Youshu originally thought that after leaving the soul, she would come directly to the Netherworld Palace like a dream, but she never expected to appear on a broad road. This road can't see where it comes from, and can't see where it goes forward. There are bushes of thorns and flowers on both sides of the road, and there is a black mist lingering in the air, which looks very gloomy and depressing.
Many people brushed past him, with expressions of pain or numbness on their faces. They were all skinny and ragged, some walked alone, some dragged their children with them, and they walked faster and faster, as if something ahead was attracting them.
Is this Huangquan Road? Thinking like this, You Shu also walked forward along the flow of people. Because the time flow of the underworld is synchronized with the Yang world, he must go back before tomorrow morning. His body is still lying in the prison now. If the daybreak has not yet returned to his soul, the yamen will decide that he is dead, and then dig a hole and bury it. What's more, they will erase the soul-releasing talisman on his forehead and let him stay forever. in the underworld.
Under the urgency, Youshu had to squeeze away the ghosts on both sides, rush forward with her head sullen, accidentally knocked down an old woman, and hurriedly bent over to help. The old woman groaned and stood up, fixed her eyes on him and exclaimed, "Oh, isn't this the magistrate of Xiao Zhao? You, why are you dead? What about my son, daughter-in-law, grandson, and granddaughter? ?"
As the old woman spoke, she burst into tears, attracting the attention of the surrounding ghosts. Only at this time did they discover that a living soul had actually mixed in, and this living soul was also Suichang's parental official. The underworld is the reflection of the mortal world, which means that the size of the mortal world is as wide as the underworld. This Huangquan Road is a coincidence that it is the official road for the ghosts of Lishui to go to the underworld, and these ghosts all died in disasters. people.
The number of them has reached hundreds of thousands, crowding the huge Huangquan Road, and some people were squeezed into the thorns on the side of the road because of their weak souls, and their legs were bloody. But as long as you take a closer look, you will find that the vast majority of them come from other counties, and there are very few ghosts in Suichang, just because Suichang has a good official who worked hard and died to protect the people and even their entire net worth. All donated to feed a party of water and soil.
People in other county towns felt that they were not lucky enough to meet such a good official, but it did not prevent them from admiring and loving the magistrate of Xiaozhao. On the way to the underworld, as long as they meet the ghosts of Suichang, they will definitely come over to chat with them. They must tell them repeatedly how the magistrate of Xiaozhao saves the suffering and helps the people, and they all eagerly look forward to being born after reincarnation. In Suichang, that is a real way of life.
In Suichang, many people died in recent days, but they were not starved to death, but died of plague. This is also helpless.
Like the old woman who died of a disease. She was transferred to the quarantine area by the magistrate of Xiaozhao. She had food to eat and medicine to drink every day. On the day of her death, the magistrate of Xiaozhao personally gave her a pulse and gave her a strong medicine. However, she was old and weak. Still couldn't make it through. Seeing the big bowl of good medicine wasted on her dying person, the old woman was extremely ashamed. She had repeatedly asked the magistrate of Xiao Zhao to stop treating her, but the magistrate of Xiao Zhao told her: every life is precious. He won't give up on anyone until the last minute.
This sentence made the old woman burst into tears, and then passed away with a satisfied smile. Because she knew that with the magistrate of Xiao Zhao, her son, daughter-in-law, grandson, and granddaughter would be able to live in peace. In this life, I was born in Suichang and lived under the rule of Xiaozhao county magistrate. It was really worth it.
Therefore, you can imagine how sad and desperate she was when she met the magistrate of Xiaozhao on Huangquan Road.
Youshu has an amazing memory, and quickly recognized the old woman, patted her back to comfort her, and then briefly explained the matter. The spirits around heard that this was the famous county magistrate of Xiaozhao, and they all perked up their ears to listen. At this moment, the crowd was excited, and immediately vacated a straight road like a stream of sea water, and shouted loudly, "Let the dead ghost in front of you let go. , This is the magistrate of Xiao Zhao! He was wronged and wronged, and at the time of his life and death, he has to go to the hall of the underworld to sound the drum of injustice. Let us, let us quickly!"
