Chapter 135

The two bodies became intimately intertwined with each other, as ambiguous scenes took place under the lingering moonlight. These scenes, one after another, fell into Su Jingmo’s eyes, to the point that even Su Jingmo couldn’t help, but freeze in astonishment and blush.

Fortunately, the Special Envoy from the Underworld had withdrawn with some sense of decorum. Otherwise…..

On his wedding night, Su Jingmo had actually gotten a little drunk. But even then, he could more or less remember most of what had happened that night. Su Jingmo remembered sobering up by the red lotus flower pond. He remembered not going to the East Palace Consort’s chamber as he should have that night, causing some embarrassment to Lin Qing’s reputation, and he also remembered sleeping soundly that night…..

Perhaps attracted by the cool breeze on a warm summer night, Su Jingmo was drawn to the red lotus flower pond that night, which made him sleep until the sun set the next day, only to be awakened by the Palace maids, who were startled, sensing that something was wrong with him. Su Jingmo felt dizzy, and his body ached as if it were numb. Only then did they call the Imperial Physician to check him over, discovering then that he had caught a cold.

‘ That time I got sick, and it took me a few days to recover…. ’

As for the debauchery that took place that night…. None of the Palace maids dared to mention it, and when Su Jingmo awoke, he somehow couldn’t remember it either. He vaguely felt that he had dreamt of an intimate affair with his beloved person, but about who that person was, or the details of their intimacy, were all unknown to Su Jingmo…..

‘ Clearly, when I woke up that day, my clothes were clean and neatly arranged, the bed also wasn’t messy. Just as if it had all been a dream…. ’

Su Jingmo closed his eyes, rubbed his forehead, and covered his eyes with one hand. Uncharacteristically, he felt somewhat embarrassed.

‘ I thought it had only been a ridiculous dream…. ’

‘ But it actually turned out not to be? The person in ‘the dream’ was Qin Cheng.

‘ Qin Cheng and I…. ’

‘ Ah, Qin Cheng, that fool….He really dared to take advantage of my drunkenness and did whatever he wanted with me…. ’ Thinking about that, Su Jingmo couldn’t help, but laugh softly. ‘ Looks like he’s not that dull-witted after all…. ’

The scenes that followed passed quickly, and Su Jingmo no longer had the heart to keep watching. At that point, Su Jingmo already knew who the person he had seen before he died was. ‘ The only person to painfully cry out my name was none other than Qin Cheng. ’

‘ The first time we met, when Qin Cheng called out my name, I had a vague feeling that he looked like the person I had seen before I died….. ’

At that moment, Su Jingmo recalled one of the poems from the recollection of later generations that Qin Cheng had shown him at the tomb, especially a line that said: “We have clearly seen each other in two lifetimes, so how many more will there be in our remaining lifetimes ¹ ?”

‘ More than a thousand years is much more than just two lifetimes. However, my remaining life has already seemed to have come to an end. The things I couldn’t obtain in life, why should I give them up after death? ’

The scenes of his past life suddenly stopped at the moment of his death. Su Jingmo thus closed his eyes and pondered for a moment before bursting into laughter. It was as if he had suddenly understood everything and gained enlightenment.

When he opened his eyes again, Su Jingmo’s face was illuminated by a broad smile. Su Jingmo then clasped his hands behind his back and, upon seeing that the Underworld Envoy had returned, said: “Since I have finished seeing my former life, may I now go to see Lord Yama, the King of Hell?”

Su Jingmo’s smile stupefied the Special Envoy, who stared dazedly at Su Jingmo, unable to find words to say for a moment.

“Eh? What’s wrong? Is it not allowed?” Su Jingmo raised an eyebrow.

“Nonono, I’ll take you there right away. I, um, please follow me…..” The Special Envoy, whose face hadn’t blushed in three hundred years, was suddenly flushed with embarrassment. With his head lowered, the Special Envoy nodded, repeating the word ‘yes, yes’ over and over again.

Su Jingmo nodded: “Then please lead the way for me.”

“Of course!” The Special Envoy stepped forward and, with a wave of his hand, the wall disappeared. In its place, a dark path appeared in front of them.

“This way, please.” The Special Envoy hastily made a respectful gesture to Su Jingmo and politely said.

“Mmm.” Su Jingmo wasn’t interested in being polite and walked straight down the dark path.

