The afterlife blew up Gensokyo

"That's too much trouble! It's not my card anyway... Don't hit someone in the face!!"

He uttered a series of utterly scum-like words with self-righteous indignation, and Heca hurriedly raised his two heads to protect his eyes.

Although she was the supreme god of Hell and the Underworld, Heka didn't think she could defeat her opponent in a real fight. The guy in front of her was a terrifyingly strong monster who had appeared out of nowhere. If she didn't know that the Dragon God was someone else, she would have almost mistaken him for the Dragon God.

"Sometimes I think you are a disgrace to the gods."

Shi Bai glanced at the other person and slowly gathered up the coins on the table.

Even a mosquito bite is still meat, and there's at least 1000 yuan here. At worst, I can borrow some more money from Siji later. The Right and Wrong Hall provides food and lodging, and there aren't many places to spend money normally... Siji must have saved a lot of money over the years, right?

Besides, it's a little embarrassing for an older brother to borrow money from his younger sister, but...

Glancing at the useless goddess in front of him, Shi Bai felt that as long as she served as a reference, being embarrassed shouldn't concern him...

"Ok?"

Shi Bai reached out and picked up a pair of glasses from the table, raising an eyebrow.

"How come this thing is still with you?"

"You clearly threw this here yourself last time, okay? I don't know what it's for..."

With a pained expression, Heca watched as his money disappeared bit by bit from the table, and gave a dry response.

“LV 0…”

After putting on the glasses and glancing at Heca, Shi Bai pondered for a moment before handing the glasses to Heca.

"Put on these glasses and look at me."

"Oh……"

Reluctantly, Heca took the glasses and put them on.

"They're pretty much the same as the others I've seen before. They all have a number inexplicably above their heads. Your number is two, and there's a little hint next to it... Wait, why don't the others have this hint?"

Heca reached out and took off his glasses, a strange look on his face.

"What was that message from Rick...?"

Having vaguely guessed what kind of shady eyes those were, Shi Bai patted his head with a headache and asked Heka for an answer.

"Oh, look closely, this is the ultimate disgrace."

"........."

P.S.: There was a little accident a few days ago, updates will resume as normal from now on ╰（‵□′）╯

Chapter Fifteen: Saigyouji Yuyuko's Thoughts

The underworld, a hall of right and wrong.

"...Borrow money?"

Looking at her boss Heca, who had been forcibly dragged over by Shi Bai, Shiki Eiki's expression was somewhat subtle after finishing a day's work.

"That's right, thanks to this guy, I'm now a million dollars in debt."

After pouring himself a cup of tea and taking a sip, Shi Bai reached out and grabbed a certain goddess who was sneaking towards the door.

"But for some reason, I need money right now, so could I borrow some from you?"

"Well……"

After thinking for a moment, Shiki Eiki solemnly opened the drawer, reluctantly took out a small iron box from it, and then, under someone's complicated gaze, ran all the way to place the iron box in his hands.

"Although I did save some money, all of it was borrowed by Yuyuko. This is some extra pocket money I've saved up. Do you think it's enough, brother?"

"...That's enough."

With a strange sense of guilt, Shi Bai reached out and took the small iron box with mixed feelings.

"By the way, it's rare for you to come back, brother. How about we go to Baiyulou for dinner together later?"

Seeing that Shiki had accepted the box, Shiki Eiki seemed much happier. She pulled Heka towards the inner room with practiced ease, and then turned back to talk to Shiki.

"Speaking of which, although Konpaku Youki's cooking is quite good, it's been a long time since I've had your cooking, brother... Please wait a moment."

"Oh……"

Ignoring Hecana's desperate pleading eyes, Shibai waved dryly at Shiki Eiki.

As for Heca... who is Heca, by the way?

"I feel like the guilt I feel has piled up to an unbearable level..."

Shiki Eiki opened the small metal box that Shiki Eiki had handed him. Looking at the scattered coins and loose change inside, Shiki's lips twitched slightly. He then poured out the coins from the metal box and put in the more than 1000 yen that he had previously scavenged from Heka.

After doing all that, he put the metal box back into the drawer.

He felt he couldn't bring himself to steal his sister's hard-earned allowance...

...But speaking of which, is Baiyulou so desperate that it needs to borrow money from Siji?

Turning his head to look in the direction of Bai Yulou, Shi Bai looked thoughtful.

..................................................................

The Jade Pavilion is a rather special place in the underworld.

The specialness referred to here is not only due to the hidden meanings represented by Baiyulou, but also to the scenery of Baiyulou that is completely different from other places in the underworld.

In the underworld, you can't see blue skies and white clouds, let alone experience sunshine, rain, snow, wind, and frost. Whether it's hell or the underworld, the sky is always a cold and indifferent void.

In the underworld, the dwelling place of the dead, there is no rising and falling of the sun, moon, and stars, nor the changing of the four seasons in the world... except for the White Jade Pavilion.

Thanks to the system that Shi Bai secretly removed from the [Cross-Border Train], within the Baiyulou area, spring, summer, autumn, winter, rain, snow, wind, frost, sunshine, and dew are all present.

Every spring when the cherry blossoms bloom, Hakugyokuro opens its doors to everyone in the underworld for a grand cherry blossom viewing banquet. That time of year is often the liveliest time in the underworld.

"Well... because Baiyulou needs to cover the daily living expenses and food costs for three people, it has been in a financial deficit for a long time. There's nothing we can do about it..."

Sitting under the eaves, waving her folding fan, Saigyouji Yuyuko nodded very seriously.

"So you guys need to learn to increase revenue and reduce expenditure. With such a large Baiyulou, how can you just sit around and eat your savings away?"

