Immortal of the Nine Realms

”Long time no see.”

”Yeah, long time no see.”

These two old enemies, meeting again after many years, only exchanged these few casual words. Neither showed any emotion, both looking as calm as still water.

Goddess Xiao trembled uncontrollably. She looked at Xia Yu with resentment and hatred.

”I thought you would live much longer. I never imagined we’d meet like this in the Underworld after just a few decades.” Xia Yu chuckled lightly. ”Tell me, if I had known that both of us would be so short-lived, why would we have fought so much when we were alive? We might as well have been friends.”

”Friends?” Fang Chen shook his head. ”You and I can never be friends. If you had one-tenth of Xia Ji’s charm, you might’ve barely qualified.”

Xia Yu’s expression stiffened.

The guard behind him angrily said, ”You’re dead, yet you’re still so arrogant? You no longer deserve to be his friend! You were General Fang in the Mortal Realm, but here in the Underworld, you’re nothing!”

Xia Yu wore a faint smile. He didn’t appear angry at Fang Chen’s words. ”Don’t speak so harshly. You should at least show some respect to General Fang; he’s a very proud man.”

The guard said in a low voice, ”You’re right, Your Highness.”

”General Fang, you were admired by all in the Mortal Realm. The entire court respected me as the crown prince, but in their hearts, they wished you were born in the Xia Family. They wished you had been the Crown Prince and not me.” Xia Yu let out a soft sigh. ”Even my father, sometimes I feel like he wished you were his son.”

Fang Chen smirked. ”You might be misunderstanding Xia Xuanji. He doesn’t really want to be my father.”

”Misunderstanding? Perhaps.” Xia Yu chuckled. ”Do you know that here in Baiyue City, we have quite a few old acquaintances?”

As soon as he finished speaking, Xia Ji laughed heartily and pointed off into the distance. ”Speak of the devil. We’ve been talking about our old acquaintances and one of them appears. Take a good look at who that is.”

In the distance, five Nether Guards, each carrying a blade at their waist, walked toward them. The leader walked with the grace of a dragon and the stride of a tiger. His handsome and resolute face exuded an extraordinary aura.

The surrounding souls quickly avoided them, their eyes filled with reverence and respect.

Fang Chen wore the same smile. ”Xiao Shence.”

It seemed that Xiao Shence had become the leader of the Nether Guards in Baiyue City. Those who had died by Fang Chen’s hand, directly or indirectly, were living quite well in the Underworld.

Xiao Shence saluted Xia Yu with a fist salute. ”Your Highness.”

He then coldly turned his gaze toward Fang Chen, a smile curling on his lips.

”General Fang, long time no see.”

Fang Chen smiled. ”Xiao Shence, how have you been doing, here in Baiyuo City? I recall you had thousands of troops under your command when you were with the Valiant Saber Guards. I see you’ve only got four Nether Guards under your command?”

The four Nether Guard’s expressions darkened, and the air around them grew heavy with the cold energy of the Underworld. ”How dare you speak to our lord like that?”

Xiao Shence smiled, not minding. He calmed down his men. ”Threatening General Fang is useless. You don’t understand. In the human realm, he’s an influential figure with immense power.”

The Nether Guards were slightly stunned.

”General Fang... that name seems familiar, but I can’t quite recall,” murmured one of the Nether Guards.

Xia Yu glanced at Goddess Xiao and said, ”Fang Chen, the Underworld has its own rules, and Baiyue has its own as well. I saw you give Goddess Xiao a year of Yin lifespan. Do you know how precious that is to you? From now on, in this city, you will never earn another ounce of Yin lifespan, just like her.”

Goddess Xiao turned deathly pale.

”Without earning Yin lifespan, one would slowly die. When you die here, you’re truly dead, your soul annihilated. You won’t have a chance at reincarnation,” shared Xiao Shence, chuckling softly.

He continued, ”Actually, instead of that, it might be better to follow Marshal Xiao Lang’s footsteps and sink into the Forgotten River. This way, you might get a chance at reincarnation in the future, rather than dying here in Baiyue City... like a stray dog on the street.”

Xia Yu asked with curiosity, ”Speaking of which, who helped you cross the river to get here?”

”I just walked over. No one helped me,” replied Fang Chen, smiling.

”General Fang truly lives up to his name. Even in death, he maintains his dignity,” Xia Yu murmured softly.

”Well, if there’s nothing else, I plan to visit an old friend.”

Fang Chen cupped his hands in a salute and said to Goddess Xiao, ”Let’s go.”

Goddess Xiao paused slightly. ”Yes... are we going to see my father?”

Fang Chen gently nodded. ”Mm.”

Goddess Xiao’s expression became extremely excited, but when she thought of Xia Yu and Xiao Shence, she hesitated.

Even though Fang Chen could now offer Yin lifespan to bring back Marshall Xiao Lang, with Xia Yu and Xiao Shence in Baiyue City, he would eventually end up like her, dying due to the exhaustion of his Yin lifespan.

Xia Yu smiled. ”Oh? You want to see Marshall Xiao Lang? Then let’s go together.”

Fang Chen smiled but said nothing, leading Goddess Xiao out of the city.

”Goddess Xiao, how did you and your father die?”

”We’re not sure either...”

”You are not sure?”

Fang Chen nodded thoughtfully. If the deaths were unclear, it was certainly not a good end.

After a pause, Fang Chen looked at Xiao Shence. ”Xiao Shence, that last play of yours before your death almost fooled everyone. Does Xia Yu know that you were actually one of Xia Xuanji’s people?”

Xiao Shence stiffened slightly, but he quickly snorted coldly. ”No need to bring this up. I already know about it. Over the years, many souls from the Great Xia have come to Baiyuo City. You probably don’t know, but the Emperor has returned to the Mortal Realm.”

Fang Chen’s steps faltered slightly as he looked at Xiao Shence. ”Xia Xuanji has returned to Grand Xia?”

Xiao Shence smirked. ”You didn’t know? I thought you could foresee everything. No matter, you have already become a wandering soul. How could you still be concerned with mortal affairs?”

”Fang Chen, Xiao Shence was my father’s confidant. I didn’t know about this, but after his death, everything was revealed,” said Xia Yu. ”I don’t blame Father. I can only say I was too young at the time. It’s only natural that Father didn’t let me in on these things.”

Xia Yu chuckled lightly. ”Now that Father has returned to rule Grand Xia, and you’ve come to Baiyue, it’s truly a double joy. Without you interfering, his grand ambitions will eventually be achieved. As for me, I will rise step by step in the Underworld, quietly waiting for the chance to return to the Mortal Realm.”

Fang Chen glanced at Xia Yu. ”Return to the Mortal Realm?”

”You may not know this, but not all souls in the Underworld are the same. Before long, I will become a Day Walker in Baiyue City. When that happens, I will be able to travel to the Mortal Realm, to see the Grand Xia of today.”

By now, the group had already reached the end of the bridge, where many wandering souls were rowing boats toward the bridge.

Fang Chen smiled faintly. ”A Day Walker... Not bad. To have such an opportunity must be thanks to your father-in-law, the city lord, right?”

Xia Yu’s expression slightly changed. He casually replied, ”So what if it is? The Forgotten River is here. Are you going to exhaust your Yin lifespan to bring back Marshall Xiao Lang?”