Night-Roaming God

"Come to think of it, this is absurd.

Earlier, when Constable Yan saw me, a Black Bear Spirit, he thought it was some strange supernatural incident.

But who could have guessed? I might be about to meet an 'underworld god'!

That's an even more astonishing tale of gods and ghosts!

Especially in the real world. It's something I'd never have dared imagine..."

After rubbing his eyes, Chen Guan kept glancing at the corpses, then looking around.

To say he wasn't excited would be a lie.

After all, this was a new exploration of the Spirit-Ghost World, and a new revelation about it.

Of course, most important of all, he was about to meet the legendary Orthodox God of the Underworld.

Chen Guan had watched Journey to the West since childhood and had always been fascinated by the subject.

"If I really meet one, I remember Hong'er said I should address them as fellow cultivators.

Or perhaps I should use a title based on their duties in the Underworld Bureau...

Or I could simply call them 'sir.'"

Chen Guan was reviewing some of the "common knowledge of the cultivation world" that Chen Changhong had told him.

But before he could review it for long,

silently,

an ugly old man wearing an ordinary black robe suddenly appeared in the distance.

He was short, and his clothes had few ornaments, yet his entire figure seemed somewhat illusory.

As he walked, his body gradually solidified, and he came to stand before the corpses.

The next moment, confused souls emerged from the bandits' bodies, drifting behind the old man.

Chen Guan paused at the sight, suddenly unsure how to address the ugly old man.

He didn't look like the underworld immortals Chen Guan had imagined.

But what he was doing seemed similar to the work of the Underworld Bureau.

"You can see me, fellow cultivator?"

Only after collecting the souls did the old man turn his gentle gaze toward Chen Guan. "I am this dynasty's Night-Roaming God. May I ask why you have painted Locust Tree Yin-Thunder Liquid and sought me out?"

"So that's what this is called—Locust Tree Yin-Thunder Liquid?"

Chen Guan now knew the liquid's name. It certainly sounded better than "slime."

Besides that,

Chen Guan also knew a little about Roaming Gods.

He had heard about them from Hong'er.

The Day-Roaming God and the Night-Roaming God were both Orthodox Gods of the Underworld Bureau.

But they didn't answer to any particular bureau. Instead, they roamed the lands of the entire realm by day and by night.

Whenever they came across a wandering ghost or a dead person, they sent the soul to the local Underworld Bureau.

The duties of the Day- and Night-Roaming Gods were relatively unrestricted.

As for their precise rank, they were far above ordinary ghost runners and clerks, on par with Judge Wuwen. Both were Earthly Yin Orthodox Gods.

"Greetings, Night-Roaming God!"

Chen Guan now addressed him according to his divine title, cupped his fists respectfully, and explained, "I am Chen Guan. I met you today because I have only just begun cultivating and was curious about the Orthodox Gods of the Underworld Bureau. I hope you'll forgive my presumption."

"Chen Guan, Fellow Cultivator Chen." The Night-Roaming God gave a slight nod. He was quite used to cultivators deliberately seeking them out.

It was a common occurrence.

But after exchanging a few greetings,

just as the Night-Roaming God was about to leave, he suddenly stopped and looked at Chen Guan, who still had his fists cupped—especially at Chen Guan's ears.

"Are you Chen Guan of Liu Town? And do you have a grandson named Chen Changhong, the grand-disciple of Daoist Guanglin of the Guanglin Sect?"

"That's right..." Hearing this, Chen Guan realized that the Orthodox God seemed to know his grandson. Curious, he asked, "May I ask how Hong'er and the Night-Roaming God know each other?"

"Ha ha ha!" Hearing that Chen Guan was indeed the person the City God was looking for, the Night-Roaming God burst into laughter. He spoke frankly. "Fellow Cultivator, you were reborn as a living soul and never entered the Underworld Bureau. That is a miraculous Heavenly Fate.

"But your grandson has been searching high and low for you. Just a few days ago, he even shortened his own yin lifespan as a living person of the mortal realm, entered the gates of the Underworld Bureau, and asked to see the City God of Ling City."

"Shortened his yin lifespan?" Chen Guan's heart tightened for no apparent reason, and worry flooded him.

