Ah Jiao floated in the night wind, thinking that the saying "surviving a great disaster brings good fortune later" was utterly unreliable.
She had barely endured that bowl of medicinal soup, only to die less than a day after waking up.
At the time, she had relied on the fact that she carried a protective talisman and the red pearl, believing no magic could harm her. She had also assumed the second arrow was aimed at Liu Che, so she had moved the screen to block his path.
However, she never expected that the arrow was actually intended for her.
Furthermore, the magic involved was merely an illusionary technique used for concealment, rather than the arrow itself being condensed from magical energy. Consequently, neither the protective talisman nor the red pearl had been triggered.
One arrow through the heart—a wretched sight.
Her poor Mother Ruan Qing had seen her pass away with her own eyes and fainted on the spot.
Lord Yuan Deng had arrived just in time. Seeing her soul leave her body, he had grabbed her and given chase to the black shadow. But then, finding her a burden, he had left her in some unknown place to pursue the shadow alone.
Ah Jiao sighed inwardly with emotion.
She took the opportunity to look at her hands. Just now, she had truly used magic, hadn't she? Otherwise, how could that screen and the flower vase have flown up as they did?
The black shadow had originally thought he could kill the Emperor today. He hadn't expected that just as he had dealt with that troublesome little girl with an arrow, a strange man in black would appear in the hall, claiming to be a ghost reaper from the Underworld.
Judging by the man's movements, the shadow knew he was no match and simply turned to flee.
He hadn't expected this so-called reaper to be so relentless in his pursuit.
Yuan Deng followed leisurely behind the black shadow, watching him fly outward. Yuan Deng was nearly fuming with rage. Of the ten ghosts in his group, only Chen Ah Jiao and Manyin were left after the losses of the past two years. Considering that the survival rate for all groups was currently less than ten percent, Yuan Deng had been quite proud that two of his had survived.
And then this thing had gone and killed Chen Ah Jiao!
That was Chen Ah Jiao! Lord Shen’s future daughter, Chen Ah Jiao!
The more Yuan Deng thought about it, the angrier he became. He condensed a fireball and hurled it at the black shadow.
The shadow was struck by the fireball and burst into flames. He was forced to stop.
Burned and unable to help himself, the shadow screamed, "My Lord, I do not know how I have offended you! I beg you, spare me!"
Several magical seals manifested on the shadow's body. Yuan Deng found them familiar but couldn't recall who they belonged to.
He extinguished the fire. The clothes on the shadow had been burned away, revealing a body that was severed in two at the waist.
"A dead man?" Yuan Deng said in surprise. "Who are you? Who gave you the magic on your body?"
"Mercy, my Lord, mercy!" the shadow gasped repeatedly.
"Tell the truth, and I might consider sparing your life."
"My name is Luan Da. I am a fangshi who was once summoned to the palace to serve the Emperor..." the shadow began, looking up at the black-clad reaper floating in mid-air.
Yuan Deng waved a hand. "Then who gave you the magic on your body?" It was these few seals that allowed this dead man to move and kept his soul from departing his body.
Luan Da trembled. "I... I don't know. This magic... it was given to me long ago by a fairy in red. I wasn't dead yet back then. She gave me these powers and told me to kill someone."
Yuan Deng’s eyes were sharp; he determined the man was not lying.
Luan Da continued, "Who knew that until the day I died, that fairy never appeared again. So, after my death, I relied on these spells to move about."
Yuan Deng nodded. "In that case, I must take you back to the Underworld." As he spoke, he produced the Ghost-Binding Rope.
Seeing this, Luan Da thought only of escape.
With a shift of his form, Yuan Deng blocked Luan Da's path.
***
"Lord Yuan Deng." Ah Jiao saw Yuan Deng finally reappear. "Did you catch that black shadow?"
Yuan Deng sighed. "I caught him, but he was snatched away by someone else." Just a little more, and he would have had him.
Ah Jiao smiled slightly. "Do not be discouraged, my Lord. A minor demon or ghost is nothing."
Yuan Deng nodded. "True. Let us return to the Underworld. Sigh, I was counting on you, but then you went and got yourself killed. My life is too hard."
Ah Jiao felt awkward. "Well, I didn't want this either. I thought the arrow was manifested from magic, so I didn't take it seriously. I didn't expect it to be a physical object."
Yuan Deng took hold of Ah Jiao, and with a flash of his form, they appeared at the entrance of the Road to the Yellow Springs. "Let's go, let's go."
The two of them stepped onto the road, one after the other. The last time Ah Jiao had walked this path, she had been in a daze. This time, she was clear-headed and couldn't help but feel curious. However, after walking for a while, she realized that everything beyond the road was hidden in a thick mist; nothing could be seen.
"My Lord, what is inside the mist on both sides of the road?" Ah Jiao asked.
Yuan Deng replied, "Monsters and fierce beasts. Any mortal ghost who cannot endure the journey will be torn apart and eaten by those things."
Ah Jiao shuddered, her voice trembling slightly. "Surely not? Are there many? Why is there no sound at all?"
Yuan Deng explained, "These beasts are naturally incapable of making sound. In ancient times, they were among the weaker species and were often bullied by other fierce beasts. The Two Sovereigns took pity on their tribe and took them in to guard the Road to the Yellow Springs."
Yuan Deng smiled slightly. "Do not be afraid. They are sentient and can speak; they will not harm people randomly."
Only then did Ah Jiao feel at ease.
