Chapter 1: Unyielding Even in Death

King Qin Guang felt confident of victory and was not in a hurry: "Speak, what is there to be dissatisfied with?"

The judge, understanding the situation, pointed at Lu Qiushi and said: "Indeed, you are eloquent and persuasive, but you must know that this is the underworld, and you cannot flaunt your verbal skills here." He stroked his mustache and continued: "Little ghost Lu Qiushi, you are 22 years old this year, is that correct?"

King Qin Guang, how dare you call yourself the first king of hell? If the king of the fifth hall, Bao Qingtian, were here, I would never die unjustly! How can you even be compared to Bao Qingtian as one of the ten kings of hell? Bah!" Lu Qiushi had already given up at the last moment

Two ghostly officials were escorting Lü Qiushi out of the main hall. Lü Qiushi's face was filled with terror, his small eyes darting around incessantly, when suddenly—

Indeed

With a loud clap, King Qin Guang struck the judgment board and angrily commanded, "Come, seize this ghost and prepare for severe punishment!"

I, I refuse to accept this!" A loud shout echoed throughout a grand hall

Return to me, Wang. According to the decrees of the underworld, you shall enter the first layer of hell, the Tongue-Pulling Hell, where your tongue will be gripped by iron pliers, stretched, and slowly pulled out, enduring this torment. Afterward, you will be sent to the second and third layers of hell to continue atoning for your sins

Alright, Ghosts, take Lu Qiushi to hell! King Qin Guang is tired and no longer wishes to engage in meaningless chatter with Lu Qiushi

Old Qin, are you foolish? Speak up, has my lifespan come to an end? Hahaha

Lü Qiushi's smile startled both King Qin Guang and the judge, who exchanged glances, their faces filled with discomfort, realizing they had indeed made a mistake. King Qin Guang immediately felt a burning heat on his face, even hotter than when Lü Qiushi had scolded him. Deliberately avoiding looking at Lü Qiushi, King Qin Guang shouted to the ghostly officer beside him: "Go, summon the Black and White Impermanence to come in!"

Lü Qiushi, seeing that he was about to suffer physical pain, struggled desperately and shouted loudly: "I demand to see the Book of Life and Death, I demand to see the Book of Life and Death, I demand to see the Book of Life and Death!"

At this moment, the executioner finally reacted, changed the instruments of torture, and walked towards Lu Qiushi

Lü Qiu and the librarian shot a glance at King Qin Guang, saying, "Do not concern yourself with my past life; I only wish to know if my lifespan in this life has come to an end." After speaking, she closed her eyes and continued to pray, hoping that she had been mistakenly captured by the Black and White Impermanence.

Lü Qiushi caught King Qin Guang and unleashed a torrent of abuse, invoking charges from contemporary law as well as insults from films and television. For many years, the lofty King Qin Guang had never endured such humiliation. Not only King Qin Guang, but the little ghost beside him was also dumbfounded, and the little ghost preparing to carry out the execution was stunned as well, thinking to himself, impressive, after all that cursing, not a single repetition, and so many new terms to remember, I’ll have words to use when I scold Lao Ba later. Not only King Qin Guang, but the little ghost beside him was also dumbfounded, and the little ghost preparing to carry out the execution was stunned as well, thinking to himself, impressive, after all that cursing, not a single repetition, and so many new terms to remember, I’ll have words to use when I scold Lao Ba later

The entire hall was enveloped in silence, with only Lü Qiushi, eyes closed and head bowed, murmuring incessantly to himself.

At this moment, the little demon had already taken its stance, ready to fight. Upon seeing this, Lu Qiushi realized there was no way out. He thought to himself, since I have to endure a beating, I might as well go all out; what does it matter whether it's a king or not? It would be good to vent my frustrations. Thus, he began to curse loudly

Hurry up and go!

The judge steeled himself and walked over to King Qin Guang, whispering in his ear: "My King, Lü Qiushi cannot return; the time has passed."

"Boldly, Lü Qiushi, you dare to speak such wild words in this royal hall, even in death you remain unrepentant?" In the center of the King of Hell's hall sat a formidable figure with a dark complexion and a full beard. Oh, my mistake, it was a ghost. What was slightly amusing was that this person was dressed in formal attire, yet wore a crown reminiscent of those worn by ancient emperors, a true blend of the ancient and the modern.

