Rebirth: A Life Without Regrets

  As the coldness receded and consciousness returned once more, what lay before his eyes was a vast expanse of chaos. Looking around, it seemed as if everything was enveloped in a thick membrane, allowing only a faint, murky light to seep through, making the entire space seem somewhat ethereal.

  "Huh, what's going on? Where is this place?" Leng Bing rubbed his head, feeling a bit bewildered. Didn't he get buried under the rubble of a collapsed building while trying to save that little girl named Lingling? He tried hard to recall, and the pain of being hit by falling concrete blocks, the feeling of being unable to breathe, and the sensation of his blood vessels about to burst all seemed still very vivid in his mind, making him shudder with fear.

  How did I suddenly rush to save people? When did I become so brave? Cold, icy, and bitter smile, shook his head, simply dare not believe that the usual cautious and careful self, actually dared to run to rescue in such a dangerous situation, also don't know if he had eaten leopard gall.

  He carefully examined his body and found no injuries, not even a scar on the head that was broken when he escaped, and there was no discomfort in his body.

  "How is this possible?" Leng Bing Xue couldn't believe it. Even with the most advanced medical skills, it was impossible for her to recover so thoroughly.

  Could it be... I've already died? This terrifying thought suddenly emerged in his mind, making him feel a chill run down his spine, and he couldn't help but shudder.

  He didn't dare to think about it, nor did he want to think about it. He was not yet thirty years old, and his life had many regrets and unfulfilled wishes. At times when he felt bored, he would occasionally think about how he would end his own life in the future. He thought about dying of old age, dying from illness, and even dying in a car accident, but never thought that he would die young in this way.

  He told himself that it couldn't be, that someone must be playing a joke on him. He hoped that the answer would be revealed in the next second, and familiar faces would appear, laughing and saying "Gotcha!" However, after touching himself and looking around again, the thought that he was already dead sprouted like spring grass, occupying his entire mind. He wasn't someone who liked to deceive himself or avoid reality; if he hadn't really died, how could he possibly be in such a strange place with no injuries on his body?

  As a modern person in the 21st century, although he had known some legends about gods and ghosts since childhood, from ghost stories heard as a child to mysterious and somewhat superstitious stories told by older people, from Journey to the West to Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio, from The Legend of the White Snake to The Swordsmen of Mount Shu, and later various online stories about gods and ghosts, he still believed they were just legends and attributed them all to superstition. However, his faith has been shaken now.

  It's already like this, accept reality! He smiled wryly to himself. Thinking this way, the original panic and unease suddenly alleviated a lot. Who would have thought that even after death, there is still consciousness and soul? Although it goes against his own beliefs, it's better than turning into nothingness. Thinking of this, he felt slightly more at ease. Leng Bing Xue was good at comforting himself, this kind of A-Q style spiritual victory method may be shameful to many people, but it was also a way for him to live as happily as possible, after all, happiness is just one day, and unhappiness is also just one day, why not try to make oneself happier?

  "Is this the legendary underworld?" Cold Ice thought to himself as he slowly walked forward, observing his surroundings. "Why haven't I seen Hei Bai Wu Chang or Niu Tou Ma Mian? Are there still the Ten Halls of Yanluo? What is the Eighteen Layers of Hell like? This life of mine isn't a good one, but I haven't done anything bad either. And this time, I died to save someone, so I shouldn't be punished to suffer in the Eighteen Layers of Hell, right? It's just a pity that my parents raised me for so many years and I didn't get to repay them..." He continued to think randomly, jumping from one thought to another without any logic or coherence. But this couldn't be blamed on him - anyone who encountered such a situation would find it hard to remain completely rational and logical.

  He didn't know how long he had walked, but Leng Bing Han suddenly realized that no matter where he went, the surroundings hadn't changed at all. There was no sound, no living thing, and no reference point. It was as if in this entire world, except for himself, nothing else existed.

  He didn't believe in evil spirits, so he ran around for a while, jumping and digging here and there, or doing some exercises by bending his waist and lifting his legs. He even imitated the boxing moves from movies and TV shows. After a long time, he didn't feel tired, nor did he discover anything new. Until he felt bored and uninterested, he lay down and thought to himself: "Where is this place? If it's really the underworld, why aren't there any other ghosts? Why haven't the black and white impermanence come to take me to the Yellow Spring Road and Naihe Bridge? If it's not the underworld, then where is it?" Oh God, could it be that after death, the soul is trapped forever in this boundless and desolate place? That would be too tragic... He thought about many things, but didn't know what else to think about, until finally he thought of nothing.

