Chapter 520: Perfected Reincarnation

In the dark and gloomy Underworld, along the Yellow Springs Road, past the Bridge of No Return, and by the Stone of Three Lives, a long queue lined up in an orderly fashion.

Xu Zhi walked slowly among them, observing the three newly recruited creatures. They were refreshingly unique in their hideousness and fierce appearance, confirming that the style here was indeed normal and fitting for the Underworld’s cycle of reincarnation, unlike the Path of Beasts.

Those fellows had already started live streaming.

"It's been half a day since the server opened. Let's see how things are developing here."

Xu Zhi collected his thoughts and came to Meng Po’s side. Shangguan Man had already discarded the previous water dispenser. She sat at the head of the Bridge of No Return, continuously serving soup, exuding a strong ancient style. Upon seeing Xu Zhi's arrival, she was slightly startled and quickly stood up.

"No need for such formality," Xu Zhi said with a smile.

Shangguan Man hung up a "Closed" sign and walked towards the Hall of Reincarnation. She then said, "Your Majesty! Over the years, we have successfully recruited the Black and White Guards as per your requirements. They are responsible for maintaining order. The Black and White Guards were originally one asexual being, who split into two—one male, one female, one yin, one yang, a dual birth from one body. Their attributes are opposing, and their combined combat power is astonishing, allowing them to deal with troublemakers in the Underworld, as well as various other miscellaneous tasks."

Xu Zhi gazed into the distance.

He saw two eerie, zombie-like creatures with long tongues and paper-white faces maintaining order on the distant Yellow Springs Road, and he couldn't help but nod.

Originally one being?

Split into a male and a female?

That's quite good, actually.

After all, he never intended for his created Underworld of Reincarnation to perfectly match ancient myths; making it identical would be highly unrealistic!

Xu Zhi looked around and couldn't help but ask, "Previously, I never saw individuals with such talents in the Book of Life and Death..."

Shangguan Man quickly replied, "They were cultivated. While constantly receiving those undergoing reincarnation, I encountered a being born without gender, a neutral, malformed individual who was neither male nor female, discriminated against for generations. Upon close observation, this person was extremely peculiar, as if primordial chaos had yet to open up, yet vaguely separated yin and yang, showing signs of schizophrenia, with their talent still unformed. I felt it somewhat resembled my own childhood and was moved with compassion. Through generations of reincarnation, I secretly entered the mortal realm to guide and correct its life, shaping its talent into what I desired, until it finally took form!”

Xu Zhi's heart sank instantly.

Influenced and corrected talent through secret means?

This was achievable.

After all, it was a culmination of generations of obsession, delusion, and deep-seated fixations. If one continuously influenced a being's life through generations, it could indeed affect the direction of their talent's development and induce its formation.

After all: I think, therefore I am.

However, this was extremely difficult and required a significant amount of time and effort.

Xu Zhi suddenly felt he had found a reliable person. Shangguan Man was precisely such a perfectionist; otherwise, she wouldn't have gone to such lengths to make herself ugly and short, and even now, occasionally flash him that chillingly gentle and charming smile to fit Meng Po's image.

He immediately felt relieved.

Finally, he had a trustworthy subordinate to whom he could fully delegate. Xu Zhi couldn't help but say to Shangguan Man, "You've worked hard, guiding its reincarnation for several lifetimes just to cultivate suitable talents."

"It's no trouble," Shangguan Man shook her head, flattered, and quickly added, "It is merely my duty as a subordinate to guide suitable beings through reincarnation. However, in my pursuit of perfect talents, I've only guided the Black and White Guards so far. The other judges, Ox-Head and Horse-Face, have yet to be found."

Xu Zhi wasn't concerned; they could take their time.

"Black and White Guards, quickly come and pay respects to His Majesty," Shangguan Man beckoned, her voice hoarse and ancient.

Soon, from the distant Yellow Springs Road, walked twin-like individuals, a male and a female, almost carved from the same mold. One black, one white, they suddenly began to slowly merge, like a Sichuan opera face change, becoming half black and half white. They slowly bowed, "Greetings, Your Majesty!"

"Rise, and continue your duties," Xu Zhi said.

"Yes!" The Black and White Guards rose, a flicker of curiosity in their eyes—*was this the Majesty Granny Meng spoke of?*—but they dared not linger. They split back into two and continued to maintain order on the Yellow Springs Road.

After all, the cycle of reincarnation was increasingly crowded now, and the Yellow Springs Road stretched boundlessly, with no end in sight.

Shangguan Man, still bent and stooped, continued, "Although the remaining talents for the Underworld are still nowhere to be found, a third individual has been taken in... even though this person was not within the recruitment scope Your Majesty previously outlined."

"I see him." How could Xu Zhi not have noticed this third creature? It was a gaunt, dark-robed man, sitting cross-legged on the edge of the Stone of Three Lives. He had no flesh, just skin clinging to bones, more like a skeleton, with a morbidly excited and obsessive expression as he watched the lives of others. It was quite unsettling.

It was, it must be said, quite eerie, fitting the spiritual appearance of the Underworld.

"He is unable to come and pay respects to Your Majesty..."

Shangguan Man gave a wry smile, cupped her hands, and bowed, saying, "Because he doesn't possess normal sanity. He's deranged, sometimes clear-headed, sometimes muddled, making communication difficult. He can be considered a madman."

"Oh?" Xu Zhi looked at the eerie, skeletal man.

Shangguan Man continued, "His talent is very peculiar: he secretly observes others' private affairs, then gossips about them everywhere, and possesses an exceptionally terrifying memory.... In his third life, he was a deranged old woman who spied on intimate relations between men and women, then blabbed about them to all the neighbors, and was eventually beaten to death.... In his seventh life, he was again a human, a crazy beggar who would perch on rafters, avidly watching a rich young master pursue women, and was also beaten to death..."

Xu Zhi's eyelid twitched. Was this person's talent for gossip? A busybody? Someone who spread rumors everywhere?

Shangguan Man said, "He loves to observe people's private matters and has an extraordinary memory; if you ask him, he'll tell you everything... So I had an idea: since he loves to watch so much, why not let him observe the Book of Life and Death and the Stone of Three Lives? He could record all the information of the Underworld, knowing the secrets of all beings in heaven and earth. Then, at the necessary moment, we could question him, and given his gossipy nature, he would answer everything asked of him...."

Xu Zhi's eyes widened in surprise.

He couldn't help but regard Shangguan Man with renewed admiration.

This meant letting this gossipy individual, who loved to peek into private affairs, observe the Book of Life and Death and the Stone of Three Lives, fulfilling his desire for gossip, and then using him as a human library, able to be questioned and searched at any time, which would naturally be very convenient.

"What should such a being be named?" Shangguan Man asked.

"Hmm..." Xu Zhi thought for a moment, then suddenly smiled, "Since his memory is so terrifying, and this being loves to eavesdrop on others' private matters, constantly prying into the secrets of all beings in heaven and earth... why not call him Di Ting?"

"Di Ting?" Shangguan Man's eyes gradually brightened, and she clapped her hands. "Truly worthy of Your Majesty, what a profound meaning!"