The Underworld is Empty, Yama is Teaching 18

Chapter 18

Wu Mu, carrying a thermos that clashed terribly with his sharp suit, left Room 444 and headed towards the hot water room next to the Lugong dormitory.

Buzz—

His phone vibrated.

He glanced at it, his brow furrowing.

—Report Xue Changyi’s activities today.

Wu Mu quickened his pace, entering the hot water room. The elderly security guard happened to be there.

“Teacher Wu!” the guard greeted him warmly. “Getting hot water too? Oh, the water is extra hot today, not like usual.”

Wu Mu nodded, his face grim, and said nothing.

The guard, unfazed by Wu Mu’s coldness, smiled and left with his thermos.

Wu Mu stood in the room, swiped his card to activate the hot water dispenser, and the water gushed out with a loud roar. He looked around, making sure no one was nearby, then took out his phone and, over the noise of the rushing water, dialed an unknown number.

“Hello… Father,” Wu Mu said in a low voice.

“What?!” Leopard Tail exclaimed. “The checkup results were sent to the First Supervisory Department? Fish Gills, why didn’t you tell me?”

Fish Gills sighed. “Tell you? And have you react like this? If Minister Wu finds out we’re investigating this, wouldn’t we be exposed?”

“That’s true…” Leopard Tail scratched his head.

“Boss!” he said. “The Supervisory Department is Minister Wu’s territory. He definitely knew about the checkup, and he pretended to be clueless all day! I knew it, none of those Supervisory Department people are any good! That Second Yama King, so gentle and kind, and they still…” cast him down from the Terrace of Forgetfulness.

Before Leopard Tail could finish his rant, Fish Gills tugged at his sleeve and shook his head.

The ghost officers of the Ten Courts were all indignant about the Second Yama King’s demotion, let alone his younger brother, Xue Changyi. Xue Changyi rarely mentioned it, but several times, when he was unconscious from overexertion, he would murmur “Second Brother” in his sleep. Fish Gills had overheard it and knew it was a deep wound for Xue Changyi.

A wound that, if touched, would cause immense pain…

Xue Changyi, however, didn’t mind Leopard Tail’s outburst, knowing it came from genuine respect and concern for the Second Yama King.

“Don’t mention this to anyone,” Xue Changyi instructed.

Leopard Tail nodded. “Don’t worry, Boss, I might be careless sometimes, but I can keep a secret.”

Xue Changyi continued, “Keep an eye on the Supervisory Department. If there’s any news related to the academy, report to me immediately.”

“Yes!”

“Yes!”

After speaking for a while, Xue Changyi seemed tired. He waved his hand. “Go back and rest.”

“Boss…” Leopard Tail said. “Take care and rest well.”

They left Room 444. Wu Mu hadn’t returned with the hot water yet.

Alone in the dormitory, Xue Changyi’s eyes flickered thoughtfully. He walked to the window, gazing at the dark, chaotic sky.

After a moment of contemplation, he took out his phone and dialed.

“Hello?” The person on the other end picked up almost immediately, his voice full of energy and surprise. “Little brother, what made you think of calling your big brother?”

Xue Changyi’s expression relaxed, a smile gracing his lips. “Old Seven, are you busy?”

“Don’t call me Old Seven!” the other person protested. “I’m your older brother! You should call me Seventh Brother! Come on, call me brother!”

The person on the other end was Dong Lan, the Seventh Yama King, ruler of the Mortar and Pestle Hell, in charge of collecting bones and compounding medicines.

Xue Changyi ignored his demand. “I need your help with something.”

“How unusual!” Dong Lan chuckled. “Little Ten actually asking for my help. You must be in trouble and thought of your big brother, right?”

Xue Changyi said calmly, “A batch of blood samples from Jixia Academy was sent to the First Supervisory Department today. I want you to check them for anything unusual or strange.”

“Blood samples?” Dong Lan’s voice rose an octave, his interest piqued.

The Seventh Court, under Dong Lan’s jurisdiction, dealt with matters related to the body, and Dong Lan himself enjoyed conducting unusual experiments. He had developed seventeen different flavors and effects of Granny Meng’s soup alone.

“Alright!” Dong Lan readily agreed. “Consider it done, but—”

“What is it?” Xue Changyi asked, already knowing what was coming. “What’s your condition? Just say it.”

Dong Lan chuckled. “You know the Supervisory Department and our Yama Courts don’t get along. Although I have some connections, it’s still risky to investigate blood samples in their territory. So…”

“So?” Xue Changyi raised an eyebrow.

Dong Lan’s laughter became more cheerful. “So, you have to call me ‘good brother’! Thirty times! Then I’ll agree!”

