Chapter 4: Reasoning about the Underworld

We all nodded in agreement, acknowledging the truth of the statement. After all, wealth is merely an external possession; as long as we are alive, there is hope

I am aware that there is a concept in medicine known as near-death experiences, which suggests that when a person is on the brink of death, they may perceive certain visions. However, whether these visions truly exist or are merely generated by the subconscious triggered by death remains unknown

I feel that he has a bit of a ghostly aura about him. He stood up and walked around twice: "Let's not discuss whether the underworld exists or not; let's assume that such a place indeed exists, otherwise discussing anything else would be meaningless. Do those who have returned from the underworld carry the essence of that place on them?"

What do you mean? I questioned him

He is indeed still a child, clearly not very accustomed to such adult-like etiquette, his face flushed as he stood up to shake hands: "Hello, hello, I am Peng Gang"

Because we cannot verify it at all, unless you are dead. Haha, this is a deadlock, an eternal paradox that can never be resolved

He dared not let go, and could only leave it to fate

We do not know any of these issues. However, both Chinese and foreign histories have provided numerous descriptions of hell and the underworld. For instance, Dante's "Divine Comedy," the "Hell Scroll" by a Korean painter, and the legends in China about Meng Po's soup and the Yellow Springs Road. The materials are readily available for reference

Li Damin and I exchanged glances, feeling that this experience was rather mundane. Perhaps those who were not directly involved cannot truly grasp the terror of holding a dead person's hand to summon their spirit on such a eerie and silent night

The son tightly grasped the hand of the deceased, nearly paralyzed with fear, trembling all over

I was taken aback: "What are you saying?"

I glanced at it, thinking it was just junk advertising, but upon reading further, I realized it was something extraordinary

So did they end up dead or not

Li Damin lightly tapped the table with his fingers to aid his thinking and slowly said: "The underworld, in my definition, is the place where souls go after a person dies"

Oh? Li Damin smiled and said, "What do you mean?"

Notably, the walls of the bedroom are adorned with various clippings and printed materials, including images and text, arranged closely together to cover an entire wall. However, upon viewing mhetushu.com, it appears cluttered yet organized, evoking a desire to delve into research.

Of course, it is not dead; how could it be described if it were dead

To be honest, I do not know. However, I believe in the universal law of the indestructibility of matter; the soul is also matter, and it will always go where it needs to go, or enter the cycle of reincarnation in some form—within the cycle of matter.

Li Damin hesitated, then suddenly smiled: "This is somewhat interesting"

He suddenly changed the subject, and I found it hard to keep up with my thoughts. After a moment, I said: "A bit, I suppose. It's hard to describe that feeling; he gives off a bit of a slick vibe, somewhat cunning. Businesspeople are all like that."

The shouts of the two individuals rose and fell in succession: "Peng Liang ~ ~ Peng Liang ~ ~"

As soon as I heard it, I almost jumped up. Do I not need to handle the remaining matters? So I suppose I have been working in vain. Just when the mystery was about to be unveiled, he kicked me away.

Brother Peng was playing with his chopsticks, poking at the rotten eggplant in the plate, and self-deprecatingly laughed: "What can we do if we don't give it to him? My life is worth at least half a company. You all know the story of the knife-wielding man, right?"

"Where are you? You don't need to invite me; I will invite you," I said loudly

"Then that would be it. How can you be sure that the visions seen by those in a state of apparent death are the same as those seen by those who are truly dead?"

I ponder: "I believe it is entirely meaningless to discuss whether what he said is true or false"

Alright, then two servings of rice noodles. I called the proprietress and ordered a few side dishes.

Mr. Liu, hello, I wonder if you are free this evening; I would like to invite you to dinner. Upon reading this, I couldn't help but smile; what a ridiculous message. As I continued reading: I am the son of Peng Liang. A few days ago, someone with the surname Li contacted me. He said that if there is anything I cannot reach him for, I can contact you.

Li Damin looked at him with a grin and said, "No problem, no matter what happens, even if I die, you won't have to bear any responsibility."

Li Damin continued to inquire about the whereabouts of that person, preparing to pay a visit. Brother Peng shook his head: "This person is very mysterious and has never revealed any details. However, when handling the share transfer, I saw his identification, and his name is Ma Danlong. He is not a local from this city, and his home address is in Henan. He conducts himself discreetly and has no need to dig deeper into his background."

