Chapter 1: Strange Phenomena in the Underworld

  Lan Jingqiu, who was ready to return to the world of the living, arranged the storefront of the repair shop and handed over relevant matters to the newly deceased car repair master before he could leave with peace of mind.

  Huo Jucai saw Lan Jingqiu hang up the repair shop sign, and only then did he understand why Lan Jingqiu didn't want such a high salary. He thought to himself and secretly admired "Lan uncle is really a shrewd businessman, even in death he doesn't forget about business, what a clever person!"

  Lan Jing saw Ho Jucai staring at her in surprise, and suddenly understood what he was thinking. She smiled mysteriously and said: "Look at the streets of the underworld, they are filled with broken cars everywhere. Some have broken windows, some have broken engines... Look at those BMWs in front of the 'Underworld Bank', their tires are blown out, they can't move, blocking the bank entrance. Everyone is frustrated because people in the world keep burning cars and houses for their deceased loved ones, but forget to burn car parts. So once a car breaks down, it's just left there. I met a mechanic who specializes in repairing cars in his shop. When I return to the world of the living, I'll find time to burn some car parts and then I can monopolize this business."

  "How clever!" Chen Zhenhua nodded and said, "It would be great if I could encounter such a business opportunity."

  "There's another business in this netherworld that can be monopolized." said Lan Jingqiu.

  "What business?" asked Huo Jucai.

  Lan Jingqiu stood on the street, looking around and suddenly laughed: "You see, we Chinese people are now also paying attention to civilization, everyone likes flowers, but their deceased relatives only know how to burn TVs, refrigerators and other things, they don't think about sending flowers. However, look at those foreigners, their deceased relatives only know how to send them flowers, without knowing that they can't even eat a meal in the underworld. So, for the sake of living, they take out the flowers sent by their relatives and sell them. Look, they're selling them on the street stalls, and they're cheap, 100 chrysanthemums are only sold for 10 yuan, we can buy them from them, package them and then resell them, isn't that a profit?"

  "Not bad!" Chen Zhenhua slapped his thigh and said with a smile.

  "What a beautiful girl! Unfortunately, she seems to be disabled and has difficulty walking, as if she had suffered from cerebral thrombosis before. Everyone was discussing business when a woman wandered around dejectedly not far away, and Huo Jucai saw her first and exclaimed."

  And as soon as Huo Jucai called out, everyone subconsciously turned their heads to look back, and indeed saw a woman walking on the street, who was very beautiful. Everyone's eyes were wide with wonder, including Chen Zhenhua.

  Chen Zhenhua's eyes were also wide with wonder, not because he was stunned by the woman's appearance, but because this woman looked very familiar to him. She was the one who had died in the ruins and had almost cost him his life as well.

  The girl had her hands around her head and was frowning, as if she were ill and in great pain.

  Seeing the woman, Chen Zhenhua was overjoyed and hastily rushed forward to intercept her.

  Huo Jucai and others stood stupidly in place, unanimously only able to let out a "ah".

  "This kid actually got there first." Huo Jucai muttered in disappointment.

  Chen Zhenhua's sudden appearance also surprised the woman. She took a step back and asked, "Who are you? Why are you blocking my way?"

  Chen Zhenhua hastily waved his hand to signal the woman not to be afraid, and when she was no longer scared and could stand up to listen to him speak, he continued: "I haven't been in this underworld for long, I died because of you."

  "Die for me?" The woman looked puzzled, sizing up Chen Zhenhua, "But I didn't know you when I was alive."

  "Not bad!" Chen Zhenhua said, "You don't know me and I don't know you. But before my death, I lived in the dormitory of the city's sanitation station in Ubon City. One night not long ago, I heard someone wailing in the ruins behind the sanitation station on the mountain. The next day, I heard that someone had died in the ruins. So I wanted to investigate your cause of death. Later, I was discovered and killed by an iron rod while trying to escape."

  The woman nodded and said, "So that's how it is."

  "In this life, I have no regrets. The only regret is that the truth about your death has not been investigated until now. Can you tell me? Oh, by the way, what's your name?"

  The woman sighed, remained silent for a moment, then lifted her head and said: "My name is Qin Yin. I was killed by my boyfriend. He took advantage of me when I was asleep and injected air into my body, causing my blood to coagulate and form thrombi, blocking the blood vessels. You don't know how painful it was for me to die. Even now, my head still hurts from time to time."

  "No wonder I saw you walking with your head down earlier," Chen Zhenhua said, "I also saw the needle holes on your arm in the police station morgue. But why did you go to that abandoned factory, and at midnight?"

  The woman smiled wryly and said, "I was carried there by that evil thief after I died. He wanted to abandon my corpse there because people say that the ruins are haunted by malevolent spirits that kill people. He wanted everyone to think that I was killed by a ghost."

  Chen Zhenhua frowned and said, "Wasn't that miserable cry made by you?"

  "No!" the woman said, "The cry was that scoundrel dog deliberately crying out, he was scared when I seemed to wake up again when he abandoned me there, but it only took a minute, and I died again."

  "Why does he want to kill you?" Chen Zhenhua asked.

  "He's a wolf in sheep's clothing. I met him at a coffee shop a few years ago, and at first, he acted like a romantic gentleman in front of me, so I fell for him. Later, I found out that this scoundrel had his eyes on the inheritance my father left me, so we got into a fight, and I even suggested breaking up with him. That villain then tried to take advantage of me, but fortunately, I already knew his intentions, so I donated all the money to a welfare institution."