  No hunger, no sleepiness, no signs of metabolism, no changes in day and night, stars and moon. Time seems to have stagnated here. Fortunately, Leng Bing Xue is a person who can endure loneliness, originally fond of quietness and not good at moving, has long been used to being alone, if it were someone else in this strange place, maybe they would have gone mad already.

  It's unknown how long it took, maybe a million years or just an instant. When the feeling of boredom and desolation had almost rusted away consciousness, the scenery around suddenly changed, becoming so abrupt and rapid, like a flash of lightning cutting through the sky on a sunny day without any warning, only to disappear instantly without a trace. Yet, the feeling it gave was natural, though seemingly abrupt, it made one feel that it was a natural occurrence, as if water had flowed into its channel. These two completely different feelings mixed together to form a peculiar contradiction.

  Still reeling from the contradiction, he found himself in a mountain valley filled with birdsong and fragrant flowers. The gentle breeze caressed his face as the sweet scent of blooming flowers wafted through the air, accompanied by the melodious chirping of birds that seemed to never cease. The misty veil that swept across the landscape rendered this space almost surreal, as if he had entered a realm of paradise. Had it not been for the profound impression left by his previous surroundings, he would have thought he had always been here.

  Isn't this paradise?

  "What are you still dazing about? Come with me quickly!" Just as Leng Bing Xue hadn't reacted yet, the sudden voice by his ear almost scared him into a quiver and he sat on the ground. For such a long time without seeing another person, not hearing human voices, this sudden voice made him both startled and delighted.

  He looked up and saw a plump middle-aged man in front of him, wearing a white suit and a pair of frameless glasses, with a smile on his face. Although he didn't look particularly pleasing to the eye, he still seemed kind and gentle, which made him feel more at ease.

  "Sorry, scared you, huh? Come on, let's go!" The middle-aged man stretched out his hand to pull him.

  "Where is this? Who are you? Where do you want me to go?" Leng Bing asked coldly as she stood up. Finally seeing a fellow human, the doubts that had been accumulating in her stomach were hastily thrown out.

  The middle-aged man smiled and said, "Don't you know? This is the underworld. As for me, I am the famous Bai Wuchang. I've come to take you to see King Yan."

  "Ah!" Cold sweat broke out in shock, mouth agape.

  In the chaotic space of his endless reverie, he had also timidly thought that this was not the underworld, but just another space, and that he might not have died after all. At least it was a beautiful illusion. Now that he had finally confirmed his own death, although he had been mentally prepared, there was still some disappointment and heartache. However, what really unsettled him was not this, but the fact that the underworld and Bai Wuchang were completely overturning his consciousness and imagination, leaving him utterly astonished. He couldn't connect everything in front of him with the underworld at all.

  Perhaps having seen such situations many times, or perhaps having a divine understanding of what Cold Ice was thinking, the middle-aged man smiled somewhat slyly and complacently, saying: "Who says that the underworld has to be gloomy and depressing, with dark skies and heavy death energy? The desire for beauty is shared by humans and ghosts alike. If you were the King of Hell, I'm sure you'd also prefer this kind of environment! A good environment can bring joy to both body and mind. From the King of Hell down to the ghostly officials and ordinary ghosts, everyone's quality of life would be better. Building a harmonious underworld is everyone's responsibility, heh heh!"

  After finishing speaking, Leng Bing walked with Han Ye and said: "As for us ghost messengers, the times are progressing, and we must also progress with the times. If we were still like before, wearing white robes, wearing high hats, and sticking out our long tongues, we would not be comfortable either. Moreover, if we scared off you newly arrived ghosts, it would be troublesome. Our yin realm's government also emphasizes smile service, quality service, and naturally must keep up with the progress of the times, so as not to become disconnected from the yang realm! In order to better develop, we not only connect with the yang realm but also actively connect with international realms, learning advanced management experiences and technologies from foreign countries. For this reason, I even went to Western Hell for inspection and study some time ago..."

  It took a while to digest Bai Wuchang's words, and it seemed that the chill had finally dissipated. My heart gradually accepted the new image of the underworld and Bai Wuchang, no matter what. As Bai Wuchang said, this was much better than the original impression of the underworld in my mind, exceeding my expectations and imagination. It seems that staying in the underworld isn't so unbearable after all, I secretly comforted myself.

  Empiricism is going to be the death of us! He lamented in conclusion.

