2: Underworld Empress System 004

"System Big Brother, how should I address you?"

"You can call me 004."

"Then I'll call you Xiao Si! Xiao Si, what's the use of incense value?" Shang Wan Ning stared at Xiao Si with hopeful eyes.

"Uh! Why does that feel a bit awkward. Host, you get into character so quickly!"

"Cough cough! Don't mind those details."

"incense value can be used to buy items from the System Mall, or to improve cultivation, etc. As long as one person believes in the Underworld, ten points of incense value can be extracted from them. Each person can only have it extracted once a day," System Xiao Si said.

Shang Wan Ning smiled, "incense value is faith value. So, after all this, the 'incense offerings become a god' trope is just asking me to be a pyramid scheme leader. In the 21st century, all demons and monsters are overthrown, and no spirits are allowed after the founding of the nation!"

"Host~ now that the Spiritual Energy Revival has occurred, you're not a pyramid scheme leader, you're a real god! You're just interning."

"Internship ≠ full-time employment." Shang Wan Ning rolled her eyes. On Blue Star, it was 8 AM to 6 PM, with weekend overtime. Now on Mercury, she's her own boss starting a business, and the initial capital is 20,000 yuan. "What the hell am I supposed to do with that!"

"Host, you still have ten Ghost Messengers."

"Heh heh!" Shang Wan Ning opened the Mall, a dazzling array of goods, but she couldn't afford a single one. Scrolling to the last page, there was a Ghost Messenger Card for ¥20,000.

Identity: Ghost Messenger (Underworld Soul Catcher)

Cultivation: Second-tier early stage

Magical Tool: soul locking chain

Note: Can be upgraded, every Ghost Messenger is also a potential stock!

Shang Wan Ning's brow twitched. Looking at the prices in the Mall, she couldn't help but feel moved to the point of speechlessness and sorrow.

"Host~ I have good news for you."

"What good news?"

"On Mercury, legends about mythology only exist in Xia Kingdom; all others have been lost. So, great host, you can wildly engage in pyramid schemes... no, slip of the tongue. It's wildly spread excellent traditional culture."

"That means Westerners don't have mythical legends, so I don't have to change my persona, and it's also beneficial for harvesting their faith. Maybe in the future, I can even spread..."

"Host~ stop. Get to work now!" ˃ ⌑ ˂

"Wait a minute! Xiao Si, use all the incense value to improve my cultivation."

"Okay~ Host."

Character: Shang Wan Ning

Identity: Underworld Empress (Supreme Ruler of the Underworld)

Cultivation: First-tier early stage (40000)

Buildings: None

incense value: 0

A tingling sensation spread through her, and spiritual energy slowly flowed within her body. Shang Wan Ning's heart swelled with surprise.

Closing her eyes, she carefully sensed everything around her. The spiritual energy in the air seemed to become more active, as if leaping and dancing around her. She felt completely refreshed, as if every cell was cheering.

Opening her eyes, she gently waved her arm, and a faint ripple of spiritual energy emanated from her hand.

"It seems I can't escape the 'true fragrance' law either! But the next upgrade requires 40,000 incense value, so expensive!"

Thump thump thump thump thump... A series of thumping sounds came from outside the door.

Then a voice asked, "Empress! The little ghosts have been purified!"

Shang Wan Ning couldn't help but sigh. "Good!" The transmigration had already happened, and Shang Wan Ning didn't have time to feel sorry for herself, as there were more important things to do now.

She put on her jacket and walked out of the room.

"Greetings, Empress," said the two Ghost Messengers guarding the door.

Shang Wan Ning merely nodded, then walked towards the original owner's study. "It's too poor; I can't even afford an office space for the Ghost Messengers."

It must be said, the Empress's prestige was indeed great. Along the way, every Ghost Messenger she encountered would respectfully address her as 'Your Majesty.' Although she only had ten Subordinates now, she would one day be the boss of the Ghost Realm.

"Hahaha!"

"Host~ Xiao Si can transfer this house to the Underworld, but for future buildings, you'll have to earn incense value to buy them." Xiao Si interrupted Shang Wan Ning's fantasy.

Shang Wan Ning coughed, covering her embarrassment. "Okay."

She felt a tremor, and in a chaotic space, a three-bedroom, two-living-room apartment appeared.

Shang Wan Ning opened the window, and all she saw was pitch black. "Well, the road ahead is long and arduous."

...

After Shang Wan Ning drew the Ghost Messengers, all their information had merged into her soul, so she knew them inside and out.

"You Yu, your cultivation is the highest, I need you to do something for me," Shang Wan Ning said.

"Please give your command, Empress," said You Yu, the leading Ghost Messenger.

"Go to the mortal realm and investigate the current state of the Spiritual Energy Revival."

"Understood, Your Majesty." You Yu said and then withdrew.

...

A moment later, You Yu returned. He knelt on one knee, lowering his head and saying, "Your Majesty, the situation in the Xia Dynasty can still be controlled, because cultivators have lent a hand, and most of these ghosts are zero-tier Wandering Souls.

However, the situation in Western countries is not optimistic. Since they have lost their mythology-related information, they currently attribute these appearing ghosts to special magnetic fields."

Hearing this, Shang Wan Ning was startled: "Cultivators! Xiao Si, there are actually cultivators in this world? Didn't the Spiritual Energy Revival just happen? With my current first-tier cultivation, will I be exposed?"

The system quickly reassured her: "Host, the Age of Dharma Decline ≠ no cultivators.

Don't worry! The highest-cultivating cultivator currently is only first-tier. Mortal bodies can only cultivate up to the fourth-tier."

Shang Wan Ning finally breathed a sigh of relief, then nodded at You Yu, while also feeling that being called "Empress" was overwhelmingly embarrassing.

So she said, "You Yu, from now on, you will call me BOSS!"

"Yes, BOSS."

Then, Shang Wan Ning instructed, "Also, for your attire, use ghost power to transform it into suits! Furthermore, I'll have to trouble you to make another trip and help me register an Underworld Culture Media Co., Ltd." After speaking, she handed You Yu a bank card containing a full hundred thousand yuan—this was all of the original owner's savings.

"Yes." You Yu replied and then vanished from the spot.

Shang Wan Ning then asked, "Xiao Si, where did the original owner's soul go?"

Xiao Si replied, "Don't worry, Master, the system has arranged a one-stop reincarnation service, guaranteeing she'll be reborn into a good family in her next life, free from worries about food and clothing."

Shang Wan Ning looked envious after hearing this, "Wow! There's such a good thing?" She then lay back in the office chair and sighed, saying helplessly, "Alas, it's a pity I don't have that kind of treatment."

Then she muttered to herself, "But it doesn't matter, with limited startup capital, I can only make do with a shell company for now." Then she comforted herself, "Anyway, as long as I can collect incense value, it doesn't matter if it's a white cat or a black cat, as long as it catches mice, it's a good cat! I'm really clever!"

After speaking, she said to Xiao Si, "Xiao Si, connect to the internet. Let me see if there are any 'death-seeking' experts after the Spiritual Energy Revival."