Chapter 57 Ye Jie - The Best Ghost Messenger
Outside the Pingdeng Hall, Hua Xiaomei's face was dazed when she heard Di Ting's report. Her eyes completely lost focus and she really suspected that she was dreaming.
She held up the torn page with trembling hands. The records written in cold words on the torn page proved to her that all this was true.
【The Book of Life and Death Records:】
Guangwang Palace Announcement: Ghost Officer Jie has been awarded the title of Best Ghost Officer of the 12th Year of the Zhenguan Period, having earned a total of 1.34 million Yin De throughout the year. All the Ghost Officers in Guangwang Palace pay their highest respects to Ghost Officer Jie!
After confirming again and again that she hadn't seen it wrong, she couldn't accept it anyway. She held her head in her hands, and her already pale face became even more bloodless: "This...this..."
Beside her, Nan Linghe blinked: "Sister Mei, I seemed to hear Brother Jie's name just now."
Hua Xiaomei's tone trembled: "Ye Jie, he... he became the best ghost messenger of Guangwang Palace this year! Can anyone tell me what happened? Where did these over one million Yin De come from?"
Thinking back to her previous adventure with Ye Jie, Hua Xiaomei couldn't figure out how Ye Jie, who was short of money, had managed to find over a million in Yin De. This was simply unbelievable to her! This was no longer a surprise, but a kind of shock!
After hearing the news, Nan Linghe couldn't help but cover his mouth and exclaimed, "I heard that if you become the Ghost Messenger of the Year, you can get a reward of 100 million Yin De. Is that true?"
"It's not that simple..."
After suppressing her surprise, Hua Xiaomei bit her lip slightly. When she returned to see Ye Jie, she would definitely question him thoroughly.
"Currently, Ye Jie is only Guangwang Palace's Best Ghost Messenger of the Year. After the selection is over, the ten best ghost messengers from the Ten Yama Palaces will engage in a ten-person melee. Only the one who emerges victorious will be named the Ghost Messenger of the Year and receive a reward of 100 million Yin De."
Nan Linghe nodded, seemingly understanding, and asked with longing, "Can Brother Jie win?"
Hua Xiaomei was not optimistic: "Given his strength, I'm afraid there is no hope at all."
Nan Linghe drooped his face and said, "Then Brother Jie won't get anything, right?"
Hua Xiaomei corrected him, "That's not true. According to the rules of Guangwang Palace Master, anyone who becomes Guangwang Palace's Best Ghost Messenger of the Year, even if they lose in the final melee, will receive a Heavenly Grade Martial Arts as a reward! That's a Heavenly Grade Martial Arts! Its power is simply incomparable to lower-level Martial Arts."
At the end of her speech, Hua Xiaomei couldn't help rubbing her hands, and a hint of excitement and anticipation appeared in her eyes.
In the Pingdeng Hall, after listening to the report from the divine beast Di Ting, the Ghost Messenger Ba's whole body became petrified. He could not believe his ears at all. His position as the best ghost messenger was snatched away by someone, and the person who snatched the position was none other than the ghost messenger Ye Jie, whom he had never taken seriously!
Even Xie Xinyu couldn't help but open her mouth wide when she heard the name of Ghost Messenger Jie: "This is impossible... How could a Ghost Messenger who doesn't even have the qualifications to enter the Equal Hall..."
The ghost messengers around also looked incredulous:
"Ghost Messenger Jie has become the best ghost messenger? How is that possible?"
"I just saw him ranked second, but suddenly he gained a million Yin De! There must be something wrong with the Book of Life and Death. There is no other possibility!"
"That Ghost Messenger Jie is clearly a joke. He gained 1.35 million Yin De in the winter, but only 1.34 million Yin De for the whole year. That means he lost 10,000 Yin De in the other three quarters combined. If he stays in Guangwang Palace, he will only become a laughing stock. How could he..."
The exclamations from the ghost messengers made Ghost Messenger Ba's face flush red. He was filled with indignation and finally went to the Lord of Guangwang Palace:
"Your Excellency, Lord Guangwang Palace, I'm a little confused about the origins of the Yin De of Ye Jie, Guangwang Palace's best ghost messenger this year. With his strength, it's absolutely impossible for him to have earned one million Yin De, let alone the title of best ghost messenger. He must have used some other means."
Facing Guichaba's questioning, the Guangwang Palace Master, dressed in a golden dragon robe, simply said calmly, "The records in the Book of Life and Death cannot possibly have the slightest mistake."
Ghost Officer Ba refused to give up and continued, "I can guarantee that Ghost Officer Jie would never do such a thing. I beg the Palace Master Guangwang to thoroughly investigate this matter!"
Guichaba's loud plea also caused many people around him to roll their eyes.
Seeing that the other Lords of Yama Palace on the thrones were all looking at him with teasing eyes, Lord Guangwang Palace felt a little embarrassed. When he got angry, a dazzling golden light burst out of his pupils, and the vast dragon might suppressed him.
Ghost Messenger Ba, who always ruthlessly took advantage of his power, felt his breath blocked and as if he were falling into an abyss when he was stared at by the Guangwang Palace Master's golden vertical pupil. He trembled and begged for mercy: "Palace Master, spare my life, I know I was wrong..."
