NTNH Chapter 10: The Three Lives of Beasts┃Underworld Judgment

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The arrival of Shang Que and his group caused a slight commotion in the reincarnation hall.

Most of the ghosts present had never seen the legendary boss of Luofeng Management Company before. With the Ghost King deliberately suppressing his aura, he merely appeared to be an unusually handsome yet otherwise ordinary ghost.

However, the ghosts trailing behind them were immediately recognized by everyone. Weren’t these the same ones who had caused a scene in the morning, refusing to reincarnate and collectively escaping? No one expected them to be caught and brought back so quickly.

"Over there, squat down with your hands on your heads—squat properly!" Zhen Yi barked fiercely, pointing to a spot by the wall at the ghosts following behind Yu Zhengdu.

The group of ghosts, looking utterly dejected and disheveled, obediently shuffled to the designated spot, squatting in a neat row. The scene carried a distinct air of bleak resignation.

Yu Zhengdu could still vaguely hear the discussions of other ghosts from the reincarnation hall:

"Damn, good thing I didn’t get stirred up and run away this morning, or I’d be squatting there with them now."

"Come on, we all know what’s up. You didn’t run just because you got lucky with your reincarnation lot…"

"Hehe, you saw through me. I spent half my life paying off a mortgage, but in my next life, I can finally be born into a family with an inherited house. It wasn’t easy."

"Sigh, not me. At most, my next family can cover my down payment…"

"Can you two stop showing off? I still have to be a construction worker next life. Damn it!"

...

Yu Zhengdu was completely lost in the conversation when Zhen Yi had already brought over two chairs. He gestured to Yu Zhengdu and Shang Que, saying, “Please, have a seat.”

Yu Zhengdu was about to sit down when he was suddenly yanked back by Shang Que.

Yu Zhengdu looked at him in confusion: “?”

Shang Que gave him a look and gestured downward, indicating he should look at the chair.

Yu Zhengdu’s butt had passed straight through the chair—he was sitting on thin air.

A chill ran through him. “...What kind of chair is this?”

Zhen Yi smacked his forehead. “Ah, my bad. You’re the living colleague from our headquarters, right? These chairs were all purchased and burned as paper offerings—living people can’t sit on them.”

Yu Zhengdu, no stranger to shocks, straightened up calmly and patted his arm. “No worries, I’ll just stand.”

Shang Que chuckled, reached out, and brushed a hand across Yu Zhengdu’s forehead. “All set.”

Yu Zhengdu felt a cool sensation on his forehead. He looked at Shang Que in confusion, who then glanced at the chair. “Try sitting down now.”

Skeptically, Yu Zhengdu touched the chair again and found that he could actually feel it this time. Excitedly, he let out a “Wow!” and exclaimed, “I finally get to experience what it’s like to be a ghost.”

Zhen Yi: = = What’s so exciting about that?

Shang Que smirked. “Employee benefits.”

Once seated, Zhen Yi began interrogating the ghosts. He called out the name of the lead escapee: “Hong Gentou, step forward.”

A slightly chubby middle-aged man stood up. Yu Zhengdu glanced at him and was a bit surprised. The man had a square face, large ears, an honest appearance, and slightly timid eyes. He was the kind of person who would blend into a crowd, making it hard to believe he was a fugitive.

Zhen Yi asked sternly, “Why did you try to escape?”

Hong Gentou hunched his shoulders and stammered, “I-I don’t want to be reincarnated…”

Zhen Yi: “Why not?”

Hong Gentou’s gaze flickered as he spoke with resentment, “I’ve already been an animal for three lifetimes, and none of them ended well. First, I was a pig, slaughtered alive by a butcher. When he scalded my skin to remove my bristles, I—I was still conscious…”

As Yu Zhengdu listened, he instinctively visualized the scene and shuddered.

Hong Gentou continued, “Then I was a stray dog. I got by eating leftovers every day, and just when I was finally growing up, I was poisoned by dog thieves. But that poison didn’t kill me right away—I suffered for a whole day and night before they cut me open and cooked me into hot pot…”

This time, Yu Zhengdu noticed that the other ghosts squatting in the corner were also trembling slightly.

