well, that sounds more like it." Pan Guan stroked his beard, his mood improving. He always enjoyed hearing flattery. Seeing Pan Guan's expression soften, Ye Chen thought he had an opening.

"So, what brings you here?" Pan Guan looked at Ye Chen with interest. He liked compliments, but that didn't mean he was foolish. All this flattery meant Ye Chen must want something.

"It's nothing major, really." Ye Chen rubbed his hands together and chuckled. "Could you give me a Tong Guan Wen Die?"

"No." Pan Guan smiled, but his refusal was firm, leaving Ye Chen fuming. "Yan Luo has ordered that anyone can go to the Nai He Bridge—except you."

"Just because I disrupted reincarnation?" Ye Chen probed.

"Also because of the Life and Death Book's evaluation of you," Pan Guan said, subconsciously pulling out the Life and Death Book. The word "Jian Ren" stood out prominently; he checked it every day.

"The Life and Death Book's evaluation?" Ye Chen leaned in, eyeing the book in Pan Guan's hand, curious about what was written. But it was too far away to see clearly.

To be fair, Pan Guan turned the book toward Ye Chen. "Come on, take a good look."

Ye Chen's eyes swept over it, and he felt like he'd been struck by lightning. Jian Ren—damn, it was so prominent, making his vision blur with stars. Those two simple characters were written with such bold flair. For a moment, Ye Chen's expression became extraordinarily vivid. Is this really the Life and Death Book for recording one's life story? How cheap am I? Even the Life and Death Book couldn't bother to write more; my entire life story summed up in just "Jian Ren"?

"Now you understand!" Pan Guan said earnestly.

"I don't understand," Ye Chen lost his temper, spitting as he spoke. "This Life and Death Book must be fake!"

"I get your feelings." Pan Guan sighed deeply. "Everyone makes a foolish mistake or two in life."

Ye Chen's face turned pitch black, like charred coal. I'm the holy lord of the Heavenly Court, the tenth emperor of Da Chu, having slain two great emperors in my life, and I get labeled as Jian Ren. He finally figured it out—Pan Guan had judged him to the animal path because of this Life and Death Book. It had dragged him down to hell.

"I always cherish talent. Someone like you is rare; how about staying in Yan Luo Hall as a little ghost?" Pan Guan said seriously, though he struggled not to laugh, especially at the sight of Ye Chen's face.

"No interest." Ye Chen huffed and turned to leave.

"As a little ghost, you might one day get to go to the Nai He Bridge." Pan Guan's voice echoed from behind.

Hearing that, Ye Chen spun around gracefully and returned, his darkened face suddenly beaming with a smile. "That's more like it!"

Pan Guan stroked his beard again. "Can I at least go to the Nai He Bridge for a quick visit first?" Ye Chen rubbed his hands, still thinking of Chu Ling.

"No." Pan Guan laughed, refusing outright again.

"You have to give me some kind of timeline." Seeing Pan Guan's cheerful grin, Ye Chen felt like cursing and his face darkened once more.

"When your merits reach the level of Ming Jiang, I'll give you the Tong Guan Wen Die."

"Ming Jiang." Ye Chen pulled out the book introducing the Underworld. It clearly stated: little ghosts rise to big ghosts, big ghosts to Gui Wang, and after that comes Ming Jiang. This so-called merit referred to achievements. Accumulate enough, and your position would rise—provided your cultivation level met the requirements, as the book explained. For instance, Niu Tou Ma Mian earned merit for each soul they escorted, building up over time to promotions. The god of the Nai He Bridge held a position equivalent to Ming Jiang, on par with Hei Bai Wuchang, which was a mid-to-high rank. He couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for Meng Po; she'd worked hard to reach her divine status, only for him to wipe it out with over a hundred bowls of soup.

"Is building up merit easy?" Ye Chen asked Pan Guan.

"With your kind of talent, reaching Ming Jiang will be a breeze." Pan Guan took a deep breath, his words laced with meaning. The remark left Ye Chen feeling oddly uneasy. It sounded like praise, but he suspected it was an insult.

"Impermanence, take him to choose a body." As Ye Chen muttered to himself, Pan Guan spoke up, still fighting back a laugh.

At the order, Hei Wuchang stepped forward. "Talent, let's go."

"Just call me Ye Chen." Ye Chen straightened his collar.

Hei Wuchang wanted to laugh but held it in. He grabbed Ye Chen and strode out, vanishing in an instant.

After he left, Bai Wuchang looked at Pan Guan. "My lord, are you really keeping him in Yan Luo Hall? He's not one to behave."

"The emperor himself ordered it—what can I do? He's on the same level as Ming Di; even the Ten Halls of Yan Luo show him respect. How could I disobey?"