The old woman also pushed Youshu's back, urging him to leave quickly.
"Is it really the magistrate of Xiao Zhao?"
"Quick, quick, step aside! Don't miss the important matter of the magistrate of Xiao Zhao!"
"It's rare for Dayong to find such a good official, so he can't tolerate it? It must be the son of a bitch Wang Xiangcai! He must not die in the future!"
"It's really Xiao Zhao county magistrate. He served me rice porridge himself! I know him! Let me go!"
The dead souls are moving, you tap on my back, I stab you in the back, and pass the news all the way to the front, and miraculously, on this endless Huangquan Road, a passage is quickly opened, allowing You Shu to flow freely. Pass without hindrance. Because of the narrowing of the road, many dead souls were squeezed into the thorns, and they were covered in injuries, but they did not complain. They even urged the county magistrate Xiaozhao to leave quickly.
The magistrate of Xiaozhao is not only the blue sky above the heads of the people of Suichang, but also the mirror in the hearts of the villagers in each county. Such a good official must never die in the hands of those beasts.
Seeing this scene, I have mixed feelings, but due to time constraints, I couldn't stop to say goodbye to everyone. He said "thank you" loudly as he ran and went to the underworld hidden at the end of the darkness.
After running for an unknown amount of time, a towering tower finally appeared in front of him, and there were ghosts guarding the gate of the city with swords and halberds, asking about ghosts in the past. Before You Shu could get close, there were many ghosts waving to him, "Xiao Zhao county magistrate, come here, we will help you take a seat!"
It turned out that there was still a queue to enter the city, so someone always took the first place. If the magistrate of Xiaozhao didn't come, they let the ghosts behind them enter. When the magistrate of Xiaozhao came, he would naturally have priority.
You Shu repeatedly said thank you, went to the ghost messenger, spread her arms, and asked the other party to check. The ghost guard took a sniff and said in surprise, "Why are you a soul? According to the rules, souls are not allowed to enter the city unless..." He twitched his thumb, his expression greedy.
This is the Huangquan Road of Lishui Prefecture, and the ghost guard who is responsible for guarding the city is naturally the dead soul of Lishui Prefecture. The captain of the guard happened to be from Suichang. Hearing this, he hurried over and slapped the guard's head off. He cursed, "I'll fuck your grandma! Even our county magistrate, Xiao Zhao, dares to make things difficult. Let me tell you, Lord Yama has long since changed, and if you still can't get rid of the bad habit of accepting bribes, I will sue you, peel your skin and cramp into the oil pan, and throw it into the realm of hungry ghosts!"
The guard shivered with horror, and hurriedly knelt down to plead guilty. The head guard didn't care about him, he grabbed You Shu and went into the city, walked to an archway, and pointed, "Sir, just go up and beat the drum of grievances, and there will naturally be ghosts to take you to the Nether Hall. Don't be afraid, In this Lishui Mansion, no ghost will hurt you."
Youshu can't see it by himself, but the ghost is quite virtuous, and can faintly feel the golden light of merit that comes out of his body. It is a kind of compassionate and warm feeling. Once approached, the hostile energy in the body will be purified, and even the most powerful ghost can't bear to kill. What's more, the clear name of the magistrate of Xiaozhao has already spread all over the ground and underground. I don't know how many people have offered his longevity card in their homes. The light of the card is also a way to protect oneself.
You Shu thanked him repeatedly, then picked up the mallet and knocked it hard a few times. Sure enough, two ghosts rushed over and took him to the center of the city. The captain waited for him to disappear at the end of the road before turning back to work.
The group walked quickly and arrived at a palace. One of the ghosts seemed to confirm, "You are Zhao Youshu, the magistrate of Suichang County, with a soul, with golden light of merit, and a descendant of the national teacher Xia Qi?"
You Shu thought it was a routine question, so she nodded and answered yes. The two ghosts looked at each other with joy in their eyes. They changed their path without a trace, and brought Youshu to a gloomy underground palace. A ghost left for a while, and said that they went in and reported. After a while, they hurried over and slapped a black token in their hands on Youshu's forehead.