Li Damin's expression was somewhat desolate: "I really don't need you anymore. How about this, once I finish my investigation, I will write a research report for you to review. I am thinking of you; you have just started working, so don't be like me, always distracted and frequently taking leave. It's not good. I can't just wait for the weekend to conduct my investigation for you."

I am a staunch materialist I laughed heartily

What did he ask you to do? I inquired

"After talking for so long, do you really believe in the existence of the underworld?" He frowned

Hmm, yes. He is your friend, right? He is quite impressive, haha. I originally didn't want to pay him any attention. He seems to know psychology and speaks in a very persuasive manner, leading me to follow his line of thought with just a few words.

That day was a weekend, and I had finally managed to invite my goddess to dinner. I was just planning what strategy to use to win her over when a text message arrived from a very unfamiliar number, one that I had not registered in my phone.

I was taken aback and quickly called back. On the phone was a very young voice: "Mr. Liu, let's discuss this in detail over dinner tonight; the matter is somewhat complicated"

I found it quite strange: "What if we don't give it to him, or what if that family moves away?"

Brother Peng nodded and said: "Let’s not even mention that this person is my savior; it is only right to give him money. Just consider that this person possesses great abilities, summoning souls and doing the work of the King of Hell. Who would dare to owe him money? He could silently take my life again"

The person nodded slightly: "Continue. Whenever you call back, that will count."

First, he asked me a question: "Lao Liu, do you think there is an underworld in this world?"

He first recounted the events of the day he interviewed my father, and then asked me if there were certain details I was concealing. I was quite displeased at the time; what business was it of his whether I was hiding something? I didn't intend to engage with him. However, his next question struck a chord with me; he asked, "Don't you feel that your father is different from before?"

The son also shouted: "Peng Liang"

I racked my brains and carefully articulated: "That depends on how we define the concept of the underworld."

In what form do the spirits exist? I asked.

He has a point; unlike him, I am not a second-generation rich kid. It is not easy for me to find a job, and even if I work hard, there is still a possibility of being fired, let alone taking leave all the time.

The next few days will be regular working hours, from 8 AM to 5 PM, with occasional overtime, gradually allowing me to forget all these matters. When I occasionally recall them, it is merely a topic for laughter

Is a person not a person, and a ghost not a ghost? I swallowed hard

Ma Danlong ... . ... Li Damin wrote this name on the paper

By intuition, I feel that person is Peng Liang's son

We agreed on a place to eat, so I hurriedly canceled my date with the goddess. The goddess said nothing, just hung up the phone. I knew there would be no chance in the future.

Peng Gang

He made me a cup of coffee, and the two of us sat down to chat

I am a bit unhappy. I have stayed here before, and knowing that it is going to rain, he still insists on sending me out. The displeasure is evident on my face, and Li Damin, feeling somewhat helpless, says: "Old Liu..." He picks up his notebook, glances at it, and says: "You don't need to worry about the rest. I will handle it myself. Thank you for accompanying me today."

After bidding farewell to Brother Peng, Li Damin and I returned to his home. This guy comes from a wealthy family and has rented a two-bedroom apartment, which serves as our activity base. The bedroom is quite spacious, but the bed is small, just a single bed. Li Damin and I never talk about women; he doesn't have a girlfriend and is entirely focused on researching various strange phenomena. Besides the bed, the bedroom contains a neatly organized computer desk, featuring a stylish Apple laptop, a Japanese desk lamp, and beneath the lamp lies a notebook filled with his thoughts that come to him at any moment. Besides the bed, the bedroom contains a neatly organized computer desk, featuring a stylish Apple laptop, a Japanese desk lamp, and beneath the lamp lies a notebook filled with his thoughts that come to him at any moment.

The person stood up, extended a hand to gently massage Brother Peng's temples, and softly called out: "Peng Liang"

Li Damin set down his coffee cup and said, "Have you noticed anything unusual about Brother Peng?"

This is another issue, so please do not digress

Peng Liang's son actually invited me to a rice noodle shop near their school. Although it is already autumn, the evenings are still quite warm. The rice noodle shop has set up several tented seats outside. I saw a very handsome young man staring blankly into the distance.

