The male supporting character was actually myself.

Just trapped?!

Trapped? So it really is...

The wind outside the window made everyone feel a little cold, and the sky was gloomy as if it was about to rain. The bright lights in the empty villa made it seem even more desolate.

The butler took a step back, still shaken.

The two bodyguards looked at each other and took two steps back, not daring to breathe.

On the contrary, Xiao Su and Xiao Lü, who were slightly short and chubby, were upright and calm. They cooperated with their senior brother in acting and turned around to persuade them to go downstairs to rest first.

Everyone else left and closed the door, leaving only Murong Liangchen and Duan Tang in the large room.

"I've heard about Mr. Murong's situation from the steward. Actually, this matter can't be blamed on the other Celestial Masters. The main reason is..."

Seeing that Murong Jiangchen had set the mood, Duan Tang frowned and hesitated in his thick accent, saying, "I'm a straightforward person and I can't stand some of the unspoken rules in the industry, so sometimes I offend people."

I made a mistake by acting rashly today.

It wouldn't matter if it were anyone else, but this is, after all, "

He pretended to be in a difficult position, looked around, and then leaned close to Murong Liangchen, lowering his voice to the lowest level. "After all, he's a little devil raised by Master Wang. It's an open secret in the industry, and everyone knows him. I didn't pay attention just now. I only realized it was him after I trapped him. Mr. Murong probably doesn't know Master Wang's reputation in the industry... This is a difficult matter for me."

It really was that old bastard!

Murong Liangchen was furious. He slammed his hand on the table and said arrogantly, "Don't be afraid. He's just a Celestial Master from Listening Wind Valley. Can he really turn the world upside down? As long as you... may I ask your surname?"

"My surname is Duan."

"Master Duan, as long as you can help me resolve my worries, I guarantee that Wang Baoyi will soon be in dire straits! He dares to set his sights on me without even bothering to find out who I am!" Murong Liangchen patted his chest and made a guarantee, fearing that the other party might renege on his promise and let the tiger return to the mountain. He hurriedly signed a check for three million and stuffed it into Duan Tang's hand.

He assured him that this was just a deposit, and there would be even more benefits once the little devil who was bothering him was completely eliminated!

Duan Tang, with an air of nonchalance that "money is just an external thing," sighed as he clutched the check, "Many people use this method to get rich by releasing ghosts themselves. Our Lingyin Pavilion disdains such despicable means, so naturally we are somewhat out of step with the mainstream and are always ostracized, both openly and secretly, which prevents the sect from developing."

My junior brothers didn't enter the room and are unaware of this. The little ghost is trapped here and can't escape for the time being, so it can't go back to inform others. Only heaven, earth, you, and I know about this. Mr. Murong, I can eliminate the little ghost to free you from the torment of being haunted by spirits, but if I offend anyone because of this..."

"Don't worry about that. No one will leak the news and let anyone know that Master Duan helped me solve this problem!" Murong Liangchen made promises and gave assurances, saying a lot of nice things to finally dispel the other party's worries.

As Duan Tangbian set up his ritual inside the house, he pondered that Murong Liangchen and Wang Baoyi should not blame others for their actions. The victim was the one who suffered the consequences. The Yin Realm of Dujiang was sealed off, and he and his group almost died because they could not leave. The root of the Yin Realm's grudge had not yet been found. He had only inquired around and heard that the higher-ups of Tingfeng Valley had submitted some kind of plan to the Yin Division.

Ah, every wrong has its perpetrator, every debt its debtor; every goose leaves its cry as it flies by, every person leaves their name as they pass by. We'll always find out who did it!

"Tsk tsk, as expected of a professional." Jiang Chen sat at the table, watching the excitement and clapping his hands in approval. "It's a pity that we were short on time and couldn't prepare an incense table or other props. That would have made it look more ceremonial."

Duan Tang suppressed a laugh and performed a graceful somersault, his long sword twirling as the talisman exploded into bursts of flames on the floor. As a finishing touch, Jiang Chen even added a few shrill screams, making the little white cat laugh so hard it couldn't stand up straight, nestled in his arms.

"Host, you're so clever! Now the protagonist will definitely believe that the little ghost has been killed." The fluffy dumpling looked at Murong Liangchen's grateful and admiring eyes towards Duan Tang, wishing he could offer a high price to keep him by his side, and sighed helplessly, "It's just a pity that we can't haunt anymore. Scaring the protagonist is actually quite fun, but I wonder how the main system will judge if we scare the protagonist to death."