A black light flashed, followed by a burst of dizziness. When Yu Shu regained clarity, he found himself standing in an empty hall. The hall was supported by eight pillars, engraved with mysterious runes, and each pillar was connected to each other. With a thick chain, he was finally bound to a Li Gui with a blue face and fangs. Li Gui sat cross-legged in the center of the eight pillars, and the surrounding floor tiles were also painted with formation patterns, which flickered dimly from time to time.
You Shu carefully looked at the array map, but couldn't find any similar ones in the old man's inheritance, but from the few runes in it, it was inferred that this should be a sealing array, and the driving force came from the ghosts of the underworld. That is to say, if the sealed ghost wants to regain his freedom, he will not have to wait until the day when there is no more dead soul in the underworld, and the dead soul will be automatically absorbed within three feet of the magic array and become the nourishment for the great array. .
How can an underworld without a soul be called an underworld? From this, it can be seen that this Specter has a great background, and the person who suppressed him is even more skilled. You Shu has doubts in her heart, and already understands that she has been calculated. Bring one of his living souls here, use anger to corrode the dead energy in the formation, and with the blessings of merit and golden light, the formation may be destroyed, if it is the formation eye that is unfortunately destroyed, this ghost can break free in an instant. .
He immediately avoided far away, quietly watching.
That Specter waited for a long time and couldn't see You Shu throwing himself into the trap, so he could only wave at him, "You are Zhao Youshu, the magistrate of Suichang County? I heard that you have a grievance to sue."
Thinking about it, the ghost had come over once before and had already told him about his situation. But what is his origin, when he opens his mouth and asks his grievances? If Shu had not seen the real King Yama, he would have regarded him as the Lord of the Nether according to the tone of this stern ghost.
"It's really Zhao Youshu, dare to ask who your Excellency is?" Youshu bowed his hands slightly.
"You came to find this Wang Ming injustice, but you still asked who this Wang is?" Li Gui stood up and shook the black imperial robe on his body.
Youshu pointed to the column and then to the chain, silently expressing her doubts. It would be better for him to speak less before he finds out the situation.
Li Gui's eyes were bloodshot, his anger was looming, but he could barely hold it back, and sighed pretentiously, "It's a long story, this king was originally the lord of the underworld, but he was usurped by the devil in the prison of humiliation. The seal is here. Do you see if the human world is flooded, droughts are rampant, officials are corrupt, the ruler has no morals, and the people are not living? These are all divine punishments caused by the devil's usurping the throne. If you don't release this king and rebuild the underworld, the world will sooner or later. Become hell, hell will become human world. You are a rare good official, how can you ignore the people? You saved this king, you saved the people, saved Dayong, and saved the world."
He said so much, but Shu only paid attention to one point, "The prison between the two? What is that?"
"It's not a room, it's a scorpion, and a ghost is a scorpion. There are eighteen floors in hell, and the slug's prison is still under the underworld, and it is a place where all ghosts and evil spirits can't set foot. Now, the king of Yama who is sitting in the Nether Hall is the slug's prison. I don't know what means he used to replace this king. He also killed the 24 prison masters of this king and Yama of the Ten Temples, and finally replaced them with his confidants. , which caused the world to be filled with sorrow and starvation." When the words were finished, Li Gui sighed again, but because he was too hideous and ugly, he didn't seem to be compassionate, but extremely terrifying.
Youshu took a slight step forward and seemed to be persuaded.
The ecstasy radiated from Li Gui's eyes, and quickly covered it, waiting anxiously for his approach. Just at this moment, the tall man led several prison masters hurriedly. He was going to pull Youshu out, but he stopped suddenly, and then used a spell to hide everyone's figures.
"Master, what do you want to do? It's important to bring people out!" a prison master whispered.
"Look again." The man waved his hand.
Because of the man's high morals, Youshu didn't even notice his arrival, not to mention Li Gui, who had already been sealed. He walked around the circle twice, and said slowly, "Well, let me analyze it for you, you can see what I said, right?"
Li Gui was impatient and urged, "Let me go out first, and then tell me about your grievances. You just need to put your hands on this character, isn't it easy? At that time, this king will not only know Punishing your enemy harshly will give you five hundred years of longevity plus inexhaustible wealth and glory." This is the biggest temptation for ordinary people, and even if the lord of the dynasty stands here, he may not be able to resist it. .