Later, with a chuckle, Brother Peng pointed to himself and said, "You have all seen the outcome; I have survived."

No, I precisely believe that this is a highly relevant issue. The form of existence of the deceased also determines the state of the underworld. If we say that the deceased are indeed the souls as described in our legends, then how do they arrive in the underworld? In other words, do the channels and methods of entry adhere to certain rules?

Do you believe in what Brother Peng said about the underworld

As I stepped out of the community, heavy rain had already begun. I braved the rain and managed to hail a taxi back home. After taking a hot shower, I lay on the bed, reminiscing about the events of the day, my mind wandering to the underworld as described by Brother Peng. I fell into a drowsy state and, before I knew it, had fallen asleep, plagued by a night of nightmares.

Did you say that Li Damin has contacted you

I clapped my hands and adopted a familiar demeanor: "What would you like to eat? It's on me. Let's eat and talk at the same time"

Since the knife wielder can predict so accurately, he must have means to know where you are, and he can always find the debtor to reclaim the money. However, in this story, I have never heard of any consequences for owing money for knives, so it must be quite tragic, " said Li Damin

The hearse traverses the city at night, leaving the urban area and heading straight along the dark highway towards the crematorium

I expressed my confusion, and Li Damin smiled faintly: "In the countryside, there are people who specialize in selling kitchen knives. Their selling practice is quite peculiar; they do not collect payment upfront for the knives. Instead, they wait until a certain prophecy is fulfilled to come back and collect the owed money for the knives. For instance, when selling the knives, they might say, 'Come back to pay when corn is one yuan per jin.' A few years later, when corn indeed reaches one yuan, they will go door to door to collect the money."

Li Damin shook his head slowly yet firmly: "Old Liu, do you think this could be a residual effect of the underworld?"

However, there are many records of those who have died coming back to life, describing the underworld and hell. They speak of seeing light, encountering angels, and experiencing rapid flashbacks of moments from their lives

The man ignored him, kneeling devoutly before three incense sticks, eyes closed, murmuring something unknown along with the scriptures. The atmosphere in the carriage was eerie, with a faintly glowing light bulb making a soft hissing sound. The son looked at his father's corpse, pale and stiff, with a cold smile on his face

After exhaling the smoke, the person said: "In a moment, call your father's name with me."

We are seated relatively close to each other, with a gentle evening breeze blowing. It is quite quiet here, making it suitable for discussions

Indeed, Li Damin is particularly resolute, exuding confidence and assurance in his actions and speech, subtly embodying the aura of a person in a position of authority

If it's not meant to be, then it's not meant to be. I took a taxi to the appointment

Li Damin said: "So after you wake up, you really plan to give him half of the company's shares?"

"Where shall we go to find him?" he asked

"So, do you believe in the existence of the underworld?" Li Damin asked

I looked at him face to face, and the atmosphere was somewhat awkward. I cleared my throat twice and asked, "How should I address you?"

As he was speaking, a sudden clap of thunder echoed outside, and the sky darkened, signaling the onset of a storm. Li Damin approached the window, looked outside, and gazed at the city's nightscape. Suddenly, he turned his head and said, "Old Liu, the weather is turning bad tonight; you should head back."

"Alright, I am leaving." Although I understand the reasoning, my heart still feels heavy.

I took out my phone and called back, and indeed it was him who answered. I strode over confidently and extended my hand: "Hello, I am the Old Liu you were looking for."

Brother Peng, take a look at us, hesitating for a moment, wrote down an address: "I can't help with any more busy matters. I just want to remind you, no matter what happens, don't sell me out."

Your thoughts are indeed imaginative. Li Damin took a sip of coffee and said, "There are three key points here. First, the source of infection—souls of the deceased—what form do they take? Second, the medium, which refers to the channels and methods through which these souls enter the underworld, as well as the rules governing this process. Third, the underworld itself—what kind of world is it, and what laws does it follow?"

Many heart patients, upon passing away, often bear a facial expression resembling a smile. This expression on the faces of the deceased can appear quite terrifying.

He chuckled and said, "Their Chongqing rice noodles are very authentic. Our classmates often come here to eat; you should give it a try too"