Chapter 259: Chapter 192: Lord Cui, Negotiating with the Underworld!
The woman appeared to be around twenty-eight or twenty-nine years old.
She carried an air of elegance and maturity, but dressed rather sensually. Her figure was curvy and alluring, and the added touch of her apron only heightened her appeal.
Xu Yang’s gaze flickered.
Along the way, he had made many guesses.
But he had never imagined that the owner of the haunted house would be such a beautiful and attractive woman.
The woman poured a cup of tea for Xu Yang, then removed her apron and sat down on the sofa without a care in the world.
“Meow!”
The orange cat meowed and jumped onto the woman’s lap.
It seemed very well-behaved.
However, the faint aura of a demonic creature emanating from it caused Xu Yang to feel secretly shocked… this orange cat might be even more powerful than the defeated Huishan Demon.
As the woman stroked the cat, she chuckled, “I’ve heard that there’s a ruthless Master Xu in Wu City. I thought he would be a fierce and terrifying person, but it turns out he’s quite young and handsome.”
She glanced at him and gestured to the sofa, “Master Xu, have a seat.”
Xu Yang felt a bit reserved.
Because in his perception, this woman… had no signs of being powerful!
She gave the impression of being an utterly ordinary person… How could such an ordinary person set up a haunted house, employ a group of real “ghosts” as staff, and keep a powerful feline spirit as a pet?
This could only mean that the gap between them was too large, so large that he couldn’t even see through the woman!
Xu Yang had only ever felt this kind of sensation with Grandmaster Chengming and Wang Hou.
He sat down on the sofa, drinking his tea, not daring to ask too many questions.
Smiling, the woman asked, “What made Master Xu think of coming to my haunted house for fun?”
By all accounts, haunted houses were not supposed to attract real “cultivators.” Ordinary people who came to haunted houses for fun sought excitement. What could someone like Xu Yang hope to gain?
Xu Yang told the truth: “Elder sister, to be honest, I actually plan to open a haunted house as well, which is why I wanted to come and see how you operate your haunted house.”
The woman was taken aback.
Then she burst out laughing.
Stroking the cat, she said, “I’ve been in the mortal world for three years, and I opened this haunted house half a year ago. No one has ever taken notice of me… I never thought you’d come and uncover my secrets by accident!”
She looked at Xu Yang with a charming smile, asking, “So, should I kill you to keep you quiet?”
This joking tone made Xu Yang’s scalp tingle and his limbs turn cold. He quickly put down his teacup and said, “Elder sister, you’re just joking. Your haunted house is a legitimate business, and I’m just a visitor who won’t have any impact on you. Why would you want to silence me?”
“Because you know my identity.”
The woman said, “I smuggled myself from the underworld to the mortal realm. If you expose me, won’t I be in trouble?”
“Expose?”
Xu Yang said solemnly, “Elder sister, you misunderstand me. I, Xu Yang, am someone who has always been upright and honest. The thing I hate most in this world is people who do sneaky things behind others’ backs. Moreover, as a small cultivator in the Entering Dao Realm, I don’t know anyone in the Underworld Palace, so even if I wanted to expose you, I don’t have the ability to do so.”
As soon as he finished speaking,
Suddenly…
Buzz!
The air trembled.
A strange power suddenly emanated from Xu Yang’s body.
Xu Yang was stunned.
But the woman jumped up, anger flashing in her eyes!
At the same time,
In the Underworld Palace, on the Yin-Yang Path, within Fengdu City.
Wang Ergou, an underworld soldier who had been transferred to be an “office worker,” finally managed to meet with the Judge after spending six “sisters” and nearly half of the underworld notes that Xu Yang had burned for him on his second attempt.
In the Underworld Palace, the Judge is an authoritative figure, ranking just below the Ten Halls of Yama.
For a low-ranking official like Wang Ergou to meet with a Judge was like a village official trying to meet the governor in the mortal world… Moreover, the Judge of Fengdu City was no ordinary Judge!
He was the “Chief Judge” among the many Judges from the underworld, known as “Lord Cui,” who handled mortal affairs during the day and determined underworld grievances at night. He was said to be even more capable than a deity!
Lord Cui was originally a figure from the Tang Dynasty. He entered the government in the seventh year of Tang Zhen’s reign (AD 633), first serving as the County Magistrate of Lu County and later as the Ministry of Rites Agent. As an honest and wise government official during his life, he left a great impression on King Yama after he died and eventually became the Judge.
As for how he became the Judge of Fengdu City, that remains unknown.
Although his official position did not change, the actual power he wielded was far greater than when he served under Yama!
After all, in the underworld’s system of government positions, the Ghost Emperor of Fengdu was only second to the legendary “Emperor Dongyue.” Below the Ghost Emperor of Fengdu were the Ghost Emperors of the five directions, followed by the “Six Heavenly Ghost Emperors” and the “Ten Halls of Yama.”
Wang Ergou, trembling with fear, arrived at the main hall.
He knelt and shouted, “Official Wang Ergou pays his respects to the Judge.”
From his seat above,
Lord Cui, dressed in a crimson Judge’s uniform and hat, looked down at Wang Ergou and asked indifferently, “Why does a low-ranking official of the Underworld’s Bureau of Laws want to meet with me?”
Without waiting for Wang Ergou to speak, Lord Cui said again, “Tell me, how much did you spend in order to meet with me?”
“Ah?”
Wang Ergou shuddered as he knelt, not daring to answer the question.
There were some things that couldn’t be said, as they would not only offend one or two people. He still wanted to continue getting by in Fengdu City.