Immortal of the Nine Realms

Chapter 1532: You’re Quite Well-Informed

Fang Chen did not take the Yin Lifespan coins but simply observed the Yin Walker. The man’s aura was not particularly strong, indicating he was merely a Foundation Building Realm cultivator. Being able to practice the Path of Yin in Baiyue City suggested he was likely a local cultivator from Grand Xia.

Even Foundation Building Realm cultivators can practice the Path of Yin now. It seems the Path of Yin Technique has truly been popularised on Tuxiong Star. This is highly beneficial for the Lesser Underworld since it helps stimulate consumption, thought Fang Chen.

”What? Do you expect me to give you extra Yin Lifespan coins instead? That would be going too far! Be careful, or I’ll file a formal complaint at the capital once I return to the living world!” hollered the Yin Walker.

Annoyance flashed in his eyes when he saw that Fang Chen didn’t react.

”Are there many Foundation Building Realm cultivators like yourself in Grand Xia now?” asked Fang Chen with a smile.

”You... you weren’t sent by that royal?” The man froze for a moment, then frowned. ”Someone like me isn’t a top-tier expert in Grand Xia, but I’m certainly not at the bottom either. I’d be considered a first-class master. There are plenty of Golden Core Realm and Nascent Soul Realm cultivators in Grand Xia now.”

”Are there any in the Middle Three Realms?”

”Middle Three Realms? There’s probably only the Emperor of Grand Xia himself...”

The man sounded uncertain.

Fang Chen nodded. Although he had experienced an eternity’s worth of events, for Grand Xia, only a few hundred years had passed. In the grand scheme of the cultivation world, that was a short period. For Grand Xia to produce local Foundation Building and Golden Core Realm cultivators in a few centuries was already rapid progress, marking the early formation of a true cultivation society.

”Your Excellency is also a Yin Walker, right? A piece of advice for you. When you’re working in Baiyue City, don’t take jobs from the Grand Xia royals. Don’t even take jobs from their distant relatives. They’re nothing but trouble,” warned the man after guessing Fang Chen’s identity.

”How so? What is so special about the Grand Xia royals? I recall the Lesser Underworld is under strict order now. How can they be allowed to throw their weight around? Is it because some of them hold high offices in Baiyue City?” questioned Fang Chen.

”You don’t get it, do you?” the man replied. Seeking an outlet for his frustration, he lowered his voice and continued, ”We’ve heard that the Grand Xia royalty has a connection to a certain very important person over in the Upper Capital.”

He paused, then added, ”These are just rumors, and no one has come forward to confirm them, but you only need to look at how the various divisions treat the Grand Xia royals with such favor to know it’s true.”

”And then there’s the Empress of Grand Xia,” continued the man. ”After she passed away, she held an incredibly prestigious status in Baiyue City. I’ve seen many powerful Yin Walkers act with absolute deference in her presence.”

”The Empress of Grand Xia?”

Fang Chen’s expression grew complex. Barring any surprises, the man was talking about his paternal aunt.

It seems Aunt was unable to break through after all, and her lifespan reached its end. Since Father and Mother could both become Anomalies, why didn’t the old man let Aunt walk that path? Or does he have other arrangements?

While he felt a touch of sadness, it wasn’t overwhelming. After all, as long as her wandering soul remained, she wasn’t truly dead. On the contrary, in the Underworld, as long as one had a steady stream of Yin Lifespan, it was a form of alternative longevity.

”Hey, enough, enough. That person is coming over!” blurted the man.

He quickly attempted to flee.

Fang Chen grabbed him by the sleeve. ”Wait a moment. Don’t you want justice? You agreed on five years of Yin Lifespan Coins, so you should receive just that. How can the agreement be broken?”

”What are you pulling me for!?”

The Yin Walker’s face turned pale. He instinctively tried to shake Fang Chen off, only to realise he was pinned by an invisible force and unable to exert any strength at all. He could only watch helplessly as the plump youth, who was a self-proclaimed member of the Grand Xia royalty, strolled over with a group of followers.

