Bai Dongli and Gu Mei cried out in pain and pleaded their innocence.

But all I got in return was the lukewarm reply: "What injustice have you suffered? What bitterness have you endured? On your way..."

After that, neither Hei Wuchang nor Bai Wuchang spoke again.

No matter how much they made a fuss, the pain in my collarbone didn't lessen at all, and my pace of progress only accelerated.

From the moment they stepped through the iron gate of the residential compound, Bai Dongli and Gu Mei knew they were no longer on the path of the living world.

The surrounding scenery gradually changed from familiar to unfamiliar, and some things were even frightening.

Along the way, there were constantly drifting, transparent patches of white fog.

At this moment, a very dull and stiff-looking figure appeared in front of the road, moving alone on the road.

One second his face was blank, the next it turned fierce.

With a sharp cry, it pounced on Bai Dongli and Gu Mei like a vicious dog seeing a delicious meal.

A long white shadow swept past.

"Ah~~~" followed by a sharp whistle that was neither female nor male.

The ghostly figure that had just frightened Bai Dongli and Gu Mei was easily extinguished by the mourning stick.

As a result, several more wisps of transparent white mist began to drift around the roadside.

As the chains were dragged.

A magnificent, hidden gate came into view.

Suddenly, many other ghost messengers appeared all around.

Some are humanoid, while others are the more common ox-headed and horse-faced figures.

Among the ghost messengers, there are varying heights, with some even only half a person's height.

But Bai Dongli and Gu Mei had no time for laughter; their faces were filled with fear.

Upon reaching the vicinity of the magnificent gate, a plaque above the gate clearly displayed the three large characters "Gate of Hell".

Normally, the two of them would not have been able to understand the ancient characters that resembled tadpoles, but now they seemed to have them imprinted in their hearts, and they naturally understood their meaning.

As the old saying goes, once you've entered the gates of hell, don't look back on the road to the underworld.

There were many ghostly messengers and soldiers before the gate, and even more ghosts were being led around.

Many ghosts are in a dazed state, while others, like Bai Dongli and Gu Mei, are lucid.

Cries of “wrongfully convicted,” “died unjustly,” and “begging for resurrection” rose and fell incessantly.

Usually, the ghost messengers ignore it, but sometimes a few blows with a stick or a chain will make it behave.

Bai Dongli and Gu Mei clearly saw that the ghost that had been beaten had become transparent, even though it originally looked no different from a human.

This made them afraid to cry out loud, and they could only suppress their fear and weep silently. The tears they shed were as red as blood, which frightened the couple quite a bit.

As you enter the road to the underworld, all you see along the way is a sea of ​​red flowers.

Neither of them valued customs and beliefs much; they knew about the Gates of Hell, but not about the Red Spider Lily.

But these seemingly beautiful flowers gave them a sense of desolation, making them feel increasingly uneasy.

Soon, a large cluster of buildings came into view.

A boundary marker appeared ahead.

The stele is over two zhang tall, dark with a bluish tinge, and its material is unknown.

The words "Netherworld" are written on it.

Above the buildings in the distance, the sky was a swirling, bluish-white expanse, which looked particularly eerie (ghostly).

Bai Dongli and Gu Mei had been so frightened the whole way that they were somewhat numb.

All I know is that because of the pain in my collarbone, I keep moving forward along the pulling chains.

Many shadowy figures appeared all around, some hurrying about, others motionless, and occasionally, there were mocking laughs like "hehehe..."

Before they knew it, they had arrived in front of a towering palace.

In this eerie and ghostly place, the main hall exudes a sense of majesty and solemnity.

Upon arriving here, Bai Dongli and Gu Mei felt the chains binding their shoulder blades suddenly disappear.

As the pain subsided, my mind seemed to become inexplicably clearer.

In the surrounding void, there were many sounds like chains being dragged, interspersed with screams of being whipped and fried.

At the main entrance of the hall, a couplet is written on the left and right sides.

The text on the left reads: "On a matter of right and wrong."

The text on the right reads: "Clearly and plainly in broad daylight."

Bai Dongli and Gu Mei subconsciously looked up.

The plaque above the temple gate reads "Hall of Yama".

The Black and White Impermanence had disappeared at some point, replaced by two expressionless, sword-wielding ghost messengers who escorted them into the main hall ahead.

On the other side, Saraso was still bargaining with Wu You.

"My lord, you just played the role of Bai Wuchang, which had a lot of screen time. Could I play Yama, the King of Hell, this time?"

"Isn't Black Impermanence even cooler? I regret letting you play the role. Besides, do you dare to be my king?"

"No, no... How about I play a judge? A ghost soldier shouting in front of the palace has so few scenes..."

