Stepdaughter of a wealthy family? The little darling of a Beijing tycoon

Shen Jingshu stood still, her hands quickly forming hand seals, and slowly uttered the obscure and long incantation for rebirth.

The chanting, clear and resonant, carried a power that could penetrate both Yin and Yang, slowly echoing across the silent rooftop.

Moments later, the sky above the rooftop stirred slightly, a chilling aura suddenly spread out, and a pitch-black vortex appeared out of thin air, slowly rotating in the night.

A gap in the void gradually tore open at the center of the vortex. Inside, it was pitch black and deep, with a dense, yin energy seeping out continuously from the gap, carrying the chilling aura unique to the underworld, making the surrounding air several degrees colder.

Immediately afterwards, two figures slowly stepped out from the ghostly gate.

One was dressed in a long black robe, and the other in a plain white gown. They wore tall, pointed official hats, their faces were cold, and long red tongues hung from their mouths. They were surrounded by a faint ghostly aura. They were none other than the Seventh and Eighth Masters of the Underworld, who were in charge of collecting souls and intimidating the Yin and Yang realms—the Black and White Impermanence.

The two ghosts stopped, their sharp gazes sweeping across the rooftop. They spoke in deep, cold voices, carrying the robust depth of underworld officials: "Who cast the summoning spell to bring us here?"

Upon seeing the appearance of the Black and White Impermanence, Luo Yurou's gentle expression instantly turned into one of fear and unease, and her body trembled.

Ghosts have an innate fear of the underworld officials, let alone the Black and White Impermanence who are in charge of collecting souls and intimidating all ghosts. She has been wandering in the mortal world for hundreds of years, and what she fears most is encountering these two messengers of the underworld.

Bai Wuchang turned his gaze and first spotted Luo Yurou huddled to the side. He raised an eyebrow and said with a hint of mockery, "Oh, there's a hundred-year-old ghost hiding here, carrying a murder charge. He's been wandering the mortal realm for so many years. It's a dereliction of duty on our part in the underworld."

Black Impermanence's expression remained cold and stern, his dark face revealing no emotion whatsoever. Only his sharp, knife-like eyes swept directly at Luo Yurou, carrying the unique pressure of a ghostly messenger. Luo Yurou felt her entire body's ghostly energy tremble, her legs went weak, and she was about to kneel on the ground.

"Please calm down, my lords." Shen Jingshu stepped forward at the right moment and spoke softly, stopping Luo Yurou's actions.

Black and White Impermanence turned to look at Shen Jingshu, their originally cold and stern expressions softening instantly, and their attitude becoming respectful: "So it was Master Shen who summoned us. Our apologies for our lack of respect. Since it was Master who summoned us, we two naturally came immediately."

They were well aware of Shen Jingshu's abilities; few in the Xuanmen sect could directly communicate with spirits and summon underworld officials, so they naturally dared not neglect her. Bai Wuchang immediately asked, "Master Shen, what exactly is the situation with this female ghost?"

Shen Jingshu succinctly recounted Luo Yurou's past life, her obsessive love, and her past of killing bandits to avenge her family and not harming innocent people for hundreds of years afterward. Her tone was sincere: "Although she bears the burden of killing, it was all for revenge. She has never harmed an innocent person. Her obsession was deep throughout her life, which is truly pitiful. I hope that you two gentlemen will return to the underworld and plead for her in front of the judge, so that she may be treated leniently."

"Since it was Master Shen who spoke up, we will naturally give him this favor. We will remember this." Bai Wuchang readily agreed, then turned to Luo Yurou, "You shall come with us back to the Underworld and await the judge's judgment."

"Thank you, Seventh Master and Eighth Master." Luo Yurou quickly bowed and greeted them.

However, the Black and White Impermanence did not move immediately. The two stood still, looking at Shen Jingshu with ambiguous eyes, their expressions showing a hint of unspoken words.

Shen Jingshu was taken aback when she saw the two of them, but then she suddenly realized what they meant.

She chuckled softly, and with a thought, she reached into her personal space and took out neatly stacked piles of paper money and glittering gold ingots.

