The Underworld is Empty, Yama is Teaching 24

Chapter 24

Wu Mu swayed.

He slowly leaned forward, his usually proud head resting against the corner of the wall, continuing to mumble, “What if he hates me? I thought I hid it so well. He shouldn’t have found out. How did he find out? Did Dong Lan tell him? But Dong Lan said he wouldn’t help me confess…”

Xue Changyi: “… ” Minister Wu had impressive lung capacity, speaking in one long, unbroken sentence.

And he was still a chatterbox…

Xue Changyi rubbed his temples, certain that Wu Mu was completely drunk.

His plan was halfway there. Get Wu Mu drunk, and then find a way to extract information about his Second Brother’s case…

“Minister Wu,” Xue Changyi cautiously reached out to support him. Although Wu Mu was drunk and babbling, his usual composure gone, he was still from the Supervisory Department. Perhaps it was all an act, so Xue Changyi had to be careful.

“Mm…” Wu Mu didn’t resist, letting Xue Changyi support him, turning to look at him, not recognizing that the person he was pouring his heart out to was the very object of his affection.

Xue Changyi forced a polite smile. “You’re drunk, let me help you back to rest.”

“Drink?” Wu Mu nodded. “I have to go back and take drinks for Xue Changyi. He said he can’t drink, I have to go back…”

Xue Changyi’s eyelids twitched, a pang of guilt hitting him for the first time.

“Minister Wu, I’ll take you back.” He shook off the guilt. “Back to the dormitory at the academy, or your own home?”

“Home…” Wu Mu leaned heavily on Xue Changyi, his arm slung around Xue Changyi’s neck, stumbling forward. “Home… my baby is waiting for me at home.”

“Baby?” Xue Changyi was puzzled.

He hadn’t heard of Wu Mu having a child. Perhaps a pet, a cat or a dog?

It was common in the Underworld now to refer to pets as “babies,” just like in the mortal realm.

Wu Mu nodded. Despite his cold exterior, he was surprisingly affectionate when drunk. “Mm, my baby, my body pillow baby, I hug it every night. And my figurine baby, my badge babies, my ita-bag baby, I have to dust them every day. I’ve been at the academy lately, my babies must be suffering…”

Xue Changyi couldn’t help but imagine. The body pillow, could it be the one that had fallen out of the wardrobe, the life-sized body pillow with his image on it? And the figurine, badges, and ita-bag? Wu Mu called them all “babies”…

“Ahem…” Xue Changyi coughed, a shiver running down his spine.

Wu Mu mumbled, “My babies, they can’t get dusty, I have to go back and clean them, I have to be with my babies.”

Xue Changyi forced himself to say, “Alright, where’s your home, Minister Wu? I’ll take you home to… to be with your babies.”

For the first time in his life, Xue Changyi stammered, the words feeling overly saccharine.

Buzz, buzz—

Xue Changyi’s phone rang. The caller ID—Old Seven.

“Hello, Old Seven,” Xue Changyi answered, half-carrying, half-dragging Wu Mu.

“Little Ten! Where are you? Why aren’t you back yet? Are you lost? Big brother will come get you!”

Xue Changyi said, “I’m not coming back.”

“Huh?” Dong Lan was surprised. “What happened? Why aren’t you coming back? The party is still going on, everyone’s planning to go karaoke later!”

Xue Changyi said, “Wu Mu is drunk, I’m taking him home. Tell the Libationer.”

Wu Mu, hearing his name, opened his eyes slightly. His usually cold eyes suddenly sparkled, bright and dazzling, befitting the embodiment of the sun.

He stared intently at Xue Changyi, tightening his embrace, his chin nuzzling Xue Changyi’s shoulder, his voice a husky murmur. “Baby, my baby.”

“What was that?” Dong Lan’s voice, sharp with alarm, came through the phone. “Little Ten! Who’s with you? Who called you ‘baby’! Which bastard dares to steal my Little Ten?!”

Xue Changyi: “…”

Wu Mu frowned, emphasizing, “Mine.”

Dong Lan, undeterred by the phone, retorted, “Who are you? Don’t hide, state your name! Who are you calling ‘baby’? Taking advantage of whom?”

Wu Mu hugged him tighter, repeating, “Mine, he’s mine.”

“I’m so angry!” The sound of Dong Lan stomping his foot came through the phone.

Xue Changyi: “… ”

Xue Changyi sighed, quickly hanging up to prevent a long-distance argument between Wu Mu and Dong Lan.

“He’s mine, he’s mine,” Wu Mu mumbled, tightening his embrace. They couldn’t move like this. The restaurant was crowded, especially near the front desk, and people were staring.

Xue Changyi soothed him, “Alright, alright, yours.”

“Hehe…” Wu Mu chuckled, his cold demeanor melting away like ice in the sun, replaced by a surprising warmth and contentment.

He relaxed his grip, leaning against Xue Changyi, murmuring, “Mm… headache, alcohol… tastes bad, so bitter.”

“Pfft…” Xue Changyi laughed. The Director General of the Supervisory Department finding alcohol bitter, who would believe it?

Xue Changyi supported Wu Mu, who, despite being drunk, was able to give him his address, which wasn’t far.

Click—

The door opened. The room was decorated in a classic, elegant style.

Next to the rosewood chairs, carved moon-shaped table, and intricately carved wall panels, on a multi-tiered display cabinet, were—figurines, badges, collectible figures, and plush dolls.

All of them, without exception, were of Xue Changyi!

On the large sofa in the middle of the living room, five life-sized body pillows occupied all but one seat. Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves lined the walls.

The air was thick with the scent of books. A closer look revealed that the shelves were filled with doujinshi and novels, including sixteen different editions of The Cold Yama’s Runaway Pregnancy! Some editions had different covers, some different promotional bands, lined up in a spectacular display.

