The sky before me shifted to a grayish yellow. I saw a towering plaque—that was Styx Gate. Ghosts were escorted by underworld officials, sent off to report to their destined places. Those requiring judgment walked a black-and-white road, leading to the Fifth Tribunal of Yama.
The more vicious ghosts were escorted personally by ghost officials; they were arriving soon. The Greenfur Ghost kept chattering beside me, and after listening for a while, I understood: the Underworld was undergoing its millennial position reshuffle. Except for the Yama Kings, Ghost Marshals, and Judges, all other officials would be rotated or promoted.
"Lord Lucas, up ahead is Styx Gate. Please, you’ll need to walk through yourself. We can’t cross that path."
Lucas Dao nodded. We followed him off the carriage and walked forward slowly. I’d been to Styx Gate many times and knew it well. Looking at it now, aside from familiarity, I felt no nostalgia or emotion.
In the distance, Mount Shade loomed shrouded in clouds and mist, directly ahead of us. That’s where the Shade Mountain Trio emerged—at least, according to their own claims.
Lord Shenyan seemed just as familiar with that place as Old Lantern Wei and Hong Shi.
At Styx Gate, there were many ghost officials and junior judges registering the ghosts who came to report. I looked around—neither the Ghost Marshal nor the other judges were present.
"Lord Lucas, are you here for an inspection? Lord Wei just checked not long ago."
A junior judge quickly approached and greeted respectfully. Lucas Dao nodded.
"Everyone, carry on. I’m not on duty today."
Lucas Dao exchanged a few polite words and casually led us toward Mount Shade.
"Lord Lucas, what brings you here?"
My heart jumped. I turned to see a man in an official hat and purple-red robes, with a neat mustache and refined features. In his left hand, he held the Ledger of Souls; in his right, a large brush.
"Brother Wei, I’m just out for a stroll, bored. Why did you come and then return?"
It was Victor Wei, one of the Four Hell Judges, holding the same rank as Judge Zhong, Lucas Dao, and Judge Cui.
"I just have a strange feeling today."
Victor Wei sniffed the air, scanning around, then his gaze landed on Lord Shenyan. I felt uneasy. Suddenly, Lucas Dao stretched his arms and gave a relaxed yawn.
"What could possibly happen, Brother Wei?"
"Better safe than sorry. We’re working for the King of Hell now, so we must be diligent—for the sake of these departed souls."
Victor Wei’s gaze flickered. Lucas Dao had already moved beside him, stretching out an arm as if to block his view. We didn’t follow.
"The Living World has been restless lately; more wrongful deaths than usual. All the Tribunal Lords have forbidden any of us from entering the Living World. I think something’s off."
Lucas Dao just laughed, saying nothing.
"Brother Wei, I won’t keep you. I’m heading over to Mount Shade to look around—it’s been a while."
With that, we hurried after him. Victor Wei’s eyes fixed on Lord Shenyan and me—our appearances were completely changed, looking just like ordinary underworld officials. Our clothes even gave off the aura of the Underworld.
"Lord Lucas, don’t you usually forbid your subordinates from tagging along? Why today..."
"Ah, well, I’m planning to find some special stones at Mount Shade—maybe carve a few for my study."
Lucas Dao picked up the pace, and we followed close behind. We couldn’t use our powers now—if we did, we’d be exposed immediately. Victor Wei kept watching us, suspicion in his eyes.
The road ahead was thick with fog. Further on was Mount Shade. I’d once returned to Underworld Path from here, led by John Chou. I remember the way was complicated, but John Chou guided me down the mountain with ease.
"The road ahead is tricky. Lord Shenyan, take care. I’ll wait here for you—remember, I can only wait three days, or it’ll draw suspicion. Victor Wei is cautious and sharp; he’s likely already suspicious."
"Thanks, Lucas Dao."
Lord Shenyan clasped his hands and bowed. Lucas Dao waved us on, urging us to hurry. We entered the thick fog and kept walking. The sand and stones beneath our feet were gray; with the white mist above, we could barely see a few meters ahead.
We could only walk. According to Lord Shenyan, Mount Shade used to be a dumping ground. Ghosts afflicted with Soul Mourning Syndrome were discarded here, turning to stone. More and more ghosts died here, eventually forming Mount Shade itself.
This was the first I’d heard of it.
"Let me tell you a story."
As we walked, Lord Shenyan suddenly began speaking. I made a sound of surprise and looked at him. He smiled.
"Ghosts can be truly incomprehensible sometimes, but you can’t help but find them foolish."
I responded, and Lord Shenyan began his tale. Long ago, there was a family named Wang—not wealthy. The master, Wang Feng, found his house haunted by a ghost that sang or wailed at night, mimicked speech, and even did vile things like putting feces in their food.
The Wang family suffered terribly. They invited monks and Taoists to help, but nothing worked. One day, while eating, the ghost threw dog feces into their food again. But Wang Feng didn’t curse or rage—he calmly ate the feces and loudly declared, 'If you throw feces at me, I’m not afraid. What I fear most is you throwing gold into my house.'"
I burst out laughing at this. Lord Shenyan suddenly turned to look at me. Surprised, I pinched my own cheek—this kind of thing would only make you laugh if you still had feelings. My chest really did flutter just now.
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"And then?"
"That ghost started throwing gold into Wang Feng’s house every day. Within a few years, Wang Feng became the richest man for miles around."
Lord Shenyan’s tone changed as he stopped. I saw several branching paths ahead—one to the left led to a strange forest, another sloped downward, and three in the center climbed up the mountain.
"But as Wang Feng neared old age, his family fell apart. He died in prison, bitter and alone, with no one to hear his pleas."
I swallowed hard.
The gold the ghost threw into Wang Feng’s house came from the county treasury nearby, marked with special seals. After just a few years of wealth, someone reported him. The authorities raided his home, and he kept shouting it was the ghost who gave him the gold.
Lord Shenyan took a deep breath, holding it for a moment before shouting loudly.
"Xiaoxi..."
His voice echoed through the mountains. I looked around; Lord Shenyan quickly grabbed my hand.
"Don’t release the Specter Web, or Victor Wei will come after us immediately."
I made a sound in response. Suddenly, there was a splash, followed by frantic footsteps—almost like something running on four legs.
A faint purple figure darted toward us through the white mist, moving like a monkey. When it reached us, it began rubbing against Lord Shenyan’s feet and sniffing, just like a dog.
The creature before us was a ghost, with a pointed face—resembling the minor officials in the Underworld. Its skin was shriveled like dead tree bark, eyes bulging, ears elongated, and a single horn. It walked on all fours, almost like a monkey.
Yet its hair was white, and its demeanor wasn’t fierce at all—more like a child, almost cute.
"Is this the ghost that ruined Zhao Feng’s family?"
I quickly realized Lord Shenyan wouldn’t tell me such a story for no reason.
"It’s him. Even after death, he kept doing what he did in life. Once, passing through a village, I met Zhao Feng—he cried every night, his resentment thick. After hearing his story, I learned Zhao Feng had tricked Xiaoxi into giving him gold every day, but Xiaoxi also tormented Zhao Feng’s family for years. I decided to avenge Zhao Feng: killed the corrupt officials, found his wife and child’s ghosts, and chased Xiaoxi for hundreds of miles—but I didn’t kill him."
Now, this little ghost called Xiaoxi crawled ahead of us while Lord Shenyan and I followed down the mountain path. Xiaoxi would turn and smile at us every few steps, looking cheerful and happy.
"Why didn’t you kill him?"
I asked. Suddenly, the thick fog parted, revealing a gray river. What surprised me was the pile of stones at one spot, nearly blocking the river’s flow.