Meanwhile, the Special Envoy walking behind Su Jingmo couldn’t help, but touch his own face. For three hundred years, his face had remained cold and indifferent, but when he looked at Su Jingmo’s tall, majestic figure….

‘ I already knew that this Emperor was a handsome man. But at that moment, for some reason, why did I feel that the Emperor before me appeared to be even more dazzling? ’

‘ Moreover…. ’ As the Special Envoy glanced at Su Jingmo’s back, he couldn’t help, but feel uneasy. ‘ Over these hundreds of years, I’ve guided so many Emperors down this path, with whom I’ve walked side by side. And yet, this time, why did I automatically take a step backwards with this one? ’

Unable to understand it, the Special Envoy could only cautiously follow Su Jingmo from behind.

The Hall of Yama wasn’t far away, and after about half an hour’s walk, they finally arrived.

Su Jingmo’s understanding of the Hall of Yama came from miscellaneous tales written in books. Moreover, in the eyes of the common people, the Hall of Yama has always been regarded as a dark and sinister place, so due to various taboos, people would never mention it in front of the Emperor.

Su Jingmo had previously vaguely heard of the Hall of Yama. According to what he knew, in the Hall of Yama, there was Lord Yama, who presided over reincarnation, and managed affairs as the Ruler of the Underworld.

Since the Hall of Yama was the place where the King of Hell sits with the Court and manages the affairs of the Underworld, in addition to Lord Yama, there were the Ten Great Generals of the Underworld ² , the Six Registering Officials ³ , the Four Great Magistrates ⁴ , the Seventy-five Divisions of the Underworld ⁵ , and Meng Po ⁶ .

While the books Su Jingmo had read had illustrations of their appearances, when he entered the Hall, with the exception of Ox-Head and Horse-Face ⁷ , as well the White and Black Ghost Messengers, the rest didn’t match up with their corresponding descriptions in the books….

‘ It seems that the person who wrote the miscellaneous books didn’t really understand the Underworld either…. ’

After scanning the people all around, it could be said that those books got one thing right: In the Hall of Yama, there were both female and male deities as well as ghosts, but they all had eerie appearances. However, when Su Jingmo looked at the person sitting in the highest position, with his dark face and solemn expression, looking righteously upright, he couldn’t help, but smile. ‘ Isn’t this the so-famous Bao Zheng of the late Song Dynasty? ’

Upon seeing Su Jingmo smiling so openly before him, King Yama frowned, slammed the table and angrily said: “Although you were an Emperor in your previous life, now that you’ve ended up in the Underworld, you’re nothing, but an ordinary soul. You don’t have any standing to laugh and disrespect the Court!”

“Emperor?” Su Jingmo looked up at the King of Hell’s throne and retorted: “If you know I’m an Emperor, then do you even know which Emperor I am? When I was born, when I died, and most importantly, why did I die?”

“Well…..” The King of Hell looked at the Magistrate next to him, only to see him shake his head. At that moment, the King of Hell realized that the Magistrate had found no record of this Emperor in the Book of Life and Death ⁸ .

The King of Hell’s hesitation was naturally noticed by Su Jingmo, who coldly snorted: “Don’t even bother looking. I’m afraid my name will not appear in the Book of Life and Death.”

“Please, explain yourself.” The thin Magistrate touched his goatee and asked in confusion.

“Explain?” Su Jingmo smiled: “It is me who should be asking you for an explanation.”

The King of Hell was able to see the life and death of all the people in the world, thus naturally, he was also able to see that the ghost in front of him had been dead for 1612 years. However….

‘ Forget it. This is an Emperor of the Mortal World, and no matter what Dynasty he’s from, he should have landed in the Underworld and reincarnated a long time ago. But why is this one…? How is it that this ghost hasn’t been seen in thousands of years, and has only appeared in a crack between the Underworld no more than half a year ago? ’

“You don’t know? Then let me tell you.” Su Jingmo’s expression turned cold. With great steps, Su Jingmo approached the throne of the King of Hell, stared at him, and said resolutely: “I am the fourth Emperor of the Great Xu Dynasty —- Su Jingmo! I was born in the Tenth Lunar Month of the year Yi-Si ⁹ , and died in the Tenth Lunar Month of the year Jia-Xu ¹⁰ , at the age of 29. As to how and why I died, I suggest you ask those Heavenly Immortals in the Heavens!”