"Did you send the video to Jiang Yulu?"

"Of course! When has your soft and cute little kitten ever been slow or indecisive? As soon as Jiang Yulu returned to China, I put the USB drive on her desk."

"Then let's just wait and see what happens."

A ghost and a cat were lying on the roof chatting idly;

Murong Liangchen and Duan Tang also sat in the quiet study where they could talk in detail without being disturbed.

"Master, you've worked so hard. You have no idea how much I've suffered these past two days, sigh..." Murong Liangchen forced himself to stay awake on the sofa, his voice weak and feeble. "Luckily, I met you, a true conscience of the industry, otherwise I really wouldn't be able to survive!"

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Duan Tang steered the conversation to the main topic, "Mr. Murong, you have a lot of yin energy on you. Based on my years of experience with the underworld, I can tell that this yin energy is something your soul brought with you. Have you encountered something strange? We need to find a way to expel the yin energy as soon as possible, otherwise it may cause you to develop a chronic illness."

"To be honest, Master Duan, I've actually encountered some good fortune. It's just that I haven't been self-disciplined enough, which has left my body weakened and I look half-dead. You should know about a day trip to the underworld, right?"

"Of course! So Mr. Murong was invited to the underworld to broaden his horizons?"

After his initial surprise, Duan Tang smiled knowingly. "No wonder the Yin energy entered my body in this way. But I can understand it. I was quite pathetic when I first went down to the Yin realm with my master."

Ghost food is delicious and enjoyable. To put it bluntly, in the human world, only the blissful feeling of smoking opium can compare to it.

And those female ghost ladies, tsk tsk, there are no such beauties in the human world!

"I wonder if Mr. Murong has ever bathed in a tributary of the River of Oblivion? After trying it, I felt that hot springs, baths, and massages were utterly insignificant. Our ancestors really knew how to enjoy life; they truly transformed the underworld. With enough money, one could enjoy far more than in the human world."

Murong Liangchen's eyes widened and he slapped his thigh in frustration, saying, "The River of Oblivion? I didn't get to go! Don't even mention it. I just wandered around the streets, had a meal, and hehehehe, I even witnessed the intimate (but not really) fusion of female ghost sisters. It was truly unforgettable and haunting."

The two exchanged a smile, feeling a sense of kindred spirits sharing the same vision. Duan Tang took a sip of tea and said quietly, "Mr. Murong is really lucky to have been able to get a random spot for the experience among billions of people."

If I have the chance in the future, I highly recommend soaking in the River of Oblivion. You should also visit a bar and nightclub to experience a truly exhilarating feeling.

Oh, by the way, the most upscale bars have a special treat that you can only taste by paying a fortune—the legendary potion of forgetfulness, made with the secret recipe of the beautiful Meng Po. Only by experiencing that can you truly say you've lived a worthwhile life!

Chapter Thirty-Nine: The Great Deceiver

Murong Liangchen felt a surge of longing upon hearing this and seized the opportunity to inquire, "Master, I would like to ask you some questions about the true situation of the Underworld. I hope you will be kind enough to enlighten me."

"Well..." Duan Tang frowned slightly, showing a somewhat troubled expression. "It's not that I'm keeping things to myself, but there are some things that are explicitly prohibited from being spread by Celestial Masters in the human world. I guess it's to avoid causing unnecessary trouble, and I would have to take responsibility if rumors started to circulate."

Sure enough, this is because they are afraid the world will know the truth, so they are keeping the news under wraps.

If it weren't for that fool Murong Jiangchen's cleverness, I would have been completely kept in the dark!

This big, clumsy guy looks like a complete simpleton, not smooth or experienced at all. He's probably a newbie who hasn't experienced the harsh realities of life yet, which is why he's not like other Taoist masters who would rather not take a job than offend Wang Baoyi and kill his adopted ghost.

People like him are easy to fool. Just play the victim, say a few nice things, and give him some money, and you can easily get him to cooperate.

The information he gave me was definitely more credible than that of an old hand like Wang Baoyi. Luckily, the steward was capable enough to pick up Master Duan, who happened to be passing by; otherwise, I don't know how long I would have been tormented.

