Chapter Four: The Underworld’s Hidden Treasure (Part Two)

A flicker of amusement shone in Chiyang’s eyes as she nodded. “Exactly! Ghosts cast no shadows—that is the greatest distinction between the departed and other beings. Most spirits, as pure entities of consciousness, have neither substance nor shadow; only after reaching the Underworld can they absorb the chilling, unique energy of that realm and take on a tangible form. The ghosts wandering in this world, having never entered the Underworld, are generally visible but insubstantial.”

Shi Jun was tempted to ask about this “chilling energy of the Underworld,” but curiosity warred with the urge to keep listening, so he forced down his questions and attentively absorbed her words.

“Generally speaking, those solitary wandering spirits, because they haven’t properly departed the human realm, retain a thread of yang energy. Thus, even in daylight, they can move about, but their range is limited—a radius of about a mile from their place of death. Unless they encounter some extraordinary event, they possess little destructive power. Of course, there are exceptions.” At this, Chiyang paused.

“Take Susu, for example. At such a young age, he’s already learned the art of manipulating objects you mentioned, hasn’t he?” Shi Jun finally couldn’t help but interject, “And Susu told me he was taught by an old man with a white beard!”

“That’s exactly what I’m about to explain,” Chiyang’s tone grew grave. “Not all ghosts are like Susu. Some possess no special powers and are gentle by nature—left behind only because of their attachment to the mortal world, or because the ‘guides’ failed to ferry them across in time, leaving them stranded here, helpless.”

“Lu Qing!” The thought suddenly struck Shi Jun. Wasn’t Lu Qing just such a ghost? It seemed she’d been delayed by some twist of fate, which was why she was so unlucky, drifting aimlessly day and night until she wound up—quite by accident—at his home…

As Shi Jun’s thoughts drifted to Lu Qing, he unconsciously tuned out Chiyang’s next words, only snapping back to attention as he heard, “…those vengeful or ferocious spirits, because of the overwhelming resentment at the time of death, carry within them immense negative spiritual energy—what’s commonly called yin energy—so they can only move about at night. Still, these ghosts can absorb the energy of the moon to strengthen themselves, and should they master the manipulation of this negative power, they might break through their usual boundaries and wander the human realm at will, causing harm wherever they please.”

What! Wouldn’t the world descend into chaos? Shi Jun had heard stories of malicious spirits harming people, and the terrifying images from countless horror films he’d watched suddenly seemed all too real.

“These vengeful specters, due to their potent negative energy, typically attack by disrupting human brainwaves, inducing hallucinations and luring people, while their minds are clouded, into elaborate illusions under their control. Ultimately, their victims are driven to self-harm or even mutual slaughter, making it easy for these spirits to claim lives,” Chiyang explained further, noticing Shi Jun’s furrowed brow and speaking with particular care. “But their attacks are not indiscriminate; they usually target those connected to their own deaths, or are triggered by specific scenes or times. What’s more, they aren’t always successful—some people’s mental strength or willpower is simply too formidable for even the fiercest spirits to overcome. And remember, they’re generally confined to the night, so there’s no need for undue alarm.”

“Not be alarmed?” Shi Jun thought gloomily. “Maybe you think nothing of these creatures, but for ordinary people, being targeted by them means certain death!”

“Don’t overthink it,” Chiyang said, seeing his continued worry and making a halting gesture. “Now’s not the time for needless anxieties! Besides, if these ghosts were so easily dealt with, there’d be no need for an Underworld Hunter like you. What you should focus on now is how to quickly improve your abilities—only then can you face these challenges with confidence.”

Shi Jun nodded repeatedly, recognizing the truth in her words. Whether he liked being an Underworld Hunter or not, he was one now. Without the necessary skills, he could barely protect himself, let alone help others—spirits like Lu Qing, for instance. For their sake, he had to grow stronger.

