What is it like to receive a gift from the Netherworld King?

For Shen Li, the experience boiled down to two words.

Despair.

He closed his eyes, accepting fate, but unexpectedly, after Bai Lu dragged him into the alley, she didn’t pull out a whip like before.

Instead, she took out a Spiritual Sealing Item, and after activating it, formed a barrier that enveloped the alley.

Shen Li was bewildered, why was Bai Lu acting differently this time?

Something felt off.

Very off.

After ensuring no one was watching.

The alley’s light dimmed, and the atmosphere turned strange.

"Boom!"

The Bai Family Witch pressed her palm against the wall, trapping Shen Li in her embrace. She glared fiercely at Little Iron Man and demanded, "Shen Li! Explain yourself! What did you mean by the words you uttered at the banquet?"

"I..."

Shen Li’s expression was complex.

He waged a fierce internal struggle; he felt like spilling the truth about the banquet.

But Gu Shen’s leisurely voice echoed in his Heart Lake.

"Shen Li, for heaven’s sake, don’t make a mistake."

"I know what you’re thinking."

"You want to tell everything, but trust me... Even if you speak the truth now, your situation won’t improve, it will only worsen."

Bai Lu’s Spirit Barrier couldn’t possibly stop Gu Shen...

He had already sent a strand of Chi Huo at the moment the Bai Family Witch moved.

Now he was sitting by Ninghe Bridge, leisurely munching on a box of sliced watermelon, watching the drama unfold while unhurriedly transmitting his voice: "Now that you’re dragged into the alley, have you been beaten yet?"

Shen Li was stunned for a second.

"Think carefully about this; why isn’t Bai Lu hitting you? And... would I harm you?"

Shen Li was at a loss.

He remained silent.

Thus, the already silent alley felt even more awkward.

Gu Shen sighed in frustration: "Do you only have a brain full of iron lumps? Haven’t you noticed that Miss Bai seems interested in you?"

Upon hearing this, Shen Li was thunderstruck, his face filled with shock.

"???"

He quickly raised his head and locked eyes with Bai Lu.

Gu Shen had deliberately investigated Bai Lu’s records through the years in Changye; the Bai Family controlled the [Wind Eye], so every time Bai Lu used [Wind Eye], Chu Ling could track it. Over the years, whenever Shen Li returned from a mission to the dojo, Bai Lu would come to find Little Iron Man, under the guise of feeling itchy and wanting to bother Shen Li, but in truth... those who understand, understand.

There’s no such thing as someone so idle that they only bother one person.

Especially persistently, regardless of weather.

Bai Lu’s intentions, Shen Li didn’t understand, but Gu Shen wasn’t surprised.

He knew Little Iron Man had a pure focus, only on Martial Arts.

But to others... the Witch of the Bai Family’s intentions were plainly obvious.

Even Chu Ling could see that something was off with this behavior.

After breaking that thin window of understanding.

Gu Shen finally felt relieved; even though he might be idle as a Divine Throne, he didn’t have the time to arbitrarily play matchmaker. If someone other than the straightforward Shen Li was involved, he wouldn’t bother offering a single word.

Bai Lu was typically all bark and no bite.

She had done many kind things for Shen Li, but silently. Chu Ling investigated the high authorization records of the Judgement Institute in recent years and uncovered a hidden matter: When Little Iron Man was promoted to the "Fourth Judge," Bai Lu had approached her brother Bai Chen and her mentor Mr. Shan to ask for favors.

Shen Li improved his strength rapidly, but he was still young and lacked experience.

For the past few years, Gu Shen had been submerged in the Ice Sea, leaving Shen Li without his "greatest backing."

If the Judgement Institute had made him wait several more years before considering promotion, it would be reasonable.

But after Bai Lu pulled the Bai Family connections...

Shen Li’s promotion faced no obstacles.

This favor, Gu Shen pretended not to know, but he silently remembered it; since Bai Lu treated Shen Li well, why not try to bring them together?

Indeed.

After Gu Shen broke the window of understanding, Shen Li’s gaze towards Bai Lu changed.

He lifted his head.

Even for a blockhead, he grasped many things at that moment.

Shen Li recalled the years past...

He was steeped in arduous cultivation, never noticing that wherever he went, Bai Lu’s figure seemed to appear.

Did he hate Bai Lu?

Actually, he didn’t, and he had grown accustomed to it.

He was a "Iron Man," being struck by Bai Lu’s little whip didn’t actually hurt, it might even have been... slightly enjoyable.

But he was accustomed to running away.

If Bai Lu suddenly disappeared one day, he might find it rather unsettling.

"You... speak!"

Bai Lu furrowed her beautiful brows, almost unable to stand the quiet alley.

Shen Li tilted his head.

He thought seriously for nearly ten seconds, formulating his words in his mind, then earnestly spoke: "Um, do you actually like me?"

"???"

Gu Shen, sitting by Ninghe Bridge, was ready to withdraw the Chi Huo and leave the pair in peace.

But he just had to hear one more sentence.

He almost spat out his melon seeds.

"Truly a divine being."

Chu Ling sighed and said, "Why do I feel that Shen Li is even worse at emotions than I was before I awakened?"

"Don’t sell yourself short, you’re way better than him."

Gu Shen was dumbfounded, feeling a mix of emotions: "Is this guy lacking love in his destiny? Can’t even say a nice word?"

Who talks like that?

