Chapter Ninety-Eight: Cause and Effect

“Zhang Shengnan, little policeman, just wait for me!”

The moment Fang You received the call from Zhang Shengnan, he knew he could no longer stand idly by. Yes, Fang You loved Zhang Shengnan just as Zhang Shengnan loved him!

Without hesitation, Fang You rushed to the mountain villa address that Zhang Shengnan’s sister, Zhang Shengnan, had mentioned on the phone.

This villa was located at the intersection of the city and wilderness, a perfect place for rest and vacation. Only the wealthiest families could afford such a villa and live there comfortably.

Upon arriving, Fang You sensed a sinister aura permeating the villa’s interior.

He pulled out a talisman and chanted, “Door gods, heed my command! Door-opening spell, I decree, open!”

As he affixed the talisman to the door, a golden light flashed, and the massive gate slowly creaked open.

There was water pooled across the floor. Fang You thought grimly, “This spirit’s resentment is immense—this is dangerous!”

Suddenly, the sound of rushing water came from upstairs.

Fang You hurried upstairs to find Zhang Shengnan seemingly drowned in the bathtub.

He lifted Zhang Shengnan out of the water and broke into agonizing sobs.

“Ahhh!” It was the first time Fang You cried with such heart-wrenching pain.

When his own parents had passed, he had only told himself to grieve quietly, to accept fate—life and death were destined, and mortals must resign themselves to their fate.

But seeing Zhang Shengnan dead, he could no longer hold back the tears.

Only then did Fang You realize how important Zhang Shengnan truly was to him.

Behind him, a dark shadow was slipping underground, carrying a soul. Fang You knew he must now retrieve Zhang Shengnan’s soul from the underworld and bring it back to the living world. No matter the dangers or hardships, even if it cost him his life, he would never let Zhang Shengnan slip away from him.

He carefully laid Zhang Shengnan on the bed and sealed the seven orifices of his body—eyes, ears, mouth, nose—with seven talismans to prevent premature decay and to keep malevolent spirits from possessing the corpse.

Around the room, Fang You placed charms to ward off evil spirits and banish wicked influences, preparing for the journey he was about to undertake into the underworld. Using Zhang Shengnan’s body as a conduit, he would find the soul of Zhang Shengnan’s sister and bring her back to the world of the living.

Fate had entwined Fang You with Zhang Shengnan irrevocably, just as Zhang Shengnan had loved him.

---

Lying beside Zhang Shengnan, Fang You lit soul-summoning incense and a soul-calming bell.

The incense would lure the soul; the bell would bind it.

The journey into the underworld was perilous—living beings seldom survived such a passage. Death was almost certain.

He pressed a talisman to his forehead and murmured the spell: “Three souls and seven orifices contained within; journey through the realm of the dead. By law and heaven’s gaze, may my eternal soul not perish this life. I decree!”

---

“Where am I?” Zhang Shengnan’s hands were tightly bound with a rope. Ahead of him, a woman dressed in black guided him forward.

“Who are you?” His mind foggy, he followed her aimlessly.

“I am Li Shanshui, envoy of the underworld,” the woman said, holding a book of life and death. “Zhang Shengnan, age 23, you caused the death of your sister in childhood. Now, avenged by her, you are to be condemned to the hell of murderers.”

“Sister? Hell?” His mind cleared instantly. He stopped, tugging at the ropes. “Who are you really?”

Li Shanshui slowly turned, her face surprisingly fair. “I am the underworld’s envoy, here to take you to judgment.”

“Judgment? Am I in hell?” Zhang Shengnan trembled. “I am a police officer, a defender of justice. How could I end up in such a place?”

He stepped back fearfully.

“Because you are guilty,” Li Shanshui said coldly. “Though you were a policeman in the living world, here you answer to us. You killed your sister in childhood. Escape is impossible. Come with me to judgment!”

“No…!” Zhang Shengnan retreated.

Suddenly, a man stepped through a rift in space.

“How’s it going, Shanshui? Have you captured the person?” he asked.

“Yes, Boss Fang Chuan’en. The target is secured,” Li Shanshui replied.

“Let me take him to judgment,” Fang Chuan’en said, pulling on Zhang Shengnan’s ropes and striding forward.

“Who are you? Why have you bound me? Where are you taking me? Fang You, little Taoist, save me!” Zhang Shengnan cried out.

---

Legend says that when a person dies without sin, they enter the cycle of reincarnation and are reborn.

Those who lived virtuously may be born into wealthy and noble families.

Those who sinned greatly are condemned to the animal realm or eternal hell, suffering endless punishment.

All this is determined by the eighteen levels of hell and the underworld officials’ judgment, with King Yan deciding if one is good or evil, reborn or damned.

The sins committed in life are punished without mercy after death.

---

Fang You rode a white horse into the underworld, dressed in Taoist robes, ready to traverse the realm of the dead.

Traversing the underworld is a core art of Maoshan Taoism, a lineage renowned for exorcising demons and spirits in the mortal realm. Even in the underworld, Maoshan Taoists are respected.

The white horse is one of their mystical tools.

Before entering the underworld, they fold a piece of white hemp paper into a horse shape, inscribe it with a blood talisman, and affix it to the right foot.

Thus, the white horse transforms into a real mount capable of traveling through the underworld.

Low-ranking ghost officials and spirits give way upon seeing it, knowing a Maoshan Taoist is on official business and do not cause trouble.

---

Fang You approached the gates of hell. A chilling wind howled, and wails echoed.

Many souls queued to enter.

Behind them, fierce ghost guards watched closely, whipping those who hesitated.

On either side stood grotesque beasts with glaring, lantern-like eyes and blood-red tongues. Their sharp teeth sent shivers down the spine.

Any guilty souls attempting to escape were devoured by these beasts, serving as a grim warning to others.

Fang You neared the gates, but two ghost guards blocked his path.

“What business do you have? Do you have a pass? Was this reported in advance?” they demanded.