Young Master Liu nodded to Granny Fan. Gou Dan’s mother walked over too, squatting down in front of Young Master Liu and gripping his shoulders, saying, “Young Master Gou, you must look after our Xiao Mazi!” As she spoke, Gou Dan’s mother’s voice choked up, and tears streamed from her eyes. Young Master Liu quickly wiped the tears from her face with his hand, patting his chest as he said, “Auntie, don’t cry. I’m here, Xiao Mazi and the others will be fine, rest assured. Granny Fan and I will be back soon.”

The preparatory ritual before descending to the Underworld finally began. Granny Fan first lit incense in the main hall and then burned a large pile of joss paper. Old Man Liu caught a rooster from his own coop. Granny Fan took the rooster from Old Man Liu’s hands, holding it up by its two wings. The rooster, clearly near its last breath, didn’t even let out a peep, only staring wide-eyed and shaking its head side to side. Granny Fan held the rooster and bowed three times toward the smoldering incense. Then, she pinched the rooster’s comb with her nail. The rooster, in pain, squawked twice, and blood began to seep continuously from the comb. Old Man Liu quickly brought a bowl over to catch the dripping comb blood. When most of the blood had flowed, Granny Fan released the rooster.

Granny Fan held the bowl of rooster's blood, closed her eyes, and chanted something under her breath for a while. Then, she dipped her finger into the blood and smeared it onto Young Master Liu’s forehead. As she painted, she mumbled, “With the rooster’s blood smeared, the ‘Heavenly Eye’ is opened. Everything in the Underworld, you will be able to see once you descend.” After applying the blood, Granny Su found a black silk ribbon and tied it around Young Master Liu’s waist. With everything prepared, Granny Fan instructed, “Liu family’s eldest grandson, repeat back to me what this old woman just told you.” Young Master Liu managed a wry smile and said, “I have it all clearly remembered. Down there, I must hold Granny’s hand tightly and not run around. Once I see Guo Qiang and the others, I must point them out immediately.” Hearing him, Granny Fan nodded at him with satisfaction.

However, Young Master Liu was thinking: Where exactly does this old hag enter to get to the Underworld? Does she have to find a very deep well and jump in? While lost in thought, Granny Fan told him to take off his shoes and lie down on the bed in the main hall. Young Master Liu did as commanded and lay down. Old Man Liu quickly came over again and, following Granny Fan’s order, covered him snugly with a thick quilt.

“Liu family’s eldest grandson, close your eyes and stop having stray thoughts. We are about to depart,” Granny Fan said. Young Master Liu quickly shut his eyes. For some unknown reason, a chill began to creep up his spine. So, he secretly opened his eyes and glanced at Granny Fan. She was sitting in a chair in front of him, took two sips of water, then leaned her body forward onto the table, utterly motionless. Old Man Liu, waiting nearby, saw his son open his eyes and quickly whispered into Young Master Liu’s ear, “You rascal, close your eyes quickly and don’t think about nonsense. Just like when you sleep at night.” Young Master Liu could only comply and close his eyes, waiting quietly for the moment they reached the Underworld.

One minute, two minutes... After about ten minutes, Young Master Liu gradually felt like he was falling asleep. He tried hard to open his eyes to look around, but he couldn't manage it no matter how much he tried. It felt like being caught in a nightmare. Young Master Liu’s heart finally filled with terror, and he tried to struggle awake, but all effort was in vain. Suddenly, his body convulsed violently, and he felt as if he had jolted awake from a bad dream. Just then, a voice sounded near his ear: Liu family’s eldest grandson, open your eyes, we’ve arrived. Young Master Liu heard the voice perfectly clearly; it was Granny Fan’s voice.

He quickly opened his eyes. In his field of vision, everything was dim, like a winter evening just before dark. He looked at Granny Fan and asked, “Granny, is this the Underworld?” Granny Fan nodded to him, then took Young Master Liu’s hand and walked straight ahead. Strangely, although he and Granny Fan were walking forward, Young Master Liu couldn’t see the path beneath their feet, nor could he see anyone around them. Granny Fan said, “Liu family’s eldest grandson, you must look closely. If you see the other three kids, tell me right away, understand?” Young Master Liu grunted and nodded at Granny Fan.