"Fellow Cultivator, don't worry." Seeing that his incomplete explanation had caused a misunderstanding, the Night-Roaming God went on to explain everything that had happened that day.

It was because Chen Changhong had recently gone to the Underworld Bureau again to ask Ling City God to find his grandfather.

Naturally, they had learned about Chen Guan.

By now, Chen Guan had become somewhat well-known in the Underworld Bureau of Ling City.

After finishing his account,

the Night-Roaming God said to Chen Guan, "Fellow Cultivator Chen, you left without saying goodbye, and your grandson is very worried about you.

"Why don't you come back with me, then go with your grandson to the Guanglin Sect?"

As he spoke, the Night-Roaming God sounded rather envious.

"Daoist Guanglin has cultivated for a thousand years and is well-versed in the art of the soul. Perhaps he can restore all your memories from your previous life.

"You lived for over fifty years in your previous life. Those were the foundations of your cultivation, forged through worldly experience."

"Soul-Searching?" Chen Guan had heard about it again, and seeing how desperately his grandson had searched for him, he knew the matter was serious.

It wasn't something he could simply "decline" with a letter.

So,

after thinking for a few breaths, Chen Guan tried the same line the Bandit Brother had used.

"To tell the truth, I do want to go to Hong'er's sect.

"But my aptitude is poor, and I was born ugly and strange. I'm afraid that if I enter an Immortal Sect with my grandson, or stay by his side, his fellow disciples will mock him."

"Oh? I understand your feelings all too well."

Hearing Chen Guan's explanation, the Night-Roaming God smiled. "Several hundred years ago, I was still alive in the mortal realm.

"My grandson was a border commander, a man of extraordinary martial skill.

"But I..."

The Night-Roaming God looked at himself in self-mockery. "I was short and ugly. I feared I would bring shame upon him.

"Whenever my grandson invited me to stay at his military camp, I stopped him again and again, saying I didn't want to leave my home."

"Yes..." Hearing this, Chen Guan suddenly thought of the stories of elderly people in the real world.

Many of them were the same.

They were afraid of embarrassing their younger relatives.

But Chen Guan had only made up that excuse. What he feared more was being subjected to Soul-Searching.

Still,

seeing Chen Guan's wistful expression, the Night-Roaming God felt a tacit understanding between them as "fellow elders."

"This Fellow Cultivator Chen is just like me..."

The Night-Roaming God looked at Chen Guan, who was ugly enough himself, and truly felt they were kindred spirits who had met far too late!

On top of that, Chen Guan was a cultivator, and his grandson was a key disciple whom the Guanglin Sect was grooming.

So before Chen Guan could try to build a rapport with the Orthodox God of the Underworld Bureau,

the Night-Roaming God had already taken an interest in befriending him. When their topic ran dry, he brought up another one.

"By rights, after returning to the Underworld Bureau, I should report your whereabouts to the City God.

"But now that I understand your situation, and given that the City God has cultivated for a thousand years and seen every facet of mortal life, he'll understand what you're thinking."

The Night-Roaming God's smile was warm and reassuring.

"When I go back, I'll explain things to the City God.

"I'll help Fellow Cultivator Chang Hong understand your predicament—that you're thinking of your grandson's well-being."

"Then... thank you."

Chen Guan cupped his fists in salute. He didn't know why the Night-Roaming God had suddenly taken such a liking to him, or why he was helping him "escape the peril of Soul-Searching."

But he felt that knowing an Orthodox God of the Underworld Bureau couldn't be a bad thing.

"Farewell, Fellow Cultivator Chen."

Seeing that matters were settled, the Night-Roaming God gestured toward the dozen or so confused souls behind him. "I still have to return to the Underworld Bureau and report. They're muddleheaded and can't hear what you and I are saying."

"Thank you, Roaming God." Chen Guan cupped his fists. "Farewell."

The Night-Roaming God took a few steps, then stopped again. He bent forward, a smile spreading across his ugly face, and returned Chen Guan's salute with a deep bow.

"Though I don't know what you're thinking, Fellow Cultivator Chen, or why you fear Daoist Guanglin's Soul-Searching,

"everyone who has lived two lives has secrets in their heart.

"And today, I, Liang Linde, have resolved this matter for you.

"If you attain the Great Dao one day, don't forget Liang Wandering God, who helped you escape your predicament today."