The underworld judges right and wrong in the human world, controls good and evil, controls life and death, and turns on reincarnation.
If we were to ask which type of deity mortals respect the most, the one that comes to mind would be Yama, the King of Hell.
The word "Yamrao" has a very broad meaning. It can refer to Hou Tu, Dizang, Taiyi Jiuku, Beiyin Fengdu, Tianqi Rensheng, the Five Ghost Emperors, Luofeng Liutian, and the Dharma Protector, and the Ten Courts of Yama, the Four Judges, and the Yincha Ghost Commander.
All these things represent the human being’s awe of the cycle of life and death.
Therefore, most people in the world take the cycle of life and death and the retribution of good and evil as their own laws. Those who do good will prosper, while those who do evil will decline.
——
Under the guidance of the Ox-Head and Horse-Face, Zhang Ling finally arrived at the destination of this journey - Yinlusi.
After bidding farewell to the two ghosts and gods, he walked forward alone.
A dim light emanated from not far away, and before my eyes was a magnificent palace. A plaque with an ancient atmosphere hung high above the gate: Yinlusi!
There are couplets on both sides: Don’t say there is no retribution, the gods and ghosts have their own arrangements.
At this moment, several ghost officials holding black spears were standing outside the door. They were wearing dark and gloomy iron armor, and their eyes were like ghost fires from the underworld.
"Stop!"
When several ghost officials saw Zhang Ling approaching this place, they immediately made low alert sounds and then moved closer to investigate.
Zhang Ling handed out the Golden Ba token to those around him for verification, and immediately a ghost messenger went in to report, and then after everyone knelt and saluted, he let them pass.
Before he even walked in, he faintly heard the sound of a gavel slamming on the table, followed by several shouts with the echo of thunder: Where are you? Send this beast to the third level of hell!
"Could it be that Lord Cui is doing official business?" Zhang Ling pondered and walked into the inner room. He saw a ghost in judge's clothes concentrating on reviewing a case file. There was a mirror hanging on the top of the beam with the words "A bright mirror hangs high" written next to it.
The judge, upon seeing Zhang Ling arrive, quickly stood up and greeted him with a smile, "My immortal friend, you have come all the way from afar. It's a pleasure to meet you! I'm Cui Jue, in charge of the Yin Law Department. I've been busy with various matters and haven't been able to meet you in person."
Cui Jue, that’s indeed the name.
Zhang Ling's heart moved. The Cui Fujun in front of him was also known as Cui Panguan in the human world. He was below the Ten Kings of Hell and was in charge of the Yinlu Division, one of the four judge divisions.
Cui Jue and three other ghosts and gods are collectively known as the "Four Great Judges". The other three are Wei Zheng of the Rewarding the Good, Zhong Kui of the Punishing the Evil, and Lu Zhidao of the Investigation Department. All of them are "acquaintances" in Zhang Ling's memory.
After a few pleasantries, Zhang Ling explained his purpose: "I am the mountain deity of Jieyang Mountain in Linjiang County. At the request of the Netherworld's number one guardian deity, I have come here to investigate the files of Li Yun, the Li family, in Qingyun Town."
Cui Jue understood and grabbed a spot of light from the void, which turned into a long book, and generously handed it to Zhang Ling for inspection.
It records Li Yun's life in detail, including where and when she was, who she met, and what she did. It even details what she ate for three meals a day and what she said.
Zhang Ling flipped through the book carefully, fearing that he would miss any clues. Sure enough, on the last page, he saw a few red words written in red on the cause of Li Yun's death: Died from shock due to the dream-telling technique of Wenqu Turtle.
This sentence contains a lot of information, which just proves that Li Yun's death is unusual.
Zhang Ling expressed his doubts, "Since Li Yun was frightened to death by the Wenqu Immortal Turtle's dream-sending technique, does this mean there's a possibility of foul play?"
