Chapter 1720: Chapter 1751: Power Division; Netherworld’s Noninterference
Baihe Boy still appeared like a walking corpse, ignoring the old woman entirely and merely followed silently behind.
Li Xiaobai engaged in a warm conversation with the old woman, gathering information about the Demons from her words.
The old woman, named Granny Liu, was a midwife who retired ten years ago due to her age. Her son recently married, and what should have been a joyous occasion turned strange after the wedding, with bizarre occurrences at home.
The Liu Family was a prominent clan, not lacking in powerful individuals. Yet, ever since the daughter-in-law entered the family, the Liu Family experienced a series of deaths. Regardless of one’s cultivation level, no one could escape the tragic fate.
Now, only the old woman, her son, and daughter-in-law remained in the Liu Family. The rest were either dead or in hiding, and city residents avoided them, believing the Liu Family harbored demons threatening the city.
“Since there are demons, why not just eliminate them? Surely, those demons cannot have a higher cultivation level than your clan’s strong individuals?”
Li Xiaobai asked the old woman, intuiting that the matter was not so simple.
It wasn’t a flaw found in Granny Liu, but rather the knowledge from his own cultivated experiences — those who seek help often carry deceit. Moreover, being in the Netherworld called for extra caution.
He turned to glance at Baihe Boy, who seemed no different than a piece of movable wood. With such formidable capability, even without action from them, the demons would confront Baihe and meet their end mysteriously.
“My daughter-in-law is only at the Spirit Void Realm cultivation level. It would be easy to kill her, but she’s pregnant with the Liu Family’s lineage. We cannot end our lineage due to evil interference!”
“I’ve sought the help of you two deities to exorcise the demons from my daughter-in-law.”
Granny Liu was quite emotional, fearing that Li Xiaobai and Baihe Boy might head to her home and harm her daughter-in-law without a second thought.
“This is the Netherworld, and yet nobody manages such disturbances in your family?”
Li Xiaobai continued to inquire, subtly aiming to learn more about the Netherworld.
“Such matters are handled by the Chief Officers of the Netherworld, but they are very busy. To request their intervention, one must follow procedures and obtain permission. It requires evidence of demonic chaos from those who experienced it, a signature and stamp from the Ghost King guarding the Ghost Gate, and, finally, a personal visit to request the Chief Officer’s presence. The process takes about two months, which is quite cumbersome.”
“Moreover, my daughter-in-law is heavily pregnant, bedridden, and there’s absolutely no chance for her to seek help personally.”
Granny Liu sighed, lamenting the inefficiency of the Netherworld’s bureaucracy.
“Hmm?”
“So troublesome?”
“As you said, your daughter-in-law is almost gone, and yet exorcising a demon requires such paperwork?”
“This is the Netherworld. Shouldn’t havoc within be immediately suppressed?”
Li Xiaobai was puzzled — how could the Netherworld allow such havoc without action?
“The deities hold high positions and are unaware of the struggles below.”
“In the Ghost Gate, everything follows the process, and the regulations are strict without exception. Old as I am, I had no choice. Hearing the news of Great God White Crane’s arrival, I boldly stepped forward to intercept. You Deities are more approachable than I imagined.”
Granny Liu said with a bitter face, her wrinkles twisting.
Li Xiaobai nodded: “Naturally, the Netherworld has always been oriented towards the people, who are our foundation. We are committed to serving the people wholeheartedly.”
“Hiss!”
“Such mastery from such an esteemed realm, truly worthy of being the right hand of Great God White Crane!”
“Yet, as I watched Great God White Crane coming along without a word, I wonder if you can truly assist?”
As the three walked, Granny Liu’s tone became intriguing.
“Since we’re with you, of course, we can help. Does Granny Liu have any ideas?”
Li Xiaobai looked at the old lady with interest, knowing his instincts were correct — she definitely had an agenda. Initially filled with urgency, now that they were acquainted, she was probing for Baihe Boy’s intentions.
It seemed the agenda was not merely about exorcising demons.
“I dare not assume, but I’m concerned that you Deities might get into trouble by intervening in the matters of the Ghost Gate, hence my question was purely out of concern.”
Granny Liu quickly bowed respectfully.
Li Xiaobai was speechless — wasn’t it you who sought out Baihe Boy? And now, you’re concerned about our safety?
“I cannot allow your worry to overwhelm you; perhaps we should forgo this. You should follow the procedures, and my Great God White Crane need not be involved, best to keep clear of murky waters.”
“No, no, no, it was my mistake, please punish this old body!”
This frightened Granny Liu so much that she immediately knelt down.
“Lead the way honestly and stop overthinking.”
Li Xiaobai coldly said.
Granny Liu fell silent, and the atmosphere became tense, with none of the three speaking further.
Yang Chen’s voice resonated in his mind: “Junior Brother, the situation is perplexing, and I cannot comprehend it entirely. You should stay with Baihe Boy, as there seems to be a scheme at play I can’t fully grasp. It’s unclear why you were chosen.”
Li Xiaobai: “Senior Brother, does Granny Liu seem suspicious?”
“She mentioned the Chief Officer and the Ghost King. How powerful are they, and is it true the Netherworld allows demonic chaos to run unchecked?”
Yang Chen: “Don’t trust her words entirely; that old woman isn’t honest, though what she said is mostly believable.”
“The Chief Officer was originally a Ghost King, but after being taken in by Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, he was divided into two entities that specialize in slaying ghosts. These entities only kill without saving; if they learned of the daughter-in-law’s demonic affliction, they would eliminate her, and she and the unborn child would perish with the demon.”
“As for the Netherworld’s regulations, there have been signs in the past, but I didn’t expect the situation to have evolved this far over centuries. There’s a division of power in the Netherworld. To suppress ghostly and demonic beings, troops must be mobilized, and military power rests with the King of Underworld.”
“But the King of Underworld is perpetually busy managing reincarnations and won’t relinquish military command. Thus, the military token is split in two halves — one with the Asura Ghost King guarding the Ghost Gate, and the other with Black and White Impermanence, the King of Underworld’s right and left hands.”
“Having only half of the military token cannot mobilize Ghostly Soldiers. Full military command is needed to muster forces, meaning that for any decision requiring troop deployment, both the Asura Ghost King and Black and White Impermanence must first reach internal agreements, then meet and mutually agree, and finally submit the proposal to the King of Underworld for approval before dispatching Ghostly Soldiers to eradicate ghosts.”
“The process is cumbersome, leading to negligence over time. They eventually ignore minor issues altogether. Patrols will handle these when they occur, though it requires a bit of waiting.”