Using the MC system to pretend spiritual revival

Chapter 256 Zuo Teng
"You think you can work here?!"

Zhang A was genuinely surprised at this moment.

He had initially thought that the other party's hesitant manner meant that their request would inevitably involve some trouble.

Considering that the other party has just entered the Netherworld, they will probably need to move to a larger house or borrow some money.

He had already been thinking to himself about how best to refuse if that were the case.

Unexpectedly, when he spoke, he wanted to be transferred to another position, specifically to work in his own hellish place. For a moment, he was caught off guard and remained stunned with a surprised expression for a while.

After making his request in a low voice, Sato waited anxiously for a response.

Seeing that the other party merely glared at him, repeated his words, and then stood still without saying another word, he felt a chill run down his spine.
"...This! Brother Zhang, is this really that difficult?! I'm new here and don't know the rules very well. What if I say something wrong..."

"...Huh? No, no, no! That's not true!"

Before the other person could finish speaking, Zhang A, having regained his senses, hurriedly shook his enormous head.

She then let out a soft breath, widened her eyes like copper bells, and strangely sized up the man in front of her:
"You really want to work in Hell?! You should know that the clerk has arranged for you to be a city patrolman. Although it's just a minor official position, it's a very lucrative job that countless people would fight tooth and nail for, and the pay isn't low either."

"You may not know this yet since you've just entered the Netherworld, but working in the Underworld, although the pay is a bit higher, is a tough job with countless sinful souls in the various prisons of the Underworld, keeping you busy day and night!"

After explaining and comparing, Zhang A noticed that the man's eyes not only showed no hesitation, but also suddenly flashed with a gleam when he heard that the amount of money was even greater.

He has mentored many new talents over the past century, but this time he really doesn't understand.

After thinking it over, I was afraid that the other party might be completely unaware of the rules and order of the Netherworld and make a misjudgment.

First, he raised his hand and pressed down on Sato, who was eager to try and looked ready to take up his post.

He leaned down, met her eyes, and spoke each word earnestly:
"Young man, don't be impulsive. Listen carefully: in this prison, you are on duty from dawn to dusk."

"Recently, the spiritual energy has surged, and both the number of sinful souls and the workload are quite heavy. It will probably take another hour to complete the transfer. Have you thought it through?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Sato, who was being held down, paused, silently calculating in his mind:
"...In ancient times, the hour of Mao (卯时) would be converted to 6:00 AM, which is 6 AM to 6 PM. Even if, like what we just saw, overtime work was required, and the supervisor might have to work an extra hour, that would only amount to two extra hours of work..."

Sato, who had been calculating in his mind, couldn't help but be taken aback.

Do you get off work at 8 PM?
Is this very bitter?

Thinking back to the other person's bitter and resentful expression as they advised him, Sato couldn't help but mutter to himself, "I thought it was some kind of supernatural practice."

After all, we are now in the underworld, and the souls of the dead do not need to eat or drink, so they probably don't need to sleep much either.

I didn't expect that after going around in circles, I would only be working overtime until 8 pm. If I'm lucky, I might even be able to see the sunset at that time.

With a somewhat complicated feeling, Sato looked up and met Zhang A's serious and earnest face, and nodded firmly.

There was no other way; after explaining it all, I felt my enthusiasm for work grow even stronger.

It's important to know that in Japan before all the changes, working overtime until 10 pm or even the early hours of the morning was very common. At that time, Sato hadn't seen the afternoon sun for several years.

As I thought about it, I couldn't help but think of my former colleagues who were competitive and difficult, and my boss who verbally abused me in meetings and constantly found fault with me...

"..."

"...Brother Zhang! Please let me serve in hell! I beg you!!"

After uttering this phrase, he bowed deeply.

Zhang A, who had witnessed all of this and was trying to persuade him, was stunned for a long time before he came to his senses.

He opened his mouth to say something, but the sound of footsteps caught his attention.

Looking up, I saw Sadako, looking haggard, holding her emaciated child in her arms, and my gaze trembled.

Turning back to look at the figure bowing and pleading with a resolute expression, my entire gaze changed:
"...You... Sigh—! Alright, I'll take this on."

He was about to say something more, but ultimately swallowed his words, only stepping forward with a heavy tone and patting the other person on the shoulder:

"Transferring you to another position isn't difficult. It's a miserable and tedious job, and there are plenty of people willing to switch with you for positions like city patrol. Plus, you haven't officially started yet, so it's easy to arrange..."

After the call, Sato's expression became visibly excited.

However, he was then patted heavily on the shoulder again by the strange expression on the other person's blue-faced, fanged, and muscular face:

"...Since you're sure you want to do it this way, from now on you'll be one of my servants."

