Chapter 56: The Underworld Official

“So it's true, astral projection is incredibly dangerous,” Li Yanchu muttered to himself, still feeling a lingering sense of fear.

𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

If he had drifted too far from his physical body just now, he might have completely lost control. Even the slightest cold breeze could have blown his soul away to god-knows-where.

Reluctant to end his astral projection so soon, Li Yanchu instinctively drifted closer to his body. The yang qi of his physical form naturally offered protection to his soul.

The bone-piercing chill around him instantly diminished. Even so, his primordial spirit remained extremely fragile, completely exposed to the forces of heaven and earth.

After all, peril loomed on all sides. Heaven, the earth, and even mankind harbored killing intent; it was as if the entire world had become a grinding mill, poised at every moment to crush Li Yanchu’s very soul.

Li Yanchu couldn’t help but retreat slightly. Only when he kept within three chi of his physical body did the overwhelming threats from the world seem to fade.

The Spirit Officer Summoning Talisman nestled in his chest glowed faintly, releasing waves of Divine Dao aura from the celestial realm, steadily nurturing and shielding his soul, as well as ensuring nothing would go wrong.

Feeling a tug of intuition, Li Yanchu reached over and retrieved the talisman that had been tucked close to his body.

Instantly, his soul felt warm and energized, and the prior instability from being too far from his body vanished. Now, an invisible force surrounded and protected him, making his primordial spirit far more resilient.

Next, Li Yanchu began to move around the room, marveling at the sensation of his first astral projection. He wandered the space for a while, then approached the doorway, intending to test whether the outside world’s ambient threats would still pose a danger.

He stretched out his hand, and it passed straight through the door.

“Just as I thought. Once the soul leaves the body, it’s no longer restricted by physical walls.” A faint smile appeared on Li Yanchu’s lips.

One by one, he began to verify the descriptions recorded in the

The Yellow Court Classic

regarding astral projection. Now that he had the Spirit Officer Summoning Talisman protecting him, his spirit was solid and no longer troubled by wind, candlelight, or ambient threats.

He easily passed through the door, then passed back through it again. Passing through walls was effortless to him now. With a single step, he drifted straight into Bai Hongtu’s room.

“Eh?” Li Yanchu blinked in mild surprise.

Inside Bai Hongtu’s room, his long sword was hanging on the wall, faintly glowing with a soft spirit light and emanating a subtle, restrained murderous qi. It was clearly the sword Bai Hongtu used for his Flying Sword Technique, and obviously, not an ordinary weapon.

No wonder regular wandering ghosts wouldn’t be able to get close to him.

Bai Hongtu’s cultivation lineage specialized in lethal arts, particularly flying swords and talisman techniques. Though still young, Bai Hongtu possessed outstanding talent and had already reached a considerable level of mastery in his Daoist arts.

Li Yanchu had seen it for himself that day, when they slew the mountain monster outside the city. That monster, if faced by any regular martial artist, would likely have torn them to pieces in the first exchange. Its strength was monstrous, its hide tougher than steel, its movements swift, and its claws razor-sharp. By all accounts, it was an extremely difficult and deadly creature.

But under Bai Hongtu’s assault, it didn’t even last a few rounds. If not for Bai’s lack of experience nearly causing a slip-up, the battle would have ended even more decisively.

That mountain demon was ultimately destroyed by Bai Hongtu’s Flying Sword Talisman Technique with relative ease. Such strength was genuinely impressive.

Li Yanchu smiled to himself.

Making a friend like this young man might’ve been one of my better decisions.

Phasing through the wall, he exited Bai Hongtu’s room and drifted into the courtyard of the Daoist temple. The night breeze carried a faint chill, but Li Yanchu’s primordial spirit was now solid and refined; it wasn’t affected in the slightest.

In fact, in this out-of-body state, he could feel with even more clarity the divine qi of the Spirit Officer Summoning Talisman, gently nourishing his soul in small but continuous waves.

Li Yanchu was overjoyed.

“So this... is the difference between playing with hacks and without them,” he sighed.

