Chapter 97

As the saying goes, catching a thief requires catching the loot, and catching an adulterer requires catching them in the act. With the evidence right before him, even if Milie Chan Shi had seventeen or eighteen more mouths and the silver-tongued eloquence of a Buddhist, it would be hard to refute the facts!

Seeing no way to deny it, Milie Chan Shi decided to show his unscrupulous side: "I... I am a disciple of the Buddhist faith, not subject to your jurisdiction of the Netherworld..."

Qin Guang Wang smiled and said, "No one can escape the cycle of life and death, not even a disciple of the Buddhist faith."

Milie Chan Shi was startled. He raised his head slightly and pleaded in a soft voice, "Your Majesty, I am also a cultivated person and naturally know that my lifespan has not yet run out." Qin Guang Wang shook his head and said, "Those who come to our Netherworld have all reached the end of their natural lives."

Milie Chan Shi still did not believe it and raised his head, saying, "You are lying. I have a long and prosperous life. How could I come to the Netherworld so early?"

Qin Guang Wang replied, "People like you, who indulge in eating, drinking, whoring, and gambling, are a waste of time to live in this world."

Even so, a bad life is better than a good death. Milie Chan Shi certainly did not wish to die quickly. He lowered his head and argued, "This monk has committed some sins in the human world, but I am a disciple of the Buddhist faith..."

Being a disciple of the Buddhist faith does not exempt one from punishment. Qin Guang Wang flipped open the Book of Life and Death and revealed Milie Chan Shi's true name. The three silver characters of his true name floated in the air, emitting a gentle light.

Qin Guang Wang pointed to the characters and said, "You were originally the eldest son of the Zhang family in Ninghai County, with a destiny that promised some longevity. However, you did not cherish it and violated all the precepts of the Buddhist faith, which is why your true name appears dim and lifeless."

Milie Chan Shi looked up and indeed saw that while his name and birth date were radiant, they were shrouded in a faint black aura.

Even without Xuan Kong forcibly bringing him to the Netherworld for trial, the evil deeds he had accumulated over the years would have shortened his lifespan in the human world. He relied on the power and influence of the Zhang family in Ninghai County and had done many despicable things in the past.

After returning to his hometown from Jinshan Temple, he colluded with local officials to swindle merchants, using the money for gambling and frequenting brothels, which had long eroded his virtue.

Although these matters seemed trivial to humans, they had long been recorded in the heavenly destiny.

The karma generated by these actions had transformed into negative energy, entangling his true name and refusing to let go.

Xuan Kong, in the secret room, could not help but shake his head, grateful that he had thought ahead and brought Milie Chan Shi to the Netherworld to see the consequences. Otherwise, when his negative karma accumulated, even with the cultivation of a celestial immortal, Milie Chan Shi would find it hard to escape his demise.

He hoped that after this lesson, he could guide Milie Chan Shi to reform and become a good person, breaking his bad habits.

Seeing his true name revealed in the Book of Life and Death, Milie Chan Shi was so frightened that he trembled all over and could not speak. Qin Guang Wang seized the opportunity and said, "How you came to the Netherworld is not important. Since you are here, I will show you how a wicked and greedy ghost like you lives in my Netherworld."

People often talk about the "eighteen levels of hell," but this does not mean that the hell is divided into only eighteen layers. The layers of hell are countless, but they are roughly divided into eighteen regions based on the duration of punishment and the degree of suffering.

All places that punish evil deeds in the world and cleanse karma can be called the Avici Hell, meaning continuous suffering without a moment's rest until the evil karma accumulated in the world is repaid.

All beings in the three realms live in the Pangu world, where the heavens nourish all things, but humans do not repay the heavens.

Qin Guang Wang lightly waved his hand, and the scenes of hell appeared on the Mirror of Sin: in a large stone mortar, continuous cries of agony and suffering could be heard as two large阴兵 (yin soldiers) pushed the stone mill.

The sound of the stones grinding against each other was particularly grating, and all the ghosts were crushed into blood and water by the stone mill, then reshaped by the yin soldiers and thrown back into the mortar, repeating the cycle endlessly.

Qin Guang Wang kindly explained, "This is the Stone Mill Hell, where monks and Taoists who violate precepts, as well as those who waste grain, thieves, corrupt officials, and those who oppress the people, are punished after death."

Milie Chan Shi watched as the yin soldiers roughly shaped the blood and flesh into human forms and repeatedly threw them into the mortar, causing him to tremble all over. Qin Guang Wang did not let him off, and with a sweep of his sleeve, he changed the scene to another hell.

This was the Volcano Hell, one of the eighteen levels of hell, where there were even more ghosts. Those who embezzled public funds, took bribes, robbed, murdered, and committed arson in the human world were sentenced to suffer in this hell, being driven into volcanoes to endure endless torment. This was also the place where monks and Taoists who violated precepts in the human world were punished.

Milie Chan Shi, drenched in cold sweat, stammered, "I have the protection of Jinshan Temple. I hope Your Majesty will show mercy..."

Qin Guang Wang looked at him and said coldly, "Do you think it is I who is taking your life? You are wrong. Most people who come to me have not reached the natural lifespan recorded in the Book of Life and Death. For example, you, the eldest son of the Zhang family, were supposed to live to 92 years old and die peacefully, but because you did not cherish your life and accumulated countless evil deeds, you have brought negative karma upon yourself, leading you to the Netherworld early to suffer!"

He shook his head and waved his hand again. This time, a human figure appeared in the Mirror of Sin.

In the mirror, a ghost was fished out of an oil pot by a yin soldier, tied to a red-hot copper pillar, and had his mouth pried open. A large iron tongs clamped his tongue, which was slowly pulled and stretched until it was finally torn off.

The ghost immediately let out a muffled cry, lifting his bloodied face. Milie Chan Shi cried out in shock, "Father!"

He jumped up from the ground and rushed towards the Mirror of Sin, but was pushed back by a冥修 (ming xiu) guarding the mirror. Tears streamed down Milie Chan Shi's face as he bowed to Qin Guang Wang, "Your Majesty, I am willing to take my father's punishment and go to the eighteen levels of hell. I hope Your Majesty will show mercy and spare my old father!"

What Qin Guang Wang showed Milie Chan Shi was the previous patriarch of the Zhang family, the father of the current two Zhang brothers. Seeing Milie Chan Shi's genuine emotion, Qin Guang Wang nodded in approval, thinking for the first time that Xuan Kong's decision to take this person as a disciple might be a good one.

He asked, "You are willing to take your father's punishment?"

Milie Chan Shi knelt on the ground, nodding continuously in agreement.

Qin Guang Wang smiled and said, "Not so fast. Both you and your old father will remain in my Netherworld to suffer for a thousand years without rebirth. Hmm, it's commendable that you recognize your father. Do you know why he is being punished?"

Milie Chan Shi shook his head, and Qin Guang Wang explained, "It is because he organized the White Lotus Sect in the human world, using the good name of Buddhism to enrich himself. Anyone who deceives the people with smooth talk or uses magic to deceive the world will be sent to the Tongue-Pulling Hell after death."