Chapter 108: The Shadow Magistrate

According to the records in the Book of the Underworld, common zombies are classified into four levels, distinguished by the color of their eyes: red, green, blue, and white. Red-eyed zombies are the strongest and are commonly known as Zombie Kings, while white-eyed ones are the weakest.

Above the red-eyed tier, there are two legendary levels: silver-eyed and golden-eyed zombies. Silver-eyed zombies are considered legendary, while golden-eyed ones are known as True Ancestors. However, both these types are largely mythical; their existence in the current era remains uncertain. It’s much like the mythical Bone-Immortal among the Five Elements Zombies—said to possess intelligence and to be on par with the silver-eyed legendary zombies. Yet, despite the numerous necromantic sects like the Holy Army over the centuries, none has ever succeeded in creating such a Bone-Immortal.

The Holy Army itself is composed of green-eyed zombies. Being just one rank below the red-eyed Zombie King signifies immense power. With Peng Li’s current abilities, he wouldn’t last even a second against a subordinate of the Holy Army.

Yet this time, we managed to drive the Holy Army away. They won’t return anytime soon, especially since this place is guarded by the inscrutable Flying General Yan Fei. From Li Fu’an’s evident fear of Yan Fei, it’s clear that even a green-eyed zombie like the Holy Army is no match for him.

Therefore, I am certain that as long as Yan Fei remains in Bashu, the Holy Army won’t dare set foot here again. Though Peng Li cannot seek immediate revenge, this interval allows him to strengthen himself. I believe that one day he will be able to defeat the Holy Army and avenge his fallen comrades.

At that moment, White Ruoshuang’s anxious voice rang out nearby, “Sister Yu, what are you about to do? You can’t misuse the Three Lotus Technique!”

I quickly turned toward White Ruoshuang and saw Qin Yu standing before the corpses of two Maoshan Taoist disciples, continuously forming strange hand seals. Suddenly, three golden lotus flowers, each about the size of a palm, floated out from her body.

The moment the lotuses emerged, Qin Yu’s soul also departed from her body. The three golden lotuses hovered above her soul’s head and shoulders. In the blink of an eye, Qin Yu’s soul vanished from our sight.

I hurried over, staring at her motionless body. “White Ruoshuang, what’s happening?”

White Ruoshuang sighed heavily, stuffing a mouthful of popcorn as she spoke, “Sister Yu lost two Maoshan junior brothers this time. She’s furious and is now using the Mountain Flower Technique to descend below.”

“Descend below?” I was momentarily confused. “Below where?”

White Ruoshuang gave me a sharp look and knocked firmly on my forehead. “You blockhead, ‘below’ obviously means the Underworld’s Yin Magistrate’s office.”

“The Yin Magistrate’s office?” My heart jolted. “Why would she go there?”

“To raise hell over this,” White Ruoshuang explained. “There’s a green-eyed zombie here who’s been necromancing the Five Elements Zombies using paper puppetry. The puppet technique violates the Yin-Yang reincarnation rules of the Underworld. Yet the local Yin Magistrate neglected his duties and failed to notice this. He might even be colluding with these people. Because of this, we suffered heavy losses—two Maoshan disciples and over ten warriors from the living world died tonight. Don’t you think this Yin Magistrate ought to be held accountable?”

Hearing White Ruoshuang’s words, everything suddenly made sense. Earlier, Wang Feiyang and I suspected that these people might have bribed the Underworld authorities to carry out their necromancy unimpeded. Now that Qin Yu had gone directly to the Yin Magistrate’s office to confront him, it meant our suspicions were very likely true.

“Won’t she face danger going alone?” I asked.

White Ruoshuang shook her head. “No big problem. Sister Yu was born with a ‘Three Lotus’ fate. Protected by the three lotuses this lifetime, she was a living Bodhisattva reincarnated in her previous life. Even if the local Yin Magistrate or the magistrate hall officials come, they wouldn’t dare to trouble Sister Yu. However, being human, forcibly using the Three Lotus Technique to leave her body can severely harm her physical form. That’s why I advised her against it, but she wouldn’t listen.”

