Striving for Science C108 pt1

Du Zhonghai parked his car outside the residential complex. This was the first time he had come to the entrance of this mysterious complex in broad daylight. As a cultivator, he had always felt a sense of mystery surrounding this complex, but to avoid trouble, he had never gone near it.

The Civil Service Department was established in Wuming City because the higher-ups wanted to place some official personnel in Wuming City to oversee some unscientific events in the area. Although they were ostensibly working to dispel feudal superstition and promote scientific inventions.

This residential complex was originally included in the areas they needed to closely monitor. Later, after hearing that Shen Chang'an had moved in directly, they removed this complex from the monitoring list.

They never expected that a god would be living in this complex.

"We're here." Du Zhonghai turned his head and saw Shen Chang'an dragging two ghosts out of the car. He couldn't help but say, "If things hadn't gotten out of hand, maybe you wouldn't have to be transferred."

"Today's events, unless they're completely blocked online, will definitely spread." Shen Chang'an smiled, "Director Du, are you reluctant to see me go?"

"Yes." Du Zhonghai nodded, "I can brag to other Daoist friends for a lifetime about having an employee who's dating a god. When I get to the underworld, I can use your connection with the City God to pull some strings and hopefully get a good reincarnation next time."

Shen Chang'an was stunned for a moment, then said, "I haven't really thought about that. I'll put in a good word for you with the City God in the future?"

"Then I really owe you one." Du Zhonghai laughed and scolded him a few times, then turned his head and saw a handsome man in a light-colored sweater standing by the entrance of the complex. "Your boyfriend is here to pick you up."

Seeing Dao Nian waiting for him, Shen Chang'an dragged the ghosts and ran. The two ghosts kept bumping and rubbing against each other, emitting a series of screams.

Seeing this scene, Du Zhonghai silently wiped his face, nodded to Dao Nian, and left discreetly.

"Why did you bring these two things back?" Dao Nian saw Shen Chang'an rushing towards him and quickly reached out to catch him, while kicking the two ghosts away in disgust.

"It's not convenient for Director Du to hold them." Shen Chang'an saw the two ghosts being kicked like balls by Dao Nian to the side of the security booth. "Should we tie them up at the entrance for now?"

"These dirty and black ghosts, tying them up at the entrance would just dirty the place." Dao Nian put Shen Chang'an down on the ground. "Should we just let them dissipate?"

Shen Chang'an frowned, considering the feasibility.

The door of the security booth opened, and a security guard came out. He looked at the two ghosts lying at his feet, picked them up casually, and looked up to see Shen Chang'an and Dao Nian standing not far away. He respectfully asked, "Two lords, how should we handle this?"

"You figure it out. Clean them up and call the ghost constables later." Dao Nian finished speaking, turned to Chang'an and said, "Let's go, let's go home for dinner."

"The security guard..." Seeing that the security guard could also see ghosts, Shen Chang'an suddenly realized that even the security guard in this complex wasn't human. No wonder he had asked Dao Nian to pretend to be a dog back then, for fear of being caught as a panda thief.

Thinking about this, Shen Chang'an reached out and patted Dao Nian heavily on the back. "You didn't tell me earlier, you made me lose face in front of the security guard."

"It's okay, they wouldn't dare to laugh at you." Dao Nian's tone was very calm. "It's not embarrassing."

Shen Chang'an: "..."

"You say they won't, so they won't? They're secretly laughing behind your back, you don't know."

"As long as I want to know, there's nothing I don't know."

"But when that gray-clothed man brought me here to expose your true identity, you didn't know." Shen Chang'an mercilessly exposed his boyfriend's flaws.

Dao Nian's expression became more serious. "Because he's not subject to the rules of Heavenly Dao."

"Then... what is he?"

Dao Nian thought for a moment. "He's probably a monster formed by the combination of the remnants of the Great Dao and the resentment of the world."

"Why does he keep picking on us?" Shen Chang'an held Dao Nian's hand, walking towards their villa. "He's clearly a cannon fodder character with a villain's script."

Dao Nian: "I don't know."

"Actually, this villain is quite clever, knowing how to use humans against me." Shen Chang'an said with a smile. "If we weren't lovers, some of his little tricks might have caused me trouble."

"Too bad, too bad." Shen Chang'an raised his chin proudly. "My charm is too great, even Heaven bows to me. From now on, I have a powerful backer."

Looking at Shen Chang'an's smug expression, Dao Nian couldn't help but laugh: "Yeah, your charm is so great, even Heaven is moved."

Shen Chang'an chuckled and, taking advantage of Dao Nian's distraction, jumped onto his back. "Right now, I'm the man riding on Heaven's back."

"You're already on Heaven's back, so Heaven can only take you away, this man radiating charm, to prevent you from harming others." Dao Nian, afraid he might fall, quickly reached out to support his bottom. "Stay put, don't wiggle around. Don't blame Heaven if you fall."

Shen Chang'an: "..."

***

In the Underworld, White Impermanence saw Black Impermanence fidgeting, wanting to say something but hesitant. He couldn't take it anymore and said, "What's wrong with you? You went to the human realm and came back like this?"

Black Impermanence felt suffocated: "You know about this huge thing, and you're not shocked at all?"

White Impermanence: "?"

It's just a living person using private justice against a ghost. It's not like we haven't seen it before. What's so shocking?

Seeing White Impermanence still unfazed, Black Impermanence couldn't hold it in anymore: "That human is with the Heavenly Dao, making the Heavenly Dao submit to him. You're not surprised?"

