Chapter 93: Jiang’s Residence

“Esteemed guest, please enjoy the tea and fruits!”

Wu Ming and Jiang Guan exchanged a few more polite greetings when several maids, charming and delightful with their radiant smiles, stepped forward carrying cups, tea, flower arrangements, and fruits. Their voices were soft and melodious, and their every movement embodied the elegance of refined ancient ladies.

At this moment, the attendants were no longer paper figures, but genuine female spirits of the clan.

“Thank you!”

Wu Ming casually picked up a silver date and popped it into his mouth. Instantly, a refreshing coolness flowed down his throat, gradually warming as it reached his stomach. Recognizing it as an exceptionally rare delicacy, he couldn’t help but exclaim, “Elder, your family is truly fortunate to dwell in such a blessed land!”

This was no exaggeration.

Outside, countless restless souls suffered without hope of salvation, trapped in endless torment. In comparison, this place was free from disasters and calamities, enriched with spiritual plants—an actual paradise.

“Not at all, not at all… The outside world is in chaos, and I barely manage to preserve my body,” Jiang Guan replied, waving his hands.

Observing Wu Ming, though appearing as a youth, remained indifferent to the exquisite female spirits he had cultivated over the past hundred years, Jiang Guan couldn’t help but feel a shiver of awe at his composure.

After all, having such a powerful guest visit made Jiang Guan extremely anxious, fearing that Wu Ming might take an interest in his hard-earned domain.

“This humble Daoist’s yin spirit wandered here; I’ve just arrived at your territory and am unaware of my exact location. I hope, elder, you can enlighten me,” Wu Ming asked directly, uninterested in Jiang Guan’s internal worries.

“Yin spirit wandering? Just arrived here?”

Jiang Guan’s mouth opened wide in surprise. After a moment, he quickly composed himself and smiled apologetically, “Forgive my rudeness, esteemed guest.”

There was no need to conceal this information, so he straightforwardly replied, “This place is the Ghost Kingdom of Black Mountain!”

“Black Mountain… Ghost Kingdom?!”

Wu Ming inwardly felt shocked, especially at the mention of “Black Mountain,” which immediately reminded him of the Black Mountain Lord from the supernatural world. He had quite a history with that figure.

Therefore, he immediately continued, “This Ghost Kingdom of Black Mountain? I must confess, I’ve never heard of it. I wonder how it relates to the Lord of the Three Hundred Li Black Mountain in the mortal realm—the Black Mountain Lord?”

“Shh!”

At the mere mention of the Black Mountain Lord, Jiang Guan’s expression drastically changed. “How dare you address our King so disrespectfully?”

The moment those words left his mouth, Wu Ming instantly knew—the ruler of this Ghost Kingdom of Black Mountain was undoubtedly the same Black Mountain Lord from the mortal realm.

Internally, Wu Ming couldn’t help but sarcastically mutter, “Looks like I’ve delivered myself right to his doorstep. You tricked me, Primordial Deity…”

Reflecting further on the Black Mountain Lord’s audacity in openly establishing a kingdom here, Wu Ming felt even more alarmed.

Although he was unfamiliar with the laws of this world, the general principles of the underworld were mostly consistent. According to strength, beings could roughly be ranked in a hierarchy: Emperor, King, Duke, Marquis, Count, Viscount, Baron, and Gentleman.

Ordinary lonely wandering ghosts didn’t even qualify for the lowest rank, serving merely as expendable cannon fodder.

Typical ghost officers, yin ghosts, or vengeful spirits possessing magical abilities could be considered Gentleman-level, barely managing to establish themselves in the underworld.

In Wu Ming’s eyes, Jiang Guan before him was merely at this Gentleman level.

However, the Black Mountain Lord undoubtedly held at least the rank of Duke or Marquis in the underworld—a title strictly determined by strength, not conferred by any authority.

Now, by establishing a ghost kingdom, he was clearly vying for the position of Ghost King! Perhaps even harboring ambitions to establish a new dynasty and ascend as the Emperor of Black Mountain!

