Chapter 1
Heavenly Officials Bless
Water _ _ _ _ Earth
Official _ _ _ _ Official
Release _ _ _ _ Pardon
Misfortune _ _ _ _ Sin
Encounter _ _ _ _ Exit
Bad Luck _ _ _ _ Birth
Transform _ _ _ _ Enter
Good Fortune _ _ _ _ Death
It was a grave mound.
Whose it was, no one knew, perhaps it belonged to a nameless soul.
Covered in damp, slippery moss, against the backdrop of the smog, it appeared mottled, weathered, and desolate.
A pair of bright red paper couplets with gold flakes, jarringly affixed to the dilapidated grave, rustled in the murky night wind—rip—rip—
The four cursive characters “Birth Enter Death Exit” danced wildly in the wind.
In the next second, a pale hand reached out, its joints supple, and with a gentle swipe of the back of its fingers, the couplets were seamlessly stuck back onto the grave.
Standing quietly before the grave was a young man in a black double-breasted robe. It wasn’t raining, nor was there sunlight, yet strangely—
The young man held a black umbrella, shielding his overly pale, almost deathly white face, bright red lips, and still, lifeless eyes.
Knock, knock—
The young man tapped his fingers on the grave, as if knocking on his own front door.
“Number D10086.44 Underworld Central Office Operating System, at your service~”
“Please verify your identity!”
A sweet, mechanical female voice emerged from nowhere, echoing emptily in the vast graveyard, once, twice, thrice…
Caw—caw—caw—
Startling countless crows, they took flight, circling in the smoggy night, forming a black vortex that lingered…
The young man extended his supple hand again, placing his entire palm on the tombstone.
“Identity verification in progress, please wait…”
“Identity confirmed.”
The moss-covered grave was bathed in a high-tech, shimmering blue light. Swish—
Lines of blue text floated above the blank tombstone:
Name: Xue Changyi
Gender: Male
Age: 30,000,000…
Position: Tenth Yama King (Underworld Central Office, Ministerial Level)
Security Clearance: Ultimate
“Welcome to work, Yama King.”
Boom—The tombstone cracked open, replaced by an iron gate secured with chains.
A plaque on the front read—Enter Death.
A plaque on the back read—Exit Birth.
Holding his black umbrella, Xue Changyi lifted his leg and stepped over the high iron threshold.
Swish—
A dark light reappeared, swallowing the young man and all the anomalies.
The night wind blew, the light dissipated, and everything returned to normal, leaving only the crimson couplets still dancing frantically in the smoggy night…
“Ahhhh!!”
“I don’t want to die! Let me go back—”
“You must have made a mistake! I’m so healthy, how could I be dead?! I still have to go back to work, my PPT isn’t finished!!”
Beyond the Birth Enter Death gate, screams, cries, and pleas for mercy were the most common sounds. Xue Changyi, unfazed, still held his black umbrella, his blood-red lips slightly pursed, walking steadily through the bustling crowd.
Ox-headed and horse-faced demons, wasp-like and bird-beaked creatures, all wore the Underworld’s uniform: black shirts, black pants, black boots, and black bulletproof vests, with firearms at their waists. The Underworld Central Office had specially designed these uniforms for the ghost officers, which, in the words of the living world, was—”uniform temptation.”
One hand holding a high-tech work tablet, the other dragging a blue iron chain, the ghost officers escorted the wailing souls, automatically parting to create a path for Xue Changyi.
“Yama King!”
Xue Changyi nodded slightly, not pausing as he passed through the iron gate and onto the Bitter Bamboo Floating Life Bridge, the path to the Underworld Central Office.
“Yama King is as taciturn as ever.”
“Actions speak louder than words. He works efficiently. With a boss like that, you’re in good hands!”
“But I heard… Yama King is retiring?”
The Bridge of Helplessness spanned the Six Paths of Reincarnation. The currents were swift, the whirlpools treacherous, and the entire rope bridge, seemingly woven from vines, appeared precarious.
Translucent white, untainted Ghost Orchids, flowers of death, grew wildly along both sides of the bridge, like snowflakes, providing the only “color” in the Underworld Central Office.
“Heh—heh—heh—” Granny Meng hunched over her aged frame, a laugh like dry bark escaping her throat.
Thump! Thump! Thump! Her hourglass-shaped wooden cane struck the bridge planks heavily, a deadly countdown.
