Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, but Thunderbolt Taoist Sect

Ever since Xi Fangping was taken away by the suddenly appearing Shuangxiu, and the ghost messenger returned to report the news, Yama has been on tenterhooks. He can neither find out who the two Taoist priests, one in gold and one in silver, are, nor can he continue to arrange for the ghost messenger to follow behind and wait for an opportunity to act.

That kid named Xi Fangping has a stubborn temper like a mule. Even after being severely tortured, he can still talk back. From the beginning, Yama (the King of Hell) did not think he would give up easily. He originally planned to trick him back, but now he has escaped control.

The two Taoist priests who helped him were of unknown origin, and it was unclear where they had gone. Yama was afraid that Xi Fangping would get help and go around telling people about his experiences in the underworld, causing trouble.

During this time, he had been thinking of countermeasures with those City Gods, but Xi Fangping had not gone home once, and the City Gods could not see him. He could not even appeal to the King of Hell. Where else could this guy complain?

At this very moment, the Dragon Palace of the East Sea was just as determined as he was, sending messengers time and time again to inquire about the matter, saying that a relative had been murdered and there was no trace of the soul, and they wanted to ask what had happened and where the soul of the deceased had gone.

This all happened out of the blue. Forget about being related to a dragon, he hadn't even seen many monsters who had died violently these days. Right now, he was worried about Xi Fangping, this troublemaker, and had to avoid his colleagues as much as possible. The news of his accusation against the City God had spread in the underworld. He wasn't the only Yama in the underworld, and if someone with ulterior motives heard about it, it would be troublesome.

The matter of the East Sea Dragon Palace came out of nowhere, so he had no time to deal with it. Therefore, every time the other side came, he would have the ghost messengers block them outside, and the shrimp soldiers and crab generals would run back and forth. Anyone who didn't know better would think that he had a very good relationship with the East Sea Dragon King.

Today, the dragon of the East Sea acted stubbornly again. The Third Prince of the East Sea personally came to the door, saying he wanted to investigate the soul of a relative who was killed by a villain. How could Yama dare to let him in? The matter on the other side sounded very troublesome, and there were basically no clues. There was no way to evade the issue.

He thought that as long as he said he had important business to attend to and could not see guests, the Third Prince would probably go back after a while. The underworld is a place where the energy of ghosts and spirits gathers. People in the mortal world will feel uncomfortable if they stay there for too long. Even if the other party is a dragon with a strong body, the gloomy scenery of the underworld will make the other party disgusted. As long as he can hold out, the other party will definitely leave.

Once he figures out a way to deal with Xi Fangping and those two Taoist priests of unknown origin, he'll personally go to the Dragon Palace to investigate and appease them.

But Yama never expected that after experiencing setbacks time and time again, Xi Fangping would have a breakthrough and realize that he was powerless and helpless. Since he couldn't appeal to Yama, he would appeal to the gods in heaven and sue Yama as well.

This idea seemed absurd to others. Xi Fangping was just an ordinary mortal who could not meet any orthodox immortals, but fate is so magical. Not only did he find them, but he also directly bumped into someone with extremely high authority. As the son of the Jade Emperor, the Ninth Prince's knowledge of this matter basically meant that the Jade Emperor knew about it.

Xi Fangping returned to the underworld, but this time it was different. Last time he was alone and knew nothing, and he just stubbornly filed a complaint, which gave the City God time to bribe him. This time, Erlang Shen and the Ninth Prince came with him. With the power of important figures, a formal complaint, and a special trial, he was able to proceed.

This time, Yama could no longer order his ghost messengers to stop people; he couldn't afford to, nor did he dare to.

"I only made a rough estimate before, I didn't expect that we would actually run into each other."

Instead of going through the main gate, Liu Qingyuan jumped out through the window that had been opened earlier. By this time, the ceremonial guard had already passed by and probably ran into the Third Prince, who was being held back outside.

"Let's take them together."

The constant clanging and banging sounds coming from the second floor were because Liu Qingyuan, after startling the two, did not immediately make a move. He saw that Zhang Huaiyu was a soul-reaping messenger from the underworld and wanted to see what abilities the other party had.

Although they arrived in the underworld, apart from the gloomy environment that conformed to stereotypes, they didn't see any of the famous Ox-Head and Horse-Face, or Black and White Impermanence. The reason might be that they were blocked outside the first hall as soon as they arrived, and they still don't know what the Yama's Palace is like.

Yes, they were directly blocked outside the First Hall. The one who accepted the City God's bribe and severely tortured Xi Fangping was none other than King Qin Guang, one of the Ten Kings of Hell.

Regarding this matter, Xi Fangping suffered from his lack of education. Although he was literate and upright, he lacked knowledge of grammar and had only heard of many famous figures and deities. Although he had the perseverance to go to the underworld to sue the City God, he was also stubborn and started suing as soon as he arrived at the first court. This kid only knew that there was a King Yama in the underworld, but he couldn't distinguish which of the ten Kings Yama was who, and went straight to King Qin Guang.