If he had to rely purely on his own cultivation to reach this point, who knew how many years, or decades, it would take?

With the help of the Spirit Officer Summoning Talisman, Li Yanchu could now achieve what would otherwise take years of cultivation. This was no longer just an ordinary talisman, it was practically a divine artifact.

A thought stirred in his mind, and Li Yanchu began phasing through one building after another, gliding straight through walls without the slightest obstruction, as no one could detect him.

In this out-of-body state, his movement speed was many times faster than walking. His movements were light and effortless, completely unbound by physical laws. He was curious to see what kind of sights Wei City would reveal while he was in this soul-projected state.

The streets were nearly empty, save for a few night patrol officers. At this hour, anyone still loitering around outside would be considered suspicious or even criminal.

Violating curfew could result in anything from public beating and imprisonment, to execution in more severe cases. If someone tried to flee after being warned by a patrol’s signal arrow, they could be shot on the spot. And if one was caught leaping across rooftops during curfew? Execution, without exception.

This law was especially harsh on thieves from the Lower Five Sects.

Clang!

A gong[1] rang out!

On this quiet night, the sound was abrupt and jarring, and especially sharp to the ears.

Hearing this, Li Yanchu frowned. There was something strange about that gong; it wasn’t the usual one used by night watchmen. Thus, he followed the sound.

At this time, a tall, gaunt middle-aged official was emerging through a tall wall, carrying a large bronze gong in one hand. His uniform was old-fashioned, not the current style worn by officers and runners of the Kingdom of Qian. The man’s face was solemn, expression cold and stern, and he radiated a commanding presence.

The middle-aged officer led the way with his bronze gong. Behind him, a strange procession slowly emerged. They were... a very unusual group. The ones at the front wore scholar’s robes, their faces ashen and lifeless, following behind the officer with dull, vacant eyes. Others had crushed skulls, some with ghastly green complexions, and one of them looked vaguely familiar to Li Yanchu.

A jolt shot through his chest. “Isn’t that... the Wuling Wanderer who was killed by a silver needle?!”

A massive wave of shock surged through Li Yanchu’s heart.

“These are... the wandering souls of the dead?!”

Then that middle-aged officer leading them... could he be one of the ghost officials of the underworld?

The man continued striking his gong as he walked forward, the dead following him with blank stares. It seemed exactly like a ghostly parade, and no one could see them but Li Yanchu. He stared, stunned by the scene unfolding before him.

The official walked and rang his gong, and more hollow-eyed spirits gradually joined the line behind him.

Li Yanchu, hidden to the side, took a quick headcount. There were around twelve or thirteen souls.

But when the ghostly procession drew within ten zhang of his hiding spot, the middle-aged ghost official suddenly turned his head, staring directly toward where Li Yanchu was concealed.

“

Which Daoist friend’s soul is wandering here out of body? Why not step out and show yourself?”

I've been discovered...

Li Yanchu raised an eyebrow and stepped out openly from his hiding spot.

The middle-aged ghost official gave a respectful salute. “I am Jiang Tong, ghost official of Wei City. Daoist friend, your face is unfamiliar.”

The ghost officials in this world are this polite?

Li Yanchu pondered briefly and quickly understood the situation. Jiang Tong must have seen how stable and solid his soul was, undisturbed by the killing force of heaven and earth, and capable of freely projecting his spirit.

He must have mistaken Li Yanchu for a powerful expert capable of projecting the Yang spirit.

Still, Li Yanchu couldn’t help but wonder:

Does the Underworld truly exist in this world?

1. A

锣

(

luó

) is a traditional Chinese

gong

. It is a round, flat metal percussion instrument that produces a deep, resonant sound when struck. Commonly made of bronze or brass, it’s used in Chinese music, opera, and ceremonies to signal dramatic moments, transitions, or ritual significance. Gongs come in various sizes and tones, from large booming ones to small, high-pitched versions. In Chinese culture, they’re not only musical instruments but also carry symbolic meaning, often associated with authority, ritual, and the dramatic flair of public announcements or processions. ☜