Mysterious mirror hanging high

"That's ridiculous..."

Yang Dingfeng narrowed his eyes and coughed violently a few times.

He was certain that even if he were in another time and space, he would never submit to Xiao Guanying and return to the arms of the devil.

But Yang Dingfeng soon realized a possibility that horrified him—

What if in another time and space, Xiao Guanying was not some kind of demon?

Xiao Guanyue, who was standing by, also looked towards the lake, but the image reflected there was beyond his expectation:

Above the vast sea of ​​clouds, a floating jade platform hangs in the sky.

The jade platform has carved railings and painted buildings, and is made entirely of warm and smooth spiritual jade, emitting a soft and clear glow.

Xiao Guanying was dressed in a purple and gold dragon robe, without the heavy imperial crown. He only tied his hair with a black jade hairpin. He looked less awe-inspiring and more relaxed than he did in court meetings.

He was leaning against the white jade railing, with a gentle smile on his lips, and was talking to the woman beside him.

The woman was Xiao Guanyue.

She did not wear a complicated formal dress today, but a royal blue robe with gold sleeves. The flowing cloud pattern was faintly visible when her figure moved, making her look noble and reserved.

Her long hair was half tied up, and she wore a flying phoenix hairpin in her hair. The tiny pearls hanging from the phoenix's mouth swayed gently on her cheek as she tilted her head slightly, reflecting her eyes, her complexion, and the grace and composure of someone who had held a high position for a long time.

The two siblings seemed to have a very good relationship in another time and space. There was no so-called struggle between good and evil, or sibling rift. The way they talked and laughed made Xiao Guanyue feel a little sad.

How long has it been since I had such a heart-to-heart talk with my brother?

This [Hengshi Lake] is extremely magical. The reflected images make one feel as if they are actually there. Xiao Guanyue can even feel the faint spiritual pressure from another [self], which seems to be only at the level of the middle stage of the Nascent Soul?

Yes, when I was young, I didn’t like to practice cultivation. I had good qualifications, but I was also inconsistent... Later, the brother and sister broke up, and then I worked hard to practice cultivation and achieved what I have today.

Xiao Guanyue laughed at himself: "It's a pity that I'm not as good as him after all..."

----

"Sanniang, what are you doing..."

Yun Xuance stood on the edge of the bamboo raft, lowered his head slightly, and glanced at the lake... Ye Xingyun was a curious person. He took a peek and found that Yun Xuance reflected in the lake did not seem to be in the human world. Instead, he was surrounded by a dark and ghostly place.

A judge's desk made of Yin iron emerged in the reflection. Sanniang, wearing a black robe of a ghost official, was reviewing a mountain of official documents.

Wherever the cinnabar brush stroked, the sins of the dead souls on the ghost list turned into blood-red curse patterns - thieves had their eyes gouged out, and cheaters had their tongues pulled out. Between the iron-drawn and silver-hooked verdicts, the torture instruments of the eighteen levels of hell were already buzzing in response in the void.

Suddenly, chains rattled, and three green-faced, fang-toothed jailers from the underworld escorted a group of translucent ghosts past.

The leading ghost was a female ghost with an extremely beautiful face. Her neck was tied with a bronze shackle engraved with talismans. Every time she took a step, the talismans on the shackle would burn her soul and body, making a sizzling sound.

This scene was not only unexpected by Ye Xingyun, but even Yun Xuance himself frowned and pondered:

"This is... the timeline where I wasn't chosen by the Immortal Selection Hall? So I never reincarnated, but went to the Nine Netherworld Palace?"

The image continued to move forward, and one of the underworld jailers stepped forward, bowing and smiling, "Yun Pan, these are a new batch of ghosts captured from the human world. I'm asking Yun Pan to apprehend them."

Yun Xuance smiled faintly and addressed the Netherworld jailer politely, "I don't deserve it. I'm just a minor clerk under Li Pan, and now I'm only acting as the judge. My cultivation level isn't much higher than yours, so I don't deserve the title of 'Yun Pan'."

