Chapter 372: Yuan's Skin Emporium (1667 words) |
The entire New Genesis World consists of Four Continents and two oceans, the Four Continents being Qingshan Continent, Tong Continent, Jun Continent, and Jingling Continent.
The two oceans are Tianyu Ocean and Dongsheng Ocean, both of which cover a vast area, almost as large as the Four Continents combined.
On each of the Four Continents, there is an Emperor of the Yin Division presiding, while the two oceans currently have none, as there are no human settlements in the oceans. The underworld, on the other hand, also has an Emperor presiding over it.
The Death God is the only deity of the Yin Division, and below the Death God are the Emperors. Currently, the Yin Division has five Emperors, known as the Five Emperors of the Underworld, each ruling over their respective domains.
Beneath the Emperors are the guardians, who hold an extremely high position in the Yin Division due to their scarcity. Each Emperor can only have nine guardians under their command.
This means that in an enormous organization like the Yin Division, there are only forty-five guardians in total, which highlights just how rare and highly regarded they are, second only to the Emperors themselves.
On the Four Continents, almost every guardian has thousands of Burial Masters under their command, who manage the cities on their behalf.
However, the situation in the underworld is slightly different from the Four Continents. While the guardians here also have a considerable number of Underworld Envoys under their command, most of these Underworld Envoys are primarily ghost attendants, with only a few being living humans.
Moreover, these Underworld Envoys do not manage cities like the Burial Masters in the mortal realm. Instead, their existence is to ensure the smooth operation of the vast underworld organization, such as interrogating souls, guarding souls, escorting souls for reincarnation, and various other duties.
Yang Haoran glanced at Xu Meijing, noticing that her complexion had mostly returned to normal. He hesitated for a moment before asking, "Since Meng Po is a guardian, given their status and position, why would she be guarding the Naihe Bridge?"
As they continued walking, Xu Meijing responded, "How would I know? Perhaps it's due to her responsibilities, or maybe she has some special inclination."
"Then why is the city gate of the underworld wide open, with not a single guard in sight?" Yang Haoran continued to inquire.
Xu Meijing pondered for a moment before replying, "They probably don't expect any outsiders to dare trespass."
Passing through the city gate, they saw rows of ancient buildings, predominantly black in color, including residences, shops, and streets.
Concerned that Yang Haoran might not be familiar with this place, Xu Meijing explained, "The ghost attendants of the underworld live here, and some of the Underworld Envoys from the mortal realm also reside here, hence the presence of these residences, streets, and shops. However, since the ghost attendants do not have physical bodies, their needs differ greatly from those of the living, which is why most of the goods sold in these underworld shops cater more to the dead than the living."
"What currency do they use?" Yang Haoran asked.
"Hell coins, but not the kind with ridiculously high denominations like the ones you mentioned earlier. These are hell coins issued by the underworld," Xu Meijing clarified.
Yang Haoran nodded in understanding, indicating that he comprehended the explanation.
"At the very center of this city, there is a vast square known as the Last Square. It's called the Last Square because beyond it lies the Judgment Hall, where all souls must pass through the square before entering the Judgment Hall to be judged. Thus, the square becomes the last stop for them before facing judgment, hence its name."
"After arriving in the underworld, all souls must enter the Judgment Hall for judgment, where their fate is decided based on their deeds in life – whether they will proceed to the reincarnation platform for rebirth, be cast into hell for torment and suffering, or be directly disposed of."
"There's so much more to the underworld that I can't fully explain to you in a short time. If you have the opportunity, you should look it up in the iron book, which contains all the records of the underworld. After reading through it, you'll have a clear understanding of the underworld and won't live in ignorance anymore."
Having said all that, Xu Meijing didn't want to continue further. She felt that a general overview was enough for Yang Haoran, and if he truly wanted a comprehensive understanding of the underworld, he would need to study the materials himself.
What Xu Meijing didn't know, however, was that Yang Haoran wasn't entirely clueless about the underworld. Although his knowledge wasn't as detailed as hers, he did have some understanding. However, he chose not to reveal it and instead played along with an air of ignorance, solely to cater to Xu Meijing's haughty nature.
Observing Xu Meijing's exasperated expression, as if she were disappointed in him, Yang Haoran didn't bother explaining. Instead, he smiled and retrieved a bottle of mineral water from his independent space, unscrewing the cap and handing it to Xu Meijing.
