Fortune 032: Monster

This was Nan Shi’s first time flying on an underworld plane. At first glance, it looked no different from those in the mortal world. He’d heard that they used to be shaped like flying saucers, but whenever the underworld flights crossed into the human realm, some living people would, for various reasons, suddenly catch sight of them. They’d mistake them for alien invasions, and some had even managed to photograph the underworld flights, producing hard evidence that sent the mortal governments into a panic, trembling with fear.

In the end, the underworld authorities decided it was better to keep things unified with the mortal world. After all, everyone was a civil servant—why make things difficult for each other?

Old Li had bought first-class tickets. The spacious first-class cabin had only twelve seats in total, leaving plenty of room. It was Nan Shi’s first time flying first class, and on an underworld flight no less, so he couldn’t help but look around and touch everything with curiosity. Fortunately, there weren’t many people in first class, or he would have been a bit embarrassed.

Old Li sat in his seat with a teacup in hand. The plane had already taken off and was flying smoothly. Above the clouds was the artificial sun developed by the underworld. This artificial sun was rather strange: from the ground, it looked no different from a real sun, but above the clouds, it was just a huge, odd iron ball, not particularly dazzling.

Nan Shi watched it for a while before becoming absorbed in the food distributed by the crew: boxed meals, noodles, cakes and desserts, all kinds of fruits and snacks. Often, before Nan Shi could finish his cake, a smiling flight attendant would come by to ask if he wanted ice cream.

If he accepted the ice cream, they’d even give him two delicious little buns. Eating the buns with ice cream was simply divine.

“Was this crew from Sichuan Airlines in their previous lives?” Nan Shi murmured, rubbing his full belly.

Old Li, who was also hiccuping from eating too much, glanced at the flight information and nodded. “You’re right, this month’s crew is from Sichuan Airlines… That’s the convenience of underworld recruitment. Whatever you did in life, you do in death. Saves on training, too.”

Nan Shi gave him a thumbs up.

The flight attendant soon came by again with fragrant, crispy egg tarts. Nan Shi looked at them in agony, then finally signaled for two.

Halfway through eating, the captain announced they were about to cross the border, and all passengers were asked to fasten their seatbelts. With the help of a flight attendant, Nan Shi buckled up. Old Li pointed out the window, saying, “That’s the boundary between the mortal world and the underworld. Take a look.”

Nan Shi quickly craned his neck to see. In the distance, the sky was covered by a shimmering curtain of light, undulating like the ocean. Beyond the curtain, he could vaguely make out mountains, and at the base of the curtain were many specks of various colors, too far away to distinguish clearly.

Old Li glanced at it and explained, “Those are all wandering ghosts and spirits who can’t enter the underworld, as well as those trying to sneak in illegally—they’re being blocked…”

“I get the illegal immigration part,” Nan Shi said, eyeing the colored specks with a bit of fear. “But the underworld doesn’t take everyone?”

“Of course not. The underworld doesn’t accept just anyone. People like you, who died a normal death, can be admitted.” Old Li explained, “It’s complicated—there are many situations where the underworld won’t take someone. You can ask your system about it… The boundary is a dangerous place. Best not to come here. Every day, Black and White Impermanence are out there reaping those trying to sneak across. If you get caught, it’s straight to soul annihilation.”

“If you get killed by mistake, there’s nowhere to appeal.”

Nan Shi nodded, clicking his tongue. The underworld was basically cyberpunk, wasn’t it? The upper, middle, and lower classes living like paradise or hell, with social order maintained by brute force.

As they spoke, the colored specks below suddenly began to disperse in sheets, black-and-white dots mixing in. Soon, only the black-and-white dots remained, with just a few red ones surviving, quickly fleeing from the boundary and vanishing from sight.

“Those are Black and White Impermanence, all AI, totally unfeeling,” Old Li said.

“Kinda terrifying.”

“Isn’t it? That’s why, while you’re alive, you should do good and accumulate virtue. As long as you can get into the underworld and atone for your sins, life can still be good… If you’re annihilated, there’s nothing after that.”

Nan Shi nodded along, feeling a bit uneasy but not saying more.

The plane crashed through the boundary at high speed, the curtain of light rippling like water as it parted for the aircraft.