Hong Gentou’s miserable tale went on: “The third time, I was a r-rat, living in the sewers, eating garbage, never seeing sunlight. After two years, I got stuck on a glue trap while trying to eat a peanut. Then they poured boiling water over me until I died…”

Hong Gentou, with his honest face and hunched posture, was practically crying by the end, his voice trembling: “I received the reincarnation notice, and I’m going to be an ox next time. I saw in the news that people inject water into live cattle. I’m scared—I don’t dare to be reincarnated…”

His sobbing, trembling figure was so pitiful that even bystanders felt sympathetic. Yu Zhengdu couldn’t help but whisper, “That’s way too tragic.”

Beside him, Shang Que sat with his legs crossed, tilting his head and lightly resting his face on his hand. His expression was unreadable. When Hong Gentou finished speaking, Shang Que finally said, his voice cool and indifferent, “But when you were killing people, you didn’t hesitate, did you?”

Zhen Yi slammed the armrest of his chair. “That’s right! You got exactly what you deserved.”

Yu Zhengdu curiously glanced at Shang Que, who casually pulled out his phone, opened a page, and handed it over.

Yu Zhengdu took it and was startled—it was Hong Gentou’s entry in the Book of Life and Death. The more he read, the more shocked he became.

Before being reincarnated as an animal, Hong Gentou had been a serial killer. He had taken five lives in total, indiscriminately killing men, women, the elderly, and even children. His methods had been brutal.

The record was brief, listing only the names of his victims, but Yu Zhengdu felt a sense of familiarity. He had a hunch, took out his phone, and searched “Hong Gentou” online.

The search results popped up instantly, filling several pages.

Every single link came from major domestic news outlets, and the headlines were shocking:

[Murderer Hong Gentou, Who Terrorized Minan City, Finally Captured…]

[Killed Five People Over Seven Years—Youngest Victim Only Seven—Inside the Mind of Serial Killer Hong Gentou…]

[Minan City’s Seven-Year Nightmare Comes to an End as Hong Gentou Sentenced to Death…]

…

Yu Zhengdu finally realized why the name “Hong Gentou” sounded so familiar.

Over a decade ago, this man had committed serial murders in Minan City, taking five lives over seven years. His extreme caution and unassuming appearance allowed him to evade capture for years, leaving Minan City and surrounding areas in fear. It wasn’t until advancements in criminal investigation techniques that he was finally caught during his last crime.

When he committed his last crime, the victim was only a seven-year-old child. As soon as the news broke, it caused an uproar among the public. Although Hong Gentou was ultimately sentenced to death, he remained a lasting scar in the hearts of the people of Minan City. Even many years later, people would still recall this case with sorrow.

At the time of Hong Gentou’s crimes, Yu Zhengdu was still young and had no impression of them. The reason he found the name familiar was due to the rise of the internet—whenever netizens compiled notorious crimes, this case was always mentioned. Every time it was brought up, many Minan citizens would express their anger, believing that the death penalty was far too lenient for Hong Gentou.

Yu Zhengdu reread the details of Hong Gentou’s crimes and felt the same fury as the netizens: mere execution was far too lenient for such a ruthless monster.

Meanwhile, Hong Gentou’s ghost was still pleading for mercy. “I know I was wrong! Please, just give me another chance to live again…”

Zhen Yi remained unmoved by his plea, replying in an official tone, “The underworld operates by the rule of law. The Book of Life and Death has already determined how each spirit will be reincarnated. It’s not up to us to decide on a whim.”

Hong Gentou covered his face and trembled. “I truly repent! Please, forgive me…”

His pitiful display drew the attention of the surrounding ghosts, most of whom were elderly spirits who had died of natural causes. These older ghosts, softhearted as they were, whispered among themselves:

“He does seem quite pitiful… He’s already been reborn as a beast for so many lifetimes, and every time he’s died a horrible death. Maybe we could ease his punishment a little…”

“That’s right. He’s been poisoned, disemboweled, and even boiled alive. He’s suffered enough…”

“I think he can still be a beast, but at least let him die peacefully this time.”

Their murmuring made Hong Gentou a little more hopeful. He wiped his eyes and looked even more pitiful.

