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墨書 Inktalez
"Court Session"
A middle-aged man dressed as a scholar stepped out from behind the curtain and shouted with great vigor. As soon as his voice fell, a group of Ghost Messengers appeared on both sides, dressed as officials, wielding their ruthless killing rods, striking the ground lightly while chanting "Mighty~Powerful~."
"Is there really a Dynasty Ma Han Zhang Long Zhao Hu?" I exclaimed in astonishment. "Is there also a Judge Bao?"
Immediately, a Daoist figure appeared on the Armchair, wearing wide sleeves and a Black Cap with long flaps. The Official Robes on his chest were adorned with Dragon Embroidery, secured by a Belt. Upon closer inspection, the man had a face as dark as night, a crescent mark on his forehead, and piercing eyes that gazed sternly at the assembly. He had a beard that hung down to his chest, sat upright with one hand holding a tablet and raised the Judgment Wood for a firm strike before sitting properly. It truly was Wenquxing Bao Heitan...
In ancient times, Bao Qing, known for his integrity and justice, was upright and impartial, making wise decisions without bias. After his death, he became the Yama King of the Underworld, responsible for handling controversial cases in the realm of the dead.
"I pay my respects to the Yama King." Black Wuchang pressed me to bow to the figure seated.
"You are Yin Zheng'an?" The Yama King spoke, his voice calm yet filled with supreme authority.
"Indeed, I am," I replied, performing a formal gesture of respect towards the Yama King: "May I ask why you seek me?"
The Ten Kings of Hell, though named differently, can all be addressed as Yama.
"Sigh." The Yama King sighed: "It's a long story. Yin Zheng'an, follow me."
The Yama King stood up, placing the tablet into his sleeve, hands clasped behind him, and turned to exit the court. I hurried to follow.
Behind the court was another path; after walking for a while, we suddenly encountered steep cliffs with a River flowing below and a suspension bridge spanning across it.
"This is the Three Rivers Water," the Yama King pointed at the River: "Beyond it lies a high platform known as the Wishing Platform."
Before reaching the Wishing Platform, one must cleanse themselves in the waters of the Three Rivers Water, then gaze upon their homeland and loved ones from the platform to bid farewell to their past life. Afterward, there are two paths: one leads to the Bridge of Helplessness, and the other leads to hell. On the Bridge of Helplessness, there is Meng Po; after crossing it and drinking her Meng Po Soup, one forgets all past events and enters into Reincarnation empty-handed. Those who enter hell must endure all punishments corresponding to their past misdeeds before they can re-enter Reincarnation.
The Yama King led me directly onto the Bridge of Helplessness. I thought to myself, if I don't drink the Meng Po Soup, could I possibly jump straight into Reincarnation?
The Bridge of Helplessness was desolate; there wasn't a single person in sight, contrary to what was rumored. The tales spoke of it being perpetually crowded with souls, as all spirits must pass through here.
Yama King led me onto the famous bridge. The bridge was not wide enough for two people to walk side by side comfortably, but it was long, stretching for over a thousand meters. There were no supports beneath it, yet the bridge did not sway at all; it felt very stable underfoot.
As we reached the center of the bridge, there was a particularly wide section with several large pots placed on one side.
"This is Meng Po Soup," Yama King said, pointing at the pots. "Want to take a spoonful and try?"
Are you really trying to send me away? The process is always the same.
"No thanks, I don't want soup without cilantro."
Yama King drank the soup in one gulp and wiped his mouth. "You wouldn't be in any trouble if you drank it; Meng Po Soup has already lost its effect. In fact, Meng Po Soup is quite tasty."
"Did Meng Po forget how to cook after sneaking a drink?" Even if it's good, I wouldn't risk drinking Meng Po Soup. Isn't that asking for trouble?
"Not exactly," Yama King glanced at me and continued slowly. "You should be familiar with Meng Po; she was originally from the Qin Dynasty. Her husband was taken by Qin Shi Huang to build the Great Wall, but when she went to find him, she was told he had already died. In her sorrow, she cried so much that her tears fell upon the Great Wall."
"Meng Jiangnu, right?" I exclaimed, surprised to hear this story.
"Yes, just one drop of Meng Jiangnu's tears can produce tens of thousands of portions of Meng Po Soup. However, recently, Meng Po has suddenly been unable to cry."
"You all are too much! Are you really going to force her to cry when she can't?"
"There's nothing we can do. Since ancient times, Meng Po Soup has been her sole responsibility. If she suddenly can't make it anymore, it has a huge impact on us."
"So?" I began to understand Yama King's intention.
