Chapter 1724: Chapter 1755: Killed by My Own Handsomeness
“This…”
“The evil spirit killing people, it naturally uses demonic arts.”
Liu Dalang didn’t expect Li Xiaobai to throw out such a question and was momentarily at a loss for words.
“And what exactly are these demonic arts?”
Li Xiaobai pressed further.
“Ghost fetus, you see…”
“Very evil, it just randomly kills people…”
Liu Dalang’s thoughts were very muddled; he never thought anyone would ask him about this.
“So, does it kill while inside a pregnant woman’s belly, or does it come out on its own to kill?”
“Why does it kill, and what are the characteristics of the people it kills?”
Li Xiaobai looked at Liu Dalang, and it was only then he realized what the missing piece of the puzzle was. From beginning to end, no one ever talked about why the ghost fetus killed or how it did it.
Even those cultivators who were killed, no one mentioned them; this was very unusual, indicating that everyone was deliberately hiding something.
“This… allow me to check the files.”
Liu Dalang stammered, appearing slightly flustered.
“This is the Netherworld, you are a Ghost Official, in essence, you’re no different from that ghost fetus, and you just said you are very familiar with the case, so how can you not know the method by which the ghost fetus kills?”
“If there are any hidden truths, tell them all; the Great God White Crane is here and will surely do you justice!”
Li Xiaobai said with a sullen face.
“Indeed, as I’ve stated, it’s an indisputable fact that the ghost fetus killed. Thus, there’s no need to investigate further; even if we did, it would be pointless. This matter is untouchable, even with the Great God White Crane here.”
“The Supreme Deity is not a formally employed Ghost Official; rashly involving oneself in Netherworld cases might displease the Asura King and King of Underworld.”
“Moreover, I see that the two Supreme Deities are just passing through. It would be better to continue on your way, and wait for the next round of the Netherworld’s celestial patrol; everything will be resolved then.”
Liu Dalang spoke politely, but the intention to send them away was very clear.
You’re not part of the system, don’t meddle in system affairs.
Li Xiaobai learned that Ghost Officials in the Netherworld are divided into those within the system and those outside of it. The Baihe Boy is immensely powerful but does not hold an official position in the Netherworld; he directly receives orders from Ksitigarbha, freely moving between realms to slay ghosts.
Such power struggles are indeed challenging to interfere in.
But Liu Dalang is hiding a lot; is this really just a power struggle behind the scenes?
Seeing that Liu Dalang wasn’t prepared to continue cooperating with the investigation, Li Xiaobai stood up. “If that’s the case, then I’ll take my leave today. If you remember anything, you can come find me anytime. If the Great God White Crane finds out you’re deeply involved in this matter, you won’t enter reincarnation for life after life.”
With that, he stood up and left.
Outside the Yamen, Baihe Boy followed him.
“Senior Baihe, since we’re not part of the system, shouldn’t we stop meddling in affairs not of our concern?”
Li Xiaobai tentatively asked.
This great deity had no legitimate reason to wade into troubled waters. If he were to provoke the high-ranking officials of the Netherworld, Baihe Boy might just walk away, but Li Xiaobai could be in for a tough time.
“Whoosh.”
Another stack of papers came fluttering in the wind, still wanted notices, landing exactly in Li Xiaobai’s hands.
This meant he should start from the victims.
Li Xiaobai sighed, realizing he couldn’t hide from it. Fortunately, this elder was always following him, preventing him from investigating alone; otherwise, he truly would be in grave danger.
Since Baihe Boy had incredible luck, he should be able to easily uncover the full story, just as Granny Liu had previously delivered herself to them, with various clues appearing in succession.
He flipped through the wanted notice.
The list of missing persons differed from what he had seen before; these people had only recently gone missing, some confirmed dead, others still missing.
The previous victims were all male, ranging from young to old, with varied status and identity, including beggars and clan leaders.
The new list, however, included both males and females, mostly family members of the previous victims.
They were silenced!
Someone knew that Baihe Boy was investigating the Liu Family and was killing off relevant informants!
To act so freely in the Netherworld, there must be someone in power involved behind the scenes, and their position wouldn’t be low; it would have to be someone of Black and White Impermanence’s level to orchestrate all this.
“To investigate the dead in the Netherworld, it’s best to visit the place of reincarnation to ask some questions.”
Li Xiaobai pondered as he set off for the family planning bureau.
He’d somewhat figured out the pattern; as long as Baihe Boy followed him, it indicated his investigative direction was correct.
After a brief moment.
The two arrived at a barren land north of the city, where only a thatched hut stood alone. In front of the hut, souls waited in a long queue, neat and orderly, entering the hut one by one.
The souls that had crossed the Naihe Bridge onto the River of Forgetfulness all gathered here.
Li Xiaobai and Baihe Boy silently stood at the back of the line, following the procession.
The souls had drunk Meng Po Soup on the bridge, becoming dazed and unable to converse.
Initially, he thought the waiting would be long, but the efficiency inside the hut was staggering; within just half an hour, it was Li Xiaobai’s turn.
Following the soul in front into the hut, he found a whole new world inside, spatially infinite, carved into a small world.
A massive spiritual energy vortex floated in the void, with a desk positioned at the hut’s entrance.
A Netherworld Messenger was diligently writing, not lifting his head, mechanically asking, “Age, name, cause of death.”
The soul, dazed, couldn’t respond.
The Netherworld Messenger, impatient, tossed out a paper, coldly saying, “Fill out the form, go through the process.”
The soul, in its stupor, scribbled on the paper, with disjointed phrases, unheeded by the messenger, who then casually pointed at the vortex.
“Go in; based on your form, an embodiment will determine your reincarnation.”
The soul nodded, drifting into the vortex and disappearing.
“You, name, age, cause of death?”
The Netherworld Messenger pointed at Li Xiaobai, continuing to write diligently.
“My name is Li Xiaobai, twenty-eight, died of my own handsomeness.”
Li Xiaobai replied earnestly.
“Hm?”
“Died of your own handsomeness?”
“Explain that!”
At this, the Netherworld Messenger paused, surprised that a soul could still retain its consciousness, growing more impatient.
He was responsible for soul reincarnation registration, with monthly performance targets. The Netherworld regulation was to handle dazed souls randomly, but if they could respond, he’d need to detail the inquiry and grasp the situation.
The Meng Po Soup on the Naihe Bridge was meant for this — only with all souls losing their memories and being dazed, could the messenger exceed his performance indicators, and the year-end bonus would be substantial.
Thus, he detested these articulate souls, as they’d waste considerable time, affecting his performance.
“One morning, I looked in the mirror and died of my own handsomeness. In my next life, I must remain this handsome; losing this beautiful face is a loss to the world.”
Li Xiaobai stated earnestly.
“Your request has been noted by this department.”
“Fill out the form, go through the process.”