Chapter 2: Taking on a Mortal Task to Exchange for Mortal Life

“Since you’re here, I assume you remember now,” he said again.

It was one thing for him to speak with his eyes closed, but now that mine were open, why did he still remain? Was this a dream or reality? My heart pounded as I stared out the window, unable to utter a single word.

“Shuanzi, do you remember?” he pressed.

I clenched my fists, thinking maybe I should just answer him. After all, I was already on the bus. So I nodded slightly and said, “I remember.”

“There’s no need to be afraid. Tell me, who do you remember?” he continued.

“The Earth Immortal, isn’t it? That beggar who stayed at my house for a few months?” I replied.

“Yes, him. He once promised your family he would keep you alive, but now he has ascended and can no longer help you. That’s why I’ve come to find you. But first, you must remember him,” the man said.

Hearing this, I wondered if he was also an Earth Immortal. I asked again, “So how do you plan to help me?”

“Resign from your job. I’ll give you something, and you must take it back to your hometown.”

“What is it?” I asked.

“You’ll know when you turn around,” he replied.

The moment he told me to turn around, I instinctively shook my head and stammered, “I—I don’t dare!”

“Don’t be afraid. I’m not a ghost. I won’t snuff out your life, and as it stands, you only have the fire atop your head left—you’re just days away from being like a ghost yourself.” He sounded almost exasperated.

Hearing this, I had no mind to listen to more about Earth Immortals. I cut in directly, “So I have only a few days left to live?”

“With your fate, yes. And you’ll die on this very bus. But since my immortal friend sent me to save you, you won’t die.”

“Really? Thank you so much!” I was moved to tears.

But suddenly I thought of my parents and asked, “What about my father and mother? Will they…”

“Don’t worry about them; they have long known of this. What you need to do now is turn around and remember my face. Otherwise, you won’t recognize me in the future.”

“All right!” Since he insisted, I cautiously turned my head, and the moment I saw his appearance, I jerked back in terror.

He was hideous—his face sickly yellow, his eye sockets empty, darkness shrouding all else.

Seeing that face, I barely managed not to scream, telling myself I was a man.

“I look terrifying, don’t I? That’s the reason I’m meeting you in this way,” he went on.

I had no answer. To say he wasn’t frightening would be a lie, but to say he was felt cruel.

“What should I call you?” I took a deep breath and quickly changed the subject.

“Eyeless. They all call me Master Eyeless. Call me whatever you wish,” he replied.

Eyeless—how apt.

Since he was a friend of the beggar Earth Immortal, he must be quite old, and since he claimed he could save me, I chose to be polite. “Then I’ll call you Uncle Eyeless.”

“No,” he said with unusual firmness. “You may call me Master Eyeless, but not uncle.”

“All right, Master Eyeless it is.” Sensing his agitation, I didn’t dare press further.

He continued, this time more solemn than before. “Since you remember my immortal friend, I’ll give you the thing. Guard it well. Never let it fall into another’s hands, and never use it for evil.”

Hearing this, I thought he was about to give me some precious treasure, and I asked excitedly, “What is it?”

“My eyes,” he replied.

“Your eyes?” The shock nearly made me ill. Why would he give me his eyes?

Knowing I was confused, Eyeless explained, “Since birth, my eyes were different—one is a Heavenly Eye, the other an Earthly Eye. The Heavenly Eye can see all things in the world, the Earthly Eye can see into the human heart. You must never use them for evil, or even I cannot save you.”

“I understand, but once I have your eyes, what am I supposed to do?”

His answer was, “Become a living envoy. Sign a ten-year contract with the Underworld. Serve as a living envoy for ten years, and they’ll grant you ten more years of life.”

“What… What exactly is a living envoy, and why must I sign a ten-year contract with the Underworld?” His words left me reeling, and everything sounded deeply uncanny.

“A living envoy must sign a contract. And this is your only way to survive,” he said with utter certainty.

I had no choice but to believe him.

So, if I serve as a living envoy for ten years, then live ten years as an ordinary person, I’d have twenty more years of life. That wasn’t bad—better than dying before I turned twenty.

But what does a living envoy actually do? I pressed him for details.

He explained, “A living envoy serves the Underworld in the world of the living. That is their duty.”

I nodded blankly, then asked, “If the ten years pass, can I continue as a living envoy?”

“It’s possible, but it depends on your performance and abilities over the decade. Only then will the Underworld consider renewing your contract.”

So strict. I’d been hoping to serve a few extra years and thus live longer, but clearly, I’d been naive. I knew nothing, and had no confidence in my future performance.

“That’s all I needed to say. Now, I’ll give you my eyes.” As he finished, his hand suddenly reached out and covered my eyes.

I couldn’t help but exclaim, startled. Even knowing he was behind me, I shivered—who wouldn’t, on a pitch-dark bus, when two hands suddenly covered your eyes?

Soon, though, an intense discomfort rose in my eyes—something seemed to burrow into them, a searing pain as though my eyeballs might burst.

“It hurts, let go!” I tried to pry his hand away, but he was too strong.

After some time, he finally released me, saying, “The fusion happened so quickly. You’re truly suited to be a living envoy.”

I barely registered his words, my eyes burning and streaming with tears.

“I must go now. Remember—resign your job tomorrow, return to your hometown, and you must arrive by midnight the day after tomorrow,” he said before leaving.

Alarmed by the urgency, I asked, “Why? Is something planned for that day?”

“You’ll understand when you get there!” he called out, and then he seemed to vanish. As before, I abruptly opened my eyes and found myself staring at the familiar world outside.

Yet my eyes still ached—had he really given me his eyes? It was beyond belief.

I turned to look at the back seats, wanting to see if Eyeless was still there, but instead I glimpsed a ghastly white face streaked with blood. Panic seized me—I leaped up and rushed to stand where other people were.

The strange looks from those around me made me force an awkward smile. Sneaking another look, I saw nothing—the face had vanished.

Had I just seen a ghost? The thought made my scalp crawl. Who else but a ghost could have such a face?

“Shanghe Station, anyone getting off?” the driver called.

“Yes!” I answered at once. The moment the door opened, I darted off the bus.

“Whew…” Standing by the stop, I finally breathed a sigh of relief.

But then, behind me, a woman’s voice asked, “Did you see me just now?”

“…Damn!” I cursed in terror, rooted to the spot. Sweat broke out anew. I distinctly remembered no one around when I got off—what was this voice?

Damn it, will this never end? Rage flared in me. Before the thing—whatever it was—could say more, I bolted, determined not to look back, telling myself I didn’t care what it was.

I ran all the way home, fumbled with my keys, hurried inside, and slammed the door shut, finally able to lean against it, breathless.

After all the fright, I’d been needing the bathroom for ages. Relieved, I hurried to the restroom.

But as I was relieving myself, the voice came again: “You saw me just now, didn’t you?”

“…No, get lost!” Her sudden question startled me so much I had to stop midstream, thoroughly annoyed.

Then it struck me—I’d made a mistake. If I stayed silent, she couldn’t know if I’d seen her. But my denial only confirmed it.

Regretting my slip, I quickly pretended to answer a phone call, saying, “Stop asking, I already told you I didn’t see your wallet on the table!”

Ridiculous as it was, this actually seemed to work—the voice went silent.

Relieved by my cleverness, I continued, but when I finished and turned to flush, I realized she’d been standing behind me the whole time.

At least, she’d had the decency not to scare me midway, waiting until I was done.

But was she human or a ghost? If she was a ghost, why wasn’t she afraid of light?

Never mind, I decided to ignore it. I forced myself to stay calm, flushed, and walked out as if nothing had happened.