The afterlife blew up Gensokyo

"By the way, why haven't you left yet?"

"...I want to see Yuyuko."

Looking at the coffin that was gradually sinking in the far distance of the sea, after a moment of silence, Yukari Yakumo turned her head away.

"You promised me on this matter."

"Yes, yes, I did promise you, so you can come directly to the Jade Pavilion in the Underworld in seven days."

He pursed his lips, took out a dozen obsidian stones from his storage ring, and arranged them on the ground in the order of the door frame. Shi Bai then took out a flint and steel and lit the obsidian stones.

A moment later, a brand new Gate to Hell appeared. Shi Bai stepped through the gate, and the remaining words were faintly carried to Yakumo Yukari's ears by the sea breeze.

"At that time, Saigyouji Yuyuko will become the new master of the Hakugyokurou in the Underworld."

"........."

............................................................

hell.

Due to the massive increase in the world's population, Hell is now significantly more bustling than before, with a large number of souls entering Hell almost daily to receive punishment for their sins in life.

However, at the same time, the work of the Grim Reapers and Yama has become increasingly busy. In order to cope with this change, the gods in the underworld and hell have planned to select some qualified beings from among the Grim Reapers to advance to Yama, or to select some ordinary undead to become Grim Reapers.

When Bai arrived in Hell, almost all the Grim Reapers he saw who were either on vacation or simply staying there to work were new faces.

"Boss lady, warm a bowl of wine and a plate of fennel beans."

He walked straight into a mahjong parlor on the street, sat down at the counter in a nonchalant manner, and casually placed a small coin on the table.

"This is a mahjong parlor. If you want to eat, please go to the Soul-Snatching Noodle Shop next door."

The proprietress, who was sitting behind the counter, propped her head up with one hand as if she were dozing off, glanced at him sideways and replied in a rather irritating tone.

"Speaking of which, what kind of rubbish is that on your face?"

"Another LV 0... what a pair of broken glasses."

Shi Bai took off his glasses and put them aside, then spoke seriously.

"haven't seen you for a long time."

"Yes, yes, it's been a long time."

The proprietress looked listless as she reached out and picked up the small coin that was lying on the table.

"Hey you, can you stop messing with me every time? Can't you let me relax a little?"

"One coin isn't enough? Then add another coin!!"

Shi Bai generously laid out another small coin on the table.

"How about that? Aren't I generous enough!?"

"...Do you know how much of my free time I need to integrate these origins into the underworld and hell?"

After a moment of silence, the proprietress slammed her head forward onto the table with a thud, then lay on the table and began to speak in a muffled voice.

"I don't know, but you have plenty of free time on weekdays."

Shi Bai shrugged, completely unconcerned.

"If you keep delaying, I'll keep adding money. Anyway, I didn't get much else on this trip, but I did get a lot of essence from those worlds. I don't have any use for this stuff, so why don't I just give it all to you to fill up the gaps..."

"Okay, get up and let's go! We'll set off right now!!"

The proprietress slammed her hand on the table and stood up, her face serious.

"No problem, let's hurry up!!"

"........."

..................................................................

Hakugyokurou is a vast architectural complex spanning 2000 square kilometers, located in the expansive underworld. Among the Grim Reapers and Yama of the underworld, various rumors about Hakugyokurou and speculations about its owner have never ceased.

After being covered in dust for countless years, Baiyulou finally welcomed its true owner.

Suddenly waking from a deep dream, Saigyouji Yuyuko sat up on the bamboo tatami mat, feeling as if she had just had a chaotic nightmare.

She subconsciously covered her forehead with her hand to think it over, but was surprised to find that the past was all in a state of chaos and could not be found, and the past was all in a state of confusion and could not be inquired about.

Just as she was feeling lost and confused, a gentle voice came from the side. When Saigyouji Yuyuko looked in the direction of the voice, she saw a black-haired man sitting in the courtyard, smiling at her.

"you're awake."

"........."

