Chapter 125: Escape from the Underworld Prison

Before leaving home, Yun Jiao had already informed her ancestral master—and even made lunch before she left. She had figured, no matter what happened, she’d be back before dark. No one could have expected she would accidentally fall into the Underworld instead.

Given how much of a foodie her master was, he would definitely realize something was wrong by dinner. Since last time he had managed to sense her when she was trapped in the Demon Realm, he should be able to locate her in the Underworld as well.

Well… probably?

Yun Jiao decided that staying put and waiting was the safest option. And as a loyal admirer, Captain Jiao also thought following Yun Jiao’s lead was the safest plan. So both of them chose to stay still—much to Xi Teng’s (the scarred man’s) frustration.

“Hey! You two, can’t you have a little sense of danger?” Xi Teng glared at them. “Do you think this prison is some cozy retreat? You’re only being held here for now. Once the ghost judge returns, having your souls scattered will be the best-case outcome!”

Yun Jiao blinked, then asked calmly, “When will the ghost judge return?”

He snorted, giving them a look that clearly said, Now you’re scared, huh?

“Hmph, by noon tomorrow at the latest. The ghost judge of this city will be back by then.”

“Oh,” Yun Jiao said evenly. “Then we’ve got time.”

“……”

Xi Teng almost exploded. This was the first time he’d met such uncooperative prisoners! Furious, he stepped forward, grabbed them both, and barked, “I don’t care! I’ve already gotten involved, so you’re coming with me now. We’re escaping, whether you like it or not!”

He yanked them forward roughly. Yun Jiao stumbled a bit, but still looked him up and down with that same composed seriousness.

“Wait,” she said firmly. “I don’t mind following you. But if we follow you, will we actually get out?”

Xi Teng froze. Remembering his terrible sense of direction, his face immediately flushed a deep red, like a tomato about to burst. Flustered and angry, he snapped, “Don’t underestimate me! I—I just took a wrong turn earlier, that’s all! It’s just a prison. I said I’d get you out, and I’ll keep that promise! If there’s no path, I’ll make one!”

With that, he pulled out the massive blade slung across his back. Turning toward the right-hand wall, his aura of yin energy surged violently. The already-dim prison instantly grew darker and colder.

“You’re not planning to—” Captain Jiao’s eyes widened. “Wait, don’t—”

Before he could finish, Xi Teng swung his blade.

With a deafening boom, a massive shockwave blasted through the corridor. The ground trembled violently, the air twisted, and the walls began to collapse as chunks of brick and clouds of black mist rained down.

“See? There’s our way out!” Xi Teng said triumphantly, resting the blade on his shoulder and pointing toward the gaping tunnel he had just carved. “Told you I’d find a way.”

Yun Jiao: “……”

Jiao Hengyi: “……”

MDZZ.

Would it really kill him to just wait quietly for rescue?!

Sure enough—

The commotion was enormous. Moments later, they felt waves of powerful yin energy surging toward them—the ghost wardens had clearly noticed and were coming fast.

“Ghost wardens are on their way,” Xi Teng said, glancing back before waving urgently at them. “Go, go, go!” His face all but said: I’ve opened your escape route—no need to thank me, just run!

“……”

Was this guy an undercover agent sent by the Underworld to make their lives harder?!

Yun Jiao and Captain Jiao exchanged a glance. They had no choice but to run. They followed the passage Xi Teng had opened, sprinting down the newly carved tunnel.

Five minutes later—

Dead end. A solid wall blocked the way.

The two of them: “……”

They really shouldn’t have expected anything from a man with no sense of direction. He’d even managed to hack out a dead-end escape tunnel.

“I’ll just cut again!” Xi Teng said confidently, raising his sword. “Eventually we’ll reach the exit!”

“Wait!” Captain Jiao panicked and quickly grabbed his arm. “Don’t! If you keep swinging, you’ll bring every ghost in the city down on us!”

Yun Jiao, meanwhile, was staring intently at the wall. “Hold on… there’s something strange about this spot.”

She placed her hand on the surface and traced it carefully. A moment later, a red formation pattern flared to life across the stone.

“This is… a bewilderment formation?!” Captain Jiao exclaimed. No wonder they’d been wandering endlessly in circles before. Sure, Xi Teng really was directionally challenged—but apparently, there had been a real formation trapping them too.

Yun Jiao didn’t waste time. With swift, practiced motions, she broke the array apart. The red runes flickered, sparked, and went out with a sizzle.

The wall groaned, then slid inward, revealing a yawning dark passage beyond.

“This must be the exit!” Xi Teng’s face lit up. He turned and gave them a smug look that screamed See? I told you I could do it! Then he strode forward. “Come on! Once we’re out, I’ll send you out of the city.”

Yun Jiao and Captain Jiao could only follow. Behind them, the stone wall closed with a heavy thud.

They continued down the tunnel. The deeper they went, the darker it became. At first, Yun Jiao thought it was just the Underworld’s atmosphere—but soon, it became pitch black. Only her spirit vision allowed her to see faint outlines ahead.

“Something’s wrong,” she said suddenly, halting. “This isn’t an exit—we’re heading downward!”

Given that the prison was built under the ghost city, any exit should lead up, not down.

The others realized it too. Xi Teng frowned. “No wonder this place feels weird. Even the yin energy here is thin—it’s uncomfortable.” But it was too late to turn back now; the ghost wardens would already be searching behind them.

“Hey, there’s a fork up ahead!” Captain Jiao pointed forward.

Sure enough, the tunnel split into three separate passages. Each stretched into darkness, ancient but remarkably clean and smooth—as if intentionally built rather than carved at random. The layout was intricate, almost maze-like.

“Which one leads out?” Captain Jiao asked. It was clear by now that they had already left the confines of the main prison.

Yun Jiao frowned slightly, then turned to Xi Teng. “Brother Ghost, you know this city best. Which path looks most likely to lead outside?”

Xi Teng blinked, surprised that she was asking him. Feeling oddly flattered, he gave her a proud, self-satisfied look before studying the tunnels seriously.

“In my opinion, the left one probably leads upward—it looks like an exit. But the middle one… its yin energy is thicker than the others. So either of those two are possibilities.”

“Got it.” Yun Jiao nodded, grabbed Captain Jiao by the arm—and turned sharply.

“Then we’ll take the right one.”

Xi Teng: “……”

You’re kidding, right?

This was pure, undisguised disrespect!

(End of Chapter)