The Lord of Guangwang Palace did not want to argue with it and waved his hand. Guichaba hurriedly took his leave, not daring to delay for even a moment, and hurriedly left the Pingdeng Palace.
The embarrassing situation of Ghost Messenger Ba naturally attracted much discussion from the other Ghost Messengers. The Ghost Messengers who had been unable to speak out under his powerful pressure suddenly jumped out:
"I never thought that the Ghost Messenger Ba would have such a miserable day."
"Having offended the Lord of Guangwang Palace, Guichaba's good days are over. From now on, I'm afraid it will be difficult for it to take a single step in Guangwang Palace."
"Ghost Messenger Ba worked so hard to win the title of Best Ghost Messenger for three quarters, but in the end, not only did he not win the Grand Slam, he wasn't even the Best Ghost Messenger of the Year. It's really funny."
After announcing the ranking of the ten best ghost messengers, a resounding voice echoed throughout the entire Equality Hall from the high platform:
"The best ghost messengers have been announced. Please invite the best ghost messengers from each hall to the stage and engage in a brawl. Those who fall off the stage or die will be deemed the loser. The last winner standing will become the Underworld's Ghost Messenger of the Year and receive a reward of 100 million Yin De."
As Di Ting's words fell, the best ghost messengers who had been prepared for a long time jumped onto the platform, and the ghosts of different appearances rubbed their hands ready to fight.
Among them, there are monks holding scriptures, witches holding magic tools, foreigners with their faces covered by veils, leaving only their eyes exposed, and living skeletons with exposed bones and withered flesh. No matter who they are, they are all determined to become the Ghost Messenger of the Year.
Behind every best ghost messenger is the palace master sitting on the throne of Yama. The palace masters have indifferent expressions, like a pool of stagnant water in an ancient well, with no expression of joy at all.
The most imposing ghost among the crowd was a tall figure wearing an Asura mask, possessing a cultivation base of the fifth rank. After leaping onto the stage, she half-knelt down in front of Moro on the throne of the Palace Master and said respectfully:
"Your Highness, I will continue to demonstrate the power of the Shuras and will never humiliate your glory. The final victory will definitely belong to our Moro Palace!"
Moro raised his eyebrows, chuckled, and said in a nonchalant tone, as if jokingly, "If you lose, you can commit suicide."
Shura Hong's body trembled, and he became even more determined to win.
"The Shura is the strongest. She was the Ghost Messenger of the Year last year. Let's start the fight. Let's deal with her first and then decide the winner."
"That's right. If we fight alone, none of us can match her."
The people with ulterior motives reached a tacit agreement to sweep out the strongest first and then continue the fight.
After waiting for a long time, the fight still did not start. Everyone counted carefully and found that there were only nine ghost officials who jumped onto the platform. Where did the other one go?
"Why is there one person missing?"
"Let me take a look...it seems that Guangwang Palace's best ghost messenger hasn't come on stage yet."
Listening to everyone's discussions, even the Palace Master Guangwang felt a little embarrassed: "Who knows where my best ghost messenger is? Why hasn't he come on stage yet?"
"Reporting to the Palace Master, the ghost messenger Jie is only at the second level of strength... Besides, he has never been to Fengdu Imperial City at all." The judge on the side found out Ye Jie's location through the Book of Life and Death, and answered with a frown on his face.
"What?"
Before the Guangwang Palace Master could ask more questions, the Divine Beast Di Ting heard, "The time is up. The ghost messengers who haven't come on stage yet are equivalent to giving up. Guangwang Palace is out."
After hearing Di Ting's verdict, the Guangwang Palace Master could only shake his head helplessly: "Forget it. With his second-level strength, can I still expect him to kill the fifth-level Shura and become the final victor?"
Upon learning of the absence, even Moro on the throne couldn't help but laugh out loud: "Giving up before the fight even begins? Palace Master Guangwang, your palace's best ghost messenger is not up to the task."
The Palace Master of Guangwang Palace had an ugly look on his face. There were still many evil ghosts nearby who had ulterior motives and were jealous of the talented. They advised the Palace Master of Guangwang Palace:
"That Ghost Messenger Jie didn't come to the Pingdeng Palace because he was afraid and didn't dare to go on stage to fight the best Ghost Messengers from the other Nine Yama Palaces. Although he became the best Ghost Messenger, he also brought shame to our Guangwang Palace!"
"Please punish him, Palace Master."
"The Palace Master promised to reward the best Ghost Officer with a Heaven-level Martial Arts Technique, but that cowardly Ghost Officer Jie is not worthy of such a reward at all!"
The Lord of Guangwang Palace waved his hand and said, "Sir, I never joke. Since I have said it, I will definitely do it. Do you think I am a man who does not keep his word?"
Under the intimidating gaze of the Lord of Guangwang Palace, the ghosts dared not look up in embarrassment, and dared not say another word about the matter.
On the high platform, the fight among the ghost officials had already begun. Shura Hong swept all the way, and no one could be her opponent. The ghost officials were swept down one by one by her and were eliminated one after another. Soon, she was the only one left on the entire high platform.
