Immortal of the Nine Realms

When Liu Xuan heard Qi Tianran’s words, his face instantly filled with confusion. ”Monarch, what do you mean by that? Even if I entered the Floating Pagoda Realm secretly, the Judgment Division would be the first to find out. They hold the Judge’s Records of Good and Evil; how could our movements escape their eyes?”

”You didn’t go through the proper channels to reach the Floating Pagoda Realm. There are still a few hidden paths between the two realms that are not publicly known,” Qi Tianran said with a light sigh. ”I ask you this today because I already have enough evidence. Just be honest. If it’s not a serious offense, I’ll plead for leniency on your behalf.”

”Monarch, even if Liu Xuan went to the Floating Pagoda Realm in secret, that shouldn’t be a big deal, right? As long as he didn’t bring Yin Demons into this realm, it wouldn’t violate the law,” Zhang Gao said with a puzzled look.

Liu Xuan was, after all, one of Qi Tianran’s trusted subordinates. They had toiled together in the Underworld Official Division for many years. Why would Qi Tianran target Liu Xuan over something so minor?

Zhang Gao immediately felt a sense of danger. Since Liu Xuan could fall, who was to say he wouldn’t be next to fall? That was why he couldn’t help but speak in Liu Xuan’s defence.

”Traveling to the Floating Pagoda Realm in secret might’ve been inconsequential in the past, but the Lesser Underworld is no longer what it used to be,” Qi Tianran sighed softly. ”It has grown stronger day by day. Three new divisions have been established. Among them, the Killing Spiritual Division and the Yin Walker Division have been specifically created to deal with the Spirit God Sect in the Mortal Realm.”

He paused for a moment before continuing, ”Most remnants of the Spirit God Sect have already been expelled from the Lesser Underworld. Even if a few still linger, they pose no major threat. But in the Floating Pagoda Realm... the Spirit God Sect’s influence is still as deeply rooted as an ancient tree.”

Qi Tianran smiled faintly. ”I’ve investigated. Liu Xuan personally promoted 2,319 officials in this period. If any among them belong to the Spirit God Sect, wouldn’t that make the Underworld Official Division culpable for a major catastrophe?”

Liu Xuan frowned. ”Monarch, for our division to rise and establish branches across various regions, it’s only natural to promote officials we’re familiar with. We can’t let all key positions go to the other divisions, can we?

”Besides, what have the other divisions done that I haven’t? Take the Yin Walker Division, the Killing Spiritual Division, and the Martial God Division. Many of their officials were just ordinary Yin Walkers. Now they’ve been promoted. Some of them were even low-ranking troops in the past. What could they possibly understand?”

”Enough,” Qi Tianran suddenly snapped.

Liu Xuan and Zhang Gao turned pale.

”Those Yin Walkers were all trusted followers of Monarch Fang in the Mortal Realm. Their promotion was at his discretion,” Qi Tianran said coldly. ”It’s not your place, as a minor official, to question it. More importantly, their records are clean. That alone makes them worlds apart from the people you’ve promoted.”

Liu Xuan grew angry. ”How is it that the people I promoted aren’t proper?”

”I investigated. Over 200 of them have already confessed to being cultivators from the Spirit God Sect, or agents who worked for them in the Mortal Realm. Some were officials who joined the sect years ago,” interjected a calm voice.

Fang Chen stepped into the hall and sat at the main seat without ceremony.

Qi Tiannan, Liu Xuan, and Zhang Gao were all stunned. They hastily bowed in salute.

Liu Xuan’s face flickered with disbelief. ”The Spirit God Sect? That can’t be.... They were—”

”They were recommended to you by the Young Mountain Lord of Dangyin Mountain, weren’t they?” Fang Chen said with a smile.

Liu Xuan’s face turned pale. He finally understood why Qi Tianran had pressed him so hard today. Everything he’d done had already been revealed.

”Dangyin Mountain’s Young Mountain Lord? Who’s that?” Zhang Gao asked in confusion.

”Lord Fang, you know of Dangyin Mountain?” Liu Xuan asked, his expression strained.

After a few moments of silence, he gave a small nod. ”It’s true. I had dealings with the Young Mountain Lord of Dangyin Mountain in the Floating Pagoda Realm. He gave me some Yin Lifespan Coins and asked me to take care of certain Yin Walkers and spirits in the Underworld.

”But with his cultivation, why would he have any connection to the Spirit God Sect? His father is a fourth transformation great Yin Demon, feared across the land. There’s no reason he would need to collaborate with the Spirit God Sect.”

Unease gripped Qi Tianran and Zhang Gao’s hearts when they heard that, and they exchanged a glance.

”A fourth-transformation great Yin Demon?”

They were silently grateful that such powerful beings couldn’t easily break into the Lesser Underworld due to the constraints. Otherwise, the foundation of the Lesser Underworld would be as fragile as boiled tofu in the face of the Floating Pagoda Realm’s monsters.

”You don’t understand the Spirit God Sect’s methods,” Fang Chen said with a faint smile. ”If, as you say, the Young Mountain Lord disdained cooperation with the Spirit God Sect, why would he work with you? Why would he bribe you with Yin Lifespan Coins to promote his people? What benefit does he gain from giving those people high positions in the Underworld, when it doesn’t affect the Floating Pagoda Realm?”

Liu Xuan’s expression turned sour. ”This....”

He had never truly thought about that. Or rather, had deliberately avoided thinking too deeply, content to take the money and stay comfortable.

”You didn’t fail to realize it. You simply didn’t want to realize it. He gave you too much, didn’t he?” Fang Chen said.

Liu Xuan looked conflicted. ”The Floating Pagoda Realm has no order. Those great Yin Demons command countless underlings and can easily loot large amounts of Yin Lifespan Coins. Here in the Lesser Underworld, I receive maybe a few hundred coins per year. After covering cultivation costs, I only have enough left to survive and maintain my level.

”But over there, they can easily provide wave after wave of Yin Lifespan Coins. All I did was assign them some positions, and I got paid handsomely. Tell me, my lord, wouldn’t you be tempted in my place?”

Qi Tianran sighed. ”You’re still clinging to delusions. Even if you earn a little less here, you’re safe. At least you won’t run out of lifespan and die. But working with great Yin Demons from the Floating Pagoda Realm is like making a deal with a tiger. What they want... is likely the entire Underworld. They wouldn’t cooperate with the Spirit God Sect for nothing! Each side is simply using the other!”

”Liu Xuan... kneel and admit your mistake!” Zhang Gao urged. ”You were just foolish this time. You didn’t really intend to betray the Underworld.”

”Lord Fang, Lord Qi... I realize my mistake,” Liu Xuan said miserably, removing his armor. ”I’m willing to resign from my post as Left Registrar and submit to your judgment.”

Qi Tianran accepted the armor and looked to Fang Chen, asking quietly, ”My lord, how shall we deal with him?”

”You have a chance to redeem yourself,” Fang Chen said with a faint smile.

”Redeem myself...?” Liu Xuan was briefly stunned, then quickly bowed with hope in his eyes. ”I await your orders!”

Fang Chen continued, ”But before that, you’ll need to tell me—when you first discovered the passage to the Floating Pagoda Realm, was it just dumb luck, or did someone help you?”

Liu Xuan’s expression shifted into one of reminiscence. ”I remember that day, Zhang Gao invited me for drinks. He said there was a beautiful ghost city with excellent scenery, perfect for drinking, and then I...”

He turned to look at Zhang Gao in disbelief.

Zhang Gao, who had up until now tried to stay uninvolved, suddenly froze.