Waiting for you online - - - Chapter 16

Chapter 16

After returning to the underworld, Xie Bi An seemed to look uneasy.

Fan Wu She

glanced at him: “I’m the one who said I wanted to go. I’m also the one who

fought with Song Chun Gui. I will explain to master.”

“You don’t need to worry about this matter. I will explain it to master.” Xie Bi An frowned and said, “I’m actually not worried about getting reprimanded by master. I’m just worried whether our fight in Fumenghui will affect Wuliang Sect’s core theft investigation.”

“No, they’re mostly looking in the wrong place.”

“How come?”

“The behaviour of that core thief is out of the ordinary, I don’t think Meng Ke Fei’s golden core will be traded, at least not in Fumenghui.”

“Oh? Continue on.”

Fan Wu She analysed: “There are only 3 motives for digging Meng Ke Fei’s golden core. First, wanting the core of a high-ranking cultivator. Second, someone offered a reward. Third, having a grudge against him. And within these motives, it is necessary to consider, taking such a high risk to take his core, is it premeditated, or not premeditated? If it is premeditated, why not wait for him to go out on a trip to do it. The sky and land are so big, destroying the body after killing him, probably no one will notice it forever. Therefore, I think, no matter what the motive the thief has, Meng Ke Fei’s death is not premeditated.”

Xie Bi An nodded: “You have a point ah. Hey, why didn’t you tell master yesterday?”

Fan Wu She said indifferently, “What does his death have to do with me, I only saw you being meticulous so…”

Xie Bi An disagreed and interrupted him: “Don’t say it like this. As a cultivator, one should have a compassionate heart. Moreover, everyone will punish core thieves. The earlier we help Wuliang Sect find the murderer, the lesser the victims.”

“Yeah.”

“In that case, Meng Ke Fei’s death is likely to be beyond premeditation. The three motives you mentioned, I think most likely it’s killing for revenge. No one in Fumenghui offered a reward for Meng Ke Fei’s golden core, and if it’s just for the core of a high-ranking cultivator, Li Bu Yu’s senior nephew is the one who should not be touched the most.”

“Right, so I guess, Meng Ke Fei died of a personal grudge. The two were fighting under a disagreement, the opponent dug up his core, framed the core stealing demonic cultivator. Wuliang Sect may have thought of this and probably also investigated those people who have a problem with Meng Ke Fei. To investigate Fumenghui, maybe it is a deliberate show of strength as a warning, maybe it does not want to have fugitives.”

“If it is a personal grudge, perhaps it’s better to investigate.”

“If it is a personal grudge.” Fan Wu She coldly snorted, “Most likely it’s Wuliang Sect’s internal conflict. Doing it in their own territory is a very good evidence.”

Xie Bi An drew a breath. The more you think about this line of thought, the more reasonable it becomes.

“Maybe they have long found out who did it and they’re just hiding the truth for the sake of saving face, pretending to search around, this double-cross Wuliang Sect…” Fan Wu She saw Xie Bi An’s surprised expression before realizing that his tongue slipped.

Xie Bi An blinked his eyes: “Did junior brother heard of any rumours regarding Wuliang Sect?”

“I used to work in a wine shop and heard

some rumours.”

“As the leading immortal league, Wuliang Sect inevitably offends people, plus they have millions of disciples, and there is no guarantee that everyone is righteous. In places like wine shop, there is a lot of unorthodox talks. You have to be careful about what you say without evidence.” Xie Bi An sighed, “It’s just that we have offended Song Chun Gui. If we go to Yunding with our master, it’s really a bit embarrassing.”

“He started it first. The two of us combined are not as big as him, he’s the one who should be ashamed.”

“Having said that…”

When the two of them are talking, they walked through the Huangquan Road. A group of huge willow trees appeared in front of them. They assumed “group” is because the mother root of this tree is several-people-hug* thick, and its aerial roots hanging down, drilling into the ground, growing subtrees, and the subtrees grew more subtrees with twisted roots and intertwined joints. Finally achieved an endless willow forest. If you are not familiar with it, you may even lose your way. When you look at its roots, they are black and red, like dried blood.

A gust of wind passed through the forest, hundreds of millions of stems and leaves hounding and rustling, sounding like a ghost cry.

