Chapter 484

This place is where Gui Shi meets the Nether Realm, from the Ghost Gate all the way to the Wangchuan River, this area is huge enough to be frightening.

Legend says this area has eight hundred li of endless yellow sand roads, not a one-way path, but a radius of eight hundred li!

In between, there are also the thirteen stations of the Netherworld, as well as vast detached areas.

The so-called detached areas are where solitary wild ghosts with a little cultivation, yet unable to enter the Nether Realm, linger and occupy.

Every region of this area is fraught with danger.

Judging from the scene before me... the situation is not optimistic.

I instinctively summoned Feng Wu, pulled the bowstring taut, and shot at the nearest vicious ghost.

The flame struck the vicious ghost, instantly erupting in a prairie‑fire blaze; in the blink of an eye, the vicious ghost that had just been brandishing its claws and fangs turned to ashes and smoke.

All of this happened in a flash; my arrow temporarily stunned the surrounding vicious ghosts, preventing further mishaps, and I strode through the ghost crowd, striding forward.

I don't know what lies ahead, but Yu Nian said that before three o'clock, everything active in Gui Shi must withdraw, including the yin officials and yin soldiers.

Running into yin officials and yin soldiers would be troublesome.

Time is pressing; I can't worry about that now—I'll leave first and talk later.

But what I didn't expect was that, just after walking a short distance, I ran into a squad of yin officials!

This squad of yin officials numbered only five; they were dragging heavy chains, escorting a group of monks forward.

I quickly stepped back two paces, held my breath and focused, hoping to slip past unnoticed, but then someone called out: "Xiao Jiu Zhanggui, how did you end up here?"

I was startled, turned toward the voice, and saw that the speaker was actually one of the yin officials in the squad.

I actually recognized that person—clearly the one who went to the pawnshop on New Year's Eve to do the year‑end summary.

The Cangwu Nether Seal was also given to me by him.

I had once thought that if I ever saw him again, I would definitely ask who had asked him to give me the Cangwu Nether Seal, but I never got the chance.

I never expected to run into him here by sheer chance.

I smiled at him, stepped forward a few paces, and used my gaze to indicate I had something to say.

He handed the iron chain in his hand to a teammate, fell two steps behind, and I hurried over.

He slowed his steps but didn't stop: "I have duties on me; Xiao Jiu Zhanggui, if you're not in a hurry, you can walk ahead with me—this place is no spot for the living to linger, for the Nether Armor troops may return at any moment and pass through here."

"Nether Armor troops?" I asked, "Are they the yin soldier patrol units in Gui Shi?"

I briefly described the back view I had seen earlier.

The yin official exclaimed in surprise: "Xiao Jiu Zhanggui, did you come from Gui Shi? Did you run into the Nether Armor troops?"

I nodded, without elaborating.

"Nether Armor troops are the city guards of the Nether Realm and are not often dispatched," the yin official said, "Recently the Nether Realm has been unsettled, with strict checks everywhere; Xiao Jiu Zhanggui, your luck 'good'—you actually ran into them."

I gave an embarrassed smile; this good luck, I could do without it: "By the way, I still don't know how to address you."

The yin official was about to speak when the squad ahead halted; a yin official ran over, clasped his fists, and said: "General Jin, ahead is Wǎngsǐ Chéng—let's take a brief rest and prepare to enter the city."

General Jin waved his hand: "Go ahead."

The yin officials ahead were escorting the monks to rest by the roadside, while the yin official who had just reported continued forward.

I looked ahead and saw a moat; opposite the moat was a……city?

Willow trees lined both banks of the moat, but they looked malnourished, with sparse leaves hanging from the branches, drooping all the way into the moat.

Strangely, the bark of those willow trees was blood‑red, as if a light touch would make it bleed!

Yet my gaze fell on the treetop of the willow tree nearest to us.

There, a wristband woven from willow twigs swayed in the wind.

The moment I saw the willow‑twig wristband, my heart clenched violently.

How could there be a willow‑twig wristband here?

Could it be that some idle solitary wild ghost wove it and hung it up?

I narrowed my eyes and stared at the willow‑twig wristband, quickly realizing something was off.

This willow‑twig wristband had long since dried out; its surface was the normal color of willow twigs, not blood‑red!

Therefore, this willow‑twig wristband was not woven from the willows by the moat; it was brought from elsewhere.

My hands clenched involuntarily, and I recalled what Fang Chuan Zong had said—that they had failed to trace the tracks of Tan Luan and his companions in the mortal realm.

At the time I was wondering, could we have descended into the underworld?

The moment I saw this willow‑twig wristband, the likelihood of that guess grew greater.

Liu Junyan, could it be you?

Back when I left Cangwu Mountain, I brought back a willow‑twig wristband, intending to put it on Liu Junyan myself.

But his hands were too large, and the wristband was a bit small.

Later, he kept that wristband.

I'm sure he didn't throw it away, after all, this willow‑twig wristband is like a love token between us.

But I'm not sure whether it's the one hanging from the willow treetop.

If it truly was Liu Junyan who hung it up, then where is Liu Junyan now?

Ahead lies Wǎngsǐ Chéng.

In Wǎngsǐ Chéng, the detained souls are divided into three types: those who died accidentally or violently, those who committed suicide, and unborn fetuses.

Those who died accidentally or violently—for example, in disasters, murders, wars, etc. —died with grievances, bearing deep resentment; only after personally seeing the culprit brought to justice and the resentment dissipating can they be reborn.

The resentment of unborn fetuses is even deeper; they eagerly await reincarnation, yet are abandoned before birth, and the psychology of these souls can even become disordered.

It is said that in Wǎngsǐ Chéng there are specialists who provide psychological counseling for them.

As for those who died by suicide, they had not exhausted their lifespans yet voluntarily gave up their lives; they are seen as challenging the register of life and death and disrespecting life, and they are imprisoned in Wǎngsǐ Chéng's cells, enduring endless punishment and suffering.

Those who perform extremely well may perhaps get a chance at reincarnation when their lifespan ends, but most have not even that chance.

Liu Junyan was chasing the Golden Scale; if he is now in Wǎngsǐ Chéng, could Dilian and the others also be in Wǎngsǐ Chéng?

Why?

My thoughts were a little scattered, my gaze shifted and fell on the not‑far‑ahead front, those monks wearing shackles.

"Xiao Jiu Zhanggui? Are you still okay?"

Golden General's voice rang out, I suddenly snapped back to attention, looking at him I said: "It's fine, I was just startled by the scale of Wǎngsǐ Chéng; I didn't expect it to be this big."

Turning again, I asked: "Golden General, were these monks killed by someone? Has the culprit not been found yet?"

"No, they committed suicide." Golden General said, "To be precise, they voluntarily sacrificed their remaining yang lifespan; this is already the third batch recently…"