The gap between each hierarchical level was like an unbridgeable chasm, leaving Wu Ming deeply unsettled.

“With such deep roots in the underworld, it might be better to return to the mortal realm…”

While thinking this, Wu Ming asked again, “Then, in the mortal realm, does this place correspond to the Black Mountain Range and the territory of Heitai County? And where is the City God of Heitai?”

“You, sir, truly do not know?”

Jiang Guan’s expression showed surprise upon hearing this.

Seeing Wu Ming still puzzled, he explained further, finally clearing up Wu Ming’s confusion.

Indeed, the Ghost Kingdom of Black Mountain corresponded to the Black Mountain Range and Heitai County in the mortal realm. However, the underworld was vast, and the projected area here was dozens or even hundreds of times larger than its earthly counterpart—ample enough to be called a “kingdom.”

Perhaps sensing that Wu Ming harbored no ill intentions and was merely seeking directions, Jiang Guan decided to provide detailed information, hoping to cultivate good karma. He concluded with a warning: “In this underworld, the City God of Heitai, unable to defeat the King, can only hold onto a small territory for self-defense. He maintains a ghost city known as Heitai, training ghost soldiers and frequently engaging in battles with the Ghost Kingdom of Black Mountain. The situation is perilous. Esteemed Daoist, it would be wise to avoid entanglement.”

“Thank you!”

Regardless, having obtained so much information already made this trip worthwhile. Wu Ming bowed in gratitude and asked further, “I would also like to inquire about the method of returning to the land of the living…”

Jiang Guan smiled bitterly, “If such a method truly existed, why would we still suffer in the underworld?”

After a pause, he continued, “However, my knowledge is limited. I do know that both the King and the City God of Heitai possess the ability to communicate between the realms of the living and the dead. Perhaps they know a way to return. Whether you can succeed, or even meet them, remains uncertain…”

“Regardless, thank you, elder, for your guidance. I am deeply grateful for your kindness,” Wu Ming said, bowing once more.

He had considered this before. However, seeking help from either side would inevitably involve repaying a favor, likely being used as a pawn—an outcome he disliked.

Besides city gods, even the position of local land god possessed the power to communicate between the realms.

In desperate times, whether he acted personally or cultivated a land god himself, returning to the mortal realm was still possible.

“City gods and land gods are indeed positions of great power…”

Wu Ming touched the divine decree inside his robe, a thought arising: “According to the hierarchy in the underworld, a city god of a prefecture must be at the rank of Duke or Marquis! A city god of a commandery corresponds to a Count, while a county city god holds the rank of Viscount! As for a land god, it’s merely a Baron. This actually correlates with the size of the land and population they govern…”

Considering this, the City God of Heitai resisting the Black Mountain Lord seemed quite incredible.

However, the separation between yin and yang, combined with the support of the imperial court behind the City God and the involvement of major cultivation sects, made this balance of power reasonable—even highlighting the Black Mountain Lord’s overwhelming might.

“The position of a land god is still too low. Not only does it involve complex karmic entanglements, but once established, it would place one right at the border between Heitai and Black Mountain—truly a precarious position…”

Wu Ming scratched his head. “Are all other reincarnators like me? This must truly be a hellish level of difficulty!”

While these thoughts raced through his mind, to Jiang Guan, Wu Ming had merely paused briefly before rising, indicating his intention to leave.

At this moment, however, Jiang Guan suddenly felt a tremor, sensing something. He spoke out, urging, “Esteemed guest, after your long journey, why not rest here for the night? I shall personally see you off tomorrow!”

“Such hospitality is greatly appreciated,” Wu Ming replied with slight surprise but did not decline.

“Excellent!”

Seeing Wu Ming agree, Jiang Guan’s face lit up with joy. “Your presence graces my humble home. Bai Cui, please escort the esteemed guest to the best room and attend to him well!”

“At once!”

