The swarm of bees carried Chen Shi and Stone Ji Your Ladyship for a long ti, finally arriving at a stretch of land. It was likely an island in the sea of the Southern Abyss, but its area was very large.
On the island, mountain ranges rose layer upon layer, with strange rocks jagged and rugged, displaying an imposing and extraordinary grandeur. The mountains were teeming with ghosts and monsters. They had indigo-blue skin, ferocious and hideous faces, fangs growing from their mouths. They leaned on steel tridents in their hands and wore tattered strips of cloth stripped from corpses, covering their lower bodies.
The minor ghosts Chen Shi had seen at Wuwang Prefect's place would probably look like this when they grew up.
They were much taller than ordinary people. Seeing Chen Shi and Stone Ji Your Ladyship hanging upside down in the air by the bee swarm, they used their steel tridents to poke at Chen Shi and Stone Ji.
Chen Shi hurriedly dodged, nearly getting his stomach stabbed.
Several human-headed bees flew over, slapping at these tridents, and shouted, "The prisoner says he is the master's nephew! If you kill him, you'll be in deep trouble!"
Those ghosts and monsters then stopped poking Chen Shi and went to poke Stone Ji Your Ladyship.
Even though Stone Ji Your Ladyship was unconscious, her entire body was incredibly hard. They couldn't poke through her, so they had to give up.
However, there were too many ghosts and monsters along the way. Every ghost or monster that saw them always wanted to poke them a couple of tis, keeping those human-headed bees busy running back and forth.
Finally, the bee creatures brought Chen Shi and Stone Ji Your Ladyship to an ancient palace complex at the center of this island and set them down.
Chen Shi's body was still paralyzed, unable to move. He could only barely roll his eyeballs.
On the left and right sides in front of the palace complex stood a row of bee-n on each side. They had two legs and four arms, their hands gripping three-pronged forks, standing straight as rods, motionless.
On the plaque above the front of the palace complex were written Ghost Script characters, incomprehensible as to what they said.
At that mont, a large bee with relatively neat attire walked out from inside the palace. It seed like a leader among the bee creatures, several tis larger than the other bee creatures. It had a human head, but with two long antennae on its forehead. It swept a glance over Chen Shi and Stone Ji Your Ladyship and said, "Who are these people?"
"The big-headed one is the prisoner who caused a ruckus in the Southern Abyss. The one next to her is her accomplice," one of the human-headed bees said. "The accomplice says he is the master's nephew."
"The master's nephew?"
That bee official hurried forward, bent down, examined Chen Shi's face, and said in surprise, "He does look like the master's nephew! However, we still need to ask! What is your na?"
Chen Shi could only move his eyeballs.
The bee official said, "Did you poison him?"
The human-headed bee said, "We didn't know he was the master's nephew beforehand, so we used a bit too heavy a hand."
The bee official quickly fed Chen Shi a wax pill. After waiting a mont and seeing Chen Shi could move slightly, he hurriedly asked, "What is your surna and given na? Where are you from? Who else is in your family?"
The muscles in Chen Shi's throat could barely move. Speaking was still sowhat difficult. He managed to say, "I am from Qianyang Mountain in Xinxiang, surnad Chen, given na Shi. There is no one else in my family. I originally had a grandpa nad Chen Yindu, but he has already passed away."
The bee official imdiately said, "It is indeed the master's nephew! Quickly, quickly! Bring more detoxification pills!"
So human-headed bees hurriedly fetched detoxification pills and fed them to Chen Shi.
Chen Shi felt his physical body could barely move, but his Nascent Soul was still paralyzed, unable to budge.
That bee official, bowing his body, used his lower two arms to support Chen Shi as they walked into the palace, saying, "Young master, walk slowly. The servants didn't know your esteed presence was gracing us earlier, so they used a bit too heavy a hand... Soone, hang up that big-headed woman! Young master, this way. Your Nascent Soul is fine. As long as your physical body recovers, you can slowly circulate your blood and qi, use the blood and qi to transport the dicinal efficacy, and detoxify the Nascent Soul."
"Should we whip the big-headed woman?" a human-headed bee asked.
The bee official said, "No need to beat her for now. Wait until the master returns."
