Even hybrid monsters have their day

In the hall, a white-clad figure leaned lazily back in a chair, long legs propped up on the table in front of him, his slender, delicate hands casually holding a book with the words "Book of Life and Death" printed on the cover. A somewhat languid voice came from behind the book, "You're the one who's not good."

"Yes...yes...no, no..." The little devil was so anxious that he couldn't even finish his sentence.

"Let's talk after you've caught your breath." The voice was still lazy and casual, but it was extremely pleasant to hear.

After catching his breath, the little ghost said with a look of fear, "The Green Face has brought back all the souls that died today."

"Isn't that great?"

"I just counted, there's one too many..."

"What!" The Book of Life and Death in Yama's hand fell to the ground.

The surroundings were so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Luo Jiu'er curiously looked around at this legendary Yama's Palace.

"You are Luo Jiu'er?"

"You are Yama, the King of Hell?" Luo Jiu'er looked at this excessively handsome young man—no, a young immortal—and instead of answering, asked, "Isn't it said that when people die, they have to cross the Bridge of Helplessness, drink Meng Po's soup, and then be reincarnated? Why does Yama have to personally inspect them? And the ones who led me into the underworld just now weren't Black and White Impermanence; were they laid off?"

She concluded by saying, "It seems there's a lot of error in the rumors about the underworld among mortals..."

King Yama was stunned by Luo Jiu'er's series of words. Why did this little devil give him such a disconnected feeling? He composed himself...

Having found his voice, he asked, "Do you know why you came here?"

Although he looked very young, his voice carried an undeniable air of authority.

"Why?" Luo Jiu'er repeated softly, recalling her last moments: her eyes were filled with crimson, her body flew several meters away like a kite with a broken string, then fell heavily to the ground, instantly becoming a broken puppet, lifeless. "She was hit by a car and died while trying to save a little boy."

She told the truth.

Perhaps because she had become a spirit, Luo Jiu'er didn't feel much about her death.

In the hall, King Yama let out a heavy snort and said sternly, "Save? You really did a good job saving me!"

With a wave of his hand, a scene appeared in the hall.

A little boy lay dying on the hospital bed, a young woman with red, tear-filled eyes sitting beside him, and several other people of all ages standing nearby, their expressions filled with sorrow.

“This…” Luo Jiu’er recognized the boy as the one she had saved earlier that day.

“That’s right, this boy is the one you rescued today. He’s still unconscious because of his serious injuries.” With that, he waved his hand again, and the scene returned to the moment before the incident.

Luo Jiu'er saw herself walking on the road, and at the corner next to her, a little boy who had just learned to walk was chasing after a ball. As he passed by her, he smiled at her, which was very cute.

A car suddenly turned from the intersection, about to hit the little boy. Just then, the ball the boy was chasing rolled to the side, and his feet swayed slightly. The driver noticed the boy, swerved in time, and the car crashed into a large tree not far in front of him.

"Ah, how could this be?" Luo Jiu'er was speechless with surprise at the scene that was completely different from what she had experienced. Even the little devil standing next to her stared wide-eyed, his face full of shock.

"See? If you hadn't rushed out, that little boy would have been unharmed, the driver wouldn't have gone to jail for killing someone, and you wouldn't have died."

"Then... I died for nothing?!" Luo Jiu'er was dumbfounded.

Seeing the look of shock on Luo Jiu'er's face, a barely perceptible smile appeared on Yama's handsome face, which he quickly suppressed.

"Now that you have come to the underworld, but are not on the Book of Reincarnation, your soul will become a wandering ghost and be exiled to the seven palaces of the underworld, never to return for all eternity."

The little imp beside him glanced at King Yama with mixed feelings. Wasn't Luo Jiu'er supposed to recover from her serious injuries in three months? How come she was completely unharmed in the scene? And when did it become a rule that souls within the Seven Palaces could never leave for eternity? How come he didn't know…

"Huh?" The plot suddenly shifted from the lofty setting of sacrificing oneself to the point where one is forced to walk into hell. This unexpected turn of events was hard for even Luo Jiu'er, who was known for her thick skin, to accept.

How could someone who saves others end up so tragically? No wonder no one helps the elderly anymore; it turns out good people don't always have good endings.

She turned her head and asked the little ghost who had brought her there in a soft voice, "What kind of place is the Otherworld of the Seven Underworld Palaces?"

Where Luo Jiu'er couldn't see, King Yama winked at the little ghost. The little ghost hesitated for a moment, then said, "The Seven Palaces of the Underworld contain all sorts of demons, monsters, and strange spirits from the Six Realms, including those who have violated the laws and heavenly rules and been punished, those who have committed evil deeds and sins, and those who died unjustly, died unjustly, died far from home, or died in a place where their resentment lingers..."

Hearing Yama cough seemingly casually, the little ghost hesitated for a moment before continuing, "And then there are... people like you who court death, and the souls of these kinds of people are imprisoned in the other realm, which is what you commonly call ghosts."

Upon hearing this, Luo Jiu'er felt completely unwell; she absolutely couldn't go to such a terrifying place.

Thinking of this, her expression towards King Yama changed, and her face instantly adopted a fawning tone. "King Yama, you see, I did sacrifice myself to save someone, didn't I? They say saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda. Although I made some mistakes in the process, my intentions were good, weren't they? If I'm going to be imprisoned in some alien realm for this, then who will do good deeds in the future..."

Upon hearing Luo Jiu'er's words, Yama's expression changed, as if he was considering her words. He looked at Luo Jiu'er expressionlessly, while Luo Jiu'er looked back at him earnestly and smiled obsequiously.

