As soon as those words came out.
Lu Chen’s goosebumps exploded all over his body in an instant.
“This honored one? You… you are…”
The refined young man smiled faintly, his smile carrying a hint of playfulness: “You’ve got quite a few sly tricks in that head of yours. Why don’t you take a guess at this honored one’s origins?”
As his voice fell, the two men beside him—one tall and one burly—also wore expressions that were neither quite a smile nor not.
Lu Chen retreated two steps, pointing at the refined young man, his voice full of disbelief: “D-don’t tell me you… aren’t human?”
The refined young man still wore that composed, unhurried look: “And then?”
Lu Chen sucked in a breath of cold air: “Could it be…”
He looked the three of them up and down, and the more he looked, the more sinister it seemed: “Is it some weasel spirit come to seek a title?”
The smiles on the three faces froze instantly.
“You little brat, what did you say?!”
The burly man glared with wide eyes, shouting.
But in the next second, Lu Chen grinned slyly and cupped his hands in salute: “May I ask which great beings from the Netherworld have graced us with their presence? This junior pays his respects.”
“Heh, you really are a bold little brat.” Emperor Fengdu didn’t hold it against him, merely raising his hand lightly.
An invisible force instantly rippled outward, drowning out everything.
At this moment, if one looked down from high above.
The entire city of Jiangdu—humans, beasts, birds, insects—all froze in an instant.
Even Ma Shilong, Yu Feng, and the others who had been fighting fiercely nearby were no exception.
Lu Chen’s pupils contracted sharply.
He felt an indescribably strange sensation rising from the depths of his heart.
As if he had been completely severed from heaven and earth, like a tiny leaf of a boat tossing helplessly in raging waves.
“You, who exactly are you…”
“Brat, why aren’t you paying respects to the Supreme of the Netherworld, Emperor Fengdu!”
Behind him, the two men—one tall and one burly—revealed their true forms.
Ghost Emperor Zhang Heng was wreathed in black light that spread like ink, wearing a black-gold Netherworld robe embroidered with the Black Tortoise pattern, the hem adorned with dark iron bells, holding a dark black pagoda in his hand.
Ghost Emperor Yang Yun’s white light covered the four directions like frost, wearing a white brocade Netherworld robe inlaid with silver, the hem embroidered with the White Tiger pattern, gripping a sword pure white as snow.
“Emperor Fengdu?!”
Although Lu Chen had already guessed that these three were no ordinary figures—after all, that phrase “this honored one” said it all.
But at most he had guessed they were at the Ghost Emperor level. He never would have imagined that the Supreme of the Netherworld would personally descend to the mortal realm, and right before his eyes!
“Whoosh!”
Without another word, he bowed deeply: “This junior Lu Chen, unaware of the Supreme’s personal arrival, has been so offensive—I beg the Supreme’s forgiveness!”
Before his voice faded, a gentle force had already lifted him up.
“Forgiveness? For what crime?” Emperor Fengdu’s tone was calm: “My Netherworld has regained its incense offerings in the mortal realm because of you—that is a great merit. This honored one has yet to thank you, so how could there be any talk of forgiveness?”
As he spoke, he casually pointed, and an ancient tea table appeared. He then seated himself comfortably.
“Come, sit.”
“Th-this junior wouldn’t dare!”
If the two Ghost Emperors weren’t sitting, how could he dare to?
He had only just felt that the other seemed easy to talk to and had made a joke—who would have thought he’d almost dig his own grave…
“Sit.”
The moment Emperor Fengdu spoke, Lu Chen found himself seated against his will.
“You two may withdraw for now. This honored one wishes to have a good chat with young friend Lu.”
Emperor Fengdu instructed the two behind him.
“Yes, Supreme!”
The two Ghost Emperors’ forms flickered and vanished from where they stood.
A cup of clear tea was pushed before him.
“Here, try it. This tea—even your adoptive father has never had the fortune to taste it.”
Emperor Fengdu smiled slightly.
“Th-thank you, Supreme!”
