It's been a long time, and I still haven't found Lan Yin. He no longer responds to me. No matter what I say, I can't hear Lan Yin's voice or sense his presence anymore.
Maybe it's just as Hades said—Lan Yin has truly died inside. He no longer wants to go on, has given up everything, exhausted. Everything here is just like the nine generals under Ji Yuner before; there is no longer any response.
"I've already told you, or rather, when Lan Yin came to me back then, I explained everything clearly to him. The root of Hades, what it truly is. After learning the truth, he chose self-destruction. Of course, I was the one who destroyed him with my own hands."
A swirl of yellow mist appeared beside me—Hades stood at my side. I looked at him.
"So, what do you think? That's how this world is. Some things can't be solved just by having power, or saying the right words. No matter how hard you try, the human heart is unpredictable. Nothing can overcome that. Go up there quickly, those people are already waiting for you."
I hung my head, silent, my heart still tangled up—everything about Lan Yin, I just can't let go. Now, the two paths of Yin and Yang are in complete chaos because of the coming war. With the Underworld being so forceful, the situation will only get worse.
"Stop thinking about it, Ethan Zhang. None of this concerns you anymore. Now is the time for you to shoulder some responsibilities. Take this chance—seize Hell in one move. If you don't like how the Underworld does things, then take Hell for yourself. Become the Master of Hell, not just the Hell Manager. There's a difference between the two."
I turned to look at Hades.
"What do you mean?"
"Since the old days, Hell has never truly obeyed anyone's will. From ancient times to now, Hell has always been fed by the negative energy released from torturing lost souls by its managers. But today, Hell responds to your consciousness—this has never happened before. Hell even follows your will. So you are the most suited person to manage Hell. If you become the Master of Hell, you can change everything. Maybe you can even save the tragic fate of those in Hades."
I stared blankly at Hades. His eyes gleamed with excitement as he looked at me. I gazed upward, and for some reason, my heart felt hollow.
"Go on, Ethan Zhang. It's time to make your decision."
As Hades spoke, he waved his hand and a warm yellow passage appeared above my head. I swept my gaze around one last time.
"Lan Yin, I don’t know what you were truly thinking. In the end, I just want to tell you this: what was your original intention when you helped Miss Mo Yu? She’s still trapped in the world of shadows. Maybe the outcome is the worst—nothing was saved, nothing was accomplished. But..."
I couldn’t finish. My mood was unbearably heavy as I slowly floated upward.
“Take care, Lan Yin.”
Passing through the warm yellow passage, I returned above the Eye of Hell, surveying everything around me. Clusters of red light slowly descended around me, each orb containing a number from one to ten.
Powerful auras began to manifest all around me. One by one, the Yama Kings revealed themselves, ten pairs of eyes fixed on me.
"Ethan Zhang, since you already know everything, we won’t repeat ourselves. Hell has chosen you as its next manager."
I stared blankly at the First Yama King. The other Yama Kings watched me with grave expressions. I said nothing; for reasons I couldn't explain, my heart was filled with resistance.
"We’ll discuss this later."
The Fifth Yama King spoke. I looked at him, then swept my gaze over the other Yama Kings.
"Why..."
I couldn’t bring myself to ask. I wanted to question why they treated those from Hades this way, but the words wouldn’t come. Whether it was the Old Hell or the Underworld, each had its own meaning and purpose. I couldn’t criticize the Underworld’s actions—there was no other way.
A rumbling sound echoed below me. The Eye of Hell began to stir again, mirroring my restless heart—opening and closing, over and over.
"Hell has already submitted to your will, Ethan Zhang. What more do you want?"
The King of Reincarnation spoke. I shook my head.
"No complaints, just..."
I paused, then continued.
"I don’t want this. I only came here to negotiate with you about the situation in the world of the living. Now you’ve dragged the practitioners into this mess, and everything in the living world is in chaos. I just hope you’ll keep taking in those lost souls."
