"Then what are you strategists even good for?"
I was a bit confused. Even if Yuna Ji left, surely there should be someone capable of keeping things stable here.
"To be honest with you, friend, if a bookworm and a brute started arguing, who do you think would win?"
I let out a surprised sound, then thought about it. It was true—the Nine Nether Generals all seemed formidable. I had seen General Blackplume duel Lao Chongyuan and even gain the upper hand. They were truly powerful. No matter how clever the strategists were, they could never outfight the Nine Nether Generals.
"Back then, we secretly built our empire in Netherhell, and the Underworld Court had no idea. Eventually, the factions split into conservatives and aggressors, and the Nine Nether Generals all agreed to launch an attack on the Underworld Court."
Black Crow spoke as he stood up and walked out. I looked over and saw him sitting by the doorway, staring at the sky outside.
Because the Underworld Court was clueless about what was happening here, they didn’t even know Yuna Ji’s true identity—only that she was a vicious ghost, nothing more.
Gradually, friction grew between the conservatives and aggressors. The idea of waging war on the Underworld Court went nowhere, and eventually, the two sides started fighting each other.
And so, hundreds of years passed. Just as the two factions were locked in fierce fighting, Yuna Ji suddenly returned. Instantly, the Underworld Court learned what was happening here and decided to send troops to attack.
War broke out in full force. Led by Yuna Ji, the Underworld Court’s invading army was defeated again and again, until, at last, the Underworld Court recognized the empire’s existence and signed a non-aggression treaty.
Though the Underworld Court was furious, they were powerless against these undying soldiers. Their own forces kept dwindling, and the ghost army, once killed here, would slowly become part of Yuna Ji’s troops. It was then, after the feud with Yin Choujian, that Yuna Ji became known as the Ghost Sovereign in the world of the living. Here, she hosted a grand banquet for countless ghosts and other Ghost Sovereigns—the Banquet of Ten Thousand Ghosts.
At first, everything flourished. The residents of Netherhell lived in peace and comfort. But as time went on, Yuna Ji grew tired of it all, leaving for days at a time and rarely coming back.
Still, trouble came. Over a hundred years ago, Yuna Ji suddenly vanished without a trace. Before leaving, she had entrusted the Nine Nether Generals with full authority over everything here.
That imperial decree from the empress eventually turned Netherhell into a battlefield.
The generals had their own unique views on war, but when it came to governing a nation, they accomplished nothing. Instead, they began hosting brutal duels and, from time to time, used war itself to pass the time.
Netherhell descended into chaos. Complaints filled the air, and the strategists kept trying to persuade the generals to stop their reckless behavior.
But Yuna Ji’s whereabouts became a complete mystery. No matter how many people were sent to search, no matter how far they looked, there was no sign of her—not even a trace of her presence.
As Netherhell grew more chaotic, war raged on—year after year, day after day. More newcomers arrived, and troublemakers kept stirring up conflict, until all-out war erupted. Even the Nine Nether Generals began fighting among themselves.
Even if the residents here died, they would revive in the central area. The stronger the ghost, the faster it would come back. There was no purpose, no order—every day, people lived and died in endless war.
Apart from war, nothing else mattered anymore. Gradually, many tried to escape, hoping to enter the cycle of reincarnation. But to their shock, they found themselves unable to leave Netherhell.
No matter how far they went, they always ended up back in Netherhell.
"In a place with no restraint, no rules, there’s only endless fighting and slaughter. Finally, three years ago, Yuna Ji returned—but by then, she was so weakened she couldn’t even defeat her own generals. She had lost all ability to control the situation here."
I remembered that every time Yuna Ji came back, she looked pale and furious. That time she sparred with Yin Choujian and summoned the Nine Nether Generals, but not one of them would listen to her.
After that, Yuna Ji kept traveling between Netherhell and the world of the living, negotiating with the Nine Nether Generals. At last, they agreed to serve under her once more.
But by then, Netherhell was completely out of control. The aimless souls began gathering, and some of the strategists who once worked under Yuna Ji started to think the whole thing was a mistake. They wanted to enter reincarnation.