“That’s 1600 years ago! It’s much older than those of us present here….” Although Lord Yama knew this was a particularly strange matter, he nevertheless said: “But there has never been a Dynasty known as Xu in this world!”

“Never? 1600 years ago, I’m afraid you, Lord Yama, were still at….” Su Jingmo suddenly stopped himself and laughed. “Oh no, my apologies. I forgot that the Northern Song Dynasty appeared 500 years after the Great Xu Dynasty. So how can you know about a past you haven’t lived in?”

“Even if I haven’t lived in that era, history is never wrong!”

“It’s never wrong? Hahahahahahahahaha.” Su Jingmo burst out laughing out loud. “You have been a deity for no more than a thousand years, and yet you’re still unable to see through the Heavenly Immortals? The life and death of Mortals is drawn by you in the Book of Life and Death, while their marriages are determined by the red thread of fate at Yue Lao ¹¹ ‘s pleasure. What else can you not decide?”

“All of that is the Will of Heaven!”

“If it really is the Will of Heaven, then how can you explain me being here now, in front of you?” Su Jingmo solemnly said. “I will only ask you one thing. Do you happen to know about the incident that took place the moment the Taowu’s Bones fell from the Heavens to the Mortal World?”

“What?!” Not only Lord Yama, but everyone in the Hall was astonished.

‘ The Taowu’s Bone? When did it fall to the Mortal World? ’

“Oh, I’m afraid this is unknown to you.” Su Jingmo sneered. “Hmm, but I heard there was a previous Lord Yama, perhaps you can go ask him.”

The King of Hell, sitting on his throne, nodded after a long pause. ‘ The previous Lord Yama was in charge for almost 3000 years, so maybe he knows. ’

However, after Lord Yama left to find his predecessor, a month had passed. In all this time, Su Jingmo had yet to see the King of Hell again, but instead, he was reunited with that one person he had been thinking about and missing all along.

On this day, Su Jingmo was extremely bored, so he made the little Ghost Official accompany him through the Underworld.

As he heard the stories told by the little Ghost Official, Su Jingmo slowly walked at a leisurely pace.

There wasn’t really much of a scenery to observe in the Underworld, as it could be said that it looked scary and dark wherever he went. However, the stories of human experiences and tales about the Underworld were interesting.

“Who would wait more than a hundred years on the Naihe Bridge ¹² ? I’ve been here for three hundred years and I haven’t seen anyone waiting for more than a year.” The little Ghost Official shook his head. “Those who said they would wait for their loved ones at the Naihe Bridge forgot their vows as soon as they saw this dark and terrifying place.”

Su Jingmo looked towards the crowded Naihe Bridge and nodded. In the book Su Jingmo read, it was written: Those ghosts who enter the cycle of reincarnation must walk a dark path for about ten miles until they reach a narrow water channel only a few feet wide, flowing Southwest. This is known as the ‘River of Forgetfulness’. Since this river flows only in the Underworld, its water is purely made of blood, emanating a putrid stench that is unbearable to smell. As there is a bridge over the river, it is known as the ‘Naihe Bridge’.

The Naihe Bridge in front of Su Jingmo appeared to be dangerously narrow and also terribly slippery. Above the bridge, one could see that it was guarded by the Day Wanderer Deity and the Night Wanderer Deity ¹³ , while when looking down, one could see the bloody river brimming with insects as well as poisonous snakes.

If one wasn’t careful and ended up being accidentally pushed by the overcrowded multitude, there would be no way to recover…..

“If someone were to wait for even a year on that bridge, it could be considered as deep and sincere love.”

“Hehe, indeed. I heard from my predecessors, who have worked for thousands of years, that those who can wait for a year or two are profoundly infatuated. However, there have actually been people in the Underworld who have waited for up to over 100 years.”

“Oh? There have been people like that?”

“That’s right! I also heard from my predecessors that it seems that over 1000 years ago, a young Scholar waited here for 120 years.”

“120 years? Did he just hang around waiting for someone?”

The little Ghost Messenger shook his head: “No, he didn’t really wait. I heard that the previous Meng Po felt sorry for him, so she had someone serve him Meng Po’s soup and thus let him reincarnate. However, it is said that after that, in all his following lives, that person waited at the Naihe Bridge for 10 years before getting reincarnated. Ah, but when asked who he’s waiting for, he doesn’t even know who it is.”