"Although I am merely a constable working in the underworld, I still have some influence. If you encounter any difficulties in the future, there's no need to hide it from me..."

Sato, who looked somewhat bewildered and at a loss throughout, listened to the other person talk for a long time before finally nodding reflexively, only to see the other person turn around and walk away.

Just as I was about to take a step forward, a thin, bony arm abruptly blocked my way, and a lifeless, chilling voice rang out:

"Officer Zhang has already gone to his shift. I will now take you to collect your identity tokens and accommodations..."

Looking up at the tall, thin ghost messenger in front of him, who had a cold face and an unapproachable demeanor, Sato recalled that Zhang A had indeed said that he was taking them here on a side trip.

Although they had walked together, they were not very familiar with the person in front of them, so they did not chat much and simply nodded to indicate that they understood.

Then, just like Zhang A before, the other party took out a token, placed it on a wall, and slammed it down.

A distorted, enveloping sensation descended, and in an instant, the figures of the group vanished from this volcanic hell.

When I opened my eyes again, a familiar scene came into view. The sweltering air dissipated, and the crimson background was replaced by a bluish-gray.

On the bustling street, several figures suddenly appeared at the alleyway to the right of the shops.

But before he could react, the tall, thin ghost guard who had already taken the token from the wall turned around and walked away without even knowing which way was up:
"Follow."

That unusually cold and hard attitude made the three members of the Sato family feel a little uncomfortable for a moment, but they quickly followed after they realized what was happening.

As the road twisted and turned through the streets, the number of vehicles decreased while the number of pedestrians increased. The rows of shops with plaques and storefronts were replaced by houses with house numbers.

On some stone benches in front of doors, people gathered in twos and threes to chat, while children could be seen playing and chasing each other between the doors and windows of the streets.

The houses on both sides of the cobblestone street shielded the dark sky and the murky gloom in the distance.

For a moment, the boundaries of the streets and alleys became blurred, making it difficult to tell whether this was the underworld or a small town on earth.

As they traveled along, the Sato family of three became somewhat captivated by the quaint and charming streetscape and the indescribable atmosphere.

But when he saw the tall, thin ghost messenger who had been silently leading the way, he suddenly stopped.

Looking up, the group realized they had somehow passed through a large area of ​​residential houses and arrived at a courtyard with a taller gate and blue-tiled roof in the middle of the street.

Above the wooden door, which was slightly wider than those of ordinary houses, hung a plaque with the words "Household House" written on it.

On the left, there is a vertical sequence of streets, representing the jurisdiction and authority of each area.

As soon as I pushed open the door, perhaps guided by a ghost, everything I did along the way—receiving money and goods, registering documents—went exceptionally smoothly.

Wait for about ten minutes.

The Sato family, each having received a light brown wooden plaque, stood in front of their house.

Xiao Yuan, who had been placed on the ground and was being held while her household registration and housing documents were being recorded, looked up blankly at her parents, who were standing motionless to the side.
"Dad? Mom?"

The call seemed to suddenly break the atmosphere, bringing the couple back to their senses.

Sato looked up with a complicated expression at the tall, thin ghost messenger who had vanished without a trace, and tightened his grip on the bundle of golden wheat and sack he was carrying. He let out a long sigh, then turned to look at his wife, who was also carrying a large basket of mushrooms, and felt a sense of unreality wash over him.

I originally thought I would only receive some identification and money, but when I came out, it was like the community was giving me a handout; I was carrying big bags and small packages.

However, according to the people who delivered the supplies, although ghosts do not need to eat or drink, if they do not have spiritual energy or yin energy to replenish their cultivation, their souls will still be depleted.

Therefore, people like ghost messengers can receive a considerable amount of low-level spiritual materials from each household every month to cover their daily cultivation needs.

As for identity registration and money, those are also included.

In Sato's arms are ten sturdy yellow sheets of paper, made of the same material as the ghost messenger appointment letter from back then. They are covered with various complex and incomprehensible drawings, and in the center is a circled character "拾" (shí, meaning "pick up").

The total came to fifty, issued as a resettlement allowance. It wasn't much, but it should be enough to last for a while.

In addition, the light brown wooden plaques that each of the three members of their family wears around their waists are extremely similar to the dark brown wooden plaques worn by the ghost messengers, and even the two Satos feel that they are almost identical.

However, its functionality was greatly reduced, serving only as a symbol of status, used for entering and exiting city gates or opening the doors of one's own residence.

It is said that this thing can be directly absorbed into the body, but the three of them have too many things to do today and have not yet figured it out.

The family of three then followed the household registration address they were given and went to each house one by one. Finally, they stood in front of a simple but clean courtyard gate.

Sato stepped forward, freeing one hand to take the light brown wooden plaque from his waist. Following the example of the two ghost messengers before him, he placed it on the wall in front of the door, waited for it to automatically adhere, and then gently pressed it down.

