Livestreaming soul reaping

Earth Granny took out the pastries she had prepared long ago.

"You two youngsters, don't frighten this girl. Let her guide you tonight, and help me look after her."

"Don't worry, Granny. Nothing will go wrong."

The two Underworld Constables stood on no ceremony. They each picked up a pastry and stuffed it into their mouths, then took a document from inside their robes.

Earth Granny also took out her register and motioned for Qian Renxue to come forward.

Qian Renxue saw that the register was densely packed with names.

"See? This is Qingshui Village's register."

Earth Granny turned the pages as she spoke, stopping at one of them.

Qian Renxue saw a name on it: Liu Dahai.

That was the name of Grandpa Liu, who had helped build her house. The color drained from Qian Renxue's face.

The Underworld Constable's voice reached her ears.

"Liu Dahai, departing tonight at a quarter past the hour of the ox. Correct?"

The two Underworld Constables checked their records against each other.

"All right. As long as there's no mistake. Let's go now."

The two Underworld Constables looked at Qian Renxue.

Earth Granny stepped forward and took Qian Renxue's hand.

"Xiao Xue, this is a road you must travel to become a god. You must learn to take it in stride. Birth, aging, illness, and death are unavoidable. Everything must follow the rules, or everything will fall into chaos."

"If Yama decrees your death at the third watch, you cannot be kept until the fifth."

"This is also a test I have set for you. Remember, watch, but do not speak."

At this, Earth Granny patted Qian Renxue's hand.

"Go on. Take them to Liu Dahai's home."

Qian Renxue swayed. Apart from Earth Granny, Grandpa Liu was the person she had spent the most time with these past few days.

He had helped her a great deal, but she had never expected her first job to be leading the way to reap Grandpa Liu's soul.

Earth Granny's words made perfect sense, but she felt this was far too unfeeling.

"Go on, go on. I experienced this myself back then. If you cannot even accept something like this, how can you be a good god?"

Earth Granny looked earnestly at Qian Renxue.

"I understand, Granny. I'll take these two constable brothers to Grandpa Liu's home."

Qian Renxue wiped away her tears and led the two Underworld Constables out of the Vihara.

They passed through walls along the way and arrived inside Grandpa Liu's home in just a few breaths.

Grandpa Liu's wife had passed away long ago, and he had only one son. At that moment, Grandpa Liu lay in bed, breathing steadily and sleeping soundly.

"It's not quite time yet. Let's wait."

The two Underworld Constables stood in the room, quietly waiting for the appointed time.

Qian Renxue stood all alone before the bed, her thoughts tangled beyond measure.

"So this is what happens before someone dies?"

At that moment, there was both the sorrow of someone close to her being about to pass away and the shock brought by understanding matters of life and death.

On the Douluo Continent, everyone stared, dumbfounded.

"Reaping souls! They're going to take someone's life!"

"Pah! Do you even know how to talk? They already said his allotted lifespan was up."

"If Yama decrees your death at the third watch, you cannot be kept until the fifth. How terrifying. I wonder whether Yama is as powerful as the Great Heavenly Venerable."

"Weren't you watching earlier? The Underworld is also under the Heavenly Court's authority."

"Do Underworld Constables come to reap the souls of people on our Douluo Continent before we die, too? Doesn't that mean they can see everything we do before death?"

The shock brought by the Underworld Constables was simply too great, sparking fierce discussion.

But this was only among ordinary people and low-ranking Soul Masters. High-ranking Soul Masters were different.

"Absurd!"

Ning Fengzhi flicked his sleeve. "Do we have no dignity whatsoever in their eyes?"

He did not even dare imagine what it would feel like to be sleeping soundly while two Underworld Constables who had come to reap his soul stared fixedly at him.

Soon, however, Ning Fengzhi gave a bitter smile.

Because no one could resist them. He had to admit that Earth Granny's words made perfect sense.

Shrek Academy.

"As expected of Spirit Hall's young master. She has no humanity at all. This Grandpa Liu only just helped her build her house during the day, and now she's going to kill him at night."

"Just watch. This Grandpa Liu is sure to call her an ungrateful wolf!"

Yu Xiaogang bristled with righteous indignation. Anyone who did not know better would have thought he was upholding justice.

He was actually scared to death. Even dying was not the end; one still had to face judgment. What sentence would he receive, then?

