1. Loudspeaker
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Jing Yi opened his eyes and found two pale faces looming before him.
He rubbed his aching head and stood up, realizing he was standing at the eerie end of a bridge. The sky was dim, cold winds howled, and as far as he could see, there was not a single patch of greenery—desolation so profound it sent chills down his spine.
Could there really be such a place in a tourist town?
Jing Yi recalled that he had been on a graduation trip with his classmates. In the evening, they had climbed an unknown mountain, but halfway through, a sudden storm coupled with a mudslide scattered them. He closed his eyes and reopened them only to find himself in this ghostly place.
He was about to ask the two men beside him where they were and whether they had seen any of his classmates.
But when he turned his face, he was stunned.
These were not humans.
They were unmistakably the implacable spirits from horror tales.
One was pale, the other dark; one tall, the other short; one stout, the other slender. Together, they looked like a crudely made yin-yang diagram.
These two grim reapers looked nothing like the ones he knew. The White Spirit wore a smile, tall and slender, his face pale as death but with a tall hat inscribed with the words “Wealth at First Sight,” instantly inspiring a sense of goodwill.
Then there was the Black Spirit...
Short, with a darkened face, fierce features, broad and heavyset, clutching shackles and handcuffs, baring his teeth as if ready to pounce and tear someone apart.
Given their fearsome appearances, Jing Yi surprisingly felt no fear. Instead, he leaned forward and asked, “Am I dreaming? Or am I already dead?”
The chains clinked as the Black Spirit intoned in a deep, muffled voice, “You are dead.”
Jing Yi quickly twisted his face in denial. “Nonsense! The fortune teller said I’d live to a ripe old age!”
The Black Spirit was taken aback by his boldness.
It was rare these days to encounter someone who dared to challenge the reapers; he was momentarily dumbfounded, staring blankly.
The White Spirit smiled gently. “Then perhaps you were deceived. The Book of Life and Death never errs. Mr. Zhao XX, you indeed died at 2:01:15 PM on July 1, 2024. This is your death notice. Please sign it.”
A white A4 sheet floated down from above, drifting to Jing Yi’s feet. He glanced at the “Death Notice,” then at the two spirits, and back at the paper. After a moment, he looked up with an innocent expression. “But I’m not Zhao XX.”
“...”
“...”
“...”
·
·
Ten minutes later, Jing Yi sat idly at the edge of the Naihe Bridge, his legs dangling as he swayed them calmly, showing no trace of the victim’s despair.
Meanwhile, the culprits who brought him here—the two grim reapers—had huddled in a corner, whispering for ten minutes straight.
Jing Yi grew restless and jumped down. “Hey, big brothers, have you finished deciding? If you keep this up, my corpse will be cold and stiff.”
The Black and White Spirits exchanged looks, their fierce expressions softening into cautious subtlety.
Jing Yi squinted sharply. Hmm? Something’s up.
Just as he pondered, the Black Spirit approached, his voice booming like a bell, “You cannot return.”
“Why not?” Jing Yi asked.
“You are dead,” the Black Spirit repeated.
Jing Yi blinked. “But you’ve got the wrong person! My death is unjust. Aren’t you afraid I’ll come back full of resentment to claim your lives?”
The Black Spirit was speechless.
Never before had he heard of someone threatening to take the reapers’ lives. Ridiculous.
The White Spirit cleared his throat and said with a face that only knew smiles, “It’s like this, Mr. Jing. We see that you have extraordinary bones and natural beauty, so we’ve decided to grant you a blessing: the chance to choose a new body to be reborn in, with any family background you desire. How does that sound?”
Jing Yi pursed his lips, eyeing him.
The White Spirit added, “Rebirth comes with a golden finger perk, by the way.”
There’s no such thing as a free lunch. Jing Yi narrowed his eyes and stared at them for a moment. “Actually, you two must have made a mistake grabbing my soul. Then, realizing you couldn’t put me back, you just picked some random body to pass me off, didn’t you?”
I’m a smart university student, educated for nine years, not easily fooled, Jing Yi thought, clicking his tongue.
The White Spirit was unfazed. “Exactly. Once a soul is taken, the person is dead. Even we can’t bring them back. If you want to live, you must borrow a body for rebirth. To make up for our mistake, we’ll give you the best possible identity.”
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Jing Yi tried another angle. “Can’t I just reincarnate directly?”
After all, he had no relatives or lovers before death. He was free to come and go, alive or dead at will.
Maybe he could be born into a good family. After all, he hadn’t done anything wrong. Just the day before, he had helped three elderly ladies cross the street all at once!
The Black Spirit sneered grimly, “You think the Meng Po soup is some kind of pearl milk tea you can drink anytime? The souls crossing the bridge have to be verified. You’re not Zhao XX; your identity doesn’t match. You’d be dragging us into trouble.”
Jing Yi suddenly understood. He pointed a finger and teased, “Oh, so mistakes get punished, huh?”
The Black Spirit had nothing to say.
That drawn-out tone was begging for a reprimand!
The White Spirit played peacemaker. “Mr. Jing, the situation is settled. You should consider the rebirth identity.”
True enough.
No decent person would want to linger at the Naihe Bridge arguing with two grim reapers; it was downright terrifying. Better to leave early.
Besides, choosing your identity was much like reincarnation, but without the hassle of growing up. What a blessing!
Jing Yi secretly rubbed his hands together, beginning to ponder what benefits to request.
After a while, the White Spirit saw the tension leave his face and asked eagerly, “Well, Mr. Jing, have you made up your mind?”