“Who is he?” Su Jingmo wasn’t particularly interested in other people’s love stories, and feeling certainly bored, he looked around. All he could see, however, were Ghosts slowly walking around, hence nothing really interesting to look at.

In front of the Naihe Bridge, there was a bustling crowd that was eager to cross the river, and over there, Su Jingmo inadvertently caught a vague glimpse of a figure moving against the direction the crowd was walking, desperately trying to get away from the bridge. However, as soon as he took a few steps, the crowd pushed him back, forcing him to move closer and closer to the bridge…..

Su Jingmo at first felt amused by seeing him, wondering: ‘ Who would be so stubborn? ’

However, the moment Su Jingmo was finally able to see that person’s face, his smile dropped.

Short hair, strange clothes, standing out against the crowd due to his height, and with a familiar pair of glasses hanging from the bridge of his nose….

Su Jingmo felt his heart clench, and without even thinking, he ran towards that person.

For the first time, Su Jingmo lost his composure in front of a crowd of people. By using his ghostly qi to push the Ghosts out of his way, he loudly shouted: “Qin Cheng!!!”

“Ah, I don’t know who he is. I only heard that his surname is ‘Qin’.”

However, as soon as the little Ghost Official said this and turned around, he realized that the Emperor was no longer at his side….

TRANSLATOR’S NOTE:

ASDFGHJKLKJH AHHHH THIS ENTIRE CHAPTER IS SOOOO…. IIIIII

Su Jingmo seeing his night with QC, then seeing that it was indeed Qin Cheng the last person he saw before dying (remember that the entire reason why Su Jingmo didn’t kill Qin Cheng that time early in the story, was because Qin Cheng calling his out name as he died made Su Jingmo remember the person he last saw before dying, so he gave him a chance by saving his life with that pill that then made Qin Cheng sleep like a dead-living person).

fgahjkskalsakj Su Jingmo roasting the entire underworld court is so on character for him like “You all are younger than me, you could be my great grandsons! Treat me with the respect I deserve” sjsjsj

And that last bit !!! With Su Jingmo finally losing composure and running for Qin Cheng as he screamed his name aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa my heart can’t take this anymorrrre

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Ko-fi Goal for Extra Chapters~~ ヽ(*・ω・)ﾉ