Bai Lu in the alley blushed rapidly, her eyes wide in disbelief: "What, what did you just say?"

"Ah..."

Shen Li scratched his head.

"Aren’t you supposed to like me?"

As soon as he said that, he received a knee strike to the abdomen.

Thunk!

The force of the knee strike was extremely powerful, shaking the stone walls of the whole alley. Shen Li doubled over from the blow, coughed dryly, almost spitting out old blood.

So ruthless!

He never expected Bai Lu to hit so hard. Even with Little Iron Man’s blessing, his defense was broken.

"Idiot! You iron dummy!"

Bai Lu threw out this sentence and stormed off angrily.

A moment later, Gu Shen arrived in the alley, looking at the Little Iron Man sitting on the ground clutching his stomach, and said seriously, "Honestly, I don’t feel sorry for you at all."

"No way, is that woman crazy? Hitting that hard!"

Shen Li sucked in a breath of cold air, gritted his teeth and said, "I was just asking, is there a problem with that? Plus, weren’t you the one who told me she was interested in me?"

"Forget what I said before..."

Gu Shen sighed deeply, patted the Little Iron Man’s shoulder, and said, "Now I think staying single forever might be good for you."

...

...

This time calling Shen Li out wasn’t purely for "matchmaking."

Gu Shen initially wanted these two to clear things up so he could invite them to the Judgement Institute’s headquarters together.

Bai Lu is well-liked at the three institutes, her mentor is Mr. Shan, and she has countless "friends." Hundreds to thousands of people visit her residence every year, an endless stream.

The current situation within the Judgement Institute is quite complex.

Gu Shen had already gained some understanding through Chu Ling’s files.

The two major factions under Mr. Shu and Zhu Wang no longer exist.

Senior Sister Nan Jin is based in Dadu District, assisting her sister’s Huazhi Group and playing a significant role in the north-south convergence. Due to jurisdictional restrictions, she spends most of her time in Dadu and Jiangnan regions, essentially the main spokesperson for the Judgement Institute in the Jiangnan region.

Since he "died" after falling into the Ice Sea six years ago.

The Mr. Shu faction has dwindled.

With the wild growth of Changye Court, he no longer has "faction acquaintances."

Through Shen Li and associating with Bai Lu, Gu Shen could easily meet some "youngsters" in Changye through the connections of this Bai Family Witch within the three institutes.

He has completely given up on that idea now.

With Shen Li being unreliable, he naturally couldn’t contact Bai Lu alone. Actually, if he did want to meet "youngsters" within the three-institute system, Gu Shen had a million ways.

He just didn’t want to bother those former friends who have now reached too high a position.

The matchmaking effort bore no fruit, Gu Shen said nothing more. He was really not in the mood to lecture Shen Li. One could simply say this guy is good material for being an Angel Envoy...

This was initially just a casual move.

Even without Bai Lu, it didn’t matter.

Gu Shen went alone to the headquarters of the Judgement Institute.

The Snow Forbidden City, though old, is constantly expanding and spreading at its four boundaries. The headquarters of the three institutes have also undergone a transformation in recent years as the amount of Extraordinary Essence in the East Continent’s inland increases. After Mr. Bai Shu melted the fireseed, although it stabilized around Changye, the awakening frequency of transcendent beings throughout the East Continent has gradually risen.

The Deep Sea continues to absorb new transcendents, and the three institutes keep expanding enrollment, as the old headquarters could no longer accommodate the expanded vast three institutes.

Thus came the new headquarters.

There’s something quite ironic about this — Gu Shen has been in Changye for so many years but has never once been to the "Judgement Institute Headquarters."

Back then, Mr. Shu dropped him here when Zhu Wang was in power.

The name of the Grand Judge wasn’t influential in Changye.

Zhu Wang and his apprentice Han Dang were the ones in high positions holding the supreme judgement power in Changye.

Gu Shen was targeted by Han Dang as soon as he entered Changye, so he certainly wouldn’t foolishly step into the Judgement Institute Headquarters only to humiliate himself...

Later, Zhu Wang and Han Dang were imprisoned, and there was no necessity for Gu Shen to go to the headquarters for cultivation.

After all, this skyscraper was an artificial construct by transcendents, meant for ordinary transcendent cultivation.

Qingzhong Cemetery and Divine Temple Mountain — one is a Land of Divine Miracles, the other a holy land of creation reserved by Mr. Gu Changzhi for himself.

He honed his spirit in the cemetery and drew the essence at the Divine Temple Mountain.

When he was busy, even the small courtyard of Spring Rain Temple was visited seldom.

From first arriving in Changye to now, almost a decade has passed. The ancient city remains unchanged, yet the human and cultural aspects have greatly shifted, with the tide of the era pushing everyone forward.

The new headquarters building of the Judgement Institute is impressively grand.

It is nearly a hundred floors tall, its exterior coated with a layer of Purple Silver, the entire headquarters shrouded in a soft spirit barrier. Anyone entering or exiting would be sensed by the barrier and thereby recorded...

Gu Shen didn’t hide his tracks, but he did put on the Ghost Veil to change his appearance.

This visit to the headquarters of the Judgement Institute, he deliberately concealed his identity, intending to see what the Judgement Institute had become six years after his "death."

He still remembers how, back in Qinghe District, Senior Sister Tian Tong led him into the transcendent training ground.

At that time, he was still a naive youth, completely ignorant about the world of the transcendent.

Perhaps, this time... he might see many tender youths just like himself back then?