As she finished speaking, the underworld midwife showed Ye Shaoyang a shiny black peltate badge with a lot of weird symbols on it. His heart sank when he saw the badge.
Old Guo cried out, âItâs impossible. How do you, a spirit of the underworld, own a Spirit Badge? Donât try to deceive us with a fake one!â
The underworld chuckled, âYou can check and verify it.â
When Old Guo planned to check on the badge, Ye Shaoyang stopped him and muttered, âHold on. This is a real Spirit Badge!â
âWhat?!â Old Guo screamed.
Xiao Ma was confused, so he asked, âWhatâs a Spirit Badge for?â
Old Guo lowered his voice and explained to Xiao Ma, âItâs a pass given by the Netherworld Council similar to our identity card. Any spirit who owns a Spirit Badge can travel freely between the mortal world and the underworld without restriction. If they are caught doing harm in the mortal world, and they are willing to give up their cultivation, a sorcerer can only send them back to the underworld instead of killing them. So a Spirit Badge is equivalent to a death-exemption card.â
Xiao Ma could not reconcile the answer and he shouted, âDamn it! It is not fair! How come the Netherworld Council still uses the feudal system in this modern era?â
Old Guo sighed, âSpirits who own a Spirit Badge are usually spirit commissioners working in the mortal world. They will not do any harm but youâŚ.â
Ye Shaoyang frowned and looked at the underworld midwife, âWhere did you get this Spirit Badge?â
The underworld midwife laughed, âHeavenly Master, this is a real Spirit Badge. You know that a Spirit Badge will automatically melt away if one steals it or picks it up somewhere, so you have no right to ask me where I got the badge. Iâve given up all my cultivation now send me back to the underworld. AlasâŚ.â
Ye Shaoyang clenched his jaw and ground his teeth because of this difficult situation.
Xiao Ma cried out, âLittle Ye, you should not release her. Donât you remember how many mothers and babies she had killed? You said you would kill her!â
Old Guo quickly pulled Xiao Ma aside and scolded him, âDonât get him into trouble! Killing a spirit who owns a Spirit Badge will result in a harsh punishment. There is no exception even if he is a Heavenly Master!â
âButâŚ.â Xiao Ma was speechless. Even though he felt dissatisfied with the outcome, he did not want Ye Shaoyang to get in trouble for killing her.
âHeavenly Master Ye, what are you waiting for? Donât tell me you would dare go against the Netherworld Council?â The underworld midwife had lost all of her cultivation. Of course, she would blame Ye Shaoyang. With the Spirit Badge on her, she was deliberately provoking him to get back at him.
âHahaha! Heavenly Master Ye, do you not have the guts to kill me? Let me tell you this. I came to the mortal world four times for the past hundreds of years. Every time, I killed many and separated many pairs of mothers and children. So what? Because of this Spirit Badge, I was sent back to the underworld every time the sorcerer caught me. I donât mind giving up my cultivation and starting all over again.â
Ye Shaoyangâs heart sank when he heard the last sentence. It was okay to release her if she promised to stop killing forever. It was not worth it to break the rules because of his anger. However, what she said next made him even angrier.
âHeavenly Master Ye, after another one to two hundred years, I will regain my cultivation. Then, I will come to the mortal world again and enjoy killing. Do you think you will be still alive? I will not stop killing. Hahaha!!...and at that time--â
âEradicate the evil!â Ye Shaoyang yelled. A purple aura emitted and the Qixing Dragon Sword split her head into two.
The mouth of the underworld midwife was wide opened as she had not finished her words. From her expression, she could not believe that Ye Shaoyang had dared to kill her.
Ye Shaoyang did not say a word. He simply sheathed his sword and stood with an arm akimbo.
With a sinister grin at the underworld midwife, he calmly said, âDid you really think that I didnât have the guts to kill you?â
âYouâŚâ
The underworld midwife wanted to say more, but her body faded quickly along with the Spirit Badge in her hand. She and the badge disappeared into the air leaving only a shining black metal chain on the ground.
âHooray!â Everyone in the operation theater cheered excitedly. In their minds, Ye Shaoyang had become a hero, especially to the young nurses.
Ye Shaoyang felt shy due to the cheering. He picked up the metal chain and passed to Old Guo.
âThis metal chain is a good item. It is made from underworld materials.â
When he finished, he instructed Xiao Ma to gather the ritual tools. Then, he carried Xu Yajuan, who was still unconscious, downstairs.
When Ye Shaoyang walked past Fang Jin, the man gave him a thumbs up and said, âMr. Ye, letâs have dinner together tonight!â
âYou can burn the dinner for me after I pass away.â
Ye Shaoyang shook his head and walked down the stairs without looking back.
When he returned to the hotel room, he laid still on the bed.
Xiao Ma asked nervously, âLittle Ye, what will happen to you? Will you die?â
Ye Shaoyang sighed, âI have killed a spirit who owned a Spirit Badge and disobeyed the rules of Netherworld Council. Within an hour, they will send someone to search for me. They might capture my soul and force me to give my testimony to the Netherworld Council about this incident.â
Xiao Ma became worried, and he muttered, âArenât you scared that you will die once your soul has been captured?â
âIt all depends on the decision of the kings of the Netherworld Council. If they donât let me off, I will die.â
Ye Shaoyangâs answer shocked Xiao Ma and he said, âThen you should fight back. You are so powerful. I donât think even the Hei Bai Wuchang could defeat you.â
[TL note: Hei Bai Wuchang are two deities in Chinese folk religion in charge of escorting spirits of the dead to the Netherworld Council]
Xiao Maâs answer left Ye Shaoyang speechless and he rolled his eyes,
âDonât talk rubbish when you donât know anything. I have a position in the Netherworld Council, but that doesnât mean I can defy the law. I am really in deep trouble now.â
Xiao Ma patted Ye Shaoyangâs shoulder and comforted him, âLittle Ye, donât be sad. What you did today was heroic. If you die, you will live in our hearts forever.â
Ye Shaoyang kicked at him, âShoo! I still donât want to die!â
After he thought for a while, he spoke to Old Guo, âIn another half an hour, the spirit commissioners from the Netherworld Council will come for me. Burn a fragrance near my eyes after I leave. If the tears fall from my left eye, it means Iâm fine. If they fall from my right eye, you must immediately bring my body to my master at Maoshan. He will think of a way.â
Oneâs soul could not communicate with the mortal world through dreams or other methods once the soul was removed from the body. The only way to connect with oneâs body was through basic reflexes.
Old Guo nodded and said firmly, âDonât worry, junior brother. If you canât get back to the mortal world, I will ask the master to go to the underworld and rescue you!â
Ye Shaoyang snorted. If the Netherworld Council planned to hold him back, he would fight back with his full strength. He was only in his early twenties and single. He did not want to die at such a young age.