Death Knocks on Hell’s Door Chapter 3

Chapter 3 Yanluo

Li Dongqiang, his limbs bound by chains, followed the Black and White Impermanence in a daze. After walking for about a dozen steps, the surroundings suddenly changed. The road beneath his feet transformed into a winding, desolate patch of dirt, and above him, the words “Ghost Gate” loomed in large characters.

On both sides of the road, vast fields of red spider lilies bloomed, their blood-red petals almost dripping like blood. Among the flowers stood a stubborn rock, on which the words “Yellow Springs Road” were written in vermilion ink.

Xie Bian and Fan Wujiu were leading Li Dongqiang along the Yellow Springs Road when they encountered another pair of impermanence ghosts halfway. Dressed identically in black and white, wielding chains, and adorned with official hats that bore no inscriptions, they were indistinguishable from Xie Bian and Fan Wujiu in every way except for the countless souls strung up on their soul-binding chains. The sheer number of these souls made Li Dongqiang, who was the only soul in their group, appear rather pitiful in comparison.

Upon seeing them, the second pair of impermanence ghosts hurriedly bowed respectfully to one side to make way. “Seventh Master, Eighth Master, please go ahead.” Meanwhile, they secretly observed Li Dongqiang’s soul, wondering if this unimpressive-looking man was, in fact, some hidden big shot. How fortunate he must be to have the Seventh and Eighth Masters personally escorting his soul.

It was well known that the Black and White Impermanence were responsible for guiding the souls of the dead into the underworld. But if one gave it some thought, it became clear that, in a vast country with billions of people, countless souls were born every moment. With only the two Impermanence Immortals, if they were the only ones doing the work, the souls would likely have to wait for centuries before entering the Ghost Gate. They simply wouldn’t be able to keep up.

King Yan wasn’t a ruthless boss who exploited his subordinates. He would not be so cruel as to assign such a massive and arduous task solely to them. So, with a wave of his hand, he issued a recruitment for impermanence ghosts. Any ghost who had died unjustly and was unable to reincarnate due to resentment, or any wandering ghost with no chance of reincarnation, or any ghost with minor sins needing to stay in the underworld for atonement, could apply for the position. The ghosts could earn merit to eliminate their sins, resolve their resentment, and accumulate virtue. Once they had accumulated enough merit, they could step down from their temporary impermanence role and be granted the opportunity to reincarnate. The job itself was simple. They would wear a set of mass-produced impermanence uniforms, carry a batch-printed Book of Life and Death, and wield a cheap soul-binding chain. Once equipped, they could begin the work, which mainly involved guiding the souls in their assigned area.

In truth, King Yan was quite the business genius. This move not only alleviated the pressure on the underworld’s resources, but also allowed for the recruitment of many workers without any financial expenditure. The little ghosts, who were grateful for the chance to reincarnate, worked tirelessly. It was a win-win situation for everyone.

It was naturally impossible to stand on equal footing with the true Black and White Impermanence. Impermanence ghosts could only be called “Impermanence Ghosts,” while only Xie Bian and Fan Wujiu could be referred to as “Impermanence Immortals.” They were true immortals, ranked among the celestial beings, and wherever they went, they were always respected. Even so, the conditions and position were enough to make ordinary little ghosts eager to apply.

As soon as this recruitment announcement came out, it became extremely popular, and numerous job-seeking ghosts fought tooth and nail to submit their resumes. Subsequently, impermanence ghosts were assigned throughout China, greatly reducing the workload of the Black and White Impermanence.

Not only did it reduce their workload, but Xie Bian and Fan Wujiu were practically left with nothing to do. They could do nothing all day and still receive a fixed annual salary of a million underwood coins, becoming highly envied civil servants in the underworld by other ghosts.

Of course, they were not entirely idle. Some souls, who were heroes during their lifetime, possessed great fortune, and had accumulated significant merit. Out of respect, they were personally escorted by the Black and White Impermanence. There were also some ghosts, driven by intense vengeance and possessing formidable power, that proved too much for the impermanence ghosts to handle. These were ultimately apprehended by the Black and White Impermanence themselves.

This was why the two impermanence ghosts guessed that Li Dongqiang might be someone extraordinary. After all, ordinary people did not have the honor of being bound by the chains of the Impermanence Immortals.

