Chapter 43

When Lu Kun woke up, he found himself being dragged forward by two people holding his arms. Although he was still a bit dazed, when he looked around, he was almost frightened out of his wits. What he saw was not a real human face; on the left was a person in white funeral attire, holding a white soul-guiding staff, with a fair complexion, while on the right was the exact opposite, a person in black attire, holding a black soul-guiding staff, with a dark complexion.

"You... you are..." Lu Kun, seeing the two people, was so frightened that he almost fainted.

"Hehehe! You, this wild ghost, are truly detestable, making my brother and I go through so much trouble. We are already at the netherworld, so why don't you hurry up?"

"My brother is right. We should quickly hand this ghost over to Judge Lu for review. After he decides the punishment, we can also have some fun!"

"You... you are really... the Black and White Impermanence, the soul-guiding messengers!?" After hearing their conversation, Lu Kun trembled like a sieve, his face turning purple.

The Black Impermanence lifted Lu Kun's collar, leaned close to his face, and asked sinisterly, "What, don't we look like it?"

Sss!

Lu Kun shivered from the cold wind blown by the Black Impermanence. He trembled in disbelief, "Impossible, this is impossible. I was clearly alive, how could I..."

"Alive? How did you die? You should still remember, right?"

"How did I die... how did I die..." Lu Kun, with a look of terror, kept muttering these words. Suddenly, his eyes widened in shock, "I was stabbed in the abdomen..."

"Hehehe..." After the White Impermanence's laughter, a bone-chilling cold wind blew, making Lu Kun shiver again.

"Since you died from being stabbed in the abdomen, why don't you check if you still have any wounds now?"

The White Impermanence's words reminded Lu Kun, so he hurriedly looked down at his abdomen. But he was speechless because he saw no wounds at all.

This made him doubt his own eyes. He had clearly seen the blood gushing out, and the suffocating pain had proven he was injured. But now, there was not a single trace of blood, and he was completely unharmed. Could he really be dead?

"Could I really have left the world of the living? This is impossible... This is impossible... If I am dead, why do I still have body heat? Aren't ghosts supposed to be cold?"

Lu Kun still couldn't accept his death, so he touched his still warm body and asked with doubt.

The Black Impermanence was very angry, and he hit Lu Kun twice with the soul-guiding staff, scolding him, "You are a new ghost, so you still retain some warmth from the human world. You will become as cold as ice after being a ghost for a long time! Look at this place, it is always dark. If you stay here long enough, you will be like them!"

Lu Kun followed the direction the Black Impermanence pointed to and saw the ghost messengers separating the ghosts, guiding the expressionless ghosts past, and wherever they went, there was a cold wind and black mist.

At this moment, he finally resolved his last doubt, and his last bit of hope instantly collapsed. His legs went weak, and he collapsed to the ground like a pile of mud.

Seeing this, the Black and White Impermanence whipped Lu Kun with the soul-guiding staff and dragged him into a large hall like a dead dog.

Lu Kun was dragged into a dimly lit hall, surrounded by darkness, with only a few fire basins providing faint light. The firelight illuminated blood-stained curtains, making it chilling to look at.

The hall was filled with various sounds, with ox-headed and horse-faced demons shouting, evil ghosts wailing, and the judges of the underworld hurriedly passing orders, instructing the ghost messengers to escort the souls to different departments.

The ghost messengers, shouting and reading official documents, created a whirlwind of black mist. Lu Kun, seeing the many disheveled and horned creatures passing by, was not only terrified but also worried about whether he would suffer punishment.

Although it was his first time in the underworld, he was well-versed in the legends of the netherworld from the world of the living. Therefore, he was very worried about whether he would be thrown into the oil pot...

Just as Lu Kun was thinking about this, the ox-headed and horse-faced demons came over and completed the handover procedures with the Black and White Impermanence. They then dragged Lu Kun to the front of the desk.

Lu Kun, nervous, lifted his head and, under the flickering light, saw a figure in a red official robe, wearing a black hat with wings, holding a large judge's pen, and writing something on the desk.

Seeing this stern judge, Lu Kun knew it must be Judge Lu. He quickly knelt down and bowed, crying and pleading for mercy.

Sitting on the high dais was Judge Lu. Seeing someone pleading below, he put down the judge's pen and sternly shouted, "The ghost below, state your name!"

"Your humble servant... the commoner Lu Kun has a grievance to present to Your Honor!"

"Oh? What is your grievance? Speak up!" Judge Lu, stroking his beard, paused and then asked.

Lu Kun bowed repeatedly and then said pitifully, "In the world of the living, I served as a county magistrate. I went to Longshan Temple to seek medicine for my son but was unjustly killed by a villain. Now I have become a wandering ghost. I hope Your Honor will uphold justice!"

