466: The eerie atmosphere in the live stream

What was even better was that this source of power was clean; it was similar to the incense offerings and wishes of the mortal world, yet it did not carry too much karmic debt, making it exceptionally smooth to absorb.

"Underworld..."

A low murmur echoed through the empty ice palace, devoid of any discernible emotion.

That Underworld Empress did not seem to have noticed this minor activity of the avatar.

Very well.

Let this "Candle Shadow Shaking Red" continue to act as an ordinary "mortal influencer."

It could both absorb the power of wishes to restore itself and use this as a window to observe this unique new era.

As for those loyal old subordinates, let them continue to busy themselves with the great cause of the "revival of the demon race."

The Candle Dragon withdrew its divine sense, its form fading away and merging with the profound ice and cold air of the palace.

...

The moment the screen suddenly went dark, Chen Yu lifted herself from the phone interface.

She sat cross-legged, sunken into the beanbag chair, her gaze locked onto the black screen of her phone, her brows gradually knitting together.

Her white-haired head tilted slightly, her fingernails picking at the crevices of the sofa.

Something was wrong.

The background of the livestream just now, that ice-sculpted palace... the cold air seeped through the screen; it was definitely not a scene that should exist in the mortal world.

She clicked her tongue and vaulted off the sofa.

Only when her soles touched the ground did she remember she wasn't wearing shoes, but she couldn't be bothered with the trouble and rushed straight out barefoot.

In the corridor, she bumped into two ghost guards changing shifts, who were walking slowly with files in their arms; they were both stunned to see her in this state.

"Lord Prefectural City God, why are you in such a hurry..."

"Where is Her Majesty?" Chen Yu did not stop her pace.

"She went to the Mirror of Retribution, saying she was going to inspect the punishment of evil souls."

While the words were still lingering in the air, the white-haired figure had already turned the corner and disappeared without a trace.

From Jiaotai Palace to the Mirror of Retribution, Chen Yu ran with her silver hair dancing wildly.

The wind from the banks of the Wangchuan River whipped across her cheeks, and her feet slapped against the bluestone road, but she paid no mind.

The Mirror of Retribution was already ahead.

The ten-foot-tall structure had a copper mirror with a circumference of ten spans hanging on its east side; the surface of the mirror was dark, and the seven characters "No good people stand before the Mirror of Retribution" were engraved on it.

Usually, the sounds of wailing and cursing were endless, but at this moment, it was eerily quiet.

On the open ground in front of the platform, several soul bodies were tethered by soul-snatching chains, kneeling in a row.

Shang Wan Ning stood before them.

Today, the Underworld Empress was dressed in a black windbreaker with the zipper pulled up to her chin, her long hair tied into a ponytail at the back of her head.

In her hand, she held a dark red long whip, the tip of which trailed on the ground, with faint red light shimmering and flowing along it.

She did not speak, only staring at the soul body kneeling in the center.

That soul body wore a tattered, old-fashioned military uniform and was somewhat more solid than the ones beside it; he must have cultivated some level of skill while alive.

At this moment, with his head bowed, his shoulders trembled uncontrollably.

He kept muttering repeatedly: "I was forced... I never hurt anyone, I was just a clerk."

Shang Wan Ning: "Hmph, a clerk?"

The official in charge of the Mirror of Retribution stepped forward and handed over a scroll of yellowed records.

The Underworld Empress took it with one hand, flicked her fingertips, and the pages "swished" open.

"The sixteenth year of Showa, NJ City."

"Page thirty-seven of your unit's massacre records has your signature."

"Do you want Me to read it out?"

The soul body suddenly looked up, a twisted smile squeezed onto his face: "It's a misunderstanding... My superior forced me to sign it; if I didn't sign, they would have shot me..."

Before he could finish his sentence.

The long whip cracked through the air and descended.

"Crack—"

The sound was not loud, but the soul body suddenly arched its back, and a shrill wail exploded from its throat.

Black smoke rose from the spot that was struck, and the soul was visibly dimmed by a layer.

"The first lash is to punish you for deception," Shang Wan Ning withdrew the whip, "You dare to fabricate lies before the Mirror of Retribution."

The second lash followed immediately.