You Shu took a closer look and saw that the character was just above the eyes of the formation. He was unmoved, and said to himself, "That's right, I found some inconsistencies in your statement. I can't come up with any other evidence, so I'll just say two things: First, I was taken to the underworld for interrogation. The fourth prisoner said that all corrupt officials in the mortal world escaped from the realm of beasts. At that time, I thought, how could beasts in the realm of beasts cross the path to reincarnate? Does King Yama don’t care? Is it too late? Second, when I entered the city, because I was a living soul, I was asked for silver taels. The captain of the guard said, 'Now the Lord of Hell has changed it. Go up, peel off the skin and cramp, put down the oil pan, and throw it into the realm of hungry ghosts. From this, I infer: First, when you were in power, the government of the underworld was as corrupt as the mortal world; So that no one is a ghost or a ghost.”
He slowly stopped and looked directly at Li Gui, "The reason why the mortal world is raging with floods and droughts is not punished by the current Lord of the Nether, but the beasts who have been reincarnated by you. You treat people as beasts and treat beasts as beasts. As a human, you deserve to be sealed forever."
He took a few steps back and nodded slightly, "I'm sorry, but please stay here, I should go. Destiny is unpredictable, only virtue is the assistant, no matter who the person in the hall is, as long as he has virtue, he can live there. ." The words fell and walked outside the hall.
Li Gui never expected this person to be so sharp and upright, so he quickly shouted, "Wait! If you let this king go out, this king will give you a thousand years of longevity and high officials and honors, even the appearance of an emperor!"
Youshu walked faster and faster, "If you open your mouth and shut your mouth, you will be seduced by Eli. It's better for a ghost like you not to be the king of hell, otherwise the officials under your rule will become just like you. The underworld is in charge of life and death, if you give money No matter whether he was a beast or a demon before his death, what should the dead soul who did good deeds and virtues do? Could it be the same suffering in the next life? , I am to blame for my death!"
"Mother, I really hate you honest officials the most, and I don't know what's going on in my head! This king remembers you, if you can go out one day, I will definitely let you go to the Asura Road and the Hungry Ghost Road. "Beasts are tortured!" Li Gui shouted angrily.
You Shu didn't hear it, and ran quickly towards the gate of the palace, but unexpectedly bumped into a tall man with a mask on his face. The man's chest was very cold and stiff, but it was also extremely generous and strong. He stretched his arms around Yushu's slender waist, and urged in a deep voice, "Slow down, be careful of falling."
You Shu looked up and couldn't help but be overjoyed, "You're here!"
When the man saw that he was holding his arm tightly, his eyes were bright, and the corners of his lips were slightly raised, he couldn't help feeling happy, but he didn't show it. He supported Youshu to stand firm, nodded and said, "This king is here to save you."
"Master Zhao really is like a mirror, and he was not bewitched by this culprit." The fourth prisoner stepped forward and bowed his hands.
After the former Underworld Lord's old department took the people away, many people from Suichang rushed to the Netherworld Hall to inquire about the situation of the Xiaozhao County magistrate's lawsuit. Only then did they know that a ray of living soul had entered the underworld, and it was the master who was extremely A respected and honest official, immediately came to save people. Just now, they actually broke a cold sweat on behalf of the magistrate of Xiaozhao. If he was bewitched by the former Underworld Lord, if he really tried to solve the formation, he didn't know what would happen. Fortunately, there is no vacuous person under his reputation. If he is as smart as rumored, his eyesight and ears are clear, and his temperament is pure, he can tell at a glance whether he is a ghost or a ghost.
Youshu was about to answer, but saw King Yama pointed at his buttocks and asked coldly, "You were tortured?"
When he looked back, he realized that the prisoner's clothes were stained with blood, and his eyes were reddened. He was single-minded in relocating the victims, how could he have expected someone to frame it behind his back? It is too difficult to be an official in Dayong, and even more difficult to be a good official. Thinking of the hardships he suffered these days, his expression became more and more aggrieved.