This tree is called ghost willow. It is rumoured that it lives with the sky, the same as the earth.

After passing the Yin-Yang Monument, it is considered passing the Ghost Gate. After walking through Huangquan Road, the end is this ghost willow forest. Only passing through the ghost willow forest can they reach the underworld.

Xie Bi An is familiar with this willow forest, but at this time he stopped in his tracks and looked up at a blinding red between the shadows of the miserable green trees.

That red is a red robe.

Fan Wu She narrowed his eyes and looked at the person, no, the ghost in the tree.

“Impermanence.” The person in the tree gave a light laugh, “Went to play in the mortal realm again?”

Xie Bi An’s expression became restrained, “Red King.”

The man in

red flew down from the high willow tree. The silk dances, the clothes flowed in the wind, indistinct like

a butterfly playing in the forest. The scene is picturesque, but it makes

people shudder.

The man in red is a slender man with a white face like paper, only his thin lips a little red. He looks ravishing to the extreme, like a blooming flower, so beautiful like seducing the soul.

He is the first of the ten underworld generals – the king of all kings – the red-robed ghost king Jiang Qu Lian.

“This is the new disciple accepted by Heaven Master?” Jiang Qu Lian walked step by step to Fan Wu She. His steps were silent. He gently wrinkled his nose, “Mmm, the smell of a youthful child, it must be delicious.” He was talking about Fan Wu She, but his eyes looked askance at Xie Bi An.

Xie Bi An stepped between Fan Wu She and Jiang Qu Lian, “Red King, this is my junior brother, Fan Wu She, Wu She, meet Red King.”

Fan Wu She looked coldly at Jiang Qu Lian.

Jiang Qu Lian smiled: “This temperament, so similar to Heaven Master, no wonder the Heaven Master recognize his worth.”

“Red King, we still have things to do back in Heaven Master Palace, so…”

“You ah.” Jiang Qu Lian winked at Xie Bi An, “I grew up watching you. If I really want to eat you, will Heaven Master watch out? Why are you still so afraid of me.”

Xie Bi An said, “You and I were appointed by the emperor as generals of the underworld. I’m not afraid of you, but my brother is young and new to the Underworld, so I hope the Red King won’t tease him.”

Jiang Qu Lian snickered: “Back then, you were just a doll in crotch pants. Now you dare to say that you have been ordained with me.”

Xie Bi An was a little ashamed: “Red King, please don’t make fun of me anymore.”

“Sometimes I really think that your master should be that old fashioned official Lord Cui, who is always so nervous when he sees me. I just came to ask you for some good tea and wine.”

“Tomorrow I will send it to the Red King’s residence.”

Fan Wu She’s face is already unsightly, was just about to open his mouth, Xie Bi An caught his shoulders: “Wu She, let’s go.”

Jiang Qu Lian looked at the two men’s backs, his eyes brightening and darkening, and he suddenly called out lazily, “Bi An.”

Xie Bi An stopped, but did not turn around.

”

Say hello to the Heaven Master

for me.”

“…Many thanks to Red King.”

It was not until the two of them walked out of the ghost willow that Xie Bi An relaxed.

Fan Wu She was displeased and said, “You are so afraid of him?”

“Do you know who he is.”

“A ghost.”

“He is the Ghost King.” Xie Bi An took a deep breath, “Not just any ghost king, but the king of all kings, the king of all ghost kings.”

Fan Wu She said “Oh” without a ripple.

The Emperor Beiyin ruled the ghost world, under which there are five ghost emperors respectively, guarding the north, south, east, west and central Jiuyou to prevent the two realms from offending each other. But the five ghost emperors do not participate in the affairs of the underworld. The underworld has ten halls of Yanluo, who oversee all the pivotal affairs of the ghost world, mainly rewarding and punishing through trials. And there are civil and military judges. The civil judge possesses the life and death book and judge brush, adding or subtracting the lifespan of the livings, base on good and evil deeds. The military judge possesses the battle power of the town hall, the great general of preserve success. These are the ten underworld generals.

These ten underworld generals have different duties. Day and night patrols are responsible for inspecting the mortal realm. Impermanence is responsible for harvesting human souls. The ox’s head and horse face are responsible for managing the recovered souls. The leopard’s tail, the bird’s mouth, the fish gills and the wasp are responsible for collecting the souls of animals, and the ghost king, the head of the underworld generals, is responsible for the punishment in hell.

