The male supporting character was actually myself.

"Go find him quickly if you want to arrest him, and let me go! I am Murong Liangchen, I really am Murong Liangchen!"

The fluffy ball immediately perked up its ears and meowed excitedly, "Yo yo, you actually self-destructed, meow! That's awesome... Oh dear, it's in spirit form now, so the camera can't capture it, what a pity!"

When the little white cat sighed, Wang Baoyi and the other young Taoist masters were immediately stunned.

A never-before-seen twin brother impersonates his younger brother—is this a real-life feud within a wealthy family? How exciting!

Chapter Twenty-Two: Self-Destruction

The exorcist who was exorcising the ghost suggested that the man see a psychologist at the hospital, a scene the housekeeper found quite surreal.

He had never heard of the house being haunted. Judging from what the young master had just said and his conversation with the Taoist priest, something like this had already happened before...

The butler couldn't help but feel uneasy.

After the unexpected passing of the master and mistress, the young master was depressed for a while. However, he quickly recovered after being busy with work and falling in love. I had advised him that it was not advisable to get married or hold a wedding before the three-year mourning period for his parents had ended.

But the young master insisted on holding a grand wedding less than a year after his parents were buried.

I'm just a butler who gets paid to do things, and the young master is used to being independent and busy with company affairs, so he's not often at home. We don't know each other that well. Judging from his behavior just now, he really doesn't seem to be faking it.

Did the marriage before the mourning period was over anger the master and mistress, so they came to make trouble at home?

Or perhaps, the young master's sudden cessation of his involvement in company affairs is due to a mental problem?

"Go away, everyone disperse!" The butler shooed away the servants who had come to watch the commotion, and said in a low voice, "Get paid and do your job properly. Mind your own business!"

"I've been hearing something about ghosts, is the house really haunted?"

"Uncle, we're just earning a salary, not selling our lives to them. If it's really haunted, just let us know and we should quit and leave right away!"

"See what I said before? His parents died a violent death less than a year ago, and this unfilial son is already throwing a big celebration. How can he do this? He's getting his comeuppance now."

"Shh, keep your voice down! Even if he gets married before the three-year mourning period is over, his parents won't be willing to come and make trouble for him, right? He's their only son, and the only one they have left to burn paper money for ancestral worship depends entirely on him."

"Tsk tsk tsk, have you ever seen him burn paper money for his parents? He didn't even go to their graves for Qingming Festival!"

"His parents died a violent death. You don't know that the ghosts of those who died a violent death are much more powerful than those who died young. They didn't even receive any paper money for him during Qingming Festival, so wouldn't they come up and cause trouble? They raised a son, and now that he's dead, there's no one left to pay respects to him. It's no wonder they're causing trouble..."

…………

The servants gathered together, gossiping amongst themselves, and the atmosphere in Murong Liangchen's room became somewhat awkward.

One side insists it's haunted but can't provide any solid evidence; the other side tries to explain that there's no yin energy in the house, and ghosts rely on yin energy to control and influence humans, so where would the ghosts come from if there's no yin energy?

The two sides were deadlocked and neither could convince the other. As it was getting close to 11 p.m., Murong Liangchen suddenly felt sleepy and couldn't resist it. He had no choice but to let them go back to rest first, and he fell asleep on the bed without even taking a shower.

"Sniff! Sniff!" The soul-collecting underworld official appeared silently in the room, sniffed, and said with disgust, "What's that smell? It's stinky and foul. Ha, an imposter is an imposter. Even with the exact same face, the quality is so different!"

With a hook in his hand, he scooped up Murong Liangchen's soul, and it left his body, floating to the side where it was bound by the iron chains of the soul-binding underworld officials.

"I...I'm..." Half-asleep, Murong Liangchen opened his eyes to find a grotesque, blue-faced, fanged ghost with a long, drooping tongue staring menacingly at him. Terrified, his legs went weak and he collapsed to the ground. Before he could even cry for help, he saw himself lying on the bed beside him. His face turned deathly pale, and the chains on his clothes rattled loudly. "I'm dead?! No! Impossible! My life has just begun, I can't die like this! Let me go! I want to live!"