  All the way, Bai Wuchang chattered incessantly to Leng Bingxue about everything in the underworld. In short, the underworld is just a transit station. After people die, their ghosts come here and are judged, then arranged differently. Due to the current overpopulation of the world, people's thoughts have changed, and the number of newborns has decreased sharply, so a reincarnation quota system is implemented. Those who do good deeds are given priority in arranging rebirth, selecting their next life's fate, and naturally becoming rich and wealthy. Ordinary people don't have that many quotas, so they must stay in the underworld to work, accumulating honor points to exchange for rebirth quotas. The higher the honor points, the greater the chance of getting a quota, and the higher the selectivity. As for those who do evil, they will be punished according to their crimes in various layers of hell, reducing their sinfulness, then arranged to be reborn as animals, continuing to cleanse their sins in anticipation of future reincarnation. It sounds similar to what I knew before - anyway, doing good deeds will bring good rewards, and doing evil deeds will definitely bring bad retribution.

  As for the other underworld life, it seems to be not much different from the Yang world. During this time, Leng Bing Xue mentioned the chaotic space at the beginning, but Bai Wu Chang always said that it must be Leng Bing Xue's illusion. Generally, after a person dies, they will immediately come here, and Hei Bai Wu Chang or the ghost officer in charge will almost simultaneously arrive here to receive them and send them to the relevant institution for judgment. For thousands of years, everything has been like this, following the Heavenly Way, and it is impossible to have a chaotic space.

  "Is it really an illusion?" Leng Bing Xuan was somewhat skeptical, but how could that kind of loneliness that seemed to be etched into his bones possibly be an illusion? Although there were still doubts in his heart, since he couldn't get the answer, he quickly threw this matter aside, after all, everything had already passed.

  What was in the past is no longer important, what's important is controlling the present.

  Before long, Bai Wuchang brought him to a five-story small building. Through Bai Wuchang's introduction in advance, Leng Bingxiao knew that this building was somewhat similar to the White House he had seen on TV, not very majestic but with a bit of momentum. This small building is the government building of the underworld, or in the words of the elderly, it is Yanwang Temple.

  Renovating the Yama Temple to resemble the White House, isn't this too ahead of its time? Could it be that Yan Wang is a foreign devil? Leng Bing Han had some mischievous thoughts and his face revealed a sly smile. It's unknown whether Yan Wang and Bai Wuchang's divine powers understood Leng Bing Han's evil intentions at this moment, but if they truly did, they would probably directly throw him into the 18th level of hell, never to be reborn again.

  Unlike the cold and icy expectations, the small building had no strict guards, not even a single gatekeeper. The ghosts inside and outside were bustling about, each in a hurry. There were many offices inside, with many ghostly clerks coming and going. They were all dressed fashionably, no different from ordinary people, looking very busy. As White Impermanence led a new ghost in, heading straight for King Yan's office, all the ghostly clerks cast surprised and curious glances their way. The busy rhythm they had maintained for thousands of years slowed down, with some even colliding into each other or picking up the wrong things in the minor commotion.

  It's actually inevitable. Firstly, let's not mention that Bai Wuchang has a very high status in the underworld, second only to Yan Wang and the judges. Next are the Ox-Headed and Horse-Faced Guardians. In the mortal world, Bai Wuchang's status is at least equivalent to that of the Minister of Public Security, who rarely takes personal action and instead relies on his subordinates, the ghostly officials, to handle tasks such as escorting spirits and capturing evil ghosts. Except for these high-ranking ghostly officials, it's not easy for ordinary ghosts to meet Bai Wuchang, let alone have an audience with Yan Wang himself. The saying "Yan Wang is easy to see, but small ghosts are hard to deal with" is nonsense. Think about it, can just anyone easily meet the head of state?

  Secondly, the underworld system is very strict, and the process is also very strict. Each department has its own duties, and generally, new ghosts must first go to the entry point for identity verification, past deeds, and good or evil verification. Then, the sentencing department will make a judgment and arrangement according to the underworld law code, and after reporting to the judge for approval, it can be executed. A small number of special cases will be reviewed by Yan Wang together with the judge. Yan Wang only leads the overall direction, and the detailed work is definitely carried out and completed by the institutions below. If it were really like in mythological stories, where all people who die are taken away by Hei Bai Wu Chang, Niu Tou Ma Mian, and judged by Yan Wang, then not to mention this world, just on the Chinese mainland, with tens of thousands of people dying every day, wouldn't they be exhausted?

