A forest tinged with eerie strangeness. The trees here are all grotesquely shaped, many resembling twisted human forms—faces contorted in agony, each trunk crowded with expressions of suffering and pain.
I walked through the forest, savoring the moment. Wisps of black, drifting energy would occasionally surge up from the ground. Whenever they encountered me, they naturally parted to either side, swirling between the trees and weaving black ribbons, as if welcoming my arrival.
I gazed at a Human-faced Tree before me, its face twisted in pain, the sorrow etched there moving even the hardest heart. I sighed, raised my hand, and a lick of Black Flame instantly ignited the tree. In a flash, the faces on the trunk whimpered in agony, fading into ash.
"I really do have a merciful heart. I've ended your suffering."
These Human-faced Trees are born from all the world's negative emotions, sprouting from souls devoured by hell. When these souls awaken again, they cannot utter a sound; transformed into trees, their consciousness remains clear, forced to endure the torment they suffered in life—day after day, unending agony.
"This is getting dull. Let's see if there's a suitable candidate!"
I looked around and soon found a slender Human-faced Tree, its trunk embedded with the face of a woman—beautiful, striking. I approached, placed my hand gently on her cheek, and after a moment of caress, I smiled.
"You'll do."
After some thought, I snapped my fingers. The bark of the tree began to peel away, bit by bit, and the woman embedded in it slowly regained consciousness.
"Let me set you free."
Black Moon retreated, then bowed to me.
"Besides, weren't you also released by me and sent to reincarnate in the Living World?"
"Boss, unfortunately, all your memories as Ethan Zhang were devoured by the Ghost Ancestor. I can't tell you everything."
I glanced sideways at Black Moon. His crescent-shaped mouth curled up, splitting open to reveal a row of red, jagged teeth.
"Why did you come back? Now that you're back, how am I supposed to keep track of what's happening in the Yin-Yang World?"
I stepped up to Black Moon, grabbed him by the collar. Black Moon immediately raised both hands in surrender.
"Boss, I think you should worry about that woman you just awakened. She might get eaten."
I blinked, then realized I’d made a mistake. I spun around and, with a rush of wind, caught up to the woman who’d been running for ages. She was screaming wildly, confronted by a hulking figure pieced together like a pile of stones, with a rounded head and two glowing red eyes.
"Put her down."
The black, blocky figure—over two meters tall—set the woman down, then knelt on one knee. I blinked as the woman cried, curling up into a ball.
"What exactly is in your head? Can't you tell I freed this woman? Black Stone."
I looked at the creature in front of me with some annoyance. He, too, was created from souls devoured by Hell, and serves as the warden of this Human-faced Forest. Though strong, he’s as dense as stone—only knows how to follow orders. I left him here to suppress the restless souls that sometimes escape from Hell.
"Hell—"
"Enough, enough. Get up and go do whatever it is you’re supposed to do."
I waved him off. Black Stone got up, bowed, and stepped aside. Black Moon drifted over, grinning.
"Boss, the Yin-Yang World is growing more chaotic by the day. Don’t you plan to take advantage of the Ghost Ancestor’s inability to merge and open a passage in the Yin-Yang World first?"
I wagged a finger.
"That’s my last trump card for descending into the Living World. If I use it while things are still uncertain, and it fails, who’s going to take responsibility?"
As I spoke, Black Moon’s head floated right up to my face.
"Boss, the time is ripe. Once you open the passage connecting Hell to the Living World, everything in Hell will bypass the suppressing Underworld and pour straight into the Living World. Even if the Ghost Ancestor revives, it won’t matter."
I pressed both hands on Black Moon’s head and kicked him away.
"You want me to risk everything? If anything goes wrong, my plan will be ruined. I’m not waiting another few hundred, thousand, or ten thousand years. This girl is your responsibility now."
Black Moon’s head flew back and rejoined his body. I blinked; Black Moon’s hands were already pressing down on my shoulders.
