Ajiao hurriedly followed suit, offering a bow and a word of thanks.
Hong Sang waved her hand and smiled. "It was nothing. Go on with your business." With that, she turned and walked toward the Reincarnation Platform.
It was an open secret in the Underworld that Lady Hong Sang was infatuated with Lord Shen Zhi. However, seeing the situation today, no one knew what relationship this female ghost had with Lord Shen, nor whether Lady Hong Sang knew of her existence.
Tsk, tsk. Lady Hong Sang was not known for having a gentle temperament.
"Chen Ajiao, are you and Lord Shen old acquaintances?" Yuan Deng asked.
"He is a colleague of my uncle. My uncle currently serves in the Soul Retrieval Department. It just so happened that my uncle asked him to bring me something today."
"So that’s how it is. I was wondering why Lord Shen would single you out for a moment."
"By the way, Lord Yuan Deng, who was that lady just now?" Ajiao had noticed that when Hong Sang handed her the jade pendant, she had stared at her for a long time. That gaze had made her feel incredibly uncomfortable.
"You mean Lady Hong Sang? She is one of the twelve Scribe Officials of the Department of Judgment, in charge of the records of departures and arrivals. You likely won't see her again; she doesn't leave her post easily."
"I see." A Scribe Official—another high-ranking figure she couldn't afford to offend. But... "I wonder why Lady Hong Sang came out today? Could she be here to watch us ghosts undergo reincarnation?"
"She has no such refined interest! She..." Yuan Deng suddenly lowered his voice. "She likely came to see Lord Shen. Her feelings for him are deeply rooted, but unfortunately, Lord Shen has never had any intention of marrying."
"I suppose it’s a case of the goddess dreaming of love while the King remains indifferent," Chen Ajiao marveled inwardly. She wondered if her mother knew about this Lady Hong Sang.
"Cough, it can't be helped. In all these years, no one has ever seen Lord Shen moved by anyone."
"Really? Lord Shen has been alone all these years?"
"Indeed. Lord Shen is always buried in official business; he likely doesn't even know how to interact with ladies."
*Then how did he come to like Mother?* Ajiao mused. *Could I have misunderstood? Perhaps Lord Shen only helped me because he is a colleague of my uncle—but would that warrant giving me such a precious jade pendant?*
Ajiao found it all a bit difficult to decipher.
*Boom!*
Ajiao had just lowered her head to touch the jade pendant in her hand when she suddenly felt it grow scalding hot. In the next instant, she felt as if she had slammed into something with immense force.
Yuan Deng was just spotting the faint silhouette of the palace ahead when he felt a powerful surge of energy strike from behind. He hurriedly condensed a protective barrier.
"Chen Ajiao!"
The spot where Chen Ajiao had been standing was now a basin-sized crater, surrounded by swirling clouds of dust.
Yuan Deng looked around frantically and finally found Chen Ajiao lying over a dozen meters away, motionless.
He rushed over, only to see that her already pale face had lost all color. Her body even possessed a faint, translucent quality.
What happened? Could it have been Lady Hong Sang just now?
Yuan Deng didn't dare think too much.
"What happened?" Several nearby ghost messengers heard the commotion and rushed over.
"I was leading a ghost who just finished reincarnation back, when something suddenly exploded. The ghost I was escorting has been blasted and injured!" Yuan Deng paused for a moment. "Her reincarnation records haven't been filed yet. You all carry her back and find a ghost doctor. I'm going to find Lord Shen and Lord Yun He!"
"Understood." Several ghost messengers surrounded Ajiao and lifted her up.
Only then did Yuan Deng fly back toward the Reincarnation Platform.
***
"Lord Shen, how is the trial at the Reincarnation Platform going?"
"Lady Hong Sang, the trial is still ongoing. Is there something you need?"
Hong Sang smiled and said, "Can't I just come to take a look even if there's nothing?"
"Of course you can." Shen Zhi exchanged a few polite pleasantries and then moved to the side. Over the past two days, Hong Sang had been looking for him for every little thing. He had clearly stated he had no intention of being with her—did she truly have nothing better to do at the Department of Departures?
Hong Sang let out a displeased huff.
She had happened to run into that girl, Chen Ajiao, on the road earlier. To her shock, the girl was wearing Shen Zhi’s jade pendant—a pendant infused with Shen Zhi’s own spiritual power! In a fit of rage, Hong Sang had secretly used a spell to swap the jade for a fake one.
Regardless, a mere mortal ghost wouldn't have the eyes to see the difference.
"Lord Shen! Lord Shen! Something has happened!" Yuan Deng flew in rapidly from the distance.
Shen Zhi was startled and quickly asked, "What is it?"
Yuan Deng landed, not even stopping to catch his breath. "Just now, as I was escorting Chen Ajiao back, she was suddenly blasted by something unknown. She is currently unconscious."
"Blasted?" That shouldn't be possible! She had the jade pendant he gave her for protection; she shouldn't have been injured.
"How could there be an explosion? Did you see what it was?" Yun He, hearing the noise, also leaned in.
"No, it was very sudden. By the time I reacted, the explosion had already occurred. It didn't seem like an external attack; it felt more like something she was carrying exploded. But that’s just a guess. I didn't have time to check. I had her carried back to the Department of Judgment and came immediately to report to you, My Lord."
"I’ll go take a look! Yun—"
"Right, I'll go with you!" Yun He answered decisively.
"—He, you stay here!"
"Forget it. Wen Shu, Chang Qu, you two look after things here. Yun He and I will go take a look."
"Understood," Wen Shu and Chang Qu replied.
The three of them—Shen Zhi, Yun He, and Yuan Deng—flew toward the Department of Judgment.
Yun He asked, "Did you meet anyone on the road?"
Yuan Deng blinked. "We just ran into Lady Hong Sang!" After saying this, he stole a glance at Shen Zhi’s expression.
Yun He clapped his hands. "Aha! Could it be a crime of passion?" He had just seen Hong Sang coming to find Shen Zhi. "But Hong Sang probably doesn't know that you don't like Chen Ajiao anymore. Have you taken a liking to that female ghost named Liu Piao recently? Shen Zhi, I’ve seen you with her several times these past few days!"
*What on earth?*
"Nonsense! When did I ever like Chen Ajiao?" Shen Zhi felt his head throbbing with a massive headache.
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
--- | --- | ---
红桑 | Hong Sang | A high-ranking official in the Underworld.
文录官 | Scribe Official | A title for officials in charge of records (Wenlu Guan).
审判司 | Department of Judgment | The division responsible for judging souls.
鬼医 | Ghost Doctor | A medical practitioner for spirits in the Underworld.
温殊 | Wen Shu | A subordinate or official at the Reincarnation Platform.
长渠 | Chang Qu | A subordinate or official at the Reincarnation Platform.
勾魂司 | Soul Retrieval Department | The department responsible for collecting souls from the mortal realm.