  "Ah, I see!" Chen Zhenhua nodded and said: "But don't worry, miss, I will definitely find the scoundrel who killed you, I will avenge you. What's his name?"

  "If I could avenge myself, that would be the best. But can I? His name is Wang Canglong." The woman let out another sigh of sorrow, and this sound of sorrow made Chen Zhenhua's heart break. He gritted his teeth and said: "I will!"

  The two of them chatted for a while before parting ways. Chen Zhenhua returned to the group and told everyone about the girl's experience, and everyone who heard it was also very indignant, saying that they must avenge the girl.

  The day passed quickly, and Yan Wang finally gave the order to set off. The five of them bid farewell to Yan Wang and walked out, but as soon as they opened the door, Lan Jingqiu collided with a ghost who was in a hurry. He hastily retreated backwards, only to see two girls with purple hair rush in. Ouyang Qing and Dugu Jin recognized them - they were the two ghosts who had been admitted to Heaven's Court not long ago through cheating means. But why had they returned to the underworld? That was unknown. Ouyang Qing was shocked when he saw them enter, his mouth agape as if he couldn't believe his eyes. It was incredibly difficult to pass the exam and ascend to Heaven - how many ghosts and monsters dreamed of becoming immortals one day? The envy and jealousy in the eyes of those who watched from the sidelines as so many ghosts boarded the trucks heading to Heaven's Court that day were palpable.

  "How did you get back?" Ouyang Qing asked curiously as she stepped forward.

  "Never mind!" Qian Xiaohong shrugged and smiled wryly, "We have plenty of reasons to return to the underworld. Firstly, when we arrived at the Heavenly Court, seeing the bright sky was indeed exhilarating, but it was also very unfamiliar. We saw many fairy maidens, each as beautiful as a flower, but the Heavenly Court was shrouded in mist and smoke, making it impossible to see the ground. Walking around was treacherous, and I tripped several times because I couldn't see where I was stepping, even stubbing my toes on stone steps. It hurt so much that I wanted to find a hole to hide in from embarrassment, especially when the fairy maidens burst out laughing."

  Lu Xiao Ying then interrupted, "Secondly, I saw the heavenly goddesses were breathtakingly beautiful. With our faces, it would be too difficult to flirt with those beauties in heaven, so we had no choice but to hastily apply for a return to hell."

  "Moreover," Qian Xiaohong interrupted, "the cost of living in Heaven is very high, it's quite difficult to live there, and the working hours are too long. The mineral water factory founded by Queen Mother Wang requires working over ten hours a day."

  "Queen Mother is running a factory?" Huo Jucai heard that Queen Mother was running a factory, he felt unbelievable, and asked in surprise.

  "Yes," Qian Xiaohong said, "it's called Yaochi Mineral Water. I heard that she used to have a peaches and plums orchard, the same one where Sun Wukong stole the peaches in 'Journey to the West'. Now it's been contracted out to Chang'e, who has a peaches and plums beverage processing plant."

  "In the underworld, they try every means to get into heaven, but once in heaven, they struggle to come back. This is truly hard to understand." Ou Yang Qing shook his head and said.

  "Heaven's court is still better than the underworld," Dugu Jin said, shaking his head and muttering to himself, "I would rather die a good death in heaven's court than linger on in this place."

  "Alright," said Yan Wang, looking at the few people and then standing up to say, "Don't envy the heavenly court's life anymore. I'll tell you, the current heavenly court's conditions aren't great either. Many pollutants from the human world are rushing upwards, and staying for a long time can even make you sick. With such severe pollution, clean clothes can't be worn for a day, and the Jade Emperor has to use a lot of facial cleanser every day. His face is also darkened by the pollutants rising from the human world... let's not say more about this. Now that the auspicious time has arrived, let's depart!"

  "Your Majesty," said Lu Xiao Ying, "can Qian Xiao Hong and I follow them to the world above?"

  Yan Wang nodded and said: "Of course, I have actually arranged it long ago."

  Qian Xiaohong was delighted to hear that, and hastily thanked Yan Wangye before setting off with Lan Jingqiu and others. The two of them didn't need to make any departure preparations, having just returned from the Heavenly Court, still carrying their ceremonial attire.

  Seven people walked out of the Yama Temple, passed through the Yin Cao Di Fu Yin Si Road, and came to the Naihe Bridge. The Naihe Bridge was also very lively, and those who sold Meng Po soup were still so enthusiastic about soliciting business.

  Lan Jingqiu had just arrived at Naihe Bridge and suffered a loss. He still remembered the old woman vividly, but now he didn't mind so much. He wanted to return to the world of the living and continue his unfinished business from before.

  Several people crossed the Naihe Bridge, and their bodies suddenly became light, so everyone flew in mid-air and floated to the sky above the mortal world. At this time, the mortal world was also midnight, and tonight the moonlight was dim, with only a faint silver-gray glow wrapping around the earth. Lan Jingqiu, Huo Jucang, and seven other ghostly souls descended from the air like seven meteors, and people on the ground saw these ghostly souls and thought they were really seeing seven meteors. They let out a few sharp cries like wolf howls, then closed their eyes and hurried to make wishes, fearing that if they were late for even one minute, it would not be effective.

  They floated in the air for a long time, finally landing in a room of an abandoned factory. The house was dilapidated and gloomy, with grey walls and a cold atmosphere. The grass around the house grew as high as the sky, and it was late autumn, making the ruins even more desolate and bleak. However, this environment suited them well. It was Chen Zhenhua who suggested coming to this place, and he knew this ruin very clearly.

  They found their foothold, and next they would each find a host body.