In the middle of the night, Luoping City’s famous pleasure district still blazed with lights, and the sweet melodies and clamor of voices filled the air from the buildings along the street. “You’re truly amazing, Sir! “ “Brother Niu, you’re so generous and charming; the more I look at you, the more handsome you get!” “Master Niu, why don’t you stay here tonight? “ “Yes, Master Niu, do you really have the heart to abandon us?” Four or five gorgeously dressed courtesans surrounded Niu Batian, who, his face flushed with delight, walked out of the building surrounded by women, a waist in each arm. “Oh no, no, I can’t. This Old Bull– ahem, I have an important matter tomorrow. I must visit the renowned Wei family outside the city. If I were to stay overnight, my attendants would be frantic if they couldn’t find me tomorrow morning!” The Old Bull chuckled as he answered the women’s questions, struggling to refuse their repeated pleas for him to stay. “Wow, Master Niu is so busy!” “Brother Niu, come again soon! “ “Hahahaha… of course, of course, I’ll definitely come again next time!” The Old Bull beamed, reluctantly releasing himself from their embraces and stepped out. Once outside, he glanced back. The plaque with the name of the brothel he had just left, “Soft Jade Building,” hung high above, adorned with beautiful red flowers. “Soft Jade Building, how wonderful. I really wanted to stay overnight, but alas…” Niu Batian reached into his sleeves and pulled out a crumpled purse. He shook it. The few remaining copper coins inside clinked faintly. “Ah, next time I won’t call on so many popular ladies… the ordinary girls inside are pretty nice, too, tsk tsk tsk…” Niu Batian clicked his tongue, grinning happily as he left this gentle alley, looking back every couple of steps as he strolled down the street bathed in moonlight. While ordinary people’s visibility would have gradually decreased as they left the lit streets, for Niu Batian, it was as clear as day. “Warm Fragrance and Soft Jade… Warm Fragrance Pavilion, Soft Jade Building, these names are all quite fitting.” This calm and composed voice suddenly echoed from a nearby alley as he passed, startling Niu Batian. “Ah, Mr. Ji, why are you here? You scared me half to death! “ Niu Batian patted his chest and looked towards the entrance of the alley. Ji Yuan, dressed in a white shirt, stood there watching him, his pale eyes seemingly forever devoid of ripples. Seeing that Mr. Ji merely watched him without saying anything, Niu Batian smiled awkwardly. “This Old Bull enjoys taking walks at night, so I just came out for a stroll. Um, you’re not here to punish me, are you? “ Ji Yuan glanced at Old Niu’s hidden money pouch, then at the lipstick marks on his face, and shook his head. “I’m not here to punish you. It’s none of my business if you like to visit courtesans. Follow me.” The Old Bull was a bit confused. As Ji Yuan spoke, he looked towards the south of the city. “It’s rare for such a large city not to have any nighttime patrol ghosts roaming the streets in the middle of the night. Don’t you find that strange? “ Niu Batian was taken aback. Why would he have paid attention to such a thing? Besides, for him, the absence of ghosts or gods was actually a good thing, as it would save him from getting into trouble. Besides, he had been inside the brothel the whole time, oblivious to what was happening outside. However, after hearing Ji Yuan’s words, Niu Batian naturally understood what he meant. “You’re right, Luoping City is quite big…” “Let’s go. Since I’ve run into you, you can act as my muscle if we encounter anything troublesome.” Ji Yuan said quite seriously, which made the Old Bull laugh. “Hahaha, what are you saying, Mr. Ji? If you order this Old Bull to go east, I would never dare go west! By the way, where’s Brother Yan? “ The Old Bull responded. Seeing that Ji Yuan had already walked out of the alley and started advancing, he hastily followed. In a bustling region in the southern part of the city, a place that was a hub of activity during the day, with carriages and voices all around, became remarkably quiet at night. At the center of the neighborhood stood the City God Temple. The ever-burning lamps inside the temple were still lit, but the temple stewards and staff had long since gone home. Ji Yuan and Niu Batian traveled from the pleasure district all the way to this exact location. They stood in the square in front of the temple courtyard and peered inside. The divine aura was faint, and the power of faith was dispersed and unfocused. Ji Yuan opened his supernatural eyes to observe, and in his vision, he could see puffs of faint white smoke rising from above the temple in front of him. “Let’s go in and take a look.” The two took a few steps forward, lightly leaped over the temple courtyard wall, and then entered the temple like a gentle breeze. They bypassed the side halls and went straight to the main hall. As they pushed open the grand doors, the main hall was illuminated by the temple’s ever-burning lamps. In the dim light, the City God statue still remained majestic, but in Ji Yuan’s eyes, it lacked any spiritual essence. “Hahaha, how interesting. For this Old Bull, a demon, to be entering the main hall of a City God Temple! How interesting!” Niu Batian chuckled beside him, but Ji Yuan’s expression was somewhat somber. “The divine fire in the hall as gone out, the gates of the Underworld have vanished. This temple has been empty for at least several months. It is only natural for there not to be a City God or other underworld deities to appear to hold you accountable. I never expected that even Luoping City would be without divine protection…” This was truly