Di Ting then said, "Xura Hong has achieved the final victory. She is this year's Ghost Messenger of the Year, and has been awarded 100 million Yin De! Thank you to all the Palace Masters for visiting us. This year's Ghost Messenger event has concluded successfully..."
Before he finished speaking, he was interrupted by a voice: "Wait, I have something else to say."
The one who spoke these words was none other than the Lord of the Mara Palace, draped in a pitch-black cloak. Seeing Mara, who had reached the ninth level, speak, Di Ting leaned forward, yielding the floor to her.
The hall masters also became serious and did not dare to miss a word.
"I think everyone has heard Laojun's prophecy. Soon, the King of All Monsters, the Monkey King, will return to the world. I remember that the previous Emperor of the Underworld died at his hands. What do you think?" Moro said slowly.
The Lord of the Netherworld Palace, dressed in purple and with a cold demeanor, said, "The first place to be struck by the disaster will probably be the Southern Continent. We still have time to wait and see what happens."
The red-robed, sharp-tongued Blood Pond Palace Master immediately retorted, "Knowing the danger is coming, yet not waiting until the moment the butcher's knife falls on your head without thinking of taking precautions, is undoubtedly a foolish act."
"We cannot change the outcome of the Monkey King's return. Laojun's prophecy is destined to come true. Any attempt to prevent the prophecy from happening will instead help it come true." The Lord of the Witch God Temple shook his head.
"Among all the palace masters, the strongest one is Palace Master Moluo. I wonder what Palace Master Moluo thinks?" Palace Master Guangwang said.
As the Guangwang Palace Master finished speaking, all the Palace Masters turned their attention to the Moro Palace Master. Moro stood up, his jet-black cloak rustling behind him, and said without hesitation:
"We can't just sit there and wait for death. Five hundred years have passed, and the world only knows about the Jade Emperor in Heaven, but has forgotten that there is also the Underworld Emperor. The position of the Underworld Emperor has been vacant for far too long. It's time for someone to ascend the throne!"
The Blood Pond Palace Master echoed, "Palace Master Moro is at the ninth level, one of the strongest beings in the world. Having endured countless calamities and lived to the day, she is the perfect choice for the Underworld Emperor. With her, the Underworld can enjoy eternal peace."
The Lord of the Underworld Spirit Hall had a slightly cold expression. "According to the rules of the Underworld, whoever possesses the complete form of the first-grade divine artifact, the Book of Life and Death, is qualified to become the Great Emperor of the Underworld. However, the Book of Life and Death has already been divided into ten parts and distributed among the various Lords of the Yama Hall. What Lord Mo Luo is doing is probably against the rules."
Moro glanced at her, his star-like eyes filled with ultimate confidence. "Before I become the Emperor of the Underworld, I will complete the recasting of the Book of Life and Death. All you have to do is hand over the parts of the Book of Life and Death in your respective halls to me."
Upon hearing this, all the hall masters were in an uproar.
"The Book of Life and Death maintains the flow of good deeds within the Underworld and has long been the cornerstone of its operation. Once the Book of Life and Death is lost, the ghost messengers will be unable to complete their tasks and review the life stories of wandering souls. Even reincarnation in the human world will become extremely difficult. I am afraid that the entire order of the Underworld will immediately collapse..."
"I'm sorry, but I can't do that."
"The Lord of the Equality Palace will not allow such a thing to happen."
Moro had anticipated everyone's reaction and spoke slowly, "I know you won't be able to accept this outcome right away, so I'm giving you a year to prepare. If you still refuse to hand over the Book of Birth and Death when the time is up, don't blame me for not warning you. You'll experience the might of the Nine-Transformation Proud World Immortal."
The hall masters all had sullen faces and said nothing.
The ghost officials' event was over, but the words of the Lord of the Mara Palace still left an unforgettable impression on the ghost officials who participated in the event. All the ghost officials who came to the Equality Palace had a feeling that a storm was about to come, and the whole underworld was about to change.
…………
At the Naihe Bridge, Aunt Meng's departure made all the maids extremely sad, and everyone looked at a loss.
After a while, Guazi was the first to recover. After Aunt Meng was gone, she became the most powerful person in the wine country and the pillar among the head maids. She said to Ye Jie:
"Since you sent Aunt Meng away, now it's time for you to fulfill your promise and take us to find Aunt Meng's reincarnation."
Ye Jie said apologetically, "I'm really ashamed. I need a friend's help to find the whereabouts of Aunt Meng's reincarnation. She has gone to Fengdu Imperial City to observe the Ghost Messenger Festival. It may take some time for her to return. As soon as she returns, I will immediately start looking for Aunt Meng's whereabouts."
Guazi expressed his understanding: "Alright. The situation in Jambu Continent isn't very good right now. We need to find Aunt Meng's reincarnation as soon as possible to avoid any more trouble."
Ye Jie thanked him, sent a message to Nan Linghe via the ghost messenger, said goodbye to the head maids, and prepared to go to the human world.
For some reason, Ye Jie was very worried about Xia Wei, and he didn't know what was going on over there.