"Nothing, this king will do justice for you!" The man patted Youshu's head, then dragged him by the wrist and strode out.
This icy temperature, the slow and intimate touch, made Youshu feel inexplicably familiar. Something flashed through his mind, but he couldn't catch it, so he had to keep up. When they arrived at the Netherworld Hall, there were ghost messengers who brought everyone involved in the case to the hall and knelt down one by one.
"Sit here." The man pointed to the thickly padded chair on his left.
You Shu didn't dare to refuse, and sat down slowly, feeling unbearable pain and twisting her buttocks. The man dragged him to his side, reached out and kneaded it, and when he jumped up, he quickly let go, "Okay, sit back at ease."
Hey, it's really good! This King Yama really is a good god! You Shu praised it in her heart, and her jet-black pupils naturally showed reverence. The man gave him a deep look, then slapped the gavel and shouted, "Whoever is under the hall, I will automatically sign up."
Hundreds of people were detained in the hall, including the prefect who jointly falsely accused You Shu, county officials, witnesses, imperial envoys, etc., as well as comrades who were killed by them in order to erase the evidence. The living soul confronted the dead ghost, and Yama and the twenty-four prison masters in the hall were shocked. Almost without much interrogation, everyone confessed their crimes.
It turned out that the imperial court clearly knew that Shu was wronged, and also knew that the silver had been divided up by Wang Zhifu and others, and even more aware that the real leader of the bandit was actually a subordinate of Wang Zhifu. This brought the idea to Youshu's head. Who told Youshu to reform and take the right path
The imperial envoy got half of the disaster silver from the Wang Zhifu, a total of 500,000 taels, and he ate his conscience. Not only did he help forge criminal evidence, but he also planned to use his privileges to make a beheading first and then file a lawsuit. At that time, even if someone was sent to review it, it would be difficult to overturn the case without evidence.
When he confessed here, Youshu was so angry that he almost bit his silver teeth, his eyes widened, and he tried his best to express his anger. However, once he pursed his lips, the small dimples on the side of his cheeks showed, not only was there no sense of intimidation, but he was very pitiful and lovely.
The man was still listening, but after glancing at him, he began to lose his mind, slowly turned his head over, and silently admired it.
"Master, everyone's charges have been verified, please let me know." After the interrogation, one of the prison masters handed over the report and repeated it after seeing that there was no movement in the hall for a long time.
You Shu also looked over in confusion.
Only then did the man return to his senses, and he slowly sat up straight with his head held high, pulled out an account book from the table, and said while sketching, "Wang Xiangcai, Yuanyang's life span is sixty-eight, now it is reduced to forty-four, and he will be buried in stone after death. Grinding hell, the sentence is one thousand years, and after the sentence is completed, he will enter the Asura Dao; Hao Zuosi, the original Yang's lifespan is 75, which is reduced to 46. After death, he will be sent to the volcano hell, and the sentence will be 800 years. After the sentence is completed, he will enter the realm of hungry ghosts... "
This year, the prefect of Wang Zhifu is exactly forty-four, and the imperial consignment is forty-six, which means that they originally had more than twenty years to live, but they have cut off the rest of their lives due to their misdeeds. Not only that, but after death, they will enter the Asura path and the hungry ghost path separately, and suffer from endless reincarnation.
The two of them were scared. They cried in the hall, kowtowed, and the rest of the accomplices begged for mercy loudly.
Seeing that all those who harmed him were retributed, Youshu finally felt at ease, and turned her head to look at King Yama with adoring and eager eyes. Although this ghost climbed out of the prison of humiliation, he is more discerning between good and evil than the gods and Buddhas of the gods. It is no exaggeration to say that he can now be called the incarnation of justice and the messenger of love in the heart of Youshu.
The man enjoyed his admiration very much, his eyes were warm, but the words he said were even crueler, "Take it down, the skin that should be peeled, the eye that should be cut and the tongue cut, and the whip that should be whipped... Be careful with your hands, Don't kill them, Yang Shi's trial will have to go through again."
The twenty-four prison masters agreed in unison, and after dispersing their souls, they sewed them up again. The bitter taste was enough for them to remember forever.