Chapter Five: The Long Road to the Underworld

To enter the Road to the Underworld, one must forsake ordinary paths. The Gate of Ghosts is guarded by spectral sentinels; living souls should not approach. Without a permit just two fingers wide from the local deity or city god, none may pass. Luchen lacked such a pass, but resorted to cunning, conjuring a counterfeit permit and concealing his vital energy, slipping unnoticed through the Gate of Ghosts. Yet, once across, there was no turning back. Luchen was no reckless fool; he knew the consequence of his actions, and the end drew near. The forged permit could deceive the gatekeepers, but not the esteemed officials of the Underworld. In other words, Luchen had already violated the heavenly laws—and soon, he would break an even greater one.

The crimson blossoms of the Red Spider Lily alternately bloom and shed their leaves, never meeting, their fiery hue brightening the dark and chilling realm of the Underworld. Luchen halted upon the Road to the Underworld; the souls he sought could not reach the Platform of Longing. Their allotted years had not ended—they were victims of untimely death. They would linger along the roadside until their lifespans expired, only then moving onward.

Luchen ignored the ghost officials around him, standing upon the road and probing the surroundings with his spiritual sense. He possessed a Star Lantern mark, so he had no fear of mistaking his targets.

The wailing souls trudged forward, always reluctant to part from the human world. They looked back repeatedly, only to be met with the blows of the officials’ mourning rods. After a beating, all that remained was their sorrowful journey. No one paid Luchen any mind; he belonged to no official. Through his spiritual probing, Luchen found not only the Star Lantern marks he had left but also countless solitary and wicked souls hidden among the Red Spider Lilies. If he forcibly broke the Gate of Ghosts, would it not let these evil souls escape and burden the mortal world with untold debts and sins? Luchen bit his lip, thrusting his peachwood sword into the road near the gate. If he succeeded in breaking the gate, but could not stop the evil souls from fleeing, the sword’s power should suffice to deter them. Yet, reclaiming the sword after such a battle would be difficult. That concern he left to Master Lu; after all, it was his blade.

One, two, three... Luchen took out the purple-gold copper bell, and whenever he found a soul marked with his Star Lantern, he immediately collected it within the bell—eleven souls, not one more, not one less. As he prepared to depart, he seemed to forget a rule: there is no return road on the Road to the Underworld. To return to life, one must traverse the Platform of Longing, the Bridge of Fate, and reach the First Palace, where King Qin Guang presides. But did Luchen dare? Was he not offering himself up for judgment? When he turned to leave, the ghost officials sensed something amiss. Only the living could walk back on their own—so how had a living person entered the Gate of Ghosts?

Chaos erupted along the Road to the Underworld. Ghost officials shouted in alarm. Knowing he had been exposed, Luchen ceased his concealment, rising swiftly as a streak of light, shooting straight toward the Gate of Ghosts. Seeing a Daoist forcefully charging the gate, the spectral sentinels tried to close the doors. Luchen moved faster, but just as he was about to escape, an iron chain whipped out, yanking him back and causing him to miss his chance. The gate was now sealed. Only the locked gate remained for him to conquer.

Turning, Luchen saw the chain’s owners: one black, one white. The Black and White Impermanence. Their pointed hats bore auspicious words: "Great fortune upon sight." Yet those who saw them rarely found fortune.

"Audacious sorcerer! How dare you trespass into the Underworld? Are you not afraid of the heavenly laws?" the Black and White Impermanence thundered.

Luchen was unconcerned; these two minor officials meant little to him. What worried him were the Ten Kings of the Underworld, King Ksitigarbha, and figures such as Zhong Kui. Time was short; the Underworld likely already knew of his unauthorized intrusion and disruption. Zhong Kui and the Underworld’s troops would soon arrive. Luchen wasted no words, acting immediately. With a flip of his copper bell, a wooden staff appeared, crafted from peachwood struck by lightning—the bane of all evil spirits. He struck directly at the two Impermanence officials.

Black and White Impermanence were shocked, never before seeing someone so brazen in the Underworld, daring to attack ghost officials. Yet the blow was delivered; they had no choice but to fight back. Truth be told, their coordination was decent, but the gap in power was vast. Luchen knocked them down with several blows, peachwood and thunder injuring them so they were no match. Terrified, their souls destabilized and they fled. Fortunately, Luchen harbored no murderous intent, letting them escape; otherwise both would have remained.

"Method of Sword Mastery: Ten Thousand Swords as One!" Luchen wielded his staff as a sword, conjuring layers of sword shadows, which then merged into a brilliant sword light. With a resounding boom, he blasted a massive hole through the Gate of Ghosts, frightening the gatekeepers. Instantly, chaos erupted on the Road to the Underworld, as countless evil and solitary souls sensed the chance to return to the mortal world. Ghostly figures surged toward the breach.

