“First Uncle, I want to go with you tomorrow! I want to see my mom, boohoo~”
“I want to see my dad!”
“I want to go too! I want to see my dad, my grandparents, all of them!”
The room immediately erupted into sobs.
Even faint sniffling sounds drifted in from the hallway.
Lu Chen: “…”
See? I told you, ancestors are a basic need!
Who could possibly resist the longing for their departed loved ones?
“Don’t worry, this is just an appetizer. Once the underworld currency goes online later, things will get even crazier!”
Lu Chen thought to himself.
But this glory?
He wouldn’t keep it all to himself!
“Son, since you can summon the spirits of the dead, bring your grandparents up too. Your dad misses them.”
Lu Jianming had watched the whole thing and was deeply shaken!
Since ancient times, the realms of the living and the dead have been like two sides of a mirror — seemingly one, yet impossibly far apart.
But he never imagined that his own son would possess such miraculous abilities, forcibly carving out a path between the two worlds!
“And your maternal grandparents too!”
Lu Chen’s mother, who had been quietly listening from the bedroom, also came out, her face full of barely concealed hope.
Lu Chen nodded, then turned to the Black and White Impermanence beside him and said, “Please help me find Lu Guosheng, Wu Xiulan, Zheng Xianrong, and Li Lan. These four are my grandparents and maternal grandparents.”
“As you command, General!”
The Black and White Impermanence once again flipped through the registers of the underworld in their hands.
But this time, Black Impermanence only flipped a few pages, then paused as if suddenly remembering something, smiled faintly, and said, “The General’s ancestors surely wouldn’t be recorded in this humble servant’s register.”
Lu Chen smiled knowingly, thinking that although Black Impermanence appeared colder than White Impermanence on the surface, this gesture showed a rather perceptive and thoughtful side.
Not bad!
What a teachable protégé!
“Found them!”
At that moment, White Impermanence reported, “General, the register shows that your paternal grandparents and maternal grandparents have already entered the cycle of reincarnation and been reborn as humans. They are no longer in the underworld.”
“I see.”
Lu Chen’s father and mother exchanged glances, their expressions a mixture of disappointment and relief.
“That’s good. Early reincarnation is a good thing.”
“Then, may I ask you two underworld officers, are my parents and my husband’s parents doing well in their new lives?”
Lu Chen’s mother pressed further.
Black and White Impermanence looked at each other, then simultaneously cupped their hands and bowed. “Madam, we two sisters are merely servants under the General’s command. How dare you address us as ‘officers’? Please, Madam, take back those words.”
“Hiss!”
A collective gasp echoed through the entire room.
“Could it be that Xiao Chen really became a leader in the underworld?”
“And a General at that? So that means, if we happen to pass away later, Xiao Chen could look after us?”
“Wow, the Lu family has truly risen to the top!”
“Yeah, it seems we should get closer to the Lu family from now on.”
Listening to the whispers around him, the corners of Lu Chen’s mouth curled upward.
If the rewards weren’t ridiculously good, who would bother supporting someone when they’re down?
However, it’s not unheard of for mortals to hold positions in the heavenly and underworld realms — it’s just extremely rare.
For ordinary folk, the boundaries between the three realms are clear and strict.
But the higher up you go, the more blurred those boundaries become.
For example, the current Prime Minister is said to hold a position as a fate official in the heavenly realm.
But for Lu Chen to have reached such a level where he could be appointed a General in the underworld — if word got out, it would truly shock the world.
No wonder the neighbors were so astonished.
Lu Chen’s mother was momentarily stunned, then chuckled. “Alright then, you two underworld officers… young ladies, could you perhaps disclose a little more information?”
“Madam, we’ve already checked. The elder generations have all been reincarnated into good and virtuous families. As for which specific families, we humbly beg your forgiveness, but we cannot tell you.”
Lu Chen’s parents exchanged another glance and finally breathed a sigh of relief.
“Of course, that’s only right. Thank you, young ladies.”
Seeing that matters here were settled,
Lu Chen suddenly asked, “How many of you want to go to the temple tomorrow to worship Lord Yan? Come on, let me take a count.”
“Me!”
“Me too!”
“I’m going!”
“Count me in!”
Almost everyone raised their hands.
“Don’t forget, there are plenty more people outside who want to go too!”
A neighbor who was squeezed outside the door shouted.
The final count showed that out of the one hundred and ten people present, one hundred and nine wanted to go tomorrow, and the remaining one, who truly couldn’t make it, planned to go the day after.
Lu Chen nodded. “Alright then. The southern part of the city isn’t close. Tomorrow, I’ll arrange a few buses to take everyone there. I’ll cover the round-trip costs.”
