Zombie Bodyguard

Lin Tian and Xiao Manxuan pretended to know nothing, just like those newly arrived souls, smoothly entering Fengdu City.

Once inside Fengdu City, Lin Tian and Xiao Manxuan were stunned on the spot. Fengdu City was just like the human world, a bustling metropolis.

Wide streets, rows of shops, a bustling crowd, no, it should be a ghost crowd. This was a lively replica of a human world city. For a moment, Lin Tian thought he had returned to the human world.

"Lin Tian, am I seeing this right? Do ghosts really go shopping?" Xiao Manxuan wiped her eyes and said in disbelief.

"Zhang Lingyu once said that the Netherworld is also a complete world. It seems she was right. After people die and enter the Netherworld, they still keep their habits from life, including food, clothing, housing, and transportation," Lin Tian said, though he too found it hard to accept, but the truth was right in front of them.

"Then how do we find Sister Yu? The city gate checks are so strict. She wouldn't still be outside the city, would she? Maybe she's already left the Netherworld." Xiao Manxuan looked around and said quietly.

"No, Zhang Lingyu is also a very stubborn person. She wouldn't leave until she finds us. Although the Wangchuan River is like Purgatory for souls, she is a Demon Exorcist, so she should have a way. Let's enter the city first, maybe we'll encounter her."

"But where should we look? Fengdu City is so big, and we don't know anyone here, oh no, I mean any ghost. It's all unfamiliar ground." Xiao Manxuan looked around, pulling a wry face as she spoke.

Lin Tian smiled mysteriously and said, "Don't worry, I have my ways." Then he started walking along the street.

Although still puzzled, Xiao Manxuan knew Lin Tian had plenty of ideas, so she followed him without question.

As they went deeper into the city, the prosperity of Fengdu City was even more surprising to Lin Tian. The number of ghosts shopping was no less than in the human world, and the shops were just as complete, offering food, clothing, shelter, and transportation—everything that existed in the human world was also here in Fengdu City.

The way ghosts shopped was no different from the human world, and there were even ghost couples walking together. All kinds of phenomena made this ghostly world an eye-opener for Lin Tian.

Lin Tian stopped in front of a grand tavern. This tavern had four or five floors, with a carved and lacquered sign above the door reading: Xiangman Building.

Ghosts were coming in and out of Xiangman Building in an endless stream. Inside, the sound of the waiter's shouts could be heard, and even without going inside, you could feel how booming the tavern's business was.

"Lin Tian, are we going into the tavern?" Xiao Manxuan asked curiously.

"Of course, taverns are places where people gather, and news is most well-informed here. We'll inquire about information here," Lin Tian nodded and said.

Xiao Manxuan blinked knowingly and said, "Seems reasonable."

"Let's go, and see what Netherworld cuisine is like." Lin Tian said, leading the way inside.

Just as they walked in through the main door, a gentleman approached them, to be precise, a middle-aged ghost. He smiled politely and said, "Are you here to stay or to dine?"

"To dine," Lin Tian replied straightforwardly.

"Alright, please come in, sit anywhere you like," the middle-aged ghost said courteously, ushering Lin Tian and Xiao Manxuan inside before returning to the door to greet the next guest.

Lin Tian found a seat by the window and sat down, then began to carefully observe the tavern's layout. The entire hall had tables arranged neatly, with the counter on the side. Perhaps influenced by the human world, the decorations showed a mixture of ancient and modern styles.

Most of the tables were filled with ghosts, eating and chatting animatedly. Lin Tian listened slightly and absorbed all their conversations.

"Did you hear that someone actually broke into the Netherworld? Lord Black Impermanence issued a Netherworld arrest warrant. Tsk tsk, a Netherworld arrest warrant, we haven't heard of such a thing in years," a ghost exclaimed in amazement.

"Yes, the last time a Netherworld arrest warrant was issued was over a decade ago. Who knows what sort of person would dare to break into the Netherworld, such guts."

"I heard whoever catches the intruder will be rewarded by the Netherworld. Maybe after eating and drinking we should try our luck?"

"Dream on, the kind of person who can break into the Netherworld is not someone we can mess with. It's said the intruder comes and goes without a trace, even Lord Luo at the city gates didn't fare well," another ghost said disdainfully.

…

Listening to these conversations, Lin Tian realized that almost everything was about Zhang Lingyu's intrusion into the Netherworld. These ghosts, even in the Netherworld, still loved gossip and discussing rumors.

"Lin Tian, they're all talking about Sister Yu," Xiao Manxuan also heard the discussions and quietly told Lin Tian.

"You stay seated, I'll go strike up a conversation and gather some information," Lin Tian signaled to Xiao Manxuan, and was about to get up when a waiter approached.

This waiter was female, quite pretty with a shapely figure. In ancient times, women couldn't show themselves in public, not to mention working. The fact that a woman in the Netherworld could be a waiter shows that modern thinking has spread here and taken hold.

"What would you like to eat?" the female waiter asked courteously, handing a menu to Lin Tian.

Lin Tian opened it and glanced at the traditional characters, finding that the dish names were similar to those in the human world. As for whether the prices were expensive, Lin Tian couldn't really tell.

In the human world, a dish costing one thousand RMB might seem expensive, but in the Netherworld maybe even ten thousand Joss Paper wouldn't be considered costly. Who knows the consumer level of ten thousand Joss Paper here.

Xiao Manxuan leaned over to take a look, then whispered, "Lin Tian, we don't have any money, how can we order? Will we get kicked out?"

Lin Tian blinked, gesturing for her to be patient, then said seriously to the pretty waitress, "What's your best dish here?"

The pretty waitress politely replied, "Our specialty is the secret roasted whole lamb. It's the new chef's signature dish, with a secret recipe passed down through generations."

"Great, then bring a pot of your free tea, thank you," Lin Tian said very earnestly.

With a "pfft," a customer at a neighboring table spewed out water, caught off guard by Lin Tian's stark contrast.

The pretty waitress was also bewildered; it was her first time encountering such a curious guest, asking for the best dish but ordering a pot of free tea. Xiao Manxuan's eyes widened, and she tried hard not to laugh out loud.

After a while, the pretty waitress came back to her senses, saying reluctantly, "Uh... Our tavern has a rule that you must dine here for the tea to be free."

"Your menu clearly says free tea, there's no such rule mentioned," Lin Tian feigned innocence.

"Uh..." The pretty waitress was momentarily speechless.

"Damn, what is this? If you have no money to eat, just get lost. Free tea, my ass, almost choked me to death!" a customer at a neighboring table suddenly slammed the table, glaring at Lin Tian and shouted.