Chapter 670: Xin Wuya's Solemn Oath

Ji Yuan didn't have any particular reaction. He reached out, patted the little paper crane on his shoulder, and then addressed Xin Wuya.

"This little paper crane was something I folded out of idleness back then. I'm not sure when, but it gradually developed a bit of sentience. Though it lacks inherent advantages, it still has the potential to achieve enlightenment."

Xin Wuya instinctively glanced at Ji Yuan's shoulder again. This paper crane wasn't just "a bit" sentient; it was far more. So he added, "May I ask, sir, what is this paper crane called? I apologize if I offended it just now; I was about to examine it more closely."

Ji Yuan had never actually given the little paper crane a formal name. After a moment's thought, he said, "A Daoist friend from Yuhuai Mountain once called it 'Crane Child.' Let's just call it that."

Upon hearing this, Xin Wuya immediately gave the little paper crane a slight bow. "Xin Wuya did not realize you were Crane Child just now; I thought you were a paper sacrificial object from Ghost City. I apologize for the offense and ask for your understanding!"

This sincere gesture was well-received by the little paper crane, which particularly liked the name. It mimicked a human bow, bringing its two paper wings together in front of itself, appearing quite magnanimous.

Ji Yuan wanted to laugh but held it in. After completing his bow, Xin Wuya quickly took out a stack of golden paper documents and handed them to Ji Yuan with both hands.

"Mr. Ji, these are the results from this period. Uh, some of them were voluntarily handed over; by the time my army arrived, the people had already left the mountains. Of course, many still sought out the Song clan of Zuyue."

Ji Yuan was looking at the golden paper documents in his hand when he suddenly heard this, pausing slightly before speaking. "This is a good outcome. Although we couldn't eliminate all the evil creatures, at least many people now understand that possessing these golden texts is not a good thing. As for those who insist on aligning themselves with Zuyue, let them be."

"By the way, sir, the Song clan of Zuyue also sent emissaries to Wuya City, intending to gauge my intentions, but I did not allow them into the city."

"Hmm." Ji Yuan nodded, then looked at Xin Wuya and asked, "Were the visitors human or cultivators? Did they carry an imperial decree?"

"To answer you, sir, there were three visitors: two humans and one demon. All were cultivators, and they did not carry any imperial decree."

Ji Yuan smiled, shook his head, and said nothing. The Song clan of Zuyue still lacked boldness.

"Sir, Zuyue has been largely cleared once, but there must still be some deeply hidden evil creatures. Although my Ghost City has lost a significant number of troops, the morale of the ghost army is high, and we can launch another campaign!"

Ji Yuan turned to face Xin Wuya, his ancient eyes making the latter somewhat nervous. "While the ghost army has suffered losses, many ghosts have also taken this opportunity to absorb a lot of vital energy. However, too much of a good thing can be detrimental; going overboard will affect their ghostly nature. When have you ever seen the ghost officials of a legitimate Underworld constantly improving themselves in this manner?"

Although Ghost City lost many troops, most of the casualties were low-ranking ghost soldiers. The true foundation, however, took this opportunity to greatly improve. Many ancient ghosts gained benefits they had never dared to imagine, which also made many ghosts greedy for this feeling.

Ji Yuan paused, his tone becoming more serious. "Now that you command the Netherworld Hall, your position is indeed not yet stable. I know you wish to have more capable subordinates, so I turned a blind eye to certain matters this time. However, small gains are temporary; they cannot last a lifetime. Only through righteousness can one stand at the pinnacle. One becomes a deity by upholding integrity; excessive pursuit of profit leads to evil. If the ambition of the ghosts of Wuya City is limited to this, how can they be fit to be the Netherworld Hall?"

"Yes! Thank you for your guidance, Mr. Ji!"

Xin Wuya quickly agreed, feeling both excited and apprehensive. He dared not entertain any further thoughts, yet he wasn't discouraged. Instead, he was inwardly reassured that Ji Yuan did not merely intend for the Netherworld Hall to be a mere local city god's office.

"Come, gather some of the outstanding ghost cultivators in the city. I have something to discuss."

After saying this, Ji Yuan walked directly out of the courtyard. Xin Wuya replied "Yes" and followed closely, while the golden-armored warrior who had been guarding the quiet room also stepped forward to follow.

Not long after, outside the main hall of the Netherworld Ghost Manor, several ghosts holding important positions in Ghost City arrived one after another. Five burly golden-armored warriors also stood there in sequence. Upon seeing Ji Yuan approach, all five warriors, in perfect unison and simultaneously, cupped their hands and bowed.

"Venerable One!"

"Lord City Master, Mr. Ji!"

The other ghosts bowed to both Ji Yuan and Xin Wuya. Although curious about the paper crane on Ji Yuan's shoulder, they didn't ask further questions, waiting until Ji Yuan and Xin Wuya entered the hall before following them inside.

During this process, Ji Yuan observed all the ghost generals and Ghost City officials. He was pleased to find that they, like Xin Wuya, had not deliberately absorbed vital energy during their campaigns against evil creatures, relying instead on their solid cultivation.

Ji Yuan and Xin Wuya sat at the main seats in the front of the hall, while six golden-armored warriors, three on each side, exuded immense dignity, imbuing the eerie Netherworld Manor with a touch of masculine power.

In Ji Yuan's eyes, almost all the ghosts in Wuya City were dressed as military generals, with only Xin Wuya currently in a black robe and ceremonial crown. Seeing that all the ghosts, including City Master Xin Wuya, looked somewhat serious, Ji Yuan smiled.