"Meng Po wants to recover her ability and can only do so by seeking help from the living world. So I'm asking you to assist her a bit," Yama King clasped his hands behind his back. "If we can find a substitute, that would be great, but as it stands, only Meng Po's tears have this effect."
This is ridiculous! Meng Jiangnu is from the Qin Dynasty; did people before the Qin not drink Meng Po Soup for reincarnation?
"What will you do if I take Meng Po away?"
"We still have some reserves after all these years. But for those from the Underworld, it's just a drop in the bucket, so you need to help Meng Po find something to restore or replace it as soon as possible." Yama King's expression was very serious.
If the Underworld loses Meng Po Soup, it would indeed be a very troubling matter. The people of the Underworld would be unable to be reborn into the human world, and reincarnation would be completely thrown into chaos. Over time, the number of people in the Underworld would increase, making it difficult to avoid collapse. But it was clear that Yama had run out of options; after all, they had found me, which meant they were desperate...
"Yama, it's not that I'm being overly modest; my qualifications are too shallow, and I fear I can't bear such a heavy responsibility," I said cautiously.
It wasn't false humility; the stakes were too high, and I was genuinely afraid of messing things up. If I did, there would be no redemption for me.
"It's fine. Aren't you just a temporary worker? You're the most suitable for this task," White Impermanence said as he slowly walked over from across the bridge, accompanied by another person.
I hated people like this the most—silent most of the time but deadly when they spoke. It wasn't because of anything else; it was mainly because they were too intimidating...
"Greetings to Lord Yama King," the person behind White Impermanence slightly bowed and saluted Yama King. "And greetings to Brother Yin."
"Is she Meng Jiangnu?" I asked White Impermanence.
"Yes," White Impermanence replied.
Just like in the stories, Meng Jiangnu was indeed a beauty. She had a slender figure, probably just over one meter sixty tall, with an ancient-style bun and dressed in very plain cloth attire without any decorations. Her cheeks were slightly flushed, her eyebrows delicately arched, and her lips thin and naturally upturned. Even without any expression, she exuded a shy demeanor typical of a young lady. It was hard to imagine that such a charming beauty was Meng Jiangnu, who wept until the Great Wall collapsed, and now she was Meng Po of the Underworld.
I really didn't want to agree, but there was no way around it; who could resist someone as beautiful as Meng Jiangnu? No, wait—who could resist my sense of justice? Yes, that's how it is!
"It's rare for you to come here; would you like me to take you to broaden your horizons?" Old Black also emerged from behind with an enticing tone.
"No," I shook my head vigorously like a rattle drum. Go with you to broaden my horizons? I was about to go home for dinner; please don't disgust me.
"Yama, if I take her with me, can we leave?" I really wanted to get away quickly. Although this place felt similar to the human world, just thinking about how we were standing on the Bridge of Helplessness made me anxious...
"No, there is one more thing," Yama King said. "Where is Cui Fu Jun?"
Cui Fu Jun refers to Cui Yu, commonly known as Cui the Judge. He is the leader of all Judges and is usually addressed as Cui Fu Jun. The Death Register that other Judges hold is merely a display of certain records, but the one in Cui Fu Jun's hands is the true Death Register. (If we consider the Death Register as a computer, then Cui Fu Jun's is the main unit connected to many displays.)
Cui Fu Jun appeared at the Bridge of Helplessness, not dressed like Azure-Faced Fang or Ghost Messenger, but instead exuding an air of scholarly elegance. His face was pale and clean, his gaze very gentle. He wore simple linen clothes, with a book and a pen tied at his waist. One hand was behind his back while the other held the book and pen.
"Yin Zheng'an, you haven't officially been registered at Celestial Rank yet, have you?" Yama King asked.
"That's right, I'm still a newcomer just starting out," I replied hesitantly. Did Yama King want to help me apply for a position?
"I will give you an official identity in the Underworld; it will make things easier for you in the future," Yama King looked at me with an expectation akin to that of an elder watching over their descendants.
"What do you mean?" I asked in surprise.
"I will grant you the identity of a Judge, so it will be convenient for you to assist us in the Underworld while you're on Earth."
Whew, that scared me! I thought Yama King was planning to keep me here. But what did he want me to do as a Judge?
The Underworld has four major Judge departments: the Department of Good Deeds, the Punishment Department, the Inspection Department, and their leader, Cui Fu Jun (Cui the Judge).
"From now on, you will be a member of the Inspection Department, specifically responsible for dealing with ghosts on Earth. You have the authority to judge them," Cui Fu Jun said as he took out the Death Register and began rewriting it. "Zhong Kui held your position once."
Wow! Zhong Kui? The legendary ghost catcher? So I would enjoy the same status as him?
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