  So a situation like this where Bai Wuchang directly leads someone to Yan Wang's office has never happened since the existence of the underworld and will never happen again.

  Isn't this newcomer quite extraordinary? All the ghost messengers couldn't help but think of this, and naturally their cold and icy gazes were not ordinary.

  Of course, he was completely unaware of the cold and icy treatment that awaited him, nor did he know that he would soon meet Yanluo Wang, who would behead him at the third watch and not let him live until the fifth watch. He also didn't know that he would be received by Yanluo Wang as a new ghost, setting a record in the underworld's history of being the first ghost to have no predecessors or successors. He still thought that all new ghosts were treated according to this procedure.

  The office is also ordinary, at least it looks similar to the one in Yangjian, and compared to those luxurious offices that I know of, it's really far behind.

  As soon as he entered the office, a middle-aged man with an ugly face and a sinister appearance came up to him, grinning from ear to ear and saying: "You must be tired from your journey, come sit down." Unbeknownst to him, this made him look even more terrifying. Bai Wuchang's eyes widened in surprise, for in thousands of years he had almost never seen the man smile so fawningly and yet so ugly.

  "Not tired, not tired!" Bing Qingxue laughed and patted his hands together, but looked at Bai Wuchang with some confusion, thinking to himself: Who is this person? He's so ugly, it's a blight on the city.

  Bai Wuchang seemed to have not seen the cold and icy gaze, and instead put on a serious face, reporting back to Yanluo God: "Reporting to God, Leng Binghan has arrived!" Only then did he introduce Leng Binghan: "This is Yanluo God!"

  "What? He's actually Yan Luo Wang?" Cold Ice was shocked to the point of instability, and almost fell to the ground with a stumble.

  When he first saw him, he thought this person was just a high-ranking ghost officer with a separate office. Who would have known that this man who looked like a butcher was actually the ruler of the underworld, commanding millions of ghost soldiers and controlling the cycle of life and death? Even though his nerves had been numbed by the constant stimulation since the earthquake, he was still shocked.

  But thinking again, with the bright and colorful hellish underworld and the good Bai Wuchang as a precursor, this kind of Yanluo Wang seems to be barely acceptable.

  Yes, it does look quite terrifying and I apologize to the audience. After thinking for half a day, Bing Qing finally thought of a place where he could merge his current image with the image of Yanluo Wang in his mind.

  Yanluo Wang waved his hand with some air and signaled Bai Wuchang to leave. After that, he hastily invited Leng Binghan to sit down.

  "It's quite simple here, isn't it?"

  His buttocks were lightly stuck to the soft sofa, his waist was straight, his face was slightly discolored, and his voice was even drier. This sentence, half nonsense and half flattery, was purely his way of making conversation.

  Let him pretend to be knowledgeable and calm, but at this time, facing the Lord of the underworld who controls the life and death of all people, without even moving his little finger, can decide everything about you: whether you live or die, whether you are good or bad, whether you are rich or poor. How can he possibly have a heart as calm as water? Think about it, if Yanluo Wang arranges himself to be a pig and stays in the pigsty every day, facing a group of sows every day, that kind of life is simply unbearable to think about.

  So Leng Bing Han wanted to appear natural, but he was still a bit stiff, and besides, he didn't know how the old man would judge him, so his heart couldn't help but fluctuate with anxiety.

  "Calm down, must calm down!" He kept warning himself, but his heart was still tight. "Really no use!" He scolded himself secretly, but the next second he comforted himself: "Hmph, try it with someone else? Even if that reckless Laden came, he absolutely wouldn't be better than me! You know, this is not just anyone, that's Yanluo Wang, who holds life and death in his hands!"

  "Hehe, drink some water first, your throat is all dry. This isn't just any ordinary thing, it's the rare and precious Xuan You Bing Lu that I managed to get from Tai Shang Lao Jun with great difficulty. It's not something you can easily get, haha! Back then, Chi Jiao Da Xian and Si Hai Long Wang were so envious they could die. Quickly, take a taste!"

  Yan Luo Wang seemed to be very satisfied with Leng Bing Xue's attitude, personally handing him a delicate cup with about half a cup of emerald green liquid inside. The liquid swirled gently in the cup, appearing radiant and dazzling against the cup's lining. From afar, a subtle yet distinct fragrance wafted over, carried by wisps of white smoke. At first, it might have seemed like a familiar medicinal scent, but no matter how carefully one tried to identify it, they couldn't quite put their finger on what it was. If one had to describe this fragrance, they would need to use many words, such as rich, elegant, warm, and refreshing, yet somehow these words didn't quite fit. It wasn't until one experienced it personally that they could truly understand; otherwise, no matter how others described it, the sensation remained elusive and mysterious.