He held Granny Su’s hand tightly, scanning his surroundings as they walked. After walking for about half an hour, they saw a person in red slowly drifting toward them ahead. Young Master Liu stared intently at the figure in red. Granny Fan whispered in his ear, “Grandson, quickly close your eyes, don’t look.” Young Master Liu was very curious at the time and paid no mind to Granny Fan’s words. Gradually, as the two of them drew nearer to the figure in red, Young Master Liu finally saw the face clearly—it was a young, beautiful older sister wearing a red qipao.

The qipao sister brushed past them, causing Young Master Liu to twist his head around as he walked, watching the sister in red recede. Granny Fan pulled him, her brow furrowing, and her pace gradually quickened. When Young Master Liu turned back, he was paralyzed with fright—a terrifying face suddenly appeared right in front of him. The sight scared Young Master Liu so much he fell hard onto the ground, his mouth agape, unable to speak. What kind of face was it—the scalp from the back of the head dangled down over the forehead; the left eyeball was gone, leaving only a black socket; the right eyeball bulged outward like an ox’s eye; and the entire complexion looked as if it had been dusted with a layer of flour as white as snow.

Seeing this, Granny Fan quickly pulled Young Master Liu up and comforted him, “Grandson, don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid. The sister just likes you and is playing a trick. Look behind you again.” Hearing Granny Fan, Young Master Liu timidly looked back again. It was still the sister in the qipao. The qipao sister faced him, offered a faint, shallow smile, then turned and drifted away gracefully.

Granny Fan secretly shook her head. “This girl in the qipao must have harbored much resentment in life. She probably ended it by jumping off a building.” With that, she let out a long sigh.

The road in the Underworld was different from that in the mortal world; it always felt as if a thin layer of mist covered the ground, barely perceptible beneath their feet. The further they walked, the more people appeared on the road—elderly people leaning on canes, little girls crying while hugging teddy bears, and middle-aged men frequently looking back over their shoulders...

Everyone on the road had somber expressions. Young Master Liu guessed that perhaps many of them still clung to their attachments to the mortal world! Granny Fan reminded him, “Grandson, you must look very carefully. There are many people here. If we miss them, it will be troublesome.”

Young Master Liu nodded. To be honest, this trip to the Underworld left him somewhat disappointed. He hadn't seen the legendary Ox-Head and Horse-Face guards, nor the Bridge of Helplessness, let alone the Judges or King Yama. But upon reflection, it was entirely understandable: how could high-ranking officials like Judges and Yama allow themselves to be seen so casually? Perhaps even this old sorceress had never encountered them in her lifetime!

Young Master Liu and Granny Fan walked a long way, but still found no trace of Tian Guo Qiang and the other two. Granny Fan said, “Grandson, let’s walk a bit further ahead. If we still can’t find them, we’ll go back! Staying down here too long risks being discovered by the Ghost Messengers, and that would be troublesome.”

Young Master Liu had a persistent, need-to-know nature. He quickly asked what would happen if they were discovered by the Ghost Messengers. Granny Fan shook her head with a pained smile. “If the Ghost Messengers find us, it will be very difficult for us to return. They don’t allow living people to wander down here, and besides, if we stay too long, your father and the children’s parents will worry.”

“Then, how can we do that? You said earlier that they are nascent souls who just arrived. They can only remain in this part of the Underworld for a few hours. If we give up now, and they are moved to another nether realm, won’t we lose all hope of rescuing them?”

“Grandson, I understand what you’re saying,” Granny Fan nodded. “But the mortal world has its rules, and the underworld has its rules. We can only do our best. Whether these three children live or not will depend on Heaven’s arrangement.”

“No! Guo Qiang, Gou Dan, and Xiao Mazi are my brothers. I cannot abandon them. No matter what, I must bring them back up today.”

“Stubborn brat!”

Young Master Liu and Granny Fan walked a considerable distance further. In the crowd ahead, he spotted a plump figure who looked quite young—most importantly, he strongly resembled Gou Dan among the three children. Young Master Liu quickly pointed at the figure and said to Granny Fan, “Granny, that person ahead looks a lot like Gou Dan.”

