A master of comedy!

"Wei Pan, what is the magic of this play 'Exploring Yin Mountain' that would make you come all this way in person?"

Zhou Sheng had realized that Wei Pan's real purpose in coming to see him was to discuss the Yin Mountain expedition, and that the Night Wanderer was just mentioned in passing.

He seized the opportunity and boldly inquired, hoping to dispel some of the fog and learn more about this forbidden play.

"It seems Yu Zhensheng didn't tell you the secret of this play."

After a pause, Wei Pan continued, "This play was not actually created by your master. Yu Zhensheng learned it from someone else."

Who is that person?

Wei Pan's eyes flashed like lightning, and his voice was like metal as he uttered a name that greatly surprised Zhou Sheng.

"King Yama, Bao Zheng."

"A play personally taught by Bao Gong?"

Wei Zheng said in a deep voice, "I suppose you have already noticed during your trip to the underworld that the current King Yama is no longer the Bao Zheng of yesteryear."

Zhou Sheng nodded. Legend has it that all ten Kings of Hell were of noble character and hated evil. But this time, during the Ghost Festival play, only one King of Hell remained, and he was no longer the Bao Gong of yesteryear.

"I've heard that gods and Buddhas gradually disappeared after Huang Chao. Could it be that Bao Zheng was the same?"

Zhou Sheng continued to press, for the man before him had lived through the reign of Emperor Zhenguan, and Huang Chao was more than two hundred years younger than him.

While countless gods and Buddhas have vanished, He remains, holding the reins of the Underworld's Law Division, and must know many secrets.

Sure enough, Wei Zheng sighed softly upon hearing this question.

"You've heard correctly. Indeed, since Huang Chao, the gods and Buddhas of Heaven and Mount Ling have disappeared one after another. In recent years, even my Underworld has been affected. First, the Emperor of Fengdu disappeared, followed by the Nine Kings of Hell, Judge Cui, and Judge Zhong..."

He paused, then gave a self-deprecating laugh.

"Perhaps one day, I, Wei Zheng, will also disappear."

Zhou Sheng asked, puzzled, "What is the reason for all this?"

Wei Pan smiled bitterly and said, "I want to know the reason even more than you do, but perhaps I won't know the secret until the day I disappear."

Zhou Sheng was immediately disappointed. Did they not even know Wei Zheng?
"However, I can confirm that Bao Yanluo is not missing, but rather... murdered."

Zhou Sheng was startled and remained unsettled for a long time.

Bao Gong...was he murdered?

"At the level of Bao Yanluo, one's divine position is revered and one holds a portion of the power of the underworld. Even if one disappears, the power held by him remains. As long as he does not perish, no one after him can ever again touch that part of the power."

A look of realization flashed across Zhou Sheng's eyes.

So that's how it is. No wonder nine of the Ten Kings of Hell disappeared, and no one succeeded them to that position.

It's not that later generations don't want to, but that they can't.

They took away a portion of the underworld's authority when they disappeared, and as long as they do not perish, that authority will not return to heaven and earth.

This means that those gods and Buddhas who disappeared have not actually perished.

The King of Hell now wields the power once held by Judge Bao, the implications of which are self-evident.

"But He is, after all, the King of Hell, and still has a backup plan, which is 'Exploring the Underworld Mountain'."

Wei Zheng's words finally lifted some of the veil of mystery surrounding "Exploring the Underworld Mountain." "If you Yin Opera performers can enter the realm of oneness with the performer, you can see the deities you are portraying. However, these are all illusions, imprints left by the deities in the world, not their true forms."

“If you are lucky and talented, you may be able to learn a trick or two from the divine mark, but you will not be able to communicate with it. However, Yu Zhensheng, who was the most accomplished in Bao Gong opera back then, discovered that the Bao Gong illusion he saw could speak.”

"That play, 'Exploring the Underworld,' was passed down by Bao Zheng himself."

Zhou Sheng felt a chill run down his spine when he recalled that scene.

If the illusion had spoken, even the master would have thought he had gone mad.

"Later, your master performed this play and briefly regained the power that belonged to the King of Hell, transforming into the King of Hell himself, wanting to seek justice for Judge Bao!"

"But unfortunately, he still failed. Although he killed many corrupt spirits, he ultimately failed to reach the root of the problem and made a mistake before uncovering the true culprit..."

After listening to Wei Pan's account, Zhou Sheng finally had a clear understanding of what happened back then.

With a heart full of passion, Master risked the safety of the entire Zhao family troupe, wanting to seek justice for Bao Gong. He performed this play, "Exploring the Underworld," and forcibly seized the power that belonged to Yama.

That's why they were able to slaughter so many that the underworld was filled with blood and all the gods fell.

But the good times didn't last long. Due to a mistake, the play was ruined, the power disappeared, but Yama remained.

What Zhao's troupe faced was an overwhelming reprisal.

Although the master's life was spared, his golden core was extracted and his Achilles tendon was pulled out. He went from being a proud and arrogant master of Yin-Yang magic to a wandering barefoot doctor.

Wei Pan didn't say what the mistake was, but Zhou Sheng could imagine that it must be the scar his master was most reluctant to mention now.

This has been tormenting the old man for so many years.

No wonder his master had zero tolerance for his mistakes when teaching him to sing and practice; even the slightest error would be punished with a stick.

"When Judge Bao was alive, he redressed the grievances of countless people. Now that he is embroiled in this mess, how can I, Wei, turn a blind eye?"

"Moreover, this is not just about one person's injustice, but also about the stability of the entire underworld."

A trace of worry appeared between Wei Zheng's brows. Even a man as resolute and strong as him could not help but look solemn and optimistic when he thought about the current situation of the underworld.

"In the underworld today, demons and monsters rule, treacherous officials run rampant, jackals hold high positions, tigers and leopards lurk in the shadows, and righteous people are dwindling day by day. If this continues, the underworld will truly be doomed!"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Sheng raised his eyebrows.

He sensed something unusual about the underworld, but he never imagined it would reach such a serious level that Judge Wei was deeply worried and even uttered the shocking words, "It's all over."

"You may not know this, but the underworld is no longer complete. The former City of the Wrongfully Dead was ceded by Yama to the Crimson-Faced Bodhisattva, who is the one behind the Night Wanderer."

"That Crimson-faced Bodhisattva actually used her supernatural powers to take away the entire City of the Wrongfully Dead. Since then, no one knows where she went, and the whereabouts of the millions of souls in the city are also unknown."

As Wei Pan spoke, a flash of anger appeared in his eyes. He slammed his hand on the table, causing the tea to spill out.

"From ancient times to the present, for thousands of years, there has never been a precedent in the underworld for ceding territory and giving up a city. That so-called Bodhisattva, whose origins are unknown, seems compassionate, but is full of evil, and seems to be an old acquaintance of Yama..."

"That's not all. Later, they ceded Yinshan to the Ghost King and used the resources of the Underworld to build a palace for him. Now they've set their sights on Fengdu City."

Finally, he uttered a shocking statement.

"I think someone wants to sell the Underworld for a good price!" (End of Chapter)