While briefly discussing the main lines that might appear with Saraso, Wu You perfunctorily granted its request.

"Alright, alright, go play the judge, you're such a busybody!"

"As long as the general direction of the scene is right, the rest is up to you to improvise, understand?"

"clear!"

Saraso immediately became all smiles. Its original target was the judge, but the King of Hell's position was too high. Even if Wu You asked it to act, it wouldn't dare to overstep its master.

He was secretly delighted. What's that human saying again? Throwing a brick to attract jade, retreating to advance!

The Dream Eater creates dreams, allowing Wu You and Saraso to participate in the dream through the spiritual connection of ancient natural trees.

It can make the characters in the dream more vivid and lifelike.

Wu You fabricated this scene based on some information he had read and his own understanding, since no one had ever seen the underworld.

...

Trembling with fear, they were forced into the hall.

The main hall seemed very deep, and there was still quite a distance to walk before entering. The area ahead was dark and gloomy, and nothing could be seen clearly.

On both sides, countless ghost soldiers and demons stood, some baring their fangs and claws, some glaring angrily, and some expressionless.

The ghost guards, who were escorting him, held him still in place, and he hadn't even had a chance to see what was in front of him.

Kneel down!

A sharp shout rang out, followed by a heavy blow to the back of his leg.

Bai Dongli and Gu Mei's knees slammed hard onto the ground of the Yama Palace. Their knees felt like their bones were shattered, and they were in so much pain that they couldn't even speak.

Who is kneeling below the hall?

A majestic and awe-inspiring question came from above.

Bai Dongli and Gu Mei looked up cautiously. In front of the hall was a huge table, on which sat a figure dressed in a dark robe with a black background.

His upper body was not clearly visible, shrouded in a somber atmosphere; only the beaded hat on his head was discernible, which must be Yama, the King of Hell.

How could they not answer the King of Hell's questions? Bai Dongli and Gu Mei immediately realized what was going on.

"I...I am Bai Dongli."

"I am... I am Gu Mei..."

King Yama nodded and said to the judge beside him, "Please recount the crimes these two men have committed in their lives."

Judge Saraso rose from his desk, which was covered with scrolls, and took a book and a large judge's pen.

He deliberately walked up to Bai Dongli and Gu Mei with a serious expression.

This allowed Bai Dongli and Gu Mei to see the judge's angry eyebrows, scruffy beard, and flushed face as soon as they looked up.

Wu You stood in the hall watching this clown, and couldn't help but sigh inwardly: This idiot...

"Your Majesty, these two men have committed countless sins throughout their lives, the most egregious of which is their filial impiety, followed by their cunning slander and gossip..."

The judge meticulously listed all the unforgivable sins committed by Bai Dongli and Gu Mei from childhood to adulthood, a list that seemed to go on and on without end.

"His sins are unforgivable. He shall have his tongue pulled out for 50 years and be thrown into a pool of blood for 100 years, during which time he shall not escape being boiled in oil or attacked by knives!"

With each word the judge uttered, scenes of these hellish punishments appeared around the main hall.

The agonizing scenes were too painful to look at, yet Bai Dongli and Gu Mei were as if bewitched, unable to close their eyes.

The tongue, red-hot and scalding hot, was clamped by pliers and pulled out by the root, leaving the sinful soul writhing in agony.

Kicked into the cauldron by the ghost soldiers, it sizzled and crackled, like when we were kids playing with fried toads. The ghost screamed and rolled around in the oil until its body stiffened.

On this mountain of knives, countless sinful souls were tossed about by the fierce winds, their skin torn and flesh ripped open. When they fell, the scene was even more gruesome, with blood, flesh, and intestines hanging everywhere—worse than being slowly sliced ​​to death.

Within the pool of blood, countless imps and evil spirits endured torment, waiting for new sinful souls to fall from above so they could swarm upon them.

Screams, endless screams; grotesque laughter, grotesque laughter everywhere...

Bai Dongli and Gu Mei were completely terrified, but suddenly a jolt came to their senses. Going down there would be more painful than death, even though they were already dead.

"I'm innocent... King Yama, I haven't committed so many crimes..."

"Your Majesty, I am usually a virtuous wife and loving mother... This is all untrue, untrue! They say we are unfilial, and my father-in-law, Bai Yanxi, comes to our house for meals every day... Please, King Yama, investigate this thoroughly..."

"Your Majesty, please investigate..."

"I'm innocent! I've never been unfilial..."

...

The two kept defending themselves, saying that even the slightest reduction in their punishment would be good, as hell was simply too terrifying.

"Clang~"

As soon as the gavel struck, Bai Dongli and Gu Mei felt as if they had been doused with ice water in winter, and their whole bodies shuddered violently.