Granny Fan’s eyes flashed, and she immediately understood. She quietly made a shushing gesture to Young Master Liu, signaling him not to shout, then pulled Young Master Liu along, quickening their pace. When they were about five or six meters away from the crowd, Young Master Liu discerned the clothing and the distinctive fatty growth around the waist, confirming his earlier suspicion. Overjoyed, he couldn't help but wave his hand and shout loudly, “Gou Dan! I’ve come for you! Where are Guo Qiang and the others?” At this, everyone in the crowd turned their heads, looking at Young Master Liu in astonishment.

The plump figure also turned around. Young Master Liu looked closely and exclaimed, it was indeed Gou Dan, and standing not far beside him were Xiao Mazi and Tian Guo Qiang. Seeing his sworn friends, Young Master Liu immediately shook off Granny Fan’s hand and ran towards them. Tian Guo Qiang saw Young Master Liu and hurriedly asked, “Young Master Gou, how did you get here?”

Young Master Liu said nothing, rushing forward to embrace Tian Guo Qiang first. “Qiang Zi, I came to take you back. The four of us from the Four Great Scoundrels can’t be separated by those five old beasts from the Lingguan Temple! Haha, I’m so happy to see you guys, happier than eating bee droppings and more comfortable than touching a swallow!” However, as soon as Young Master Liu hugged Tian Guo Qiang, Tian Guo Qiang’s body trembled as if electrocuted and was flung quite a distance. Gou Dan and Xiao Mazi beside him were inexplicably tossed away by a powerful force, rolling a full three hundred and sixty degrees. Young Master Liu was startled by the sight, standing there rubbing his head in confusion.

Granny Fan hurried over and reminded him, “Grandson, don’t touch them. They are ghosts now, but you are protected by the Pixiu, radiating pure, righteous energy. You will hurt them.” Upon Granny Fan’s reminder, Young Master Liu suddenly realized.

Granny Fan looked at Tian Guo Qiang, pulled a yellow talisman from her pocket, tore it into three pieces, and handed them over. “Stick this on your forehead and don't take it off. Hurry and come back with this old woman. Young Master Liu and I came down specifically to fetch you.”

“You... you are Granny Guan Hua?” Tian Guo Qiang’s eyes lit up, recognizing Granny Fan suddenly.

“Yes, yes, good child, you still remember this old woman,” Granny Fan stroked the back of his head affectionately. “Unlike some ungrateful wretches who pretend not to know me even when they do, making it seem like this old woman was about to fight him to the death with a kitchen knife over a patch of pumpkins.” As she spoke, she glanced pointedly at Young Master Liu.

“Didn’t my father already pay you compensation? Why do you keep bringing this up?” Young Master Liu, quick-witted, naturally realized who Granny Fan was aiming at, and he muttered under his breath.

Granny Fan ignored Young Master Liu and pointed at the talisman in Tian Guo Qiang’s hand. “Child, stick it on quickly! Without this thing, you risk losing your soul on the way back.”

Tian Guo Qiang nodded and did as he was told.

Young Master Liu intended to sit down with Tian Guo Qiang and the others to chat about their sightseeing trip. But Granny Su, being lively and energetic, became anxious and hurried them, scolding, “You rascals, get up and follow me! If we’re late, there will be trouble.” Thus, the four children reluctantly followed behind Granny Fan, feeling their way back along the path they had taken.

Unexpectedly, as soon as the three departed, the other people on the Underworld road began to clamor, demanding that Granny Fan take them away too. The crowd surged toward Granny Fan and Young Master Liu like a tide. Forced into a corner, the two stopped and spread their arms to shield the three of them in their embrace, preventing the crowd from closing in. The road in the Underworld became chaotic, like a traffic jam on a highway.

At this point, Young Master Liu, already stretched thin, heard someone shouting loudly from behind, “Nobody move! Damn it, everyone stand still!” Young Master Liu didn’t know who was shouting behind him, but the peculiar voice sounded rather familiar, though he couldn’t recall where from immediately. Granny Fan, however, suddenly changed color, her face shifting from yellow to white, then from white to black. Her expression filled with agitation as she said, “Bad news! This is trouble—the Ghost Messengers are here.”

