In the cave, time slipped away, and by my calculations, it should be the next day.

Shi Chun closed the book and put away the pile of books on the ground, casting a glance at a well-dressed man lying stiffly on the ground nearby.

The man had been captured on a whim while looking for a suitable messenger. A street thug, whose background was unknown, but his bullying of decent folks was displeasing to the eyes. So, he was conveniently captured.

With a splay of five fingers, Shi Chun lifted the man from the ground, his throat fell into Shi Chun's grip. Ignoring the man's fearful pleas, Shi Chun twisted his neck with a crack.

After confirming he was dead, Wu Jinliang chuckled and took out the Death Refusing Incense canister, hooking a little finger to release the flame and ignite it.

The process was familiar to both of them, and soon they conjured up a black hole leading to the Netherworld once again.

Before entering, Shi Chun instructed the eager Wu Jinliang, "I don't know where the cave entrance will appear outside. I'll go first and signal you."

Wu Jinliang naturally understood his meaning. In case of any changes, he could provide support from outside. Everything was understood without words, and he nodded.

Shi Chun slipped inside with a flash, casting a spell on the Cloud Stepping Boots as he emerged from the cave entrance to stabilize his posture.

For no other reason, the entrance this time appeared in a higher place. Below him was a cityscape with flickering lantern lights like scattered or dense stars. The lights were red, white, blue, and green.

There were houses, streets, and pedestrians—a vast city.

The Death Refusing Incense, acting on different creatures, indeed opened exits in different locations. It was uncertain if this was within the Qiangyu Palace realm.

He quickly took out the Mother-child Talisman to contact Lao Changtai, asking, "Are you there?"

Lao Changtai quickly responded, "Yes, where are you?"

Shi Chun did not reply immediately, turned back, tiptoed through the air, ran to the hole he came out of, and whistled into it, "Come over."

"Coming," responded Wu Jinliang, as his figure shot over.

Shi Chun stepped aside at the exit, grabbed Wu Jinliang, and released the golden thread spell restraint, causing the entrance to vanish.

"Damn, why is it so high this time?" Wu Jinliang, hanging in someone's hands, was surprised and asked, "What city is this? It looks quite bustling."

Shi Chun had no idea which city it was, just that wherever the exit opened, that's where they were.

However, based on previous experience controlling those golden threads, the entrance location should still be some distance from the destination where the threads were sent to capture souls, but it should not be too far, hence it was not advisable to stay here long.

Exactly how long they shouldn't stay was uncertain, so the sooner they left, the better.

The key issue was that the cities in the Netherworld seemed to have the same rules as the outside world. To protect the privacy of residents, flying in the air within the city without official permission was also prohibited.

Suddenly having an exit in the air was troublesome, making it uncomfortable for the two of them.

Fortunately, they appeared suddenly without flying, so they seemed to have gone unnoticed for now.

But if they were to fly up and down, they would easily attract attention.

Realizing this, Wu Jinliang felt uneasy, "Damn, are we going to get caught as soon as we arrive?"

Shi Chun glanced around at the dim scenery, his heart stirred, and he suddenly took out the 'Three Corpses Mirror', casting a spell and tossing it above them, an obsidian light enveloping the two.

The Three Corpses Mirror, and the obsidian light, along with the two of them, angled towards a dimly lit area.

All relying on Shi Chun's Right Eye Superpower to control the direction,

As his feet touched the ground, Shi Chun immediately raised his hand to catch the 'Three Corpses Mirror' falling from above.

Wu Jinliang grinned crookedly, surprised that this magical treasure meant for others could be used on themselves.

Shi Chun didn't want to hear his nonsense, quickly signaling him to move to a new location. Who knew if anyone would come over to investigate the anomaly?

As they navigated through the streets and alleys, they contacted Lao Changtai again.

Lao Changtai still asked where they were, but Shi Chun and his partner didn't know, only that they were in a city. After some communication, by reporting the visible landmark buildings, they realized they were indeed in the same place, within Qiangyu City under Qiangyu Palace.

Shi Chun didn't know why they had ended up directly in the city this time, but he knew the appearance location in the Netherworld was indeed related to the starting point outside. However, this connection is hard to decipher and can't yet predict its orientation.

The meeting location was easily agreed upon, under the tower near the landmark buildings.

Walking through the streets, most people had their heads covered in white or black cloth. Grabbing a mask to put on their faces, like they did, was rare instead.

Fortunately, they acclimated quickly. After feeling out of place and attracting attention, they promptly found an alley, grabbed a piece of black cloth, and cut it to drape over themselves. Only then did they feel at ease going back onto the street.

The relentless invasion of yin energy was truly uncomfortable.

The two realized that there seemed to be no difference before and after the Netherworld closed off, according to records they read in books. The people of the Netherworld loved singing and dancing; along their journey, they indeed saw many estates with lively singing and dancing, as if there were many people living in a drunken stupor.

Some sang with deep emotion, while others wailed like ghosts and wolves.

The world here was also monotonous in color, with no seasonal climate, so the lighting and colors were excessively decorated.

There were no carriages or horses in the city; those who could survive in the Netherworld were not ordinary people. Hence, people served as cattle and horses, and there were many who lifted sedan chairs and ran swiftly.

