Chapter 303: Agreement with His Highness Jiuyou

Jiu You stood before them, a large, messy stack of papers with crude handwriting piled in front of her. After she finished speaking, she looked at them earnestly, her expression clearly hoping they would be sensible and cooperate sincerely with her to restore the glory of the Underworld.

"When I become the Lord of the Underworld," Jiu You proposed enthusiastically, "I'll appoint you as a divine official and you as a Heavenly Monarch. And if any of your relatives die, I'll help you bring them back. From then on, we'll just stay here as powerful overlords, and no one will be able to control us!"

Ning Changjiu looked at Jiu You and said, "Though the spirit knows no bounds, the outside world is vastly larger than the Underworld. Even if we were to leave, where would we find the authority you seek?"

Jiu You thought for a moment, then declared, "There will always be a way!"

Ning Changjiu thought to himself, *There are less than three hundred days left. Can't you show a little urgency?*

Jiu You scratched her head, pointing at the large bookshelf behind her. "Actually," she said, "I think I saw a method somewhere, but I can't recall it now. I'll go through the books and find it later!"

Ning Changjiu gazed at the vast sea of books behind her, sighed, and asked, "What exactly have you been doing for the past one or two millennia?"

Jiu You puffed out her cheeks, equally annoyed, but couldn't come up with a good solution.

Ning Xiaoling silently raised her hand and said, "I have a question."

"What do you want to ask, Junior Sister?" Ning Changjiu's tone softened.

Ning Xiaoling asked, "If a wisp of my divine soul is kept here, how will I return? Will I be placed inside a small porcelain bottle, like Han Xiaosu?"

Ning Xiaoling was a little frightened. From her past conversations with Han Xiaosu, she knew how cramped and uncomfortable life could be inside a small bottle.

Jiu You replied, uncertain, "You now bear the fortune of the Underworld and hold the authority of the Underworld Lord. What kind of porcelain bottle could possibly contain a great deity like you?"

Ning Xiaoling pressed, "Then what should I do? If you don't let me return, how can I help you gather authority?"

"Don't be impatient, little sister Xiaoling!"

"Who are you calling 'sister'?"

"Actually, what can accommodate your divine soul doesn't need to be too restrictive," Jiu You said with a faint smile. "As long as it shares the same origin as you and is at least a demigod's body, it will suffice. Doesn't that sound easy?"

Same origin... demigod's body...

The conditions didn't sound restrictive, but in reality, searching the entire world now, it would still be incredibly difficult to find a deceased five-tailed great fox... and it had to be female!

Ning Xiaoling rubbed her face. "You should just let me go," she said. "My senior brother and I are both honest people!"

"Do you take me for a child?" Jiu You retorted mockingly. "Even the cat you raised is extraordinary; you're certainly not as innocent as your face suggests!"

Ning Xiaoling couldn't tell if that was a compliment or an insult. She sighed and looked pleadingly at her senior brother. "Senior Brother, say something! A demigod fox body... this is clearly an impossible task for us. We only have three hundred days; how could we possibly find one?"

Ning Changjiu stared at her silently, saying nothing.

Ning Xiaoling sensed something amiss, and her expression grew peculiar.

Jiu You watched them exchange unspoken glances, equally curious.

A moment later, Ning Xiaoling slowly spoke, an astonished expression on her face. "No... way?"

Ning Xiaoling sat dejectedly on the edge of the large bed, rolling around. "Senior Brother," she whined, "I don't want to walk on four legs."

Ning Changjiu gently rubbed her head, comforting her. "I've seen that fox pelt," he said. "It's very beautiful. Hundreds of years ago, it was a divine fox capable of enchanting an entire nation, possessing a beauty that could topple kingdoms. It would suit you, Xiaoling."

Ning Xiaoling imagined herself transformed into a fox and found the thought unbearable.

While foxes were cute, she found them cute only when she was the one petting them. Being held and casually petted by others, however, was not at all appealing to her.

Ning Xiaoling rose from the bed and knelt, pleading, "Senior Brother, you must have a solution, right?"

Ning Changjiu smiled helplessly. "I also wish I could take you away by force," he said, "but Jiu You is no fool; she's prepared to break ties if necessary. What's more, I wouldn't dare gamble with your life."

Ning Xiaoling tidied her messy hair, then threw herself into Ning Changjiu's arms. After hugging her senior brother for a moment, she looked up and said, "I feel like the Underworld's restraints are just a pretense, a trick Jiu You is using. If I were truly to... Ah!"

Mid-sentence, Ning Xiaoling suddenly clutched her chest. Veins pulsed on her slender ankles, her delicate toes curled tightly, and her body tensed up convulsively.

