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The morning sun cast a golden glow over the bustling streets of the city. The air was filled with the lively chatter of merchants hawking their wares and the occasional laughter of passersby. However, in a quiet corner of this world, a much more profound and otherworldly event was unfolding.

"Not bad, even faster than I expected."

Xie Bi'an had just finished sweeping up the wandering spirits. Thankfully, his Soul-Seizing Chains could extend infinitely at will; otherwise, capturing so many souls at once would have been difficult. This also highlighted how much damage Chen Xiuming had caused during his years of cultivation—there simply weren’t that many lost souls roaming around these days for him to capture en masse.

"Thank you, Master. Otherwise, this villain would’ve escaped."

Yāo Yāo’s small face brimmed with gratitude, though she couldn’t help but feel puzzled. She had encountered the Grim Reaper far too often today. The first time in her livestream might have been a coincidence, but what about now?

Her sharp mind quickly pieced things together, and being someone who never hesitated to ask questions, she immediately spoke up.

"Master of Impermanence, did you come looking for me today to deliver some good news?"

At her words, Xie Bi'an paused momentarily. He hadn’t expected Qinghan’s young disciple to be not only clever but bold enough to ask such direct questions. Far from feeling offended, he found himself even more impressed with Yāo Yāo. Without beating around the bush, he smiled and nodded.

"You’re quite sharp. Yes, I’m here to give you a reward. I originally intended to tell you during your livestream earlier, but something came up and delayed it."

After handling matters in the underworld, he sensed Yāo Yāo's presence again and hurried over through the Ghost Gate. Coincidentally, he arrived just as she was being surrounded by a horde of ghosts and took care of them effortlessly.

"Really? Tell me, what’s the reward!"

Seeing him nod, Yāo Yāo grew visibly excited. After all, his answer would determine whether she could soon reunite with Old Daoist Qinghan. Just thinking about it made it impossible for her to stay calm.

Amused by her eagerness, Xie Bi'an chuckled. With a wave of his hand, a neatly folded set of official robes appeared in his palm. The outfit resembled his own attire almost exactly, save for one detail: the tall hat bore no inscription like "Prosperity Upon Sight," remaining blank instead.

Additionally, the uniform came equipped with a Soul-Seizing Chain and a jade-green token.

"The Ten Kings of Hell have reviewed your contributions and decided to grant you the position of an official Grim Reaper."

"This is your Yin Token, along with the Soul-Seizing Chain. With these tools, you’ll be able to traverse both the mortal and spirit realms while still alive."

Noticing the confusion in Yāo Yāo’s eyes, Xie Bi'an patiently explained further. The title of Grim Reaper wasn’t merely honorary—it was an official position within the underworld. Such appointments required approval from the Ten Kings of Hell, underscoring its significance.

There were two main benefits for a living person appointed as a Grim Reaper:

First, they gained access to the Ghost Gates, which could open anywhere in the mortal realm, allowing swift travel across vast distances. This ability far surpassed any ordinary teleportation talisman or technique.

For instance, if she ever encountered someone in dire need during her livestreams, she could use the Ghost Gate to instantly transport herself to their location. Not only would this save time, but it would also ensure safety without worrying about traffic jams.

Second, she now had the authority to carry out duties.

With the Soul-Seizing Chain, dealing with groups of troublesome ghosts became effortless.

Every captured soul counted as part of her official record, and she wouldn’t have to worry about karmic repercussions from accidentally harming innocent spirits.

This advantage effectively cut off escape routes for evil cultivators, making it a significant boon for righteous practitioners.

However, granting such power to a living individual—who would essentially hold authority over both realms—wasn’t taken lightly.

It required extreme caution. Only because of Yāo Yāo’s recent meritorious deeds, coupled with recommendations from Xie Bi'an and Daoist Qinghan, did the Ten Kings agree to confer this honor upon her.

Xie Bi'an showed no impatience as he meticulously outlined the perks of becoming a Grim Reaper. Listening intently, Yāo Yāo’s eyes sparkled with excitement.

She had thought receiving special permission to enter the underworld was already remarkable—but getting promoted? That was beyond her wildest dreams!

"Thank you, Master! We’ll be colleagues now!"

Beaming, Yāo Yāo accepted the items but didn’t put them on immediately.

Instead, she stored everything inside her jade token—a small spatial artifact akin to a storage treasure used by cultivators.

Given how impoverished Huoyun Temple was, she hadn’t previously encountered such a useful tool.

Once she learned its purpose, she couldn’t resist playing around with it, repeatedly storing and retrieving objects just for fun.

Xie Bi'an waited patiently until she finished before continuing.

"Well then, with the items handed over, my mission is complete. If you wish to see the old Daoist, you can visit me in the underworld. Since you likely won’t know your way around the minor hells on your first trip, I’ll guide you there tonight. You’ll get used to it after that."

He offered these instructions to prevent her from wandering aimlessly and potentially causing trouble.

Yāo Yāo didn’t hesitate and promptly declared her intention to go that very night.

Though slightly surprised, Xie Bi'an quickly realized why—after believing they’d been permanently separated, master and disciple were eager to reunite as soon as possible.

Happy to oblige, he nodded slowly. "Very well, come find me when night falls."

Yāo Yāo responded obediently, adding a sweet “thank you” for good measure.

With nothing left to discuss, Xie Bi'an departed, taking the captured souls back to the underworld. Meanwhile, Yāo Yāo ran toward her father and brother.

"Is everything settled?" Gu Yu glanced at the subdued evildoer.

Though he had anticipated the outcome, seeing his sister nod obediently still made the corner of his mouth twitch involuntarily.

"All right, let’s head home and talk more there."

By this point, Gu Xuesong wasn’t idly spectating—he remembered the situation waiting for him at home.

Now that the yin energy had dissipated, mobile signals had returned to normal.

He had already informed his family that everyone was safe, but knowing his wife, she wouldn’t truly rest easy until she saw them in person.

Thus, he didn’t want to waste any more time here.

The assistant’s car was already waiting outside, ready to take them straight home.

"Mm-hmm, let’s go home!" Yāo Yāo agreed enthusiastically, even feeling a bit impatient. She wanted to change into her new uniform, shining brightly, to show Old Daoist Qinghan that she was doing well.

The only remaining complication was the captured evildoer.

However, Yāo Yāo had already notified Uncle Pang, who assured her he’d arrive soon to retrieve him.

Given his superior strength compared to everyone in the Special Operations Team, Yāo Yāo had completely destroyed his dantian, ensuring he wouldn’t cause any further trouble.

"To the two of you, I apologize for dragging you into this ordeal. Later, I’ll send some compensation gifts to your homes."

Gu Xuesong turned to address the two business partners. He believed in taking responsibility where due—if others suffered because of him, he would bear the burden accordingly.

Both men vehemently refused, insisting they didn’t need apologies. After all, they had only been detained for a few hours without sustaining even a scratch. However, their protests fell on deaf ears. Exchanging a glance, they silently hoped the Gu family wouldn’t send overly extravagant gifts.