Chapter 2 Origin

  "Where is this? Am I not dead? How did I end up here?" At this moment, Xiao Chen felt that his body had suddenly become light and airy, even the ground he stepped on was soft and spongy. Xiao Chen looked around, everywhere was a vast expanse of fog, everywhere was filled with chilling air, and from time to time, there were eerie howls that sent shivers down his spine.

  "This can't be the underworld, right?" Xiao Chen's heart skipped a beat. No, this isn't where I'm supposed to be, I'm still young, I don't want to die, I want to go back, I want to return to my world. But just as Xiao Chen was feeling a chill in his heart, something even more terrifying happened. Xiao Chen suddenly discovered that he had lost control over his body, and could only watch helplessly as he floated forward with an eerie lightness.

  "Xiao Cheng?" A cold voice drifted over from somewhere, but this only made Xiao Chen tremble even more.

  "It's not my fault. And who are you?" The sense of fear continued to rise.

  "That's right." The voice still lingered behind Xiao Chen, still as cold as ever.

  "You little scoundrel, you've been causing trouble and committing evil deeds in the mortal world. You've been burning, killing, looting, and slaughtering innocent people, until heaven and earth are enraged and gods and humans alike condemn you. After being judged by the underworld authorities, your life span has been reduced by 50 years, and today is the day of your demise. We have come specifically to apprehend you." Along with a loud shout, an icy cold chain was locked around Xiao Chen's neck.

  Two muscular men, tall and robust, slowly walked from Xiao Chen's back to his front. The two men were both majestic in stature, with an air of grandeur, but their appearance was really not something to be admired.

  One of them had a huge cow head, an undisputed cow head. The other one had a very long horse face, a genuine horse face. What made Xiao Chen even more surprised was that the two people's bodies actually emitted a strong smell of wine.

  "Aren't you the Ox-Head and Horse-Face from the underworld? Have I already died?" Xiao Chen asked, trembling. The Ox-Head and Horse-Face were the soul-guiding officials of the underworld. Whenever a person's life was about to end, they would lead the person's soul into the underworld.

  "Alright, work is finally done." Niu Tou ignored Xiao Chen, let out a yawn, and suddenly the overwhelming smell of alcohol wafted out.

  "Xiao Cheng, you've been bullying the good and committing all sorts of evil in the world above. You're simply a heartless and conscienceless lunatic! Let me tell you, the underworld has always been fair and strict. Our motto is: never mistakenly arrest a good person, and never let off a bad person. Remember, people do things, heaven watches. To make you convinced, we'll review your 'achievements' in the world above right now." Ma Mian's face was also filled with cold smiles, reeking of wine.

  The ox-headed and horse-faced gods were overjoyed. Great, they finally caught this evil-doer and brought him to the underworld, where he would finally taste the punishment of justice from the underworld! The ox-headed god was indeed full of a sense of justice, and his interrogation lasted for two hours without even taking a breath. However, Xiao Chen grew colder with sweat as he listened. In the mouth of the horse-faced god, those words such as murder, arson, robbery, deception, and bullying the good were all things that he had done before. Moreover, his heart was as poisonous as a snake or scorpion, and his methods were so cruel that they made people's hair stand on end.

  In Ma Mian's mouth, Xiao Chen was a thoroughbred, head-to-toe scoundrel, with boils on his head and ulcers on the soles of his feet. A person like this should receive the most severe punishment in the underworld.

  "Wait, you two, aren't you mistaken?" Xiao Chen was anxious. Although he wasn't a good person, he was still far from being extremely evil and unforgivable. To put it bluntly, do you think anyone can become that bad?

  "Are you Xiao Cheng?" The strong wine made Niu Tou feel that his eyelids were extremely heavy.

  "My name is Xiao Chen, no mistake." Xiao Chen said hastily.

  "That's it then." Ma's face was impatient as he shook the Soul Hook in his hand. But Xiao Chen suddenly saw that what was written on it was "Xiao Cheng" and not "Xiao Chen".

  "I told you it was your mistake!" Xiao Chen exclaimed with a sigh of relief.

  "How dare you quibble in front of me, Ox-Head?! Stop your nonsense and get out! With a flick of his chain, Xiaochen suddenly felt dizzy, as if he had fainted. The chain that Ox-Head wielded was no ordinary one. It had a terrifying name - the Soul Hook Chain. Any ferocious ghost who wore it would fall into a state like Xiaochen's, and could only obey Ox-Head's commands."

  The ox head and horse face led Xiao Chen to continuously shuttle forward on the soft ground. "Alright, we're here!" The ox head said coldly as it stopped in its tracks.

  "Arrived?" Xiao Chen struggled to steady his footing. At this moment, in front of Xiao Chen, a deep and bottomless pit appeared. The pit was tens of meters wide, with the rocks at its entrance as smooth as if they had been cut by a knife or an axe. Looking further inside, it was pitch black, making it impossible to see anything ahead.

