Using the MC system to pretend spiritual revival

Chapter 255 The Origin of the Underworld
"Daddy! Xiaoyuan misses you so much!"

Just as the couple embraced and shared their recent experiences with each other.

A crisp, slightly tearful cry rang out.

Immediately following was a series of rapid footsteps approaching.

A petite figure in a pale yellow dress suddenly pounced on her.

Meanwhile, the Sato couple, who had already separated, heard the noise.

He couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed.

But he still stretched out his arm and caught his daughter who was lunging at him.

"Little Yuan, don't cry~ Daddy's back now, isn't he?"

After being strengthened, Sato is now a two-meter-tall man with bulging muscles all over his body.

I raised my hand to stroke the little head in my arms, which was like a restless bullet, constantly twisting and turning.

Looking at her daughter's messy, somewhat dry and yellow hair that hadn't been styled in a long time.

At the same time, feeling the light weight in my arms, I couldn't help but feel a pang of heartache.

I recalled that I had learned from our casual conversation along the way that people working here were paid.

Thinking that he would need to withdraw or borrow some money later, he went to the bustling street he had come from to buy some food, clothing and other necessities.

I wonder if there's anything for children to eat or use there, since there seem to be very few children among the passersby...

And it was during this time that the family of three, separated by death, experienced the joy of reunion.

The two ghost messengers, one burly and one thin, who had been standing to the side for a long time, finally spoke up at the opportune moment, breaking the atmosphere:

"Ahem—Young man, if you wish to spend some quality time with your family, you might as well wait until you leave this place."

Meeting Sato's gaze, Zhang A, with his blue face and fangs, raised his hand and pointed to the eerie blue campfire in the center of the cave.

"In the end, this trip was made by taking advantage of some loopholes, so it was inconvenient to stay for long."

After this reminder, Sato immediately snapped out of his excitement at seeing his family.

Seeing the strange campfire burning brightly nearby, I understood that this thing should never have appeared in the icy hell where people were tortured by cold.

Meanwhile, Sadako, who had already taken her daughter back into her arms, nodded slowly in agreement.

She thought about what she had seen these past few days, the fate of the people outside the cave, and her own smooth journey.

She then raised her hand, took her husband's broad arm, bowed towards the burly, blue-faced figure not far away, and spoke gratefully:

"Speaking of which, we've never had the chance to meet before, and I must thank you for your help back then."

"If you hadn't appeared and guided us to this cave, my child and I, being newcomers here, would probably have frozen to death outside..."

As he stood up again, his wife's brief words immediately made Sato understand.

Whether it's clothing, caves, or campfires.

Clearly, all of this stemmed from the secret assistance of the ghost messenger in front of them, named Zhang A.

Thinking of this, his lips moved, his eyes reddened, and he felt even more grateful.

Both he and his wife and daughters owed the other party too much.

Amidst emotional ups and downs.

Thinking that the other party must be an ancient person from the Xin Kingdom, he immediately clasped his hands in a fist and knelt down with a thud:
"Thank you, Brother Zhang, for your help to my family! I will never forget this kindness!"

These two short sentences were almost roared out, making the cave reverberate.

Faced with this action, even the ghost messenger's large, blue-faced, fanged face couldn't help but grin.

But he still raised his thick, pillar-like arm and pulled the person in front of him up, his words tinged with disdain:

"Hey, stop with the mushy stuff, I don't like that."

"Besides, it was all arranged by the registrar, so I'll just go and do it. If you really feel bad about it, then treat me to a drink after you get your salary!"

After speaking, he turned around, avoiding the somewhat burning, grateful gazes of the family beside him, and walked to the campfire.

With a wave of his hand, the campfire, burning with an eerie light, instantly flew up and gradually shrank.

In the end, it shrank to the size of a palm, landed in the palm of the hand, and was put into the pocket.

After doing all that, he returned to a mother and daughter and waved to them again.

Then they saw that a pair of brown leather boots on Sadako and Madoka's feet instantly detached, shrank, and flew into their palms.

After handling all these matters, Zhang Acai glared with his tiger-like eyes and scanned the cave.

After confirming that no trace remained, he turned his attention back to Sato's direction.
"Alright, there shouldn't be any problems unless something unexpected happens. If anyone asks what to do, you should know the answer."

Watching the other person's actions throughout, even if Sato was confused, he should have understood by now, and he nodded vigorously and hurriedly:

"I understand, Brother Zhang, don't worry, no one else will know about this!"

His expression was serious and his tone was firm.

And since it would be of no benefit to either party to talk about this, Zhang A nodded slightly:

"That's good."

After saying that, he turned to look at the mother and daughter beside him.

Without a campfire and a magical artifact to ward off the extinguishing snow, the two huddled together, shivering, in the already unbearable cold of the icy plains.

Before Sato, who had also noticed the situation, could speak, Zhang A directly took out the previous brown-black wooden plaque again and pressed it against the ice crystal wall beside him:

"It's time for your shift anyway, so come with me on this trip. It will also help to remove the lingering cold from your wife and daughter's bodies."