"Click——"

A crisp click of the mechanism rang out.

The heavy brown wooden door in front of them suddenly swung open, revealing a small courtyard behind it, paved with bricks and tiles, with a lush, unidentified tree standing in the center.

The group entered slowly. Sato placed his things under the eaves and stared blankly at the courtyard, feeling a strange mix of emotions.

Noticing her husband's somewhat absent-minded expression, Sadako, who had also put her things away, silently stepped forward and took his hand.

Together we looked at the clean and tidy courtyard in front of us, which, though not large, did not feel secluded.

"Creak—~"

The sound of the door hinges scraping filled the air. Compared to the complex and unspoken emotions in the eyes of the couple, Xiao Yuan, who was not yet 12 years old, did not think about such things at all.

Faced with this unfamiliar environment called "home", the child's desire to explore was aroused, and she pushed open the door of the house facing the yard.

Outside light streamed in.

What is reflected is a small, clean and tidy room, but it feels somewhat empty because it only has basic furniture.

As the child ran around, the door to the room was pushed open, and the bedrooms on either side of the small hall came into view.

After touring the main house, Xiao Yuan, still full of enthusiasm, dragged her pale yellow dress around like an energetic deer, quickly moving between the stone steps and wooden beams.

Between the courtyard gate and the master bedroom, the symmetrical little houses stacked vertically were also pushed open, revealing the kitchen, some storerooms, and washroom partitions inside.

It's not very big overall, but it has everything you need in daily life; you can find the corresponding place here.

However, it is clear that no one has lived here for a long time, although there seems to be no such thing as "dust" in the underworld.

But it was clear that the overgrown weeds under the lush green trees in the center of the courtyard were already taller than Sato himself.

After the child had run around, he propped up all the doors and windows that could be opened.

It's as if it's marking this territory called "home".

The family of three, who had initially felt somewhat lost and uneasy, gradually calmed down.

The pleasant breeze from the city blew into the house through the open window, dispelling the chilly atmosphere of a place long uninhabited.

Everyone sprang into action. Sadako discovered the storage room next to the kitchen and put the ingredients and odds and ends she had just received inside.

Meanwhile, Sato, who was also wandering around, found a hoe and a sickle in the storeroom. Intrigued, he picked up the tools and went to the overgrown lawn in the courtyard to start clearing away the weeds.

Originally ordinary people, they quickly adapted after gradually accepting their city and their place of residence.

And so, they were busy for quite some time.

In the underworld, there is no sunrise or sunset, and wandering souls experience no weariness or toil; time seems to have lost its significance here.

But it's just a matter of habit.

Sadako rearranged the furniture to the positions her family was used to.

Sato also straightened up from the smoothed grass.

Little Yuan, who had been running around aimlessly, suddenly appeared from nowhere, and the three of them reunited.

Through trial and error, they figured out the unidentified object in the kitchen that resembled a stove or some kind of furnace. When it was lit, a warm yellow flame illuminated the family of three squatting in front of the stove.

As a potato-like object was inserted, a moment later, a fist-sized, golden-brown, crispy, wrinkled food was removed.

In an instant, the aroma of caramelized food mixed with the scent of ripening food wafted through the air, and the eyes of the family of three, who hadn't felt hungry in a long time, lit up.

After handing the potato-like food in his hand to his wife, Sato followed suit and baked several more using the stove in front of him.

Soon, under an unnamed tree swaying in the wind in the courtyard.

The family of three, each holding a golden-brown, fragrant roasted potato, chatted about interesting things, their laughter interspersed with unspoken stories.

As the last bite of food was stuffed into the small round mouth, the conversation gradually subsided.

Leaning on each other, they looked up at the shimmering shadows of the trees, at the chaotic sky belonging to the underworld, enjoying this precious moment of tranquility and warmth.

Half an hour passed.

Sato spoke softly, breaking the atmosphere.

"...Sadako...how about we change her name? What do you think?"

"...I've heard that there are people with the surnames Zuo and Zhen in China, so I'll call myself Zuo Teng. The pronunciation remains the same, so I'm not worried about getting confused..."

"........."

"...Consider it a new beginning. We've already died once, and besides, the Kingdom of Yinghua..."

"It's probably completely gone. Using the old surname again wouldn't make it easy to integrate here..."

"That country treated us like insects and ants; they shouldn't be remembered. Let's leave it at that..."

The string of words seemed quite abrupt.

The emotions surging within may have once been more hatred, but now they are more about letting go.

Meanwhile, Sadako, who was leaning on Sato's shoulder and listening silently, seemed unsurprised by her husband's sudden remark.

Just nodded.

"Um…"

(End of this chapter)