The two daytime patrol officers were the Left and Right envoys of the daytime patrol in the Capital Prefecture. In their hundred years of working in the underworld, this was the first time they had encountered such a strange situation. This monster didnât even try to avoid or hide from them!
After being stunned for a moment, the Right messenger asked the woman.
âHow dare you, a monster, hide in the homes of ordinary people in the Capital Prefecture!â
The woman in front of him had a very faint demonic aura. From the daytime patrolâs perspective, it seemed more like the woman had been possessed by some kind of spirit skilled at transforming, rather than it being a true transformed monster. There was a fundamental difference in strength between the two concepts.
The two daytime patrol officers immediately grabbed the hilts of their blades; the two soul-binding messengers also grabbed the chains at their waists and faced the woman.
âDonât worry about Zhou Nianshengâs soul just yet, the first priority is to take down this evil obstacle!â
The daytime patrol officer ordered, and drew his sword from its scabbard.
The womanâs expression was desolate. She had been sitting on the edge of the bed without moving, but she now stood up slowly, and bowed to the ghost messengers.
âMy Lords of the Underworld, I know that you cannot tolerate my existence. Today, Minister Zhouâs life has come to an end. I have loved Minister Zhou Lang for many years. I only ask that you allow me to go together with him and accompany him to the underworld. After that, I will accept the punishment, without resistance!â
The rest of the Zhou family members in the room did not know what was going on. They just saw the master gasping for breath, and a strong yin energy permeated the room, making the living feel cold.
But when they heard the womanâs words, they all turned pale and looked around frantically, huddling together in fear.
âThe ghost messengers?â
âThe ghost messengers are coming?â
âAre they here to take the master away?
âOh my, no wonder itâs so gloomy and cold!â
âShh, donât speakâŠâ
Hearing the womanâs words, the daytime patrol officers looked at each other, then narrowed their eyes and looked her up and down.
âHow dare you, a mere spirit, bargain with the officials of the underworld? Do you think that we will believe you just because you donât seem to have ill will? Evil spirits have many means of hiding their tracks when wishing harm.â
The other daytime patrol officer sneered:
âIf you donât resist and allow us to bind your soul, not only will we let you escort him, but we can even send you down to the underworld together!â
The woman resolutely looked up at the two daytime patrol officers. Then, she looked at the two soul-binding messengers.
âThen, Soul-Reaper, please do so!â
Her words startled the daytime patrol officer and the soul-binding messengers. They had never seen a monster surrender. How could a monster that had entered the underworld expect to come back out again? Was there some trick?
âGo!â
The daytime patrol officers roared. The yin energy in his body shook, transforming into two illusory whit shadows that appeared to the left and right of the woman, swinging their swords and slashing at her in a flash.
The soul-binding messengers even threw out their soul-binding chains, hitting the woman like a long whip.
The Left and Right messengers flew past each other, both swords having struck the womanâs soul. The soul-binding chains made the woman stumble on her feet, and her soul trembled slightly.
Beads of sweat the size of beans trickled down the womanâs face and dripped from her chin onto the ground. Her body remained motionless in a bowed position, enduring all the blows.
âYouâŠâŠâ
The two daytime patrol officers looked at each other. Their hands holding the hilts of their swords did not swing a second time.
At this very moment, Ji Yuan was standing in the courtyard, staring at everything inside the house with his pale eyes, as if the door and other objects were all blurred.
The relationship between this monster and Zhou Niansheng was certainly touching, and even the ghosts of the underworld were shocked, to a certain extent. However, that did not mean that they would let her go. If she truly reached the gate of the underworld, the gods of each department would capture her.
Just to see someone off, she would truly give up her life?
âThere must be something else behind it! â
While Ji Yuan pondered, the two soul-binding messengers in the house had already bound the womanâs soul with his chains. With the womanâs cooperation, he effortlessly pulled her soul out.
âHmm? â
Ji Yuan seemed to have figured something out.
When the womanâs soul left her body, it was still in human form, and the clothes that had been attached to her soul had turned into a white velvet fur-like coat. Although demons and monsters could maintain human-shaped souls, it was rather abnormal for their clothes to change.
After a brief moment, there was a burst of crying, both sincere and exaggerated.
âMasterâŠâ
âDad!â
âMaster, why did you go?â
âIt was this child who was unfilial!â
âŠâŠ
Apparently, today was the very day of his death.
Sure enough, the two daytime patrol officers exited the room, one at the front and one at the back, holding their swords in their hands. The two soul-binding messengers stood to either side, on the left and the right, leading the two souls.
It seems that they were being given a break, as the conditions permitted it; the two soul-binding messengers stood outside while the two souls that were chained together leaned on each other.
