Shui Miao had originally intended only to gather some information, but unexpectedly, his thoughts aligned perfectly with those of Old Cai and Old Qin.
Moreover, Old Cai and Old Qin appeared extremely enthusiastic, which actually relieved Shui Miao.
As for the highly coveted Nine Tripod Incense Burner, Shui Miao wasn’t uninterested—he simply felt it was beyond his reach. With so many powerful beings and the hidden master thief lurking in the shadows, what chance did he really have to obtain it? Therefore, he figured it would be better to go along and reap some smaller benefits, perhaps acquiring some fragments of the Fire Ling instead.
His expectations were modest, and naturally, the risks involved were lower.
Shui Miao had no desire to become the target of everyone’s attention, unless his strength became truly formidable.
After a brief chat, Old Cai urged Old Qin to begin the investigation immediately. Old Qin accepted the order and promptly departed with a large group of ghost officers.
Then, Old Cai changed the subject and said to Shui Miao, “Brother Shui, you have the heart of a true hero, full of righteousness and courage. Moreover, you helped eliminate Bai Yang, bringing great merit to the underworld. Therefore, I’d like to appoint you as a local Yang Investigator, responsible for monitoring ghosts, monsters, and evil spirits, maintaining the balance between the yin and yang realms. You can treat this as an official identity, which will benefit your future endeavors—though, of course, only within my jurisdiction. Naturally, the Yang Investigator also receives a salary, which you may not value, but the Investigator’s ability to counteract malevolent ghost kings is no small matter.”
“I still don’t quite understand,” Shui Miao furrowed his brows. “Your Excellency City God, thank you for your kind consideration, but I must clarify certain matters. For instance, if I were to eliminate a villain like Lei Laohu without being an official Yang Investigator, would that action bring any consequences to the underworld?” Shui Miao wanted to politely decline. As the saying goes, whoever holds the bowl must follow the rules. He had no desire to become subordinate to Old Cai. However, Old Cai appeared genuinely sincere, so Shui Miao decided it was wise to learn more before making a decision.
Old Cai nodded and explained softly, “Brother, let me put it this way—there are far too many wandering souls in the human world. Our management team is strictly regulated by the upper ranks and cannot be expanded. Without establishing various ghost kings, big and small, we would be unable to manage the vast number of spirits, and the balance between yin and yang would collapse. Therefore, even though killing someone like Lei Laohu seems like a good deed, you must understand that when one such figure falls, more will rise to fill the void. They will fight amongst themselves for dominance, causing collateral damage to innocents. Who will clean up the mess then? Us, of course. True, it’s my duty as the City God to handle such chaos, but our jurisdiction is vast—tens of thousands of wandering souls. We couldn’t possibly manage them all while also tending to our own cultivation and daily needs. Therefore, we must employ strategies—retain obedient ghost kings, eliminate the disobedient, and cultivate new ones. To maintain order, we must tolerate some evil spirits; otherwise, the wandering souls would lose their fear and everything would descend into chaos. This is the art of governance, the art of political maneuvering. I wouldn’t be speaking so frankly if we weren’t such close friends.”
Knowing Shui Miao was still inexperienced, Old Cai explained at length.
From Old Cai’s words, Shui Miao could sense the logic behind his reasoning.
Indeed, Old Cai’s method was effective for managing the countless wandering souls.
Yet Shui Miao couldn’t help but disagree. He felt it was a way to shirk responsibility, a passive and complacent approach.
After a pause, Shui Miao asked, “Then, as a Yang Investigator, may I cultivate capable and righteous ghost kings to govern the regions?”
“Of course you may. If you’re willing to invest time and effort, I’d even be willing to hand over the position of City God to you. However, it would require an immense amount of time. In today’s society, there are too many evildoers. When they die, they become wicked ghosts, increasing daily. I fear you’d be too overwhelmed to focus on your own cultivation,” Old Cai said truthfully, having spent many years as a ghost officer and knowing the difficulty all too well.
“I think I understand now. I’ll give it a try.”
Shui Miao nodded, deciding to accept the role of Yang Investigator.
He had his own plans. Many of his loved ones and friends lacked sufficient cultivation and would eventually die. After their deaths, he could cultivate them into ghost kings and gradually develop their powers.
Whatever it took, he would lay the groundwork for them first.
But before that, he needed to eliminate any potential threats.
At present, Shui Miao’s greatest threat did not come from the Yuxu Sect, but rather from the thousand-year-old female ghost, Bai Niangniang.
“Excellent! With your help, I’ll be much more at ease!”
Old Cai smiled happily and summoned five young ghost officers and five horse-bodied ghost steeds from his spatial artifact. He addressed them, “You are newly assigned here by the upper ranks, and our Yang Investigator has also just been appointed. Therefore, you must cherish this rare opportunity, fully support the Investigator’s work, and fulfill your duties with loyalty and dedication. Do not fail, or you will be banished, your souls scattered forever, never to be reborn.”
“…”
The words sounded more like a threat, and Shui Miao was startled by how lowly their fates seemed.
The five ghost officers appeared very young, approximately sixteen or seventeen years old. They wore black uniforms, carried black waist swords, and donned black caps marked with the character “officer” (差). Among them, four were male and one was female, and their faces were eerily identical. The five ghost steeds were similarly uniform in appearance.
“Understood!”
A female ghost officer and her steed responded first, followed by the others nodding in unison.
