Chapter Nineteen: The Frost General of the Underworld

Jiang Wangshu’s vision went black, and she found herself in a place swept by chilling winds. All around her rose piercing wails, and in the dim light, grotesque faces lunged at her from every direction.

Yet Jiang Wangshu felt as if she had returned home, strangely comforted by the familiar sound of those howls. It was as though, long ago, she had dwelled in a place just like this.

A black mark appeared unbidden on her palm, transforming into an obsidian book that floated above her, casting a glow over a small patch of ground. Like a glass shield, it kept the hideous ghosts at bay.

Little Black gazed hungrily at the swirling spirits, his golden eyes blazing as if set alight. He licked his lips greedily. “I want to eat.”

Jiang Wangshu nodded. “Go ahead. If you ever want to eat, just help yourself.”

As a good master, she naturally encouraged her pet’s independence—after all, she’d never raised a merman or anything of the sort.

With long strides, Little Black marched forward. The snarling ghosts lunged at him, only to be seized by the throat and bitten down upon with jaws sharp as a shark’s, tearing into their immaterial forms.

Chunks of soul were ripped away, and the wraiths gave agonized shrieks as they faded into nothing, stirring the surrounding spirits into a frenzy.

Countless ghosts gathered, encircling him in a dense fortress of gray mist. Jiang Wangshu could see nothing but a wall of shadowy figures within, their howls piercing through.

She turned away, trusting her instinct that something of value lay deeper inside.

Though treasures awaited, she was unwilling to test her luck.

The Pay-to-Win System piped up anxiously, “Host, why are you heading out? The core of the formation is inside. You have to break the array to get out.”

Reluctantly, Jiang Wangshu turned back, muttering to herself, “Don’t pick things up, don’t pick things up…”

She’d only just managed some peaceful days; she didn’t want more misfortune.

The system, mystified, rummaged through its shop, eager to sell her something. Having started with a billion energy units and finally rebooted, it was eager for a big score.

“Host, how about this Ghost Pearl? It can store spirits,” it offered.

Jiang Wangshu flicked the system’s bouncy form. “I’m not short on money, but I’m not stupid either. Why would I buy something useless?”

Embarrassed, the system scratched its face and put the pearl away, resuming its search.

And so, master and system bantered their way forward. The restless spirits could do nothing to her—those who tried were shattered on the spot.

Jiang Wangshu noticed the book above her was rather biased.

When it encountered particularly vicious ghosts, it shattered them outright; when facing gentler spirits, it absorbed them. By now, the book’s first page read:

Evil spirits exterminated: 342. Benevolent spirits collected: 98.

She couldn’t help but smile—the book was meticulous, calling the malicious ones “creatures” and the good ones “people,” quite precise in its terms.

Suddenly, a point of white light appeared and shot toward her. Before she could react, she found herself transported to an ancient battlefield.

The sky was heavy with darkness, cold winds howled, and a thick tang of blood saturated the air. Corpses lay strewn in every direction.

One figure stood out: a towering man, hands braced on his sword like a statue, his armor in tatters, a gaping hole in his chest revealing the landscape beyond.

“I, General Han Shuang, stand here! Who dares invade?” His deep voice rang out, resolute and powerful. With crimson eyes blazing with a killing aura, the general raised his heavy sword, pointing it at her.

“Attack!” At his roar, the entire field of soldiers awakened. The clash of armor and steel filled the air as the battlefield sprang to life.

“Attack!” The cry shook the heavens, crashing over her like a tidal wave. Soldiers clad in black armor surged forward, their charge like rolling surf, making the earth tremble.

The Pay-to-Win System quaked with terror. “Host, let’s run! Void Step, Teleportation Talisman—take your pick! Only 9,800, not 18,000—this is your chance—”

But Jiang Wangshu, for some reason, felt no fear. Instead, her blood surged with excitement; she wanted to shout and fight alongside them.

Without thinking, she charged forward.

“Attack!” The tide of black-armored soldiers split around her, racing toward something behind her—a troop of enormous apes.

Each giant ape stood three meters tall, making the black-armored soldiers look like blades of grass by comparison. Still, the soldiers’ morale did not falter; they formed teams of twenty to take down a single ape.

Jiang Wangshu hurriedly turned, grabbed a sword off the ground, and joined the fray.

She jabbed a few times, but couldn’t pierce even the apes’ hide.

A black-armored soldier grabbed her and flung her aside. “Let the kids stay out of the way.”

That toss snapped Jiang Wangshu back to her senses.

What was she doing?

Climbing to her feet, she heard the system weeping with relief. “Host, you scared me to death! I kept calling you but you wouldn’t answer—”

Looking at the scene before her, Jiang Wangshu felt a familiar itch in her hands. She murmured, “I feel like I’m missing something…”

A bow? Or maybe a gun.

She searched the system’s shop.

A vivid green bow caught her eye, its body carved with intricate patterns of leaves and flowers, lifelike as if woven from living plants, surrounded by a gentle green glow.

This was it—the Netherwood Bow.

She tried to buy it, but her balance read 380, and the price was 360 million.

Without hesitation, Jiang Wangshu declared, “System, let me buy on credit.”

The Pay-to-Win System tried to suppress a grin. “Host, I wouldn’t recommend that—interest rates are steep!”

“Credit,” she insisted.

The system spoke faster than ever. “How about a fifty-year installment plan? Only 36,000 a day…”

“Purchase successful! Please check your inventory.”

The glowing bow materialized in her hand. Jiang Wangshu gripped it tight, nocking an arrow and channeling her spiritual energy.

Emerald arrows formed instantly, streaking toward the giant apes’ hearts.

One ape collapsed. The unfamiliar green fletching caught General Han Shuang’s eye. He turned to see a slender figure standing high above, loosing arrow after arrow without missing a shot.

If only someone like that had come to help back then…

Han Shuang shook his head, leading his soldiers against another ape.

Suddenly, a thunderous roar shook the battlefield, sending the black-armored troops flying like leaves, blood spraying from their mouths.

At the edge of the field, an enormous, shaggy face appeared. Its black eyes were filled with murderous intent. It stretched out a hand, so vast it blotted out the sun, and the three-meter-tall apes looked like toys in its grasp.

With a casual toss, it dropped one into its gaping mouth.

The remaining apes beat their chests and screamed, fleeing without hesitation—hurling themselves straight into that monstrous maw.