"What, the Heavenly Dao is under him?!" White Impermanence exclaimed, "That's impossible!"

"You don't know?" Black Impermanence saw White Impermanence's reaction. "Then what were you agreeing with earlier?"

"You weren't talking about Shen Chang'an using private justice against ghosts?"

"I was talking about Shen Chang'an suppressing... that..." Black Impermanence couldn't bring himself to say the word "Heavenly Dao." He was already regretting it. If he knew White Impermanence was completely unaware of this, he wouldn't have said anything. If this got out, it would be a huge mess.

I only told you this, you absolutely can't tell anyone else." It was too late to regret it now. Black Impermanence could only repeatedly warn White Impermanence. "Don't tell anyone, okay?"

"Don't worry, I won't spread it around." After saying this, White Impermanence sensed a yao spirit calling him from the human realm. "A yao is calling me, I'll be back soon."

Watching White Impermanence's hurried departure, Black Impermanence felt uneasy. Xie Bi'an should keep his word, right?

***

White Impermanence found the yao spirit that summoned him and discovered it was at the Heavenly Dao's divine mansion gate. He quickly suppressed his ghostly aura and asked the yao spirit that summoned him, "May I ask, what does my friend need from me?"

A yao that can guard the Heavenly Dao's gate must be no ordinary yao.

"Greetings, White Impermanence." The gatekeeper handed two ghosts, beaten to a pulp, to White Impermanence. "These two wicked ghosts were brought back by Mr. Shen. I thought such ghosts should be sent to the Underworld to be punished, so I troubled you to make this trip."

"I was just about to go catch them. Thanks to Mr. Shen, for helping me capture them." White Impermanence didn't hesitate, praising Shen Chang'an first.

In recent years, the Heavenly Dao has almost completely cut off contact with the Underworld. Now that there's finally some connection, how could he miss this opportunity?

"You're welcome." The gatekeeper glanced at the two cowering ghosts and whispered, "From Mr. Shen's expression, it seems he really dislikes these two ghosts."

Some things don't need to be said explicitly.

White Impermanence immediately said sternly, "Such wicked people, not only does Mr. Shen dislike them, even we, the ghost constables, are utterly disgusted by them. We will surely punish them severely to comfort those innocent people who were harmed by them."

The gatekeeper smiled, "White Impermanence, you are truly upright and clear."

Dog Brother, who was in so much pain that his whole body ached: "..."

He was tortured by Shen Chang'an in his previous life, and now after death, he continues to be tortured because of Shen Chang'an. What kind of terrifying opponent is this?

If he had known this, he would have rather died in the police's crackdown last year. Why is it like this now? He died a humiliating death, and his afterlife is even more miserable.

"I was wrong, I'm willing to atone..." When Dog Brother was taken to hell by White Impermanence, he saw those ghosts who were having their tongues pulled out, being boiled, deep-fried, sliced, and burned, and he heard their mournful cries. Dog Brother begged for mercy repeatedly.

But how could White Impermanence reduce his sins just because of his few pleas? He dragged the two ghost souls in front of the judge, whispered a few words in his ear, and the judge sent them to the eighteenth level of hell to suffer extreme punishment.

"Ah!" As his soul fell into the volcano, he cried out in pain, but there were many other ghosts howling in pain like him, and his cries were soon drowned out.

After judging these two major evildoers, the judge sighed, put down his judge's pen, and said to White Impermanence, "Why are you so free today, you even personally escorted two evil ghost souls here."

Black and White Impermanence are the highest ranking officials among the ghost messengers. Unless there are evil ghosts who are wreaking havoc, they don't need to personally intervene.

"These few evildoers are highly valued by Mr. Shen above." White Impermanence explained, "If I don't personally make two trips, how can I show my sincerity?"

The judge nodded understandingly, "Sigh, you can at least show your face in front of Mr. Shen, but I'm worried sick over here."

Is there some kind of difficult-to-judge wronged ghost?

"According to the old rules, if someone played matchmaker for a widow, instigating her to remarry, they would be sent to the Scissors Hell after death." 

The judge's head grew large as he spoke. "But now, more and more female ghosts are expressing dissatisfaction with this rule, saying why should those who instigate women to remarry be punished in Scissors Hell, while those who instigate widowers to remarry are fine? They also say that men and women are now equal, marriage should also be free and equal, remarriage is a matter of freedom, and they are clamoring to abolish this rule. A few days ago, those female ghosts whose time to reincarnate hadn't come yet, were holding banners and sitting outside the judge's hall to protest."

White Impermanence thought carefully, "I think... there's some truth to that?"

"But the rules of the eighteen levels of hell have been set long ago, how could I, a mere judge, change them?" The judge's face was full of bitterness. "Don't even mention me, even the King of Hell can't change the established rules of hell. Those female ghosts, even if they sit outside the judge's hall every day, I have no way to deal with them."

"You and the King of Hell can't change this rule, but there is someone who can." White Impermanence thought of someone.

"Who?"

"Heavenly Dao Lord."

"No, no, I'm not worthy of asking for Heavenly Dao's favor."

"You can't ask Heavenly Dao, but you can ask Heavenly Dao's partner." White Impermanence had a good relationship with the Judge. He set up a barrier around them. "I'll tell you a secret, but you must never tell anyone."

"What secret?"

"I'll tell you, Heavenly Dao has a special affection for Shen Chang'an. For him, Heavenly Dao is even willing to…"

The Judge was stunned for a long time before he came to his senses. "You're saying... it's true?"

White Impermanence nodded.

The Judge hesitated for a moment. "Then I'll try it tomorrow."