The Underworld’s Money-Printing Princess

Bai Wanwan felt a flicker of apprehension as she produced the thick stack of paper money. Honestly, in her previous life, this meager offering felt as absurd as a company boss riding a shared bicycle, clutching a carton of AD Calcium Milk, to negotiate with a major client. It was almost embarrassing to present.

Yet Liu Hanzhi insisted. She even felt this amount of paper money was too much, so she pulled out two sheets and slipped them into her own pocket.

Her actions were akin to opening the already scarce carton of AD Calcium Milk and drinking one bottle herself.

How could Bai Wanwan not feel anxious, asking for a favor like this?

The blind old woman carried the paper money into the room. A cacophony of sounds immediately erupted from within, as if something had fallen from a height, creating a chaotic din.

Once the commotion subsided and silence settled in the room, Miss Li finally spoke.

“We can discuss this. Delivering goods is certainly not a problem; it’s a simple task.”

“Prepare the goods and the address, then have someone deliver them to me. I will ensure they reach their destination on time.”

“However, I will require you to pay a corresponding fee.”

Miss Li’s voice still held a cool detachment, as if keeping others at a thousand-mile distance.

Yet, it was clear her words had become more frequent, and her tone had softened somewhat.

‘Was this truly a case of money making the world go round, or rather, making ghosts work?’

‘But wasn’t this far too cheap? A single plastic bag of paper money had bought over this formidable Underworld Emissary, who wielded influence in both the mortal and spiritual realms?’

“Of course, there’s no problem at all. Miss Li, your willingness to cooperate with us is a tremendous help.”

Bai Wanwan stepped forward, but before she could finish speaking, Liu Hanzhi pressed a hand onto her shoulder, pulling her back behind herself.

“Miss Li, may I ask what your expected remuneration is?”

Liu Hanzhi gestured for Bai Wanwan to remain silent, indicating that she would handle the negotiations with Miss Li.

Thanks to the remarkably potent paper money Bai Wanwan had folded, Liu Hanzhi now spoke with a newfound confidence to the Underworld Emissary she once could not hope to approach.

This gave her a secret thrill, and she couldn’t help but think to herself, ‘My wife is truly amazing!’

“Mortal currency is of no use to me. I require payment in underworld currency. My proposal is… for every ten deliveries completed, I will charge one sheet of paper money of the same quality as these.”

“Ten deliveries? One sheet?”

Bai Wanwan wondered if she had misheard. If the Underworld Emissary helped her with ten deliveries, her profit could easily reach tens of thousands of yuan.

Yet, this paper money was something Bai Wanwan could casually fold several sheets of whenever she was bored in her free time.

‘This was far too cheap!’

“No, that’s too expensive. Miss Li, do you realize how precious this paper money is? At least thirty deliveries!”

“Fifteen deliveries, and not a single one more!”

“Twenty deliveries! If not, we’ll simply find another Underworld Emissary.”

Watching Liu Hanzhi and Miss Li haggle back and forth, Bai Wanwan felt as though she had stumbled into a bustling wet market.

‘Was this truly the demeanor one adopted when negotiating a grand business that spanned both the mortal and spiritual realms?’

‘Indeed, the greatest truths are often the simplest!’

“Deal!”

Miss Li agreed swiftly, while Liu Hanzhi clicked her tongue in displeasure.

Thus, the matters concerning the delivery of these items were settled with surprising ease.

Liu Hanzhi then asked Miss Li to keep an eye out for Deng Shuqi’s brother’s soul. After all, with so many Underworld Emissaries under her command, it was possible one of them might have witnessed the accident.

Miss Li readily agreed to this simple request, and the two women then exited the quaint, antique courtyard.

Even as they stepped out the door, Bai Wanwan found it all quite unbelievable.

‘It was completed so simply? She had originally thought they would need to bribe not only with paper money but also with actual cash.’

‘However, it turned out Miss Li had absolutely no interest in cash.’

Judging by Miss Li’s living environment, it was highly probable she wasn’t lacking funds.

It wasn’t because the interior decor was particularly exquisite, nor because Bai Wanwan possessed a keen eye for discerning people; Bai Wanwan hadn’t even seen Miss Li herself.

The main reason was that Bai Wanwan had spotted a car with a standing golden mascot in the courtyard’s garage.

‘So why bother with physiognomy to gauge wealth? Wouldn’t looking at someone’s property deed and car registration be far more direct?’

“Wanwan, do you truly not understand the immense value of your paper money?”

Liu Hanzhi looked at Bai Wanwan beside her, deciding it was time to properly educate her on the true worth of this paper money.

“Isn’t it just yellow paper folded a few times? It has no intrinsic value. Anyone could do it.”

For Bai Wanwan, folding this paper money was even simpler than folding paper airplanes.

“Me too? Don’t be ridiculous. If I dared to do such a thing, King Yama would likely have sent someone to beat my soul into oblivion long ago.”

“The paper money you fold can actually be used for transactions in the Underworld!”

Liu Hanzhi stated, her expression serious as she looked at Bai Wanwan.

“Well, of course it can! What good is it if it can’t be spent? If you burn counterfeit money to your ancestors, it’d be strange if they didn’t curse you.”

‘Therefore, this paper money must be spendable in the Underworld.’

“You still haven’t grasped the gravity of the situation! That’s precisely the problem! Look around, where can you find a funeral supplies shop that sells pre-folded paper money nowadays? Don’t they all just sell plain yellow paper, expecting you to take it home and fold it yourself?”

“The truth is, most people’s folded paper money is virtually indistinguishable from scrap paper. But yours, uniquely, holds the highest value in the entire Underworld!”

“It’s as if you possess the authority to issue currency in the Underworld! And it’s the highest denomination at that! Do you understand now?”

Liu Hanzhi’s words left Bai Wanwan stunned, rooted to the spot, lost in thought.

“So, I’m the Underworld’s ‘Money-Printing Princess’?”

Bai Wanwan nodded thoughtfully. Yet, this method of folding paper money was something she had learned from her grandfather.

In her previous life, a large bag of painstakingly folded paper money, which often left her fingers chafed and bleeding, would only fetch twenty or thirty yuan.

“In the past century, the number of individuals with the authority to issue paper money has dwindled, almost to the point of being countable on one’s fingers.”

“And you, Wanwan, are among the best of those few. Not only can you issue valid paper money, but yours also holds the highest value.”

“With that said, you should now understand why Miss Li’s attitude changed so quickly, shouldn’t you?”

Liu Hanzhi looked at Bai Wanwan, speaking earnestly.

“I think I understand.”

“It’s good that you understand. In short, with this ability, who do we have to fear? Honestly, it’s only because you’re a living person. If you were a soul like me, with your skills, wouldn’t you be able to walk sideways in the Underworld?”

“Even King Yama would have to offer you a seat.”

Bai Wanwan had absolutely no interest in anything Liu Hanzhi was saying. At that moment, her phone rang, and it wasn’t a debt collection call, but one from Deng Shuqi.

“Hello? Miss Deng, what’s wrong?”

Bai Wanwan answered the call, and Deng Shuqi’s anxious voice came through the receiver: “Master Bai! This is terrible! The talismans you gave me have somehow burned to ashes! Please come quickly and take a look!”