King Qin Guang of the First Hall is in charge of the register of life and death, and also manages the fortunes of those punished in the underworld. Naturally, he can also decide where ghosts go. If the Dragon Palace wants to find the whereabouts of the ghosts of victims, it should indeed go to the First Hall.

But the first hall is also quite complex. It blocks the entrance to the underworld. As long as this King Yama doesn't let them through, those behind won't know what's going on, and it will take time for them to come and ask.

Therefore, Xi Fangping was stuck in the First Court and suffered all kinds of torment. What he wanted to accuse was that a wealthy merchant colluded with the City God to persecute his father. According to the nature of this case, the corresponding court should be the Fifth Court, where Yama, judges people's good deeds and slander cases.

Regarding the temperament of King Qin Guang in the First Hall, there is a story in "In Search of the Supernatural" that roughly describes how he kept creating plagues to make people worship him, and the plagues only subsided after a temple was built.

See, this isn't a good person.

It can only be said that fate is so magical. If Xi Fangping had been able to file his complaint with the Fifth Court, which is the right place for him, the matter could have been resolved on the same day, given Yama's impartiality. There would have been no need for this unnecessary torment.

You ask him why he praises Yama while criticizing King Qin Guang? Most of the stories in Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio come from folk tales, and the system of gods in this world naturally developed in a similar way to the reality at that time. As dynasties changed, the identities of many famous people changed, which would translate into job transfers in the real world.

In the era when "Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio" was written, the Fifth King of Hell was named Bao Zheng. What do you think is the likelihood that he accepted bribes from the City God?

"Zhang Huaiyu? So the memorial tablet they found was for him."

The palace gates had long been open, but the Third Prince was still at the entrance. Seeing that Erlang Shen and the Ninth Prince were among those present, he knew that something serious had happened. Upon hearing that Yama was also to be interrogated, he decided it was better not to go in. After greeting the group, he waited outside.

Even the King of Hell will interrogate me, so I don't need to worry about the purpose of my visit. After everything is dealt with inside, I can go in and mention it to Erlang Shen, and then I can go directly to find the person. Zhang Huaiyu, whom Liu Qingyuan captured, is a great piece of evidence.

At that time, the two illegal transmigrators were handed over to Jian Feidao. Their stronghold belonged to the Dragon Palace. They originally wanted to search for clues about the victims. The outsiders had very special constitutions. They killed so many people but only got tainted with evil energy and not karma. The Dragon Palace could not handle them and therefore could not appease the victims' families who came to them.

The initial idea was to find a list of murderers or something that recorded the techniques for making strange bone artifacts, but after searching high and low in the Ryugu Palace, they found very few usable items, including a rather incongruous memorial tablet.

Zhang Huaiyu was a human in life and a ghost messenger after death. He never held a high-ranking official position. The memorial tablet was only for communication purposes, and there was very little that could be written on it. Moreover, the custom of worshipping memorial tablets varied from place to place. The two illegal transmigrators were not natives and had no idea about the regulations for memorial tablets here. Zhang Huaiyu thought that as long as there was an offering, it was fine, and he didn't go into details.

Therefore, the memorial tablets found were quite incongruous, with only the name "Zhang Huaiyu" serving as a clue. However, the name "Huaiyu" was also very common and impossible to find.

The Third Prince's plan was to take this memorial tablet and other clues directly to the Underworld to investigate with King Yama. Unexpectedly, the King Yama was the one being investigated, and before he could even present his clues, Zhang Huaiyu himself was captured.

"So there are three more? Ha."

The four underworld messengers colluded to conceal information about the deceased and imprison the souls of the victims, and this was not an isolated case.

"This first hall is full of surprises."

So many things are stuck in the first hall of the underworld, leaving plenty of room for maneuver. The subsequent halls are completely unaware of these things, so naturally they don't know what's being concealed. Even if the Wheel King of the Tenth Hall is the most impartial, he can't see these things and has no way to manage them.

"With such corruption, it would be better to switch back to the Fifth Palace."

Zhang Huaiyu didn't possess the virtue of going to great lengths for his brothers, but he was very committed to the idea of ​​sharing hardships with his brothers. In no time, he had completely exposed the other three. While organizing the evidence, the Third Prince sighed and said this.

"Were the Ten Kings of Hell rearranged in order?"

Liu Qingyuan thought about it for a moment, and it seemed that there was such a saying.

"The current King Yama of the Fifth Court was originally in the First Court when he first took office, but because he was too sympathetic to sinners, he made mistakes in the efficiency of the trial, so he was transferred to the Fifth Court."

"What exactly happened? Even the Ninth Prince has come... Oh right."

The Ninth Prince's special identity and sudden appearance in the underworld startled everyone. The Third Prince thought about the group he had just seen, and two figures gradually became clear.