Without hesitation or suspicion regarding the water, Xu Meijing accepted it and took a sip.
It was at that moment that Yang Haoran stopped in his tracks.
Xu Meijing looked at him with a puzzled expression, only to notice that Yang Haoran's gaze was fixed on a nearby shop.
The entrance of this shop was adorned with full human skins of various ages and genders, without the pixelation typically seen in films, but with delicate modesty cloths covering the private areas.
Yang Haoran, of course, had no interest in examining the private parts of these skins. Instead, it was the skins themselves that caught his attention.
These few human skins hung up like clothes in a clothing store, clearly displayed at the entrance to attract customers' attention.
If it were in the world above, an ordinary person who saw this scene would most likely be frightened, but this is the underworld. Those who appear on this street are either ghost attendants or Underworld Envoys from the world above. Those accustomed to this scene won't react at all, and those unfamiliar with it won't have too much of a reaction either.
This is the first time Yang Haoran has seen such a scene, but he merely frowned and revealed a strange expression.
Above this shop hangs a signboard with four crooked, blood-red characters: "Yuan's Skin Emporium".
At the entrance of the shop stood two beautiful women dressed in cheongsams that perfectly outlined their figures.
"Those aren't real human skins, just manufactured products for the dead. You don't need them yet, so why the hurry?" Xu Meijing asked.
"I'm a bit curious, so I wanted to take a look," Yang Haoran said with a smile.
Xu Meijing gave Yang Haoran a helpless look.
"Can't your curiosity be less intense? Alright, since you want to see, I'll accompany you. Let's go."
The two approached the shop called Yuan's Skin Emporium. When they reached the entrance, the two beauties bowed and revealed professional smiles.
"Welcome to Yuan's Skin Emporium, Yuan's Skin Emporium, understanding your wardrobe."
Yang Haoran smiled and nodded in return to the two beauties, but their lines made him feel like laughing and crying at the same time.
"They're artificial beauties, and not even alive, so don't have any improper thoughts," Xu Meijing reminded him.
"You must have misunderstood. I really don't have any improper thoughts," Yang Haoran said, feeling the need to explain himself to Xu Meijing.
"Faced with such exquisite beauties, having no improper thoughts at all is even more terrifying than having them," Xu Meijing's response made Yang Haoran's lips twitch slightly, making him somewhat regret his earlier explanation.
"Welcome, esteemed customers. I'm employee number twelve, Little Beauty, and I'm delighted to serve you. What kind of skin would you like to purchase? We have all sorts of styles here."
At that moment, a female employee appeared before Yang Haoran and Xu Meijing, greeting them enthusiastically. This employee was even more beautiful and well-figured than the two at the entrance.
Yang Haoran glanced around the shop, which was filled with various skins hung up like clothes in a clothing store, neatly arranged on the walls or racks, creating a visually striking display.
"We're just browsing for now," Xu Meijing said calmly.
"Of course, feel free to look around. If you find anything you like, you can try it on, no problem," the employee said with a smile.
"Try it on? How do you try that?" Yang Haoran asked curiously.
Upon hearing Yang Haoran's words, Xu Meijing felt embarrassed and quickly pretended to admire other skins in a corner, while the employee gave Yang Haoran a strange look.
Under the employee's strange gaze, Yang Haoran maintained his smile, but he felt somewhat awkward. Based on Xu Meijing and the employee's reactions, he knew he had likely made a fool of himself.
However, the employee's reaction was not bad. Although she found it strange, she immediately recovered her composure.
"Sir, the way you put on your current skin is the same way you would try on the skins here. However, your current skin's workmanship is quite crude, nowhere near as exquisite as those at Yuan's Skin Emporium, so Little Beauty thinks you really need to get a new skin."
Employee Little Beauty explained with a smile. From her demeanor, she had no intention of mocking or ridiculing Yang Haoran; she was simply stating the truth from her perspective. Yet, her truthful words not only left Yang Haoran standing awkwardly, but also made Xu Meijing burst into laughter.
"Beauty, your sales performance must not be very good, is it?" Yang Haoran asked Little Beauty with an awkward smile.
[Heartfelt thankyou for the support! SlaySaga]