Chen Shi said weakly, "The big-headed woman is my friend. Can you spare her?"
The bee official hesitated for a mont and said, "She broke the rules of our Underworld Bee Mansion. This Southern Abyss is under the managent of our Underworld Bee Mansion... Forget it. Considering young master's face, put her down first, force-feed her two liang of detoxification pills, but don't completely detoxify her. Lest she gets up and causes a scene."
The bee creatures accepted the order and left.
The bee official supported Chen Shi as they walked through a vermilion-red long corridor. Many bee-won ca over. Their clothes were like green gauze. They had won's faces, graceful figures, slender bee-like waists. They said one after another, "Chief Clerk, let us attend to the young master."
"Thank you for your trouble," the bee official said. "You support the young master, feed him so honey water, let him sleep a bit, and detoxify."
The bee-won assented, supporting Chen Shi to co to a fragrant chamber. The room was fragrant, the bedding as soft as clouds. They placed Chen Shi on the bed, supported his waist, and fed him so honey water.
The bee-won lowered the gauze curtains and stood guard outside them.
Chen Shi fell into a drowsy sleep, broke out in a heavy sweat, and the poison on his body was expelled along with the sweat.
He sat up and saw that, at so point, his clothes had been changed. His original clothes had many holes pierced by the poisonous stingers, so presumably those bee-won had changed them while he was asleep.
He circulated his blood and qi to detoxify the poison in his Nascent Soul.
A girl's voice ca from outside the gauze curtains: "Has the young master awakened? Do you wish to get up and bathe? This servant will have soone prepare water."
Chen Shi said, "I'm detoxifying my Nascent Soul. No need to prepare water urgently."
That girl walked forward, lifted the gauze curtains, and hung them on the golden hooks on the left and right. She smiled and said, "The master has already returned and is waiting to see the young master. Young master can bathe while detoxifying."
She was that kind of girl with an extrely graceful waist-to-body proportion, possessing a delicate and pretty face, smiling charmingly.
If not for the two antennae growing on her forehead, one would think she was a human girl.
Her movents were also quick. Two hands supported Chen Shi, while the other two helped Chen Shi straighten his clothes.
Chen Shi got off the bed and found a pair of new shoes on the floor, presumably also changed by the bee-won.
The bee-woman supported Chen Shi as they walked to another room. In that room, several bee-won had already brought hot water and poured it into a large wooden tub.
By the ti Chen Shi walked over, the water in the tub was nearly full.
That bee-woman then wanted to undress him. Chen Shi hurriedly protected the waistband of his trousers, pleading, "Sister, I'll do it myself!"
The bee-woman laughed, "Young master, why are you shy? Earlier, it was also this servant who changed your clothes. What haven't I seen?"
Chen Shi's face flushed with embarrassnt, saying, "Good sister, just let undress myself."
The bee-woman laughed, "Alright, alright! You do it yourself."
"You go farther away, don't look."
The bee-woman complied and ca behind the screen, laughing, "I won't look at you."
After a while, she couldn't help but say, "Young master, I've already seen it earlier."
Chen Shi, his face flushed red, took off his clothes and entered the bathing tub.
That bee-woman, hearing the sound of water, then walked out from behind the screen. Chen Shi said in a panic, "What are you coming in for? Go out, quickly go out!"
"Of course to help the young master bathe," the bee-woman said with a giggle. "If I don't help you wash, how will you have ti to refine away the poison in your Nascent Soul?"
Chen Shi's face was red, feeling awkward and uneasy as he sat in the bathing tub. That bee-woman took a silk handkerchief and helped him wipe his body, laughing, "Young master is also a cultivator, so why is your mind restless and wandering? I've heard the master say that cultivators should remain unperturbed even if Mount Tai collapses before them, wander among flowers without being tainted, see beauty without being moved. Why is young master's heart thumping wildly?"
Hearing this, Chen Shi felt a chill in his heart and said, "I am taught."
Having said that, he let her help wipe his body, while he himself focused entirely on circulating his blood and qi to refine away the remaining toxins in his Nascent Soul.