At the shout of the Ghost Messengers, the crowd timidly retreated, leaving the five of them—Young Master Liu and the four children—standing there stunned. He had imagined the Ghost Messengers would look like Zhong Kui in the paintings, or at least have fierce visages like Li Kui if they weren't quite as terrifying. But reality proved his imagination was wishful thinking, just like how someone named "Ah Biao" isn't necessarily burly and stout; couldn't a refined scholar also be named "Ah Biao"?

In fact, the Ghost Messenger standing before them looked no different from people in the mortal world, both in appearance and clothing, and his age was comparable to that of a father.

The Ghost Messenger in white linen clothes paused upon seeing the group, then his sharp nose sniffed twice like a dog. Immediately, the smirk that had just spread across his lips froze, his expression making a three-hundred-and-sixty-degree turn. Pointing at Granny Fan, he roared, “I see you people are tired of living! Why would you come down here from the living world for no good reason?” Granny Fan hurried forward, bowing and smiling apologetically. “Great Lord Wuchang, I know your captain. We have come mainly to take someone out. Please be accommodating.”

The Ghost Messenger snorted and said, “Do you think the ghosts in the Underworld are yours to take away whenever you wish? Leave those three children here, and the two of you go back immediately. I won’t pursue this matter further. If you insist on going against orders, don’t blame me—”

“Turning your back on kindness!” The Ghost Messenger in black linen clothes raised his death-wail staff, his face turning ashen as he added.

Seeing that the two Ghost Messengers were uncompromising, Granny Fan resorted to negotiation. “Two officers, I imagine you are busy with Underworld affairs and haven’t fully grasped our situation. These three children have not reached the end of their lifespan; their souls were merely abducted by evil spirits, which is why they are here. If you do us a favor and let them go, name any condition you wish, and we will meet it without reservation, as long as we are able to.”

The Ghost Messenger in white didn't seem interested in Granny Su’s attempt at bribery and maintained his stern expression. “Stop trying to sweet-talk me. I won’t agree. Our King Qin Guang established a rule a thousand years ago: regardless of who they are or how they got here, once they arrive, they won't be going back. As for the little ghost beside you, you brought him down, so that’s not my concern, but I still advise you to leave here as soon as possible.”

Among the three children, Tian Guo Qiang was the most seasoned and composed. Seeing that the two Ghost Messengers were immovable, refusing both soft and hard tactics, he leaned toward Young Master Liu and said, “Young Master Gou, I think you shouldn't worry about me. Go back quickly with Granny. The four of us, on a whim back then, swore brotherhood by cutting a chicken’s head and burning yellow paper near the tiny Earth God Temple at the edge of the village. We never did anything good, but we missed no opportunity for mischief. I don't expect promises of living and dying together or sharing fortune and hardship. The fact that you risked death to come down looking for us today proves you care for us. We appreciate that sentiment. Just don’t forget to burn some pretty maids and joss paper for the three of us during festivals! Otherwise, I’ll be the first to haunt your dreams!” After Tian Guo Qiang spoke, Gou Dan and Xiao Mazi exchanged a look, added nothing, but just giggled twice, showing their agreement with Tian Guo Qiang.

Tian Guo Qiang’s words made Young Master Liu’s nose sting, and he felt like crying. Perhaps moved by his words, Granny Fan suddenly became furious. She pulled up the flap of her sash and roared at the Ghost Messenger in white, “I am taking them today! Do you think your meager abilities can stop me?”

“Oh?” The Ghost Messenger in white exchanged a look with the one in black. The white-clad one first shook his shoulders and laughed exaggeratedly, while the black-clad one remained ramrod straight, emitting a cold snort from his nostrils, seemingly in utter disdain.

A moment later, the Ghost Messenger in white stopped laughing, his eyes sharpening. “Old woman, being confident is fine, but don’t be overconfident!”

“Senile old fool!” the Ghost Messenger in black interjected. This fellow was quite peculiar; in conversation, he only spoke a few words before stopping, a stark contrast to the garrulous white-clad one. Moreover, his voice was extremely cold, giving one the sensation of biting frost even under a scorching sun.