They continued forward. After passing the Road to the Yellow Springs, they arrived at the Judgment Department. Unlike before, they entered through a small side door. Upon entering, Ah Jiao saw Yun He, with two red-clad ghost officials and about a dozen reapers standing behind him.
"Oh my, little girl, how did you die so quickly?" Yun He approached with a beaming smile.
Ah Jiao sighed. "I was careless, truly careless."
Yun He beckoned her. "Come here, come here. Register first." With a wave of his hand, a bamboo slip appeared in his grasp. Ah Jiao leaned over to look; it was her official credentials.
Four hundred and eighty-seven years. She had only performed a dozen or so days of hard labor in the Underworld before being selected for reincarnation. Then, during her first reincarnation, she had been injured and rested, so the duration on her credentials hadn't decreased by even a year.
Yun He tapped the credentials against Ah Jiao's head. She watched as the four hundred and eighty-seven years changed to four hundred and eighty-four years.
Exactly three years of reincarnation.
Ah Jiao thanked him with a smile.
Yun He placed the credentials on the desk. Her experiences from the three years of reincarnation slowly appeared on it, listed after the events of her previous life.
Yun He handed the credentials to Yuan Deng and whispered in Ah Jiao's ear, "Don't forget what you promised me."
Ah Jiao nodded repeatedly. "I haven't forgotten, I haven't forgotten."
Yun He’s eyes crinkled into slits from his smile. "Good, good, good. Then off you go. The reapers at the door will take you to the Heaven-tier Cell."
Ah Jiao bowed and prepared to leave, but suddenly remembering something, she stopped. "Lord Yun He, I have something I'd like to ask."
"Speak," Yun He said, in high spirits.
"I think... I might know magic now!" Ah Jiao said with a solemn face.
"How is that possible!" Yun He didn't believe her. "You've only been a ghost for a few days and have never studied cultivation. How could you have magic? If you gained magic so easily, what would the other mortal ghosts think—those who have cultivated for years and still haven't crossed the threshold? You must have seen wrong. Every year, several mortals claim to be immortals; it's always fake."
Ah Jiao remained silent for a moment. She focused her mind and directed her strength toward the brush on the desk. The brush actually began to float slowly.
"Look, my Lord." Ah Jiao exerted all her strength. The brush wobbled a few times before falling back onto the desk.
In the mortal realm, she had easily thrown a screen, yet in the Underworld, lifting a single brush nearly exhausted her.
The room fell into a dead silence.
Yun He and several ghost officials and reapers stared at her blankly.
"Quick, quick! Go call Shen Zhi!" Yun He shouted.
After yelling, he began pacing around Ah Jiao in circles. "How is this happening? How can it be like this? Did Lord Shen secretly give you some treasure?"
Ah Jiao shook her head. "I don't know! I only discovered it suddenly before I died."
"Tsk, tsk, you really are... Let me tell you, even someone as talented as Lord Shen—the Two Sovereigns said so themselves—took ten years to cross the threshold of cultivation and fifteen years to master the technique of moving objects. You... you've done it in just a few years and a few days?" Yun He lamented, clicking his tongue.
Ah Jiao was speechless, her heart also racing with nerves.
"What is going on?" Shen Zhi appeared in the room instantly.
Yun He pulled him over to Ah Jiao and said, "I have something to tell you, and you must not be shocked. This stepdaughter of yours... she knows magic!"
"Are you joking?" Shen Zhi didn't believe it.
"It's true. They can all testify." Yun He pointed to the ghosts in the room, and they all nodded to confirm his words.
Only then did Shen Zhi look at Ah Jiao with a serious expression. He saw that her eyes were bright and spirited, as if spiritual energy were flowing within them. He couldn't help but ask, "Ah Jiao, what is in your eyes?"
Her eyes? Ah Jiao was stunned for a moment, then immediately reacted. "It's a treasure Lord Yun He gave me before. He said it was a 'Yama's Tear' and told me to... to put it in my eyes." Ah Jiao pointed at Yun He.
Yun He clapped his hands. "That's right! It was something the King of Hell gave me to play with on my five-hundredth birthday. I gave it to the girl."
"Are there any left?" Shen Zhi used magic to inspect Ah Jiao's eyes. This trace of aura was indeed from the same source as the power of the Two Sovereigns.
Ah Jiao said quickly, "There are four drops left, but they are in the mortal realm."
Shen Zhi made an immediate decision. "I will take Ah Jiao to see the Sovereigns. Yun He, go and retrieve the tears immediately."
Yun He nodded, thinking to himself that he had likely caused trouble again.
Ah Jiao instructed, "I left them in the Chen Manor, in the innermost room. There is a cabinet carved with winter plums and golden pheasants; they are in the innermost part of the third small drawer, wrapped in a white handkerchief." Then she had another thought. "If you can't find them at the Chen Manor, look in the palace—especially the Xuanzhi Hall and the Qingliang Hall."
Yun He nodded and vanished from the room.
***
**Glossary**
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
---|---|---
栾大 | Luan Da | A historical figure; a fangshi (sorcerer/alchemist) during the Han dynasty.
方士 | Fangshi | A practitioner of magic, alchemy, or divination; a sorcerer.
阎君的眼泪 | Yama's Tear | A rare and powerful substance originating from the King of Hell (Yama).
移物之术 | Object-moving technique | A basic form of telekinesis or spiritual manipulation of physical items.
天字牢 | Heaven-tier Cell | A high-level or special category of prison cell in the Underworld.
二位尊神 | Two Sovereigns | The supreme deities or rulers of the Underworld/spiritual realm.
官信 | Official credentials | A spiritual record or identification for those serving in the Underworld.