Xue Changyi: “…”

Dong Lan relented. “Fifteen times then! That’s my final offer!”

Xue Changyi: “…”

Dong Lan: “Alright, alright, I know Little Ten is shy. Ten times! Ten times, okay?”

Xue Changyi: “…”

Dong Lan gritted his teeth. “Five times! Five times, how about that?”

Xue Changyi sighed deeply. Fine, five times it was…

Just as he was about to agree, Dong Lan relented again. “Alright! Three times! That’s my bottom line! You know my bottom line is firm and unshakeable!”

Xue Changyi raised an eyebrow. “Deal.”

Dong Lan’s voice became excited. “Quick, quick, quick! I’m all ears!”

Xue Changyi sighed. “…Good brother.”

“Huh?” Dong Lan raised his voice. “What did you say? I can’t hear you—”

Xue Changyi rolled his eyes, speaking a little louder, enunciating each word. “Good. Brother.”

Creak—

At that very moment, the door to Room 444 opened, and Wu Mu walked in, carrying the thermos.

With his sharp hearing, Wu Mu definitely heard Xue Changyi’s “good brother.” His expression faltered, and he frowned slightly. “Who are you talking to?”

Xue Changyi didn’t elaborate, hanging up the phone and saying dismissively, “No one.”

Xue Changyi had recovered within a day, which even he found strange. He usually took much longer to recover from overexertion. Waking up the next morning, he felt refreshed and energized, not tired at all.

He gathered his textbooks, ready to teach Class Nine.

“Teacher Xue,” Wu Mu said. “Going to class? I’m going to the equipment room. Let’s go together.”

As they walked, Wu Mu seemed to want to say something but hesitated. Xue Changyi, with his keen observation skills, noticed. “Teacher Wu, is something the matter? Just say it.”

Wu Mu coughed slightly. “Yesterday… who were you talking to… on the phone? And calling ‘good brother’?”

“Little Ten—”

Before Wu Mu could finish, a cheerful, chirping voice interrupted them, like a songbird, clear and melodious.

“Little Ten!” A small figure rushed towards Xue Changyi.

Xue Changyi instinctively tensed, about to dodge. He disliked being touched by strangers. But he paused, recognizing the newcomer, and instead of dodging, he stopped and reached out to catch the person.

Thump!

The person threw themselves into Xue Changyi’s arms.

Dressed in a bright pink ancient robe, with long hair styled in two buns like rabbit ears, adorned with small white flowers, a delicate face, a pointed chin, and skin as smooth as a peeled egg, she was a picture of youthful beauty. Especially her large, sparkling eyes, like stars in the sky.

A lovely young girl in ancient attire, seemingly no older than fifteen or sixteen.

Seeing someone “attack” Xue Changyi so intimately, Wu Mu instinctively reached out to grab the person’s shoulder.

“Old Seven?” Xue Changyi’s puzzled voice stopped him. “What are you doing at the academy?”

Old Seven? Dong Lan, the Seventh Yama King.

The young girl in the pink dress was indeed Dong Lan. Although he was the seventh in line, he looked much younger than Xue Changyi, no wonder Xue Changyi refused to call him “good brother.”

And…

Old Seven had a hobby of cross-dressing, often exchanging fashion tips with Fish Gills and discussing the latest trends in the Underworld.

As the Director General of the Supervisory Department, Wu Mu had met the Seventh Yama King before, but Dong Lan had been dressed in men’s clothing then, a dignified figure judging the wicked, a stark contrast to the delicate young girl before him.

Dong Lan was much shorter than Xue Changyi. He clung to Xue Changyi’s waist, acting coquettishly. “Of course it’s because I missed you, brother! I heard you were transferred to the academy, so I came to see you!”

He then glanced at Wu Mu, wrinkling his nose. “Ew—someone from the Supervisory Department?”

Xue Changyi calmly introduced him. “Minister Wu is the academy’s substitute PE teacher.”

Dong Lan wrinkled his nose again, saying nothing. He looked at Wu Mu again, raising an eyebrow, one arm around Xue Changyi’s waist, the other adjusting the bag slung across his shoulder.

Dong Lan was carrying a bag, which had slipped to the side when he had jumped on Xue Changyi.

The elegant ancient dress was paired with a pink… ita-bag!

—A pink ita-bag with a large bow, covered in badges of Xue Changyi in various poses and expressions.

Each badge was a unique, one-of-a-kind item, personally photographed and crafted by Dong Lan himself.

Dong Lan lifted his chin, giving Wu Mu a provocative look, deliberately adjusting the two large, rainbow-colored keychains hanging from his bag.

One keychain read:

—Brother Complex!!!

The other read:

—What are you looking at? Don’t you have a little brother?!