Broadly speaking, the existence of the Yin Netherworld indicates that if a person accidentally or deliberately becomes a ghost after death, they have a land where they can exist and live. With the presence of Nether Qi, ghosts can also begin cultivation.
As time passes, the number of ghosts in the Yin Netherworld increases, with various Ghost Kings vying for dominance, gradually connecting different Yin Netherworld realms and calling it the Netherworld.
In the Netherworld, various Ghost Kings stand tall, some powerful, some weak; they either fight or cooperate, never-ending in their conflicts, and have already started affecting the living world.
Moreover, these ghosts living in the Netherworld are not bound by the rules of the mortal world. Occasionally, they come to the mortal world to absorb some Yang Qi for a taste, causing headaches for the Human World Court.
Thus, to deal with this force that affects their rule and stability, courts of past dynasties have consecrated deceased officials and soldiers, using the Incense and Candle Divine Dao to nourish their souls into spirits, stationing them at City God Temples across various regions, setting up the Underworld to counter ghosts in different Yin Netherworld lands, ensuring life in the mortal world.
After a hundred years of suppressing, with the establishment of a new dynasty, the City God of the previous court becomes the heroic master Ghost King in the Netherworld...
"This... is an endless cycle?"
Daoist Mingzhang shook his head, "It’s an unavoidable situation. Luckily, the Great Jing Dynasty is powerful, having established the nation through martial force, with many soldiers and generals. Now, six hundred years have passed, and many City Gods have reportedly invaded the Netherworld."
Lu Zheng shook his head, thinking what’s the use? Unless they can establish a Ten Halls Yama System like those in Huaxia legends, otherwise...
Alright, Lu Zheng realized that courts of past dynasties of course wanted to do this, but just lacked the strength to make it happen.
Even in Huaxia legends, there are Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva and Emperor Fengdu sitting in the Netherworld, with various malevolent ghosts frequently appearing to harm people.
No matter which world it is, truth is founded on physical prowess.
"Ye Lan King is a Ghost King in the Netherworld near Tonglin County."
Daoist Mingzhang explained, "Though called a Ghost King, in fact, his strength is average, comparable to Tonglin County City God."
"Uh, can ghosts come out of the Netherworld at any time?"
"It’s not that easy. Great Power Warriors can indeed come and go as they please, but regular ghosts still need to take fixed paths, and they generally won’t appear in the mortal world.
After all, besides City Gods specifically targeting them, there are various cultivators in the mortal world; it’s also very dangerous for them to come out."
"Then what about the Corpse Ghost..."
"The Skin Painting Technique can conceal an aura, undetectable by anyone but Great Powers."
"Oh." Lu Zheng nodded, roughly understanding, "What about demons, then?"
He still remembered that Daoist Mingzhang had just mentioned there were demons around Tonglin County!
"Demons..." Daoist Mingzhang thought for a moment, "You’ll know when you encounter them."
After talking for a long time, the sky gradually darkened. Lu Zheng left all of the Corpse Ghost’s belongings at the White Cloud Temple, then respectfully took his leave.
Though today’s matter seemed like a transaction, Lu Zheng actually received great benefits.
Without future troubles, and by exchanging two Techniquesthat he couldn’t use for a Breathing Technique, he also learned about the City Gods and the Netherworld.
So Lu Zheng was very grateful and had already prepared to purchase some gifts that the White Cloud Temple could use from the modern world.
This time, he returned to Tonglin County even later, but without incident.
He sent Uncle Li to rest, then turned back to the bedroom.
Then, the Light of Fortune in the Jade Seal rapidly disappeared in three strands, and suddenly a faint Qi sensitivity rose in Lu Zheng’s Dantian, starting to circulate along the path Daoist Mingzhang had shown him.
"Tsk, actually sensing Qi isn’t all that difficult."
Lu Zheng chuckled, "Enhance again!"
A strand of fortune disappeared, and the Qi in his body grew a bit more.
It was only after the fourth strand of the Light of Fortune was consumed that Lu Zheng reached the period of adaptation.
By this time, the Qi in his body had strengthened significantly.
Lu Zheng stood up, letting the True Qi circulate throughout his body.
He could feel that this True Qi was slowly altering his body, incrementally enhancing his Essence, Qi, and Spirit, making his body healthier, his spirit better, his mind clearer.
And that was just a side benefit, Lu Zheng could sense that the True Qi had even more mystical effects, he just wasn’t capable of using it yet.
No wonder everyone wants to cultivate!
Thus, Lu Zheng didn’t switch back to the modern world but instead washed up on the ancient side and then went straight to sleep.
After acquiring the Breathing Technique, Lu Zheng practiced in both worlds, ultimately arriving at conclusions that were both gratifying and disappointing.
It turned out that one could also cultivate in the modern world, but the progress was so slow it was nearly negligible, with the bit of True Qi being refined from within his own body.
Therefore, Lu Zheng proved two things: first, there existed some kind of gas in the ancient world’s atmosphere that could accelerate cultivation; second, modern cultivation was possible, but hardly effective.
Over the next few days, Lu Zheng surveyed the pharmacies and sugar shops in Tonglin County without any other events occurring, enjoying a rare peaceful period in life.
Later, he heard that a scholar in the county reported to the authorities about a missing girl from his family, but it ended with no result.
"Hmm, a shop in Cong’an Square had a sign up, but they actually wanted two hundred coins."
"Opening a pharmacy really only requires a storefront, but you’d need to hire an experienced elder."
"Opening a sugar shop, however, would require simultaneously acquiring a sugar workshop, as a cover, well, not necessarily, you could pretend to source from a sugar workshop."
"No money... no people..."
Lu Zheng found surveying both sides quite difficult.
No wonder people say entrepreneurship is like poison chicken soup; even with an advantage, he still found it challenging, illustrating the point.
After wandering around the county for a day, Lu Zheng was holding some malt sugar he bought from a store, tossing it in his mouth as he walked.
As he entered an alley, he saw several large carts parked next to his yard, with porters going in and out, carrying boxes inside.
"Oh, the adjacent yard has been bought?"
The street where Lu Zheng lived had standalone courtyards and some shared by several families, as well as empty yards.
Being new and solitary, he only had nodding acquaintances with his neighbors and didn’t have deeper interactions.
Moreover, despite being near the street entrance, the adjacent two courtyards had remained empty and abandoned, with no inhabitants.
It seemed now that the adjacent yard was sold.
As he passed the gate, Lu Zheng glanced inside and saw masons and carpenters working, with an elder appearing to be in his fifties or sixties directing porters on where to place items.
Noticing Lu Zheng with a glance, the elder came out with a smiling face, clasping his hands and greeted, "The old man is surnamed Liu. Could you be Young Master Lu next door? The young old man just visited, but the servant said you were out."
"Greetings, Mr. Liu." Lu Zheng clasped his hands in return.
"I can’t deserve being called ’Master’ by the young master, just call me Elder Liu." The elder said with a chuckle.
Hearing this, Lu Zheng laughed, "Then don’t call me ’Young Master,’ just call me Lu Zheng. Where did you come from, Elder?"
"I’m originally from Yaozhou. Now my family has settled in Tonglin County, planning to open a clinic in the county, and I hope Young Master Lu will kindly watch over us in the future."
"You’re too kind. I’ve just been here for less than a month; we can look out for each other."
After chatting casually for a bit, Lu Zheng took his leave and went back home for a meal.