By bringing so many pilgrims over, Lu Chen was confident that not only would Sun Qingcang be happy to cover the bus fares, but he’d probably even be willing to give everyone a thousand-yuan red envelope — after all, one hundred pilgrims would mean extending his father’s life by a whole year.
“Great, it’s settled! What time do we leave tomorrow?”
“Eight in the morning, sharp.”
“No problem!”
Lu Chen had everyone’s support, and the neighbors gradually dispersed.
Lu Chen suddenly remembered something and asked with a smile, “By the way, everyone, you still promise to keep worshipping Lord Yan at home, right?”
Everyone paused for a moment, then scratched their heads and laughed sheepishly. The living room filled with a cheerful atmosphere.
After most people had left.
The three uncles exchanged glances, nodded, as if reaching some unspoken agreement.
Finally, Third Uncle took the lead and said, “Jianming, the three of us old fellows just had a chat. At our age, it’s time to step aside and let the younger generation take over. From now on, why don’t you become the head steward of our neighborhood? What do you think?”
Lu Jianguo was stunned. He pointed at himself. “Me? Become a head steward?”
“Yes, you’re in your prime, full of energy, perfect for taking on big responsibilities. We’re all too old and worn out. Besides, with a child as outstanding as Xiao Chen in your family, you’ll have the authority to handle any matter in the neighborhood, big or small.”
“Well…”
Second Uncle also urged, “Jianming, don’t refuse. Besides you, there’s no one more suitable in the whole neighborhood. Let’s settle it. Tomorrow, the three of us will officially announce the decision.”
Lu Chen smiled and chimed in, “Dad, I think it’s a great idea. You’ve always loved standing up for what’s right. Consider it helping the three uncles share the burden.”
Lu Jianming’s expression shifted. He looked deeply at his son, his face unable to hide its pride, and finally nodded solemnly. “Alright! Then I’ll take on the role of head steward!”
Loud applause filled the living room.
Lu Jianming took a deep breath, his heart swelling with emotion — he had never imagined that he, someone who had always been so unremarkable, could one day become the head steward of their neighborhood!
He understood perfectly well that all of this was thanks to his son.
Lu Chen added a finishing touch. “How about this: in a couple of days, our family will host a feast for the entire neighborhood!”
“Excellent!”
The applause grew even louder, and laughter echoed through the entire room.
As if everyone had forgotten the original reason they had gathered here…
Ten minutes later, Lu Chen’s father had gone back to his room to rest.
Lu Chen sat alone on the living room sofa, with Black and White Impermanence standing quietly before him.
Looking at these two beautiful versions of the underworld officers, a thought crossed Lu Chen’s mind. He took out the several [Large Silver Notes] he had stuffed into his pocket earlier, and a wisp of dark flame shot up from his fingertip, burning them to ash.
“My two fellow brothers… oh wait, fellow sisters, this is a small token of my appreciation. Please accept it.”
Looking at the several huge-denomination underworld banknotes that suddenly appeared in their hands, the two sisters were first stunned, then overjoyed, and finally couldn’t help but burst into giggles.
“See? The Great King didn’t lie to us!”
“Lie? What do you mean?”
Lu Chen asked, puzzled.
The more lively White Impermanence explained with a grin, “The Great King said that as long as we served the General well, there would be plenty of benefits coming our way.”
Black Impermanence held up the underworld notes and said respectfully, “General, what you’ve bestowed upon us is more than half a year’s salary for us sisters! Thank you for your generosity, General!”
“I thought it was something serious,” Lu Chen chuckled. “I’ll be relying on you two heavily in the future. I hope we can work well together.”
“You flatter us, General. Whatever you command, we sisters will go through fire and water, no matter the cost!” The more composed Black Impermanence cupped her hands and replied.
“Exactly what my sister said, through fire and water!” White Impermanence quickly echoed.
Lu Chen smiled and nodded. “By the way, what should I call you two?”
“This humble servant is Xie Qingyi.”
“This humble servant is Fan Rusong.”
Lu Chen thought for a moment. “Alright then, I’ll call you Xiao Qing, and you Xiao Ru. Simple and easy to remember. How does that sound?”
“Whatever the General wishes!”
“Good. It’s getting late. You two should head back first. When I need you, I’ll call for you again.”
“Yes, sir!”
“Good night, General!”
Compared to Black Impermanence Xiao Ru’s dignified demeanor, Xiao Qing’s farewell still carried a hint of playfulness.
“That Xiao Qing…”
Lu Chen smiled.
After the two women left, he took out his phone and dialed Sun Yourong’s number.
He planned to tell her that Sun Dechang wouldn’t be dying anytime soon.
And also, to ask her to arrange a few vehicles to come over tomorrow…
