Immortal of the Nine Realms

”The Division Monarch of the Upper Capital Judgment Division!?”

”Impossible...”

Sharp intakes of breath hissed through the crowd. Some looked stunned, while others flatly refused to believe it.

A Division Monarch held a status of immense weight, someone whom they would likely never meet in their entire lives. Forget the Upper Capital, for the wandering souls or even the Yin Walkers in Baiyue City, how difficult was it just to leave this place? Most couldn’t even afford the Yin Lifespan coins required for travel! And between here and the Upper Capital, how many cities like Baiyue lay in between? Countless.

”That’s too exaggerated. How could he be the Division Monarch of the Upper Capital? If they said someone was just working a job there, that might be believable...”

”No doubt Grand Xia is impressive, but compared to the vast Underworld, it’s no different than a single grain of sand in a desert.”

”Don’t be so quick to doubt. I heard that the Yin Monarch of the Upper Capital Judgment Division is surnamed Jiang, and Grand Xia once had an old minister surnamed Jiang as well.”

”It’s just the same surname, nothing special about that.”

”Then what about the attitude of every major division in Baiyue City toward the Grand Xia royalty?”

The voices died down instantly, the surroundings becoming deathly quiet.

”Right. Why are we standing here guessing? You only need to look at the attitude of the divisions to see the truth. The divisions’ information is bound to be more reliable than ours, isn’t it?”

”Looking at it that way, the Grand Xia royalty must be extraordinary...”

”Hmph, scared now?” The plump youth looked at Fang Chen with a mocking grin. ”Where did this nobody come from, daring to lecture me about the divisions? I’ve seen the people from all the divisions, and they weren’t any different from us. You think they can actually control me? Whether in the Mortal Realm or the Underworld, it all comes down to background. Don’t fight for a moment’s pride, alright?”

The Yin Walker at the Foundation Building Realm couldn’t bear it anymore and started wailing. ”I told you! I told you! But you wouldn’t listen! You’ve ruined yourself, and now you’re ruining me!”

He glared at Fang Chen with a face full of immense grievance. He had already tried to let the matter rest, only to be forcibly dragged back into it by this stranger who appeared out of nowhere.

”When Division Monarch Jiang was alive, he was so upright and incorruptible that he was marginalised for a time and stripped of his authority,” stated Fang Chen calmly. ”Now that he serves in the Judgment Division of the Upper Capital, his integrity is even greater than before. How could he possibly stick his neck out for the likes of you?”

”You speak as if you actually know him,” said the plump youth, unable to stifle a laugh.

Fang Chen sighed softly to himself. He decided it was time to give all Division Monarchs a wake-up call, that these matters needed a thorough rectification. This wasn’t just a problem in Baiyue City. Smaller cities elsewhere likely suffered the same. When the emperor was far away, such behavior became the norm. However, periodic crackdowns could keep the harm to a minimum.

”I’m done wasting words on you,” said Fang Chen to the plump youth.

He had already sensed Fang Cangyue’s aura nearby and planned to pick her up so they could return to the Fang Manor together.

Seeing that Fang Chen intended to leave, the youth wasn’t about to let him go. He motioned for the surrounding wandering souls to block his path.

Fang Chen sighed. ”You really won’t shed a tear until you see the coffin. I had planned to let you enjoy yourself for a few more days.”

He stomped his foot, and a dense cloud of Yin Qi began to condense beside him, instantly taking the form of a middle-aged man wearing nothing but his undergarments.

The crowd was startled, their expressions turning quite peculiar.

A look of daze flashed in Li Badao’s eyes. This time, it took him several breaths to realize what was happening. It was a very familiar feeling. He remembered that the great personage used to summon him exactly like this, but so many years had passed without a summons that he had started entertaining the unthinkable.

”Day Walker Marshall of Five Tiger City, Li Badao, pays respects to Your Excellency!” Li Badao wailed as he kowtowed.

Embarrassing! How freaking embarrassing!

A Day Walker Marshall?

The crowd gasped, staring in disbelief at this middle-aged man in his undergarments.

This guy is a Day Walker Marshall?

To them, whether it was a Yin Monarch from the Upper Capital or a Marshall of the Day Walker lineage, both were unattainable, high-ranking existences. There was effectively no difference!

The minor officials from the various divisions trembled in fear. Some immediately began sending out messages to their superiors.

The plump youth was also stunned, his mind wrestling with the situation.

The Yin Walker of the Foundation Building realm stood with his mouth agape and stared at Fang Chen with utter disbelief.

”Weren’t you in Shuang Ye City before?” mused Fang Chen. ”Ah, you were promoted to Day Walker Marshall, so you had to be reassigned.”

He then looked over Li Badao’s current outfit and teased with a faint smile, ”Back at the brothels again? You must spend a fortune of Yin Lifespan on this hobby every year.”

”Report—Reporting, Excellency... This official was just... just listening to music with a few colleagues. Listening to music...nothing more.” Li Badao gave a hollow laugh. ”If Your Excellency does not believe me, you can summon those colleagues as well...”

If those guys showed up, he wouldn’t be the only one embarrassed. They were likely in the heat of battle right now. If they were brought here, they would definitely draw the fire away from him.

At this thought, a flash of guilt crossed Li Badao’s mind, but he quickly steeled himself. Anyone but me!

He had to let Fang Chen know that his behavior wasn’t the most excessive.

”Enough. Put some clothes on,” instructed Fang Chen flatly.

Li Badao finally snapped back to his senses and hurriedly circulated his yin qi. His Day Walker Marshall Armor materialised, fitting perfectly over his body in an instant. In the blink of an eye, he transformed from a middle-aged man in his undergarments into a majestic and formidable general.

The minor officials from the various divisions were finally certain that the person before them was indeed a high-ranking officer of the Day Walker lineage. They scrambled out from the crowd and dropped to one knee. This salute, however, was directed at Fang Chen. For someone to be able to summon a Day Walker Marshall at will, his status was clear. Even if he wasn’t a Division Monarch, he was an existence second only to one.

The plump youth finally processed what was happening. He stared blankly at Fang Chen before suddenly letting out a forced, nervous laugh.

”This... everything just now was just a misunderstanding. Yes, a misunderstanding! Since it’s cleared up, let’s just leave it at that. There’s no need for Your Excellency to take it so seriously. I... I have business elsewhere, so I’ll be going now.”

Having said that, he jostled his way out of the crowd and attempted to flee in a panic.

”Apprehend him,” ordered Fang Chen.

With a thunderous roar, Li Badao erupted with yin qi. It instantly manifested into iron chains that bound the plump youth and hauled him right in front of him.

”Excellency, how should we deal with this brat?” asked Li Badao with a cupped-fist salute.

The plump youth’s face blanched with terror. ”How could you... how can you...”

”Throw him into the Judgment Division for now. I’ll deal with him after I’ve finished my current business,” said Fang Chen with a dismissive wave.

”Understood!”

Li Badao nodded and prepared to drag the boy away.

The crowd of sycophantic wandering souls who had been surrounding the youth was now standing timidly like wooden chickens. Just then, a shrill voice rang out from outside the crowd.

”Who!? Who dares take my grandson to the Judgment Division!?”

An old woman, leading a large group of wandering souls, came charging in like a grand procession. The moment she saw the plump youth bound in chains, she lunged forward without a word, clawing and scratching at Li Badao.

Li Badao was momentarily stunned. He never expected that while wearing the Day Walker Marshall Armor, a mere ordinary wandering soul would actually dare to attack him. He instinctively looked toward Fang Chen.

”Well, just capture them all,” said Fang Chen nonchalantly.