The most beautiful of the maids stepped forward, bowing respectfully to Wu Ming. “Esteemed guest, please follow me.”

“Wonderful!”

Wu Ming’s eyes flickered with a glint. He smiled slightly and followed her slowly.

The Jiang family’s mansion was quite large. Passing through corridors and gardens, Wu Ming noticed many female spirits along the way, which intrigued him.

They arrived at the east wing, specially prepared for honored guests. The room was luxuriously adorned with silk drapes, golden gauze, and jade-like canopies, tastefully opulent without being garish.

What impressed Wu Ming most was a sandalwood table in the center, upon which stood a celadon vase holding a few branches of winter plum blossoms, their dew still glistening, adding an air of refined elegance.

At this point, Bai Cui, accompanied by two other pretty maids, began their service. They first brought two food boxes containing delicacies and wine suitable for a yin spirit. They stood by respectfully as Wu Ming dined. Afterward, they proceeded to prepare the bed, lighting red candles. Finally, approaching him, her voice barely above a whisper, Bai Cui asked, “Is there anything else the guest requires?”

“Thank you kindly. That will be all.”

Wu Ming was quite satisfied with their service. Seeing the young woman’s proper conduct, he gently pointed a finger.

A thin red aura spiraled upward, causing Bai Cui’s body to tremble. Her face flushed with two rosy patches as she suddenly knelt, saying, “This humble servant thanks the Daoist for his great kindness!”

To Wu Ming, this tiny red aura was insignificant—a mere drop in the ocean. However, for ordinary ghosts like her, receiving such a gift could stabilize their form and preserve their spiritual clarity, truly a great favor.

“Enough, you may go now.”

Wu Ming waved his hand, genuinely dismissing her this time.

At this, Bai Cui’s eyes flickered with a hint of sorrow, yet she obediently bowed and withdrew.

Wu Ming sat cross-legged on the bed, eyes slightly closed, as if drifting into slumber.

…

“Ancestor!”

After leaving the guest room, Bai Cui returned to Jiang Guan.

“Among our women, you are the most beautiful, clever, and gentle, yet that Daoist remained unmoved?” Jiang Guan frowned, his right hand continuously tugging at his long beard, as if troubled by some concern.

“Father, why are you distressed?” asked a middle-aged man who had not been seen by Wu Ming earlier. The man bore a resemblance to Jiang Guan, sharing about sixty to seventy percent of his features.

“Sigh…”

Jiang Guan exhaled deeply. “I have built this residence here. Although we are squeezed and oppressed by both sides, our family has still managed to maintain peace for over a hundred years…”

“But our Jiang family in the mortal realm is declining. I fear our ancestral offerings won’t last much longer. In thirty years, we may become wandering ghosts. How can I not worry day and night about this?”

The blessings of this underworld haven entirely depended on ancestral offerings and fortune from the mortal realm.

Once that connection was lost, a significant decline was inevitable. At the thought of the dire state outside, both the middle-aged man and Bai Cui involuntarily shuddered.

“Forgive my filial impiety, Father, for being unable to share your burdens!”

They knelt, and the middle-aged man asked, “But how does this relate to that Daoist?”

“In my younger years, I passed the imperial examination and later retired to the countryside to study. I also explored minor esoteric arts, learning a technique called ‘Heart Divination’…”

Jiang Guan sighed, “Though it works only sporadically, when I saw that Daoist earlier, I experienced a sudden surge of intuition, realizing that our family’s hope lies in a crucial object—and that Daoist is somehow connected to it!”

“Such… such…”

The middle-aged man paced in circles, unable to devise a solution.

“My original intention was, if that Daoist took a liking to Bai Cui, I would offer her to him, and we could flatter him accordingly, achieving mutual benefit. Alas…”

Jiang Guan sighed deeply.

Bai Cui knelt on the ground, biting her lip, sorrow flashing in her heart, yet she dared not resist.

Unnoticed by anyone, a faint red glow flickered briefly on her body before vanishing.