Unaware of Shi Jun’s inner turmoil, Chiyang continued her explanation, only to suddenly recall something and add, “By the way! The Underworld Token is the symbol of your new role. Besides marking you out, it has other functions, but it’s not the right time to tell you more. Just keep it safe—never lose it!” With that, she signaled to the little troublemaker and prepared to leave. “We’ll take our leave now.”

Chiyang led the little rascal to the window, then turned back, her gaze lingering on Shi Jun. “I know all you’ve done is for the sake of entering the Underworld. I don’t know your reasons, but let me warn you—don’t go alone! Only with my consent, and with either myself or the little troublemaker as your companion, can you guarantee your safety.”

In all their time together, this was the first time Shi Jun had seen Chiyang so earnestly warn him against taking a particular action. He wanted to press her for details, but as soon as she finished, she and the little mischief-maker vanished out the window.

Why was it so dangerous to enter the Underworld alone? Shi Jun was puzzled, but he had no intention of rushing in blindly. He knew he needed to prepare himself mentally before attempting such a journey. If it had been Hu Hai who’d heard Chiyang’s warning, he’d probably have packed his bags and gone without hesitation. Sometimes, telling someone not to do something is the best way to push them into doing it anyway.

Sure enough, Hu Hai’s reaction was just as Shi Jun expected.

“Why not go? It’d be a great experience! It’s just like being a tourist, isn’t it?” Hu Hai shook his head. “I really can’t understand why you’re so cautious.”

Then, his excitement growing, he added, “Actually, you know what? We should go together! If anything goes wrong, at least we can look out for each other. It’s settled then!” At the thought, his eyes sparkled.

“You want to go too?” Shi Jun was startled. “Aren’t you afraid you’ll never come back? That’s like walking into a trap—ignoring the path to heaven, you barge right into hell!”

Hu Hai just shrugged. “If that’s my fate, so be it. But now that I know about this, there’s no way I’m missing out. Come on, just tell me—will you bring me or not?”

“I’m only thinking of your safety, and you blame me for it?” Shi Jun protested. He thought Hu Hai truly had nerves of steel.

“For my safety? Then why not teach me that object-manipulating technique?” Hu Hai pressed.

“But I honestly don’t know how I learned it,” Shi Jun admitted. “There’s no incantation or anything—I just do it, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. How could I possibly teach you?”

“No incantation?” Hu Hai scratched his head, realizing Shi Jun wasn’t lying, and looked a little dejected. But being the optimist he was, his disappointment lasted only a few seconds before his spirits revived. “Oh well, I believe nothing is impossible—I’ll just keep practicing, maybe I’ll discover some hidden ability myself!”

True to his word, Hu Hai threw himself into practice, day in and day out. Following Shi Jun’s advice about uniting heart, eye, and hand, he diligently pointed at every little thing around him, muttering under his breath. His peculiar behavior left their classmates utterly baffled.

Soon, because his gestures resembled those of Duan Yu wielding the Six Pulse Divine Sword in Jin Yong’s “Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils,” Hu Hai earned the nickname “Duan the Madman.” The difference was, while Duan Yu’s sword skills might seem unreliable at first, they proved deadly when it mattered; our hero Hu, on the other hand, spent his days waving and shouting to no effect, earning nothing but bewildered glances wherever he went.

As for Lu the Loser, after his second crushing blow, Shi Jun had worried he might be traumatized. But watching him, Shi Jun realized things weren’t nearly as bleak as he’d imagined. Rumor had it that Lu had visited every Buddhist temple, Daoist shrine, mosque, and even church in the city. After all this, he finally hung a huge, ostentatious gold-plated cross around his neck, declaring it “absolutely pure gold, no fakes,” and seemed to regain his composure and confidence.

Now, whenever Lu saw Shi Jun, he no longer darted away like he’d seen a ghost. Instead, he’d meet Shi Jun’s gaze with a benevolent, almost pitying smile, clutching his cross and murmuring as if to say, “God, forgive him.” This sent shivers down Shi Jun’s spine, but seeing that Old Lu was back to “normal” was a relief nonetheless.

And so, with everyone finding their own peace, a sense of contentment settled over them all.