"Boss, it’s time to decide. I’ve already laid the groundwork in the Living World. All you need is to use the remaining part of Ethan Zhang that lingers in the Phantom Forest, and you can descend into the Yin-Yang World again. Everything I’ve built will help you succeed."
I shook my head, shoved Black Moon aside, and walked over to the woman on the ground. She was curled up, trembling nonstop.
"Where is this place? What’s going to happen to me?"
I scratched my head.
"This is Hell. Basically, you’re already dead—a long time ago, in fact. As for what’ll happen to you? I just got bored and let you out. That’s all. You can live freely here. This place is nothing like your world; for lost souls, it’s a paradise."
Black Moon applauded behind me, clapping his hands together.
"Just as Boss said—paradise. Hell is the only true paradise. If you show this to the Yin-Yang World, they’ll understand your good intentions, Boss."
I shot Black Moon a sideways look. It’s this sycophantic side of him I don’t like. Otherwise, he’d make a great vanguard. I sent him to the Living World because, unlike other wardens, he’s clever and can blend into any system. Still, I can’t remember what he did when he got close to Ethan Zhang.
"Alright, Black Moon, this woman’s yours. See to her needs."
I turned and started walking. Black Stone got up and followed.
"Why are you following me?"
I asked. Black Stone scratched his head with a thick finger.
"You don’t know either, do you? So why follow me? Get lost."
Black Stone melted into the ground like mud. He really can’t read the room, and he’s clumsy as hell.
My destination now was the Tear Marsh, one of the better places in Hell. I planned to collect the most sorrowful tears there to infuse into Infernal Weapons, making them more resilient.
It didn’t take long to leave the Human-faced Forest. These places are naturally formed in Hell, shaped by the lost souls. Before there were wardens, restless souls would sometimes awaken here and cause chaos, but things are different now. After I appointed wardens to guard these places, Hell became much quieter—and my job a lot easier.
Soon, I saw a vast marsh belching black fumes, its surface bubbling. As I approached, a patch of black mud surged from a pit and coalesced before me, taking the shape of a woman.
The woman before me was nearly flawless, a wicked glint in her eyes. She was strikingly seductive, with purple lips and red markings on her cheeks, kneeling at my feet.
"Hell—"
"Enough. Help me collect some tears—the saddest ones, preferably from women."
As I spoke, the woman rose, dressed in a flowing black gown. She drifted to the center of the marsh and began searching. Her waist-length hair cascaded like a waterfall, swaying gently.
"Black Shade, that’s enough. Don’t collect too much."
The woman was Black Shade. She, Black Moon, and Black Stone are the three wardens on the outskirts of the Heart of Hell, overseeing its central region. I couldn’t be bothered to find the other wardens further out—they’re all chatterboxes who’d never let me go once they knew I was back.
"So how should I address you?"
"Just call me Ethan Zhang. That’s my name."
Black Shade laughed coldly.
"A human name, then. Lord Qingyuan."
I waved her off.
"That’s all there is to it. I don’t really know what’s going on. The Ghost Ancestor ate my memories, so I can’t remember. Just hurry up and find what I need. When you’re done, I’ll try to head back."
"Alright, alright, help me collect some tears—the most sorrowful ones, preferably from women."
As I spoke, the woman before me stood up, her black dress trailing behind her. She glided to the center of the marsh and began searching. Her long hair, like a waterfall, swayed gently at her waist.
"Black Shade, that's enough. Don't gather too much."
The woman was Black Shade. Along with Black Moon and Black Stone, she was one of the three wardens at the edge of Hell's Heart, overseeing its central region. I couldn't be bothered to find the others farther out—they're all chatterboxes who'd never let me go once they knew I was back.
"So, how should I address you?"
"Just call me Ethan Zhang. That's my name."
Black Shade let out a cold laugh.
"A human name, then. Lord Qingyuan."
I waved her off.
"That's all there is to it. I don't really know what's going on. The Ghost Ancestor ate my memories, so I can't remember. Just hurry up and find what I need. When you're done, I'll try to head back."