The sedan chairs were quite unique. Unlike those outside, where the poles were attached at the middle, here the poles were at the bottom, with high or low feet at both ends, which could be adjusted based on the environment when landing.

The sedan chairs contained sitting compartments, horizontal compartments for reclining, and simple styles with curtains on all four sides.

Wandering around, Shi Chun and the other finally arrived at the foot of a towering tower, but entry was forbidden and guarded by Netherworld envoys.

According to the books, such towers were evenly arranged as twelve structures within each city in the Netherworld, both to monitor internal anomalies and as time-keeping devices.

When the two-hour mark arrived, the corresponding tower would light up, accompanied by a clock chime.

While Shi Chun and the other were still looking around, among the passing crowd, two figures covered in white cloth approached them quickly.

It was Lao Changtai and Chu Jingtang; Wu Jinliang's stature always stood out, even when covered with a black cloth, the two immediately recognized him.

The reason they both appeared here was due to Shi Chun's arrangement; Shi Chun had the two carry a corpse of an Earth Wolf separately, fearing that carrying both on one person might lead to accidents.

"Master." The two greeted happily.

No need for pleasantries, Chu Jingtang said, "This isn't the place to talk; I've rented a place to stay here, follow me."

Thus, the four of them hurried off.

It's rare for the Master to visit here; initially, Lao Changtai asked them if they wanted to sightsee first, but Shi Chun thought the opportunity would come later, and that attending to business was priority.

After weaving through streets and alleys, they reached a quiet place with no singing or dancing noise, entered a courtyard, and closed the door for peace.

As soon as they sat down, Chu Jingtang tossed two sets of white clothing outfits to Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang, "Master, you're draping that black cloth improperly. Black robes aid the absorption of yin energy, while white robes obstruct it. Only those cultivating Netherworld techniques wear black robes; you should wear white robes, or it will raise suspicion. Try it, Boss Wu; I knew you'd be tall, so I prepared one for you."

Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang immediately changed outfits. To be honest, this specially made white cloth outfit significantly blocked the yin energy, especially when draped over the head.

"It's quite good for something you haven't tasted before." Lao Changtai set out a platter of colorful pastries and red wines and such.

Shi Chun only looked and sniffed, without indulging, asking them to first discuss the situation here so he could see where to use Death Refusing Incense appropriately.

Seeing Shi Chun did not eat, Wu Jinliang tried everything instead.

If Shi Chun ate, Wu Jinliang would not touch the food or drink.

Once the location situation was roughly grasped, Shi Chun asked, "Earlier Lao Changtai said you found suitable operatives and were trying to contact them; I didn't get to ask much then, what's the situation?"

Chu Jingtang smiled and asked back, "Master, have you heard of someone named 'Yu Xuanbing'?"

The name sounded instantly familiar; Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang exchanged a glance.

Wu Jinliang, chewing, tried saying: "Heard that in the Cultivation World there was once a notorious assassin, who killed many officials of the Heavenly and Royal Court and was hunted everywhere, seems to be called that, other than that, I don't know much about..."

Chu Jingtang nodded, "That's right, him. He is now in the Netherworld."

Wu Jinliang was surprised, "He's still alive?"

Chu Jingtang: "Alive, and well indeed. His cultivation is obvious, having already advanced to the Heavenly Immortal Realm. Possibly not that he wishes to remain in the Netherworld, but rather the closure of Netherworld caught him as he hid here. The thing is, when he was initially wanted, the area included the Netherworld, with his assassinations numbering many, including Netherworld officials, how could the Netherworld let him go? Hence, he stayed hidden here.

Reportedly, no one initially knew he was hiding in the Netherworld, after its closure, he quit being an assassin, and who would suspect a quiet honest man working at home to be a killer? Barely anyone knew Yu Xuanbing's true face, until eventually, his own family accidentally discovered his belongings, recognized by a discerning outsider, thus revealing his identity, leading everyone to know the renowned killer had settled in the Netherworld.

It resulted in a massacre; familiar neighbors, everyone who knew him, were slaughtered by him, and the Netherworld envoys hunting him took severe casualties. Ultimately he escaped. Realizing his hiding in the Netherworld was exposed, he resumed taking jobs.

Master, this solitary person is honest in his dealings, performing services for payment without bias towards the young or elderly. He is rejected by the outside world, just as the Netherworld refuses him; don't you find him most fitting as a henchman?"

Everyone immediately understood his meaning; taking this person outside the Netherworld posed minimal risk in revealing interrealm pathways.

Shi Chun pondered briefly, realizing Chu Jingtang's selection was quite commendable; he then asked: "Heavenly Immortal Realm, I presume the fees are not cheap?"

Chu Jingtang nodded, indicating three fingers: "Indeed not cheap, starting at thirty million, with price adjustments based on target specifics, selecting jobs carefully since the Netherworld frequently sets traps for him, so he doesn't take every job available; they say he rarely takes commissions, a typical case of barely working for three years, yet amply earning for three when he does."

Only thirty million? Shi Chun sighed in relief, but considering the monetary value here, realized it was quite expensive, yet affordable, immediately asking: "So how well have you negotiated?"

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.