After a long pause, that slightly languid voice rang out again, "I think what you said, little brat, makes some sense."

Upon hearing this, Luo Jiu'er felt that there was a chance, and quickly continued, "Let me tell you, the trend of not helping those in distress is very prevalent in the world now. People like me are truly rare. I think that Lord Yama is wise, powerful, heroic, and handsome. You will definitely not let good people suffer."

The little imp standing beside him seemed to be unable to bear it and coughed a few times. Yama glared at him, then looked back at Luo Jiu'er in the hall. Seeing her walking step by step into the scene he had set up, he had an urge to burst out laughing, but he managed to suppress it.

He sighed softly, feigning some difficulty, and said, "Although I also think your words make a lot of sense, and your behavior deserves praise, I have even considered letting you go back." Luo Jiu'er was overjoyed and was about to speak when he continued, "But once a person's soul leaves the body for more than three hours, it can never return."

"Ah?" Yama's words instantly extinguished the small flame that had risen in Luo Jiu'er's heart. She looked at Yama with a sorrowful expression, "Do I really have to go to another realm?"

"Well... there is another way, but..." King Yama stopped halfway through his sentence, thought for a moment, and seemed to feel that it was not appropriate. He frowned and shook his head repeatedly, "No, no, this method is not good."

"What method?" Luo Jiu'er seemed to see a glimmer of hope, and even unconsciously took two steps forward. "As long as I can avoid going to that so-called Seven Palaces of the Underworld or some other realm, I'll do anything you ask!"

"Are you really willing?" If Luo Jiu'er listened carefully, she would not have trouble noticing a hint of excitement in Yama's voice.

Luo Jiu'er nodded.

A conflicted expression appeared on Yama's face. Finally, as if he had made a great decision, he said, "I'm only helping you this time because of your selfless spirit."

Luo Jiu'er nodded repeatedly.

"The solution is... I can find a place in the Six Realms with a magnetic field similar to yours, and let you reincarnate there. However, in that case, you will not be the same person you were before."

"Time travel...?"

"That's roughly the idea." Yama nodded.

In any case, it's better than going to that alien realm of the Six Underworld Palaces, Luo Jiu'er thought.

Watching Luo Jiu'er leave with another little ghost, her face filled with gratitude and tears, Yama's expression shifted from sunny to stormy. The little ghost who had entered earlier walked to his side, now utterly impressed by his boss's ability to distort the truth. However, a look of uncertainty crossed his face. "Lord Yama, is this really alright?"

That thing that was reincarnated…

King Yama glared at him and said irritably, "Do you have a better idea? The Yama Palace's performance bonus for this month has already been deducted. If people find out about this huge mistake, none of us will get our year-end bonuses."

The kid immediately shut up when he heard the word "bonus".

Seeing him still standing there, Yama, the King of Hell, sternly said, "What are you still dawdling about? Go and keep watch! In one hour, when she returns, immediately take her to register and wait in line for reincarnation. If anything goes wrong again, I'll deduct your salary for this month. Also, send a message to Ox-Head and Horse-Face to come back from your leave immediately. Why take leave when you're so busy? There's not a single one of you with any sense!"

Above the Bridge of Helplessness, dark clouds shrouded the sky year-round. The little ghost led Luo Jiu'er along the clouds, avoiding Meng Po's gaze. Meng Po was considered the most gossipy person in the Six Realms; if she knew, then no one in the Underworld would be unaware.

Luo Jiu'er looked down at the ghostly mountains and seas, a truly magnificent sight. Occasionally, a few people looked up, but they all looked bewildered, seemingly unable to see her in the clouds. This made her look even more unrestrained.

Just then, a thunderous roar echoed from the sky, "Luan Hao, let's see where you can run to now!"

Immediately afterwards, a purple figure appeared out of thin air.

What an exquisite face it was! Long eyebrows that reached his temples, pale purple eyes shimmering with light, and a thin, delicate mouth beneath a nose as straight as a mountain, a mouth so beautiful even peach blossoms would blush. A fair complexion, a slender figure, and thick, ink-black hair casually draped over his shoulders—his bearing was simply breathtaking.

The purple clothes were torn in several places, but there was no sign of dishevelment; instead, it exuded a natural and imposing aura. It moved without wind, displaying a majestic and awe-inspiring presence.

Luo Jiu'er was stunned. She had never seen such a stunningly handsome man before. Even the King Yama who had amazed her in the hall earlier paled in comparison to him.

The man seemed surprised to see anyone there. He glanced at her—a breathtaking glance, like a pool of shimmering spring water, or like a fierce wind howling through warm sunshine.

"Hurry up, we're almost there," the little devil urged her, pointing to a door that was shining brightly in the distance. "See that? Once you go through that door, you'll reach your destination."

Luo Jiu'er looked over and saw a door that shimmered with white light, as clear and translucent as jade. She glanced at it briefly before her gaze returned to the man.

She could see him! This discovery brought a playful smile to the man's lips, and the world seemed to lose its color, leaving Luo Jiu'er stunned once more. Her feet, however, wouldn't move. The little devil, not caring about anything else, reached the door, opened it, and pushed her inside.

No one noticed that a faint, almost transparent purple light followed behind her and disappeared into the doorway.

Just then, a white figure appeared where the stunningly handsome man had been standing. He looked around, a puzzled expression on his handsome face. "Where is he?"

An hour later, a roar like that of a trapped beast on the verge of death echoed from the foot of a mountain: "King Yama, you bastard, you tricked me!"