She opened her mouth as if to ask something, but in the end, Saigyouji Yuyuko simply got up silently and sat down on the stone chair that had been specially prepared for her at the table.

"This is the underworld, the dwelling place of the dead, the final resting place of all things. And this place is the White Jade Tower."

Perhaps sensing her confusion, the man in front of him smiled and spoke.

"Am I... a ghost?"

Staring blankly down at her hands, which seemed no different from when she was alive, Yuyuko Saigyouji's confusion deepened.

"Of course, you are indeed a ghost at this moment, but you are slightly different from other ghosts. Although you are basically no different from a living person, you can still be classified as a ghost."

The man in front of me said.

"As for why you are so special... are you willing to stay in the Jade Pavilion to manage the ghosts in the underworld who are waiting to be reincarnated?"

"Ghosts...do you mean these things?"

Saigyouji Yuyuko pointed curiously to the unidentified objects floating in the air like cotton candy.

"That's right. After drinking the water of the River of Oblivion, drinking the soup of forgetfulness, and walking the road to the underworld, their external form, cleansed of worldly dust, becomes what it is now. They have no consciousness, only a vague instinct. Originally, the next step for these ghosts would be to reincarnate and go through countless lives, but due to some special reasons, they are stuck in the underworld. Although they are harmless, they need a manager... Well, is black tea enough?"

As he recounted these events, the black-haired man in front of her reached for a teapot, poured two cups of tea, and then pushed one of the cups towards her.

"Well? Do you still have any questions in your mind? If you do, feel free to ask, and I will answer them one by one."

"Why are these ghosts unable to be reincarnated and remain in the underworld?"

Looking down at the cup of black tea in front of her, Saigyouji Yuyuko thought for a moment, then looked up and asked.

"Shouldn't these ghosts have been reincarnated long ago?"

"Oh, because of the traffic jam."

"……Eh?"

From that moment on, the serene and detached aura of an immortal that the man in front of her had originally possessed vanished.

"To put it simply, it's fully loaded. These ghosts have to wait for the people in front of them to be reincarnated before they can be reincarnated. There are only so many Yama and Grim Reapers in the underworld to begin with, and they all have to do high-intensity work. They also need to rest, okay? Even though we've been expanding our recruitment recently, those new employees can't adapt to their jobs in a short time."

The man in front of him shrugged.

"There's nothing we can do. The world's population is just getting bigger and bigger. Being busy with work is a given, and queuing to be reincarnated is also necessary. Currently, each ghost has to wait about ten days to half a month before they can be reborn. Although that time is already quite short, the accumulated number of ghosts is still a huge number that cannot be ignored. They urgently need a manager."

"……I see."

Looking at the ghosts around her, Saigyouji Yuyuko nodded gently.

"So why did you choose me?"

"Because you are the best fit."

"Is it the most suitable..."

Upon hearing the man's reply, Saigyouji Yuyuko fell silent for a moment.

“That’s right, believe in yourself. You can do it. It’s just managing ghosts. It should be easy for you with your abilities.”

She pulled out a thick contract from somewhere, placed it in front of her, and began to speak to her in a seductive tone.

"Here, this is the contract. If you agree, just sign it. As the master of the Jade Pavilion, your monthly salary is 1000 yuan, which is ten times the salary of an ordinary Grim Reaper. In addition, we will pay your social insurance and housing fund, and we will also give you this enormous Jade Pavilion to live in. Aren't you tempted?"

Subconsciously, she looked at the contract in front of her, and then Saigyouji Yuuyu saw that she didn't recognize a single word on the contract. The only two words she recognized were the general term placed right above the contract title.

—Those two words mean "to sell oneself into servitude".

Saigyouji Yuyuko: "..."

Why is that cherry blossom tree withered?

After a moment of silence, in an attempt to change the subject, Saigyouji Yuyuko pointed to the enormous, withered tree in the very center of the Hakugyokurou courtyard, a tree so tall it seemed to stretch as far as the eye could see.