The jailer laughed and said, "Everyone knows that Judge Yun is highly regarded by His Excellency. I'm afraid a promotion is not far off."

Yun Xuance sighed softly, "I was originally a lonely ghost drifting in the underworld. Fortunately, the masters in the underworld took notice and enlightened my destiny. Since then, I have had the opportunity to cultivate. I have practiced cautiously for hundreds of years, and only now have I achieved this humble level of cultivation... How could I dare to aspire to the position of judge? Besides, in the underworld, no matter how high or low your position is, don't we all serve the masters? There's really not much difference."

The green-faced jailer nodded: "That's the truth."

"I heard a few days ago that Li Pan was transferred to the Wheel of Time Palace. I wonder when he will return?"

Yun Xuance shook his head and laughed, "It's too early... After all, a while ago, that lady from heaven escaped into the Netherworld and wreaked havoc in the Underworld, killing and injuring many of the ghost officials there. Suddenly, a large number of ghost officials in the Wheel of Fortune Palace were vacant, and they needed more manpower for everything. Li Pan was seconded, but who knows when a suitable ghost will be able to fill the vacancy in the Wheel of Fortune Palace?"

The green-faced jailer said indignantly, "That person is far too overbearing... Actually, her realm isn't much higher than ours, she's only at the Divine Transformation stage. Yet, she caused such a scene in the Underworld over something as trivial as the death of her best friend, and the higher-ups didn't even bother to do anything."

"Brother, be careful with your words."

Yun Xuance's expression grew serious. "That person is a direct disciple of the Daoist Master... Her status is indescribably noble. Otherwise, how could someone with only Divine Transformation cultivation be able to run rampant in the Underworld? Even the several Hall Masters avoid her, afraid to even meet her face to face?"

The green-faced jailer tutted his words, "Having a background is great! If I were also a disciple of the Daoist Master, I would have to exchange all my Yin and Dark Qi for high-grade one every day just to practice!"

Yun Xuance pursed his lips and smiled. "Such great figures are beyond the reach of small fry like us. It's better to practice diligently... maybe if we follow the right path, we can achieve the realm of Ghost Immortal."

"Ghost Immortal? Only you, Yun Pan, can count on it. Ordinary ghost jailers like me would be satisfied if we could cultivate to the Cave Heaven Realm."

The green-faced jailer curled his lips and escorted a ghost behind him over:

"Yun Pan, this person's name is [Li Jiangmei], and he was a human cultivator from the [Xuanhai Realm] during his lifetime."

"When she was in the mortal world, she used her charm to bewitch many demonic cultivators into her own hands, sacrificing mortals with blood, committing evil deeds... Now she has been killed, and her soul has been captured by us... What do you think will be the verdict?"

Yun Xuance was extremely skilled in his job and said without hesitation:

"This is using evil methods to confuse people's moral consciences, committing the sin of killing and collective karma... They should be sent to the Tendon-Pulling and Bone-Beatering Hell, where ghost officials pull out their tendons and then beat their bones with copper hammers. When the bones shatter, their souls will turn into mud, and then the dark wind will blow them back into human form, and this cycle will repeat over and over again."

The spirit named Li Jiangmei suddenly knelt and cried out, "My Lord, I have wronged you! I did not instruct those Demonic True Lords to sacrifice mortals. I merely withdrew a few spiritual resources. The blood sacrifices... were their own doing! Wouldn't those Demonic True Lords have performed blood sacrifices regardless of my presence?"

Yun Xuance frowned and said, "If they had sacrificed someone else's blood, we would have gone after them. But now the blame is on you, a ghost. You can't escape the guilt of a shared karma."

"What I hate most in my life is cultivators like you who kill ordinary people for no reason. If it weren't for the fact that the Underworld must judge impartially, I could send you to the eighteenth level of Avici Hell with just a flick of my red pen. What's the harm?"

After saying this, he waved his red brush and immediately wrote the verdict on the document: "Come here, take her to the [Tension-Pulling and Bone-Smashing Prison] to be punished..."