Chapter Five: An Unintended Journey into the Underworld (Part One)

In the days that followed, there was no word from Chiyang or Little Troublemaker. Shi Jun privately speculated that perhaps Chiyang wanted him to cool off for a while and was deliberately keeping his distance, which suited him just fine—since he had no idea what the next task would be, he decided to give himself a long holiday and use this time to make preparations and hone his skills.

His mother had gone on a business trip to Qingdao and wouldn't be back for about a week, leaving Shi Jun alone at home. Rarely undisturbed, he resolved to seize the opportunity to study the art of manipulating objects—hadn't Chiyang mentioned that this was the foundation for mastering other spells? Although he hadn't yet discovered its greater purpose, practicing it until proficient could only be beneficial.

All morning, household items—teacups, thermoses, pots, bowls, and plates—became his practice targets. Unfortunately, his technique was unrefined; at the slightest distraction, he would smash a cup or break a bowl. After hurriedly cleaning up to conceal his crimes, he switched his focus to dishcloths and a few heads of lettuce unearthed from the kitchen.

As he practiced, Shi Jun began to discern a pattern: when manipulating objects, the heart, eyes, and hands must be united in purpose; even minor lapses in concentration led to failure. After several more attempts, his success rate rose to seven or eight out of ten. Feeling a surge of pride, he thought to press his advantage—moving vegetables back and forth was hardly exciting; perhaps he should try something else.

But his luck ended there. After countless attempts to move the dining table, Shi Jun finally gave up; no matter how focused he was, the heavy table remained rooted, unmoved by his gestures. Crestfallen, he reflected that his current state resembled Da Hai's recent rigorous training—a similarity that made him chuckle and decide to quit while ahead. Today he had glimpsed the basics; excessive striving was never wise.

* * *

He had hoped to enjoy a peaceful respite, but fate had other plans. At noon that day, Chen Ya arrived, her face clouded with anger.

Shi Jun was surprised; Chen Ya, ever proud and aloof, rarely acknowledged him, and her sudden visit surely had something to do with Da Hai. For Da Hai's sake, he decided to humor her, greeting her with a smile, "What brings the young lady here? Is there something you need from your humble servant?"

"Me? Do I have that kind of authority?" Chen Ya's expression was cold and her tone sharp. "Just stop coaxing Da Hai into things and I'll be grateful enough!"

Shi Jun was baffled. He had never cared much for Chen Ya, and her immediate accusations stirred his irritation. Still, he didn't wish to stoop to her level, so he smiled and asked, "Are you two having a spat? That guy can be impulsive—sometimes you might want to go easy on him..."

"He? Is he even worthy of quarreling with me?" Chen Ya was truly angry, her words unguarded. "Tell me, what have you two been up to lately, acting so mysterious? Da Hai is so honest—don't lead him astray..."

After much confusion, Shi Jun finally understood. Since Da Hai and Chen Ya had become close, Da Hai had poured his heart out to her—not just surrendering his bankbook or reporting his whereabouts, but sharing everything from his ancestors to his childhood, leaving nothing hidden. Yet he had promised Shi Jun never to reveal anything related to the underworld to anyone, so on that matter he always kept silent. Normally, this would have been fine, but Da Hai was curious and eager for excitement, drawn to anything underworld-related, frequently visiting Shi Jun. Inadvertently, this left Chen Ya feeling neglected, and when questioned, Da Hai would mumble and fail to explain, raising Chen Ya's suspicions. She believed Shi Jun was sowing discord between them and had come to confront him.

Shi Jun blamed Da Hai for being too honest—such a minor issue could have been resolved with a simple lie, sparing everyone trouble! But he didn't want his friend to suffer, so he quickly thought of a response and forced a smile. "Haha, I've been in a bad mood lately, so Da Hai often comes to keep me company. Sorry to have made you misunderstand, sister-in-law!"

Chen Ya flushed at the term "sister-in-law," her expression softening. "You're in a bad mood? I couldn't tell."

"Ah!" Shi Jun sighed dramatically. "You two are so happy together; of course you wouldn't notice the helplessness behind my smile. To be honest, I recently suffered a heartbreak—how could my mood be any good?"

