Chapter 2718: The Crazy City Lord's Love-Hate Rules 42

The Human Affairs Office Director swallowed, forcing back the protest that had risen to his throat with a dry laugh: '... Please, please go ahead.'

He secretly thought, the Great King must have fought an earth-shaking battle with that Killing God, ultimately losing; it must be so!

Jin Chen no longer paid him any mind, his fingertip lightly tracing the Reincarnation Tablet; the runes lit up, screening Yin Chaosheng's lineage, parents, and fate in this reincarnation.

After deciding, Jin Chen added, 'When he reaches seventeen in this life and his spiritual wisdom and foundation are stable, he must regain all his memories.'

Meng Po, hearing this, stopped stirring the soup, her wrinkled face lifting: 'If you cherish him so, why not let him be reborn with his memories? Can you bear to let him… forget you for seventeen years?'

Jin Chen chuckled lightly, 'Seventeen years of cultivation is but a snap of the fingers for us; I can wait.'

'He has never truly experienced the joys and sorrows a mortal youth should have, reckless and wild. These seventeen years are his due.'

Meng Po stared, then understood, letting out a soft sigh: 'Foolish child… very well. Forgetting the past is needed to truly mingle in the mortal world and taste the myriad flavors of beings.'

'When he recalls his past, perhaps his Dao heart will be more complete—good, good.'

The Human Affairs Office Director wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, 'Sir, everything is arranged; in seven days it will be an auspicious time to guide the souls into the Reincarnation Well… Are you… still satisfied?'

Jin Chen gave a slight nod, returned the Reincarnation Tablet to him, and his figure quickly vanished into the misty depths of the Underworld.

After confirming Jin Chen had completely left, Meng Po and the Human Affairs Office Director exchanged a glance.

They could no longer contain their curiosity, flinging open the tightly shut side door and rushing inside!

On the throne in the great hall sat the usually imposing King Yama, slumped, rubbing his cheeks, grimacing in pain as he muttered indistinct curses.

'Pervert! Bastard! Robber! How outrageous! How outrageous!'

'…He had me pinned down and beaten for three days and three nights! Sigh… I'm dying of pain!'

Meng Po: '……'

Human Affairs Office Director: '……'

Meng Po leaned in, whispering: 'Great King, just bear it… If it weren't for him, we wouldn't even know the seal was broken and yin-yang out of balance by now!'

'I've been wondering why, over the past decade or so, mortal souls have dwindled, and rebirths have become rare—it turns out all the souls are stuck in Ghost City! If Lady Hou Tu found out…'

The Human Affairs Office Director nodded repeatedly, still shaken: 'Yes, Great King! He's done us a huge favor in the Netherworld; otherwise this mess would drag on, the reincarnation order would collapse, and we'd be left unable to earn a living! Just consider it a sacrifice for the Netherworld! Taking a beating… worth it! Totally worth it!'

King Yama rubbed his swollen eyes, fuming and stroking his beard, glaring, but unable to retort, he finally waved his hand grudgingly.

'Worthless! Ow… I'm dying of pain, why are you just standing there? Get to work! Sort out the souls piled up over the past decade or so—send those destined for rebirth to be reborn, those destined for judgment to be judged! Oh… this truly worries me to death!'

——

Seven days passed in the blink of an eye.

Chu Jiushan lay idle, propping his chin with both hands, sighing at the spiritual power barrier.

'Sigh… It's the seventh day… Tomorrow is the City Lord's rebirth; Senior Brother has locked himself and the City Lord inside for six full days, and I don't know how they're faring.'

He muttered with a worried frown, 'Waiting for the City Lord's rebirth, then another seventeen years… Isn't Senior Brother going to suffer in a cold kiln for seventeen years? That's too miserable!'

Black Wing, who had been polishing his dark heavy sword, looked up at the words: 'Chu Brother, why are you sighing? Didn't Jin Chen say when he returned from the Netherworld that he had already chosen the City Lord's reincarnation family, even knowing the exact location?'

'If you miss them, with Jin Chen's abilities you could just go see—why suffer the wait?'

Chu Jiushan blinked, then slapped his thigh: 'Right! How did I forget that? Or maybe Black Wing Brother, you're quick-witted!'

He had just relaxed when another thought struck him, looking around: 'Huh? Where are Zang Dage and Shuoyue Jie?'

Black Wing jerked his chin toward a secluded path behind the palace: 'They were borrowed by the City Lord to help look for something.'

'Borrow something?' Chu Jiushan craned his neck curiously, 'The City Lord is about to be reborn—what treasure could he still need to borrow?'

Just as they spoke, Zang Huaian and Liu Shuoyue came walking one after another from the path.

Zang Huaian shook his head, explaining: 'The City Lord said he wanted to make sure that, over these seventeen years, Jin Chen wouldn't be kidnapped by some nobody, so… he borrowed a little trinket from us.'

Liu Shuoyue smiled lightly, 'It's called a magic implement, but it's just a common red silk ribbon; the City Lord infused it with his residual ghost energy, adding a little… well, a minor effect that seals spiritual power.'

'Just tie it around the wrist; only the City Lord himself can undo it, no one else can.'

Chu Jiushan clicked his tongue, 'The City Lord's jealousy…'

'Hey, look.' Black Wing suddenly spoke, pointing toward the palace grounds.

At the edge of the seal, a crimson flare suddenly burst, lasting a few breaths before fading, and the barrier vanished with it.

【Villain Blackening Value detected -20, total 0!】

Moments later.

Jin Chen walked out with a faint smile, still wearing his moon-white robe, but a vivid red silk ribbon was conspicuously tied around his wide sleeve, giving an ambiguous air of intimacy.

Chu Jiushan and the others exchanged a glance, tacitly suppressing their teasing; unintentionally catching sight of the disordered red marks on Jin Chen's neck, they all silently looked away, pretending not to have seen anything.

'Senior Brother!'

Chu Jiushan approached, grinning.

Jin Chen raised his hand, tapping his forehead neither lightly nor heavily, his tone accustomed laziness: 'Tidy up; we're heading back to the sect.'

Chu Jiushan nearly jumped with excitement, 'Great! Finally we can go back! I'm already missing the roasted sweet potatoes from the back mountain!'

Jin Chen's eyes crinkled with deeper smile, and he gave a slight nod to Black Wing and the three others: 'You've all worked hard these days.'

Liu Shuoyue smiled faintly and shook her head: 'Jin Chen, you're too polite.'

Zang Huaian clasped his hands: 'Just part of the duty.'

Black Wing scratched his head with a simple grin: 'Not hard at all, not hard at all!'