The plump youth walked up and pointed a finger at the Yin Walker. ”What were you whispering about over here just now? Badmouthing me? Are you dissatisfied with our deal? Come on, let’s have a talk. I asked you to bring a few of my favorite girls down here. Did you do it? No, you didn’t! And I still gave you three years of Yin Lifespan Coins. But you’re still not satisfied!?”

”Please don’t make things difficult for me,” said the Yin Walker with a bitter smile. ”You clearly told me the job was just to deliver a message. After they heard it, they said they weren’t willing to come down and accompany you. There was nothing I could do.”

”I said it was a message, but don’t you understand the underlying meaning? They don’t get it, and you don’t get it either?” the plump youth shouted angrily. ”Do you have any idea how bored I am here? I just wanted them to come down and stay with me. Is that too much to ask? And you call yourself a Yin Walker? A Foundation Building Realm cultivator? You can’t even handle a small thing like this!”

”Why don’t you try another Yin Walker? I don’t even want those three years of Yin Lifespan Coins anymore. Harvesting souls is the job of the Soul Capturing Division. It’s beyond my jurisdiction. If I were to harvest souls without authorisation, wouldn’t I be beaten until my soul dissipated?”

The Yin Walker tried to reach for the coins, but remembering he was still immobilised, he grew increasingly frantic.

”You asked a Yin Walker to go to the mortal realm and kill people for you?” questioned Fang Chen, his voice cold. ”If it were out of a blood feud, it might be a thing. But simply because you are bored, you want to force girls down here to accompany you?”

Fang Chen looked at the plump youth with a half-smile. He had no idea which generation of the royal family this boy belonged to. At the very least, there wasn’t a single familiar similarity in his facial features.

”And who the hell are you? How did our conversation bother you? What right do you have to butt in?” The plump youth looked at Fang Chen and grinned mockingly. ”Do you know who I am?”

”I do, a member of the Grand Xia royalty,” replied Fang Chen.

”You know, and yet you still dare to chatter away?”

”Does being a Grand Xia royal mean you don’t have to pay the full amount of Yin Lifespan Coins when hiring someone? I recall the Yin Walker Division has very thorough regulations regarding this. Whether it’s a Yin Walker or a wandering soul who breaches a contract, there are corresponding punitive measures,” said Fang Chen.

The plump youth let out a snickering laugh, his voice filled with smugness. ”The Yin Walker Division? In Baiyue City, there is no Yin Walker Division. There is only the Grand Xia royalty. You don’t even understand that? Are you a newcomer?”

A group of wandering souls nearby chimed in with flattery while casting provocative glances at Fang Chen.

The Yin Walker looked at Fang Chen with a pleading expression. ”Sir, please, just say no more!”

Fang Chen suddenly looked towards a corner of the crowd. ”Why are you hiding? You know he has broken the rules of the Yin Walker Division and the Lesser Underworld, yet you don’t know how to step forward and punish him? If the Yin Walker Division doesn’t dare to act, can’t you hand him over to the Judgment Division?”

Several minor officials dressed in the robes of the Yin Walker Division immediately showed bitter smiles, unsure of whether they should respond.

”Who is this guy? A first timer? He’s certainly got guts, daring to hold a grudge against the Grand Xia royalty...”

”The Grand Xia royals have been getting more and more excessive in recent years. I’ve lost Yin Lifespan Coins to them several times.”

Many nearby Yin Walkers whispered among themselves as they watched the scene unfold.

The plump youth stood tall and proud with his chest out. ”See that? Does the Yin Walker Division dare to manage this? And you want to throw me to the Judgment Division? Who do you think you are! Even the current Division Monarch of the Upper Capital Judgment Division was originally a minister of the Grand Xia! Does he dare to judge me?”

”You’re quite well-informed.”

Fang Chen finally found the root of the problem. He surmised that this boy likely had no clue about Xia Ji’s true status in the Upper Capital, nor did he know of Fang Chen’s existence. However, Jiang Yushu was indeed originally the former Minister of Justice of Grand Xia. Someone must have leaked that information here. No wonder the Grand Xia royalty was acting so arrogantly. No wonder the local divisions didn’t dare to intervene.