Ning Changjiu immediately placed a finger on her brow, smoothing the turbulent waves in her mind with a gentle, soothing force, like a soft breeze bringing rain.

Ning Xiaoling pressed her palms together and looked up at the vast hall, its ceiling unseen. She no longer dared to harbor thoughts of rebelling against the Underworld.

Consequently, she became even more dejected.

In contrast to her dejection, Jiu You was filled with triumph, as if the day 297 days from now wasn't the date of the Underworld's demise, but the day of her ascension as its new ruler.

She tirelessly flipped through books on the shelves, searching for methods to gather authority.

The Fish King woke up a day and a night later.

Over the course of that day and night, Ning Changjiu and Ning Xiaoling explored a large portion of the Underworld, treating it as an impromptu reunion.

The Underworld was far more immense than they had initially perceived.

In the world of the Underworld, spirits were unburdened by material resistance. Sword flight was many times faster than in the outside world, yet they still couldn't reach any boundaries. All regions of the Underworld, whether shrouded in gloom or battered by heavy rain, lay beneath the vast Sea of Darkness.

The Sea of Darkness was peculiar; one could clearly see its boundary by simply looking up. Yet, much like the horizon, it was always visible but eternally out of reach.

The scenery of the Underworld was far from beautiful, filled as it was with the furious howls of chilling winds and the mournful cries of souls. War had not truly ceased; many sects still frequently erupted in skirmishes and conflicts, dying fragile deaths after clashing with blades, only to return to the darkness of the sky.

But the world was vast, and regardless of how much life was ravaged, silence remained its eternal language.

Ning Changjiu and Ning Xiaoling arrived in a luminous valley, where countless small black flowers bloomed.

Ning Xiaoling gently knelt and cupped some of the flowers in her palm. She sniffed them at her nose but detected no fragrance.

"Are these flowers alive or dead?" Ning Xiaoling asked.

Ning Changjiu replied, "Death is their form of life."

Ning Xiaoling nodded thoughtfully. She walked gently along the stone path in the valley, her gaze sweeping across the endless flower fields. The wind, flowing like water from the mountains, rustled her skirt and hair.

Ning Changjiu stood amidst the sea of flowers.

The girl's silhouette, like a wisp of cloud, drifted in his view.

Ning Xiaoling tilted her head back, gazing at the darkness overhead.

The Sea of Darkness, like a colossal whale blotting out the sky, continuously floated above them, moving as they did.

Together, they traversed the vast flower fields.

In the endless valleys, the jagged rock formations resembled enormous labyrinths, making it easy for those who traversed them to return to their starting point.

Beyond the flower fields, they also observed numerous divine statues.

All the statues depicted a handsome man, one hand behind his back and the other holding a book. From his feet, a feathered serpent elegantly coiled upwards, its large mouth agape above the man's head, as if poised to devour him. Yet, the man remained unperturbed, his expression serene, and the feathered serpent's wings behind him appeared to be extensions of his own shoulder blades.

At the base of the statues, many decayed white bones were piled up.

Many ghosts also knelt on the ground, praying to the statues. Their knees were worn down to the bone, yet their expressions remained solemn, devoid of any pain.

They were members of the Prayer Sect, believing that sufficient piety was their sole hope in the endless darkness. They held that one day, their devotion would move the heavens, and the light of their faith would pierce the Sea of Darkness, shining directly upon this statue. At that time, the Underworld Lord would awaken once more and lead them to true revival.

"Where exactly did the Underworld Lord go?" Ning Xiaoling asked, sitting on a cliff.

Ning Changjiu looked at the Sea of Darkness. "Its heart became Jiu You," he said. "As for its body and soul..."

Ning Xiaoling looked at him expectantly.

Ning Changjiu said, "The place we are in right now might be within the Underworld Lord's consciousness."

"The Underworld Lord's consciousness?" Ning Xiaoling asked, surprised.

Ning Changjiu explained, "This world is constructed from consciousness. Aside from a deity of the Underworld Lord's caliber, I find it hard to imagine who else could possess such immense power."

He paused, then continued, "When I was in Luoshu, I also witnessed a similar world. The world of Luoshu was different from here; it followed certain laws, and even if it depicted a chaotic era, every event occurred in an orderly manner, consistent with history. This place is different; it's chaotic... souls rise and fall on their own, heaven and earth are unrestrained, as if it's merely a space destined for decay."

Ning Xiaoling asked curiously, "Why are these two places different?"

Ning Changjiu replied, "The reason is simple: Luoshu was deliberately created, whereas this place was created unintentionally."