Their movements were perfectly synchronized, like well-trained soldiers.
Seeing Shui Miao’s confusion, Old Cai chuckled and explained, “There’s much you don’t yet understand, so let me clarify. Ghost officers and steeds in the underworld fall into two categories. One group consists of righteous souls who choose to become officers after death, much like enlistment in the human world. Old Qin and I belong to this category. The second type are born from the Pool of Yin Spirits in the underworld. These beings are born identical, extremely pure in nature, and must undergo sixteen years of rigorous training and testing before becoming officers or steeds, assigned to maintain the balance between yin and yang. Each team consists of one officer and one steed, with five such teams forming a unit. These officers born from the Pool of Yin Spirits are extremely powerful—far more so than Old Qin and I were in our youth. The steeds are also highly skilled in reconnaissance. Normally, four of the five teams handle surveillance of the four cardinal directions, while the remaining team stays by your side, ready to report and receive orders.”
Old Cai paused and continued, “Also, they are essentially blank slates—without names, and four of the teams cannot even speak. However, they can communicate telepathically. The female officer’s team is a rare elite unit; both she and her steed can communicate verbally, though they remain very innocent. Their appearances will change naturally over time as their power and personalities evolve. Most importantly, they will emulate your personality and learn your skills as their leader. As their superior, you may name them, and as their strength grows, they will naturally acquire the ability to speak human language.”
“Wait a moment…” Shui Miao looked at the officers and steeds in disbelief. “This is all too incredible. They’re so exceptional—why would they follow me? If I do something wrong, or simply do nothing, wouldn’t I be ruining them?”
“Haha, precisely why such an honor is not given to just anyone. The position of Yang Investigator isn’t open to everyone. You were unanimously recommended by all the ghost officers here as a righteous hero, and that’s why the upper ranks granted you this elite team. It’s both a sign of our trust in you and a test from above. Do your best. Don’t just think about becoming an immortal—there are too many rules and sects in the Immortal Realm. You won’t be nearly as free as we are here in the mortal world.” Saying this, Old Cai took out a jade token and handed it to Shui Miao. The token was pure white, engraved with the words “Yang Investigator.” “Carry this on you, and your team will easily find you. Of course, you can also activate its spirit, which will greatly enhance your power. However, once you do, you will forever become a servant of the underworld. So, the choice is yours.”
Shui Miao took the jade token, and it immediately vanished.
“Feel for it—it’s now attached to your earthly soul’s waist,” Old Cai smiled, reminding him.
Shui Miao quickly focused his spiritual sense and indeed sensed the token hanging there.
“Well then, I must be off. If you need anything, just let the ghost steeds send me a message.”
Old Cai bowed to Shui Miao, and before the latter could respond, he vanished.
Shui Miao turned back in disbelief, staring at his newly assigned “team.” Could this all be a dream?
※※※
Chen Meiling, Chenxiang, Fox Demon Qimei, and Jincanzi approached.
They had overheard the entire conversation.
Since they were Shui Miao’s loved ones, Old Cai hadn’t hidden anything from them.
Looking at the ghost officers and steeds, they too wore expressions of astonishment.
“Please grant us names, Your Excellency Investigator!”
The female ghost officer and her steed suddenly spoke in unison, bowing respectfully.
Shui Miao had been pondering whether these officers and steeds might serve as spies for the underworld, when their voices interrupted his thoughts. Looking at them, he pointed at the female officer and steed and said, “You shall be named Shui (Water), and you shall be named Zhu Yue (Chase the Moon). The other four officers shall be named Jin (Metal), Mu (Wood), Huo (Fire), and Tu (Earth). The four steeds shall be named Zhu Ri (Chase the Sun), Zhu Lei (Chase the Thunder), Zhu Dian (Chase the Lightning), and Zhu Feng (Chase the Wind).”
“Thank you, Your Excellency, for granting us names!”
Shui and Zhu Yue bowed together.
※※※
Meanwhile, in the underworld’s Bureau of Ghosts.
Before a golden octagonal well stood a man and woman dressed in black robes and armor. The man had a cold expression, his face sharply chiseled and handsome. The woman was exquisitely beautiful, with large, innocent eyes that seemed to cleanse the soul.
“Wu Qing, you didn’t expect this young man to choose such names, did you?” the woman suddenly smiled, glancing at the man beside her.
The man waved his hand, and the image in the octagonal well vanished. He replied coldly, “Wu Ai, I know you deliberately sent the female ghost officer to the human world to learn about love and emotions. You even infused the souls of ‘Shui’ and ‘Zhu Yue’ with your spiritual essence. Let me tell you now—love and emotions are the most dangerous things in the world. They cloud judgment, strip away honor, and lead to shameless corruption.”
The man seemed to hold strict principles and deeply feared emotional entanglements.
The woman, Wu Ai, pouted and retorted, “And what about you? Didn’t you also infuse the soul of ‘Jin’ with your essence?”
“I did that to protect your essence, to prevent it from being tainted by love!” Wu Qing flicked his sleeve and turned to leave.
Wu Ai’s eyes twinkled mischievously. She turned back, smiling, and waved her hand, restoring the image in the octagonal well. Gazing at Shui Miao inside, she whispered to herself, “Shui Miao, Shui Miao, you must help me understand what love truly is! If you can show me the meaning of love, I promise to grant you a great favor. Hehe…”
With that, she waved her hand again, the image vanished, and she quickly flew after Wu Qing.
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