No matter how much he struggled, he couldn't break free of the iron chains, and Murong Liangchen began to wail and beg for mercy again.

Having learned the whole story from Murong Jiangchen, the soul-capturing underworld official naturally sided with him. Without offering any explanation, he grinned sinisterly and grabbed the iron chain, saying, "Let's go, they're all still waiting for you in the underworld!"

"Who? Who's waiting for me?" Murong Liangchen trembled all over.

Just then, there was a knock on the door, and Wang Baoyi's voice rang out from outside, "Which underworld official is passing by? Please open the door so that I and my disciples can pay our respects to you."

The soul-capturing underworld official raised an eyebrow. Recognizing the other party's voice, he had no choice but to give them face and move his fingers, silently opening the door.

"Master Wang, save me!" Murong Liangchen cried out, grasping at this straw, his hands outstretched on the ground as he pleaded, "Please save me! I don't want to die! I'm so young, I can't die! I'll give you any amount of money if you're willing to save me. Please, just let him release me..."

Ignoring his wailing, Wang Baoyi had the four newly initiated celestial masters bow to the soul-collecting underworld officials.

"Listening Wind Valley truly lives up to its reputation as one of the top sects; they only find the best talents." The Soul-Capturing Underworld Messengers are under the jurisdiction of the Underworld and do not interfere with the Celestial Masters of the Human Realm. However, since they are fieldworkers, they inevitably run into each other from time to time, so it is better for both sides to be polite to each other to get things done.

Wang Baoyi smiled and waved his hand, saying, "You flatter me, Your Excellency. These children have just entered the valley and haven't been to the underworld yet. I was just planning to take them down to have a look around and broaden their horizons. You mean... Mr. Murong's lifespan hasn't ended yet, has it?"

“There’s something else that requires his cooperation, so he needs to go down there.” The Soul-Capturing Underworld Officer chuckled and changed the subject, saying, “If Master Wang were alone, I wouldn’t say anything more, but if you’re going down with the children, I suggest you at least stay until tonight.”

Wang Baoyi immediately became alert and hurriedly asked in a low voice, "Is something the matter?"

"A few days ago, something happened in the underworld. A few people who walked the underworld, called the Listening Pavilion, took a commission but got scammed! It involved the evil demons who cultivated by devouring ghosts in the human world and dragged the Ghost King into it. Fortunately, the Ghost King realized what was going on and didn't kill those people who walked the underworld. He has now filed a complaint."

The City God of Dujiang has taken on the case of the spirit medium; the Underworld official has received the Ghost King's complaint. Now, the Yin and Yang realms are joining forces to wipe out the evil spirits who devour ghosts!

The soul-capturing underworld official shook the iron chain in his hand and sneered, "Just watch, someone's about to be in big trouble!"

"Such a thing actually happened?" Wang Baoyi asked in shock, "How did it involve the Ghost King?"

"The ghost-devouring fellow in the human realm plotted against the Ghost King's most beloved concubine. How could he not be angry that his beloved concubine almost lost her life? I heard that the underworld is cracking down hard tonight. You and your unruly children might hurt your wounds. You should wait until dawn before going down here."

As he spoke, he glanced at Master Wang and said with a pointed remark, "Although merits and demerits can offset each other, it's best to stay away from certain people and things if you can avoid them, lest you get into trouble for a few pennies."

You Celestial Masters are so knowledgeable and experienced; you should understand this better than ordinary people. Life is short, only a few decades; it's better to accumulate good deeds in secret, because you'll be gone for a long time—that's your eternal home!

Wang Baoyi smiled helplessly, "People in this world are often powerless to control their own destiny."

"Alright, I'll be going now. They're waiting over there. Let's go, Murong Jiangchen!" The soul-capturing underworld official deliberately mispronounced the name and tugged at the chain, pretending to leave.

