Chapter 246

Xie Bi An asked Meng Po about the situation in the Underworld.

Lan Chui Han was indeed thrown into hell by Jiang Qu Lian. No one knows his current situation. Cui Jue and Night Patrol are under house arrest in the Judge's Mansion, including the "little servant of Heaven Master Palace", that is Bo Zhu.

Ox Head and Horse Face are in charge of animal souls. The gains and losses have little to do with Jiang Qu Lian, so he didn’t touch them. They know how to put their own safety first before matters of principle. What they used to do, they are still doing now, and they do not participate in the strife of the underworld. The Ten Yanluo Halls are all civil officials, and most of the Yin servants under their commands are controlled by Jiang Qu Lian, unable to resist.

Jiang Qu Lian fostered a group of his own ghost generals to replace the former Underworld generals, pocketing the entire Underworld.

Xie Bi An's eyebrows knitted tightly: "Is there no news from Lan Chui Han?"

"No. The Red King was originally the hell warden. Up and down, inside and outside, are all his ghosts." Meng Po hummed lightly, "However, using the body of a living person to go to hell is definitely more ominous than propitious."

Xie Bi An hung his head and did not say anything. Only his fists were clenched to the point of pain.

Fan Wu She said, "Jiang Qu Lian won't kill him. If he wants him to die, why would he go through so much trouble?"

"So just to torture him?" Xie Bi An gritted his teeth, "Not to mention the torture, just the Yin energy corroding the living is enough to kill him. He won’t last long."

"You want to save him?" Meng Po shook her head.

"Meng Cao Lao, can you help us find out where Lan Chui Han is and where the Book of Life and Death is now?"

"The Book of Life and Death is such an important thing. It must be carried by the Red King. As for that living person, I can try, but if he is in the Infernal Hell, you should give up."

"The Infernal Hell is not indestructible." Xie Bi An glanced at Fan Wu She meaningfully.

Meng Po laughed coldly: "That's because Your Holiness had the Red King’s assistance. Could he have possibly left the Infernal Hell on his own? Since ancient times, no ghosts have been able to escape from the Infernal Hell."

Fan Wu She’s face was gloomy and he did not reply.

"The Red King and Your Holiness used each other to risk bringing you out of Hell and even sending you to reincarnation, but what use does Lan Chui Han have for the Red King?"

"Lan Chui Han's value to Jiang Qu Lian is clearly not a 'use'." Fan Wu She looked straight at Meng Po, "Can you help us or not?"

"Besides me, who else can help you?"

"Why are you helping us?" Fan Wu She asked in reply again.

Meng Po's snake tail slid, making a rustling sound, "The Great Emperor Beiyin has been kind to my Nǚwa Clan. Since the disconnection between heaven and earth, our ancestors were forced to return to the ancestral tablet. The half-human, half-snake clan members that remained on earth lost their protection and were hunted by the earthly deities due to the residual divinity of the snake pearl in their bodies. It was the Great Emperor Beiyin who saved our clan. While he was in seclusion due to his injuries, how could he allow his underworld to fall into the hands of ambitious people?"

"Meng Cao Lao is highly principled. I thank you in advance." Xie Bi An arched his hand, "In your opinion, what should we do now?"

"I have no wise opinion. You want a wise opinion, you should go to see Official Lord Cui."

"Can you take us to see him?" Xie Bi An's eyes lit up.

"Compared with the Book of Life and Death and Hell, it is naturally easier to mingle into the Judge's Mansion, but it is not me who will take you there, but Patrol."

"Day Patrol is now in the Underworld?"

"In order to avoid the Red King's pursuit, he has been shuttling back and forth between the human and ghost worlds. Even when he came back here, he has always been hiding. He came to find me before, and I can find him too. He has been waiting for you to come back." Meng Po stared at Xie Bi An, "We were all waiting for you to come back. With the Heaven Master gone, perhaps you are the only one who can save all of this."

Xie Bi An said gloomily, "I am afraid that I will let down my master's expectations."

"Then don't let him down." Meng Po straightened her slightly stooped back, and the snake body also followed and pulled up to the height of two people. She looked at the two of them from a high position, "Whatever you guys owed to both the human and ghost worlds, pay them back."

---

The two followed Meng Po's words and waited under the ninth smoke beacon that leads to Yanluo Hall.

That spacious mountain road not far away is the road to Yanluo Hall. It is the continuation of Huangquan Road, with Yin servants coming and going from time to time. The two hid under the tall artemisia grass, waiting for Day Patrol to come and find them.

Xie Bi An was silent for a long time, holding the hilt of the Junlan sword with one hand, and looking worried.

"Are you still thinking about Lan Chui Han?" Fan Wu She finally couldn't help but ask.

Xie Bi An did not answer.

"Jiang Qu Lian won't kill him. He's only been in hell for a few days. You really don't need to worry so much." Fan Wu She's tone was cold.

"Whoever I’m worried about, it's not up to you to decide whether it’s needed or not."

Fan Wu She slightly narrowed his eyes. The jealousy and unfairness in his chest could not be suppressed anymore no matter what: "I had been in the infernal hell for a hundred years, but I don't see you getting worried about me, and not even asking a single question."

Xie Bi An turned his face away, obviously not wanting to continue this conversation.

"You are so worried about him being punished in hell, afraid he’s facing more disadvantages, but did you even think about me once? About how I survived those 100 years!?”

Xie Bi An gritted his teeth: "Are you accusing me by saying this to me? Is it my fault?" It’s not that he didn’t want to think of it, but he didn’t dare to. While he was worried about Lan Chui Han, he could not help thinking about how this man had endured the suffering of a hundred years of extreme punishment. This heart hanging on the abyss seemed to have the risk of falling and breaking at any time, so he could not think deeper.