Footnotes

<ol><b>兩世分明見，餘生復幾哉</b> <b>liǎng shì fēn míng jiàn, yú shēng fù jǐ zāi</b> ; From the poem <b>《祇园寺》</b> by ( <b>綦毋潛</b> <b>qí wú qián</b> ) Qi Wuqian from the Tang Dynasty [618-907]. <b>十大阴帅</b> <b>shí dà yīn shuài</b> ; In Chinese mythology and Taoist beliefs, the Ten Great Generals of the Underworld are powerful and formidable deities who serve under the ruler of the Underworld, King Yama. They’re responsible for maintaining order, carrying out punishments, and overseeing various aspects of the afterlife. <b>六案功曹</b> <b>liù àn gōng cáo</b> ; In Chinese mythology and Taoist beliefs, these six Officials are responsible for registering and recording the deeds of the deceased during their lives, as well as assisting the King of Hell (Yama) in judging and determining the fate of souls in the afterlife. These officials play a crucial role in the process of reincarnation and retribution in the Underworld. <b>七十五司</b> <b>qī shí wǔ sī</b> ; In Chinese mythology and Taoist beliefs, it refers to the Seventy-Five Divisions (under a Ministry) of the Underworld. These are various administrative divisions in the realm of the dead, responsible for managing different aspects of the afterlife and the souls of the deceased. The Seventy-Five Divisions are led by the Ten Great Generals, and each division has its specific functions and duties, which work together to maintain order and ensure that souls are judged, punished, and reincarnated according to their deeds in their past lives. <b>四大判官</b> <b>sì dà pàn guān</b> ; In Chinese mythology and folklore, The Four Great Magistrates are a group of four high-ranking deities or spirits who serve under the King of Hell (Yama). These Four Great Magistrates are responsible for conducting judgments and decisions on the souls of the deceased based on their past deeds and actions in life. <b>孟婆</b> <b>mèng pó</b> ; Meng Po is the Goddess of Forgetfulness in Chinese mythology, who serves soup on the “Bridge of Forgetfulness”, also known as the “Naihe Bridge”. This soup wipes the memory of the person so they can reincarnate into the next life without the burdens of their previous life. <b>牛头马面</b> <b>niú tóu mǎ miàn</b> ; In Chinese mythology and folklore, they’re two mythical creatures that serve as guardians or executioners in the Underworld, under the jurisdiction of Lord Yama. Ox-Head has the head of an ox, typically depicted as being strong and fierce. He’s responsible for interrogating and punishing the souls of the deceased, especially those who have committed serious crimes and sins during their lifetime. Horse-Face has the face of a horse and is often portrayed as more compassionate and gentle compared to Ox-Head. He’s responsible for guiding and leading the souls of the deceased to the Underworld, helping them transition into the afterlife. He’s believed to have a more merciful, understanding nature, offering comfort and guidance to the souls on their journey. <b>生死簿</b> <b>shēng sǐ bù</b> ; In Chinese mythology and folklore, it’s a sacred and mystical book said to be kept by the “Magistrate of Life and Death” in the Underworld. This book contains the records of the destiny of every living being, including their birth, life and death. When a person is born, their name is inscribed in the Book of Life ( <b>生簿</b> <b>shēng bù</b> ), and the Magistrate determines the duration of their life. When the time comes for a person to leave the Mortal World, the Magistrate will consult the Book of Life and Death to determine their fate. If a person has accumulated enough good deeds and merits, their name will remain in the Book of Life, where they will be granted a longer life or a more favorable next life. On the other hand, if a person has committed many bad deeds and sins, their name may be transferred to the Book of Death ( <b>死簿</b> <b>sǐ bù</b> ), leading to a shorter life or unfavorable circumstances in their next life. The concept of the Book of Life and Death is often associated with fate, karma and the belief that one’s actions in life will affect one’s destiny in their next lives. <b>乙巳年</b> <b>yǐ sì nián</b> ; It refers to the year of the Chinese zodiac calendar associated with the Stem-Branch system. In this system, each year is represented by a combination of one of the ten Heavenly Stems ( <b>甲</b> , <b>乙</b> , <b>丙</b> , <b>丁</b> , <b>戊</b> , <b>己</b> , <b>庚</b> , <b>辛</b> , <b>壬</b> , <b>癸</b> ) and one of the twelve Earthly Branches ( <b>子</b> , <b>丑</b> , <b>寅</b> , <b>卯</b> , <b>辰</b> , <b>巳</b> , <b>午</b> , <b>未</b> , <b>申</b> , <b>酉</b> , <b>戌</b> , <b>亥</b> ). <b>乙</b> <b>yǐ</b> is the second Heavenly Stem, and <b>巳</b> <b>sì</b> is the sixth Earthly Branch. When these two are combined, it forms the year 乙巳年. The cycle of the Chinese zodiac repeats every 60 years, with each combination occurring once within the cycle. <b>甲戌年</b> <b>jiǎ xū nián</b> ; <b>甲</b> <b>jiǎ</b> is the first Heavenly Stem, and <b>戌</b> <b>xū</b> is the eleventh Earthly Branch. I can’t really calculate an exact year, but 1612 years ago from the novel point (2015) should be around 403 AD. <b>月老</b> <b>yuè lǎo</b> ; The God of Marriage. Also known as the ‘Old Man Under the Moon’ ( <b>月下老人</b> <b>yuè xià lǎo rén</b> ). 奈何桥 nài hé qiáo ; The Naihe Bridge is the entrance of the Underworld in Taoism and Chinese folk beliefs, but it’s also the place where the ghosts that have entered the Underworld must pass after their journey through the Ten Temples of Yama (the King of Hell) when they are ready to reincarnate and return to the world of the living. It’s said that this bridge is named like this because there’s a river in hell named ‘Naihe’ (also known as the River of Forgetfulness). <b>日夜游神</b> <b>rì yè yóu shén</b> ; The Day and Night Wanderer Deities were originally malevolent spirits roaming around, but later evolved into subordinates of Underworld Deities such as: Dongyue Emperor, King Yama, and the City God. Both the Day and Night Wanderer Deities oversee all the good and evil in the Human World during the day and night.</ol>