Chapter 147: Zhong Kui's Decision

Ou Xiaolu turned around and saw that Zhong Kui, whom he had not seen for a long time, was actually standing beside the Martial Ghost. It was evident that in just that brief moment, the Martial Ghost had already informed Zhong Kui of everything that had happened here.

Having not seen him for days, Zhong Kui had also undergone a transformation. The skin on his body had become much looser, as if it could be torn off with a casual tug, yet he paid no heed to this and instead reached out his hands, twirling them in the air.

Before long, Ou Xiaolu saw a large amount of paper ash appear in his hands. Zhong Kui grabbed the ash, and a gold ingot materialized.

However, Zhong Kui shook his head and with a gentle squeeze, crushed the gold ingot into fragments.

"As expected, being too far away and influenced by other pantheons makes it impossible to deliver these things at all."

Ou Xiaolu looked at Zhong Kui with some confusion and asked, "What are these?"

"They are the spiritual sustenance of people far away from home, but they never imagined they would be so far away—so far that even their final bit of sustenance cannot be sent back," Zhong Kui sighed deeply, then looked at Ou Xiaolu. "Give this place to me. I can find a way to open a path leading to the Netherworld Ghost Realm and send these offerings back."

"Can you? It's too far away from China; it's practically half a globe apart," Ou Xiaolu asked with some concern.

"The paths of the Underworld and the mortal world are different. Lately, I've also felt my strength increasing. I don't know if it's the potion you gave me or some other reason, but I want to try. Perhaps this is my path to shed the name of Zhong Kui and become a Ghost King."

Hearing Zhong Kui say this, Ou Xiaolu turned serious. "Have you decided? You must know this path won't be simple. You might successfully find the way to the Netherworld Ghost Realm, or you might be intercepted halfway."

"I've thought it through. My mind is made up. I'm just a bit sorry; I previously promised to help you for two years, but it looks like that timeline will have to be delayed."

"It's fine. I understand the difference between having Zhong Kui help me for two years and having a Ghost King help me for two years."

Zhong Kui nodded, expressing his gratitude to Ou Xiaolu, and then said somewhat apologetically, "I might set up a magic array to attract the souls of people from my hometown in New Town to live here. This house of yours might become a haunted house."

Upon hearing this, Ou Xiaolu burst into laughter instead. "That would be even more interesting. I've always worried about this house being empty, so having ghosts live here is actually a good thing."

Seeing how generous Ou Xiaolu was, a trace of a smile appeared on Zhong Kui's almost-detaching face. "Then I shall begin now. Would you like to come and watch?"

"Of course." Before Ou Xiaolu could reply, Emilia chimed in from the side, "Mister, when you open the passage to the Underworld, can you make a detour to the Netherworld on the way? I'd like to meet Lady Hela whom Mommy mentioned."

"That might be a bit difficult, but you also possess the origin of welcoming the living and sending off the dead; you can try it yourself."

Ou Xiaolu had an epiphany upon hearing this. It seemed that in Norse mythology, Valkyries indeed possessed the ability to guide the dead into the Underworld.

Stepping out of the illusory chapel, Ou Xiaolu and the others saw an endless expanse of infinite wasteland.

"Well, isn't it different from what you imagined? This is the Underworld. There are no Manjusaka flowers here; all that remains is barrenness, devoid of any vitality."

"I could never have imagined it," Ou Xiaolu sighed involuntarily. "But why do I feel that this space is quite stable? Is it because of your power?"

"No. I haven't started yet, but I also find it a bit strange. For all these years, this is the first time I've seen such a stable fragment of the Underworld in New Town. Perhaps heaven and earth are about to undergo a massive transformation once again."

Hearing this, Ou Xiaolu immediately thought of the spiritual qi recovery two years later that the novice guide had mentioned. He hesitated, wondering whether he should share this with Zhong Kui.

At that moment, however, Zhong Kui had already stepped forward. He stood in the wilderness, raising his hands high as countless black paper ashes surged toward him, completely enveloping him.

"What is he trying to do?" Emilia asked in a low voice.

"I don't know either, but judging by the situation, he must be gathering strength to open the passage."

At that very moment, Zhong Kui shouted in a loud voice, "I, of the Liu clan, am willing to relinquish the identity of Zhong Kui and achieve the status of the New Town Ghost King, to shelter souls of the same clan and origin with this place, and to escort the departed back to their homeland!"

With that, Zhong Kui grabbed the skin on his body and began tearing at it recklessly and frantically.

This action thoroughly frightened Ou Xiaolu and the others. One had to know that the skin on Zhong Kui's body was the foundation of his existence. All the fierce ghosts he had devoured over the years were suppressed entirely by his identity as Zhong Kui. Without that identity, he would face the ferocious backlash of those vicious spirits.

Thinking of this, Ou Xiaolu instinctively placed his hand on his sword. Seeing Ou Xiaolu's reaction, Emilia also drew her weapon.

Right at that moment, a peal of thunder rolled across the sky. Ou Xiaolu could not help looking up, wanting to ask why there would be thunder in the Underworld.

At that instant, Zhong Kui had completely ripped the skin off his body, revealing the yellowish bones beneath and the countless souls attached within his body.

These evil spirits were not large in size, but each of them had a distorted face, clearly looking like malicious entities. They attacked one another inside Zhong Kui's body, yet whenever one evil spirit was devoured, a new one would immediately take its place. It was apparent that Zhong Kui's interior was like a hell where, until the punishments were fulfilled, everything repeated endlessly.

Previously, Zhong Kui trapped these evil spirits within his body, kept in check by his skin, so nothing went amiss. Now, lacking Zhong Kui's skin, those evil spirits were momentarily stunned before violently charging outward, attempting to break free from the constraints of Zhong Kui's bones.

At that juncture, Zhong Kui shouted loudly, "Get back in, all of you! I am Liu, the Ghost King. You will all return!"

Ou Xiaolu could hear the profound confidence in Zhong Kui's voice, and at the same time, he saw countless black paper ashes surging toward Zhong Kui's bones.

Under the suppression of those paper ashes, the evil spirits were seemingly ignited, turning into specks of ghost fire that began to scorch Zhong Kui's body, as if attempting to burn Zhong Kui to ashes along with them.

Seeing this, Ou Xiaolu desperately wanted to step forward and lend a hand, but he also understood that this was Zhong Kui bidding farewell to his past—a necessary trial he had to cross. If he could not get past this hurdle, everything would be lost. Only by overcoming it could Zhong Kui shed the name of Zhong Kui and become a Ghost King, just as he had declared.