458: Nine-square grid Amway

Steam rose, softening the residual fragrance of the essential oils. Her shoulders and back, which had just been massaged, were soaking in the hot water, the soreness completely gone, leaving only a gentle warmth.

She soaked for the duration of one stick of incense before getting up and drying herself.

Linore helped her put on clean casual clothes—still black, but the fabric was soft and the style loose.

Her long hair was loosely pinned up with a Plain Jade Hairpin, the ends still damp, scattered across her shoulders.

“Does Your Majesty wish to have some refreshments?” Linore asked. “We just made Osmanthus Cold Cake, which pairs perfectly with Jasmine Honey Dew.”

Shang Wan Ning nodded.

Linore then brought over a Small Mahogany Table and set out blue and white porcelain plates and cups. The cold cake was translucent, sprinkled with golden osmanthus; the honey dew was clear yellow, floating with two fresh jasmine flowers.

Shang Wan Ning picked up a piece of cold cake and put it in her mouth. It was refreshing and sweet, not cloying, filling her mouth with the scent of osmanthus.

Washing it down with the honey dew, her internal organs felt completely settled.

She slowly finished the refreshments and set down the silver spoon.

The light outside the hall seemed to dim. The Nether Sea Region does not distinguish between day and night, but the spiritual plants emit light cyclically. At this moment, the illumination of bright pearls and algae shimmered together, creating a unique tranquility.

It was time to go back.

Shang Wan Ning stood up, and Linore hurriedly stepped forward to attend to her. She waved her hand and straightened her own sleeves.

“You did well today.” She looked at Linore. “The new recipes are all good. Send some to Jiaotai Palace regularly from now on. For Ling Qi's portion, as she requested, reduce the Dream Epiphyllum by two parts and add Cold Plum.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Linore's eyes brightened.

His Majesty's nod of approval was genuine affirmation.

The Elf Squad's bonus for this month was secure, and they might even get extra performance pay. She was secretly delighted but maintained a polite smile as she escorted the Empress out of the hall.

Only after watching that figure disappear into the faint golden ripples did Linore let out a soft breath and turn back.

When Shang Wan Ning emerged from the Nether Sea Region, she still carried the lingering scent of clear plum mixed with Nether Epiphyllum.

She walked barefoot on the slightly wet pebble path beside the Wangchuan River, her long hair half-dry draped over her shoulders. The river breeze brushed past, and her casual clothes clung loosely to her body, making her feel so comfortable she wanted to stretch.

Her muscles and bones, loosened by the recent back massage, were completely relaxed, and even the subtle awkwardness of being checkmated by her own Secretary-General back at Jiaotai Palace had mostly dissipated.

She pulled out her new cell phone.

It was a special edition for Underworld Deities. The casing was Profound Iron tempered with wangchuan water, engraved with Hidden Runes, making it drop-proof, waterproof, and resistant to soul body magnetic field interference.

The screen lit up, showing a candid photo as the lock screen.

In the image, Ling Qi was napping slumped over her desk, her glasses frame askew on the side of her nose. Her eyelashes fluttered slightly like butterfly wings, casting a small shadow beneath her eyes, and she was loosely holding half a Cinnabar Brush in her hand.

Shang Wan Ning stared at it for two seconds, her thumb tracing the edge of the screen.

She unlocked the phone and tapped into the Underworld Intranet Forum.

The interface was a dark design that managed to be lively despite its eerie atmosphere. A scrolling banner at the top displayed the latest announcement: “New flower of the other shore seedlings planted along the Wangchuan River. Underworld Messengers are strictly forbidden from picking them for tea—Fengdu City Management Department.”

Below, the sections were densely packed: Department of Reincarnation Work Exchange, Department of Judges Case Studies, Eighteen Levels of Hell Experience Sharing (Pinned and Marked Red: Specific torture details are prohibited), Fengdu City Life Chat, Underworld 101 Voting Zone... She expertly navigated to the “Internal Welfare and Leisure” sub-section. The top pinned post, marked in red, was titled: “Explanation of This Month's Incense Offerings Stipend Distribution (Including Overtime Subsidy Calculation Formula).”

Scrolling down, the title of the second hot post was particularly eye-catching:

[Rational Discussion] Is the newly launched “Sin Mirror Platform Purifying Mud” from the Healing Zone a scam? This Underworld Messenger applied it, and now my face glows green; I was complained about for scaring a new soul while on duty (Image attached).

