Chapter Forty-Two: The Black Death Token

Could they be from the underworld as well?

If that peddler was a ghostly messenger, then these figures before me must be the underworld soldiers. Now, with all the villagers having disappeared, could their vanishing be connected to the arrival of these spectral troops? If so, could my grandfather have been taken as well?

The underworld soldiers searched the surrounding area for a while but seemed to find nothing, and soon headed toward the commune's courtyard. I followed at a distance, hoping to uncover a clue. If my grandfather truly had been seized by these soldiers, things would become dire. Last time, the Daoist priestess in green intervened and managed to subdue only a single peddler—a solitary underworld messenger. But now, with so many soldiers, would she still have a way?

I trailed them to the commune courtyard, only to see another squad of underworld soldiers approaching from the opposite direction. They converged at this point, speaking in a tongue I could not comprehend, yet from their gestures it was clear they were searching for someone of great importance.

No sign of my grandfather or the other villagers was to be found—only these ghostly soldiers. My only option was to leave the village and seek out the shaman Wang to discuss a plan.

As I prepared to slip through the small grove behind the commune courtyard and make my way to Dongwa Village, a large black civet cat suddenly leapt from the top of the courtyard wall. The cat was massive; my uncle had killed all the other cats, so this had to be the one kept by Ma the Lame. The black civet glared menacingly, startling me so much I stumbled back. My movements made some noise, and the spectral soldiers immediately took notice.

However, in a flash, the black civet darted onto the rooftops and vanished into the darkness. The disturbance had already alerted the underworld soldiers. Two of them dismounted and strode in my direction. I intended to circle around the courtyard and escape, but as I turned, I found He Xiaojing, her hair wild and disheveled, floating right in front of me.

I froze in terror, nearly crying out. Her eyes burned with resentment as she glared at me. I thought, This is bad—my escape is blocked.

Just as I believed I was doomed to fall into either He Xiaojing’s hands or those of the underworld soldiers, she suddenly spoke. “Go! Quickly!” she urged.

Before I could react, she floated away behind the wall. The underworld soldiers, spotting a vengeful spirit, brandished their arms. Two bronze chains shot forth with a metallic clatter, each one hooking into He Xiaojing’s collarbones. She shrieked in agony and crashed to the ground.

Gritting her teeth, He Xiaojing struggled to her feet, her face contorted with pain. She gestured at me to run.

But a frigid gust swept up behind me. I turned and saw a spectral soldier with a face ashen as iron. I had been discovered. The soldiers were closing in from behind. One of them leered at me and said, “Are you Lin Yi?”

“I’m not!” I replied.

What a joke—how could I admit to anything before such a fiendish-looking creature?

But the soldier just sneered. “Orders from below: Lin Yi is guilty of heinous crimes. Better to wrong a thousand than let one slip. Take him!”

At his command, two more soldiers came forward and shackled me with bronze chains.

He Xiaojing grew anxious at the sight. “You’ve made a mistake! I know Lin Yi—she’s not the one you’re looking for! You’ve got it wrong…” she pleaded.

“Little girl, do you think saying so makes it true? Your protest only makes you more suspicious. As I see it, this is Lin Yi! Come along. Whether you are or not will be settled before the underworld court!” the lead soldier replied, his eyes glinting with cunning.

Since they were determined I was Lin Yi, there was no use denying it further. I might as well admit it and try to figure out what was truly happening.

“Wait!” I called out.

“What now? You want to relieve yourself? Hold it!” the head soldier snapped impatiently.

“No, I mean, I am the Lin Yi you’re looking for,” I said.

“How interesting.”

The head soldier fixed me with a satisfied smirk on his sallow face.

“But I don’t understand—why do you say I am guilty of such terrible crimes? I’ve never harmed anyone in my life. Are you sure you’re not mistaken?” I asked. In truth, I wondered whether these soldiers were in league with the peddler from before. The last time, he had let me go—perhaps now, seeking revenge, he’d sent them to capture me?

