"Yinchai Mansion… you have quite the network," Xu Ran cast an unfriendly glance at Wu Zhao before getting up and leaving.
I sat up, my bones creaking.
Wu Zhao had solidified and produced something resembling an imperial decree from her robe. She unfurled it and began to read it to me.
It was very official and written in archaic language. The gist of it was that although the situation of those pointed-jade ghosts was understandable and they could be considered wronged, their judgments on the Book of Life and Death had already been drafted and were irreversible. According to the regulations of the Underworld, only by atoning for their crimes could their sentences be reduced. The only concession King Yama had granted me was that if they were willing to take to the battlefield and participate in the Underworld's rebellion suppression war, they would be credited with merit regardless of whether they achieved any specific feats. Upon the war's conclusion, they would collectively be spared the fate of descending into hell, thus providing an explanation to the other ghosts.
"War… people die in war, don't they?" I lit a cigarette and said faintly.
"That's for sure," Wu Zhao put away the decree and sighed. "But this is likely the most authority you could have secured. In other words, if it weren't for you, King Yama wouldn't have shown such great respect to anyone else."
"Accompany me to Old Turtle Bay," I said.
"Alright."
I called Zheng Bingbing and Zhang Xiaomiao, and together we drove across the peninsula, through the night, to the Old Turtle Bay villa complex. Those ghosts, true to their word, hadn't fled. They hadn't caused trouble in the villa complex either, nor had they hidden in the mine where they were beyond reach. They were all gathered at the foot of the mountain, awaiting my "good news."
Wu Zhao, representing the Yinchai Mansion, reread King Yama's decree. The ghosts listened in silence.
"I'm sorry, everyone. I broke my promise," I bowed deeply to them.
The leading middle-aged man remained silent, his figure beginning to recede. Wu Zhao gave me a look, the meaning clear: they were not currently in the mine, and they were clustered together. Wu Zhao alone could deal with them all and escort them to the Underworld.
I shook my head. That would make no sense.
As the middle-aged man retreated, the majority of the other ghosts followed him back to the mine. However, about twenty ghosts remained, expressing their willingness to follow King Yama's plan, risking their ghostly lives for the freedom of their existence.
Wu Zhao summoned a subordinate and had them taken to the Chenghuang Temple.
The remaining individuals were left behind as they were. It was a shame about such a prime villa complex, which would continue to be "haunted."
But I believed that after this incident, the frequency of hauntings in the villa complex would significantly decrease. After all, this matter had alerted King Yama, and the ghosts in the mine would surely be concerned about "retaliation" from then on. They would be less inclined to leave the mine, lest they be captured by the Yinchai lurking nearby.
This way, the villa complex would be much safer, and the remaining properties could continue to be sold.
Yet, I couldn't feel happy at all. Because if such an injustice occurred in the human world, it would surely be rectified, and they would even be treated as heroes of resistance. Why did it not work in the Underworld? Whether in the world of the living or the dead, the law should be based on "reason," shouldn't it? httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
With regret and a hint of helplessness, I bid farewell to Wu Zhao and prepared to drive back to the base. Just as I was about to leave the villa complex, that middle-aged man suddenly appeared in front of our car, blocking the way.
"Have you thought it over?" I asked hopefully.
The middle-aged man shook his head. "No, we do not accept this outcome. However, you have gone to such lengths for us nameless individuals. On behalf of everyone, I am here specifically to express our gratitude."
"That's not necessary," I said with a wry smile. "I am a Yinchai, and this is considered part of my duties."
The middle-aged man nodded. "Lord Wu, I know why you are here. I humbly assure you that our presence will no longer be felt in this area in the future. But I also hope you will convey to the relevant authorities not to send anyone to disturb us in the mountains behind!"
So, it was an offer of a guarantee coupled with a negotiation. This suited me just fine. I immediately called Cheng Xiaojuan and suggested that she invest in establishing a restricted zone in the mine area behind the mountains, preventing any entry. Cheng Xiaojuan said it was no problem, a matter that could be resolved with a hundred thousand or so, and she would even fund it personally!