As I spoke, each Yama King’s face showed clear displeasure. I knew this was a difficult request. To take in the souls, the only option was to let them suffer in Hell, because they couldn’t reincarnate. The Animal, Hungry Ghost, and Hell Realms were already overcrowded, and now the Underworld was focused on war, unable to spare any effort to manage these lost souls.
The situation at the front lines was as tense as ever—everyone was busy preparing for war, and there was simply no one left to handle anything else.
"Ethan Zhang, we understand everything you hope for, but right now, we’re powerless. The Underworld can no longer bear the weight of the lost souls. The gods will soon act, and war will break out. There’s one way left to end it quickly."
My eyes widened—I immediately realized why the Ten Yama Kings had come to me. King Qinguang raised a finger and pointed at me.
"The reason we cannot leave Hell is that if we do, Hell will descend into chaos, no longer bound by any force, and will run rampant. But now, because of you, this problem no longer exists."
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My eyes widened.
"You want me to become Hell’s manager so you can leave?"
As I spoke, all Ten Yama Kings nodded.
"I can’t do it."
I answered quickly. The Fifth Yama King stepped forward to confront me.
"Ethan Zhang, there are many things in this world that are beyond our control—even our own fate."
I nodded slightly. If I truly became Hell’s manager, there would only be one outcome—I’d never be able to leave Hell. Perhaps in this lifetime, I’d never see Roxie again, not even once.
Suddenly, my eyes widened.
"Don’t dump this on someone who’s only survived thirty-something years in this world! Aren’t you Yama Kings? Don’t you feel even a shred of shame? All these years, you’ve only tried to cover up the problems, never to solve them. Now you’re throwing this burden on me—deal with your own mess yourselves!"
The atmosphere froze completely. I wasn’t even sure what I was saying anymore, and the Yama Kings clearly had no intention of letting me leave.
I clenched my fists, powerless. They wouldn’t let me leave, though my words still lingered in the air.
"Enough talk. I said from the beginning—this needs a resolution."
I looked over. It was King Pingdeng, his blood-red eyes fixed on me.
"Ethan Zhang, whether you want it or not, we’ve already decided. You must stabilize Hell, and we need to leave to end this war as soon as possible."
Immense power radiated from each Yama King’s body. I looked around—even with the strength I now possessed, I was still no match for them.
"I refuse!"
I roared again, but this time the Fifth Yama King looked at me with sorrow before turning away, transforming into a streak of red light and leaving first.
"Do it!"
My eyes widened as beams of red light surged toward me, trapping me instantly. I couldn’t move at all. My body began to petrify, and I realized I’d fallen onto the Eye of Hell—as if I’d become one with it, merging slowly into its essence.
"What are you... What are you trying to do?!"
I screamed in anger, but the Yama Kings had no intention of answering. They only wanted me to fuse with the Eye of Hell, to become a part of Hell itself. Even if I resisted, I would never be able to separate myself again.
I struggled desperately, trying with all my might to break free from the Eye.
"Let me go! Let me go..."
I roared, but my voice gradually faded. My body grew unbearably stiff, and I could barely sense my own ghostly essence. Mouth agape, I kept resisting.
"Nice move, you old bastards."
A hearty voice rang out. Instantly, I felt their presence—Yin Choujian and the other Ghost Lords had arrived.
With a whoosh, a burst of red flame exploded before me. A lotus of fire bloomed in front of my eyes, and the shell encasing my body began to peel away.
"Lord Shen Yan."
At last, I could speak again. Little by little, sensation returned to my body.
"Just as you predicted, Yin Choujian. Yama Kings, what exactly are you trying to do?"
I heard Redhair’s voice. A hand reached out and yanked me free from the Eye.
Gasping for breath, I floated in midair. Lord Shen Yan released my hand. Seven Ghost Lords stood before me, and nine Yama Kings faced us from the other side.
"It was Baozi Tian, that bastard. He actually..."
City King spat out the words in anger. I looked up in surprise. Yin Choujian smiled faintly and sat down.
"Enough. Things have come to this point. If you want to settle your old scores with the Underworld, now’s your chance—we can resolve it all right here."