One person above Qing Huang Ting

Chapter 895 Cleansing the Underworld
Sun Wukong sized up Su He: "You're also one of Xiu Wu's subordinates, Brother Su He. You wouldn't be like that Taiyin God brother from before, quietly slipping away after the battle, would you?"

After a leisurely chat over drinks, Sun Wukong had intended to invite Taiyin Shen, who had been of great help in the battle against Doumu Yuanjun, to join him for a drink and to properly thank his brother for his assistance.

As a result, Sun Wukong raised his cup and scanned it with his golden eyes, only then did he discover it.

The Taiyin God appeared as silently as he had just appeared, and then disappeared just as silently.

The Taiyin God gained a lot from absorbing the primordial Yin Qi and was looking for a place to digest it. Moreover, it was born to love being alone and did not like to communicate with people. This time, it came out at the request of Hu Xiuwu.

Now that the mission was accomplished, the Taiyin Goddess quietly disappeared without a trace.

Su He said, "The Taiyin God is just like that. He doesn't like to talk to people, but the Taiyin God is kind and generous. He uses his Yin protection to protect all the Yin officials of Luofengtian and is also the pillar of Luofengtian."

"If He has offended you in any way, I apologize on His behalf."

Sun Wukong waved his hand: "What offense or not? We just owe him a cup of wine."

The far-sighted Erlang Shen was still concerned about official business: "Since Lord Su He will be a judge of the Underworld, I am curious about how Luo Fengtian will manage the Underworld."

A ruler chooses his ministers, and a minister chooses his ruler.

Erlang Shen chose to help Huaguo Mountain because he trusted Sun Wukong's judgment.

However, he still needs to figure out how Luo Fengtian will manage the Three Realms.

If one Jade Emperor and Laozi left, and a new Jade Emperor arrived.

Then everything Erlang Shen did would become a joke.

Previously, Erlang Shen had only seen the way Huaguo Mountain behaved from the perspective of the Heavenly Court. They did not exploit mortals too much. Some members, such as Zhu Simei, would even take her sister and a little golden crow to help the weak and uphold justice.

This was something Erlang Shen used to be most willing to do, but after joining the Heavenly Court, he was no longer able to do these things.

Because in the process of punishing evil immortals and demons, one will always encounter all kinds of colleagues, as well as figures such as Buddha, the Five Emperors, and Venus, who will come to plead for mercy.

Erlang Shen, of course, wouldn't give them any face. He did everything he was supposed to do, including killing those who deserved to be killed.

Then the Jade Emperor granted him the privilege of obeying orders but not summons. He seemed to no longer need to attend court in Heaven and could live a leisurely life, but in reality, he was deprived of the opportunity and status to obtain intelligence, and at the same time, he could no longer fulfill his duties as a judicial god.

The impartial and incorruptible judicial deities were confined to the mortal realm, and thus could no longer punish the wicked immortals.

The God of Justice still exists, but he only appears in the Heavenly Court when the Jade Emperor needs him.

This refers to the principle of obeying orders but not proclamations.
When the Jade Emperor issues a command, Erlang Shen must obey and send out troops. Normally, Erlang Shen does not need to report to the Heavenly Court.

The Jade Emperor used his nephew as a knife to cut down the disobedient immortals in Heaven.

However, it is clear that Erlang Shen has not yet realized this. He still believes that the Jade Emperor still has some familial pity for him, which is why he bestowed upon him the favor of "obeying orders but not summons." He also feels guilty towards the Jade Emperor for rebelling against the Heavenly Court.

Erlang Shen was not entirely certain that he had done something safe and correct.

Perhaps, when Erlang Shen asked Su He about Luo Fengtian's code of conduct at this moment, he was hoping that Su He, the judge of Luo Fengtian, could convince him.

Su He saw through Erlang Shen's thoughts and the Jade Emperor's intentions at a glance.

He is the incarnation of the spirit of the Dragon Pool in the Legend of Sword and Fairy: Nine Springs, and has witnessed the memories of an entire world, including officials, merchants, teachers, emperors, and soldiers.