In response to Zhang Ling's question, Judge Cui gave the following reply: "We once confronted the Wenqu Turtle in court. Using the Mystical Mirror, which can see through everything, we discovered that it was Li Yun who first attacked. The tortoise, boasting of its care for the people of the town, was puzzled as to why it was being treated this way. So it sneaked into Li Yun's dream to inquire. Unexpectedly, a mortal woman, unable to discern a divine manifestation, mistook it for an evil spirit seeking her life. Frightened and terrified, it died within three days."
"So, Li Yun's death had no direct connection to the Wenqu Immortal Turtle? Then why was it stated in red ink after the cause of death that she died from being startled by the Wenqu Immortal Turtle's dream technique?"
Zhang Ling pondered for a moment and continued to ask.
"This matter involves the causal relationship between the tortoise and Li Yun. It certainly didn't threaten or intimidate me when it appeared in my dream, and I can't find any flaws. Yet, if we look into the root cause, Li Yun still died as a result. As the judge, I know the Book of Life and Death is a gift from Heaven, so I must record the truth. I'll make a note of this. If some deity comes to overturn the verdict someday, we won't be afraid. If no one asks, we'll leave this matter alone."
Zhang Ling nodded without comment. He knew what Cui Jue meant: this matter could be big or small, and it all depended on whether there was any divine intervention. After all, the fairy turtle was the mount of Wenquxingjun. Without actual evidence, it was impossible to convict based on ambiguous statements.
Besides, the Hades and Wenquxingjun have always kept to themselves and have no grudges against each other, so it's better to keep things simple and forget about it. Anyway, we have a backup plan and just make a note of it, so no one can find fault with the Hades in the future.
Zhang Ling originally wanted to do something about this and find the immortal turtle to talk to him, but now it seems that this approach is not feasible.
"I wonder where Fengdu is? Can I meet the Emperor?"
Zhang Ling decided to report to the Emperor of Beiyin Fengdu first, so that if he encountered any irresistible resistance later, he would have a big boss to endorse him.
"Unfortunately, the Great Emperor is in Yaochi to participate in this year's Peach Festival. He won't be back for at least a few hundred years."
The Peach Festival? What a coincidence!
Zhang Ling had heard the God of Time talk about this when they were drinking together before.
Every Peach Festival invites prominent gods from all walks of life. It is said that eating the lowest quality peaches can increase one’s lifespan by nearly ten thousand years!
Although immortals have a long lifespan, thousands or tens of thousands of years are just a blink of an eye. For immortals, unless they have become saints, they can only endure slowly without breaking through the realm of cultivation. Eventually, they will encounter the five signs of decay. Even the heaven and the earth must abide by this law. They come from the chaos and return to the chaos.
Some great gods would go into seclusion for tens of thousands of years at least, so for the gods, life span will never be considered too much, on the contrary, they will cherish it especially.
Um……
Zhang Ling tilted his head and looked upwards, his face full of contemplation.
"However, the Wenqu Turtle was once the Turtle Prime Minister under the Dragon King of the East China Sea. Later, by chance, it became the mount of the Wenqu Star Lord. Perhaps you can break through from here."
Zhang Ling's eyes lit up when he heard this, and he clasped his fists and said, "Thank you, Immortal Cui Fujun, for your guidance!"
This information was extremely important. After thanking Cui Jue, he rushed back to the human world without stopping.
He had a connection with the Dragon Palace in the East China Sea in the past, and now he can use it.
As soon as he returned to Jieyang Mountain, Zhang Ling saw a young man in white clothes, with a distinguished appearance, standing outside the mountain king's residence.
"Ao Xin!"
Zhang Ling was overjoyed, feeling it was such a coincidence. He had just been thinking about meeting the other party, but he didn't expect to see him when he turned around.
"Brother Zhang, I've been waiting here for three days, and finally I see you!"
At this moment, Ao Xin is handsome and radiant, but he is more mature and stable than a hundred years ago.
Zhang Ling quickly apologized, claiming that he had just returned from the underworld, and then invited the Dragon Son of the East China Sea into his mansion.
The two of them met here and had a heart-to-heart talk.
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