"Lu Kun? Very well, let me check the Book of Life and Death to clarify everything!" Judge Lu said, picking up the Book of Life and Death and flipping through a few pages. He then nodded and muttered to himself, "Hmm! You should have lived to eighty years old, but you became a ghost at fifty-three..."

Hearing that he should have lived to eighty, Lu Kun was overjoyed and, without considering that he had interrupted Judge Lu, urgently pleaded, "Your Honor, since I still have life left, please use your divine power to send me back to the world of the living!"

"Not so fast!" Judge Lu then closed the Book of Life and Death, spoke a few words to the official standing beside him, and had a ghost messenger bring out a balance scale (an ancient device from the Spring and Autumn period).

The balance scale had two copper plates, different from those in the world of the living. One plate was black, and the other was red. More surprisingly, the weights used were also unique.

Judge Lu raised the two account books in his hand and said to Lu Kun, "The lifespan you should have is determined at the time of reincarnation based on the good and evil of the soul. Therefore, it is not fixed.

The weights that can increase or decrease your lifespan are the good and evil deeds you did in the world of the living! These two account books record your good and evil deeds in the world of the living. Today, I will show you why you lost twenty-seven years of your lifespan!"

Placing the two account books on the balance scale, the evil book weighed a thousand pounds, while the good book weighed only a few ounces. The balance scale, unable to bear the weight, fell to the ground.

Judge Lu then pointed to the fallen balance scale and shouted angrily, "Lu Kun, do you see? Your evil deeds in the world of the living are heinous, and reducing your lifespan by twenty-seven years is already a lenient punishment. How dare you shamelessly cry out for injustice in front of me! If it weren't for the fact that you are a distant descendant of mine, you would have been sent to the endless hell ten years ago!"

"Your Honor, please spare me, my ancestor, please spare me! I know I was wrong. I hope my ancestor will save this unworthy descendant!"

At first, Lu Kun was terrified when he saw the balance scale tip. He never realized he had done so many bad things. But when he learned from Judge Lu that he was a distant descendant, he felt a glimmer of hope and began to beg earnestly.

Judge Lu, sitting on the high dais, remained silent for a long time before finally speaking, "Very well, I once owed you a favor in your previous life. Now I will settle this karmic debt..."

"Thank you, my ancestor!"

Judge Lu waved his hand and then said solemnly, "The underworld is the place that governs the lives of all living beings. After death, all souls are brought to the underworld by the Black and White Impermanence, and their good and evil deeds in the world of the living are settled here. It is better to rely on oneself than to rely on others. Everything must follow the law of cause and effect, and this matter must be resolved by you personally!"

"Then, what should I do? I hope my ancestor can guide me!"

"If you want your lifespan to remain eighty years, the balance scale must be even, so there will be no increase or decrease in your lifespan. However, it is now impossible for you to do good deeds to increase the weight of the good book..."

Judge Lu then took out a golden scroll from the desk and had the official hand it to Lu Kun. He then said solemnly, "This is the Scroll of Rebirth, which has the power to reduce evil and increase good. It is a special privilege granted by the Ten Kings of the Underworld to the judges.

You can write down all the evil deeds you have done in your life on this scroll. When the time comes, this scroll will replace the thousand-pound evil book, and the balance scale should be even. This will not only restore your lifespan but also avoid any suspicion of favoritism on my part! Remember, sincerity is key. This is the only Scroll of Rebirth I have, and if it is destroyed, I cannot help you!"

"This..."

Lu Kun, holding the golden scroll, felt a mix of curiosity and overwhelming joy. He carefully took the scroll and bowed deeply to Judge Lu, expressing his gratitude, "Thank you, my ancestor, for giving me a second chance!"

At this moment, a ghost messenger brought ink and a brush. Lu Kun, eager to return to the world of the living, took the brush and began to write.

At the desk, incense was burning, and Lu Kun felt his brush move like a dragon, more agile than even during his exams.

In no time, Lu Kun had detailed all the bad deeds he had done in his life on the scroll.

As he wrote, he reminded himself not to leave out any details.

After he finished writing his sins, he respectfully presented the scroll to Judge Lu. Judge Lu weighed it on the balance scale, and it indeed balanced.

Lu Kun, unable to contain his excitement, asked, "My ancestor..."

Judge Lu nodded and muttered to himself, "Very good, you can return to the world of the living! Black and White Impermanence, where are you?"

"Your humble servant is here!"

"Good! Quickly take Lu Kun back to the world of the living, and do not delay!"

"Understood!"

The Black and White Impermanence, upon receiving the order, helped Lu Kun up and started to lead him out. Lu Kun, overjoyed, danced with joy and kept thanking Judge Lu.

After leaving the hall, Lu Kun was about to ask the Black and White Impermanence where they were going to return him to the world of the living when he suddenly felt a darkness before his eyes and fainted.

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