After a thousand years of monotonous existence, some couldn’t take it any longer and began to rebel. That was over two years ago, and since then, Netherhell has changed beyond recognition. Negotiation can’t solve anything anymore.
Only reincarnation could solve everything. The number of undying ghosts trapped in Netherhell kept growing.
Someone tried to seal off the river Yuna Ji had carved out years ago, but in the water, massive and powerful monsters would appear.
I remembered—there really were monsters in the Styx River, like the ones called Styx Shura, enormous and terrifying. I’d seen them myself.
"What are those things, anyway?"
Black Crow shook his head.
"They only obey Yuna Ji, and they naturally emerge from the Styx River."
"Then couldn’t your rebellion be crushed instantly by those powerful monsters?"
Black Crow’s jaw creaked as he let out a hearty laugh.
"They never leave the royal city. So the hardest part of our plan to kill Yuna Ji is conquering the royal city. If we can capture all her fortresses, we’ll have endless troops. One day, we’ll succeed."
I was speechless. That would take centuries, if it’s even possible.
"So why don’t you ask Yuna Ji to find a way to free you, to let you leave?"
"We’ve sent people to negotiate with Yuna Ji more than once, but no one ever came back. And Yuna Ji’s way of dealing with rebels is elimination—especially now that she’s regained most of her strength. Our resistance is already collapsing, unless we can dig more rivers to replenish our forces."
It was obvious—Yuna Ji’s troops were far stronger than these ragtag rebels. They never stood a chance.
"You saw what happened today. Any rebel caught is killed on sight. Thanks to our strategists, we managed to build something like the Bone Burial Ground in the middle section of the Styx River, where dead residents can revive. But it’s nowhere near as fast as Yuna Ji’s forces."
The situation here was far more complicated than I’d imagined, and I almost forgot why I’d come in the first place.
"I can’t really help much. At most, I can ask Yuna Ji why she won’t let you leave."
"I’ll leave that to you, friend."
I nodded and stood up. Then Black Crow took out a map. The Styx River ran from north to south, ending at the royal city.
Right now, I was in the west. If I reached the middle section and followed the Styx River, I could get to the royal city. Flying there would take about fifteen days.
Faced with this situation, I really couldn’t help. Black Crow then said he’d escort me to the central army’s position. After all, if I flew over by myself, I’d easily cause a commotion and be mistaken for an enemy.
I followed Black Crow away from the foothills, weaving through the rugged mountains.
A few hours later, Black Crow and I reached the camp of the central army. I landed, followed him over, and saw that there were still many mountains around. Looking north, I could see the Styx River winding into the distance, disappearing beyond the horizon.
I walked with Black Crow, avoiding many skeleton soldiers. He told me that if I wanted to follow the Styx River, I’d have to wait for the two armies to clash and then slip over—otherwise, I’d face major obstacles.
General Purpleplume was in charge of the central route.
As we walked, a huge skeleton wielding two axes suddenly charged at us.
"General Mountain, what are you doing?"
Black Crow shouted.
"Black Crow, why did you bring our enemy here?"
I let out a surprised sound and watched as the skeleton swung both axes at me. I hurriedly shot into the air, my mind a mess. How did I suddenly become their enemy? I even helped them fight a battle.
After a while, General Mountain finally calmed down. Then I saw several skeleton generals come over, weapons raised, eyeing me with hostility.
Just then, I saw a skeleton wearing a purple robe, nearly three meters tall, with a giant sword wrapped in bone spikes on his back. As he walked, the ground shook around him.
"General Whitebone, what are you doing here?"
Black Crow looked over. At that moment, General Whitebone saw me and, with a thunderous sound, drew the giant sword from his back.
"This is our enemy, Black Crow. His aura may be different, but this kid has already killed more than a dozen of our generals."
General Whitebone said this. I stared at him in shock, completely at a loss. Suddenly, Black Crow whipped around and drew his weapon, aiming it at me.
"Are you a spy?"