9: Chapter 9 The Great Emperor of Fengdu

Between Pei Fei's fingertips, a lustrous white stone fell, letting out a crisp clack.

On the chessboard, the black dragon was instantly strangled, and the situation collapsed.

First King of Hell gripped the black stone in his hand, his palms drenched in sweat; this game was impossible to continue.

"Your Majesty's skill in chess is divine. I... have lost again."

First King of Hell rose with a bitter smile and bowed deeply to the young man wearing flip-flops.

"Enough, stop with these formalities." Pei Fei lightly tapped the edge of the chessboard, where several white stones were forming an encirclement against the black ones. "Tell me, what have those 'neighbors' been up to lately?"

First King of Hell's expression turned solemn, his voice low like thunder. "On the side of the Western Underworld, that old fellow Hades seems to have noticed a loophole in the Thriller Game. He is attempting to infiltrate through an s-rank instance, wanting to lay hands on our Huaxia's unclaimed border ghost domains. Satan from the Abyss is also restless, having sent a few winged birdmen disguised as players to hunt souls in the instances that should belong to us."

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Speaking of this, a hint of lingering fear flashed in the eyes of First King of Hell. "If Your Majesty had not appeared out of nowhere two years ago, reorganizing the Ten Halls and re-establishing the Six Paths with thunderous methods, I fear there would no longer be a place for our Huaxia Underworld on this chessboard today."

Two years ago.

Pei Fei's eyes grew dazed for a moment.

Back then, he was just an unlucky fellow who had accidentally entered the D-rank instance, "Wuyou Grocery Store."

Who could have imagined that the dust-covered seal was actually a fragment of authority left behind by the previous Great Emperor of Fengdu?

When the system presented two options: "Return to reality with an S-rank evaluation" or "Inherit the broken Underworld and guard the Netherworld forever."

Looking at the Huaxia Underworld, which was about to be carved up by Western mythological systems and plagued by malevolent ghosts, he tore up that return voucher.

"What's the point of being a wealthy old man?"

Pei Fei lit a cigarette—though he didn't actually light it—yet that rogueish air still leaked out. "How could that be as satisfying as being the boss here?"

Although he spoke nonchalantly, First King of Hell still lowered his head, concealing the extreme reverence in the depths of his eyes.

Mortals only know the horror of the Thriller Game, but they do not know how cruel the mythological war behind it is.

With a mortal body, His Majesty bore the backbone of the entire Huaxia mythology, forcefully carving out a path to the heavens.

"By the way, Your Majesty."

First King of Hell seemed to think of something. His gaze turned toward the black-screened phone, and his tone carried a hint of professional concern. "The 'Midnight Mansion' where Her Royal Highness the Eldest Princess is located has underlying rules originating from the Western vampire system. Although that vampire is just a gatekeeper, it is, after all, their home turf..."

He paused, weighing his words. "With only that jade pendant... if a rule conflict occurs, I worry it won't be enough to ensure Her Highness's safety."

"Rule conflict?"

Pei Fei chuckled as if he had heard a joke.

His fingers lightly stroked the paperweight beside him.

"Old Jiang, do you really think that's just some junk I bought for two yuan at a street stall?"

First King of Hell was stunned. "Was it not something Your Majesty found back then at the Wuyou Grocery Store...?"

"That is a personal item from the life of Qin Shi Huang—the Ancestral Dragon who is now our Underworld's 'Northern Emperors Chief Minister'! Back then, he swept through the six kingdoms, refused reincarnation, and brought a million terracotta warriors to guard the borders of the Sea of Nether!"

"What?!"

First King of Hell looked up abruptly. On his habitually majestic face, his expression was as vivid as if he had seen a ghost—even though he was a Ghost King himself.

"The Northern Emperors Chief Minister?!" First King of Hell's voice cracked. "Is it that First Emperor of Qin, the one who suppressed eight thousand miles of the Sea of Nether by himself and slaughtered the Western Underworld's undead legions until they dared not cross the line?!"

If it's that lord's item, let alone a mere s-rank instance butler, even if that count whatever-his-name-is came personally, he'd probably piss his pants in fear!

Pei Fei looked at First King of Hell's expression, a proud arc curling at the corner of his mouth. "Of course, two years ago, it was indeed just a symbol of status. But for these past two years, it has hung at my waist day and night."

"I have nourished it with the source of Fengdu for over seven hundred days and nights, even infusing it with a sliver of my will. Now, it is no longer some antique."

"It is an avatar of mine, as well as the face of the First Emperor."