beyond any of Ji Yuan’s expectations. Given the size of Luoping City, if the City God were still present, they would surely hold considerable power. Niu Batian also noticed the temple’s problem, but he was simply waiting for Ji Yuan to deliver the final verdict. “So, you’re saying the City God here really did perish long ago? “ “Whether he perished or simply severed his divine ties, with the City God gone, the rest of the gods and ghosts here have been severely weakened. They must have taken refuge in the underworld and sealed the underworld gates, awaiting the City God’s return. “ “The mysteries of the divine path are extremely profound. As long as living beings offer worship, spirits and gods remain immortal. Even if the City God of Luoping City falls, so long as the city’s people continue to worship him, after a decade or more, his soul will be drawn from the heavens and the earth, and once again return to his divine position.” Although Niu Batian was a highly accomplished demon, this was the first time he had ever heard such a thing. To him, this could be considered a heavenly secret. “Then wouldn’t that mean spirits and gods can never truly die? “ “Haha, each rebirth is a new beginning. They only remember the so-called ‘previous life’ that remains in the hearts of their believers and in their temple records, not their entire previous experience as an underworld god. Their cultivation, spiritual power, and golden body all start from scratch. Is that truly immortality? And if the City God Temple collapses, or if the emperor bestows a title upon them, or if another great individual of the region is chosen as the new City God, changing who is worshipped, then resurrection will cease.” Ji Yuan glanced at Niu Batian, who seemed lost in thought, and remarked with a sigh. “Bound in service to humanity, but also damaged in service to humanity. Why else would the city gods be so afraid of turmoil in the human world? Part of their motivation is that they are truly great men, but another is simple concern about their own continued existence.”1 However, it was clear that Niu Batian was not lamenting his words, but rather pondering something else. “Mr. Ji, if the City God is gone and the underworld has disappeared, wouldn’t all mortals who die become wandering spirits? “ Niu Batian imagined the scene: with so many people in the city, if all who grew old, infirm, or simply died turned into ghosts, wouldn’t this place become just like the Endless Ghost City? Ji Yuan had already turned to leave. Niu Batian hurried to follow, not forgetting to close the doors to the main hall of the City God Temple. “Even with out gods, there are still other paths for the dead to continue onward. Those with families who offer tribute are not considered wandering spirits. During funeral processions, they will follow the spirit-calling banner carried by their relatives to the graves and ancestral burial sites, where the land gods will watch over them to some extent. They might also maintain a connection to the ancestral spirit tablets in their homes. These are not necessarily connected to the underworld.” As they spoke, the two had already left the City God Temple. However, Ji Yuan clearly had no intention of returning directly to the inn. Instead, he led Niu Batian on a journey through the city, from the streets and alleys in the south, all the way up to the north of the city, seemingly walking aimlessly. In the quiet night, they were accompanied by the sounds of the night watchmen’s clappers and gongs, the crowing of roosters and barking of dogs in the streets and alleys, and the sight of a few thieves2 roaming about. After about half an hour, Niu Batian couldn’t hold himself back anymore. “Mr. Ji, what are we doing? “ Ji Yuan continued walking, facing forward, eyes fixed straight ahead. “I cannot do much. All I can do is patrol the streets and alleyways on behalf of the nighttime patrol officers, and observe Luoping City…” Niu Batian scratched his head, feeling that Mr. Ji was making a fuss over nothing. When the two reached a street with several gambling houses, Ji Yuan and Niu Batian both paused. A faint demonic Qi permeated the air. Official source ıs 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹·𝖿𝗂𝗋𝖾·𝗇𝖾𝗍 “There really is something? Mr. Ji, this Old Bull will handle it. “ Ji Yuan raised a hand to stop his diligent “muscle” who was about to charge. The two waited on the street for a while before seeing a carriage emerge, with the demonic aura lingering around it. Ji Yuan’s could hear the sounds of weeping. Inside the carriage, two fierce servants guarded three or four children and two women, all of whom were tear-stained and panic-stricken. “What are you crying for? Your husbands have already gambled all of you away! “ “Still crying and wailing? Keep crying and I’ll chop you up and feed you to the dogs! “ One of the servants brandished a short whip, cursed them out, then glanced at a corner of the carriage with a fawning expression. “Er, heheh, Sixth Master, please forgive me. Are you satisfied with these few? “ “Hahahaha… I’m satisfied, of course I’m satisfied! “ The Sixth Master licked his lips as he spoke. The look in his eyes frightened the children so much that they immediately stopped crying. On the street outside the gambling house, Ji Yuan’s opened his eyes slightly, hearing the sounds from inside the carriage. “Hmph, it seems enemies are always fated to meet again! Do you remember the demon in the Endless Ghost City who wanted to invite Gao Tianming to a feast of mortal flesh? He’s in that carriage. Let’s chase after him! “ Niu Batian snorted a wisp of white steam from his nostrils, a ferocious grin appearing on his face.