This bee poison was likely a rare poison refined through countless trials by the bee swarm. It probably contained poisonous miasma from the underworld. After being hit, the whole body would beco paralyzed, even the soul would be affected. It was extrely potent.
However, Chen Shi had already taken a large amount of detoxification pills, replacing the poisoned blood and qi in his Nascent Soul. He quickly neutralized the toxins in his Nascent Soul.
He opened his eyes and said, "Sister, what place is this?"
The bee-woman laughed, "Young master must not call sister. My na is Feng Linger. Young master can call Linger."
She paused and said, "This place is called the Southern Abyss Bee Mansion. It is the residence of the Bee Marshal among the underworld marshals."
"Bee Marshal among the underworld marshals?"
Chen Shi was quite puzzled and said, "What are all the underworld marshals?"
"The generals and marshals of the underworld include the Day and Night Wandering Gods, Black and White Impermanence, Ox-Head and Horse-Face, Ghost Kings, Leopard Tail, Bird Beak, Fish Gill, and Yellow Hornet. The Bee Mansion is the residence of the Bee Marshal."
Feng Linger helped him scrub his chest while smiling, "The master is an underworld marshal. He has military authority in the underworld, in charge of the life, aging, sickness, and death of the insect class."
Chen Shi was confused and said, "Linger, has Uncle A Zhuo already passed away? Otherwise, why would he be a Bee Marshal in the underworld?"
Feng Linger shook her head, "The master is in the pri of his life, how could he have passed away?"
Chen Shi still didn't understand. Feng Linger smiled and said, "Although the master is a person of the yang world, he can exercise the divine authority of the underworld in the yang world."
Chen Shi's heart stirred slightly. He had heard his grandpa say that in this world, so people, not yet dead, already hold positions in the underworld while in the yang world. For example, there are people in the yang world who serve as ghost catchers or underworld officers, helping the underworld capture those fierce ghosts that have escaped into the yang world to cause trouble.
Such people are called living underworld officers, living Impermanence.
There are also so people whose lifespan limit has arrived, but they rely on various arts to evade death. Therefore, living underworld officers and living Impermanence are needed to capture them and bring them to the underworld for trial.
Chen Shi had only heard of this before. He never expected that the beekeeper A Zhuo was such a living underworld marshal.
"By the way, Nannan's previous incarnation seed to be a living Yama in the Ancestral Land, the Divine Continent. She beca the King of Hell while still alive," Chen Shi thought to himself.
"Young master, lift your leg. I'll help you scrub your leg," Feng Linger said.
Chen Shi hurriedly said, "No need!"
Feng Linger said, "Then stand up. I'll help you scrub."
Chen Shi's face flushed red. He stamred, "Linger, I'll wash myself."
Feng Linger chuckled, "You, also a cultivator, why is your mind restless and wandering again? Fine, wash yourself."
She handed the silk handkerchief to Chen Shi and walked behind the screen.
Chen Shi hurriedly stood up and scrubbed himself. He had sweated, and his body had expelled a lot of sweat mixed with toxins and filthy blood, emitting a foul sll. He really needed a good scrub.
After Chen Shi finished scrubbing and wiped the water off his body, he stepped out of the bathing tub to get his clothes.
Feng Linger, hearing the sound, then erged from behind the screen, smiling, "Young master, let help you dress."
Chen Shi hurriedly covered his lower body, turned his back, and shouted, "Go back, you go back quickly!"
Feng Linger giggled, "Blocking what? I've already seen everything I needed to see earlier!"
Seeing Chen Shi about to jump back into the bathing tub, she quickly said, "I won't help, I won't help. That set of clothes earlier was what you wore while sleeping. It's soaked with sweat and can't be worn anymore. This servant has prepared new clothes for young master. Young master, change into this set."
She brought over a set of new clothes and placed them on the stool beside Chen Shi.
Chen Shi hurriedly turned his back to her.
Feng Linger, seeing his pale white buttocks, felt a mischievous urge arise. She gave it a slap and ran off, giggling.
Chen Shi looked back, saw she had gone far away, and only then felt relieved. He put on the clothes one by one. However, after putting on the inner clothes, Feng Linger walked in again with a smile, helping him put on the outer straight robe and straightening the lapels.
