There Really Are Ghosts in the Haunted House

Everyone knows that the Underworld is ruled by Emperor Fengdu, but they don't know that he works in shifts.

As soon as his term ended, Du Yin couldn't wait to go to the human world.

By chance, he opened a haunted house and hired ghosts who didn't want to leave the human world as staff,

including a hanging ghost with a long dangling tongue, an eviscerated ghost with its intestines exposed, and a drowned ghost, waterlogged and blue...

The "Eighteenth Level of Hell" haunted house officially opened. Later, it was renamed "Eighteenth Level Hotpot," serving hotpot inside the haunted house.

"Eighteenth Level Hotpot" became a nationwide sensation.

Every week, a famous movie star would disguise himself and come to eat,

The local TV station even filmed a promotional video for free,

and a film crew wanted to use the haunted house as a set, offering the staff high wages to play ghosts.

"Boss, when are you opening a chain? It's really not easy for me to fly here every month just to eat hotpot!"

Du Yin had only wanted to help earthbound spirits fulfill their wishes, but the haunted house became a landmark in the city. He made a fortune and even became one of the country's Ten Outstanding Young Entrepreneurs. Du Yin wondered: How long would it take to burn all this money as hell currency?

One day, a Celestial Master discovered that "Eighteenth Level Hotpot" was crawling with ghostly energy, and the haunted house was full of ghosts!

The boss didn't look like any kind of creature he knew, but he certainly wasn't human!

He would exorcise evil and defend the Way!

When the older generation showed up after he defeated the younger one, they wouldn't listen to his explanations. Du Yin simply subdued them and put them to work. This handsome one could hand out flyers at the entrance, and that burly one could wash dishes in the kitchen...

One young fellow couldn't swallow his pride and used a forbidden technique to summon the gods and ghosts of the Underworld.

He did summon Black and White Impermanence, but why did they look exactly like those two ghosts at the entrance??

Black and White Impermanence: "Of course we look alike. We're the two standing guard at the entrance. The one who dressed up as a ghost with you yesterday was Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva."

Celestial Master Number One, internal monologue: So the person I helped out by stirring the soup really was Meng Po??

Celestial Master Number Two, internal monologue: So the clumsy idiot I just cursed out really was the King of Hell??

I'm doomed!!

Celestial Master Number Three timidly asked: "Then who was the person you all treated so respectfully the day before yesterday, the one I caught kissing the boss?"

Black and White Impermanence: "That was the Great Emperor of Dongyue. What did you say? Say that again?"

That day, the Underworld's headlines exploded.

Reader's guide:

The protagonist is an ultimate powerhouse, the Underworld's undisputed boss.

Modern alternate universe. Alternate universe! Don't apply this to reality! Many original settings, so readers who insist on historical accuracy should beware.

Pairing: Great Emperor of Dongyue. In this story, the Great Emperor of Dongyue is the highest-ranking deity in the Underworld, but doesn't handle its affairs. His three disciples take turns serving as Emperor Fengdu, so this is master gong x disciple shou.

Theme: If you have nothing to hide, you needn't fear ghosts knocking at your door