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Yāoyao shook her head and briefly explained the origins of the souls filling the room.

Since Qingming Daoist had died, these souls were no longer bound by his control, and their consciousness had returned. They glanced at one another, unsure why they were here but too frightened to move. The imposing aura of Xie Bi'an, the White Impermanence, left them trembling.

"So, you're saying these souls were captured to be used in refining the Soul-Seizing Banner, and you saved them?"

Xie Bi'an raised an eyebrow, his tone turning icy.

No wonder the underworld had been receiving complaints from ghostly envoys about failing to meet their quotas in the Book of Life and Death. He had wondered why so many ghosts seemed to be escaping. Now it was clear—most had likely been captured by esoteric practitioners for crafting artifacts.

"Such audacity. The hands of the Daoists have grown far too greedy," Xie Bi'an muttered, irritated. However, he knew this issue couldn't be resolved immediately. The affairs of the living were beyond the jurisdiction of the underworld. Moreover, the Daoist sects were deeply entrenched, with connections as intricate as a rabbit's multiple burrows. These practitioners were not easy to deal with.

With a wave of his hand, Xie Bi'an summoned chains that pierced through the souls like skewers on candied haws. Then, he pulled open a massive gate to the underworld, which creaked as it slowly materialized.

"If you're dead, there's no reason to linger in the mortal realm," he declared.

The souls—ranging from elderly individuals to infants—hearing this, quietly lined up without protest and began walking toward the gates of the underworld. Their previous torment under the Soul-Seizing Banner had been so severe that, while other ghosts feared the underworld, they found it to be a sanctuary. After all, guarded by the Ten Yama Kings and tens of thousands of ghost immortals, even the most ambitious Daoists wouldn't dare extend their reach into the underworld.

Before stepping through the gates, the souls all turned back and bowed deeply to Yāoyao, expressing gratitude for her rescue. Though they were dead and incapable of repaying her kindness in life, this bow was the only gesture they could offer.

Seeing this, Xie Bi'an fell silent. He knew that these souls, having missed their appointed time of death, would now face an uncertain fate. Most would remain indefinitely in the City of Wrongful Deaths, unable to reincarnate until vacancies arose in the Six Paths of Rebirth. Through a lottery system, only the fortunate few would gain the chance to be reborn. This was the sin committed by those who captured souls for their own purposes.

Heaven and Earth kept meticulous records of such transgressions—debts incurred in life were settled after death. Though mortals were insignificant before the vastness of Heaven and Earth, even cultivators were no exception. If every account were settled individually, there would be no end to the reckoning.

Still, Heaven and Earth had their limits. Cross the line, and divine retribution in the form of heavenly thunder would strike without delay.

"You've done the underworld a great service today. I'll report this to the higher authorities. The Ten Yama Kings are sure to reward you," Xie Bi'an said, bowing formally to the little girl. As someone from ancient times, his gesture was exceptionally respectful.

"Lord Impermanence, you're too kind!" Yāoyao waved her tiny hand, her dark eyes earnest. "You've helped me plenty too. We're even now, and I hope we can collaborate more in the future!"

Yāoyao planned to work harder on livestreaming to earn merit. With more connections in the underworld, handling matters involving wandering spirits would become much easier. Despite her young age, she knew better than to neglect building alliances when necessary.

Xie Bi'an's fondness for this little bundle of energy rose significantly. She was humble yet determined, qualities he admired.

"By the way, I forgot to mention last time when I was in a rush to collect souls—your master, Qinghan Daoist, has now become a ghost immortal in the underworld."

Xie Bi'an paused, observing Yāoyao's reaction. "I was going to ask if you wanted to send him a message, but given your recent contributions, it's possible Lord Yama will grant you special permission to enter the underworld. When that happens, you and your master can reunite directly. There's no need for me to relay anything."

Ordinarily, the living were forbidden from entering the underworld, but exceptions existed in this modern era.

"Really?!" Yāoyao's eyes widened in disbelief. She had assumed her old master had already reincarnated. To learn that he had become a ghost immortal was astonishing.

Becoming a ghost immortal meant transcending the Six Paths of Rebirth and achieving eternal longevity. It was an extraordinary feat, requiring personal recognition from Lord Yama, who bestowed upon them sacred talismans and titles. These empowered them to command forces across the ten Yama courts. Even within smaller underworld domains, ghost immortals rivaled the likes of Black and White Impermanence in strength.

Her master, who had only been at the fourth tier during his lifetime, had received unimaginable fortune. More importantly, since he hadn't reincarnated, he remained her master—her master wasn't truly gone!

This realization brought tears to Yāoyao's eyes.

"It's absolutely true," Xie Bi'an reassured her, nodding emphatically, fearing the child might cry if he hesitated.

"If there's any news, Lord Impermanence, please let me know as soon as possible!"

"And if it's still not enough, I'll work hard to gather more merit!"

Yāoyao had completely forgotten her earlier nonchalance about rewards. All she cared about now was seeing her beloved master again.

Xie Bi'an nodded understandingly. Having been raised by Qinghan Daoist, her attachment was natural. Even sages struggled against such deep bonds of affection.

Though the queue of souls was long, they entered the underworld in rapid succession. Within half a cup of tea's time, the room was empty. Xie Bi'an gave a final nod before stepping through the gates. Handling the influx of souls required his presence in the City of Wrongful Deaths.

The room fell silent.

Yāoyao was too excited to sleep. The thought of seeing her old master filled her with anticipation. She wanted to tell him how well she'd fared since leaving the mountain. She now had parents, seven brothers, grandparents, and a loving family who spoiled her with delicious food and beautiful dresses. Knowing this, her master wouldn't worry about her suffering in the mortal realm. Free from concerns, he could focus on cultivating and advancing further. With another powerful ally in the underworld, her position would grow stronger.

"No... I mustn't get too excited. Stay calm!" Yāoyao took a deep breath. The official reward hadn't arrived yet, and if she got her hopes up only to be disappointed, it would crush her.

She decided not to wait idly. She would livestream to earn more merit. Even if this attempt failed, she could accumulate enough achievements through repeated efforts. Besides, with an enemy at the Ren Huang level looming and her longing to see her master, she felt incredibly motivated.

If not for fear of being caught by her mother, she would have dragged her seventh brother into livestreaming immediately. Unfortunately, he hadn't mentioned when the next stream would be. She needed to remind him—he was too lazy.

Pulling out the smartwatch her mother had bought her, Yāoyao sent a voice message to her seventh brother. After finishing, she climbed into bed. Unable to sleep, she started counting sheep on her tiny fingers.

Meanwhile, Gu Yu, fresh out of the shower, heard his phone buzz with a notification. Assuming it was his manager—who had spent half an hour scolding him earlier—he reluctantly checked the message. To his surprise, it was a voice note from his younger sister. Intrigued, he opened it immediately.

A sweet, childish voice echoed through the room: "Big Brother Seven, Big Brother Seven, it's been eight whole hours since our last livestream! You can't slack off tomorrow!"

Gu Yu froze. Had he not recognized the voice, he would have thought it was his manager impersonating her.

What nonsense was this about eight hours? Was he supposed to live like a donkey in a production brigade, endlessly exploited?

Even livestock deserved better treatment than this!