Zhen Yi waved his hand impatiently. “What are you all interfering for? Go and get reincarnated already.”

These elderly ghosts had been treated with respect while alive, but now that they were dead, those privileges were gone. They felt a bit indignant but dared not argue with an official of the underworld. Still, they muttered resentfully under their breath as they turned away.

Though Zhen Yi ignored their complaints, he found them irritating. Just as he was about to snap at them again, Yu Zhengdu suddenly spoke coldly:

“You were not the victims. What right do you have to forgive this monster?”

The elderly ghosts turned toward him, seeing a young man standing tall, his expression emotionless as he continued, “The ones he killed never got a second chance. Why should he expect leniency just because he claims to repent?”

The ghosts who had defended Hong Gentou were momentarily stunned. Some still refused to back down and, seeing that Yu Zhengdu was young, tried to use their age as an advantage. “Young man, how can you speak so harshly? Don’t you know the saying, ‘To err is human, to forgive is divine’?”

Yu Zhengdu rolled his eyes, about to retort, when Shang Que suddenly stood up. He glanced around with an air of authority and said coldly, “There is no such thing as ‘forgive and forget’ in the underworld.”

The moment he spoke, a faint pressure radiated from him. All the ghosts present instantly fell silent, the atmosphere heavy with dread.

“All sins committed in life will be accounted for in death,” Shang Que declared, his pitch-black eyes reflecting nothing, sweeping over the crowd with an indifferent gaze. “Repentance means nothing. Regret means nothing. One’s deeds are judged in life; the underworld knows no mercy.

“This is karmic justice.”

The entire area fell into an eerie silence, even the wind seeming to still. The ghosts shivered, feeling the crushing weight of the underworld’s unyielding law.

Then—

Clap, clap, clap!

The sound of enthusiastic applause shattered the tense stillness. Yu Zhengdu cheered loudly, “Boss, well said!”

The other ghosts snapped out of their trance and quickly followed suit. “That’s right, that’s right!”

Hong Gentou, seeing that his pitiful act was useless, suddenly dropped his trembling facade. He straightened up, his expression turning vicious, and his gaze darkened with malice. Gritting his teeth, he spat, “Yes, I killed people. But I’ve already been reborn as a beast for so many lifetimes, each time dying miserably. Haven’t I repaid my debt by now?”

His sudden transformation startled the other ghosts. Yu Zhengdu clicked his tongue in disdain and scoffed, “I knew it. A true sociopath never really repents.”

The old ghosts who had defended Hong Gentou flushed with embarrassment and quickly turned away, unable to meet Yu Zhengdu’s eyes.

Hong Gentou, seething with resentment toward the man who had disrupted his scheme, suddenly let out a furious roar. Seeing that pleading was useless, he decided to go all out. With a leap, he lunged toward Yu Zhengdu, his face twisting with hatred as he shouted, “If I’m going to be a beast anyway, then killing one more won’t make a difference!”

Mid-air, his gray-white face suddenly burst apart, sprouting thick black fur. His mouth stretched unnaturally wide, revealing rows of razor-sharp fangs.

Zhen Yi cursed, “Shit! He turned into a vengeful spirit!”

Yu Zhengdu yelped and immediately ducked behind Shang Que, grabbing onto his shoulder. “Holy shit—this ghost is way too ugly!”

Panic broke out among the surrounding ghosts, their terrified wails filling the air.

“AAAHHH! A vengeful spirit! It’s a vengeful spirit!!!”

“Help! I’m terrified of vengeful spirits!!!”

“Is it my turn to reincarnate yet?! Hurry up and let me go!!!”

“It’s… it’s hairy?! I’ve been dead for thirty years, and this is my first time seeing a hairy one—”

“Oh my god! Just let me die again!!!”

Yu Zhengdu: = =

Wait. He could understand why humans would be scared, but these were ghosts! Couldn’t they at least have some ghostly dignity?

______

Author’s note:

Ghosts: QAQ We’re just ordinary ghosts! Of course, we’re afraid of vengeful spirits too!

T/N: Please give support on my ko-fi page, thank you🍁🍁🍁