"In this Thriller Game, so what if those Western barbarians set the rules? My Huaxia Underworld is the orthodox one!"

Pei Fei's voice carried a domineering air that looked down on the world. "Let alone a mere vampire count, even if Hades himself went to that instance and saw this jade, he would have to think twice!"

Boom—!

As Pei Fei's emotions fluctuated, the nine stone dragons in the hall seemed to sense the emperor's wrath, letting out low dragon roars in unison. The dark clouds above all of Fengdu surged frantically, as if a world-destroying lightning tribulation could descend at any moment.

First King of Hell only felt his scalp tingle and his breathing halt.

At this moment, he truly realized to what insane extent his Majesty doted on that younger sister.

What instance rules? What certain-death traps?

Before absolute status, they were all jokes.

"I... understand."

First King of Hell wiped the non-existent cold sweat from his forehead, feeling a hint of pity for that unlucky 'count.'

Of all the people you could provoke, you just had to provoke this lord's darling.

Pei Fei withdrew his aura, and the hall returned to tranquility.

He picked up his phone again, fiddling with it, a flash of cunning in his eyes—looking exactly like the improper brother he was when writing letters to his sister.

"By the way, how is that ghost messenger who delivered the package?"

First King of Hell quickly replied, "In response to Your Majesty, although that Netherworld ghost messenger responsible for the delivery suffered some rule backlash and injured his Yin Essence, it is nothing serious. Your Majesty's forceful tearing of the barrier between Yin and Yang to send items against the flow was indeed... quite shocking."

Three days ago.

When Pei Fei sensed the karmic thread that his sister was about to be selected, he directly used the Underworld Emperor Command, which represented the highest authority.

He forcefully burned a hole in the Thriller Game's tight firewall, kicked a ghost messenger through, and forced him to deliver the package before the countdown ended.

That ghost messenger was scared to tears at the time.

But faced with Pei Fei's words, "If you don't deliver it, you'll go to the Eighteen Levels of Hell to be fuel," he felt that delivering the package was safer.

"Reward him with a Yin Essence Pill later and promote him two ranks," Pei Fei ordered casually. "I don't mistreat my own people who are willing to get things done."

"Yes," First King of Hell noted.

The matters seemed to be concluded.

Logically, First King of Hell should have withdrawn.

But seeing that His Majesty had no intention of letting him leave, instead staring at the phone screen and rhythmically tapping his knee, he seemed to be brewing an even crazier plan.

"Old Jiang."

Pei Fei spoke suddenly, his voice carrying an inscrutable smile. "Tell me, when this s-rank instance ends, where will the system teleport the survivors?"

"Naturally, they will be teleported back to the real world," First King of Hell replied as if it were obvious. "That is the ironclad law of the Thriller Game."

"Ironclad law?"

Pei Fei sneered and stood up.

His black and gold imperial robe fluttered behind him, making his figure appear incomparably grand before the tall throne.

"Since she's entered my territory, then we'll play by my rules."

Pei Fei turned around, his back to First King of Hell, his gaze seemingly piercing through the hall's walls to look at that distant instance space.

"We haven't met in two years; how could just watching through a screen be enough?"

"Pass down my decree."

"Order the Black and White Impermanence to take a squad of ghost soldiers and guard the exit of the 'Midnight Mansion' instance."

First King of Hell was stunned, not quite following. "Guard... for what? To escort the Eldest Princess back to the human world?"

Pei Fei shook his head and turned around, a smile of extreme brilliance appearing on his face.

"No."

"Intercept that teleportation light beam for me."

"During the gap in the game's settlement period, bring her to Fengdu for me."

"As her brother, I haven't even played the host yet. How could I let her go back empty-handed?"

Dead silence.

A dead silence lasting ten seconds.

First King of Hell's majestic face was completely distorted by extreme shock, his jaw nearly hitting the ground.

Inter... intercept?

Hacking the Thriller Game's teleportation system to forcefully bring a living person to the Underworld for a tour?

This move...

"Your... Your Majesty!" First King of Hell's voice was trembling. "A living person entering Fengdu—this doesn't conform to the laws of Yin and Yang!"

"No matter."

Pei Fei interrupted him, his voice not loud but carrying an unquestionable decisiveness.

"Here, my word is the law."

He waved his hand as if ordering a trivial matter.

"Go and arrange it. Also, have Lady Meng clean up the sea of red spider lilys at the head of the Naihe Bridge. Pull out the weeds thoroughly."

Pei Fei narrowed his eyes, the expression his sister would have upon receiving this "surprise" appearing in his mind.

"That girl Duo Duo likes flowers the most."