Chapter 4: Entering the Underworld

The bull-headed ghost's pair of blood-red eyes stared at me, sending chills down my spine, and I trembled as I clutched Master's hand

At this moment, what I see is a face covered in blood, lips turning purple, and eyes as dark as night

The universe is boundless, the righteous path endures, Soul-Settling Talisman, activate

A monster with a bull's head, clad in tattered armor, dragging chains

The witch is asking me questions, I hear them in a daze, my consciousness is becoming heavier

We met at the edge of a ghost market, where the master entered a room alone to discuss matters, leaving me outside the room with strict instructions not to wander off

In total, there are 11, and she has been subjected to at least 11 instances on her upper body

Tell me your name

In fact, it was quite similar. As soon as I entered the underworld, the master took out a small pill and forcefully stuffed it into my mouth, instructing me to hold it in. He emphasized that I must not respond to anyone who spoke to me, not a single word, and just follow him.

The master gave me a light tap on the back of my head. Surprisingly, with that one strike, I felt invigorated, and a warm current surged through me, easing the fear I had just experienced.

With the wooden plaque in hand as a credential, one who successfully summons a spirit will possess a plaque. I once heard that in the north, there is an old witch who lived to be 80 years old and was possessed by more than 20 spirits throughout her life, thus owning over 20 plaques

"How could a living person appear here?"

Place your hand on this glass ball

Jiang Tianxin

Standing to one side, I heard his words and foolishly asked, "Uncle, have you lived for hundreds of years?"

At this moment, I have already been carried on my master's shoulders, jogging forward all the way

This Western trinket should not actually appear in the ghost market. The seller of glass marbles, hetushu.com, is an old woman dressed in a black cloak. She is not a ghost or monster, but a person, and she has many small, square wooden signs tied to her hands.

I responded in a dull manner

The master pulled me along while giving me instructions as we walked forward

The Chief Judge of the South China region is a green-faced ghost

The voice of the Ox-Headed Ghost is very deep, making my ears feel stuffy

The Six Paths Gate, coming from the future, arriving from beyond the heavens, there are great mysteries within you

The words of the witch entered my mind like a command, and I felt compelled to obey this command, unable to resist. Thus, I raised my hand and placed it on the glass orb

Especially within our circle, my master once told me a story about a young lad who had just begun his journey in cultivation and knew nothing at all. He would often boast about having no fear of heaven or earth, constantly mentioning the King of Hell. In the end, one night, he was confronted by a dozen ghostly messengers at once, leading to the demise of both the young man and his master, which quickly became a taboo in our circle

What would a judge be like in mythology, holding the Book of Life and Death and the Judge's Pen, controlling the underworld officials who govern life and death?

Generally, mediums in the community are all deceivers, yet they do not dare to call themselves witches, for only those mediums recognized within the circle are qualified to bind wooden plaques on their hands and are entitled to be referred to as witches

The Ox-Headed Ghost raised his head and spoke in a low voice: "There is absolutely no way out. Since you have come to the underworld today, do not leave!"

After running for several kilometers, when he finally set me down, I saw that he was drenched in sweat and breathing heavily

The master asked with a smile

The ground of the underworld is cracked, resembling the parched earth of www.hetushu.com.com after years of drought; however, not a blade of grass grows, and one cannot see ghosts or malevolent spirits everywhere. In the words of the master, the underworld is vast; when a living person dies in the human realm, a new area is expanded in the underworld, which is truly remarkable

The judge enjoys the trinkets of the mortal world; they do not need to be expensive, but they must be quite rare

Upon hearing this, I realized that something bad was about to happen

Its eyes were bloodshot, steam rising from its nose, and as it walked, the ground was left pockmarked with indentations.

A loud exclamation: "Oh my goodness!"

I nodded in agreement, but my curiosity got the better of me, and I still preferred to look around.

Shanghai

The courage is truly too small; it seems I need to practice.

At that moment, I walked up to the witch who was beckoning to me, feeling dizzy, but I still glanced at the wooden plaque in her hand

Upon reflection, if it had not been for Jiang Tianxin, who stopped me as I was leaving the room at that time, perhaps I would have long since become a puppet of that evil witch...

The witch asked again

He was speaking while preparing to lift me up

The witch stared at the glass ball, first in a daze, then frowning, and finally in shock. Startled, she let out a scream and rolled off the stool

That is called the Ox-Head, one of the ghostly messengers. Do not look at it; let us take a detour.

Later, as society progressed into modern times, the number of people who believed in superstitions decreased, leading to a decline in natural mediums. Consequently, witches began to infiltrate the southern circles, competing with our yin-yang agents for livelihood

The so-called green-faced ghost has two characteristics: the first is a greenish complexion, and the second is skin that is wrinkled like withered wood

But at that time, I was only a few years old? A ten-year-old child, who could hardly articulate anything pleasant about books, was merely in the third grade of elementary school. If I saw the Ox-Head and Horse-Face on the television, I would be terrified. Now that I have seen them in reality, my legs are weak, my feet are trembling, and my head is spinning.