Lying on the tree trunk with his arms crossed, Shi Bai rolled his eyes.

"Speaking of which, what about Youki and Youmu?"

"Hmm... at this time, Youki should still be teaching Youmu swordsmanship, right?"

Looking up at the sky, Saigyouji Yuyuko gave a somewhat uncertain answer.

"Speaking of which, it's been so many years since we last met. Where have you been? Zi hasn't come for a long time either."

"For things like this, you can ask Zi Ma yourself when she comes over later."

Shrugging, Shi Bai simply lay down on the tree trunk.

"Let me know when Siji is coming. I'm going to take a nap now. I guess she'll be lecturing me for a while... Hmm, what's up? Is something the matter?"

Shi Bai caught a small stone thrown towards him and looked down with a slightly puzzled expression.

"What, it's been so long since we last met, can't we just have a little chat?"

With her folding fan open to cover half her face, Saigyouji Yuyuko looked slightly displeased.

"And what about the fan I gave you before?"

"A fan? Here."

Shi Bai took out the black folding fan that Saigyouji Yuyuko had given him earlier and gestured slightly to Saigyouji Yuyuko below.

"After all, I'm not Zi Ma, so it feels weird to be holding a fan in my hand..."

"That's something I gave you."

"Westward journey" was Yuyuko's indignant opening statement.

"I know, I didn't lose it..."

After thinking for a moment, Shi Bai jumped down from the tree, but instead of sitting under the eaves, he sat down at the stone table under the tree.

"Chatting is fine too... So, after all these years, are you getting used to living here at Baiyulou?"

"It's a habit, I guess. After all, people always have to learn to get used to certain things... Is it really necessary to sit so far apart when we're just chatting?"

Slightly speechless, Saigyouji Yuyuko, dressed in a pink dress, stood up from under the eaves and followed her to sit down at the stone table.

"Distance makes the heart grow fonder..."

Shi Bai shifted his gaze to the cherry blossom trees around him and asked Saigyouji Yuyuko with a hint of curiosity.

"You managed to bring all these cherry blossom trees to life? I remember that the cherry blossom trees planted here at Baiyulou used to never bloom."

"The underworld is the dwelling place of the dead. The breath of life cannot exist in the underworld. Theoretically, it is impossible to make these cherry blossom trees bloom. However, I was inspired by the red spider lily and found other ideas."

Looking at the cherry blossom trees on both sides, Saigyouji Yuyuko gave a slightly smug reply.

"These cherry blossom trees now are theoretically the same as the spider lilies, becoming a plant that can only survive in the underworld. I call them underworld cherry blossoms... but in reality, they are all the same. It's almost winter now. If you come in the spring, you might still be able to see the cherry blossoms. That's when Hakugyokurou is at its most beautiful."

"I'll come again next time I'm going to see the cherry blossoms."

Some thoughts vaguely crossed his mind, and Shi Bai nodded.

"I initially thought you might have some trouble adjusting to life in the underworld, but it seems to be going quite well now."

"So many years have passed, and even if I wasn't used to it at first, I've gotten used to it now."

Closing her folding fan, Saigyouji Yuyuko smiled.

"It's truly unbelievable. In the blink of an eye, I've spent hundreds of years in the underworld. This is a long period of time that I could never have imagined when I was a human."

"So at that time, you shouldn't have chosen to recall all the memories."

Seemingly noticing the somber expression on Saigyouji Yuyuko's face, Shi Bai shook his head almost imperceptibly.

"Having lived in the desolate underworld for so many years with memories of your human life, I'm honestly worried that some problems might arise here."

"...Actually, the underworld is quite lively here too."

After a moment of silence, Saigyouji Yuyuko spoke softly.

"Although life in the underworld is mostly peaceful, that's enough... Thank you for everything here."

"Huh? What's the matter?"

Shi Bai raised an eyebrow.

"Let me still be able to see blue skies and white clouds, and enjoy sunshine and rain."

Looking up, Saigyouji Yuyuko gazed at the sky through the gaps in the leaves.

“I didn’t quite understand before, but now I realize that Bai Yulou’s specialness is unique in the Underworld… Although it’s in the Underworld, I’ve found the feeling of living in the human world.”

"Ha... It's nothing, no need to worry about it. For me, it's just a small favor."

Rubbing his slightly sore eyes, Shi Bai waved his hand.

When he was in the Demon World, he hadn't slept for several days in a row. After returning to Gensokyo, he originally wanted to catch up on his sleep, but then Aya Shameimaru and the others came knocking on his door again, and then he followed them to the Underworld without stopping... Everyone needs to rest, right?

Shi Bai completely ignored the fact that he was no longer human.

"It's still early. If you want to go to the human world... it will probably be another hundred years or so. After Gensokyo is repaired, you will be able to travel freely between Gensokyo and the Underworld."

After briefly estimating the time in his mind, Shi Bai nodded.

"Not now. If I were to take you into the real world to play now, Heka would definitely come looking for trouble with me every day."

"Aren't the dead unable to go to the world of the living?"

After hearing Shi Bai's assurance, Saigyouji Yuyuko was slightly taken aback.

"Aren't the living still unable to enter the world of the dead? Do you think I'm dead? Rules aren't meant to restrict the strong, but to protect the weak."

With the black folding fan tucked behind his collar, Shi Bai yawned and simply lay down on the stone table.

"Don't worry, there's nothing in this world I can't do. Just tell me what you want to do, and feel free to ask for anything. It's just a small favor..."

"........."

Looking back at Shi Bai, who was slumped over the table, Saigyouji Yuyuko didn't say anything. Instead, she raised her head again and looked up at the sky.

White clouds linger.