These gold ingots and paper money were all folded by Shen Jingshu herself and infused with a trace of spiritual power. Compared to ordinary paper money in the mortal world, they are a hundred times more precious in the underworld and are the most coveted items by the underworld officials.

With a slight twitch of her fingertips, a cluster of pale blue spiritual fire ignited out of thin air. Shen Jingshu ignited all the paper money and gold ingots in her hand. As the flames flickered, the ashes slowly rose, and in the blink of an eye, they transformed into a pile of glittering gold ingots and paper money, which landed steadily in the hands of the Black and White Impermanence.

The two underworld officials quickly and carefully cradled the gift in their arms, their faces instantly beaming with smiles. Their previous coldness vanished, replaced by an increasingly respectful and friendly tone: "Oh, Master Shen, you're too kind! How can we accept such a generous gift!"

"This is just a small token of my appreciation. I hope you two will take good care of me in the future. Consider it my way of thanking you for making this special trip today." Shen Jingshu said calmly, completely unconcerned about such things.

"Of course, of course, Master Shen, rest assured, we'll take care of this!" The Black and White Impermanence were overjoyed, carefully putting the items away, and their attitude towards Shen Jingshu became even more respectful.

With gold ingots and paper money given to them by Shen Jingshu in their arms, the Black and White Impermanence, their faces beaming with joy, bowed to Shen Jingshu in farewell. Then, with Luo Yurou standing with her head bowed, they turned and stepped into the deep, dark gate of the underworld.

In a short while, the black vortex slowly closed, and the yin energy on the rooftop dissipated completely, leaving only the night breeze, as if nothing had ever happened.

Stepping through the Gate of Hell, one enters the dark and long Road to the Underworld, where the red spider lilies bloom in vibrant, enchanting, and tragic beauty.

Black and White Impermanence, one in front and one behind, led Luo Yurou slowly toward the underworld, chatting idly along the way.

Bai Wuchang shook the money bag in his hand, his tone full of praise: "Speaking of this Master Shen, he is truly a rare master in the world. He is generous and insightful, without the slightest airs of a Taoist master."

Black Impermanence responded in a deep voice, a hint of warmth in his eyes: "That's right. The first time we met her was several hundred years ago. At that time, she was still cultivating, with that important figure by her side. Thinking about it now, it still feels shocking."

At this point, Bai Wuchang subconsciously raised his head, gazing at the sky. The two exchanged a knowing glance, both understanding. That being was someone who had already attained enlightenment and ascended to the ranks of immortals, someone even ordinary gods and immortals would treat with deference.

"She is that person's personal disciple, so her abilities are naturally unfathomable. But I've always been puzzled. When I saw her before, she was clearly cultivating in ancient times, so how come she has now been put into this modern world? Moreover, I have looked closely, and her physical body is not a possession; it is completely her own, with her soul and body as one. It's really hard to understand." Bai Wuchang scratched his head, his face full of doubt.

Black Impermanence glanced at him indifferently and advised in a deep voice, "If you don't understand, don't delve into it. You and I are both underworld messengers. Mortal ties and immortal secrets are not something we can pry into. We just need to remember that Master Shen has powerful backers and is very capable. He is always generous when he asks us for favors. We must not offend him. In the future, we should turn a blind eye and give him some consideration."

"You're right, I'll listen to you and not think about it anymore." Bai Wuchang immediately nodded and stopped dwelling on the matter.

They traveled in silence and soon arrived at the Yama's Palace in the underworld. The palace was cold and solemn. The judge stood to one side, holding the Book of Life and Death, while the little devils around him bowed their heads and remained silent, creating an extremely majestic atmosphere.

The Black and White Impermanence led Luo Yurou into the hall and then stepped aside. The judge opened the thick Book of Life and Death in his hand, carefully reviewing Luo Yurou's past life. After a moment, he solemnly pronounced his verdict: "Luo Yurou, in your previous life, you killed dozens of bandits to avenge your family. Although there were reasons for it, you still committed the sin of killing. According to the laws of the underworld, you should serve a hundred years in the Hell of Knives. Only after serving your sentence can you enter the cycle of reincarnation and be reborn."