"..." Like a fishbone getting stuck in Fan Wu She’s throat, his shoulders quietly slumped a bit. He said dejectedly, "No."

"Then don't say any more." Stop forcing him.

"I just want you to care about me a little, just a little, even if it’s one millionth of the last time. I don't care how much pain I went through, but if you still don’t care in the slightest..." Fan Wu She lowered his eyes and said softly, "I’ll be really sad."

Xie Bi An was still looking elsewhere, only leaving Fan Wu She with a tensed side face and a slightly undulating throat pearl*.

Fan Wu She’s heart was in extreme pain. At this moment, he wanted to use some extraordinary means, even if it’s forcing this man to say a few fake words to appease him, as long as it could relieve the pain of this heart.

The depressing atmosphere flowed between each other. What broke it all was the arrival of Day Patrol.

Day Patrol looked a lot more haggard. He was awake only half of the day. Without Night Patrol taking care of him, he had to do what he had to do in the limited time he had, and then find himself a safe hiding place before the sun went down. He’s anxious all day long, and with the worry and longing for his wife, he was naturally exhausted.

"Impermanence, you've finally come back. Official Lord Cui said you would definitely come back to save them."

Xie Bi An was a little ashamed: "I will save them at all costs."

"I know the secret passage to the Judge’s Mansion. I can take you to see Official Lord Cui. However, this trip is very risky. If the Red King finds out, what would you guys do?"

"Then we can only fight." Fan Wu She sneered, "Fighting at close quarters is the worst strategy. We want to get back the Book of Life and Death and save the hostages first, but if we are exposed, there is no choice."

"I'm afraid getting the Book of Life and Death will be difficult. I've been to the Red Palace's underground treasure trove and haven't seen the Book of Life and Death or the Judge's Brush, so they must have been taken by the Red King with him, but they are Official Lord Cui's things after all. To get them back, maybe Official Lord Cui has a way."

"Quickly, take us to see Official Lord Cui."

The two Patrol Generals’ duties were to patrol the earth and gather information for Cui Jue, so they were extremely fast, wary, and extremely good at hiding and infiltrating. Although the Judge's Mansion was heavily guarded and bounded, Day Patrol had already worked out the loopholes and had snuck in to see Official Lord Cui sometime ago.

Some effort was taken this time, but the two of them were finally brought in unnoticed.

Cui Jue was imprisoned in his chambers, and could only move around in his bedroom and study room all day. His look was obviously a little dispirited. Only when he saw Xie Bi An at that moment did his eyes become bright: "Bi An, you are finally back."

"Official Lord Cui, I came late. I-I was wounded, so ..."

"No need to explain, I understand." Cui Jue looked at Fan Wu She on one side and said indifferently, "You actively plotted and took back the Heavenly Secret Talisman. Did it give you what you wanted?"

Fan Wu She's expression changed slightly. He pursed his lips and said nothing.

"After living two lifetimes, you still don't understand the truth that absolute power can't accomplish everything, but it can ruin everything."

"...I understand now." Fan Wu She snuck a glance at Xie Bi An, and lowered his eyes again.

Cui Jue nodded and said meaningful and heartfelt words, "It's not too late to mend the pen after sheep are lost*."

They exchanged information with each other. Xie Bi An knew that both Night Patrol and Bo Zhu were safe and sound, just that they hadn't seen each other since they'd been imprisoned here. It was Day Patrol who visited them separately.

And Cui Jue was furious when he learned that Lan Chui Han had been thrown into hell by Jiang Qu Lian, "Jiang Qu Lian has repeatedly defied the natural order and violated the ban. Punishment in hell is insufficient for him."

"I'm very worried about Lan Chui Han. I have to go save him."

"It's not that easy to go into hell to save someone. This matter needs to be considered in the long run."

"There is a secret passage under the Red Palace that leads straight to hell. I just don't know if it has been sealed up by Jiang Qu Lian." Xie Bi An sighed, "We're waiting for Meng Po to pry out some news to see which floor Lan Chui Han is at."

"If it's the Infernal Hell ..." Cui Jue wanted to say something but stopped.

Several people were silent. If Lan Chui Han was really in the Infernal Hell, that would be the worst-case scenario.

This also made people not help but wonder, what did Lan Chui Han do to Jiang Qu Lian in his previous life which made Jiang Qu Lian hate him so much as to throw a living person into hell?

Fan Wu She said: "Official Lord Cui, let's not talk about Lan Chui Han. The most important thing for us to do on this trip is to get back the Book of Life and Death and the Judge’s Brush. We guessed that if the Book of Life and Death is merged with the Golden Trunk Jade Policy, Jiang Qu Lian may find the secret of controlling the six paths of reincarnation."

Cui Jue sighed with deep emotion, "Indeed. If he is allowed to control the six paths of reincarnation, not to mention the underworld, even the earth will fall into his hands, and even ..."

"What?"

"Both the Heaven Path and Asura Path may be affected. After the disconnection between heaven and earth, the only way for people to become immortal is to cultivate, but if the six paths of reincarnation became a tool for Jiang Qu Lian, he doesn’t need to cultivate hard to become an immortal in the future and could directly reincarnate into a celestial being. By then, the three realms will be in chaos."

Xie Bi An gasped a cold breath. How could they not have thought of this? Could it be that Jiang Qu Lian's ambition is much more than just the earth and the underworld?

"So the Book of Life and Death must be retrieved." Cui Jue said, "After all, I have been in charge of the Book of Life and Death for a thousand years. I have a plan, but I have to rely on you guys."

"Please speak, Official Lord Cui."

 

 ----

throat pearl*[喉珠]---Adam’s apple

mend the pen after sheep are lost*[亡羊补牢]--- better late than never

 

Edited on 20 June 21 (Emzie)

 

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