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"Heartbreak?" Chen Ya was skeptical. "I never heard you were dating anyone."

"It's a secret crush! A secret crush! Nothing is more painful than that—matters like this I can only swallow in silence. If others found out, I'd lose the last shred of dignity!" Shi Jun turned away so Chen Ya wouldn't see him struggle to suppress his laughter.

Just then, Da Hai arrived, clearly agitated—he and Chen Ya must have had a heated argument, arriving one after the other by chance. Shi Jun quickly signaled to Da Hai, "Perfect timing! Da Hai, I've explained everything to your wife. You focus so much on protecting my reputation, but maybe you should also consider her feelings. My heartbreak is one thing, but if it affects your relationship, that's my fault!"

With just a few words, he conveyed the full story.

Da Hai, not skilled at deception, simply glanced at Chen Ya and remained silent.

Seeing this, Chen Ya believed them even more, her expression softening. "You should have said so—there are no secrets between us. How about you stay and keep Shi Jun company? I have something to do, so I'll go first." With that, she strode out.

* * *

Shi Jun secretly laughed: her leaving was best—otherwise, Da Hai might slip up. Seeing Da Hai still standing there dumbfounded, he couldn't help teasing, "I'm impressed! I thought you'd be defeated by a beautiful woman, but it seems you have a backbone after all!"

"Ha! What did you expect?" Da Hai immediately regained his heroic demeanor. "I'm telling you, matters of secrecy—even if you used the top ten Qing punishments, I'd hold firm! As for Chen Ya—hmph!"

"Should I salute you then?"

"Not necessary, but a small token of gratitude wouldn't go amiss!"

Shi Jun saw Da Hai's "sinister" smile and guessed his meaning, but feigned ignorance. "No problem, I'll treat you tonight..."

"Bang!" Da Hai smacked Shi Jun on the head, grumbling, "Don't play dumb! Do you think I care about a meal?"

"Then what do you want?" Shi Jun rubbed the bump on his head, face twisted in pain.

"Take me to the underworld! I'm warning you, if you leave me out of such an adventure, our brotherhood is over!" Da Hai declared solemnly.

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Shi Jun could only smile wryly. "Da Hai, I've told you—the underworld isn't a place you can visit on a whim, the consequences are unpredictable! Is there nothing in this world that scares you?"

"I'm willing, so why worry?" Ever since witnessing Shi Jun's prowess in subduing Susu, Da Hai had developed an almost blind faith in his abilities, brushing off his warnings. "Think about it—visiting the underworld while still alive is a rare opportunity! Besides, you're an underworld inspector, aren't you? You can look out for me."

"You're impossible!" Shi Jun truly had no way to deal with him. "You're even crazier than Liu Shuihuo!"

"Say what you want—I'm sticking with you. I'm going home to pack now, and if you don't agree, I'll just move into your place and never leave!" Da Hai, sometimes childlike, finished his words and actually went back to school to pack.

"Crazy! He's really gone crazy!" Shi Jun muttered, watching Da Hai's figure recede.

* * *

After lunch, Da Hai moved into Shi Jun's house, brandishing a banner that read "Refuse to leave unless I go to the underworld!" Seeing his friend's determination, Shi Jun could only smile helplessly.

Go to the underworld? As if it were a vacation? Shi Jun was far more rational than Da Hai on this matter. Deep down, he too wished to explore the underworld—his longing to find his father had never ceased. But his recent dealings with ghosts and monsters had given him a clearer understanding of their destructive power. With his current abilities, barging into the underworld was practically suicide. Chiyang's warning before leaving still echoed in his mind.

Therefore, Shi Jun said nothing more. He cleared out a guest room for Da Hai and treated the whole situation with indifference, planning to let it cool down.

Two days passed in a flash. On the weekend, Shi Jun returned home to find Da Hai already there—his friend, bored, sat holding an old book, barely reading, but jumped up as soon as Shi Jun entered, grinning sheepishly.

"Hey! Any plans for the weekend? How about a two-day trip to the underworld?"

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