Courtyard House: Time Traveler Not Yet a Ghost

This world is truly vast; even with his divine sense fully extended, he could only scan a small portion of it. Moreover, it's incredibly ancient, filled with dilapidated temples and stone tablets dating back countless years, inscribed with unreadable characters. Before, without an underworld, the souls of the dead had nowhere to go, and many with heavy resentment became vengeful ghosts, harming people in the mountains and causing widespread fear. Now, things are better. An underworld has been built, and ghost messengers patrol daily, capturing any vengeful ghosts they encounter. Those wandering spirits now have a place to belong. Peace is slowly returning to the human world; people dare to go out at night, and the crops in the fields are growing well.

He Damin felt like he had done something pretty remarkable, but he couldn't say for sure what the specific consequences would be.

A month passed like this. One morning, He Damin was feeding the chickens in the yard when he suddenly sensed someone coming. He looked up and saw a woman standing at the entrance of the valley.

The woman was truly beautiful, wearing a white dress, with very long hair cascading over her shoulders. Her skin was as white as snow, and her eyes were as bright and clear as well water. He Damin's heart skipped a beat; this woman's cultivation was unfathomable, and he couldn't see through her at all.

The woman walked towards him, her steps light and airy, barely touching the ground. She circled the yard, glancing at the chickens, then at the flowers, finally looking at He Damin, and smiled, her voice like a silver bell. "You're the one who completed the underworld?"

He Damin put down the chicken feed he was holding and frowned. "Who are you?"

"My name is Bai Su, and I am the Heavenly Dao Messenger of this world." Bai Su said, walking up to him and looking him up and down. "You have done well, and the Heavenly Dao is very satisfied."

"If you're satisfied, then you're satisfied. So what?" He Damin was a little wary. There's no such thing as a free lunch. Giving so much merit probably meant there was something fishy going on.

Bai Su didn't beat around the bush and said directly, "So, Heaven sent me to ask you if you are willing to become the Lord of the Underworld in this realm?"

"The Lord of the Underworld?" He Damin was taken aback. "What does he do?"

"He is in charge of the underworld, the six realms of reincarnation, and the destination of all souls. Simply put, he is the emperor of the underworld," Bai Su explained.

He Damin fell silent. This official position sounded prestigious, but it must have involved a lot of work. After thinking for a long time, he finally blurted out, "I have a wife and children." Back on Earth, he lost his wife and children, and this had become a thorn in his side.

Bai Su chuckled. "What's the impact? You can still live in the human world and spend time with your wife and kids. It's just an extra part-time job; it won't interfere with anything."

He Damin was still a little hesitant. "I need to think about it."

"Okay, no rush." ​​Bai Su nodded, not urging him. "Heaven awaits your news." After saying that, she swayed and disappeared like smoke.

He Damin stood in the courtyard, looking at the valley entrance, his mind a jumble of thoughts. Becoming the Lord of the Underworld? It sounded prestigious, but also quite troublesome, right?

"Brother Da Min." Chen Xueru came out of the house, walked to his side, and gently tugged at his hand. "Don't you want to do it?"

He Damin held her hand and sighed. "It's not that I don't want to, it's just... I can't make up my mind."

"What are you unsure about?"

"I'm not sure if this is the path I should take." He Damin looked at her. "Back on Earth, I was just an ordinary person who just wanted a wife, kids, and a warm bed. Then something happened, and that's how I ended up on this path. Now you want me to be some kind of Lord of the Underworld, managing so many souls? I'm afraid... I can't do it well."

Chen Xueru leaned on his shoulder, her voice soft. "Brother Damin, whatever you choose, I'll be with you. If you want to be in charge, I'll help you manage it; if you don't want to, we can find a beautiful place with clear waters and green mountains and continue growing flowers and raising chickens, that would be nice too."

He Damin's heart suddenly felt lighter. Yes, with Xue Ru by his side, what was there to fear? He smiled, pulled Chen Xue Ru into his arms, and held her tightly. The wind blowing through the valley carried the fragrance of the roses in the yard, and the scent of sunshine, warm and comforting. He looked up at the faintly visible underworld above, where those once homeless souls now had a place to go. Perhaps, this was his mission. To continue what he hadn't finished on Earth. And this time, he wasn't alone.

"Xue Ru".

"Um?"

I said yes.

Chen Xueru suddenly looked up, her eyes wide: "Really?"

"Really." He Damin lowered his head and kissed her forehead. Sunlight shone on the two of them, gilding them with a layer of gold. "There has to be someone in this world who takes care of where those souls go. Now that I've started this, I should do it well." He paused, then squeezed his wife's hand. "Besides, being the Lord of the Underworld might even help you cultivate to the Great Ascension stage sooner."

"Pah, who needs your help?" Chen Xueru scolded playfully, but couldn't help but smile. She reached out and punched him lightly. "I can manage on my own."

He Damin laughed heartily, picked her up, and spun her around. The old hen in the yard was startled and clucked, flapping its wings and running all over the yard. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting dappled light on the ground. In the distance, the halo of the Six Paths of Reincarnation flowed quietly. The chill of the eighteen levels of hell was neutralized by the warmth of the valley, creating a strange tranquility.