“Master, I’m not asking for this information for nothing; it’s knowledge for a fee.” He lowered his voice and coaxed, “Anyway, I’ve been to the underworld and have a general understanding of it, so it’s normal for me to know the truth about the underworld. After all, I saw and heard it with my own eyes and ears. It’s just that there are some things I didn’t think to ask about at the time, so I wanted to ask Master Duan for clarification. If you encounter any confidential questions, you can simply not answer them, right?”

A hint of hesitation appeared on Duan Tang's honest face, followed by a moment of blank contemplation before he nodded and said, "Mr. Murong is right. You've already been there, so remembering some things isn't against the rules. The Underworld launched this day trip activity to expand its influence and let people know that such a place exists, not because it's superstition or false advertising."

Since Mr. Murong has been fortunate enough to be chosen for the trip, there are some things we can talk about. What would you like to know?

Murong Liangchen was secretly pleased with himself for his "cunning plan," but on the surface he pretended to be very curious. "After a person dies, what kind of process does he go through to get to the underworld? I heard Wang Baoyi mention it before, something about the offsetting of merits and demerits."

"Oh, that's nothing secret." He slapped his thigh, revealing a casual "that's it" expression, and took a sip of tea to explain: "There used to be all sorts of rules, like those for suicide or those who hadn't reached the end of their lifespan, each with its own regulations."

But things are different now; even the underworld needs to progress and reform.

Nowadays, the emphasis is on simplifying everything, meaning that things that can be resolved in one go shouldn't require ghosts to make two trips. Everyone is equal, even the dead should be treated equally, right?

So from the moment a person dies, they are completely severed from their past.

Whether it's suicide, murder, execution, natural death, etc., they all receive the same treatment—they are taken to the Yellow Springs by the soul-collecting underworld officials.

There, people would climb the Viewing Platform to see his life and then look at their relatives and friends in the human world after their death. Some lucky ones could even see how their funeral went and whether it met their expectations.

Then they will be taken by the underworld messengers to a classified gate.

Inside, the most important step, the one that determines the ghost's future, takes place—the classification of good and evil and the offsetting of merits and demerits.

We don't really understand the specific algorithm, but it basically takes all the good and bad things a person has done in their life and evaluates them together, assigning one score for good deeds and one score for bad deeds, and then canceling them out.

If you have a lot of bad karma, the remaining points will be used to identify the bad things you've done, and you'll be sent to the eighteenth level of hell to suffer and atone for your sins. Hell is basically an underground prison. Once your bad karma has been atoned, it's like being released from a labor camp and sent to the underworld.

But those who return from hell usually have nothing and can only hope that their ancestors will protect them by burning paper money for them.

If you're lucky, you can sneak into the ghost market and become a low-level worker to barely make ends meet; if you're unlucky, you can only wait for your soul to be annihilated.

If the good and evil values ​​are equal, then you will be spared imprisonment and will not have to suffer in hell. The rest of the process is the same as above.

If you have a lot of good deeds, then congratulations! You've already taken a 70% lead over the ghosts in the first step! You'll be sent directly to the ghost market, avoiding many unnecessary detours. If your descendants and ancestors are helpful, then you'll have no worries. Even if they aren't, it's okay. At least you'll have a relatively good job that you can be assigned directly. Even if you can't become rich and powerful after working hard for a few years, you can at least live a comfortable life.

If your good deeds score exceeds a certain threshold after the settlement, you'll be considered a legendary philanthropist!

These types of ghosts can be directly sent to the ghost market where they are well-fed, well-housed, and well-paid. If their good karma accumulates to a certain level, they can even obtain a minor official position, eliminating the need for reincarnation and allowing them to enjoy eternal wealth and glory in the underworld.

Duan Tang explained in detail, and Murong Liangchen listened attentively.

He recalled his short twenty years, and it seemed that... he hadn't done many good deeds. He had even plotted to kill his parents and his younger brother, Murong Jiangchen. His sins were indeed quite grave.

"Once we reach that classification gate, what kinds of things will be included in the good/evil score calculation?"

"Wow, there's a lot! The relevant departments in the underworld have a very wide scope of control. They remember every word, action, and even thought a person has in their entire life. They take into account everything, from spitting on the ground and littering to making fun of or bullying others. Oh, and there's also the issue of karmic offsetting, which is quite complicated and I don't really understand how it's calculated."