"There's no need to be nervous, everyone; I don't have any bad news to deliver. This campaign to eliminate evil was not only about upholding righteousness in the human realm but also brought many benefits to your cultivation. After this battle, Wuya City's reputation has soared. Not to mention the Netherworld, even among the demonic, evil, and devilish paths, no one dares to underestimate you."

This statement raised the spirits of all the ghost cultivators present. They had clearly experienced the truth of Ji Yuan's words over this period. Previously, when speaking of ghosts, apart from wariness towards ghost deities, neither the righteous nor the evil paths thought much of places like Wuya City, which was a gathering spot for lost souls. However, now in Zuyue and the surrounding areas, the cultivation world trembled at the mention of ghosts.

"However, the Wuya City I envision is not merely a military camp. Upholding the righteous path is not solely about the ghost army's conquests; civil governance is also indispensable."

"Uh, Mr. Ji, may I ask what kind of civil governance you refer to?" The question came from Xing Zeng, who stood relatively close. He was the only Underworld Marshal officially appointed by Xin Wuya using the Grand Seal.

Ji Yuan looked at the pensive Xin Wuya, then at the other ghosts, and smiled. "Yin-Yang, Rapid Report, Good Will, Investigation, Document Management, Prisons, Merit Officer, Case Management, Record Keeping, Education, Archives, Punishment of Evil, Bestowal of Blessings, and so on—all these various departments of the Underworld can be emulated. Military drills, martial arts training, troop command, and campaigning—the duties of these Underworld Marshals and Ghost Generals can also be retained, and they could even try to incorporate other responsibilities, or even..."

Ji Yuan paused, looking at Xin Wuya to the side. "...even reach out to some less stable Underworld departments, cooperate with them, or help stabilize them, striving to open the path to the entire Underworld."

It was a good thing Xin Wuya had already died once, otherwise his heart would surely have been pounding wildly. With a low voice and high spirits, he cautiously asked, "Sir, what do you mean by 'opening the path to the entire Underworld'?"

Ji Yuan thought for a moment, then spoke frankly without concealment. "I have visited the Underworld several times. In truth, the lands of the Underworld undergo many changes. Whenever old City Gods are replaced by new ones, or old cities are given new functions, or new ghost cities are established, I suspect that for every new city that rises, if the old one does not dissipate, the domain of the Underworld grows by one city. This, of course, increases the burden of governance for the Underworld, but the secrets within are certainly not so simple."

"My understanding is not exhaustive, but it's enough to spark some ideas. Currently, the Underworld departments across Zuyue are in turmoil, and their various City God systems exist in name only. When the dust of this war settles, new deities will inevitably emerge..."

As he spoke, Ji Yuan flicked his sleeve, and out flew a brush, ink, paper, and inkstone. Holding the wolf-hair brush, he drew a line on the Xuan paper, then outlined various place names, appending the names of different Underworld cities and prefectures. Many lines converged at the top, where he wrote the four characters "Netherworld Hall."

Xin Wuya clenched his fists, too excited to speak, trying his best to appear composed. But his excitement was clear for all the ghost cultivators present to see. They were very curious about what Mr. Ji was writing that caused the City Master to lose his composure.

After a long while, Ji Yuan completed his initial sketch and motioned towards the hall. "Come, everyone, take a look."

The other ghost cultivators and generals exchanged glances, then all gathered near the table. The golden-armored warriors on both sides remained impassive, but if one looked closely, they would notice the one on the right subtly turning its head, glancing sideways, seemingly also looking towards the table.

"This? Sir?"

Ji Yuan pointed to Xin Wuya and explained, "What if a ghost cultivator were appointed a Netherworld official position by the Netherworld Hall, and then this ghost cultivator became a new City God of a certain area?"

Before Xin Wuya could say anything, Xing Zeng, as an Underworld Marshal, couldn't help but exclaim in astonishment, "If that could be achieved, wouldn't it mean the City Master could become a ghost king, ruling over an Underworld domain across prefectures or even provinces?"

But Ji Yuan shook his head at this point, causing Xin Wuya, who was beyond excited, to feel a chill in his heart. However, Ji Yuan then added another remark. "How could it be limited to merely prefectures or provinces? How could it be just a regional ghost king? If this endeavor succeeds, it will govern Yin and Yang without territorial limits, judging fortune and misfortune regardless of human or ghost. In the future, it's not impossible for another Netherworld Emperor to emerge in this world! Perhaps even the Emperor of Dazhen could add this title during his Fengchan ceremony."

Xin Wuya could no longer contain his excitement. He immediately took two steps back and prostrated himself with a deep bow, kneeling before Ji Yuan. "Mr. Ji, your great kindness in elevating me is unforgettable. Xin Wuya will gladly face a thousand deaths for your command. From this day forward, I vow to uphold the righteous path and protect the principles of Yin and Yang. If I ever violate this oath, may I never attain the Dao in this life, and never rise again through all eternity. Heaven and Earth be my witness, and the Sun and Moon my proof!"

Rumble, rumble, rumble...

The entire Netherworld Ghost Manor, and even Wuya Ghost City, experienced a slight tremor. Above Ghost City, dark clouds appeared out of nowhere, generating flashes of lightning that did not strike. The ghosts of Ghost City were inexplicably alarmed, and ghosts everywhere were bewildered. Fortunately, the phenomenon came and went quickly, disappearing within mere moments, as if it had only been an illusion.

Ji Yuan observed Xin Wuya for a moment, then reached out, supported his hand, and helped him stand upright. "You grasp matters quickly and thoroughly. To make such a solemn vow, I believe your heart is sincere."