Chapter Three: The Mysterious Art of the Nine Palaces

As we arrived, the great doors creaked open, and the man strode inside.

I followed closely behind, my eyes ceaselessly scanning my surroundings.

To my astonishment, the interior was even more resplendent than the exterior; even the floor tiles were paved with the finest white jade.

On both sides of the corridor, artificial hills and gardens dazzled the eye, and not a single species of flower or plant was familiar to me.

Within the courtyard, patrolling ghostly generals wore suits of purple and gold armor, each wielding a long white jade spear. Their imposing presence revealed that they far surpassed the two golden-armored sentinels I had encountered before.

Though these ghostly generals were not as tall as those two before, they still stood around two meters high.

The man led me to a palace, ordered servants to bring tea, then gestured for me to sit wherever I liked.

“There’s no need to be afraid. No one dares harm you here. Do you know why I’ve brought you?”

I shook my head to show I did not know.

He continued, “Do you wish to return, or would you rather stay here?”

At these words, excitement surged through me like a sudden rush of adrenaline, and I immediately replied,

“Please, my lord, have mercy and let me return! I have a seventy-year-old mother above and young children of six or seven below, all waiting for my care. I beg your grace, my lord!”

This line, so often heard in television dramas, came fluently to my lips, though I had no idea if it would work here.

The man shot me a glance, then turned and sat down, speaking with a natural authority that needed no anger to inspire awe.

“Spare me the theatrics. If you wish to return, you must obey me. If you choose to stay, then you must contribute—no one idles here.”

“As long as I can return, I’ll follow your every command,” I declared, thumping my chest.

He took a sip of tea and said slowly, “Sending you back is no problem, but there are a few conditions you must fulfill.”

As long as I could return, not to mention a few conditions—I would agree even if there were a hundred.

There’s a saying: better a wretched life than a glorious death. Who in this world does not wish to live?

So I replied, “No problem. Tell me your conditions.”

With a casual wave of his hand, the man closed the palace doors.

I had imagined that, with the doors shut, the hall would be plunged into darkness, but nothing changed.

Then he rose and led me to a secret chamber, where there was only a square table with an oil lamp on it, flickering with a faint blue flame.

I followed him to the table and sat down opposite him, a vague apprehension in my heart—surely he wouldn’t want to play cards with me again?

Thankfully, he had no such intention. Instead, he recounted a story of earth-shaking consequence.

Three hundred years ago, it turned out, the underworld had lost a supreme magical artifact—the Soul Capturing Pearl.

Since its loss, the fortunes of the underworld had gradually declined, and despite exhaustive searches, not a single clue had been found.

Eventually, suspicion arose that someone had hidden the Soul Capturing Pearl in the world of the living. This time, letting me return was chiefly to have me seek out the pearl in the mortal realm.

“What if I can’t find it?” I asked.

He replied, “If you fail, you’ll still be sent to suffer in the Eighteenth Layer of Hell. So you must find it.”

I thought to myself, what if the pearl isn’t even in the world of the living? Even ten lifetimes of searching would be in vain.

But I dared not voice this thought. After all, this was my only chance to go back. If I said the wrong thing and he changed his mind, I’d be doomed.

So I nodded and said, “I’ll do my utmost to find it, but I have a few questions.”

“First, I don’t even know what the Soul Capturing Pearl looks like—even if I saw it, I might not recognize it.”

“Second, with my current abilities, searching would be exceedingly difficult and could take a very long time.”

“Third, once I find it, how do I hand it over to you?”

The man considered for a moment. “None of these things need concern you. Since I am sending you to search, naturally you’ll know what to look for.”

“As for your abilities, that too is easily remedied. I can teach you some skills. But remember: you must never flaunt these skills in front of others, and you must never use them to swindle people for money. If I find out you’ve used my teachings for personal gain, you will not be spared.”

Even without his warning, I would never stoop to cheating others for profit.

I had mentioned my lack of ability simply because I was worried about my own safety—without some means of self-protection, I might lose my life searching for the pearl. In that case, I’d rather not return at all.

So I said, “Rest assured, my lord, I would never use your teachings to deceive or defraud.”

He nodded, “There is one more matter… but never mind. Find the Soul Capturing Pearl first.”

He then fixed his gaze on me for a moment, murmuring to himself, “Let me teach you the Nine Palaces Nether Art. This method has nine stages, each divided into beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels.”

He instructed me to close my eyes, saying he would engrave the teachings of the Nine Palaces Nether Art into my mind.

Though I found it hard to believe, I complied.

To my amazement, I could clearly sense an influx of information into my mind—mantras and methods, all etched distinctly.

Moreover, the image of the Soul Capturing Pearl appeared in my mind as well. The emperor’s abilities were truly beyond belief; for a moment, I even began to wonder if I was dreaming.

After a few minutes, the emperor told me to open my eyes and asked,

“How do you feel? Any discomfort?”

I replied, “I’m alright, just feeling a bit dizzy.”

He nodded with satisfaction, “It seems your constitution is quite good. Oh, I nearly forgot—I’ve also given you a pair of Yin-Yang Eyes. The information in your mind is the complete method of the Nine Palaces Nether Art. When you return, study it well. How far you progress will depend on your own destiny.”

He spoke lightly, but I was inwardly shaken.

Could such a thing as Yin-Yang Eyes truly exist? I had only ever read about them in books. I remembered being quite intrigued and researching what little I could find.

So-called “Yin-Yang Eyes” are a type of supernatural ability, allowing one to see ghosts and other phenomena invisible to ordinary people. Though never scientifically verified, many still believe in their existence.

In folk beliefs, these eyes can be innate or acquired through rituals performed out of curiosity. Though science has yet to prove their reality, many religions speak of people who can see spirits with the naked eye.

Those who possess Yin-Yang Eyes are said to be pure of heart and unswervingly upright, so the gift chooses the person, rather than the person acquiring the gift.

From a modern scientific perspective, many believe the phenomenon of “Yin-Yang Eyes” originates from schizophrenia or other mental disorders causing hallucinations and delusions. Others think it springs from eye diseases—if part of a retina loses visual function, that portion may generate hallucinations.