Shang Wan Ning raised an eyebrow and tapped it open.

The main post contained a close-up selfie; a layer of bizarre, ghostly green floated on the pale face. There were over three hundred replies below.

1L (ID: Is the Tongue-Ripping Hell short-staffed today?): “Hey OP, that color means you went to the Mirror of Retribution and revealed your true form, right? [Dog Head]”

2L (ID: meng pos soup was watered down): “LOL, sister, did you not follow the instructions for mixing? That mud needs to be mixed with Moonlight Dew. You didn't just slap it directly on your face, did you?”

3L (ID: Slacking off in the Department of Reincarnation): “To be honest, I turned green too after applying it, but it was evenly green, and my supervisor complimented my complexion [Smile].”

The Original Poster replied in 58L: “Case solved: I mixed it with wangchuan water. Now the green glow on my face hasn't faded for three days. I don't even need a light when crossing the Bridge of Helplessness [Crying].”

Shang Wan Ning scrolled the screen, the corners of her mouth curving upward slightly.

Her fingertip hovered over the post button for a moment. She exited the thread and switched to the camera.

The Nether Sea Region across the Wangchuan River was a hazy glow in the camera lens. The outline of the Shell Palace was hidden behind a thin mist, and spots of algae light floated on the water's surface.

She raised her phone and pointed it at herself.

She didn't look for an angle or adjust the filter. Using only the dim light by the river, the screen reflected a plain, clean face.

Her long hair was slightly messy, and her eyes still held the languor from her bath. The fabric on her shoulder had slipped down loosely, revealing her fair collarbone.

The lingering scent of mixed essential oils on her body, carried by the river breeze, subtly dispersed into the Yin energy.

“Click.”

The shutter sound was very soft.

Shang Wan Ning lowered her head and flipped through the photos she had just taken.

[Not bad. The face is clear, and the background has atmosphere.]

She walked forward a few steps and tried several poses: one side view looking back at the sea region, her long hair lifted by the wind; one close-up of her bare feet stepping on the pebbles, her ankle delicate; one taken facing the river reflection, the ripples fragmenting her features... After gathering nine pictures, she opened the photo editing software.

The software came with “Underworld Filters”: Wangchuan Mist, Other Shore Red Makeup, Fengdu Night Talk, Lady Meng's Tear Light... She chose the most basic “Original Color,” only slightly adjusting the brightness to make the background algae light more pronounced.

The nine-grid layout was arranged, and the cursor flashed in the input box.

Shang Wan Ning thought for a moment and began typing.

Title: [Recommendation] Healing Zone New Project Experience Report. Five stars, highly recommended.

Body: “Just returned from the sea region. Essential oil back massage + Spiritual Herb Bath. The muscles in my shoulders and neck, stiff for half a month, are completely relaxed. The Elf young lady's technique is professional, and the new Snow Ridge Cold Plum Compound Essential Oil is well blended—clear and fresh, not cloying. The scent lasts for three hours after application.”

“I also tried the Flower of the Other Shore Youth-Retaining Essence (Avila's improved formula). It tingled slightly upon application, but after washing it off, my skin was radiant, and my pores were refined. Remember to mix the Sin Mirror Platform Purifying Mud according to the ratio—don't blindly mix it with wangchuan water (Underlined Key Point).”

“The overall environment is private, and the service is attentive. Linore, the Team Leader, is highly competent. This month's Incense Offerings Stipend has just been issued; I recommend all colleagues go and relax. It's well worth the price.”

“Nine images attached, no filter, genuine experience.”

After finishing, she checked for typos.

The cursor moved to the “Post” button, and her thumb pressed down.

The moment the post went live, a notification popped up at the top of the screen: “Successfully posted, synchronized to the ‘Underworld Staff Welfare’ section.”

Shang Wan Ning locked the screen, tucked her phone back into her Storage Ring, and continued strolling along the riverbank toward Jiaotai Palace.

The pebbles pricked the soles of her feet, a slight tickle.

She walked slowly, mentally estimating how much traffic the post would generate.

The Healing Zone had only been open for half a year, and its reputation was still building. The Elf Race valued this performance, and the product samples they sent were always exquisitely packaged.