I finally felt reassured. About twenty minutes later, Qin Yu reappeared with the three golden lotuses floating above her. In her grasp was a middle-aged man dressed in an ancient seventh-rank official’s robe.

The man was corpulent with a large belly, his clothes disheveled. As Qin Yu brought him here, he stumbled and fell flat on his face.

“Wang Zhaohui, Yin Magistrate of the Jiangbei District in Bashu, you are a local Underworld official who neglects your duties, indulging daily in wine and women. Under your jurisdiction, numerous paper puppets have appeared, disrupting the Yin-Yang order, yet you remain oblivious. Now there is a green-eyed zombie necromancing Five Elements Zombies on your turf, causing rampant evil. Tonight, two of our Maoshan disciples and over ten living warriors perished because of this. Do you understand your guilt?”

Wang Zhaohui was still dazed and confused, unable to grasp the meaning of Qin Yu’s accusations. But seeing her fury, the little Yin Magistrate dared not defy her, trembling on the ground.

White Ruoshuang suddenly kicked the Yin Magistrate and pointed at him, shouting, “Speak! Are you colluding with that green-eyed zombie? How much have they paid you?”

Terrified, Wang Zhaohui shouted, “Bodhisattva of the Three Lotuses, even if you gave me a hundred lives, I wouldn’t dare collude with that green-eyed zombie!”

Qin Yu ignored his protests and shouted into the night sky, “Are you still not coming out?”

At that moment, several shadowy figures appeared in the night, dressed as ancient constables, each carrying a heavy wooden baton. They stood nervously before Qin Yu.

“Drag him away. Fifty lashes. This kind of thing must never happen again. Next time, it won’t be just fifty lashes!” Qin Yu commanded sternly.

The constables exchanged uneasy glances, unsure of what to do. Wang Zhaohui yelled at them, “What are you waiting for? Follow the Bodhisattva’s orders!”

Only then did the constables approach with fearful faces. One carefully raised his baton and said, “Sir, please bear with it.”

They dared not hit hard, barely applying any force, yet Wang Zhaohui’s screams were pitiful and exaggerated, clearly an act.

White Ruoshuang’s temper flared. Without a word, she snatched a baton from one of the constables, chanted a spell, and struck Wang Zhaohui’s backside hard.

He screamed in agony, nearly shattering his soul. White Ruoshuang showed no mercy, relentlessly beating him with the baton until he fainted. She then tossed the baton aside.

Munching on more popcorn, she fanned herself and sighed, “Exhausting work.”

Afterward, with Qin Yu’s consent, the constables helped the barely conscious Wang Zhaohui away. About an hour later, a large contingent of police arrived, accompanied by two ambulances and a hearse.

We did not linger and left quickly in White Ruoshuang’s golf cart. Qin Yu instructed the two Maoshan Taoists to return her fallen disciples’ bodies to Maoshan and forbade them from venturing down the mountain for a while.

On the way back, Qin Yu remained indignant. “That Yin Magistrate Wang Zhaohui must be in cahoots with those people. Fifty lashes was too lenient. Sister Yu, you should have sent him straight to the Eighteenth Layer of Hell.”

Qin Yu glanced at White Ruoshuang. “I am but a mortal; how could I have the authority to send someone to Hell? Besides, Wang Zhaohui is merely addicted to wine and women, not colluding with those people. And with our limited skills, there’s no way we could have uncovered the paper puppetry. I just wanted to vent some anger and remind him to be more careful.”

“Sister Yu, what do you make of this matter?” I asked suddenly. “That Holy Army is a green-eyed zombie, and they even created a silver-armored corpse.”

The atmosphere in the car turned solemn. Qin Yu pondered for a long while before saying, “There must be a vast organization behind them, and they are probably plotting some terrifying scheme.”