"Unintentionally?" Ning Xiaoling looked out at the boundless world, puzzled. "How careless must the Underworld Lord have been then?"

"This wasn't something he could control..." Ning Changjiu said slowly. "Because it blossomed at the moment of death."

"Death?"

"Yes," Ning Changjiu explained. "At the moment of death, a person's consciousness undergoes an unprecedentedly intense activity. In that single instant, you might completely review your entire life. If this is true for humans, what about a primordial deity whose power far surpasses that of ordinary ancient gods?"

Ning Changjiu continued, "When the Underworld Lord died, its consciousness instantly exploded. It was like a single point that detonated and expanded in a flash, swelling into an empty, boundless world. Over long ages, fragments of consciousness within this empty world slowly coalesced, forming the land here. The mountains, trees, and flowers here resemble those in the mortal realm, yet their essence is fundamentally different... perhaps they were created by the Underworld Lord's chaotic consciousness. This process must have taken a very long time, which is why Jiu You awoke more than a thousand years after the Underworld Lord's death."

Ning Xiaoling listened, amazed by her senior brother's imagination. Feeling a loss for words, she could only exclaim, "That's truly amazing!"

Ning Changjiu continued to gaze at the statues nestled among the mountains for a while longer.

He knew that the Underworld Lord would never again answer the prayers of its devotees.

"Let's go," he said.

Ning Xiaoling rose and walked by her senior brother's side.

Ning Changjiu extended his hand, and Ning Xiaoling hesitated before taking it.

They walked together for a considerable distance when Ning Xiaoling suddenly said, "Senior Brother."

"Hmm?"

"When you returned then, did you go to see Master Jiajia first, or Sister Xiang'er?" Ning Xiaoling asked.

"Why do you ask?" Ning Changjiu inquired.

"I... I'm just curious!" Ning Xiaoling whispered.

"Hmm... I saw Jiajia first," Ning Changjiu replied honestly.

Ning Xiaoling was a little surprised. "Senior Brother," she said, "do you really prefer Master?"

Ning Changjiu dared not answer that question. "I... I deeply respect Jiajia," he said.

Ning Xiaoling didn't believe him for a second. Back on Tianku Peak, when she had accidentally walked into her senior brother's room and found him and Master together, she had immediately sensed something was amiss. She had simply been too naive back then and had believed her senior brother's explanations. Now, looking back, if she hadn't interrupted, who knew what might have transpired? Moreover, Master Jiajia had painstakingly waited so long in a hut by the abyss; that was hardly an ordinary affection.

She hadn't expected her senior brother to actually prefer Master a little more... She had always thought it would be Sister Xiang'er. Could it be that he preferred...

As this thought crossed her mind, Ning Xiaoling's gaze involuntarily dropped.

She clearly saw the tip of her shoe peeking out from under her skirt.

The young girl instantly grew much more dejected.

Ning Changjiu pretended not to notice her expression and calmly said, "Since you, Xiaoling, were also at the Yujian Heavenly Sect, of course I would come to see you all first."

Ning Xiaoling's face showed dawning realization.

So that's how it was...

"Senior Brother is so kind!" Ning Xiaoling said sincerely.

After a while, she bit her lip, asking shyly yet expectantly, "And what about Senior Brother and Master...?"

"Xiaoling, you have so many questions; you can ask Jiajia when we return," Ning Changjiu said.

"I'm not foolish," Ning Xiaoling said. "If I dared to ask Master that, I'd surely be hit with the ruler again."

Ning Changjiu smiled faintly. "Don't worry, when you return this time, Xiaoling, everyone will be too busy doting on you."

Ning Xiaoling knew that many of her senior brother's words were, in fact, unreliable.

"Dotting on me? When it really hurts, Senior Brother will probably be laughing at me from the sidelines again," Ning Xiaoling said.

Ning Changjiu's lips curved into a faint smile.

If Ning Xiaoling had witnessed Lu Jiajia gently kneeling in Luoshu, softly pleading with him for punishment, Junior Sister Xiaoling would likely have been too astonished to sleep.

Not to mention the scenes of her emerging like a lotus from clear water...

Hand in hand, the senior brother and junior sister toured the desolate and harsh Underworld.

A day and a night later, they returned to the Underworld Hall.

Jiu You was still pondering at her desk. Inside the imperial chamber, the Fish King yawned and lazily emerged.

Its soot-like eye circles had faded considerably, but it still felt somewhat sleepy.

