Yun Chen frowned at the two figures in black before him. A thread of golden light shot from his fingers and shattered the black metal box in the man's hand. In the next instant, dozens of pitch-dark spirits drifted out of the broken case, including the four souls they had just forcibly taken.
"Who are you, and why are you seizing souls by force?"
It was the first time Yun Chen had raised his voice at them.
The pair were startled by what he had done. One demanded, "Who are you, and why are you sabotaging a Soul Captor's mission?"
"Soul Captor? You?"
"Yes. We are state-appointed Soul Captors. Who are you?" The woman's tone was cold, her eyes wary.
Ranger Song Hao, stunned for a long beat, finally came to and stepped forward to head off a clash. "Yun Chen, what are you doing? They are Soul Captors. I told you before, remember? Why are you stopping them?"
He turned to the pair of Soul Captors and added, "My apologies, you two. This man was separated from his friends and happened to fall into the scenic area I patrol. His friends will pick him up in a couple of days. He did not mean to interfere with your work."
Shock was the only thing left in Yun Chen's eyes. So the "Soul Captors" who collected souls, as Song Hao had mentioned, were human. And these humans were forcibly taking souls, a clear violation of the underworld's rules.
Worse, the spirits about to drift away were steeped in foulness and had not been purified. They could not enter the cycle of rebirth at all. What did these people plan to do by seizing tainted souls? Could they really control reincarnation?
Questions flashed through Yun Chen's mind. He swept his sleeve, drawing the dispersing spirits into his sleeve's fold. The other black-clad man, the one who had produced the metal box, was a step too slow to stop him.
The two Soul Captors exchanged a look and faced Yun Chen like cornered foes. "Who exactly are you? How can you collect souls without any equipment?"
"Amitabha. You are ordinary people. Why crown yourselves 'Soul Captors'? With your status, you cannot send souls that need rebirth into the underworld."
They understood only half of his words, but they still said, "You have no authority to take souls. Either hand over what you just took, or come with us."
Yun Chen swept them once more with his divine sense and confirmed they were indeed ordinary people. He nodded. "This monk will go with you. There are things I must make clear."
Even Song Hao ended up in the Soul Captors' vehicle, bound for the headquarters of the special division.
Feeling provoked, the pair reported the incident straight to headquarters, which ordered them to bring the man in immediately.
What they thought would be just another case of the Extreme Death Sect ending themselves had led to a strange man instead. All the way there, the two watched Yun Chen in secret, hoping to see some clue.
Yun Chen, eyes closed, turned the prayer beads in his hand. At last, he understood why this small world had felt so strange.
From that point on, Yunxi and the others learned of the peculiarities of Azure Star through different paths and each, directly or indirectly, came into contact with the special division. The four were not far from reunion.
By now, Yunxi had been living for some time in the place she rented at the Film City. She was more famous than the actors shooting there, thanks not only to her face but also to Li Li.
The first time Li Li appeared in Yunxi's arms on Xia Mengmeng's set, they were mobbed by curious stares. Everyone looked at Li Li with blazing eyes, their desire to pet the panda practically spilling out. Li Li was so frightened he burrowed into Yunxi's embrace.
Unruffled, Yunxi let her assistant Lan Lan usher her into the RV. She asked with curiosity, "Have they never seen a little panda before?"
Lan Lan kept sneaking glances at Li Li, though she knew this was Master Ran Xi's spirit pet and restrained herself. "Master, little pandas are almost extinct on Azure Star. Only a few remain in extremely dangerous mountain habitats, all guarded by the military. Apart from researchers, ordinary people cannot get close. Seeing a living little panda is exciting for everyone."
She sneaked another greedy look.
Yunxi was a bit speechless but said, "I will let you pet him once. Stop drooling over Li Li."
Lan Lan let out a squeal under her breath and, with trembling hands, stroked Li Li from head to tail. Then she whipped out her phone and took a burst of photos, stepping out of the RV with an auntie's grin plastered on her face.
Moments later, shouts and squeals of envy rose outside, followed by calls for Lan Lan to share the photos.
Li Li twitched his ears. "Zūnzhě, am I really that rare in this world?"
Yunxi nodded. "There is no connection to the underworld here. The Gate of Ghosts is closed. Reincarnation is man-made. Do you think they have the power to create the Six Paths?
Without the Six Paths, how do animals reincarnate? I suspect that once the remaining animals on Azure Star die out, this world will hold only humans. All other life will vanish."
Li Li flicked his tail. "This place is too strange. It is my first time seeing reincarnation interfered with by human hands, taking over the underworld's work.
If you call it reckless, they do have some ability, or they could not have kept the cycle going for so long. But actions that defy the laws of heaven and earth only lead to extinction when taken too far. Do they not realize that?"
Yunxi was scrolling through the extinction records of Azure Star's species on her phone. She replied,"Perhaps they do realize it, but they have no practical solution.
The laws of this world are abnormally weak. There is no inheritance of daoist, demonic, Buddhist, ghost, or best paths. They can only use science to solve problems. But reincarnation is not something technology can fix."
"Zūnzhě, their methods feel more like those of an evil cultivator."
"I am not sure yet. The authorities have not responded. Until we know the causes and consequences, I will not pass judgment."
Yunxi was cautious by nature.
When Xia Mengmeng wrapped her scenes, she was practically carried onto the RV by fans. She moved quickly, closing the door to keep others from disturbing the master's peace.
Her eyes went straight to Li Li, and she smiled warmly. "So this is Li Li, Master. What does he like to eat? I will have Lan Lan buy it."
"No need. He does not eat food from outside. But if you like, I can take a photo of you with Li Li."
Yunxi tossed out an olive branch.
Xia Mengmeng immediately handed over her phone. She hugged Li Li for a photo, then set it as her lock screen on the spot, replacing the one with her scumbag ex.
After giving the sweet treat, Yunxi asked, "Did you find the person I asked you to look for?"