The moment they entered the mortal world, the sky quickly dimmed, as if shrouded in ghostly energy. The clouds were heavy and gray, with no sign of sunlight. Only after flying over one mountain range and into another did they finally see the sun.

The crew came by to hand out parasols, reminding everyone that it was a sunny day in the mortal world and to avoid direct sunlight to prevent injury.

The plane had several drop-off points. Old Li’s ticket was for a stop in his hometown, Y City, which was in Zhejiang province, not far from Jiangsu. Nan Shi thought that after helping Old Li find his cat, he could swing by his own shop and maybe visit the apricot immortal for some fun.

After a few stops, the crew announced it was time to prepare for landing. They handed Nan Shi two more cream buns and even packed a bag of assorted desserts for him, saying they’d noticed how much he enjoyed eating and wanted him to have snacks for the road.

Nan Shi: Absolutely mortifying!

He’d thought it was just the two of them, but the moment they got off the plane, a group in black suits approached, bowing to Old Li like something out of a gangster movie. “Greetings, sir!”

Nan Shi: “…?!”

Old Li waved his hand, signaling the black suits to follow, and pulled Nan Shi along. “Don’t worry. They’re from my son’s company—he runs a bodyguard business. He was worried about me traveling alone, so he sent a couple of guys to accompany us.”

“Couple” was a serious understatement—there were at least twelve bodyguards here.

The bodyguards quickly opened umbrellas, shading Old Li’s head. Someone tried to hold an umbrella for Nan Shi, but he declined and held his own, stepping out into the sunlight.

Truth be told, he was curious.

He knew that ghosts feared sunlight, but it seemed that more powerful ones weren’t as affected—at most, they’d feel uncomfortable, but he didn’t know exactly what that meant… To be honest, he was just really curious.

On the way to the parking garage, Nan Shi waited until the bodyguards weren’t paying attention, then stealthily stretched his hand out into the sunlight, just about to move it past the umbrella’s edge when someone grabbed his wrist. “Mr. Nan, please don’t extend your limbs outside the umbrella. It’s noon, the sunlight is strongest, and your soul could be damaged.”

Nan Shi withdrew his wrist as if nothing had happened, smiling politely. “Thank you.”

The bodyguard was a seasoned pro, but for a moment, he couldn’t quite figure out this fortune-teller’s depth. Was he some ancient ghost, unafraid of sunlight?

But this wasn’t his employer, so he’d done his duty with a reminder.

Still curious, Nan Shi, just before getting in the car, casually flicked his hand through the sunlight, then closed the door and got in.

Someone noticed, but seeing Nan Shi so calm and unbothered, they didn’t say anything.

Nan Shi smiled. “Let’s go.”

—Damn, that hurt like hell!!!

His left hand felt like it had been dipped in boiling water, burning painfully. He snuck a glance at the back of his hand: it was still that eerie shade between pale and corpse-white, blue veins showing through, making it look even more shockingly white.

At least it wasn’t red.

Otherwise, he’d have died of embarrassment.

Old Li hadn’t noticed Nan Shi’s little act. After giving instructions to the bodyguards, he urged them to drive northeast. “Xiao Nan, it’s northeast, right?”

“Yes, northeast.” Outside the airport was a main road, pretty remote, not many people, and not very clean—plastic bags and trash everywhere—but the color of the asphalt made Nan Shi feel a rush of affection, almost wanting to shout, “I’m finally back!”

After watching for a while, he added, “Best not to take the ghost roads—use the human roads, it’s clearer that way.”

“Alright, alright,” Old Li agreed readily.

Soon, the car was on the main road, and the traffic around them increased. Since their car was a ghost vehicle, they didn’t have to follow traffic rules or worry about whether the road actually ran northeast—they could just go straight, barriers couldn’t stop them.

One of the bodyguards opened the navigation app and showed Nan Shi.

On the map, the route northeast from their current location passed near five or six mountains, though none were directly on the line—they were all in the suburbs of Y City. If they kept going northeast, they’d enter the mountains.

“Mr. Nan, please advise,” the bodyguard said.

Nan Shi traced a line on the map, noting the positions of the mountains. Theoretically, any of them could be where Old Li’s cat was.