Lu Chen’s heart skipped a beat. The Supreme’s tea could be nothing ordinary!
He raised the cup and drank it all in one go.
In that instant, his sea of consciousness trembled!
The three spirit lamps suddenly blazed with brilliant light—especially the third one, which had been somewhat dim, now seemed injected with endless vitality, its golden light so intense it nearly solidified into substance.
Just one sip.
The three spirit lamps not only shone brighter but seemed to swell in size by a full circle.
Though his cultivation level only stabilized from early to mid-stage, that surging sense of power…
Lu Chen clenched his fist, his knuckles cracking softly, his heart shaken.
He never imagined that cultivation could also expand “horizontally”?
He immediately stood and cupped his hands solemnly: “Thank you, Supreme, for your generous gift!”
“Merely a cup of tea.” Emperor Fengdu waved his hand, his imperial bearing carrying a touch of ease: “What came today is only a clone of this honored one. Young friend, there’s no need to be so formal. This honored one also wishes to have a good, thorough talk with you.”
“The Supreme’s heavenly grace—this junior is overwhelmed! Whatever you ask, this junior will speak all he knows without reserve.” Lu Chen’s attitude was respectful.
A clone?
Even so, it was still the supreme ruler of the Netherworld.
Was there any difference?
“Good.” Emperor Fengdu nodded, and the teapot poured tea on its own: “Then first answer what this honored one asked earlier: since you call the Little Yama your adoptive father, how should you address this honored one? Surely you don’t mean to call me ‘Grandfather’?”
Lu Chen’s mind raced. He cupped his hands again: “The Supreme inquires—this junior is deeply humbled. Officially, this subordinate should address you as ‘Your Excellency’; privately, the Supreme has shown such favor that this subordinate dares to wish in his heart to honor you as ‘Patron.’ Yet the word ‘Patron’ seems a bit distant… If the Supreme does not object, this subordinate would like to call you ‘Boss’!”
“Boss?” Emperor Fengdu laughed: “That sounds more like something between brothers. You dare to say it, but I fear your adoptive father, upon hearing it, would be too restless to sit still.”
Lu Chen: “…”
He scratched his head and gave an awkward laugh: “It is indeed a bit… improper, even treasonable.”
“Treasonable?” Emperor Fengdu smiled meaningfully: “These treasonable things—have you done few of them? Netherworld currency, heavenly gold, the Four Seas Dragon Kings, the altar, the Plague Emperor, the Prefectural City God… every single one of them—which isn’t ‘treasonable’?”
Lu Chen felt as if he’d fallen into an ice cellar. He rose and bowed: “I beg the Supreme’s forgiveness, I…”
Before the words left his mouth, he was interrupted.
“Brat, remember this. In this world, only those stronger than you can say you are ‘guilty’—only then are you guilty. Other than that, no one—god or man—has the right to call you guilty.”
Lu Chen’s mind was greatly shaken. He immediately responded: “The Supreme’s teachings—this subordinate will remember them for all eternity!”
“Sit.”
“Yes.”
“This honored one’s visit is mainly for two matters.” Emperor Fengdu’s tone returned to the point: “First, your Netherworld currency. This honored one has already gone to see it just now. No wonder the Yama Kings and underworld officials can all be won over by you. The power of this item is truly extraordinary.”
Lu Chen’s heartbeat suddenly accelerated.
The Netherworld currency was his core secret. He never expected it to draw the Supreme’s attention so quickly.
What to do?
How should he explain?!
His mind raced for a response.
But Emperor Fengdu changed tack, saying with a smile: “Don’t panic. You have your own fortunes, and this honored one won’t pry. This honored one has always acted by looking only at results, not process.
Therefore, I only wish to ask you one thing.”
“Please instruct, Supreme!” Lu Chen focused his attention.
“Currently, the Netherworld’s incense offerings are less than one ten-thousandth of the Heavenly Court’s.” Emperor Fengdu took a light sip of tea, his gaze deep as an abyss: “How long do you need to make the Netherworld seize… one-tenth of the mortal realm’s incense offerings?”
