Chapter 98: The Yin Officer (2 / 2)

The taller Yin officer said, "Wait here. I'll go check with the Land Deity's registry. We can't afford to grab the wrong person."

"Go ahead, go ahead. It's the temple fair season anyway, and the Land Deity's got plenty of food to eat. If you ask for something, we might get something better. Waiting for this poor soul to make offerings won't be as fast as begging for alms," the chubbier Yin officer replied.

While the officers left, I stood outside and decided to strike up a conversation with the other officer, who seemed a bit more approachable. The Grandmaster had long since abandoned me, and I couldn't help but wonder if it was because I hadn't heeded his advice, thus disrupting the balance of fate. But if he were angry, he couldn't possibly be sending the Night Walker God to help me, right?

Something felt off about all this. As the conversation between the two Yin officers continued, we passed a fork in the road. On the left was a path surrounded by a dense, eerie fog, while the other led to a bright, warm spring landscape. I couldn't resist asking, "Brothers, this is my first time in the underworld. Since I've just died, I don't know the rules. If I ever manage to return to the living, I'll have my family send you both offerings."

"You?" The taller officer scoffed. "You're a wrongful death case, what are you doing in the underworld? You'll finish your life in the human realm first, settle all your debts, and only then can you cross over and live as a spirit."

I felt a cold shiver down my spine and asked about the two different paths. "Why is one dark and the other bright?"

The officer's response was indifferent. "The other path isn't our concern. That's the road to the Western Paradise, the Pure Land, and we deal with the path to the Underworld."

I felt a chill in my heart. Naturally, no one would want to take the dark path. As we waited near the Land Deity's temple, a few monks passed by, each dressed in robes and led by two young acolytes, heading toward the brighter path. I couldn't help but feel envious, but the Yin officer snorted dismissively, "What's so great about a place that doesn't even eat meat? It's just brighter, but it's no different from our underworld."

I didn't ask any further questions, but soon, the tall Yin officer rushed back, looking agitated. "Brother, I couldn't find his name in the registry. This is really strange."

"Then what do we do? Without the registry, we can't verify his identity. If we bring him back, we'll be in big trouble," the chubbier Yin officer said, panic creeping into his voice. "Did the Land Deity make a mistake?"

The tall officer shook his head. "The Land Deity's registry includes every birth, death, and reincarnation within a hundred-mile radius. All the animals are also recorded. The total numbers match, except for this Zhang Dabo. He's not on the list."

As the officers panicked, it became clear that without the registry, they couldn't process my soul properly. The Fengdu City judges would need the identity verification before deciding what to do with me. Without this documentation, I wouldn't even be able to enter the city, and if they were caught misplacing the registry, it could cost them dearly.

Listening to their bickering, I softly suggested, "Why not just send me back? You can say the message you received was wrong, and that no such person exists. This way, the blame won't fall on you two."

I lowered my head, secretly hoping that if I could get back, I might have a chance at life. Seeing their argument, I thought about how, whether in the living world or the underworld, where there were people, there was always... you know.

They fell silent, and it seemed like they were muttering to each other. Suddenly, the tall Yin officer snapped at me, "What nonsense are you talking? We're Yin officers! Do you think we can secretly let you go? Without the registry, you're still coming with us. Now, move!"

He pushed me forward. I sensed a change in his demeanor—he didn't seem as furious as before.

Something still didn't feel right, but I couldn't pinpoint what it was. As we walked, we soon arrived at a grim, desolate part of the road. The yellow rocks around us were carved with the words "Yellow Springs Road."

I had heard that the Yellow Springs Road was rough and treacherous, a path few souls could walk easily. And as I moved forward, it seemed true. Looking up, there was no sun, moon, or stars. Looking down, there was no earth or dust. Looking ahead, there was no bright road to follow, and behind, there was no sign of family or friends. All I saw was the gray sky and the barren land beneath my feet.

As we continued on this strange journey, I began to notice other souls passing by, all bound by chains and escorted by Yin officers. Among them, I recognized Cui Hai—his clothes were in tatters, and he hunched forward, his grandfather, father, and himself all bound together by a single chain. The other officers didn't pay any attention to them; they just hurriedly escorted the souls along their paths.

At that moment, the chubby Yin officer sighed, "I don't know what's going on today, but I'm so tired. Let's take a break, there's no rush."

The taller officer nodded. "Sure, we've got time. We got some food from the Land Deity. Want to try?"

He pulled out a wrapped piece of meat and some wine, and they sat down to rest on the ground.