Damn it, I haven't run like this in hundreds of years, I'm exhausted

At that moment, I saw one of the ten phantoms being pulled by the ox-headed figure in front of me, and a female ghost surprisingly turned her head in a dazed manner.

At that time, I would never know that, for my sake, the master had given up so much...

The master took a soul-restraining talisman from his bag, tapped it three times with his finger, and then tossed the talisman outward, throwing it onto the ground. As soon as the talisman hit the ground, it immediately emitted thousands of golden rays of light, illuminating everything around in an instant

Some experienced and powerful witches are similarly respected

The master smiled slightly and gave a slight bow.

That is a small glass ball, a transparent, spherical glass ball

However, this time the master unexpectedly took me to find the judge, which left me feeling uncertain.

I could only see her approaching me step by step, bending over, taking my hand, and softly saying: "Walk with me, follow me, you are my slave, you are my servant..."

Behind it, there are exactly 10 spirits, dressed in white, with disheveled hair, expressionless, floating in the air

Tell me, where do you come from

I am Jiang Tianxin, a friend of the Chief Judge of South China. I have come to seek an audience with him. I kindly ask the ghostly messenger to grant me passage and make way.

Upon hearing my question, Tianxin was taken aback for a moment, then burst into laughter, and with a face full of embarrassment said: "The sky of the underworld is truly beautiful; look how round that moon is."

I spoke again

Uncle Jiang gasped for breath while complaining about hetushu.com

Do not pay attention to these sounds; they are the murmurs of vengeful spirits. Calm your mind, and soon you will no longer hear them. The more chaotic your heart, the more restless you will be in this underworld

There is not just one judge, just as there are Ten Yama Kings in the underworld

I took a breath, and the cold air that entered my nose was so frigid that it felt as if my nose might freeze off

After walking just a few steps, I heard the sound of chains coming from ahead. I then leaned forward to take a look and saw a tall figure approaching from a hundred meters away in the darkness

It is important to understand that those who practice as mediums are profiting from the dead, unlike spirit summoners who do not possess the body. Mediums must allow spirits to enter their bodies, which can cause significant physical harm. Some novice witches have even been killed by spirits during their first possession.

As a result, the moment I called out, things went awry; the bull's head suddenly spotted me and my master from a hundred meters away and fixated on us

Many people have seen the appearance of the underworld in movies and television dramas; it is a dim place, devoid of sun and moon, lacking light, and is only a realm of weeping

The judge is, in fact, also a ghost

The master brought me into the underworld, also to help me quickly gain entry into the field

Therefore, the agents of yin and yang from the south do not look favorably upon this group of elderly women

The master quickly pulled me behind him, and I didn't have time to react

Let us first discuss the appearance of the underworld

However, there are exceptions

The master clearly did not want to cause any trouble and pulled me aside

The ox-headed ghost seems to be pondering, its head-shaking motion identical to that of a real water buffalo

The master is looking for the Chief Judge of the South China region, as only the Chief Judge is qualified to inquire about the whereabouts of various spirits. As a Yin-Yang agent, the judges are actually the ones we interact with the most

However, this is my first time visiting the ghost market with the book, and there are so many strange and novel items, so many unexpected things, that I was quickly drawn to one particular item

From time to time, the sound of crying reaches your ears, along with various murmurs, as if they are trying to tell you something, yet you cannot hear it clearly

The term "judge" has been a taboo from ancient times to the present. This is because the judge is associated with the King of Hell, who is well-known and is a figure that people usually do not dare to mention.

As soon as the master pulled me, I realized my legs had gone weak, and I immediately frowned.

I was completely stunned at that moment

Do you have any impression?

Stop causing me trouble

The bull-headed demon on the opposite side was just about to charge over when it was suddenly illuminated by this golden light, causing it to halt in its tracks. The ten souls bound behind it also cried out and howled incessantly within this golden glow

The judge holds a significant position in the underworld, yet it does not extend to the level of controlling life and death

I truly admire Uncle Jiang's demeanor; even in the face of the Ox-Head and Horse-Face, he can still smile! I would be so scared that I would wet my pants!

Duanmu Sen

The master once told me that the old woman tied to the wooden sign is referred to as a witch, a peer in the trade, but very malevolent, and that I should avoid her in the future. However, this time in the ghost market, I saw this witch lift her head and look at me, a hint of surprise showing in her murky eyes, and then she waved at me.

Of course, it is the name taken after becoming a judge, and it is well acquainted with the master, having a deep friendship.

I unexpectedly walked over as if guided by some unseen force

This green-faced ghost is called Jiao Mu

At that time, I actually followed in her footsteps, moving forward little by little

The witch murmured to herself, incessantly speaking, while I remained in a daze, unable to hear clearly

The term "witch" originally referred to certain mediums from the north