Lu Chen hadn’t expected the question to be so grand and direct.
He pondered briefly, then decided to answer honestly: “To reply to the Supreme, this subordinate dares not boast, but I guarantee I will give it my all. However, based on current progress and feedback, this subordinate believes that within a year, the situation should become increasingly clear.”
“One year?” Emperor Fengdu raised an eyebrow slightly: “Brat, that’s quite a claim.”
“Where there’s a will, there’s a way.” Lu Chen’s eyes were firm: “Since the Supreme has personally visited the factory, you must have noticed that this subordinate’s ambitions are not small.”
Emperor Fengdu gazed at him for a moment, then slowly nodded: “Good! Since you have such ambition, why don’t you and I make a military pledge?”
“A military pledge?” Lu Chen’s heart tightened.
“Rest assured, this pledge has no time constraint.”
“Please instruct, Supreme.”
Emperor Fengdu nodded: “As long as you can secure a trillion Netherworld currency for the Netherworld, then at that time…”
He paused briefly, and the next words, spoken one by one, were earth-shattering:
“This honored one shall bestow upon you a Netherworld fruition status.”
BOOM—!!!
It was as if thunder exploded in Lu Chen’s mind.
“A Netherworld… fruition status?!”
“Indeed. Right now you only hold a nominal post without fruition status—not very useful. If you can sell a trillion Netherworld currency, then at that time, you shall be the ‘God of Wealth of the Netherworld’ recognized by my Netherworld, entitled to receive the homage of ten thousand ghosts, and canonized as a proper deity of the Netherworld.”
Lu Chen’s heart surged with emotion. Without hesitation, he rose from his seat and bowed: “Thank you, Supreme, for your heavenly grace! This subordinate will spare no effort, even to the point of death, for the great cause of my Netherworld!”
“Excellent. Then this honored one’s regard for you is not misplaced. However…” Emperor Fengdu’s tone shifted, and an invisible pressure bore down like a mountain: “Do not, for the sake of fruition status, resort to trickery or slacking.”
Lu Chen’s expression turned solemn: “Rest assured, Supreme. This subordinate will walk the righteous path and acquire things properly, never betraying the Supreme’s trust.”
“Good!” Emperor Fengdu nodded slightly.
“As for the second matter…” His divine eyes lifted slightly: “It concerns the Prefectural City God.”
Lu Chen’s heart immediately skipped a beat.
“You have dealt with that City God Li several times. In your view, is he… worthy of the prefectural position?” Emperor Fengdu toyed with his teacup, his gaze profound.
“This…”
Lu Chen’s thoughts raced.
City God Li had previously asked him to put in a good word before the Plague Emperor…
Little did he know that now Emperor Fengdu would throw this very question directly at him.
But after everything that had happened.
Lu Chen clearly no longer trusted City God Li.
But whether the other was the mastermind behind the scenes—Lu Chen didn’t dare to make a rash judgment at this point.
Besides, he had accepted gifts from the man, so he had to take some responsibility for what he said.
If he directly said at this moment that City God Li had problems.
At best, the prefectural position would be out of reach. At worst, given the level of this great being, City God Li might not even get a chance to explain himself.
“Never mind, I won’t tease you anymore.” Emperor Fengdu suddenly laughed: “Since things have come this far, I might as well reveal one more piece of information to you.”
Lu Chen was stunned.
“That City God Li has actually been monitoring you all along.”
A casual remark from Emperor Fengdu.
Lu Chen’s pupils contracted sharply!
“Supreme means…”
Emperor Fengdu’s lips curved slightly: “Listen carefully. This honored one gives you only three months. After three months, the prefectural position will be decided. As for how much turbulence you can stir up in this period, turning the tables—that will be your own ability. Consider this matter a small gift from this honored one. Brat, you’d better seize this opportunity well.”
With this move, the clouds of confusion in Lu Chen’s heart completely cleared.
“Thank you, Supreme!” A startling chill instantly filled his eyes: “This subordinate knows exactly what to do!!”