She then led him to a dressing table, combed his hair for him, tied up his hair, put on a small golden crown, and inserted a short golden hairpin.
Chen Shi stood up. She then took a red silk ribbon, helped Chen Shi tie his waist, and hung a peace jade pendant at his waist.
After being tidied up by her, Chen Shi looked in the mirror. In the mirror was a handso young man of heroic bearing and graceful deanor. Unconsciously, he smiled at himself in the mirror.
"Young master, follow this servant."
Feng Linger led Chen Shi out of the room, through a long corridor, past several large halls, and arrived at a study. She stopped outside, bowed slightly, and said, "Master, the young master has arrived."
"Co in," a deep voice ca from inside the study.
Feng Linger pushed open the door and looked at Chen Shi.
Chen Shi's heart skipped a beat, and he couldn't help but mutter to himself.
Before his grandpa passed away, he had said his friend A Zhuo was around the Great South Lake area and was the most righteous. But Granny Sha had said that the beekeeper A Zhuo was contaminated by an evil spirit ten years ago and turned into a great evil spirit.
Now, finally about to et this friend of his grandpa's, he couldn't help feeling apprehensive.
Chen Shi steadied his mind and walked into the study.
In the study stood rows of bookshelves. On the shelves crouched indigo-blue minor ghosts, hanging upside down on the bookshelves, holding writing brushes in their hands, writing and drawing in books.
The minor ghosts on the bookshelves glanced at him, then withdrew their gazes, licked their brushes, and continued writing.
A young man with broad shoulders stood among the bookshelves, holding a scroll of a book in his hand, frowning as he studied it, but as if encountering so difficulty.
Seeing him walk in, that young man's frown smoothed out. He looked Chen Shi up and down, put down the book, walked forward, placed both hands heavily on Chen Shi's shoulders, gripped his shoulders, looked him up and down again, and laughed, "Little Ten, you've finally decided to co find this uncle of yours!"
"Your nephew pays respects to Uncle A Zhuo!" Chen Shi bowed.
A Zhuo helped him up, laughing, "Between uncle and nephew like us, we don't bother with these worldly rituals. The last ti I saw you, you were still in the coffin, lifelike. It's just that in recent years, I've had many official duties and no ti to go to Qianyang Mountain to see you."
He had thick eyebrows and big eyes, possessing a simple, honest quality, carrying a sense of boldness. He got straight to the point: "How is your grandpa?"
Chen Shi said gloomily, "Grandpa has passed away. He went to the underworld."
A Zhuo was stunned for a mont, then clapped his hands and laughed, "Well done dying."
Chen Shi looked up at him in surprise.
"His physical body had long been refined to indestructibility. After death, his physical body also descended to the underworld. Perfect timing to look for ."
A Zhuo looked at him expectantly, smiling, "When did your grandpa pass away?"
"It's already been over half a year," Chen Shi said.
"Over half a year already?"
The expectation in A Zhuo's eyes vanished, replaced by so disappointnt. He said, "He hasn't co to visit in over half a year... Before he passed, did he ntion ?"
Chen Shi hurriedly said, "He did. Grandpa said Uncle A Zhuo was the most righteous, his close friend, and told many stories about his past with uncle. He also said that if I encountered difficulties, I should co find uncle. Uncle would definitely help."
A Zhuo revealed a smile, murmuring, "I knew he hadn't forgotten . He went to the underworld but didn't co looking for . He must have been held up by other matters!"
His spirits lifted, and he laughed, "Forget about reading this Ghost Script. It's rare for uncle and nephew like us to et. We must drink until we're drunk!"
Chen Shi said, "I don't know how to drink alcohol..."
"No matter, no matter. The wine of the underworld is just so bland-tasting water."
A Zhuo walked outward, laughing, "How old are you this year?"
"Twelve. I'll be thirteen after the New Year."
"You've forgotten, you also died for eight years! You're twenty this year, about to be twenty-one!"
A Zhuo laughed, "I was ten when I t your grandpa, and then he got dead drunk! You're twenty, you can drink!"
"Ten years old?"
Chen Shi muttered, "My grandpa really is a beast..."
"Don't you praise him. He's clearly worse than a beast." A Zhuo roared with laughter.
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