  Standing on the precipitous rock, the shrill wind was wailing and howling by my ear, while beneath my feet was an unfathomable chasm. Xiao Chen's body couldn't help but shiver violently, "You two, can you tell me where this is?"

  "I don't know, huh? Bastard. Let me tell you, this is the entrance to the 19th level of hell, which is where you're going." Ma Mian let out a cold laugh. Everyone thought that hell was divided into eighteen levels, and when ghosts arrived at the underworld, they would be thrown into different hells based on their actions in the mortal world. Simply put, the more serious the crime committed in the mortal world, the deeper the level of hell one would be thrown into. However, very few people knew that there was a 19th level of hell, where the punishment was the most severe and terrifying, that is, the soul would scatter and never be reborn.

  "But..." Xiao Chen wanted to argue back.

  "Xiao Cheng, this is what you deserve. Get down, you." The impatient Ox Head kicked Xiao Chen's butt with one foot. No way, the wine was taking effect, his head was getting dizzier and dizzier. He had to find a place to rest properly for a while.

  "Ah." Along with a cry of unparalleled despair, poor Xiao Chen's body plummeted straight down into the pitch-black abyss.

  "Come on, brother. Now that we've finished our business, let's go have a couple of drinks?" Niu Tou patted Ma Mian's shoulder warmly.

  "Are you drunk to the point of dizziness? And yet you still want to drink! However, since you're so enthusiastic, I won't disappoint you. Alright, I'll accompany you to death. But brother, before we drink, it's best if we first report back to King Yanluo." Ma's face twisted into a smile. Since the two of them unintentionally discovered the wonders of the cup, they became even more infatuated with it.

  The underworld, as a gathering place for the dead, also has its own city, just like the world of the living. This is an extremely large metropolis, and its name is Fengdu City. In order to manage this gigantic city, it is necessary to establish administrative departments similar to those in the world of the living. In Fengdu City, there is a building that is the largest, most magnificent, and also the most heavily guarded. Here, there are countless large and small halls. Among them, the most majestic and awe-inspiring hall is called the Great Hall of the Underworld. And the one who can work here is, of course, the highest ruler of the underworld, namely King Yanluo. At this time, this supreme ruler of the underworld was still busy with his duties.

  "Your Majesty, King Yanluo, the task you entrusted to us has been completed. The ghost of Xiao Cheng, who was guilty of numerous crimes and had committed countless evils, has been thrown into the 19th level of hell by us. He will be punished there by the yaksha that gnaws on souls." Ox Head looked at the highest ruler of the underworld in front of him with a gaze full of reverence. The 19th level of hell was a place where there existed a fearsome and terrifying entity, the yaksha. Any ghost whose soul was to be punished for being guilty of numerous crimes and had been deprived of the right to reincarnation would be thrown into that place, allowing the yaksha to devour its soul, causing it to thoroughly scatter and disappear.

  "Very good. You two, you are indeed the capable and reliable generals of my underworld. I can rest assured with you handling things." The majestic Yama King, with his broad eyebrows, dark complexion, and a face full of dense whiskers, nodded in satisfaction. As the saying goes, "Man proposes, heaven disposes". No matter how powerful or arrogant you are in the mortal world, once you arrive at the underworld, you will receive the punishment you deserve. Remember, the underworld is the most just place in this world, and I, Yama King, am the most just person in this world. Remember, good and evil will ultimately be rewarded or punished, every drink and every bite has its predetermined fate.

  "No matter how high or low your status and power are, no matter how much wealth you have. As long as you arrive at the underworld, you will receive the judgment you deserve. I ask this world, whether in the mortal realm or the underworld, who does not say that I, Yanluo Wang, am fair and impartial? Who does not say that I, Yanluo Wang, am iron-faced and selfless?"

  Yanluo Wang smiled broadly, glancing at the case table. And there, prominently displayed were two thick books that were almost identical, except one was red and the other black. The red book clearly had three large characters written on it: "Book of Life". The black book also had two clear characters: "Book of Death". Indeed, these two books together formed the famous Book of Life and Death in the underworld, a very mysterious treasure. All living things in this world would have their names recorded in it.

  As soon as a soul was detained in the underworld, its name would automatically disappear from the red Book of Life and appear on the black Book of Death. And once a soul was reincarnated, its name would disappear from the Book of Death and reappear in the Book of Life.

  "That scoundrel named Xiao Cheng, he's finally gotten what was coming to him." Yanluo Wang carelessly flipped open the Book of Life and Death, taking a glance. But suddenly, Yanluo Wang's face changed drastically - what's going on? The name "Xiao Cheng" was still in the red Book of Life! This means that Xiao Cheng is still alive and well in the mortal world.