In the Western Capital, Yan Guzhi, the Minister of Rites, sat solemnly in front of the main hall of the Ministry of Rites, below which almost all the officials and clerks of the Shanglin Yuan Supervisor were performing various spells for soul summoning, seeking, stabilization, and guiding, but still they found nothing.
More than six hundred scholars had clearly fallen into the underworld with the Immortal Bridge Blessed Land, yet there were neither living nor dead to be seen. If they were merely commoners, it might be tolerable, but the key issue was that among them were notable figures like Daoist Guo and Daoist Jin Lu from the Taoist Sacred Land.
More crucially, Zhang You was also among them!
Zhang You was a member of the Zhang family, destined to inherit the position of Sect Master. If such a person were to die in this grand examination, Yan Guzhi’s career as Minister of Rites would be over.
"Those two bastards, Xia Fanghe and Xia Shouying!"
Yan Guzhi cursed inwardly, urging the Shanglin Yuan Supervisor to think of something.
The Shanglin Yuan Supervisor was responsible for livestock and sacrificial items, and usually served as the liaison office with the underworld, though low in status, it was extremely important.
The Shanglin Yuan Supervisor routinely offered livestock as sacrifices to ghost gods, to open paths to the underworld, so that when noble or notable individuals died, the Yin Messanger would generally notify in advance, allowing the dying ten days to half a month to handle their affairs. They could even bribe the Underworld to secure a position for their family elders.
Because they offered so many sacrifices over time, the Yin Messanger was also willing to deal with the Shanglin Yuan Supervisor.
In the square below, many pigs, horses, cows, and sheep were brought in, altars were erected, the incense was burning vigorously, with light blue smoke rising and permeating the air.
The pigs, horses, cows, and sheep were placed on the altar, and not long after, Yin Messangers emerged from the smoke to enjoy the offerings.
Several clerks stepped forward, inquiring the ghost gods one by one about the whereabouts of the scholars trapped in the underworld.
After enjoying the offerings, those ghost gods still spoke rudely, swearing frequently, yet they responded to the clerks’ queries.
— Once one eats, propriety demands reciprocation, since they enjoyed the offerings, they had to repay somehow.
After a long while, the clerks of the Shanglin Yuan Supervisor compiled the gathered information and presented it to the Left Supervisor. The Left Supervisor quickly scanned through it and hurriedly ran to Yan Guzhi, presenting it with a bow, saying, "My lord, please have a look."
Yan Guzhi opened the document, and the Left Supervisor said, "My lord, we inquired about the whereabouts of a total of six hundred and forty-four scholars, seeking their souls, but we could not locate them. From questioning the ghost gods, there are already two hundred and seventeen dead, with four hundred and twenty-seven still alive. As for those individuals you are particularly concerned about, Daoist Jin Lu is deceased, while the others are still alive."
While reading, Yan Guzhi asked, "Where have they fallen? Why can their souls not be summoned?"
"My lord, the ghost gods said that the place they went to is not within their jurisdiction, it belongs to the second layer of Hell, an abandoned land, where they have no right to enter."
The Left Supervisor said, "They also said that souls fallen into that place have little chance of getting out. Even these ghost gods dare not enter, for there are things inside even more terrifying than them. Soul Summoning Spells are essentially useless there, as the souls cannot be summoned back. Anyone who enters it has no chance of surviving."
Yan Guzhi felt an icy chill in his heart, his eyes twitched, and he hoarsely asked, "Is there any other way?"
The Left Supervisor gently shook his head, "We have tried all available methods, there are no other ways."
He hesitated for a moment and said, "I heard that among three people, there is a woman named Granny Sha, who is unparalleled in soul-related skills. She was once the first wife of Lin She, Director of Personnel, who subsequently divorced her. Perhaps she might have a solution."
Yan Guzhi said, "Quickly order someone to invite Director Lin. Also, after all, these are scholars who traveled to the capital for the examination, we cannot let them die in a foreign land. Continue soul summoning, we must summon them back at all costs!"
The Left Supervisor bowed and quickly walked down the stone steps, shouting to the officials of the Shanglin Yuan Supervisor, "Continue soul summoning!"
He then called a clerk, instructing, "Hurry to the Ministry of Official Personnel Affairs and invite Director Lin She."
The clerk hurried away.
Before long, Lin She, the Director of Personnel, arrived at the Ministry of Rites and met with Yan Guzhi. Yan Guzhi asked, "Director Lin, could you invite Sha Qiutong to aid us in searching for the scholars lost in the underworld? I am aware of your difficulties, but this matter is significant, I implore you not to decline."
Lin She bowed, "My lord, I have no further ties with Sha Qiutong. I do not know her current whereabouts, even if I wished to invite her, I would be helpless."
Yan Guzhi smiled, "A few days ago, wasn’t she outside our examination hall here at the Ministry of Rites, chatting and laughing with you?"
Lin She’s heart spirit shook, he was speechless and stuttered, "That woman did resemble Sha Qiutong a bit, but Sha Qiutong is already over sixty..." ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com
Yan Guzhi said, "She is indeed Sha Qiutong, known as the Soul Searching Rakshasa Granny Sha, she once served in the Shanglin Yuan Supervisor as an official, the registrar there. You married and had a son, but you later divorced her. Now, she has somehow used sorcery to make herself young again, deliberately approaching you."
Lin She was dumbfounded.
After a long while, he regained his senses, shook his head, and said, "I do not know her whereabouts either. If my lord can locate her, I will definitely intervene and persuade her."
Yan Guzhi slightly frowned, promptly ordering someone to seek Granny Sha’s whereabouts.
Days passed without finding Granny Sha, and despite exhausting every effort, the officials of the Shanglin Yuan Supervisor had not located the missing scholars.
"My lord Yan, all three hundred and sixty-four officials of the Shanglin Yuan Supervisor have been searching tirelessly for thirteen days and nights, and we are on the brink of exhaustion."