"Just now, near the Ninth Prince's carriage, I saw two unusual figures, one in gold and one in silver. Do you recognize them, Immortal Master?"

The reason the Third Prince made this connection was not only due to the complicated clothing and appearance of the two people, but also their hair color. Among so many people, only the two of them did not have black hair, which made them stand out from the crowd. Now that he thought about it carefully, he realized that they did have some similarities to the people around him.

"One gold and one silver... Ah, you mean Shuangxiu, right?"

This simple yet vivid description can only mean that Juan Shou Tian Yuan Wu Xiang was unexpectedly spotted by the Third Prince of the Dragon King while they were mixed in with the immortals' procession.

"Double...show?"

They are still referred to as a pair.

"they are……"

"Roaring freely across the eight directions, displaying unparalleled might, accustomed to disappearing without a trace, amidst the vast emptiness, where the wind howls in desolation."

"The river and sky are one color, without a speck of dust; fish and dragons leap and dive, revealing the body of the Dao. How can there be two different meanings between Heaven and Man? The Dao is not practiced in vain, but depends on man."

Before Liu Qingyuan could explain, the two protagonists in the story arrived gracefully with their poetic titles. They walked out of the palace, and the darkness outside seemed to brighten up a bit because of their arrival.

It definitely stood out, thanks to the entrance effects.

"Just now, I think I heard someone calling us?"

Yuan Wuxiang held a silver fan, a smile on his face. The metallic fan reflected the light, making the silver shimmer.

Having reached this point, Xi Fangping's journey of filing a complaint is nearing its end. All that remains is to bring over the City Gods, along with the ghost messengers who were initially bribed and the wealthy merchants who were also bribed, so that everyone can stand together and await their fate.

With the Ninth Prince in charge, this step wouldn't go wrong. There were also many people inside, and since they already knew the outcome, they simply didn't want to join in the fun. They came out to wait for the result and happened to overhear the Third Prince and Liu Qingyuan talking about them.

"Speak of the devil and he appears! Although it's a bit strange to meet in the underworld, it's fate that our journeys coincide with those of you two."

"A connection in the underworld is probably a karmic entanglement."

Previously, he had only seen them from afar, but now that they were right in front of him, the Third Prince could tell that they were indeed people of the same kind as Liu Qingyuan. Having seen so many outside cultivators, he still had to say that these people were truly dazzling in every sense of the word, especially these two who had just appeared.

Looking at it this way, the one who feels most familiar is actually Ling Ziling, who has the only black hair and a lively girl image. The Third Prince has a dragon girl sister, and judging from their appearances, the two of them look about the same age.

"As the Buddhists say, 'If I don't go to hell, who will?' I never expected that we, a group of Taoists, would put this into practice before my friends with the Buddhist sword. Oh no, you put it into practice even earlier than us."

"how you said that?"

"The intermediate state."

"Hell is a place where sinful souls suffer, and it is different from the Bardo and the Underworld."

Juan Shoutian scanned his surroundings. Perhaps due to his own cultivation, Juan Shoutian, dressed in gold, seemed to be radiating golden light after arriving in this dim underworld, like a walking little sun, attracting many prying eyes.

But as soon as he looks back, those gazes are frightened and shrink back.

"But if they are truly friends with Buddha Sword, it's really hard to say who will end up in hell."

A key characteristic of eminent Buddhist monks in times of hardship is that, rather than adhering to the mindset of "If I don't go to hell, who will?", they first try to successfully send their enemies to hell once and for all.

"Since you two have come with the Ninth Prince and Erlang Shen, do you know why?"

This is what the Third Prince cares about most. He originally thought that someone intended to kill the dragon, and that the ghost messengers' corruption, bribery, and imprisonment of the dead were already serious, but these were far from enough to warrant Erlang Shen's interrogation.

"The King of Hell and the City God accepted bribes and harmed upright people. Erlang Shen is judging this case."

"The King of Hell accepting bribes?!"

Well, the Third Prince was just guessing casually before, but he didn't expect it to actually happen. This First Palace is truly rotten from top to bottom.

"This first hall of the underworld really needs a thorough overhaul."

"Swordsmen, what about you? Have you found the victim's soul?"

"Four Soul Reapers colluded and used torture to imprison them. The leader has been captured, and Ling Ziling and Jian Feidao have gone to assist in capturing the other three."

Catching ghost messengers in the underworld is somewhat like causing trouble, but things are already in complete chaos. All the officials have been summoned to the main hall for trial, and no one has the mind to care about the lower-level ghost messengers.

Although there are many ghost messengers, and each of them is guilty and has something to hide, with the two external advantages of Ling Ziling and Jian Feidao, finding the other three is not difficult.

At this moment, cries and wails came from inside the hall, along with the sound of wooden blocks falling, indicating that the trial was over.

"Why don't we go and see what happens?"

"please."