Ji Yuan was leaning against a tree in the shade of the yard. Under his concealment, he seemed to blend into the shadows. The four ghosts and two souls passed by him, and not one of them noticed.
Looking at the two chained souls, the Old Zhou Niansheng and the young and beautiful woman, who were walking together, Ji Yuan didnât get the feeling that they were father and daughter; instead, he felt a kind of attachment, romantic love, and admiration.
With a protective umbrella held over his head, the ghost messengers led the souls through the streets of the Capital Prefecture. Before the two soulsâ eyes, a thick fog began to fill the streets, until the pedestrians to either side of them looked like nothing more than illusory figures.
As the fog grew thicker, the group grew closer and closer to the underworld.
Zhou Niansheng and the woman just held each otherâs hands tightly, leaning on each othersâ shoulders as they walked forward. The former had a worried look on his face, while the latter seemed calm.
âI have been in this position for so many years; I have seen love between a human and a ghost before, but this is the first time Iâve seen love between a human and a monster!â
âHmph, evil spirits are harmful to people, after all. Thereâs no way to tell how long Zhou Niansheng has been sympathizing with this demon. Even if the monster restrains itself, his vitality would inevitably be eroded!â
âHehehe, Zhou Niansheng, you are so lucky to have your love affair accompany you all this way, but this monster beside you is not so lucky!â
Given the peculiarity of the current situation, the two ghost messengers couldnât help but chat a bit, making Zhou Niansheng grip the womanâs hand tighter and tighter.
In recent years, Zhou Nianshengâs health had grown increasingly weaker due to illness. Today was the first time he felt at full strength for some time now. Being able to grip teh womanâs hand so tightly was precious to both of them.
The woman beside him smiled at Zhou Niansheng.
âDonât worry about me, Minister Zhou. Itâs a pity⊠Iâm just a lonely demon. I can do nothing but cause harm, I donât know how to save. I donât have any immortal techniques or rare medicines. I could only extend your life by twenty years, even if I searched through thousands of worldsâŠâ
âRuo Niang, having you by my side for so many years makes me, Zhou Niansheng, the luckiest man in the world!â
The two souls were still clearly in love at this very moment. However, under the guidance of the ghost messengers, their souls traveled very quickly, and all too soon they had arrived at the temple district. The City God Temple glowed faintly with golden light and the power of incense, and the inner part of the underworld was vaguely visible in the thick fog below the temple.
As he looked towards the growing yin energy in front of him, Zhou Niansheng could make out ghost officials wandering around in the interior of the underworld. He could feel the womanâs grip on his hand tighten.
He couldnât possibly be much closer to the underworld than he was now. Suddenly, Zhou Niansheng heard a faintly crying voice coming from beside him.
âZhou Lang⊠take care! I⊠canât send you off again!â
After speaking, the womanâs soul actually slipped out of the soul-binding chains as it twisted, leaving only a white velvet fur coat tied up in chains as the monsterâs soul itself quickly flew off into the distance.
In an instant, the four ghost messengers suddenly felt that something was wrong.
Shiiing! Shiiiing!
The two daytime patrol officers immediately drew their swords and turned into white phantoms to chase the spirit.
âHow bold! Evildoer! You are at the gates of the underworld, and yet you are still trying to escape!â
Another soul-binding messenger loosened the chain that bound the white velvet coat, stretched it out, and swung it towards the woman. However, he found that when the chain hit the woman, it passed through her, like hitting white mist.
At this moment, the two daytime patrol officersâ swords flashed, slicing through the white fog, but they were equally powerless.
âNot good! Weâve been fooled!â
At this moment, the white velvet fur coat had actually flown far away, and transformed into the appearance of the woman.
âTake care, Minister Zhou!â
The clear and beautiful voice infuriated several ghost officials who had previously not been paying attention.
One daytime patrol officer unclipped a soul-summoning bell from his waist and threw it into the air. Then, he too turned into a white shadow, and chased after the evil spirit.
âDing ding ding⊠Ding ding ding⊠Ding ding dingâŠâ
As the soul-calling bell rang loudly, the entire underworld soon received the warning. The head official of the Ying-Yang Division stepped directly out of the underworld and glanced at the soul-calling bell. His eyes flashed. He looked towards the pursuing daytime patrol officers.
âHow dare a monster mess around in front of the City God Temple of the Capital Prefecture? This is outrageous!â
At this moment, all of the the head officials of the Rewards and Punishment Departments appeared together, using their spiritual energy to chase in the direction of the fleeing monster.
Zhou Niansheng, who was still being guarded by two soul-binding messengers, was both worried and a little distraught at this moment.