"We absolutely cannot register our names in the Primordial World. They have no right to reap souls."

Yu Xiaogang spoke each word distinctly.

Tang San nodded in agreement. "Teacher is right."

In truth, Tang San was also nearly scared to death. He had not seen any soul-reaping messengers when he jumped off that cliff. What if his identity as a transmigrator was exposed and the Heavenly Court punished him by sending him to hell?

So he supported Yu Xiaogang.

"But if those who are supposed to die don't die, wouldn't they just keep living? No matter how big the Primordial World is, it couldn't hold that many people, could it?"

Oscar spoke without thinking, earning icy looks from Yu Xiaogang and Tang San. He immediately shrank back.

"All right, all right. Say a little less, all of you. You all have a point."

Flender hurriedly stepped in to smooth things over.

No one noticed the strange look in Tang Hao's eyes.

Wouldn't the Underworld Constables know every secret a person speaks before dying?

All Underworld Constables deserve to die.

At Spirit Hall, Qian Daoliu, Bibi Dong, and the others watched with growing interest.

"Xiao Xue will grow from this."

There was both gratification and heartache in Qian Daoliu's voice.

"Experiences like this are exactly what she lacks."

Bibi Dong, however, found it easy to accept.

Time passed. Within the Light Screen, the two Underworld Constables suddenly moved.

"The appointed hour has arrived. Time to depart."

Under Qian Renxue's astonished gaze, the hook attached to a chain flew onto Grandpa Liu. With a tug, Grandpa Liu's soul was pulled out.

"What's happening to me..."

Grandpa Liu saw the Underworld Constables before him, along with Qian Renxue standing beside them.

"Grandpa Liu..."

Qian Renxue spoke softly.

Seeing Qian Renxue, Grandpa Liu suddenly smiled.

"So my allotted lifespan is up. That's a good thing."

"Little Xue, don't grieve for me, and certainly don't blame yourself. Our lifespans are set by heaven and cannot be changed. I've lived my whole life free of illness and calamity. To pass away in my sleep is a blessing."

"Come to think of it, I should thank you for coming to see me off on my final journey, little Xue."

As he spoke, Grandpa Liu suddenly bowed to Qian Renxue.

"Please, you mustn't, Grandpa Liu."

Qian Renxue hurried to help Grandpa Liu up.

At that moment, those on the Douluo Continent who had been clamoring so loudly were like chicks with their throats pinched shut.

Who could have imagined it? Not only did Grandpa Liu neither cry nor make a fuss, he even considered himself fortunate.

"My understanding was too shallow."

Ning Fengzhi's expression was complicated. A dignified sect master like him could not even compare to an ordinary commoner in the Primordial World.

Shrek Academy.

"Foolish. No wonder those gods are so brazen."

Yu Xiaogang spat out the words, fierce on the outside but hollow within.

Spirit Hall.

"This Grandpa Liu truly is a good man."

Qian Daoliu was deeply moved. He did not know whether he could face death with such composure.

But he supposed he could not. He looked toward the other worship elders.

The entire Worship Hall was silent. Clearly, none of them had attained such a state of mind.

The Primordial World.

"Let's go. I won't take up any more of your time, my lords."

Grandpa Liu was unexpectedly free and easy, following the Underworld Constables out of the door of his own accord.

Trailing behind, Qian Renxue glanced at Grandpa Liu's son and daughter-in-law, sleeping soundly in the side room. Tears brimming in her eyes, she hurried after them.

They soon returned to the Earth God Temple, where the information was checked once more.

Once that was finished, the two Underworld Constables looked at Grandpa Liu.

"Is there anything else you wish to say?"

Grandpa Liu first gave an apologetic smile, then turned and bowed to Earth Granny.

"Earth Granny, I'm truly sorry. I've called you Earth Grandpa all my life. Those who do not know are not to blame, and even if you wanted to blame me, I'm afraid you won't have the chance now. Hahaha!"

His words brought a knowing smile to Earth Granny's face.

Then Grandpa Liu turned to Qian Renxue again.

"Little Xue, I've been eating your food these past two days, and I won't have a chance to treat you in return. You must come to my funeral. Consider that my meal for you."

"If there's anything wrong with your house, just go to my son. If he doesn't take it seriously, I'll visit his dreams and give him a beating."

"My lords, I'm finished. Let's be on our way."

Qian Renxue dissolved into tears.