Sato could naturally tell from these words that she was actually thinking about her family.

Knowing that the other person wasn't the type to appreciate verbal gratitude, I simply clasped my hands respectfully, said nothing more, and silently kept everything in my heart.
"I'll do whatever Brother Zhang says!"

As soon as the words were spoken, the mechanism that snapped the brown wooden plaque attached to the wall off made a "click" sound.

In an instant, a familiar dizzying sensation enveloped everyone present.

With a flicker of air, the cave vanished, leaving it empty once more.

……

At this moment, in another place far away, where the terrain was not much different but the environment was completely opposite, Sato, holding his wife and daughter's hands, slowly opened his eyes.

What greets the eye is a dark red, with red dust floating in the air, and dazzling molten lava swirling around the scarlet mountain walls and the ground, beside the filthy sand dunes.

Looking into the distance, beneath what appears to be a massive void enveloped by blood-red rocks, volcanoes, their lava flows flowing and converging into scorching rivers.

Despite the many differences, the more he looked at this environment known as the volcanic hell, the more familiar it seemed to him.

As if guessing his thoughts, Zhang A, who was standing to the side and had just removed the token from the wall, laughed at his expression and explained:
"Haha—looks familiar, right? But this place isn't the one you've been to before."

As soon as he finished speaking, seeing several questioning glances directed at him, he forced a smile, beckoned the others to follow him, and strode off into the distance.

"The Netherworld is different from what you can imagine. The eighteen levels of hell are not pavilions and towers divided into upper and lower levels, but rather a space independent of the Netherworld. It is formed by the combined efforts of the gods of Yama using great methods and supernatural powers to divide the Netherworld or extract other small worlds."

"Although it is a self-contained entity, its rules are incomplete. It appears vast, yet it still has boundaries. It is a part attached to the Netherworld."

"In ancient times, there were many immortals and gods who could cut the world and create the universe. In essence, they were not much different from this volcanic hell and ice mountain hell."

"What you mistakenly entered before was the Netherworld Wilderness. You can think of it as a wasteland, uninhabited, within a hundred miles of a city in the mortal world." "Similarly, beyond the Netherworld lies the Netherworld Wilderness, an undeveloped and extremely wild region."

"The Netherworld is vast and boundless. The Great Emperor of Fengdu discovered this realm at the beginning of time. Seeing the countless souls of the world sinking into this realm in a daze, unable to find liberation, he resolutely merged with the Netherworld."

"He used his great magical power to demarcate a realm, establishing the present-day Netherworld and Fengdu City, and creating the Six Paths of Reincarnation, cleansing the filth carried on people's souls, allowing them to return to the human world."

"After that, the Ten Kings of Hell were appointed to oversee various departments, and were assigned to the principles of interrogation and punishment. The Ten Realms and Eight Hells were established to distinguish between good and evil."

"From this point on, the cycle of life and death in the world was completed, and the rules were stabilized..."

A series of words were spoken, explaining everything from the distinctions between the eighteen levels of hell to the origins of the netherworld.

Listening to the fluent and expressive narration, it was clear that this was not the first time the other person had told these stories to someone.

This made the Sato family even more impressed with the seemingly tall and ferocious ghost messenger's contrasting enthusiastic and talkative personality.

At the same time, I gained a better understanding of the world I live in.

As Zhang Ada's loud explanations rang out, the group followed him step by step, passing towering volcanoes and charred stone bridges spanning lava rivers.

In the distance, Sato also saw groups of ragged, emaciated people carrying some black stones under the whipping of some ghost guards who were also dressed in official robes.

It appears to be made of the same material as the city walls of Fengdu or the stone bridge we just crossed, so it must be the main building material of the Netherworld.

As the group of people, who resembled slaves, walked past them, there was no exchange between them.

All I noticed were those gaunt figures, drenched in sweat, carrying stones, trembling as they moved forward, their eyes numb.
The ghost messengers following behind, wielding iron chains, also had indifferent expressions and unwavering gazes, not even glancing in their direction.

The oppressive atmosphere affected the Sato family, and they all slowed their pace and remained silent.

Noticing this, Zhang A, seemingly engrossed in his explanation, immediately began to explain:
"There's no need to be surprised or feel sorry for them."

"This volcanic hell is meant to punish those who commit arson and evil deeds. According to the rules, the ghost messengers should continuously throw these people into the crater to bear the consequences of their arson in life."

"But with the rise of spiritual energy, the number of living souls in the underworld is increasing, and even this hell is finding it difficult to cope."

"The Yama Palace had already issued a notice some time ago that the execution platforms in various parts of the underworld were being expanded, and it was normal to draw people from nearby areas to serve as laborers."

Upon hearing this, Sato nodded in understanding.

It seemed that these separated territories could still grow and expand, but he also noticed that the other party had cautiously and briefly skipped over this topic when it was brought up earlier, and did not ask any further questions.