Under each of the generals, there are many subordinates. In the eighteen levels of hell, there are eighteen ghost kings, who bring the little ghosts to punish those who atones their crimes in hell day and night, and the king of ghost kings is Jiang Qu Lian.

Xie Bi An said: “He’s a ghost born from the hungry ghost path, unlike official Lord Cui, who was ranked as a ghost immortal after his death because of his great merits and virtues when he’s alive. Those who reincarnated in the hungry ghost path will still be a ghost despite reincarnation due to being evil when alive.”

Fan Wu She eyes were gloomy: “He harmed you before?”

“No…” Xie Bi An is a little embarrassed, “in fact, he instructed me to cultivate when I was a child, but I am still afraid of him ever since childhood. You have to eat a hundred people or a thousand ghosts to become a ghost king. That king of all kings, how many ghosts have been eaten? The emperor let him be the head of the underworld and manage hell because he was afraid he would go to earth to cause trouble. Fengdu barrier cannot stop him.”

“With me around in future, you don’t have to be afraid of him.”

Xie Bi An smiled: “With you around, I do have an extra companion in this underworld.”

“Are you really going to bring him tea tomorrow? Will you send Bo Zhu?”

“No, if Bo Zhu is afraid of him, then there is no little ghost who is not afraid of him. I’ll go by myself, in fact, he will not do anything to me, he abstains from master.”

“I’ll go on your behalf.”

“No, did you forget that you can’t be alone in the Underworld yet?”

“Then I will accompany you.”

“Fine.” Xie Bi An really did not want to face Jiang Qu Lian alone.

“What evil did he do in his life to be reborn in the hungry ghost path?”

The six paths of reincarnation: the hungry ghost path, the animal path and the hell path are the lower three paths. Not ordinary evil will be reborn in these three paths.

Xie Bi An shook his head: “I remember I asked him when I was a child, he said he did not know, I asked him why he did not go to the three life stones to see, he said he did not want to know.”

Fan Wu She’s pupils sank: “What about you, why didn’t you go to the three life stone to see your past lives? Aren’t you curious?”

“I’ve been there.”

Fan Wu She’s breath stalled.

Xie Bi An lowered his voice: “The three life stones can only be seen before drinking Mengpo soup, you can’t simply just look at it. Don’t you mention it to others. I went there secretly.”

“What did you see?” Did you see the sins you committed in your previous life?!

“I didn’t see anything.” Xie Bi An said disappointedly.

“…How come?”

“I asked official Lord Cui before, of course I did not dare to say that I went to see, or I would certainly be scolded by him. I did hear that there are also people who did not see anything on the three life stones, official Lord Cui said, the three life stones cannot show celestial beings. The one who is reborn in a heavenly way is God, God transcends beyond reincarnation, thus the three life stones naturally cannot display.”

“Why did you reincarnated into the underworld if you had already transcended the cycle of reincarnation?”

“Because that person is the Son of Heaven.” Xie Bi An smiled, “official Lord Cui said, the person who has an imperial destiny is a celestial being who has come down to earth to experience the calamities. Since he has been reborn in the heavenly realm before and has come to earth to be a human emperor, and after death, if his merits and virtues are satisfactory, he will be able to return to the heavenly realm and ascend to the nine heavens, and vice versa, he will fall into the human realm and suffer from reincarnation, so I mostly do not know which life I have been a human emperor.”

Fan Wu She stared at Xie Bi An, blood vessels creeping into his eyes.

However, Xie Bi An did not notice how terrible Fan Wu She looked at this moment, and also mocked himself, “Unfortunately, I probably became an incapable ruler, so I cannot return to heaven, and have to enter the reincarnation to atone for my sins.”

Fan Wu She tightened both fists, turned his head and walked away.

“Hey, junior brother, do you want to eat wontons tomorrow morning?”

several-people-hug*[数人合抱]—To measure a huge tree

circumference, we can get a bunch of people to hold hands and surround the

tree. When I went to Sichuan last time, I saw a few thousand years old tree and

the tour guide asked us to do that. At that time there were about 9 of us, we

didn’t manage to surround it with 9 people xD