The Fish King raised its head, glanced at Ning Changjiu, and to their surprise, let out a sound of admiration. "It seems I underestimated you," it said. "I originally thought someone like you would sell me off while I was asleep."

Ning Changjiu smiled, discreetly pointing at Jiu You with a finger hidden in his sleeve. "You are a meritorious minister," he said. "I'm not some incompetent ruler; why wouldn't I treat a meritorious minister well?"

Ning Xiaoling hung her head in shame.

The Fish King asked, "Why are you still here? Didn't I already help you find a solution? Haven't you discussed the outcome yet?"

Ning Changjiu said, "Miss Jiu You is still searching for a way to gather authority."

The Fish King paused, startled.

It glanced at Jiu You, then at Ning Changjiu, its cat face wrinkling. "Is... is that difficult?" it asked.

Ning Xiaoling's eyes lit up. "Do you have a way?" she asked.

The Fish King looked at them as if they were simpletons. "Authority, in a certain sense," it said, "is similar to spiritual energy."

Ning Changjiu recalled a scene from Linhe City and instantly understood. "Authority also converges, like spiritual energy?" he asked.

"You're teachable!" The Fish King nodded with satisfaction. "A broken porcelain bowl cannot be restored, but authority is different. It's like fragmented clans; it will find ways to restore itself even without your intervention. However, it's also like moths aimlessly drifting through the world; if you want to attract them all, you must be willing to light a great fire."

Ning Changjiu understood that the "torch" the Fish King spoke of referred to a relatively complete individual, one who possessed a substantial amount of authority.

If this person merely sat there, doing nothing, the scattered authority would slowly gather from all directions.

Jiu You looked up, watching them.

She had heard their conversation and understood the Fish King's meaning.

Ning Changjiu looked at Jiu You. "If we proceed this way," he said, "the only suitable candidate is Xiaoling."

"Xiaoling's authority might not be sufficient," Jiu You said.

Ning Changjiu replied, "If Your Highness Jiu You returns all the authority to Xiaoling and even adds a bit more, it might be enough."

"What?!" Jiu You exclaimed, startled, instantly crossing her arms and clutching her chest as if she were about to be violated. Angrily, she cried, "Aha! You two are colluding, intentionally using this pretense to trick the authority from me, aren't you? Don't even dream about it! I'm too clever to fall for your schemes!"

"Your Highness, I just woke up..." the Fish King protested.

Jiu You stubbornly declared, "Anyway, I just don't believe it."

The Fish King didn't bother to explain further, thinking to itself, *For the Underworld to have a monarch like you, it truly is a blessing for its people.*

Ning Changjiu said, "There are only 296 days left; each day that passes is one less. Underworld Lord, please consider this carefully. If you truly refuse to let us pass, we will have no choice but to resolve this with swords."

Jiu You held up a palm. "Wait..." she said seriously. "Hmm, allow me to think about it."

"Understood." As it was a significant decision, Ning Changjiu did not press her further.

Ning Xiaoling looked at the sleepy-eyed Di Ting.

She still remembered the first time she saw Di Ting: it was lying in the dust, covered in blood, with the proprietress, brows furrowed in anger, chasing after it, intent on forcing it back into its cage.

"Di Ting, you're truly impressive," Ning Xiaoling said sincerely.

The Fish King yawned. "Only just realizing it now?" it said. "You're quite slow."

Ning Xiaoling wasn't annoyed; instead, she laughed, looking as if she had discovered a treasure.

"By the way, have you and Senior Brother known each other for a long time?" Ning Xiaoling asked. "Could it really be such a coincidence?"

The Fish King thought to itself, *Actually, we've met before too. Back when Xueyuan injured you, and a silver-haired woman, whose origins I don't know, saved you, I did intervene once... Of course, now, in my eyes, Ning Xiaoling and Yu Jin are far more agreeable than Xueyuan. Ning Xiaoling's only flaw is simply having such an annoying senior brother!*

*Alas, that was merely a mission for the Silver Snow Palace back then. This, now, is its true life.*

However, it still harbored resentment for not having defeated that silver-haired woman in their previous encounter.

Had it not suffered a hidden injury in that skirmish, why would it have failed to defeat Ning Changjiu and his two wives in front of the Zhao Kingdom's imperial city...?

The Fish King thought angrily, resolving that once its powers were restored and it became a true ancient Di Ting-level deity, it would definitely seek out that silver-haired woman to exact its revenge!

As it pondered these thoughts, the Fish King licked its sharp claws, as if sharpening a blade.

"Yes, we've known each other... for quite some time," Ning Changjiu said.

"How did you meet?" Ning Xiaoling asked curiously.

