Immortal of the Nine Realms

”This master is a Yin Walker, and you are a high-ranking officer in the Nether Guards Division. Surely, you two can afford this small amount of money?” said the middle-aged wandering soul. ”This Yin residence costs only 140 years of Yin lifespan.”

Qing Sui’s expression darkened. ”140 years? Go rob someone else. Do you really think we don’t know the market?”

With that, Qing Sui turned to Fang Chen and cupped his hands. ”Let’s find another seller. This one is a black market dealer.”

The middle-aged wandering soul quickly explained, ”Please, don’t be angry. Did you see that tree? It’s a Soul Binding Willow, a hundred years old. It’s the most valuable part of this residence. Just this tree alone is worth 150 years of Yin lifespan!”

The two followed where the middle-aged man was pointing and saw a dark, gloomy willow tree.

”A Soul Binding Willow?” Qing Sui looked skeptical. ”Let me check. If you’re lying to us, you’ll be paying the Nether Guards Division a vist.”

Qing Sui walked up to the willow, inspecting it from all sides and occasionally touching it.

Fang Chen had already noticed the tree’s ability to gather Yin energy. Although it wasn’t absorbing much Yin energy, it was enough to make the residence’s Yin aura significantly denser than the outside.

After a while, Qing Sui turned back to Fang Chen and respectfully said, ”Sir, this is indeed a Soul Binding Willow. It has a Yin-gathering effect.”

The middle-aged soul said with a smug smile, ”You see, I wasn’t lying. This residence is worth the price.”

Qing Sui glanced at him and said indifferently, ”Even with this Soul Binding Willow, your price is still too high. I don’t think anyone in the city of Youhuan would buy it.”

Fang Chen smiled. ”You just said this Soul Binding Willow is worth 150 years of Yin lifespan?”

”Yes, yes.” The middle-aged wandering soul nodded repeatedly. ”You must know the value of this Soul Binding Willow. It’s definitely worth 150 years of Yin lifespan.”

Fang Chen said, ”In that case, you can dig it up and have it. Just give me the additional ten-year surplus. I’ll consider the residence as bought.”

The middle-aged wandering soul froze for a moment, then his face turned into a bitter smile. ”Sir, you’re joking. Once the Soul Binding Willow is planted, it can’t be moved. It would wither and die. Please, offer a price. If it’s reasonable, I’ll sell the residence to you and we’ll form a good relationship.”

”To be honest, this Soul Binding Willow is useless to me,” said Fang Chen.

He reached out his hand and an overwhelming amount of Yin energy surged into the area, swirling around everyone.

The residence’s Yin energy instantly became seven or eight times thicker.

Qing Sui and the middle-aged wandering soul clearly felt the difference, and their eyes flashed with shock.

Qing Sui was secretly stunned. Given his years of understanding of the underworld, this master was likely among the most powerful in Youhuan City!

”I just need a place to rest. If you want anything more than twenty years of Yin lifespan for it, then we don’t need to continue with the discussion,” Fang Chen smiled.

The middle-aged wandering soul was stunned for a while. ”Twenty years…”

Normally, he would have walked away immediately, even cursing and spitting.

However, the situation was different. The strength of the person in front of him was truly shocking.

After considering for a moment, the middle-aged wandering soul asked softly, ”Have you considered a long-term lease?”

Qing Sui’s expression flared with anger. ”A lease!? Are you looking down on me or looking down on Master Fang!?”

Fang Chen, however, waved his hand and curiously asked, ”What do you mean by a long-term lease? How many years of Yin lifespan per year?”

Qing Sui tried to persuade Fang Chen to abandon the idea of a long-term lease. ”Master, whether it’s long-term or short-term, neither is cost-effective. Once the time is up, the house has to be returned. That’s just wasting your Yin lifespan.”

In his opinion, it was more sensible to buy the house outright since one would spend their entire life in a city like this. However, he didn’t know that Fang Chen wouldn’t stay in Youhuan City for long.