"So from today onwards, I am the Lord of the Underworld in this realm?" He Damin put Chen Xueru down, looked at her flushed cheeks, and suddenly felt that the title was not so heavy.

"Yes!" Chen Xueru nodded vigorously, her eyes sparkling. "From now on, I'm the Lady of the Underworld!"

"Hey, you little rascal." He Damin flicked her nose, his hesitation long since vanished. What did mission matter? Being able to live a good life with those around him, managing this underworld well, and giving all the wandering ghosts a place to belong—that was enough.

In the distance, a white cloud drifted lazily across the sky; the sun shone brightly, and life was peaceful. The newly appointed Lord of the Underworld, leading his wife, chased after a lost hen in the courtyard. Their clucking laughter mingled with the hen's squawking, carrying far and wide through the valley. Deep within the Underworld, the cycle of reincarnation turned even more steadily. On the instruments of torture in the eighteen levels of hell, runes shimmered with a soft golden light. Even the tormented ghosts seemed to have lessened their resentment and gained a more resigned calm.

On the tenth day after the Underworld was built, the mist in the valley carried the unique coolness of early morning. He Damin stood at the head of the Bridge of Helplessness, watching the River of Oblivion flowing slowly beneath the bridge. A few eerie blue ghost lights floated on the surface, much like the fireflies he had seen in the countryside when he was a child. He stretched, his joints making a slight crackling sound. Although this body had already reached the peak of the Tribulation Transcending stage, it still occasionally made some habitual mortal movements.

"I should go out for a walk," he muttered to himself.

The framework of the underworld has been established. The Ten Kings of Hell are each fulfilling their duties, the judges are working overtime to organize the files of the first batch of deceased souls, and the ghost messengers are beginning to familiarize themselves with their patrol routes. He Damin, the Lord of the Underworld, has temporarily become a hands-off manager. He needs to understand this world, not like before, where a sweep of his divine sense would give him complete control over a vast area. That feeling was too cold, too distant, like viewing scenery through a thick layer of glass. He wants to personally measure this land with his own feet, see the living people with his own eyes, and feel their joys and sorrows with his own heart. Divine sense can see mountains and rivers, can see cultivation levels, but it cannot see the warmth of people's hearts, nor can it smell the warmth of everyday life.

"Brother Da Min, where are you going?" Chen Xueru's voice came from behind, carrying the languidness of someone who had just woken up.

He Damin turned around and saw that she was wearing an elegant, moon-white long dress, her jet-black hair loosely tied in a bun and secured with a simple wooden hairpin, with a few stray strands falling beside her cheeks. She looked like an ordinary young female cultivator who had just gotten married, gentle and beautiful. She was also holding a blue outer robe in her hand, obviously intending to put it on him.

"Let's go check out the nearest mortal city." He Damin took the outer robe and put it on, then took out a blue long robe from his storage bag and changed into it. At the same time, he circulated his spiritual power, suppressing his almost sky-breaking peak Tribulation Transcending stage cultivation level back to the Golden Core stage. There was no other way; this strength was too conspicuous. Going out would be like a searchlight in the dark, and he didn't want to be surrounded by a group of old monsters from various sects as soon as he stepped out the door.

Chen Xueru changed into a more comfortable cloth skirt and excitedly took his arm: "Brother Damin, where are we going?" Her eyes sparkled, like two little stars. Since arriving in this world of cultivation, she had spent most of her time in the valley and had long wanted to go out and see the world.

"Let's go to the nearest mortal city. What's it called again..." He Damin slapped his forehead. He'd been busy with matters concerning the Underworld these past few days, and his memory was a bit fuzzy. "Oh, I remember now, Qingyun City. Yes, the city under the Qingyun Sect. I heard it's quite lively."

As they left the valley, the Black and White Impermanence guarding the entrance bowed respectfully. He Damin waved his hand, indicating that they didn't need to be so polite. They hadn't gone far when they heard a chattering sound behind them. Turning around, they saw several newly recruited ghosts curiously peering out from the rocks at the valley's edge. Ox-Head and Horse-Face were then grabbed by the back of their collars and dragged back. He Damin couldn't help but smile; this underworld was starting to come alive.

They walked south along the winding mountain path. This world had no paved roads, no cars or high-speed trains, only dirt paths trodden by pedestrians and the occasional caravan tracks. The air was filled with the mixed scent of grass and earth; a deep breath carried a faint, refreshing aroma. He Damin wasn't in a hurry; he held Chen Xueru's hand and walked slowly, like an ordinary young couple taking a stroll.

The scenery along the roadside was indeed beautiful, with clear waters, lush mountains, and shady trees. Occasionally, a few brightly colored birds hopped among the branches, chirping sweetly. Unidentified wildflowers bloomed in the grass, red, yellow, and purple, dotting the green carpet. In the distance, the mountain peaks were shrouded in mist, appearing and disappearing in the clouds. The spiritual energy here was incredibly rich; walking along the road felt like soaking in a warm hot spring, leaving one feeling completely relaxed.