Chapter 030: Descending to the Underworld

Li Shimin neither dodged nor avoided; he raised his right hand and used the dagger in his hand to block the crown prince's sword. "Today, either you die or I die."

The crown prince sneered, "No, today only you will die, because I am already dead, my good second brother."

Li Shimin was startled.

But the crown prince launched an attack like splashed ink, his sword light like mercury pouring onto the ground, penetrating every opening. Li Shimin was not an assassin skilled with a dagger, and in an instant, he was routed.

One after another, sword wounds appeared on his body. In just a few breaths, Li Shimin was covered in blood.

The crown prince laughed heartily, "Go to hell."

With a single sword stroke, he knocked the dagger from Li Shimin's hand, thrust his sword forward, and it seemed about to pierce Li Shimin's heart.

Just then...

"Your Majesty, wake up!"

A roar like thunder sounded in Li Shimin's ears. In an instant, the entire great hall rumbled, dust fell in showers, and cracks appeared in the walls and floor.

The crown prince was greatly alarmed and quickly stepped forward, intending to stab Li Shimin to death.

But at that moment, the great hall collapsed with a crash. Li Shimin vanished instantly, leaving only the crown prince, who let out a long howl.

The next second, Li Shimin's eyes snapped open. He sat up from the bed, gasping for breath. Suddenly, as if remembering something, he tore open his clothes and looked down at his chest.

There was nothing.

No wounds, no sword marks.

Li Shimin couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, regaining his composure as emperor. He turned his head and saw an old Taoist with white hair and a youthful face standing before him, watching him with concern.

"Your Majesty, are you all right?"

The emperor shook his head and said, "Minister Yuan, I owe you today. If you hadn't called me awake in time, I would have almost been..."

At this point, the emperor hesitated and did not continue.

Yuan Tiangang pretended not to hear this and said slowly, "Your Majesty, forgive me for speaking bluntly. I may protect you for a time, but I cannot protect you forever. That fierce ghost is ferocious and overbearing, full of malice toward you. If I am the least bit negligent, Your Majesty's life may be in danger."

The emperor felt a chill in his heart and couldn't help asking, "Then what should I do to get rid of this fierce ghost?"

Yuan Tiangang said, "At present, there is only one way."

"What way?" asked the emperor.

"Descend to the underworld, lodge a complaint with the King of Hell, and request that he send someone to capture the fierce ghost," Yuan Tiangang said decisively.

Hearing that he had to go to the underworld, the emperor's courage drained by seven or eight tenths. He couldn't help frowning, "Must I go to the underworld? Is there no other way?"

Yuan Tiangang shook his head.

The emperor said, "Minister Yuan, you are a man of great attainment. Can't you slay this fierce ghost for me?"

Yuan Tiangang sighed helplessly and said, "Your Majesty, when it comes to praying for rain or divining the celestial mysteries, I am second to none. But when it comes to controlling ghosts and communicating with spirits, I am not up to the task."

The emperor pondered for a moment and said, "What if I send someone else to the underworld to lodge the complaint on my behalf?"

Yuan Tiangang thought for a while and said, "That method is feasible, but..."

At this point, Yuan Tiangang hesitated. The emperor hurriedly asked, "But what?"

Yuan Tiangang said, "The underworld is thick with yin energy. If a living person's soul descends, it will be corroded by the yin energy and turn into a ghost before even seeing the King of Hell. Moreover, it's easy to see the King of Hell but hard to deal with the minor demons. An ordinary person cannot meet the King of Hell."

The emperor said in alarm, "Then why did you tell me to go down?"

Yuan Tiangang made a calming gesture and said slowly, "I just said that applies to ordinary people. But Your Majesty is the supreme ruler of the mortal world, protected by dragon aura. Yin energy will not corrode your soul. Moreover, as the supreme ruler, ordinary yin officials and evil ghosts dare not trouble you. You will surely be able to see the King of Hell. If it were someone else..."

At this point, Yuan Tiangang shook his head.

But the emperor was indifferent and said coldly, "If one person is not enough, then I will send ten, a hundred, a thousand people. How about that?"

Yuan Tiangang felt this would harm the natural order, but seeing the emperor's temperament, he knew he could not stop him. He could only say, "Ordinary people won't do. After their souls are corroded by yin energy, they become dazed and remember nothing."

"So it must be a cultivator?"

"Yes. And not just any cultivator; one who has reached a certain level of cultivation," Yuan Tiangang said.

The emperor asked, "Can the people of the Great Tang Demon-Slaying Bureau be used?"

Yuan Tiangang said, "Only a few can be used."

The emperor nodded and immediately summoned someone to write an imperial edict, which was sent overnight to the Great Tang Demon-Slaying Bureau.

...

A few days later, in Luoyang City.

Wang Bo, Xiao Bai, and Xiao Qing walked along the main street of Luoyang City, their gazes idly sweeping around. The weather was fine today—clear skies, not a cloud in sight—so Wang Bo, Xiao Bai, and Xiao Qing were taking a stroll.

After staying home for too long, it was good to get out and walk around once in a while.

Wang Bo didn't mind; he treated it as sunbathing.

Though Luoyang City was prosperous, it was far inferior to the bustling, neon-lit modern metropolises. But after tiring of modern cities, walking on the crowded, cobblestone streets of an ancient city had its own charm.

The three of them walked along the main road when suddenly they heard a commotion from a nearby corner. Xiao Qing pulled Xiao Bai's hand and headed toward the sound, saying as she walked, "Sister, let's go see."

Wang Bo shook his head and followed with a smile.

The three reached the corner and found it packed with people, crowded in layers upon layers.

Wang Bo quietly sent out a stream of true qi. The true qi, like a tide, easily parted the crowd, clearing a path, and he led Xiao Bai and Xiao Qing inside.

At the center of the crowd was a couple: the man tall and mighty, the woman petite and charming. They were performing street martial arts.

No, calling it street martial arts wasn't quite right.

Actually, they were putting on a show, and the act was... ghost-catching!

The man held a rusty cleaver, but on closer inspection, the rust wasn't rust at all—it was dried blood. The blood was infused with yin energy and could not be washed off no matter what.

The man claimed that a ghost resided in the blade, which was why it couldn't be cleaned, and moreover, it would even contaminate water sources.

The petite woman understood and brought over a basin of clear water. The man immersed the blade in the water, and within three to five minutes, the water turned red, releasing a pungent, bloody smell.

Instantly, the crowd erupted in uproar. Some timid people turned pale with fright, on the verge of fainting.