The Ghost Messenger in white stepped forward, a playful smile creeping onto his lips. “My brother and I were polite and tried to persuade you nicely when we first arrived, not because we are timid, but merely because we are slightly kinder-hearted than our colleagues in other districts. As the saying goes, the Yin and Yang have been separated since ancient times, and the paths of ghosts and men diverge. If you continue—”

“Asking for trouble when it’s offered.” The Ghost Messenger in black abruptly cut in. Although this time he interrupted the white-clad one again, he completed the intended meaning, just less pleasantly. The white-clad one didn’t seem bothered and continued from where he left off, “Then my brother and I will have to proceed according to the regulations and deal with you too—”

“Let’s do it!” the Ghost Messenger in black concluded.

Black and White Wuchang played good cop, bad cop, refusing to budge an inch about keeping Gou Dan and the other two. As for Granny Fan’s threat, the two of them treated it as a joke.

Granny Fan’s loud shout just now was purely due to blood rushing to her head in anger. She was well aware of her own trifling magical abilities. If she really fought the two Ghost Messengers before her, damn it, one finger could probably crush her. Therefore, once Granny Fan calmed down, she instantly felt that she had been too impulsive. What if a single word displeased them? The White Wuchang might be manageable, but she feared the Black Wuchang... Thinking of this, Granny Fan broke out in a cold sweat! Impulsiveness is the devil!

“Hey, let’s go, let’s go! We’re busy! We don’t have time to dawdle with you!” Seeing that Granny Fan and the others showed no sign of leaving, the White Wuchang couldn't help but step forward to pull at her.

Young Master Liu had been trying to place where he had heard that voice before, but when he saw the White Wuchang step up to pull at Granny Fan and the others, he knew there was no hope for Gou Dan and the boys, because Black and White Wuchang wouldn't cut them any slack! Young Master Liu immediately grew frantic. He shouted at the top of his lungs, “Granny! We can’t abandon Gou Dan and the others!”

Fan Granny, without knowing where her courage came from, and not caring whether she could afford to offend the Black and White Impermanence standing before her, actually stuck out her two hands, which resembled chicken claws, and began a game of tug-of-war with the White Impermanence who had come to pull her away.

The White Impermanence tugged at Granny Fan's arm, trying to pull her out, while Granny Fan used her two chicken-claw hands to desperately cling to the White Impermanence's grip. With her old, flushed face contorted, she shrieked, "Stop it, they're hitting me! The ghost emissaries are hitting people! Someone help! Save me!"

They pulled and hauled like this, back and forth a few times, but Granny Fan hadn't budged an inch. The Black Impermanence, watching from the side, grew instantly impatient. All that could be heard was his roar: "Enough! Get lost, damn it!"

His shout, immense in volume, instantly stunned Granny Fan and the others into silence. The White Impermanence knew his iron-willed brother was furious, so he could only shrug helplessly and step aside. When the Black Impermanence got angry, the consequences were severe.

The Black Impermanence, his face grim, charged straight toward Granny Fan. Granny Fan, just an old country woman, had never faced such a situation! Even dealing with a minor snake demon required Herculean effort. How much more difficult must it be to confront the notorious Black Impermanence?

Watching the Black Impermanence aggressively advance, Granny Fan inwardly lamented, This is bad, I've truly angered him! He’s not as easy to fool as that idiotic snake demon! Despite her terror, Granny Fan clutched tightly to the piece of cloth draped around her. This was likely seeking some small comfort for her heart.

Finally, the Black Impermanence reached Granny Fan, and in that instant, she snatched an object from under her cloth and, squeezing her eyes shut, began wildly flailing it about. Not only did she stomp her feet and desperately swing whatever she held, but she also screamed at the top of her lungs: "Aaaaaaah! Don't come any closer! May the Patriarch protect me! May the Bodhisattva Guanyin manifest! May the Grand Supreme Elder speed with the force of the law..."

Granny Fan danced around like a shaman possessed, wildly waving the object in her hand and muttering a long string of deities—finally even invoking the Kitchen God, the Earth God, Zhang Guo Lao, and even the very Black and White Impermanence who were there to escort her.

The White Impermanence, watching the spectacle, was amused when he heard Granny Fan call out his own name while praying to the gods. Seeing the pathetic sight of her trying to fend off the Black Impermanence with her frantic shamanic dance, he couldn't help but feel a touch of pity. As the saying goes, it is rare for a man to live to eighty. It hadn't been easy for this old woman to reach such an advanced age. Thinking that he, too, had once been a living person, he spoke up to intercede: "Old Fan, forget it. Just chase her away, don't get serious about this."