He thought for a moment… Well, when in doubt, cast a divination.

He pulled out his coins and tossed them: is the cat on the mountain he was thinking of?

Auspicious.

Nan Shi pointed to the mountain. “This one. Drive around to the back, then we’ll go up and look.”

“Understood.” The bodyguard reported to Old Li, “Sir, please sit tight. We’ll be at the outskirts in about half an hour.”

“Good, good. Did you bring everything I asked for?” Old Li asked.

“We did. It’s all in the trunk.”

Only then did Old Li’s brow relax. His face was ruddy, his eyes shining, full of eager anticipation, like he was about to reunite with a long-lost child.

Nan Shi shook his head inwardly. Could cats really be this captivating? He remembered a young woman who’d once come to him, even chasing him under his senior brother’s orders, all to ask about her cat’s whereabouts.

He wondered how she was doing now.

The underworld was so nice—they should all be happy there!

Come to think of it, were cats really that charming? He thought of the police chief cat that had scratched him and shook his head again.

Petting a cat now and then was fine, but raising one? He didn’t have the patience. He found taking care of himself exhausting enough, let alone a cat.

Soon, the mountain was in sight. As Nan Shi had said, the sunny side was covered in terraced fields. It was winter, so there were no crops, but the water in the terraces reflected the sunlight, glowing emerald green—quite beautiful.

With the terraces as a landmark, the car drove straight over the mountain to the far side.

Noon had passed, but the sun was still blazing. Nan Shi and Old Li kept their umbrellas up, but the bodyguards didn’t bother. They pulled several colorful sacks from the trunk, all printed with cat faces. Old Li grabbed a bag of freeze-dried treats, shaking it as he walked and calling, “Mimi—! I’m here! Where are you?”

Nan Shi was handed a bag of treats too, told it was to help with the search.

The bodyguards didn’t take individual treats. Four cars, sixteen sacks in all—they slung them over their shoulders and followed Old Li. Nan Shi glanced over—good grief, it was all cat food and snacks.

Old Li explained, “Xiao Nan, didn’t you say my Mimi’s doing well? I’m about to reincarnate and can’t take Yi with me, so I brought plenty of food and supplies. I’ll set up an automatic feeder here so Yi won’t go hungry. All the latest flavors from the underworld! Yi will love them!”

He beamed, as if he’d already found his cat.

“I see,” Nan Shi praised, not very sincerely. “You really think of everything!”

“Raising a child, you know! You’ll understand when you have kids!” Old Li said, then shook the bag again. “Mimi, come out for treats!”

As a ghost, the body was light, so climbing the mountain wasn’t hard. The back of the mountain had only one official winding road, neat and clean, the rest was dense forest.

A cat that had become a spirit certainly wouldn’t live near the road—they’d have to go deep into the woods.

Once inside the forest, there was no need for umbrellas. Nan Shi followed Old Li, shaking his bag. Suddenly, there was a rustle in the bushes. Old Li perked up, shaking the bag and calling softly, “Mimi? Is that you? Mimi?”

A faint meow came from the bushes: “Meow—!”

Soon, a tabby cat emerged, bristling in a defensive posture, eyeing them warily but not daring to approach.

Old Li sighed in disappointment. “That’s not my Mimi.”

This was clearly the soul of a tabby that had already died. Most tabbies were fierce; its eyes were fixed on Old Li’s freeze-dried treats, clearly starving.

Old Li scattered half a bag of treats on the ground and waved his hand. “Come on, let’s keep looking.”

Nan Shi thought for a moment and stopped him. “Wait, searching like this won’t work. Let me cast a divination for a more precise direction.”

“Great!” Old Li was all for it. Nan Shi found a flat spot, tossed his coins, and asked where the cat was. Kun hexagram—Kun represents the southwest, meaning they should search in the valley.

But that was still a huge area. The mountain looked small, but only those who walked it knew how vast it really was.

He changed the question: how long would it take Old Li to find the cat? He tossed the coins again, but one rolled into the bushes and got wedged upright between two blades of grass.

That meant he couldn’t ask this question again for a while—no clear answer would come.

What was going on?

Just as Nan Shi was about to try a different question, the coins began to tremble.