In reality, Li Dongqiang did not have such qualifications.

He was merely a temporary excuse that Bai Wuchang created to hide his true intention. Xie Bian was naturally introverted, so how could he admit that he had simply come to the bar because he missed his brother? Li Dongqiang, a man on the brink of death, just happened to be a ready-made excuse.

Fan Wujiu also knew what kind of person Li Dongqiang was. He did not believe Xie Bian’s claim of specifically coming to the bar to capture this soul. But he had no intention of probing further because, if he did, he might be asked why he had come to the bar as well.

Hei Wuchang had his own secret, too. His secret was that he had fallen in love with his brother. He had kept this feeling hidden in his heart for years, afraid to speak of it for fear of being too abrupt. The only thing he could do was come to the bar to drink and ease his troubled mind.

Both of them had unspeakable secrets, so neither of them cared whether Li Dongqiang had the qualifications to have his soul captured by them.

Li Dongqiang stumbled along, dazed and disoriented, unsure of how long he had been walking. Suddenly, he saw a towering, magnificent palace ahead, its plaque inscribed with the words “Yanluo Hall” in bold, powerful calligraphy. He jolted, feeling his legs go weak, almost dropping to his knees right there.

He had heard in legends that after death, one would be judged by the King of Hell in Yanluo Hall. Anyone who had done evil would be punished, and their misdeeds could even affect their next life. Li Dongqiang had committed many wrongs in his lifetime, and now he was terrified. Although he had always scoffed at stories of ghosts and gods, seeing the Black and White Impermanence and the Yellow Springs Road before him left him no choice but to believe.

To his surprise, the Black and White Impermanence didn’t take him inside to be judged. Instead, they passed right by the palace without a second glance.

Confused, Li Dongqiang gathered his courage and stammered, “Tw-two Great Ghost Officers, does this mean my sins aren’t that grave, and I don’t need to be punished?”

He still clung to a sliver of hope. Although he had done some shady things, he hadn’t killed or set fires. Even though he had tried to do bad things in the past, he had never succeeded. There were so many truly wicked people in the world. Maybe the small things he had done wouldn’t even register in King Yan’s eyes……

Fan Wujiu sneered lightly, “Naive.”

Xie Bian spoke calmly, “King Yan is a busy ruler, not someone who has time to see every little person.”

The world was filled with countless souls, far more than the two Impermanence Immortals could handle on their own. Similarly, with so many souls, even one King Yan couldn’t possibly meet them all. Those who were granted an audience with King Yan were either exceptionally virtuous or outrageously wicked. The few who reached such extremes in virtue or vice were rare, while the vast majority were just ordinary souls.

As for how the ordinary souls were judged……

Li Dongqiang stared in shock as Fan Wujiu pulled out his phone, logged into the underworld’s Six Paths of Reincarnation system, and entered the soul’s identification number to check: “Number 648, Animal Realm.”

In these times, with humanity’s rapid technological advancements, the underworld naturally had to keep up with the times. The life stories of souls could now be accessed through a system. Based on their actions during their lifetime, the system would fairly assign a soul’s next life or decide if they would remain in the underworld to suffer.

“Animal? No, I don’t want to be an animal! I didn’t kill anyone or set fires, why should I become an animal?!” Li Dongqiang struggled violently, the chains rattling, tightening around him.

“Don’t want to be reincarnated as an animal?” Fan Wujiu raised an eyebrow. “Alright, there are eighteen levels of hell. Take your pick.”

Li Dongqiang: “……”

In that case, being an animal sounded like the better option.

The rest of the process went as the legends described — climbing the Home-Viewing Terrace, drinking Granny Meng’s soup, crossing the River of Forgetfulness, walking over the Bridge of Helplessness, and then falling into the Path of Reincarnation.

But when he saw Granny Meng’s soup, Li Dongqiang’s face twitched for a moment. Instead of Old Granny Meng, there was just a vending machine by the Bridge of Helplessness. One underworld coin would buy you a can of Granny Meng Soup, and after drinking it, you could cross the bridge. If you didn’t drink it, the evil spirits in the River of Forgetfulness would reach out and drag you in, turning you into a water ghost.