"Hmm, that one? That's the Saigyou Ayakashi, a scene from the Hakugyokurou. Because it's big enough to match the Hakugyokurou and can serve as a backdrop for the red flower, I specially transplanted it here. What do you think? Isn't it quite impressive at first glance?"

With a sudden wave of his hand, the man in front of him looked decisive.

"Once you sign this contract, I'll make the decision: this Saigyou Ayakashi will be a free gift! You can do whatever you want with it! You can turn this enormous withered cherry blossom tree into a tourist attraction and charge admission, or you can turn it into a cultural site so that Shinigami or Enma can hang love knots or brocade pouches on it... There's nothing you can't do! You'll be making so much money you won't know what to do with it!"

"So? Are you interested?! Don't just think about it, take action and sign your name on this contract now!!!"

"........."

Looking at the contract that resembled a servitude agreement, which was once again held up in front of her by the man in front of her, Saigyouji Yuyuko fell into silence.

P.S.: There will be another update shortly.

Chapter Twenty-One: Hoping the Judge is alright????

The underworld, the Jade Palace.

"Could you explain my situation to me in detail? I can't remember anything at all right now..."

Pushing aside the contract that resembled a servitude agreement, Saigyouji Yuyuko looked at the strange man before her, whom she had completely come to regard as someone with ill intentions and unclear motives. Her expression was quite strained.

"Also, could you tell me what's written on this contract?"

"Don't worry about your memory; that will be related to a choice you make later. As for this contract..."

Picking up the contract from the table and pointing to the top of it, the man in front of him had a serious expression.

"The three characters on this are 【福-利-契】, which is a document used to plan your benefits or salary. You don't need to worry about anything. I've even given you such a big Baiyulou, how could I possibly harm you?"

"...I don't think I'm suitable for this position."

Seeing the two large characters that were supposedly welfare benefits but were actually prostitution, Saigyouji Yuyuko was shocked by the man's ability to lie without batting an eye.

"Who said that? You are different from others. You are the chosen one, a one-in-a-million exception. As a human, you possess the will of the stars. Do you know how powerful you are?"

The man in front of her suddenly became passionate and impassioned.

"You can eat ten baskets of steamed buns in one go without even changing your expression!!"

"........."

For some reason, Saigyouji Yuyuko suddenly felt like hitting someone.

"Forget it, it seems you're not mentally prepared yet. Let's talk about the contract later."

After she remained silent for half a minute, the man in front of her picked up the contract of indenture on the table with a somewhat disgruntled expression, casually tossed it behind him, and then spoke seriously.

"Alright, let's get down to business. Saigyouji Yuyuko, as the highest acting deity of the underworld, I extend an invitation to you. Would you be willing to reside here at Hakugyokurou and manage the increasingly unsold ghosts of the underworld?"

"If I could avoid signing that sales contract, I would be willing."

With a barely perceptible twitch at the corner of her eye, Saigyouji Yuyuko, whose impression of the gods of the underworld and her moral standards had plummeted to a low point, nodded reluctantly.

"Alright, deal!!"

A hammer appeared out of nowhere in his hand, and he slammed it on the table. The man in front of him stood up with a smile on his face.

"Congratulations, Saigyouji Yuyuko. From today onwards, Hakugyokurou is yours. You will become the master of Hakugyokurou. Would you like me to give you a brief introduction to Hakugyokurou?"

"...Before that, may I ask about something else?"

Although she remained skeptical of the man's rash behavior, Saigyouji Yuyuko didn't say much. She turned her head to look at the vast complex of buildings behind her that stretched as far as the eye could see, and after a brief hesitation, she tentatively spoke.

"I am a spirit of the dead. Do all spirits lose their memories of what happened before they died?"

"Memories from before your death..."

For some reason, Saigyouji Yuyuko noticed that the smile on the man's face suddenly became somewhat amused.

"Do you want to relive that memory? That memory from when you were still a human being... Do you really want to recall it? First of all, let me state that that memory is not pleasant, and you might regret it if you relive it."

"What's done is done, there's nothing to regret... Yes, I want to relive that memory."