"The second lash is to punish you for bloodthirst."

"The third lash is to punish you for refusing to repent until death."

After the three lashes, the soul body collapsed on the ground, convulsing, its soul so faint it was almost about to dissipate.

Several other R-country soul bodies nearby curled into a ball, and one even fainted outright.

Shang Wan Ning threw the whip to the official in charge.

"Drag him down and punish him layer by layer according to the book of life and death." She took a handkerchief to wipe her hands. "Once his sins are cleansed, send him to the Realm of Beasts."

"Yes."

The official bowed and waved for the ghost guards to come forward.

Just at this moment, Chen Yu rushed to the bottom of the steps.

Her white hair was disheveled, her bare feet were stained with dust, and her forehead was covered in sweat.

She braced her knees and gasped twice, then looked up and called out: "Y-Your Majesty."

Shang Wan Ning turned her head.

Seeing Chen Yu in this state, the Underworld Empress raised an eyebrow slightly.

A-Yu was usually rowdy, but it was rare to see her running barefoot like this.

"Withdraw." She ordered those around her.

The ghost guards, the official, and the maids all retreated, leaving only the two of them before the Mirror of Retribution.

The soul body, having been dragged halfway, was still wailing weakly; Shang Wan Ning cast a glance, and the soul-snatching chain tightened suddenly, cutting the wailing short.

"What is it?" The Underworld Empress walked down the steps, "Did you run all the way here?"

"Mm..."

Chen Yu gasped again, straightened her body, and spoke quickly, "Your Majesty, I was just slacking off watching a livestream and saw something wrong."

"Slacking off, a livestream?"

"Yes, it's the mortal 'DouDou', a fashion streamer I follow with my alt account."

Chen Yu pulled out her phone, lit the screen, and pulled up the replay, "ID 'Candle Shadow Shaking Red', with over a million followers; she did two PKs today."

Shang Wan Ning took the phone.

In the paused image on the screen, a woman in a scarlet dress sat sideways, the background resembling an ice-sculpted palace with dim lighting.

Her face was beautiful, and her makeup was exquisite, but Shang Wan Ning's divine sense fell upon the contours of the woman's neck and wrists.

The bone structure, the texture of the muscles...

"Demon race." She said.

"Exactly!"

Chen Yu's small head leaned in, and she swiped the screen with one hand. "Your Majesty, please look at the gift leaderboard. The top two are both wealthy mortals, throwing money around without hesitation. But the key is here..."

She tapped on the third place on the leaderboard. ID: "Worker in the King of Hell's Palace".

"You changed it?" Shang Wan Ning looked at her.

"Ahem, I changed it on the fly." Chen Yu scratched her hair, "When I was watching her PK, the opposing fans were mocking the streamer 'Candle Shadow Shaking Red' for copying others; I got heated for a moment and sent some gifts, only realizing something was wrong after I finished."

Next, she zoomed in on the livestream background.

The details of the ice-sculpted palace unfolded on the screen.

The dome formed by profound ice, the mist condensed from cold air, and the faint demon race patterns on the palace pillars.

Chen Yu pointed to a reflection in the corner: "Your Majesty, look here, beneath the ice layer."

Shang Wan Ning narrowed her eyes.

Beneath the ice, in a very deep place, half a broken blade was embedded.

The blade was covered in frost and snow, but the malevolent aura remaining on the edge could be felt as bone-chilling even through the screen.

"A relic from an ancient battlefield," the Underworld Empress said, "It has been buried for at least ten thousand years."

"Yes," Chen Yu nodded, "And that couch she's sitting on, it's carved from profound ice, and the edges show signs of wear. It's not artificially aged; it's actually been used for a long time."

"How could such a place exist in the mortal world?"

Shang Wan Ning did not respond and continued to drag the progress bar forward.

The scene cut to the PK segment, where "Candle Shadow Shaking Red" connected with another streamer.

The other person was wearing a moon-white wide-sleeved fairy dress, and the background was decorated to look like a celestial palace, surrounded by clouds and mist.

"This is 'Yao Chi Xian Ji', also a big streamer in the ancient style category." Chen Yu explained: "The fans of both sides have had friction before, accusing each other of copying."