But the Black Impermanence, consumed by his rage, couldn't listen. Wielding his mourning staff, he exerted just a little force and ripped the implement Granny Fan was waving into two pieces.

That tear caused a disaster; half of the shredded object floated up with a whoosh and landed right on the Black Impermanence's face. Silence fell over the entire scene—Granny Fan had truly made a massive blunder!

The Black Impermanence now had a piece of patterned cloth covering his face. This thing didn't look like a proper piece of cloth; it resembled half of a pant leg. It turned out that the shield Granny Fan had been frantically waving was not the Celestial Master's divine talisman she intended to grab, but rather a pair of her old, brightly patterned underpants! She had snatched them from a small stall at the market yesterday for the price of three wu, intending to wear them later, and had tucked them into the cloth she wore—never imagining they would serve such a purpose!

"Hahahaha!" Laughter immediately erupted. Not only were Young Master Liu and his companions doubled over, unable to straighten their waists from laughing, but even the other ghosts nearby, while not daring to laugh as unrestrainedly as the group of Young Master Liu, still let out intermittent chuckles.

Only Granny Fan, still dancing with her eyes shut, was completely oblivious to everything happening around her...

"Damn it, damn it! Old Fan! You have to calm down!" The cheerful and lively White Impermanence, instead of laughing, shouted anxiously toward the Black Impermanence, as if trying to stop him from doing something, showing extreme agitation.

Amidst the general laughter, the Black Impermanence slowly raised a hand, grasped the large patterned pant leg covering his face, and then violently ripped it off. Revealed was a face of utter terror. The Black Impermanence, already short-tempered, bared his two long, sharp ghost fangs and roared, "Damn it! I'll kill you all!"

Whoosh, a dark wind rose around the Black Impermanence, and his mourning staff emitted a bone-chilling, ghostly wail that sent shivers down the spine, demanding serious attention.

"Go to hell!" The Black Impermanence whipped his staff, sending a streak of black, eerie wind hurtling toward the dancing Granny Fan.

It seemed Granny Fan was certainly doomed, but then a significantly stronger blast of white wind intercepted and neutralized the black wind sent forth by the Black Impermanence. Unsurprisingly, this white wind originated from the White Impermanence.

"Damn it! What are you doing!?" the enraged Black Impermanence roared at his partner.

"What the hell are you yelling about?" the White Impermanence retorted, rubbing his ringing ears.

"Why are you stopping me!?" the Black Impermanence demanded, glaring, though his voice was considerably softer.

"Look at that kid next to the old woman, remember him?" The White Impermanence gestured toward Young Master Liu beside Granny Fan.

"Who? Don't recognize him! Why would we know living people? Are you running a fever?" The Black Impermanence glanced over, then scoffed.

"Terrible memory!" The White Impermanence slapped the back of the Black Impermanence's head and then offered a reminder: "Have you forgotten? The roasted rabbit! The sworn brotherhood!"

At the mention of this, the Black Impermanence instantly recalled the event. He fixed another sharp look at the young man, finally breaking into a smile that hadn't been seen in ages—a smile uglier than crying.

"Hahahahahaha! It’s my Third Brother! Why are you here?" The Black Impermanence, with his straightforward nature, immediately waved enthusiastically at Young Master Liu.

When Young Master Liu heard the fearsome Black Impermanence suddenly greeting him so warmly, he realized their relationship must be quite good.

"And you are?" Young Master Liu asked weakly.

"What? Forgot? I'm Fan Ba!" the Black Impermanence replied cheerfully. Old friends reuniting are especially affectionate! All the unpleasantness from moments ago was already cast to the Ninth Heaven.

"Oh! So it's you two! I thought that voice sounded familiar! Wow, Big Brother! You two died too? And became ghost emissaries? Not bad, not bad!" Young Master Liu exclaimed excitedly.

It turned out the White Impermanence had found the small ghost next to Granny Fan familiar earlier but hadn't been certain until now.

"Heh heh heh..." The two ghosts stood together, chuckling foolishly in a truly repulsive manner, leaving Granny Fan and the others completely bewildered. What? Calling the ghost emissaries brother? Oh my god. This world has gone topsy-turvy; the mice are acting as best men for the cats!