”If it’s a long-term lease, I can make the decision. Twenty years of Yin lifespan would get you the house for forty years.” The middle-aged wandering soul gritted his teeth. ”If it were anyone else, I would’ve given them only twenty years for this price. This is the greatest concession I can offer.”

”Alright.”

Fang Chen nodded lightly and tossed twenty black copper coins to the middle-aged wandering soul. He then asked Qing Sui to handle the contract for the long-term lease.

After the two left, two wisps of Yin energy gathered around Fang Chen. The black and white paper figures curiously observed their surroundings.

Fang Chen smiled. ”Little White, Little Black, do you feel like you’ve returned home?”

The black paper figure murmured, ”Kind of.”

The white paper figure showed a slight smile. ”The Yin energy here feels very comfortable, as if wrapped in the power of karma.”

Fang Chen’s eyes flickered with thought. ”The power of karma….”

Fang Chen sensed the endless influx of Yin-like energy entering his body. It did seem like there was indeed a trace of the power of karma within.

His eyes filled with shock as he faintly began to deduce how the Underworld operated.

When a person died, their connection to their karma is severed, and there is no longer any link between their past and present lives.

So where does the severed karma go? Perhaps they do not dissipate back into the Mortal Realm but merge into the Underworld. They transform into this overwhelming, pervading Yin energy.

His Nine Heavens Profound Yin Primordial Spirit was now absorbing this Yin energy non-stop, which was mixed with the power of karma, to strengthen his soul!

”Karma can influence the Three Calamities and Nine Tribulations. Little White and Little Black also feed on the power of karma. Then there’s the Spirit Blood Sect’s Blood Spirit Pills, which refine karma from mortals or cultivators to form pills... And in the Underworld, the Nine Heavens Nine Heavens Profound Yin Primordial Spirit…. Everything in this world seems to stem from karma....”

Fang Chen’s thoughts gradually became clearer. ”The Spirit God of the True Martial Realm seems to be connected to the Spirit Blood Sect’s leader. Now there are Yin people in the Underworld who worship spiritual gods. The Spirit Blood Sect... is also laying plans in the Underworld, while I... am just a pawn dropped by the Spiritual Killing Division?”

He didn’t mind being a pawn as long as he knew who was holding the chess pieces. Even if he had to be a pawn, he would make sure to be the fiercest, most ruthless one.

”However... that person likely didn’t just drop me here. There must be many colleagues of mine around, though I don’t know how they’re faring. I wonder if they even made it across the Forgotten River….”

At that moment, Little Black’s voice interrupted Fang Chen’s thoughts. ”Lord, this willow tree is quite interesting. How about refining it with the Spiritual Attachment Technique?”

Fang Chen looked toward the Soul Binding Willow with surprise. Refine it with the Spiritual Attachment Technique?

That’s right. While the mortal world didn’t have many evil spirits, the Underworld... was full of them.

Could this technique have been developed specifically for the Underworld? Is this where it is truly applied?

Fang Chen said with a smile, ”I’m just renting here. This Soul Binding Willow isn’t yet mine, so I’ll hold off on refining it for now. You two, conceal your Yin energy and go out for a while. I want to know how many Yin Walkers and wandering souls there are. Also, inquire about these so-called Yin demons and how one can leave this city.”

As he walked, he saw many paper figures, mostly wandering souls who had died and brought their spirits from the Mortal Realm. So, if the black and white paper figures concealed their Yin energy, they wouldn’t attract too much attention.

”Understood.”

The black and white paper figures bowed, then concealed their Yin energy and went out.

By chance, they encountered Qing Sui and the middle-aged wandering soul. Both of them couldn’t help but glance at the black and white paper figures.

Fang Chen asked with a calm smile, ”Is everything taken care of?”

The middle-aged wandering soul quickly nodded. ”Yes, yes, it’s all taken care of.”

He then handed the contract to Fang Chen before taking his leave.

Fang Chen smiled as he stored the contract away and addressed Qing Sui, ”Brother Qing, this large mansion would be difficult to manage without some helpers. Do you have any good suggestions?”