Chapter Twenty-Four: The Mysterious Mission

Just as Xuan was about to head to the King of the Underworld, his phone rang again. On the other end, the internal intelligence unit’s operator spoke: “An informant has tipped us off about a spirit named Huang Garfield. At 2 a.m., it will illegally enter from Nanjiang Road, and it’ll be smuggling a batch of prohibited goods into M City. Agents nearby are to set up roadblocks and intercept. Report any developments immediately.”

Xuan hurried downstairs and shouted in the middle of the supermarket, “Xiao Deng, Xiao Deng, Xiao Deng, Xiao Deng!”

In an instant, four waiters of varying heights and builds appeared.

Xuan barked, “You all heard the mission briefing just now! Go set up roadblocks at your designated locations. Report anything unusual at once.”

All four responded in unison and vanished in a flash.

Xuan swaggered down to the basement, entered through a hidden door, and was instantly enveloped in a swirl of black mist. When he opened his eyes, he was somewhere else entirely. The surroundings were dark and reeked of blood; the river nearby roiled with a blackish-red liquid. The pedestrians on the roadside were as grotesque as could be imagined.

On his way to the King of the Underworld’s office, Xuan ran into Ox-Head.

Ox-Head exclaimed, “Long time no see, Xuan! What brings you down here today with time to spare?”

Xuan sighed, “Don’t even mention it. The King of the Underworld summoned me. By the way, do you know what he wants with me today?”

Ox-Head glanced around, rubbing his thumb and forefinger together.

Xuan pulled out a wad of cash and handed it over. Ox-Head pocketed it without hesitation, his sly ox face leaning in, forcing Xuan to take a few steps back.

Ox-Head whispered, “Hey, relax. The King’s gotten hooked on video games these days—maybe he called you to play with him! But you’d better be careful. He’s terrible at them, loses every round, and every loss makes him more irritable. So, mind your step. As for anything else, I’m not sure.”

Xuan replied, “Alright, got it. But you really are a tough bargainer. That’s enough talk, I’m off.”

He turned and left. It was best not to linger with Ox-Head; otherwise, he’d bleed you dry. Soon, Xuan arrived outside the King of the Underworld’s office. Two imposing beauties stood at the door. As Xuan approached, they greeted him with bright smiles and opened the doors.

One of the guards grinned, “Boss Lady’s been waiting for you.”

Xuan nodded and walked straight in. Sure enough, the King of the Underworld sat grandly at a computer, gaming away. Seeing Xuan enter, he merely nodded in acknowledgment.

“Find a seat,” said the King. “How’s your injury healing?”

“Nothing serious,” Xuan replied. “Boss Lady, what’s the mission this time that you had to call me personally?”

“No rush,” the King replied. “Play a couple rounds with me first. The others are still sorting the details. I’ll fill you in once they’re done.”

Reluctantly, Xuan sat at another computer to queue up with him. Truth be told, the King of the Underworld really was a terrible player—every match was a disaster. Fortunately, their other teammates made up for it, so out of six games, they won three.

After the sixth game, Judge Lu entered, carrying a stack of files.

“Your Majesty, here’s the information for the mission,” said Judge Lu.

Xuan’s jaw dropped at the pile, nearly as tall as a person. What kind of mission was this? It seemed anything but straightforward. The King of the Underworld put down his headset, skimmed through a few pages, and waved Judge Lu away. Xuan walked over as well.

“Xuan, take a look at these files first,” said the King.

As Xuan flipped through the first few folders, his confusion only deepened. All the people—no, ghosts—documented here had been prominent figures in their time: war heroes, great scholars, or business magnates. What did any of this have to do with him?