Volume One, Chapter One: Untimely Death

Netherworld, Fengdu.

Yu Mu stared blankly, utterly bewildered by the incredible scene before him.

He stood alone in a vast, boundless hall. Aside from several massive, pitch-black columns soaring into the heights, all else was lost in a hazy expanse.

Moments ago, he had been amidst the bustling city, yet suddenly found himself in this strange, unfathomable space. It seemed as if he was the only soul left beneath heaven and earth.

Though Yu Mu was not a quick-witted man and rarely sensitive to much, even he could not help but feel a growing terror at the situation.

Suddenly, light shimmered across the nearest pillar. Two lines of ancient, snowy script appeared, their strokes bold and vigorous. Yu Mu had no real study of the classics, but these phrases he could mostly recognize.

It was a couplet. The first line read: “Do good and accumulate virtue, attain paradise and reincarnate swiftly.” The second: “Commit countless evils, descend to hell, and never be reborn.”

At that moment, above the pillars, a massive crimson plaque appeared out of thin air. Three stark, pale characters were carved into it: “Hall of Yama.”

Letters pale as snow upon a plaque red as blood.

The interplay of black, white, and crimson—three violently contrasting colors—amplified the strange, chilling atmosphere within the empty hall.

Yu Mu’s fear deepened.

Were it not for his dull, dazed nature, any other person might have already been scared half to death.

Still shaken, Yu Mu noticed that beneath the plaque, at some unknown moment, a grand desk had appeared, carved with dragons, and behind it, an ancient wooden chair. Both desk and chair were lacquered jet-black, reliefs of snarling demons and rakshasas writhing across their surfaces, lifelike in their ferocity.

Artifacts of old documents and scrolls sat atop the dragon desk, all exuding an antique charm.

Mist swirled above the great chair; as it dissipated, a man was revealed, sitting upright in its depths. His official robes were a blazing red, making him stand out all the more in this otherworldly scene.

When Yu Mu took in the man’s appearance, he was utterly aghast.

The man’s face was iron-hard, his eyes like copper bells, a lion’s nose and wide mouth, his face bristling with a beard as stiff as steel. Upon his head perched a black-winged crown, and his feet were shod in boots of matching hue.

Was this not the legendary judge of the underworld?

Yu Mu’s not-so-bright mind turned to mush. As he stood in a stupor, two voices rang out behind him: “Black and White Impermanence pay their respects to the Judge.”

Startled, Yu Mu whirled around. At some unknown point, two figures had appeared behind him. To call them ‘people’ would not be entirely accurate.

One was entirely black, the other pure white, both garbed in long, sweeping robes and tall, pointed hats. The black hat bore the inscription “Peace Under Heaven,” while the white one read “Fortune at First Sight.”

Each held a staff of mourning and bowed toward the judge.

The judge waved his hand. “Enough, enough. How did the two of you fare on this mission? And who is this boy?”

Yu Mu could only smile bitterly. It seemed only now had anyone noticed his presence. Still, he was long used to being overlooked.

White Impermanence smiled broadly and replied, bowing: “We did not fail in our task. The soul of the lustful devil has been apprehended.”

With those words, he gave a sudden tug, and with a metallic clatter, a silver chain appeared in his grasp. A flick of his wrist, and a figure was dragged forward.

Yu Mu gasped in shock. Was that not the very man from just a moment ago? How had he ended up here as well?

The man chained in White Impermanence’s grasp looked to be in his fifties, his hairline receded to near baldness. His head was broad, ears thick, body corpulent—a figure of obvious wealth and privilege.

A man like this would never have crossed paths with someone from society’s lowest rung like Yu Mu, but today, fate had intervened.

The day had begun like any other. Yu Mu had risen early to attend a job interview. Since graduating from the city’s sports academy—a school that had done nothing to help his employment—this had been his life for nearly a year.

Due to his lack of talent, Yu Mu struggled to learn anything quickly. Though he worked several times harder than others, he could never keep up.

His efforts had not been wholly fruitless, however. Thanks to his skill at baseball, he had barely managed to gain admission to the sports school. Not ideal, but at least a path forward.

Yet, harsh reality made it clear that his life would be no easy road. With neither money nor connections, even the most capable struggled to secure a stable job in the system.

So, he graduated—and was instantly unemployed.

His specialty was of no use in the real world. No company or agency wanted someone like him.

Rejection and scorn became routine. Yet Yu Mu possessed one virtue: perseverance. He knew how to hold fast to hope, never letting despair take him.

Over the past year, aside from countless refusals, he had worked innumerable menial jobs—laboring at construction sites, delivering packages, working as a security guard, waiting tables. All jobs requiring little in the way of qualifications.

He worked not only to support his family, but also to temper himself.

After leaving the interview, Yu Mu knew he had failed once more. Even at the first round, he could see the all-too-familiar contempt in the examiner’s eyes.

He was used to it, but a heaviness still pressed on his heart. Not for himself, but for the mother who had raised him alone after his father’s untimely death, who had placed all her hopes in him.

If anyone in the world would never despise him for his dullness, it would be her.

Now an adult, it was time for him to repay her—especially as her health was failing. Yet, given his current circumstances…

Sighing helplessly, Yu Mu lowered his head and pedaled his bicycle home.

He wondered whether he should keep seeking other opportunities, or simply accept another stint at the construction site—a dead-end job, but at least it paid decently.

It was then that a harsh screech of brakes sounded behind him. Before he could react, a tremendous force slammed into him from behind, sending him flying.

With a heavy thud, Yu Mu crashed onto the asphalt, his senses spinning, agony coursing through his body.

Ignoring the pain, his first instinct was to turn and look behind—

Some four or five meters away, an Audi sat at an angle. Through the window, he saw a bloated, greasy man withdrawing his right hand from the blouse of a woman beside him. In his haste, he yanked out her bra as well.

The embarrassment and chaos enraged the driver. He flung open the car door and strode over to Yu Mu, who was bleeding badly, and began to berate him.

Not content with mere words, he started to physically assault the injured Yu Mu.

Onlookers crowded the roadside, appalled by the man’s actions, but all merely watched in cold detachment. Some even recorded the scene on their phones, laughing among themselves, but not a single one thought to call the police.

Yu Mu, accustomed to the world’s indifference, raised an arm to block a kick and forced himself to his feet.

His injuries looked worse than they were—mostly abrasions from the fall. The fat man attacking him was all bluster, his strength sapped by years of excess. His blows meant little to Yu Mu.

Though Yu Mu appeared short, chubby, and even a bit endearing, his stout frame concealed powerful muscles—otherwise, the construction site would never have paid him so well.

Seeing Yu Mu rise, the fat man recoiled in fear, shouting, “What are you doing? Are you going to hit me? He’s hitting me! He’s hitting me!”

It was the classic case of an evil man crying foul first; even Yu Mu felt revolted by his performance.

But just then, the man’s face turned white, his eyes rolled back, his throat made a harsh rattling sound, and foam began trickling from his mouth.

The onlookers erupted into chaos.

“Must be a heart attack!”

“Could be a stroke!”

“Probably fainted from rage at the kid.”

“He’s faking it, trying to extort him. The kid’s in trouble now.”

Everyone chimed in with their opinions, but not one stepped forward to help.

Yu Mu ignored them all and instinctively rushed to support the staggering man.

The moment he touched him, something strange occurred.

The man’s glazed, upturned eyes suddenly regained clarity, a sharp intelligence flashing within them.

Was he really trying to set me up?