“Yama King,” Granny Meng’s cloudy eyes crinkled with a smile as she nodded repeatedly, “Congratulations on your retirement. You… have finally waited for this day.”
A faint smile finally graced Xue Changyi’s impassive, pale face.
He seemed to dislike speaking, only nodding to Granny Meng in acknowledgement.
“Heh—heh—heh—” Granny Meng laughed again, her aged eyes suddenly widening, her wrinkled eyelids stretched taut. “Unfortunately… we have a guest.”
“Boss! Boss! It’s bad—” A ghost officer in a black uniform came running from afar.
Unlike the previous ox-headed and horse-faced demons, he had a long tail, like a cat’s, with brownish-black spots, which swayed subconsciously.
Leopard Tail rushed to him, looked around anxiously, and whispered cautiously, “Boss, it’s bad! Someone from the Supervisory Department is here…”
Xue Changyi’s still eyes flickered. “The Supervisory Department?”
Leopard Tail nodded vigorously. “They arrived early this morning and are waiting in your office. It’s that… the one surnamed Wu.”
Xue Changyi’s face remained expressionless as he held his umbrella and crossed the Bridge of Helplessness. Darkness trailed his tall figure as he entered the Underworld Central Office building.
“Heh—heh—heh—” Granny Meng watched Xue Changyi’s retreating figure and sighed softly, “This ghastly weather, the pollution is getting worse…”
Beep—
“Identity verification successful!”
A sweet, mechanical voice announced from the elevator: “Elevator descending. Proceeding to—Eighteenth Level of Hell, Tenth Court.”
Ding-dong-ding-dong~
“B18, Tenth Court, arriving. Please be careful when exiting, mind your step~”
Xue Changyi stepped out of the elevator and placed his hand on a blank wall. Swish—
The wall split open, revealing a hidden automatic iron door. Secretary Fish Gills stood up, bowing at a 45-degree angle, and said formally, “Yama King, Minister Wu from the Supervisory Department is inside.”
Leopard Tail clenched his fists, the muscles in his arms bulging, and said fiercely, “Boss, I’ll go in with you! If the Supervisory Department tries anything, I’ll— Ow!”
Leopard Tail’s tough words turned into a yelp of pain. “Fish Gills! Why did you hit me?”
Fish Gills gave him a cold, deadpan look. “The Supervisory Department is responsible for overseeing the Ten Courts of Hell, investigating any wrongdoing, corruption, or bribery by the Yama Kings. They’ve always been at odds with us.”
“Especially this Supervisory Envoy, have you forgotten? He personally investigated the Second Yama King…” Fish Gills glanced at Xue Changyi.
Although the Ten Yama Kings were not blood-related, after millennia of judging and reforming souls in this great hell, they had become as close as brothers.
Ten years ago, the Second Yama King was investigated and personally cast down from the Terrace of Forgetfulness by the Supervisory Envoy…
Fish Gills said with difficulty, “If we don’t cooperate with the inspection, are you trying to give the Supervisory Department a legitimate excuse to make trouble? Yama King is just one day away from retirement, don’t mess things up.”
Leopard Tail rubbed the back of his head. “Then… what should we do?”
Xue Changyi finally spoke: “It’s fine.”
Swish!
With a flick of his wrist, Xue Changyi’s black umbrella closed and shrunk, transforming into a black pen. He extended his pale left hand, and the pen wrapped around his finger, then snap!—locked onto his wrist, becoming a black, antique bracelet.
He stepped into the office, and the door closed automatically, shutting out Leopard Tail and Fish Gills.
Black floor, black carpet, black sofa, black desk.
The blue light illuminated the nameplate on the desk—Tenth Yama King, Xue Changyi.
A man in a black suit sat in the office chair behind the desk, his back to Xue Changyi.
Creak—
The office chair slowly turned, the blue light flickering, casting shifting shadows, finally revealing the man’s face.
He wore a similar uniform to the ghost officers, but his bulletproof vest was replaced by a more refined suit vest. The black vest and white shirt were sharply contrasted, much like the relationship between the Ten Courts of Hell and the Supervisory Department.
The man’s long hair was loosely tied back, giving him the appearance of a prince from a fairy tale – elegant, handsome, yet cold.
Xue Changyi: “Supervisory Envoy, long time no see. No, congratulations on your promotion. I should address you as Director Wu now.”