Men, women, young and old, all the most private and sordid thoughts in the hearts of mortals from all walks of life will flow into the Dragon Pool of the Ninth Spring after death. Su He can be said to have experienced many vicissitudes and seen all kinds of situations in the world.

Su He was well aware of Erlang Shen's concerns, but he did not reveal the truth immediately, as Erlang Shen might not listen to his explanation.

Next, the power of Erlang Shen will be needed to cleanse the underworld.

Su He pretended nothing had happened and calmly said, "Luo Fengtian will not do anything unnecessary. We will reduce the power of the underworld and entrust more of the instinct of the Six Paths of Reincarnation."

"Especially the Judge's Pen and the Book of Life and Death in the Judge's hands, we will offer these two divine objects as sacrifices to the Underworld itself, leaving only a projection of the Book of Life and Death. From this day forward, no one will be able to alter the lifespan and fortune of mortals."

"The story of Sun Wukong must never be allowed to happen again."

Su He's last sentence was a double entendre.

One story tells of how Sun Wukong's soul was mistakenly taken by the Black and White Impermanence, who, instead of correcting the mistake, tried to cover it up by using Sun Wukong's soul as payment.

At the same time, it also refers to the incident where Sun Wukong, after causing havoc in the underworld, used the Book of Life and Death in the underworld to change the lifespan of the monkeys on Flower Fruit Mountain, which led to a great disaster.

Even the monkeys of Flower Fruit Mountain, without any talent or comprehension for cultivation, have gained a lifespan of a thousand years.

Nothing happened in the first century or the second century, but five hundred years later, and a thousand years later, the spirit of those monkeys was worn down by life, and they had little self-awareness left. Their bodies were aged by time and plagued by all kinds of diseases, but they were still alive, living a life worse than death, which became a curse of longevity.

Sun Wukong felt a little itchy, and unusually embarrassed, he took a sip of wine and muttered:

"Why are you bringing up old grievances again? I already know I was wrong."

The atmosphere at the party immediately became cheerful, with Marshal Tianpeng (Pigsy) leading the laughter and mocking Sun Wukong for the mistakes he had made.

As a result, Sun Wukong held him down and "punished" him, forcing him to drink heavily and blowing on his head, turning his head back into a pig's head.

Pigsy was naturally unconvinced and immediately started fighting with Monkey.

The two lively characters eased the tension, and even the chosen one, Sun Xunyin, and Erlang Shen, Yang Jian, couldn't help but smile.

Only Su He remained calm and continued to tell Erlang Shen about Luo Fengtian's plan:

"Next, Liu Kunsheng, the Northern Ghost Emperor of Luo Fengtian, will bring his immortals to the Underworld to help me cleanse the corrupt officials, city foxes, and village rats in the Underworld."

The underworld in the Black Myth universe, perhaps because it is too close to the mortal world, has also been tainted by the bad habits of the mortal world.

The judge takes money but does nothing; having connections makes things easier.

It's difficult to see Yama, the King of Hell, who claims lives, and the underworld officials, though powerless, are still troublesome.

The judges of the Judges' Hall, relying on their power, have formed a network of interests with some sects in the mortal realm. The cultivation sects in the mortal realm supply the judges with spiritual essence and treasures from the mortal world, while the judges, in turn, grant elders of the cultivation sects or second-generation descendants who have died unintentionally a good chance of reincarnation.

Some sect elders with whom one has a close relationship will even be assigned to the underworld system, becoming minor officials or bank managers.

Many newly appointed minor officials in the Judge's Hall have come to the underworld in this way. Those who have accumulated countless merits and performed good deeds in their previous lives have become a minority in the Judge's Hall and have become objects of exclusion.

They only get to do some menial or leisurely jobs, like assisting Meng Po in organizing the Book of Life and Death.

The underworld, which should have been orderly and clearly divided into yin and yang, has become a chaotic mess, making it a place of disorder and filth.

Death has lost its last vestige of fairness.