At this critical moment, Murong Liangchen disregarded everything else and cried out, "You've got the wrong person! Underworld official, you've arrested the wrong person! I am Murong Liangchen! Not Murong Jiangchen. I... I am his twin brother. My birth date and time are almost the same, only five minutes earlier than his!"

I am not Murong Jiangchen!

"Go find him quickly if you want to arrest him, and let me go! I am Murong Liangchen, I really am Murong Liangchen!"

The fluffy ball immediately perked up its ears and meowed excitedly, "Yo yo, you actually self-destructed, meow! That's awesome... Oh dear, it's in spirit form now, so the camera can't capture it, what a pity!"

When the little white cat sighed, Wang Baoyi and the other young Taoist masters were immediately stunned.

A never-before-seen twin brother impersonates his younger brother—is this a real-life feud within a wealthy family? How exciting!

Chapter Twenty-Three: Begging for Mercy

"Heh, you think you can just say who you are? Do you have any proof?" The Soul-Binding Underworld Messenger shook the booklet in his hand and said sarcastically, "How could there be any mistakes in this booklet? Name, appearance, birthplace, birth date and time are all correct. How can you not be Murong Jiangchen?"

As he spoke, he casually pointed to a young Taoist priest and asked, "Do you know him? Who is he?"

The young Taoist priest was already quite excited to see the underworld official for the first time, and upon seeing this, he quickly replied, "He has appeared in the news media, and his wedding shocked everyone. He is indeed Murong Jiangchen."

After thinking for a moment, he realized he hadn't been careful, so he quickly added, "Anyway, he has always claimed to be Murong Jiangchen. As for the name Murong Liangchen, I've never heard of it, nor have I ever heard of Murong Jiangchen having a twin brother."

The media said that Murong Jiangchen was an only child…

Murong Liangchen was terrified of death. He had been plotting for a long time and had three lives on his hands, as well as an attempted murder. He hadn't even had time to hold a religious ceremony to release the wandering ghosts and offset all these sins and karmic consequences. If he were to be taken away and become Murong Jiangchen's scapegoat, wouldn't that be too unfair?

Who knows what that kid did when he was making his mark in the business world?

I've heard that many people have dirty hands when it comes to profit, like driving live piles in construction. Who knows, maybe the houses built by Murong Jiangchen's company have resulted in a lot of deaths?

An identity can take his place, but sins absolutely cannot!

Fortunately, only a few celestial masters know about this. Once they come back to life, we can give them some benefits to keep them quiet. After holding a religious ceremony to atone for their sins, we won't be afraid of any further trouble they may cause us...

Threatened with death and unknown punishment, Murong Liangchen frantically pointed to the wardrobe and said urgently, "I...I have evidence! There's a hidden safe in a secret compartment inside the wardrobe, and my birth certificate is inside!"

I really am Murong Liangchen!

"Your Majesty, I am certain that Murong Jiangchen is long dead. Go find him in hell..."

The little white cat hopped into the wardrobe he pointed to and, sure enough, discovered a pile of documents that could prove the protagonist's identity, which the protagonist had hidden away.

"Hehehe~ Now all of these are mine!" With a swift movement, the fluffy dumpling collected all the document bags in the safe, including the valuable jewelry and gold bars that had been hidden inside, into its system space.

The soul-collecting underworld messenger had already heard the reason for the matter from Murong Jiangchen, and now he just wanted to tease him. So he gave a cold smile and said sarcastically, "I don't care if you are Jiangchen or Liangchen. Anyway, I was told to come here to collect souls, so I will do it. As for whether it is right or wrong, you can go and talk to the Black and White Impermanence, Ox-Head and Horse-Face!"

After speaking, he nodded to Wang Baoyi, then grabbed the iron chain and disappeared from the room like a dog on a leash.

Unable to sense the faint chill or oppressive aura, the young celestial masters busied themselves surrounding the area, chattering and asking questions.