  "How dare you trouble the noble sir?"

  Chilled to the bone, he hastily stood up and bowed his head, with both hands extended to receive. This respect was not only for Yanluo Wang's sake, but also a response to the superior's humility and kindness. At the same time, he couldn't help but feel a sense of doubt: Could it be that Yanluo Wang is really so easy-going and enthusiastic? Is he like this with everyone? If not, then why is he being so kind only to me? Respect? Ha! What do you have that's worthy of Yanluo Wang's respect? Recruitment? Please, Yanluo Wang has all sorts of subordinates. What can you do? None of the above, but why is this happening?

  In an instant, numerous thoughts flashed through his mind. Without any hesitation, he accepted the Xuan You Bing Lu from Yanluo Wang and sat down lightly, taking a shallow sip. Apart from the indescribable sweetness, a warm current flowed instantly from his mouth along with the Xuan You Bing Lu, down his throat to his Dantian. It seemed to circulate in his Dantian for a moment before dispersing throughout his body via the Eight Extraordinary Meridians. Although it felt like a long time when described, it was actually just a fleeting moment. Cold Ice Immortal's entire body felt as if he were bathing in warm springs on a cold winter day or drinking an ice-cold Coke on a scorching hot day. He felt so comfortable that he couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief.

  "Pffft", a burst of gas suddenly shot out from the anus, and before Cold Ice could react, a loud fart rang out, its sound clear and crisp, and in this small room, it seemed especially loud.

  "Ah!" Cold Ice was not expecting this, when is it not okay to fart, but how could he do so at this time and place? What timing, what a location! In front of King Yanluo! He suddenly felt his face burning red with embarrassment, too ashamed to even lift his head to look at King Yanluo in front of him, wishing he could immediately crawl into a crack in the ground. At the same time, he was also worried: wouldn't such an uncouth behavior enrage King Yanluo? Heaven knows what would happen if he were to anger King Yanluo.

  "Good!" Yama King shouted loudly and applauded, startling Leng Bing Han to jump up suddenly, looking at Yama King in confusion.

  Yan Luo Wang walked up to Leng Bing Han, patted his shoulder heavily, and said loudly: "The turbid gas has been expelled, which proves that it is effective. I just said that this elixir is not an ordinary product, but a carefully refined one by the Supreme Old Lord. It can purify the body, eliminate impurities, condense and refine the spirit, enhance perception, and help understand the Tao of Heaven and Earth, and improve cultivation. Your physical body has been damaged, leaving only your soul, so it can only help your soul become more pure. Farting is just expelling the impurities in your soul. If you still had a physical body, it would be much more complicated than that, haha!" He paused for a moment, seemingly embarrassed, and then laughed it off.

  Although I don't understand what benefits the purified soul has, I still know that it must be beneficial, and greatly so. Think about it, can anything from the Supreme Elder Lord be bad? Can something that even the Barefoot Immortal and the Dragon King envy be bad? Even if you discount Yanluo Wang's words by half, this thing is still not comparable to ordinary immortal pills, right?

  But why would Yanluo Wang give such a good thing to himself? As the saying goes, "No one offers kindness without ulterior motives," isn't there some hidden scheme behind this? Although I'm happy, I still keep a sense of vigilance in my heart. After all, it's the 21st century, and having seen all sorts of scams and the coldness of society, who would dare to completely believe that good fortune could just fall from the sky and land on themselves? If one doesn't grow a few more eyes in the back of their head, and use numbness and distrust to protect themselves, they would have been eaten alive by those scammers long ago.

  The more I think about it, the more uncertain I feel in my heart, but on the surface, I still have to pretend to be grateful and shed tears.

  Yan Luo Wang naturally showed great magnanimity and concern, then chatted about some dull and tasteless topics, such as asking about Leng Bing Han's family situation, life goals, views on things, and so on. Then he complained that working in the underworld was really tough, with a heavy workload and no benefits, and the higher-ups had too many demands. Leng Bing Han listened quietly, nodding his head from time to time, occasionally interjecting with an "uh-huh" or a word of agreement, and sometimes even flattering Yan Luo Wang by saying he worked hard and governed well, but it was all just empty talk without any real significance.