Jing Yi thought for a moment, then demanded grandly, “I want to be a CEO, making millions every minute. I want to experience the joy of wealth.”
“Every day, a top Michelin chef prepares my meals. I ride in a Maybach, have three chauffeurs, and live somewhere beautiful with facilities for swimming, skiing, fishing, golf, and all sorts of classy activities.”
“Oh, and a group of friends who love parties, so every day is a new thrill. Also, I want a supernatural ability. If I have to work, this power should handle everything so I can slack off at the penthouse.”
The Black Spirit lost his patience and interrupted, “Are you messing with us?”
Hey, this Black Spirit was from the Northeast!
Jing Yi shrank back and looked toward the other side of the bridge. “Meng Po, she must be over there, right? Since I’m here, I might as well say hello.”
Black and White Spirits: !!!
You came all this way? Is this your front door? Saying hello? Why not go straight to the Jade Emperor!
They cursed inwardly.
What’s scarier than grabbing the wrong soul? Having that soul threaten to report you to your boss!
If caught, it’s a ticket to hard labor in the eighteenth hell.
The White Spirit quickly grabbed Jing Yi, softening his tone, his smile easing Jing Yi’s irritation.
Wiping sweat from his brow, the White Spirit whispered, “Mr. Jing, you may ask for anything, but please don’t be unreasonable.”
Jing Yi blinked. “Are my demands unreasonable?”
The Black Spirit ground his teeth. “What do you think?!”
Jing Yi rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Alright, I won’t be too hard on you. I want an identity close to my own age, male... You can’t make me a woman, or I’ll complain to Meng Po. I hold grudges.”
The Spirits were speechless.
Jing Yi began counting on his fingers. “Good background, wealthy family, no worries about food and drink, and a respectable job with a monthly income... maybe a simple 100,000 after tax. I’m a law-abiding citizen.”
The Black Spirit was offended. “You just said you wanted to be a CEO! Now you change your mind? I don’t even make 100,000 in ghost money. What gives?”
Jing Yi pouted. “CEO sounds too intense. Plus, if I’m CEO, the company might go bankrupt. I changed my mind, okay? What kind of service attitude is that?”
“...”
The Black Spirit was furious.
Who still dared to defy grim reapers these days? Infuriating!
The White Spirit still smiled, though it looked forced. “Go on.”
Jing Yi continued, “I want to be surrounded by powerful people—business, politics, law, even some shady types—because I’m unfamiliar with this world. If I get into trouble, I want someone to bail me out, hehe.”
The two Spirits exchanged glances and both frowned. No ‘hehe’ from them.
With a mouth like yours, you’ll offend everyone in a day.
The Black Spirit was itching to curse again.
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Fortunately, the White Spirit was still sane enough to hold him back, not letting Jing Yi run wild with his demands.
He realized this was no ordinary soul—they had a real hot potato, someone they couldn’t scold or reprimand without consequence.
They hurried to wrap it up.
Jing Yi kept babbling, “My boss should be nice but not too nice—I like someone who can embarrass me with money at any time—and handsome, because beautifying the environment is everyone’s responsibility. And no overtime, I hate that corporate grind. That’s about it for now. Oh, and you said rebirth has perks?”
Jing Yi’s eyes sparkled as he looked at the White Spirit expectantly.
The White Spirit’s eternal smile nearly cracked.
But wanting to get rid of Jing Yi quickly, he pulled out a stack of slim cards and began listing them, “This one: unbeatable beauty, irresistible to all.”
Jing Yi stroked his chin and shook his head decisively. “I’m already good-looking. Next.”
“...”
White Spirit: “This one: extraordinary divine weapon, insanely powerful.”
Jing Yi: “No, no, that’s too violent. I wouldn’t even pass security checks.”
“...”
White Spirit ground his teeth. “How about x-ray vision?”
Jing Yi sneered, “That’ll give me corns. Got anything like turning stone to gold or an immortality elixir?”
The patient White Spirit nearly threw the cards in frustration. “You think I’m the goddess Nuwa?”
Jing Yi: “Okay, okay, keep going.”
White Spirit almost lost it laughing. “Gold medal lawyer?”
Jing Yi: “Nope, I’m not good at arguing.”
You’re the smoothest talker there is! Slam!
White Spirit trembled with anger and pulled out another card. “Top-tier teacher?”
Jing Yi was horrified, shaking his head like a windshield wiper. “I just graduated; I’m not going back to school. No!”
“...”
Damn it, do you even want to be reborn or not? Rejecting this and that, do you want to be the Jade Emperor instead?!
The White Spirit gritted his teeth and kept flipping cards. “This one: amplification...”
Before he could finish, a shadow darted out, snatched the card, covered Jing Yi’s mouth, and kicked the picky soul into the pool of reincarnation beside the bridge.
Jing Yi fell hard on the water’s surface, then slowly sank.
White Spirit: “...” *snort*
Black Spirit clapped his hands. “Done. If he keeps yammering, I’d rather serve hard labor in the eighteenth hell.”
The White Spirit froze, still trying to process.
The Black Spirit suddenly remembered, “Hey, what perk did you give that kid? I didn’t hear.”
The White Spirit paused, lips moving. “Amplification horn.”
Black Spirit scratched his head. “What’s that?”
White Spirit shrugged honestly. “Don’t know. No one’s used it. It’s rare.”
Black Spirit casually said, “Whatever. Since he’s reborn, let’s go find that Zhao guy. This time, be careful not to make mistakes...”
The two figures, one black and one white, gradually disappeared.
Jing Yi sank into the cool pool, powerless, weightless, until a white light washed over him and he lost consciousness.