The Supervisory Department reported directly to the Underworld Central Office, on par with the Ten Yama Kings, responsible for overseeing the Ten Courts. The Director was the head of the Envoys, also a ministerial-level position.
“Long time no see,” the man said.
Slap.
Without further ado, he placed a manila envelope on the desk and pushed it forward with a firm hand.
Director Wu said, “This is a red-headed document issued by the Central Office. Once this matter is resolved, you can retire.”
Xue Changyi frowned slightly. “What is it that requires my personal attention? Assassination?”
Director Wu shook his head.
Xue Changyi raised an eyebrow. “Devouring a ghost?”
Director Wu shook his head again.
Xue Changyi regained his composure. “Slaying a god?”
This time, Director Wu didn’t shake his head. Instead, he opened the manila envelope and tapped the paper lightly. “None of the above. The Central Office has invested in building a school.”
“A school…?” Xue Changyi was rarely surprised, his calm eyes widening slightly.
Although he was the Tenth Yama King, his age was unknown, but his appearance was that of a young man, even exhibiting a youthful air between adolescence and adulthood. This lively expression suited his delicate and handsome face more than his usual old-fashioned calmness.
This school was located south of the Terrace of Forgetfulness, east of the Bridge of Helplessness, west of the Mirror of Retribution, and north of the Iron Gate.
Underworld First Affiliated Middle School.
Abbreviated: Underworld High School.
Also known as: Jixia Academy.
Underworld High School had been established for one semester, following the same schedule as ordinary human middle schools, starting in September and taking a break for the Spring Festival.
The school was divided into nine classes, with classes one to seven being regular classes, and classes eight and nine being experimental classes.
Students selected by the Underworld Central Office could attend Underworld High School. Students who scored below 80 on the entrance exam were assigned to classes 1-7, while top students scoring 80 or above were placed in the experimental classes for focused development.
Since the start of school in September, Class Nine, the legendary top class, had already driven away seven math teachers, made eight Chinese teachers cry, and chased off eleven homeroom teachers.
Director Wu spoke succinctly: “The Central Office has assigned you to teach there, as a substitute.”
Xue Changyi: “…”
Xue Changyi was skilled in burning livers, skinning and boning, and capturing souls. He had killed, beheaded, and judged, but… he had never handled children, never been a teacher!
Asking a Yama King who presided over the Eighteen Levels of Hell to teach, was this reasonable?
Director Wu stood up, buttoning his suit jacket, “After this teaching assignment, you can retire.”
Xue Changyi was about to speak when he met Director Wu’s deep, dark, unfathomable eyes.
Director Wu patted his shoulder twice, opened his mouth, but didn’t speak, only mouthing the words—
—Be careful.
9:30 AM, the second quarter of the Snake Hour.
It was time for the second morning class.
“Jixia Academy” was located south of the Terrace of Forgetfulness, east of the Bridge of Helplessness, west of the Mirror of Retribution, and north of the Iron Gate. The academy was grand, with three entrances and three exits, consisting of 36 building complexes, covering an area of 60,000 square meters, roughly the size of the Prince Gong Mansion.
A black peachwood plaque, tempered by the first spring thunder, bore the inscription—Underworld First Affiliated Middle School.
With the Biyong Hall as its central axis, the east side housed classrooms, while the west side contained facilities such as the playground and swimming pool. From north to south were the student dormitories and faculty dormitories.
Passing through the magnificent school gate, the tall pavilion bearing the characters “Pangong” housed the classrooms.
The fourth floor of the teaching building, the classroom at the very end—Experimental Class 9.
Whoosh—
Paper airplanes shot out the windows, chalk dust flew everywhere, a ghost face was drawn on the blackboard, and desks were scattered haphazardly.
Deafening noise rose and fell in waves.
“Why is Liu Bang still here! I, Xiang Yu, will never be classmates with a hypocrite!”
“Have you heard? The academy is sending another new… what’s that title called again?”
“Homeroom teacher!”
“Bullshit homeroom teacher, unless Yama himself comes, no one can teach your grandpa Yang Guang anything.”
“Huh? Look, a new face. Is it a transfer student?”
Xue Changyi pushed open the classroom door and stood at the entrance of Class Nine. All eyes in the classroom quickly focused on him.
“So cute!”
“Prettier than Daji from our village!”
“Such delicate skin! Must be using some kind of foundation. I bet it’s human makeup, L’Artisan Parfumeur Shade 00!”
Xue Changyi: “Heh…” The legendary top class.