“To be frank, someone from below has accused Lin Tianjian. All your villagers are already dead, but your grandfather used a forbidden art, strictly outlawed by the underworld, to keep them alive. Such an act violates the laws of the dead, warranting the deepest hell and eternal damnation. For such a grave offense, you are implicated by blood and cannot escape death!” the head soldier declared. I was shocked by the accusation.

“You must be mistaken! Who accused my grandfather?” I pressed.

“No comment.”

“The villagers were harmed by a horde of demon rats, but not one lost their life. My grandfather merely broke the rat demons’ spell and saved them—he did good, not evil! Yet you twist it to this? Your underworld court is nothing but a pack of fools!” I snapped, anger welling up. If saving lives is a crime, is there any justice left in this world?

“Insolence! Chain his bones—I want to see how long his tongue holds out!” the head soldier roared, flushing with rage. With a flick of his hand, two bronze chains shot at me like serpents, the hooks piercing straight through my collarbones.

He yanked the chains tight, the pain nearly causing me to faint.

“Speak—where is your grandfather?” the head soldier demanded coldly.

His question actually brought me a glimmer of hope. I’d feared my grandfather was already in their hands, but it seemed they hadn’t captured him after all. At least I knew he was safe for now.

“Why don’t you guess?” I replied with a cold smile.

“Courting death!” the head soldier seethed. With a savage jerk, the bronze hooks in my collarbones tightened, making them creak and nearly snap. If my collarbones broke, I would be crippled. My strength gave out and I collapsed.

As I fell, the jade pendant at my waist hit the ground with a crisp shatter.

The jade pendant had struck a stone and split into pieces. I reached for the fragments, clutching them in my hand. In my mind, I could hear the faint, lingering chime of the jade.

Perhaps it was the agony, but I wondered if I was hallucinating.

He Xiaojing, witnessing all this, was deeply worried. “Brother Lin Yi, are you alright?” she cried, nearly in tears. I said nothing. I didn’t want to deepen her lingering attachments and resentment. She had been a kind girl, and now that she was gone, she should enter the cycle of rebirth without further entanglement.

The head soldier grew impatient at my silence. Dismounting, he stomped on my back, wrapping the bronze chain around my neck. “Tell me where Lin Tianjian is, and I’ll spare your life. Refuse, and you’ll die!” he hissed.

“Does being an underworld soldier give you license to kill the innocent?” I spat, blood spraying from my lips.

He recoiled from my blood, his fury mounting. Teeth bared, he pulled the chain tighter around my throat. The other soldiers sensed things were amiss and hurried over, whispering, “Sir, you mustn’t—he’s still alive. If you kill him, you’ll violate the laws and be dismissed!”

With a chilling laugh, the head soldier drew a jet-black token from his belt. At the sight of it, the other soldiers immediately dropped to their knees in reverence.

“With this Black Execution Order, can I kill him or not?” he demanded.

The Black Execution Order was a direct token from the King of the Underworld himself—wielding it was like facing the King in person. Wherever it appeared, blood was sure to flow. Whoever held it could execute first and report later, free from blame or punishment.

Pointing at me with the token, the head soldier commanded, “Kill!”

At that word, I felt as if I had plunged into an icy abyss. First came a bone-deep chill, then my mind grew frantic and scattered, a sense of utter helplessness overtaking me. A surge of black mist shot from the Black Execution Order, coalescing into a pitch-black spectral blade aimed at my brow.

This order could not be reversed, unless the King of the Underworld himself intervened.

I had no strength to resist. What awaited me was the utter destruction of body and soul. I had only just married Weiyang, only to face death so soon. I had hoped to see her again, but never expected that the farewell on our wedding night would be our last.

I let out a slow breath. Faced with death, I was afraid, yet also at peace. At least they could not use me to force my grandfather into the open.

But just when I thought my fate was sealed, the black sword flying from the Execution Order halted a hair’s breadth from my brow. The head soldier, and all the others, stared in disbelief. None had ever seen such a thing. They watched, wide-eyed, as the sword trembled, straining with all its might, yet unable to pierce my forehead’s vital point.