Zu An had been so blinded by his anxiety to save Yaoji that he forgot this crucial fact.

Neither the Six Paths of Reincarnation nor the Netherworld existed in this world. It was impossible to find someone’s soul after death. Even if he brought Yaoji back to life using the immortal medicine, she would only be a walking corpse.

Xihe was startled. “Doesn’t the immortal medicine have the power to revive the dead?”

Qiu Honglei shook her head. “That’s a misunderstanding. Only a small handful of people at the Queen Mother of the West’s side know about the immortal medicine’s downside, and we don’t spread it to outsiders.”

Zu An’s body turned cold. He had always been a resourceful person, but he felt as if his brain had melted into goo at this moment. If the immortal medicine can’t save Yaoji, the Goddess of Wu Mountain might cease to exist. If so, won’t Pei Mianman be in danger?

No, that’s not right. If I met them in the future, things must have worked out somehow. I must find the key to this issue!

He grimly asked, “Are there no ghosts in this world?”

Qiu Honglei instinctively turned to Xihe. It hadn’t been long since she came to this world, and she had spent most of her time with the Queen Mother of the West at Kunlun, so her grasp of this world was limited.

Xihe asked in surprise, “Are you able to save someone if you can find their ghost?”

“Feeding the immortal medicine to a corpse will only turn it into a mindless monster. To truly bring a person back to life, we need not just the immortal medicine, but the person’s soul as well,” Qiu Honglei replied.

Xihe replied, “A person’s soul usually lingers around their body right after death, but it has been days since Yaoji’s passing. She should have gone to the Underworld.”

“Underworld?” Zu An found that name familiar.

“It’s rumored that all beings go there after their death. It's an enigmatic place no living being can set foot in,” Xihe replied with a frown.

Qiu Honglei turned to Zu An. “He should be able to do it.”

“Are you dead?” Xihe was horrified. She looked at Zu An with nervous eyes.

Qiu Honglei chuckled. “Of course not. He’s the future master of the Netherworld. He’s able to cross the boundary separating life and death.”

Then, she added out of curiosity, “Is there a master of the Underworld here? Will there be a clash of faith with big brother Zu?”

Xihe replied, “There is indeed a master of the Underworld—Houtu. However, she has an eccentric personality and avoids outsiders. It won’t be easy to reach out to her.”

“Houtu!” Zu An was startled. He had met Houtu in the sealed world, and it was under her guidance that he'd begun collecting the six power insignias to forge the Six Paths of Reincarnation. He asked, “How can we go to the Underworld?”

“To enter the Underworld, one has to pass through the Ghost Pass,” Xihe racked her brains before answering. “Legend has it that in the middle of the vast sea lies the Dushuo Mountain. Atop the mountain is a huge peach tree with roots and trunks that extend for thousands of li. Between its branches lies the Northeastern Ghost Gate, where countless ghosts roam.

“Two divine beings live on the peach tree—Shencha and Youlei. They judge the ghosts, and those who harmed mortals will be bound and fed to a divine tiger.”

She turned to Zu An and consoled him, “Don’t worry, Yaoji should be fine.”

Zu An fell into deep thought. The Ghost Pass should be the Ghost Gate in the future. Shencha and Youlei are similar to gate deities or wardens like Ox Head and Horse Face. The Underworld does have a close tie with the future Netherworld.

He hurriedly asked, “Where is Dushuo Mountain?”

Xihe shook her head. “The Underworld has always been shrouded in secrecy. No one knows where it is. Many people have sought Dushuo Mountain, but no one has been able to find it. However, someone of Donghuang Taiyi’s stature might know.”

“Thanks!” Zu An rushed off to look for Donghuang Taiyi.

Xihe’s eyes drooped as she watched Zu An head off in a hurry.

Qiu Honglei, as a fellow woman, picked up on Xihe’s subtle change in mood and said, “Big sister Xihe, big brother Zu is a sentimental man. He doesn’t hesitate to risk his life for his lovers, not to mention that the Goddess of Wu Mountain has waited tens of thousands of years for him. He has always felt immense guilt for her.”

“Did he save you like that before?” Xihe asked.

“He did.” Qiu Honglei smiled tenderly. “I was on the verge of death when he rushed over with the immortal medicine to save me...”

Xihe felt a rush of jealousy. “Did he save me like that as well?”

Qiu Honglei’s smile stiffened, but she quickly replied, “I’m not sure about the situation between the two of you, but when your future incarnation was in dire straits, he rushed over to help you in your time of need.”

“What was my future incarnation like?” Xihe’s interest was piqued. “Tell me more.”

“Your future incarnation became sisters with the person who later occupied the Frost Palace...” Qiu Honglei was awed by how wondrous fate was. She patiently shared the future with Xihe.

...

Meanwhile, Zu An visited Donghuang Taiyi and told him about his intent.

“Dushuo Mountain? Why do you want to go there?” Donghuang Taiyi was surprised.

“I’m looking for a person.”

Sensing Zu An’s reluctance to explain further, Donghuang Taiyi said, “I can tell you where it is, but it has to be three days from now.”

Zu An frowned. “Why?”

“How can you leave right away when you have just gotten married? There are plenty of people who suspect that you’re an impostor. You have to spend the next three days convincing the rest of the world that Emperor Jun is still in the Celestial Palace before I’ll tell you the location of Dushuo Mountain.” Donghuang Taiyi briefly paused before adding, “Otherwise, there’s no way you can find it yourself.”

Zu An fell silent. A while later, he replied, “Fine.” Yaoji was the Flame Emperor’s daughter. Nothing would happen to her soul within three days. Besides, he did owe Xihe a lot.

He returned to his room, only to find two women staring at him.

Xihe asked, “When are you leaving?” After hearing stories about Shang Hongyu from Qiu Honglei, her grudge against Zu An had alleviated considerably.

“Three days from now.”

Xihe was confused. Zu An looked at her with tender eyes and explained, “We've just gotten married. It wouldn’t be right for us to leave the Celestial Palace so quickly. The world is looking at us.”

Xihe’s face reddened. “It’s a fake marriage in the first place!”

Zu An chuckled. “I am the Celestial Emperor, and you’re the Celestial Empress. The world has borne witness to our union. How can it be fake?”

“You should know better!” Xihe replied in a fluster. She hadn’t expected Zu An to take the marriage for real.

Qiu Honglei looked at them with a bizarre expression. “I shan’t disturb you two anymore. I’ll return in three days.”

She fled the scene, leaving Xihe to panic alone.

Zu An grabbed her hand and said, “Even though we were together in the future, we had to keep things under wraps and remain discreet. I finally had a chance to give you a grand wedding in the open. Let’s not leave any regrets behind.”

Xihe bit her lips. Her mind was in a mess. “But if we truly get together, we’ll be walking down the same path. You’ll be shooting down my... our children!”

Zu An embraced her. “Trust me. I’ll find a way to solve this problem.”

“How?”

“Let’s start with making our children.”