Luchen smiled, quick and deft, tossing the purple-gold copper bell through the gate. Once outside, it would enable the souls to return to the living world. His own spirit resided within the bell, guiding the souls safely back, then returning to the Xuanguang Temple on its own.

"The sword is imbued with spirit; heed my command and vanquish evil!" Seeing countless spirits rushing forth, Luchen formed the Celestial Gang Seal with his hand. The peachwood sword soared skyward, its blade radiating golden light, surrounded by purple lightning. Any spirit illuminated by the golden light instantly vanished into wisps of smoke. This was the temple’s treasure, left by Master Lu: crafted from millennia-old peachwood and the essence of thunder. Normally, it appeared unremarkable, its power dormant.

Luchen guarded the breach, ensuring no evil soul slipped through to wreak havoc upon the living. Yet the allure of the mortal world was immense. Having endured countless years of cold, hunger, loneliness, fear, and pain, the evil and solitary souls charged forward, undaunted by death. Luchen stood firm, defending the opening with his staff, determined to prevent any from escaping.

Sword light howled, ghosts wailed, gods were shaken. Luchen showed no mercy, holding the breach for half a stick of incense’s time. At last, a fiery divine light streaked across the sky—Zhong Kui had arrived.

The shadow of trees, the name of a man: Ghost-catching Grandmaster and King of Ghosts Zhong Kui was infamous in the Underworld. No matter how fierce the evil spirits, none could withstand his enormous maw. His reputation for devouring and slaying ghosts could silence crying children at night. At the sound of his voice, the evil spirits scattered, hiding and trembling, lest they be discovered by Zhong Kui. The Gate of Ghosts was secure once more, but trouble had arrived for Luchen.

"Did you break the Gate of Ghosts?" Zhong Kui’s appearance was exceedingly fierce; his notorious reputation matched his visage. At this moment, his copper-bell eyes stared unblinkingly at Luchen.

"It was indeed I," Luchen admitted without reservation.

"Why did you do it?" Zhong Kui asked again.

"To atone for past wrongs, I had no choice. Having broken the heavenly law, I am prepared to accept punishment." Was this not why Luchen had defended the gate so desperately—to lessen his guilt? Now that Zhong Kui questioned him as Judge Bao would, it was best to be honest.

"Ah, to be honest, I rather admire you. I’ll speak well of you before Judge Bao." Zhong Kui forced a smile uglier than a cry. "Come, let’s go see Judge Bao. But in the end, it’s up to Heaven to decide your fate. Alas." Several squads of underworld soldiers marched up the Road to the Underworld. With them guarding the gate, there was no longer any worry of evil spirits breaking through.

Luchen obediently followed Zhong Kui. The two Impermanence officials returned, likely harboring resentment. Seeing Luchen subdued by the Ghost King, they drew their chains, intending to shackle him. Zhong Kui broke into a sweat, quickly stopping them. He remarked, "This one seems mild now, but you saw how many evil spirits he slew earlier! And you still seek revenge? Did you see his peachwood sword?"

"I did, it’s truly formidable," White Impermanence replied honestly.

"Do you know what it’s made from?" Zhong Kui pressed.

"Judging by its color, it’s crafted from millennia-old peachwood and the essence of purple thunder," Black Impermanence said, though he seemed a bit slow. "But what does that matter?"

"Is that something mortals can possess?" Zhong Kui was exasperated by their lack of insight.

At last, Black and White Impermanence understood, nodding, "Oh, he has powerful backers!"

"And yet you dare to add insult to injury? Do you think his patron is broad-minded?" Zhong Kui scolded, lamenting their foolishness. If not for their service in the Underworld, he would not have bothered to warn them. Yet Zhong Kui held back another remark—a special reminder from Judge Bao before he left: "His backer is not just powerful, but very powerful."

As Luchen walked the Road to the Underworld, the purple-gold copper bell had already flown to Wang Family Bay. At the sound of its chimes, the wrongfully slain souls returned to their bodies, awakening after eight hours, their families overjoyed, kneeling toward the heavens in gratitude.

In the mountain god’s temple, the coffin before Wang Ercai suddenly stirred. At any other time or with anyone else, it would have frightened them to death. But Wang Rencai, forewarned by Luchen, immediately opened the coffin, and the family embraced in tearful joy.

Witnessing this moment, the local earth god sighed deeply. Their wishes were fulfilled—but when would Luchen’s be fulfilled?