Actually , Granny Meng used to be by the bridge, and each soul would get a free bowl of soup. However, with the decline of morals and the changing times, Granny Meng had been summoned by King Yan to manage a bar in the human world. Her large pot was replaced by a vending machine, and now, it even cost one underworld coin.

As for how to earn underworld coins, that was up to the souls. Generally, they were sent by living relatives who burned offerings, but if there were none, there were plenty of ways to earn money in the underworld, which, like the human world, had its own order. Souls could also voluntarily give up their chance to reincarnate, but that would just mean one more villager in the Wild Ghost Village, which wasn’t necessarily a good destination. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be so many ghosts fighting tooth and nail to compete for the position of impermanence ghosts, just for a chance to reincarnate.

The Black and White Impermanence were only responsible for guiding souls, not for sending them into reincarnation. After delivering Li Dongqiang to the Home-Viewing Terrace, they left.

They didn’t return to the human world but directly entered the Yanluo Hall.

The Yanluo Hall was not as eerie and dim as people often imagined. Smoke curled from incense burners, and the room was elegant and graceful. Paintings and calligraphy adorned the walls, and vases held fresh flowers. It resembled a tranquil room of orchids and pines, like a hermit’s retreat.

A man dressed in luxurious robes sat upright at a desk, his dark hair flowing over his shoulders. The jewels dangling from his crown cast faint shadows over his clear, refined eyes, while his long, jade-like fingers gripped a wolf-hair brush, moving with steady, deliberate strokes as he wrote.

The written characters shimmered with a golden light, each one carrying the weight of karma.

The two immortals entered the hall and lowered their heads, bowing in respect. “Your Majesty.”

“What is it?” King Yan’s voice, deep yet commanding, came from beneath his crown.

Fan Wujiu said, “Your Majesty, I think this impermanence uniform is not very stylish. Can I request a new design?”

King Yan did not stop writing. “I remember saying that trivial matters need not be brought to my attention.”

Fan Wujiu replied, “I believe this is a big deal……” Since it was raised by Lao Bai, it was a big deal.

King Yan lowered his gaze. “Granted.”

“Really?” Fan Wujiu beamed with joy. “Then let’s switch our work clothes to black-and-white suits. That would make us look more like elites. Lao Bai, let’s go.”

The brush slipped in his hand, leaving an errant mark across the page, ruining almost a full page in the blink of an eye.

King Yan tore the page out, his expression unchanged as he crumpled it into a ball and tossed it into the trash can. “Not allowed!”

Fan Wujiu turned around, puzzled. “……Huh?”

Xie Bian said calmly, “You’ve touched His Majesty’s inverted scale.” [T/N: In Chinese mythology, the “inverted scale” (逆鳞) is a metaphorical term referring to the one scale on a dragon that grows in the opposite direction. Touching it is said to provoke the dragon’s wrath.]

Fan Wujiu: “???” What did I say? How did that touch his inverted scales?

King Yan stood and descended the steps, his long robes trailing behind him, exuding an air of extreme dignity. He lifted his head, revealing a face full of Eastern grace beneath the crown. His brows were slightly arched, his eyes slender and composed. Despite bearing the title of the King of Hell, he looked more like the serene Water-Moon Guanyin.

The rumors of the world were often far from reality. For example, it was said that Hei Wuchang was short and stocky, but Fan Wujiu was tall and handsome. Similarly, while mortals described the ugly as having the appearance of the King of Hell, the truth was that King Yan himself resembled a beautiful man who could make Wei Jie pale in comparison.

At that moment, King Yan spoke sternly, “Our great nation of China, with its rich history and civilization, has a vast array of traditional clothing. Why can’t that be considered elite? There are countless styles from the past five thousand years for you to choose from. In any case, you are absolutely forbidden from choosing a suit. Moreover, as an Eastern god, to have such a lack of cultural confidence, I shall punish you by copying the “Evolution of Chinese Clothing through the Dynasties” one thousand times.”

Fan Wujiu: “……”

Xie Bian facepalmed. “I knew it.”

After globalization, humans from all nations were able to communicate and travel abroad. The gods of various pantheons, unwilling to be left behind, began interacting with one another, making visits to foreign lands a common occurrence. In the collision and fusion of different cultures, the long-standing East-West rivalry continued, with gods from both sides striving to prove that their civilization was the most ancient and enduring.

And the King of Hell, indeed, was the leader of the Eastern faction.

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