We bear people have power

The sound was like the clanging of chains being dragged on the ground; then came a series of rapid, urgent clattering sounds; finally, a doggerel was recited, its eerie tone sending chills down one's spine.

The poem goes: Life and death are discussed in a pot of wine, the soul is taken away at midnight; justice is sought in all things, the cycle of revenge never ends; going to the Yellow Springs will not be lonely, I will cry and beg again in the King of Hell's palace; if I delay my reincarnation, I will be reborn as a pig or dog in the animal realm; all good words must be said before letting go, no mercy will be shown under the mourning stick.

The howling wind made everyone uneasy. Guan Bo looked out the window and saw many figures outside, seemingly dozens of people approaching in dense formation.

The two at the front each held a long banner, one black and one white. The black banner bore the words "Soul-Catching," while the white banner bore the words "Soul-Stealing."

Then came ferocious-looking followers, each carrying iron chains, bronze plaques, silver hooks, axes, shackles, and fetters. The two highest-ranking members wore silk robes and tall hats, with the words "Great Fortune Upon Meeting" and "Wealth Upon Meeting" inscribed on them respectively. They had hemp belts around their waists and carried mourning sticks. Both their robes and mourning sticks were black and white.

The man in black was short and stout, while the man in white was tall and thin. The two of them standing side by side looked like a meatball with a single chopstick next to it, which was quite comical.

Judging from the scene, Guan Bo knew who had come without Baiwa saying a word. No, it shouldn't be said that it wasn't human; it was the infamous Black and White Impermanence!

"You mean they're the ones who came to take your lives?" Guan Bo asked, pointing out the window.

“That’s right, they came to kill Brother Ye. But the last few times, there weren’t so many, just two.” Baiwa nodded honestly.

The last few times... there were only two...

Guan Bo slapped himself in the face; this was a complete disaster.

If the ghost messengers were taking someone away, it must mean that Nie Shuhuan's life was coming to an end and he was about to be taken to the underworld. But this little girl had actually fought off the ghost messengers several times.

In a different time and place, and in a different way, this is violent resistance to law enforcement, which is a very serious illegal and criminal act.

Guan Bo wanted to say something more, but then he realized that everyone in the room was looking at him.

Not to mention Lingxiu, even Gongsun Jing and Xiong Shanjun were staring blankly at Guan Bo, seemingly waiting for him to make a decision.

"What's going on? Why are you all looking at me?" Guan Bo felt a headache coming on.

Before they could reach a conclusion, the Black and White Impermanence, along with their ghost messengers, surrounded the small thatched hut.

The chubby Black Impermanence spoke, calling out into the house. Guan Bo was surprised to hear that this man was a stutterer.

It's not the kind of stuttering where you repeat a word several times, but rather a tendency to drag out the sounds.

While others stutter and repeat, he drags out a single syllable for a long time, then suddenly utters a few words fluently, and then drags out another syllable.

The Black Impermanence said, "I thought I could easily capture it tonight, but I didn't expect this little demon to have brought help."

Bai Wuchang, a man of few words, simply uttered an "Mm".

"Listen up, everyone in this room. Nie Shuhuan's lifespan is over. It's time for him to report to the underworld. If you resist, you'll only face certain death." Black Impermanence continued.

Guan Bo pondered for a while, thinking that the Black and White Impermanence were known as one of the Ten Great Underworld Marshals, the most powerful kind of ghost messengers. Although they were often beaten up by the Great Sage for no reason, that was the Great Sage's skill. Guan Bo estimated that the outcome of a fight was hard to say.

He was reluctant to intervene, but when he looked back at Baiwa'er and Nie Shuhuan, his sympathy overflowed.

Looking at Lingxiu's expectant expression, Guan Bo made up his mind.

“I’m willing to bring people back to life, so what’s there to be afraid of now? There’s no mysterious power from the East in this world, so what’s wrong with me extending this disabled boy’s life?”

Guan Bo composed himself, flew outside the house, and bowed to the Black and White Impermanence, saying, "Seventh Master and Eighth Master, it is truly an honor to have you grace our humble abode with your presence."

The Seventh and Eighth Masters are the respectful titles given by the common people to the Black and White Impermanence.

Guan Bo thought to himself, regardless of whether a fight breaks out later, one shouldn't hit a smiling person, so he should at least be polite first.

But before he could finish speaking, Black Impermanence said, "My goodness, in all my years of reaping souls, this is the first time I've ever heard someone say 'honored to my humble abode.' Do you have a grudge against the people in this house?"

White Impermanence nodded and said, "That makes sense!"

Guan Bo stood there, his hands frozen, feeling that what Hei Wuchang said made perfect sense, and he was speechless.

Yeah, who's ever heard of welcoming the Black and White Impermanence (the spirits of death) with joy? Isn't that just wishing someone dead?

This was incredibly awkward, but Guan Bo, being thick-skinned, quickly recovered and asked, "What brings you two from so far away?"

"Look at you, you're not that old, how come your memory is so bad? Didn't I just say that we've come to take your life? Nie Shuhuan's time has come," Black Impermanence reminded him.

"But this young man doesn't seem very old. How come the time has already come? Could there be some mistake?" Guan Bo stalled for time.

Black Impermanence, however, was good-natured and slowly explained to Guan Bo, "The Book of Life and Death clearly records that Nie Shuhuan died at the age of thirteen, on the 42nd day and eight hours of the third month. He should have died a few days earlier, but that little demon kept absorbing Nie Shuhuan's death energy, deceiving the ghost messengers once. Then, it injured the ghost messengers who came a second time, which is why we have to mobilize so many people."

At this moment, Bai Wuchang interjected, "He should be punished!"

"Seventh Master and Eighth Master, please calm down. It is certainly wrong to obstruct the work of the officials, but she is young and does not know any better. Please do not hold it against her."

"Little?! She's already... Oh, I need to check the Book of Life and Death." Black Impermanence pulled out a small notebook from his pocket, no bigger than the palm of his hand, moistened it with some saliva, and began to flip through it.

Then he said to Guan Bo, "That little demon has been a spirit for over a hundred years... Hmm, why is this writing a bit pale?"

Black Impermanence handed the small notebook to White Impermanence, who remained expressionless and simply replied, "It's alright."

Black Impermanence scratched his head, put away his little notebook, and echoed, "Indeed, it's alright. Anyway, what's written in the Book of Life and Death is correct. Do you have anything else to say now?"

Guan Bo rolled his eyes and then asked, "Although the Book of Life and Death says that his lifespan has ended, I think this young man is kind-hearted and shouldn't have died so young. Is there any way you two can make an exception for him?"

"If Yama, the King of Hell, wants you dead at midnight, who dares to keep you alive until dawn? Lifespan is predetermined by Heaven, and the cycle of reincarnation is the way of Heaven. How can the rules of the Underworld be changed?!" Black Impermanence replied resolutely. However, the stutterer's words were halting and disjointed, which diminished his imposing manner by half.

Upon hearing this statement that left no room for sympathy, Guan Bo blurted out, "Then how could the Great Sage Equaling Heaven alter the Book of Life and Death?"

As soon as he said that, Guan Bo wished he could swallow it back.

This is an insult that doesn't expose someone's weaknesses. The Great Sage caused a ruckus in the underworld, making everyone look bad, and even crossed out the names of all the monkeys in the Book of Life and Death.

This is the biggest scar on the underworld. As soon as he said this, Guan Bo felt that the negotiations were about to fall apart.