The ground was flat and soft, yet the coins lying on it started to rattle in place, as if an earthquake was coming.

Nan Shi was puzzled, but the bodyguards’ faces changed. They pulled him into the center of the group, not even giving him time to pick up his coins, surrounding both him and Old Li in a protective circle.

“What’s happening?” Nan Shi was still eyeing his coins—if he lost the ones Chi You gave him, he didn’t know if he’d get beaten, but he’d definitely get a scolding.

Old Li’s face was grave. “Someone’s coming.”

“…?” Someone coming was no big deal—why huddle together?

Before Nan Shi could ask, a strange blue-gray mist suddenly rose in the sky above the forest. In the distance, something seemed to be charging toward them. The bodyguards grew even more tense, protecting Old Li and Nan Shi in the middle.

“Everyone, stay quiet!” the team leader whispered. “We’re in the forest. As long as we don’t provoke it, it won’t come for us.”

“It’s a great demon!”

At that, Old Li covered his mouth and nose with his hand. Nan Shi didn’t know what good that would do, but he followed suit.

Soon, they saw a flash of bright yellow hurtling down the road, swirling like a tornado. The wind picked up—whether it was natural or brought by the whirlwind, it was impossible to say, but it made the whole forest sway and rustle.

Dark clouds gathered overhead, as if a storm was coming.

The whirlwind came fast, following the curve of the road down the mountain like a mudslide. Wherever it passed, grass and trees snapped, rocks shattered, and the asphalt road cracked in bursts, as if crushed by some immense weight.

Just as it was about to pass by Nan Shi and the others, Old Li suddenly shouted, “Mimi—Mimi—!”

The whirlwind paused, and everyone finally saw it clearly: a cat the size of a truck. Calling it Yi the cat now seemed inappropriate—monster was more like it.

Yi’s icy vertical pupils slowly turned toward Old Li and his group. Ignoring the bodyguards’ attempts to hold him back, Old Li pushed through them and ran out of the forest, calling, “Mimi! I’m here! Dinner time—!”

The bodyguards had no choice but to follow, leaving Nan Shi alone at the edge of the forest.

Nan Shi stood there, watching the giant cat in the distance, an uneasy feeling growing in his chest, though he couldn’t say why.

Was this really Old Li’s cat?

Wasn’t this a bit much?

Old Li rushed forward, throwing his arms around the cat’s left leg, pressing his face to it with satisfaction. “Mimi, I finally found you…”

“How have you been these years? I missed you every day in the underworld, worried you were hungry and thin. I brought your favorite beef-flavored treats—won’t you eat a little?” He turned and shouted, “You all! Unload everything—give my Mimi something to eat!”

Seeing that the giant cat wasn’t attacking, the bodyguards thought the same as Nan Shi: surely the cat wouldn’t hurt its owner. They left two to guard Old Li and unloaded the dozen or so sacks, piling the cat food into a small mountain.

The giant cat watched coldly as they worked. Old Li was still hugging its paw, tears streaming down his face. “Eat, eat—please eat! Look how thin you are!”

Nan Shi was half amused, half exasperated. Thin? This thing was clearly much, much bigger!

He started walking out to join Old Li and the others.

“Mimi, why aren’t you eating? Come on, eat!” Old Li urged.

The giant cat narrowed its eyes, scanning the area as if searching for something.

Suddenly, it lowered its head and bit down on a bodyguard standing by the cat food, swallowing him whole. A spray of blood burst from its mouth.

A cruel, mocking light flashed in Yi’s eyes. It bent down again, snapping up another bodyguard and tearing him in half.

Old Li stared at Yi, trembling. “Mimi…?”

The cat flicked its paw, tossing Old Li aside. Between a soul with cultivation and one who’d nearly exhausted his power before reincarnation, it was obvious which tasted better. The remaining bodyguards drew their weapons, red lasers flashing against Yi’s fur, but they had no effect.

The giant cat devoured the rest of the bodyguards, one after another, until none were left.

“Meow—!” Yi cried, then stalked toward Old Li. Suddenly, it halted, turning to look to the side.

Nan Shi stood at the edge of the forest, caught in Yi’s unblinking gaze.