Xue Changyi was so stunned that his hand slipped, and Wu Mu tumbled onto the sofa.

“Mm?” Wu Mu woke up slightly, grabbing two body pillows and hugging them. “Baby, did you miss hubby?”

Xue Changyi: “… ”

Hubby?

Wu Mu kissed the pillows. “Baby is so beautiful.”

Xue Changyi: “… ” This was a living hell.

He wanted to escape this hellhole immediately, but he couldn’t. He steeled himself, approaching cautiously, his voice soft and coaxing. “Wu Mu, look into my eyes.”

Wu Mu looked up, meeting Xue Changyi’s gaze.

His eyes became unfocused, more so than from the alcohol.

Xue Changyi had used a mind control technique. It was highly effective on ordinary people, but required a significant amount of energy, and wasn’t always effective on those with strong willpower.

Wu Mu, as the Director General of the Supervisory Department, had reached such a high position at a young age. His cultivation and spiritual power were considerable, which was why Xue Changyi had to wait until he was drunk to use the technique.

“Wu Mu… look at me,” Xue Changyi’s eyes glowed faintly.

Wu Mu gazed at him, mesmerized. “So beautiful.”

Xue Changyi softened his voice. “Let me see… your deepest secret.”

He reached out, gently cupping Wu Mu’s face, and leaned closer. Wu Mu didn’t resist, just stared at him.

They drew closer and closer, their breaths mingling, their foreheads touching. A soft light flashed, and Xue Changyi’s consciousness entered Wu Mu’s subconscious…

—It was dark.

A chaotic void.

No sun, no moon, not even a single cloud.

The sky and earth were fused, everything primal and desolate.

“Caw—”

“Caw, caw—caw—”

A dry, raspy, unpleasant sound, like a crow’s caw.

And it was a crow, a small, black crow.

The crow lay on its back, its legs in the air, its beady eyes lifeless, on the verge of death from thirst. It wasn’t as lucky as the crow in the fable, which at least had a source of water. This world was a primal chaos, unsuitable for any living creature.

The poor crow was dying, slowly dehydrating.

Rustle…

Footsteps.

Someone was passing by, a man in black, with long black hair, black eyes, and strikingly pale skin, especially his crimson lips, so captivating, even though his expression was impassive, somehow conveying a sense of…

—Lifeless vitality.

“Caw, caw…” the crow cried weakly, using all its strength.

The man in black looked down at it, his eyes devoid of pity.

He was formed from stone, without a heart, his heart made of stone, harder than iron.

“Caw… caw…” the crow cried, knowing the beautiful man wouldn’t give it water.

The crow was dying. In despair, it closed its eyes, its black wings drooping to the ground.

Drip…

Drop!

A drop of dew landed on the crow’s face, wetting its black feathers.

The crow opened its eyes in surprise, looking at the man in black.

“Caw, caw!”

—He was crying. That drop of dew was his tear!

The dew revived the crow, and dripping onto the ground, formed rivers and lakes.

The crow struggled to survive in the chaotic world. It grew older and older, its feathers turning gold, like a phoenix reborn from ashes, like the rising sun.

“Mm!”

The sunlight in the vision was so bright that Xue Changyi had to close his eyes, instantly ejected from Wu Mu’s subconscious.

He opened his eyes, slightly surprised. “You were… that little crow?”

Long ago, when the world was still a chaotic void, Xue Changyi had unknowingly saved a dying crow. The crow was on the verge of death, its feathers dull and lifeless. Looking at it, Xue Changyi’s stone heart had stirred.

It was a reverence for death, a pity for life, the only tear Xue Changyi had shed in millennia.

Wu Mu slowly opened his eyes, his gaze still unfocused, but different from before. He looked at Xue Changyi, his voice husky. “Was it you? I… just had a dream.”

Wu Mu’s hand gently caressed Xue Changyi’s cheek. Normally, Xue Changyi would never allow such contact. Wu Mu was the sun, his spiritual energy too potent, and Xue Changyi, as a spirit stone, would absorb it endlessly, leading to his own destruction and a great catastrophe.

But now, it was different. Xue Changyi had just used the mind control technique, depleting his energy. Wu Mu’s touch was comforting, even… desirable.

Thump—

Wu Mu pushed Xue Changyi onto the crowded sofa, surrounded by body pillows, surprisingly soft. He slowly lowered his head, gently kissing Xue Changyi’s pale lips…

“Mm!” Xue Changyi’s eyes widened, and he gasped, pushing against Wu Mu’s shoulders, trying to push him away. But as their hands touched, a wave of warmth surged through him, and he trembled, a soft moan escaping his lips. “So comfortable…”

The soft sound was the greatest encouragement. Wu Mu’s eyes darkened, and he kissed him again, more urgently…

The academy gathering continued elsewhere. After Wu Mu left, the atmosphere became lively again. The teachers ate, sang karaoke, and stayed up all night, finally dispersing in the early hours of the morning.

Dong Lan, completely drunk, stumbled along, his ita-bag swaying, his rabbit-ear buns bobbing.

Thump!

He tripped and fell, then crawled up, leaning against the wall. He looked around, making sure the deserted street was empty, everyone still asleep.

He clutched his ita-bag, slowly crouching down, and suddenly—burst into tears.

“Wuwuwu…”

“Wuwuwu—”

“Wuwuwu… hic! Wuwuwu!!!”

His cries intensified, as if a dam had burst.

A gentle hand reached out. A young man with kind eyes had appeared on the deserted street, gently stroking Dong Lan’s hair.

“Second Brother…?” Dong Lan looked up, his face streaked with tears. “Am… am I dreaming?”

The young man’s eyes were still gentle, but his expression was complex. He said softly, “Little Seven, it’s time to stop.”