Chapter 145 Being a God is Like Being an Official

In the judge's mansion, all the ghosts dispersed, leaving only King Yama.

Gu Qingyuan looked around with the lantern in his hand. This lantern was originally used to summon souls and ghosts and illuminate the road to the underworld. King Yama carried a lot of them when he came with the ghosts.

The lantern was made of bamboo strips and covered with white paper, with a base underneath which was supposed to hold the soul lamp made of bone meal, ghost energy, and soul powder. When lit, it emitted a pale light, not as bright as sunlight, but with a heavy atmosphere, which matched the underworld.

Gu Qingyuan gazed into the distance, seeing through the yin and yang. It was evening in the mortal world, and a touch of sunset glow sprinkled the sky.

He raised his hand and picked up a ray of sunlight, which he sprinkled into the lantern. The originally white shell lit up with a dreamy colorful light, just like a big red wedding lantern.

A ray of life and glow from the mortal world fell into the lantern, burning the candle transformed by Lu Pan and the three ghosts. Faint and subtle sounds of ghosts crying and howling were heard, scaring the King of Hell who was standing nearby.

When people on earth look at the glow, it feels like warm sunshine, but when ghosts look at it, they will be burned by the yang energy contained in it. The treatment of the three ghosts in the lantern is probably the same as being fryed in oil.

Gu Qingyuan casually inserted the red lantern at the door and looked at King Yama: "Don't tell me you don't know about this. Turning a deaf ear to it is a bad attitude. Being deceived is also a low-handed method. I don't believe that a mediocre person will be promoted to the position of the chief official of the underworld."

"I am of course aware of the tricks used to create excuses and the layers of exploitation. Even the donations received get a share from me. It has become a common practice and I cannot stop it," said King Yama.

Without waiting for Gu Qingyuan to continue asking, he said, "Ever since the connection between heaven and earth was severed, the underworld has been restless. The underworld of Senluo City is still able to hold ghosts in reincarnation. If it were somewhere else, they would have long since changed their headquarters and established their own territory."

"Three thousand miles away, the Yinshan Demon King seized the City of the Dead, recaptured the wild ghosts, gathered his soldiers, and raised his flags, stirring up a raging ghost atmosphere."

Gu Qingyuan looked at King Yama without saying a word. King Yama couldn't help but tremble in his heart, and the ghost cry of Lu Pan was close to his ears.

Yan Luo took out a black seal from his arms and placed it in front of Gu Qingyuan.

"So that the immortals know, I am not Yama, but just a mortal, whose soul returned to the underworld. It was during the chaos in the underworld that I got the Yama Seal and took the position of Yama. With the seal, there is no doubt, so I can gain power."

The red official robe fell off, the Yama image disappeared, revealing a man in his forties with a thin face and a scholarly demeanor.

"My name is Zhuoyang. I was a scholar during the reign of Emperor Guangjing. I served as a county magistrate. I could not stand the corrupt practices of paying respects to officials and offering bribes. I submitted a memorial to the emperor, which offended my superiors. I was dismissed from office and died of depression. My ghost body entered the underworld and I accidentally found a treasure seal. It merged with my ghost body and I gained a lot of memories..."

Gu Qingyuan listened to him and smiled: "You died because you couldn't stand the corrupt wind and waves in the officialdom. In this underworld, you became the chief official, but you became the archway of protection for this evil wind and evil spirit. It can be said that the situation changes with time and fate plays tricks on people."

"It was only after I became a ghost that I saw clearly that no matter whether you are a human, god, ghost, or immortal, to be a high-ranking official, you need to have connections, and to be an immortal, you need to be able to scheme for personal gain. I got the memories of my predecessor, and only then did I know the mysteries of immortals and ghosts. It is said that the difference between heaven and man is quite large, and the difference between immortals and ghosts is even greater." Zhuo Yang said.

"The previous Yama, as the chief official of the underworld, is in charge of matters related to reincarnation. He has worked diligently for thousands of years, but he cannot escape being ordered around by the gods in heaven. He has to offer generous gifts every year to keep this red gauze hat. If a celestial being throws himself into reincarnation, he has to make careful plans to ensure his wealth and prosperity throughout his life, extend his lifespan, and curry favor with them. I think that if one wants to become a great god, he has to roll around in the mortal world, experience ups and downs in the officialdom, and become an official in the prime minister's office before he can gain a firm foothold in this immortal class." Zhuo Yang looked gloomy.