Ning Changjiu said, "On the day of Xiang'er's and my grand wedding, countless guests were invited, and Di Ting simply showed up uninvited."

Ning Xiaoling didn't think much of it, simply assuming Di Ting was gluttonous and wanted to eat fish.

As they spoke, Jiu You suddenly rose from among the rows of bookshelves, her voice clear and bright:

"I've made up my mind!"

The two people and the cat all turned their heads to look.

"What are your plans, Miss Jiu You?" Ning Changjiu asked.

Jiu You said, "I agree to your terms. I am willing to give most of the authority to Xiaoling so she can collect the remaining fragments. But I'm very afraid that if you take this authority and run, then devise some secret reincarnation art for this girl to shed her old self, I'll be left with nothing, won't I?"

"What's your idea?" Ning Changjiu asked.

Jiu You looked at him. "Actually, I know you are a good person," she said.

"Hmm?" Ning Changjiu didn't understand why she had suddenly said that.

"Come with me to a certain place," Jiu You said.

They arrived at the Sect of Summoning Immortals.

The Sect of Summoning Immortals' divine summoning artifact, shaped like an armillary sphere, was as tall as a building.

Such immortal artifacts also existed in the Divine Realm. The difference was that in the Divine Realm, they were powered by fairies with flowing ribbons, whereas here, they were powered by emaciated ghosts.

"Go," Jiu You said, looking at him.

Ning Changjiu hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward.

From the armillary sphere, a golden beam of light descended. Ning Changjiu stepped out of the light, his Asura Dharma body radiating brilliance within, like countless prisms refracting thousands of dazzling golden rays, resembling divine fire descended from heaven. His stern yet handsome face and robes swirling like snow imbued him with an aura of boundless sanctity.

He lightly landed on the armillary sphere.

All the departed souls ceased their actions and looked towards him. Even those ghosts on the verge of decay strained to open their eyes, uttering sounds that were almost cries from their throats.

The slave ghosts pulling the artifact unfastened their ropes, and all the departed souls, whether working or praying, knelt down.

The Sect of Summoning Immortals' centuries of effort had finally been answered by a deity.

They spread their arms, shouting hoarsely and desperately, as if wishing to melt into the glory they had awaited their entire lives.

"I am your deity, and I will lead you out of the Sea of Darkness."

Ning Changjiu gazed at the devastated world and the thousands of departed souls kneeling at his feet, hailing him as their savior. He spoke solemnly, continuing with the words they had previously agreed upon.

Half an hour later, Ning Changjiu slowly returned to the hall, his gaze calm.

"Why do you think morality can bind me?" Ning Changjiu asked.

"Because you're probably a good person," Jiu You said.

Ning Changjiu did not reply.

Jiu You sighed, her somewhat childish tone tinged with a millennium of sorrow and helplessness. "There is no heaven here, so a solemn oath cannot be fulfilled," she said. "I had no other choice."

Ning Changjiu nodded. He closed his eyes, the scene of countless departed souls kneeling still vivid in his mind, their expressions agitated, their tremors coming from their very souls.

"Don't worry," Ning Changjiu said, "even without these things, I would still return."

Jiu You nodded slightly, her head bowed, and whispered, "Two hundred ninety-six days, don't misremember... and please don't be late."

"Alright," Ning Changjiu promised.

Jiu You extended her hand.

Ning Changjiu, Ning Xiaoling, and the Fish King each extended a hand.

"I am your bridge to cross the darkness and connect with the outside world..." Jiu You softly chanted.

She extended both hands.

Ning Changjiu and Ning Xiaoling each took one of her hands.

A wisp of Ning Xiaoling's divine soul remained in place, while the rest ascended along with their consciousness.

The boundless dark sea opened up before them.

Above the dark sea were familiar figures: one sitting on a throne, the other standing before it.

They were Ning Xiaoling and Ning Changjiu from the Underworld Hall.

Ning Changjiu returned to his body and slowly opened his eyes.

Ning Xiaoling's soul was not complete and could not be fully contained by her body, so she could only lean against him.

After the two departed, Jiu You extended her hand towards the Fish King.

"Goodbye, Mr. Cat," Jiu You whispered. "If there's a next time, could you teach me to read?"

The Fish King raised a paw and nodded seriously.

Jiu You smiled.

A mutual understanding passed between them.

A moment later, beneath the throne in the Underworld Hall, the Fish King slowly opened its eyes.

Outside the light screen of Jiu You Hall, Sima Ming, who was kneeling by a desk and drinking tea, suddenly furrowed her brow. She stroked the demon fox's fur around her neck and whispered, "They're back."