These things are too far off for a lowly ghost messenger who hasn't even taken office yet, and are not issues that need to be addressed right now.

Pulling his attention away from the heat, Sato continued forward, feeling the scorching air of this fiery red volcanic hell, and finally came upon the scene of those being imprisoned:
In front of a towering volcano, a ghostly messenger threw a group of naked figures, who were trembling as they climbed to the top of the mountain, off one by one.

Accompanied by splashing sounds and splattering lava, a series of shrill and short howls rose with black smoke.

This scene prompted Sadako, who was behind her, to quickly raise her hand and cover the eyes of the daughter in her arms:

"Little Yuan, don't look! There's something dirty in there!"

Upon hearing this, the little girl, who had been staring at him with wide, questioning eyes, paused for a moment before obediently closing them.

"Okay mom!"

The commotion in the group did not distract Sato. He stared wide-eyed, even stopping in his tracks, and stood rooted to the spot, watching the scene unfold.

Sadako thought her husband was upset by the scene, so she cautiously approached him, about to say something, when she heard a soft murmur:
"...Murata? Ah, he got kicked down, haha... Oh! Here he comes! It's that old bastard Iwasaki! His turn..."

Hearing her husband's expectant tone, Sadako turned her head curiously to look.

As it turned out, a familiar bald, fat man was being dragged over by a ghost messenger with a look of terror on his face.

Ignoring his pleas and cries for mercy, he pressed him directly into the crater in front of him.

Screams and billowing smoke filled the air as the food was roasted to a crisp.

After a moment of realization, Sadako suddenly remembered that this person was actually her husband's greasy boss.

He usually enjoys making things difficult for and exploiting Sato, which torments him to no end and is one of the main culprits behind his constant overtime work.

She then understood why her husband was staring so intently at this hellish scene, and why his tone was so agitated.

After thinking for a moment, she put her daughter down and hugged her husband reassuringly.
"It's alright, it's alright..."

When the two ghost messengers leading the way noticed the situation and turned around, they came back.

The line in front of the crater had been cleared out, and the ghost messenger who had finished his work turned and walked away.

Having calmed down from his excitement, Sato realized his lapse in composure and, somewhat embarrassed, met Zhang A's large, fanged face.

“…Um, Brother Zhang…”

He stammered for a long time, looking like he wanted to say something but couldn't.

Finally, steeling himself, he pulled a glittering golden object from his pocket, presented it with both hands while bowing, and handed it over.

"Brother Zhang! Thank you for your help along the way!"

"Please accept this chrysanthemum. It is a small gift, but it is the most precious gift I can offer. My whole family will remember this kindness!"

Zhang A, who had stepped forward intending to ask about the situation, was taken aback by this sudden action and quickly waved his hand:

"Hey! What are you saying? I'm not working for free; the registrar is giving me a reward! There's no reason for me to accept your gift again!"

As he spoke, he raised his hand and pushed the gold jewelry that was offered to him back:
"Moreover, now that you've come to the human world, young brother, you should change your ways. In the underworld, gold and silver are not rare commodities."

Upon hearing this, he looked at the other person's blue-faced, fanged face, which displayed the expression that said, "I am a gentleman and never accept gifts."

Sato was getting anxious.

After all, I can't accept gifts. I've received so much help, and I can't bring myself to ask for anything more.

His mind raced, and soon an idea struck him. He reached out and handed the gold jewelry back, taking advantage of the other person's growing impatience, and quickly spoke:
"This is a family heirloom passed down for hundreds of years in the royal family of my country. Its value lies not in its physical form, Brother Zhang, but in its extremely rare and unique edition!"

He shouted out, and the atmosphere froze for a moment.

That's right, Sato's method is the same old trick he used back home: selling cards with commemorative value and limited edition status.

And indeed, there was no lie at all. Judging from the scene before Sato left, something unexpected must have happened in Japan.

After all, he had just seen that even some of his enemies back in his hometown of Daban were lining up to eat hot pot.

That nuclear bomb, which came from who-knows-where, probably wiped them all out.

And under Sato's expectant and uneasy gaze, the ghost messenger Zhang Aqing, whose face was covered in fangs, was clearly stunned for a moment upon hearing these words.

"Ahem—on the other hand, it's the thought that counts, after all. You call me 'brother,' so there's no reason for me not to accept it!"

As he spoke, he casually raised his hand, stretched out two fingers, pinched the small golden chrysanthemum badge, and tucked it into his clothes.

He glanced at the tall, thin ghost guard who was silently watching the show, then took two steps closer and asked in a low voice.

"Tell me, what is it? Let me make it clear first, I'm just a constable, and my abilities are limited..."

Sato didn't seem to notice his cautious demeanor, simply nodding and lowering his voice in return.

"...Brother Zhang, do you know where my post is?"

"...Um, if I were to transfer here, would that be possible?"

As he spoke, he raised his hand with hopeful eyes and pointed to the crater of the planet that had just been lined up.

Now it was Zhang A's turn to be surprised.

"what?"

(End of this chapter)