"Since I took over Senluo City, although exploitation is prevalent, the reincarnation is still stable and close to the reincarnation of ghosts. If the unhealthy trends are washed away, I am afraid that the subordinates will go elsewhere and there will be no one to use. How can this reincarnation be established? There is no one to arrest the ghosts, and they are reluctant to linger in the world of the living, which is even more chaotic. Although my behavior is a little deviant, it will benefit future generations!" Gu Qingyuan looked at Zhuoyang. He was just an ordinary man who lived for less than a hundred years. He took over the authentic memory of Yama. The memory of tens of millions of years was washed away, and his own hundred years of experience was just a drop in the ocean. How could he protect himself? The one standing here is not so much Zhuoyang, but the memory of Yama who was resurrected in the name of Zhuoyang.

This is not an isolated case. When Zhuo Yang came, there were many such impostors behind him, including the Ox-Headed and Horse-Faced Ghost Soldiers and Generals.

"The world is like this, and it is beyond human power to fight against it. You have reason to complain. I don't ask you to be a clear stream in troubled times. It's just that you know right and wrong, sin or merit." Gu Qingyuan said, and Zhuo Yang remained silent.

Gu Qingyuan looked at a place and said, "I think someone will take care of your matter. Please leave first!"

After Zhuoyang left, Gu Qingyuan bowed slightly and said, "Please show yourself, Buddha."

"Donor, you have a keen eye. I was discovered after just one glance." The shadow of an old monk appeared and sat on a lotus platform and said.

Gu Qingyuan smiled and said, "Please forgive me, Buddha, for destroying your eyes and ears."

"The Black Impermanence is a Dharma body that has fallen to a lower place. This old monk used this body to spy on the underworld. His behavior was improper, and he reaped the fruits of his deeds. This is the retribution. Don't worry about it." The old monk's shadow said, "I live in the underworld, and it is inconvenient for me to move. Please move."

The shadow disappeared, leaving only the golden lotus leading the way.

All the way down, through hell, over dangerous cliffs, there were waves of ghost cries and endless wails.

The Hell of Hanging Tendons, the Hell of Injustice, and the Hell of Fire Pit are all lonely and filled with troubles. This is due to the thousands of bad karmas committed in one’s lifetime. The Hell of Fengdu, the Hell of Tongue-Pulling, and the Hell of Skinning are all filled with wailing and misery. People with a snake heart and a Buddha’s mouth fall into these gates.

Grinding Hell, Pounding Hell, Cart Collapse Hell, skin torn and flesh exposed, mouth wiped and teeth gnashing, are those who are deceitful and unfair, using sweet words to secretly harm others, Ice Hell, Shelling Hell, Intestine Pulling Hell, dirty face and unkempt hair, frowning and frowning, using large and small scales to deceive the foolish, causing disasters to oneself...

The eighteen levels of hell are shocking to the eyes, and the dark underworld is terrifying to the heart.

Once you enter the hell, there is a stone tablet erected with the following words engraved on it to warn people: Don't deceive your heart, for the gods and ghosts will not let anyone off the hook. Good and evil will eventually be rewarded, it's just a matter of whether it comes early or late.

But looking at this scene, Gu Qingyuan couldn't help but shake his head. This is the atmosphere in this world. How many people have been wronged, and how many people have escaped retribution.

Good and evil will not be rewarded, the universe is partial, but it says that retribution comes early or late. What's the use of delayed retribution? After living happily for decades, if you get stabbed at the last minute, will all your past sins really be wiped out?

'It's far from enough. Let's see what the Buddha says. Otherwise, I will inevitably commit more sins of killing. Amitabha, good, good.'

Gu Qingyuan followed Jinlian to a place of great compassion and mercy, where the Buddha's heart was bright and broad, but his heart was already filled with murderous intent, and he wanted to pick up the butcher knife.

(End of this chapter)