"Grandmaster Uncle, was that the underworld official in charge of capturing souls just now? Why did he look so scary?"

"Was he human before? How could he become a messenger in the underworld after death without being reincarnated?"

"What did the underworld official mean by 'devouring ghosts' just now?"

"Are Murong Jiangchen and Murong Liangchen real? Would the Soul-Capturing Underworld Officials capture the wrong soul?"

"Should we really postpone our descent to the underworld until tomorrow during the day?"

"Can a person's soul be taken away even if their lifespan hasn't ended? Then, what's he going down there for?"

…………

“There are many reasons why a person’s soul might be taken away before their lifespan is over. It could be that a vengeful ghost has filed a complaint against them, and they need to be brought to the Mirror of Karma to see who is lying; or it could be…” Wang Baoyi frowned slightly, not in the mood to answer so many questions. He waved his hand, signaling them to go back, “Let’s go. Get some rest tonight and I’ll take you to the underworld after dawn.”

That night, many people in the villa tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

Rumors began to circulate among the servants, and many timid and cowardly people began to have second thoughts and were considering resigning and leaving.

The young celestial masters were thrilled to see the underworld officials for the first time, and they whispered among themselves in the room, eagerly anticipating their first trip to the underworld.

Wang Shouyi sat cross-legged in his room, but the words of the underworld messenger kept echoing in his ears, making him restless and unable to cultivate...

Meanwhile, Jiang Chen, who was waiting at the Underworld Office, was in a great mood!

The purchased burial site is finally going to come in handy. Hopefully, the day trip to the underworld will give the protagonist, Murong Liangchen, an unforgettable high-level "treatment"!

"Here, I'm handing him over to you!" The soul-collecting messenger appeared at the agreed location, pulling on the iron chains. He released the chains and pushed the living soul to Jiang Chen, who was waiting. He whispered in Jiang Chen's ear, "I still have to go to work. Remember, it's a total of eight hours. He'll go back on his own when the time is up. Hurry up and get everything done. This only happens once a year."

Jiang Chen slipped another red envelope into his arms, pretending to accidentally let Murong Liangchen see it, and nodded with a smile.

"You...you're the one pulling the strings behind my back..." Murong Liangchen didn't hear what they were saying, but he saw their little tricks all over his body, and he trembled with fear.

"Playing tricks? I am the ghost, why would I need to play tricks?" Jiang Chen's face showed a warm smile. He used the seemingly solid black thread on his wrist to bind his hands, and patted his shoulder with a threatening tone: "Come on, dear brother, I have prepared a lot of surprises for you!"

Murong Liangchen never dreamed that one day he would fall into the hands of the very person he had killed and dismembered with his own hands, especially since this was the territory of the underworld, a place inhabited by ghosts…

Seeing the ghosts emanating an eerie aura around him, his legs went weak and he knelt down, pleading, "Brother, I was wrong! I was momentarily bewitched..."

"Hey, don't blame everything on ghosts. I've been a ghost for so long, don't I know more than you? Everyone's busy with their own things, who has time to mess with your mind?" Jiang Chen flicked the black thread with his finger, causing him unbearable pain. To relieve the pain, Murong Liangchen had no choice but to stand up again.

So, Jiang Chen floated ahead humming a little tune, while a faint black line dragged Murong Liangchen along behind.

"Doesn't this remind you of the first time we met?" He turned to look at Murong Liangchen, who was pale with fright, and said with a gentle smile, "It was the same back then. I personally picked you up and brought you to Dujiang City and prepared many surprises for you. It's the same today. A younger brother has never wronged his older brother. You can stay by my side in peace, and I will definitely treat you well."

The other party's sinister, insincere smile terrified Murong Liangchen, and filled him with doubt.

Wasn't this guy corrupted into a demon and suppressed and driven away by Wang Baoyi? That guy clearly told me that Murong Jiangchen would be thrown into the eighteenth level of hell and never be reincarnated.

But now... if it's not a dream, then Wang Baoyi actually dared to lie to me?!