"Don't worry about Xiao Miao, she'll be fine. I'm a legitimate Underworld official, and once we get to the Underworld, it'll be like coming home," I said with a smile.
Though I said that, this matter still needed to be communicated with the Underworld authorities first.
After lunch, taking advantage of the good weather, I called the Underworld. I didn't look for Little King Yama, but rather for my direct superior, Xie Bi'an.
"What is it? Looking for me? I'm napping," Xie Bi'an's voice was as cold as ever.
I explained my purpose. Xie Bi'an paused for a moment: "Alright, but I'm busy. Besides, you two are still mortals, modern people. Entering the Underworld will cause a commotion. I'll prepare two sets of uniforms for you. Wearing them can mask your living aura."
"Thanks, An'an," I said with a smile.
Not long after, Xie Bi'an flickered into existence within the base. She was wearing a white Underworld official uniform, which startled Bing Bing in my room!
Xie Bi'an threw down two neatly folded sets of clothes and was about to leave.
"Hey, An'an, who's going to take us in?"
"With these Shen Xing shoes, you won't need anyone to guide you. If you get lost, just find me again," Xie Bi'an said, and her figure vanished.
Shen Xing shoes? Where are they? I opened the folded clothes on the bed. They weren't made of ordinary fabric, but rather paper, quite stiff. Strangely, though the clothes were folded, the creases disappeared when they were unfolded.
The robes were long, somewhat resembling over-the-knee gowns, with something like an undershirt and underpants. Beneath the robes was a flattened hat. I pulled the hat out from inside. As usual, there were no creases. It was very tall, like a chef's hat, only smaller on top and wider at the base. Wearing it felt like putting a traffic cone on my head. Fortunately, there were straps on both sides to secure it. The front of the hat, as expected, bore the four characters "一生见财" (Yīshēng jiàn cái - Fortune throughout life).
Below the hat were a pair of similarly paper-made, high-waisted boots, also in a flattened state. When unfolded, they were seamless. I slipped them on, and they fit perfectly, as if tailor-made.
I changed into the entire ensemble. At first, I felt it was a bit loose, with slightly short sleeves. But after moving around a bit, all the sizes adjusted perfectly. This must be some kind of Underworld intelligence, like 4D printing, with a technological level far beyond our era.
Finally, there was a flattened belt, but no buckle. I held it against my waist, and it automatically fastened itself, neither too tight nor too loose. It felt very comfortable to wear. I detached the Soul Collecting Token from my original pants and hung it at my waist.
"Looking sharp, bro!" Bing Bing exclaimed, clapping her hands. "All you need now is a mourning stick!"
I searched again. Xie Bi'an indeed hadn't provided us with that signature white Underworld official weapon. But I got clever and thought, that thing isn't complicated, I can make one myself.
I found two small sticks, a large roll of transparent tape, and some A4 paper from the office area. I cut the paper into long, thin strips and layered them onto the small sticks. Soon, the "mourning stick" was finished. I swung it around; it was quite sturdy. As long as I didn't use it to hit anyone, it should pass.
Zheng Bing Bing also changed into her set, which was identical to mine, even down to the pink patterns on her collar and belt. I believe they were called "Tao Tie" patterns.
After changing, I hesitated. I decided not to bring Zhang Xiao Miao. Bing Bing and I are legitimate Underworld officials; even if we died, the Underworld would send us back. But Zhang Xiao Miao is a genuine ghost. What if she went in and couldn't come out? The Underworld's rules are said to be numerous, and some of them, they say, even King Yama can't change.
Once we were ready, I used the Soul Collecting Token to ask the operator for the nearest City God Temple. The operator gave us an address. Since we were in the suburbs, a godforsaken place, the temple was quite far away, located in the hilly terrain in the central part of a peninsula, twenty kilometers west of Jinjiling.
The fox demon and Meng Meng volunteered to drive us there. They could stay nearby to hunt and wait for our return.
Half an hour later, we arrived at the City God Temple. Bing Bing and I entered the temple. The Judge here must have received the notification and was already waiting outside the temple to welcome us.
Seeing me greet the Judge, Zheng Bing Bing whispered, "Brother, you forgot to teach me the qi-sensing technique. I can't see anything!"