Damn it, does bullying count as something?

Murong Liangchen couldn't help but twitch his lips. He had done his fair share of bullying when he was in school, but he was young and naive back then and just showed off because he was rich. It would be too much trouble to settle accounts after he died...

Duan Tang's mouth was dry from talking, and while taking a break to drink tea, he went over Murong Jiangchen's instructions and comforted him, saying, "It would have been impossible to do this in the past, but now we believe in putting down the butcher's knife and becoming a Buddha on the spot."

Whoever realizes this early enough will have ample time to make amends.

For example, what if someone has committed countless evil deeds in the past? Of course, they should do good deeds to make amends! It's just a simple matter of adding or subtracting good and evil values ​​by offsetting merits and demerits. If someone has done many evil deeds in the past, they should donate more money and hold more Dharma assemblies and Taoist temples to deliver wandering ghosts. Their good value will definitely increase rapidly.

Take Master Wang for example, even someone as powerful as him doesn't understand this principle?

Then how dare they raise ghosts to swindle money? Isn't it because they themselves control their own moral compass? If they do one bad deed, they immediately do two good deeds, and that cancels it out?

Do you know why some wealthy people are so keen on donating money to temples?

He gave the other person a knowing look and sighed, "Why can those cultivators manage to balance worldly affairs and cultivation? It's because they already know the ins and outs of it, and they just need to make sure that their good points always outweigh their bad points."

Moreover, the merit accumulated from holding a Dharma assembly or temple ceremony is in the tens of thousands, so this little bit is not a problem at all.

Just you wait and see, when Master Wang goes there, not only will he not be punished, but he'll also go straight to the underworld and rise through the ranks to great heights.

Regarding the balance of merits and demerits, Old Turtle Sun wasn't lying. Murong Liangchen curled his lip in disdain, thinking that Wang Baoyi probably wanted him to invite him to perform a ritual.

Ha, the old man is quite cunning. He takes my money to accumulate merit for himself, and he even uses ghosts to scare me into giving him money.

Damn it, if I don't find a way to ruin your reputation, do you really think I'm easy to fool?

Thinking of this, he hurriedly asked, "Master just said that how one fares in the underworld depends on one's descendants and ancestors. Could you explain that in more detail?"

"Hey! Isn't that simple?" Duan Tang replied casually, "Where does the money for ghosts come from? Isn't it the paper money burned by their descendants? Ordinary relatives and friends don't care about burning paper money, so they have to rely on their descendants!"

If no one burns the offerings, that would be terrible; you'd be penniless and unable to move an inch in the underworld.

Money talks, so when you have money, you can always tell your children not to be stingy with money during Qingming Festival, Spring Festival, and memorial days. Burn as much as you can. Inflation is really bad in the underworld, so you need to burn plenty.

As for our ancestors, it's even simpler. Didn't our parents, grandparents, great-aunts, great-great-aunts, and ancestors going back eight generations all pass away early? Now that the birth rate is continuously declining, the line to be reincarnated in the underworld would take at least several hundred years. And there are also those who don't want to be reincarnated. So if one or two ancestors who are doing well go there to recognize their relatives, everything will be settled.

The underworld is no different from the human world; if you want to thrive and grow stronger, you have to stick together!

Are other ghosts trustworthy or blood relatives reliable? Is there even a question? Family lineage is definitely the most dependable. I've heard the Murong family is quite powerful in the underworld, with a large business empire; Mr. Murong certainly won't have to worry about the future.

As long as you maintain enough good karma, you'll still enjoy wealth and luxury over there.

Hearing the same convincing lie that matched his own guesses and understanding, Murong Liangchen felt very comfortable.

But then he remembered that Murong Jiangchen had gone down earlier and gotten there first, and he couldn't help but ask anxiously, "Since you can't live without money in the underworld, can I start burning paper money in my account now to save it? Also, what if our ancestors have gone to reincarnate or abandoned us for some other reason? How will so many of our descendants inherit our property? Does the underworld have any regulations or anything like that?"

"First of all, Mr. Murong, you need to know one thing—the corresponding account is only opened after a person dies. In other words, burning paper money in advance in the human world is useless. No matter how much you burn, it's an empty account and nothing will be deposited. Burning paper money can only happen after a person dies. If you ask me, you'd be better off focusing on performing rituals and ceremonies; that would be much more effective than anything else!"