The Han Dynasty Empress is a Ghost | Chapter 18 | A Fleeting Rebirth | Novela.app

The prisons of the Netherworld looked no different from those in the mortal realm. The Heaven-rank Cell was vast, containing many smaller individual cells. Each consisted of three solid walls and one side of iron bars. "My, though it’s a bit small, it’s quite clean!" The woman who had spoken to Ajiao earlier squeezed over to her side again and smiled. "We didn't get a chance to talk properly before, but now we have time. My name is Manyin. What’s yours?" "Chen Ajiao. You can just call me Ajiao." "Ajiao? It seems your family doted on you! My father doted on me, too." "Manyin, you don't seem worried at all. Aren't you afraid of what might happen tomorrow?" "What is there to fear? At worst, it’s just death. I’ve already died once anyway!" "..." *But I cannot bear to leave my mother, my grandmother, and my uncle!* Ajiao thought silently. The more she thought, the more sorrowful she became. She simply found a spot and sat down. Although this was a prison, it was remarkably clean and lacked any scent of blood. Manyin sat down beside her. "You look so delicate, not like a bad person at all. How did you end up serving a sentence in the Netherworld?" "...And what about you?" Ajiao couldn't help but sigh deeply in her heart again. "Me? I killed people! Several hundred of them, so here I am!" Ajiao was shocked. Manyin looked like a fair-skinned, even round-faced young girl with a gentle disposition. How could she have killed people? "It was... unintentional, right?" Ajiao asked, thinking of her own situation. "No, I planned it for a long time. Even though I must suffer punishment in the Netherworld now, I don't regret it!" Ajiao’s face stiffened into a smile; she didn't dare speak further. Manyin, however, could not stop talking. "Do you think I'm terrifying? Hahaha, it’s alright, I think so too. Only after arriving in the Netherworld did I learn those people met no better end. Each of them is being sliced and flayed; they have it much worse than me!" "I suppose that is fair. Oh dear, truly, I haven't spoken for so many years since coming to the Netherworld. Now that I've met you, I can't seem to stop rattling on." *** The next day. Ajiao was resting in the dungeon in a daze when she heard voices outside. It was their turn to go up. The mirror was still embedded in the Reincarnation Platform. Ajiao didn't know what they had adjusted over the past day; she only hoped she would be safe. Yuan Deng went up to exchange a few words with Shen Zhi, then led Ajiao and the others onto the platform. "After you are reincarnated, you must abide by the rules of the mortal realm. You are not permitted to reveal anything about the Netherworld. I will check on your progress at my discretion. Now, go!" Ajiao stood before the mirror. The scenes within were kaleidoscopic and bizarre; she was suddenly seized by fear. "Hurry up!" Yuan Deng barked. Manyin was the first to step into the mirror. Ajiao took a deep breath, gripped the jade pendant Lord Shen Zhi had given her, and followed immediately after. Pain! It hurt so much! Ajiao felt as if she had fallen into a pool filled with water—or rather, not water, but a very viscous substance. Something seemed to pierce through her skin and enter her flesh. A faint light flickered on her arm. She wanted to move but couldn't; even blinking was difficult. Gradually, the light covered her entire body. She didn't know how much time had passed. The surrounding light slowly faded, sinking into total darkness. Then, she felt she could move. She felt as if she were in an extremely cramped space; she couldn't even feel herself breathing. Yet, Ajiao felt she could sense that she was alive. Alive as a human. When the surroundings brightened again, Ajiao began to cry uncontrollably. She couldn't see the scene before her clearly, but she could feel her own breath, and there were noisy sounds in her ears. She had truly come back to life! *** Yang Deyi had finally managed to steal a moment of leisure today. The Emperor had suddenly taken an interest in going out, taking General Wei and a group of attendants out of the palace for a stroll. Because Yang Deyi was getting older, he had sent his disciple, Guo Tun, to serve the Emperor instead. Yang Deyi had caught up on his sleep and arranged all the affairs of the Xuanshi Hall. He intended to return to his small courtyard to fish for a while. The little eunuch had just set out his cushion and fishing rod when Huang Yu came running over in a frantic rush. "Oh, Master! Stop resting, something has happened! His Majesty has returned to the palace, and his face looks terrible!" Yang Deyi jumped up in shock. "What happened? Wasn't His Majesty fine when he left this morning?" As he spoke, he straightened his clothes and hurried out. Huang Yu followed quickly. "That’s the thing. Senior Brother Guo didn't explain clearly either; I just rushed over to inform you." "Tsk! You lot! Sigh!" Just as Yang Deyi reached the entrance of the main hall, he saw Wei Qing walking out. He hurried forward to greet him. "General, His Majesty..." Wei Qing sidestepped Yang Deyi’s formal bow and returned the gesture before saying, "We encountered a household while out today. Just after we finished a meal there, the daughter-in-law of the house went into labor! His Majesty was quite pleased, saying it was fate, and intended to leave his personal jade pendant as a gift for the child..." "Isn't that a good thing?" "...Sigh, who knew? The child was born crying loudly, but the moment it was washed and placed in His Majesty's arms, it stopped breathing..." "..." *Isn't that just a terrible omen!* Several thunderclaps seemed to go off in Yang Deyi's mind. "Lord Yang, go inside and see him. His Majesty’s anger has subsided a bit by now." "Thank you, Great General. And where are you going now?" "His Majesty was furious, and that farming family was terrified. They lost their child as well; I'm sending someone to check on them." "The Great General is truly compassionate!" Yang Deyi praised, then took his leave and headed into the hall.