Lü Qiushi, in your previous twenty lives, you were either a donkey or a lame one, later slaughtered and eaten, hehe. Well, in your previous nineteen lives, you were a rabbit, filling the gaps between a tiger's teeth. In your eighteenth life, hmm? You were reborn as a tiger, oh, and were killed by Wu Song, who even skinned you, ha ha.

Upon hearing this, the Black and White Impermanence were greatly astonished and hurriedly explained: "Your Majesty, we, your subordinates, were passing by Lu Qiushi and discovered that his soul was not cohesive, and his seven souls were incomplete. We mistakenly believed he was a recently deceased person. Little did we know that this person still had life left. We truly did not know, and we ask for your Majesty's forgiveness." After speaking, the two of them knelt on the ground.

The adult ... ... '' The judge wanted to say something more, but King Qin Guang had already interrupted him.

Kneeling beneath the grand hall was a man with a buzz cut, a round face, a stout figure, and a foolish expression. His small eyes blinked as they gazed at King Yan, fully displaying his grievances. This man was Lü Qiushi

Lü Qiushi wiped the sweat from his face, swallowed, glanced at King Qin Guang, and replied: "Your Majesty, I have three objections. First, in today's world, there are countless people who are eloquent and skilled in debate, using their words to gain advantage; should all these individuals be cast into the first circle of hell? Second, while I admit to lying and deceiving, is there anyone in this world who does not deceive? I boldly ask, are there any among the officials of the underworld who do not lie? Furthermore, sometimes lies are necessary, especially kind-hearted lies, wouldn't you agree? Third, being inconsistent in my words and actions, is that my fault? My parents gave me a foolish appearance; can I complain to my parents about that?"

Yes, Your Majesty

Even in death, one must accept it; a hard life cannot be blamed on the government. However, the crucial point is that the King of Hell, Qin Guangwang, intends to cast him into the first layer of hell. Recalling the descriptions of hell from books, Lü Qiushi felt a surge of fear rising from his heart, as if terror was sprouting from his very core.

I simply refuse to accept this. Although I have not committed great acts of kindness in my life, I have also not done anything wrong. Why should I be cast into the first layer of hell?

King Qin Guang, after listening, was momentarily taken aback, thinking to himself that he was indeed a clever and eloquent individual. He replied, "The three points you mentioned are actually just one point." After saying this, King Qin Guang glanced at the judge.

You two worthless individuals! Lu Qiushi's life has not yet ended, yet you dare to capture a person's soul, causing the innocent to die unjustly. What punishment should be imposed for this?

Slow down! Lü Qiu saw that the situation was not good at a glance, and first shouted, "Your Majesty, I refuse to accept this!"

The judge could no longer tolerate it and, having seen many scoundrels, had never encountered one as shameless as this. He shouted, "Little ghost Lu Qiushi, do you think the Book of Life and Death can be viewed at your whim!"

I am not convinced! Lü Qiushi's declaration of discontent was much louder than the previous two statements, but this time the tremor in his voice was even more pronounced

Before long, the Black and White Impermanence arrived in the hall and knelt to pay their respects to King Qin Guang. Upon seeing them, King Qin Guang could no longer suppress the anger in his heart and shouted at the Black and White Impermanence:

Suddenly, King Qin Guang was taken aback and muttered to himself: "Strange, why do you only have twenty lifetimes? This is not right. Since ancient times, all beings in the Six Realms have begun and ended in the Six Realms, in an endless cycle. Moreover, you should be a fool in this lifetime, yet how come you..."

Struggling to lift his head, he slowly opened his eyes. Upon seeing the expressions of King Qin Guang and the judge, Lu Qiushi could not help but understand. It felt even more exhilarating than the first time with his girlfriend

The judge almost ran all the way, took the Book of Life and Death, and delivered it to King Qin Guang. Upon receiving the Book, King Qin Guang began to flip through it. As he flipped through the pages, he started to chuckle, muttering to himself as he continued to read.

Hmph, since you acknowledge your guilt, come on, be cast into the first layer of hell! King Qin Guang is quite pleased, huh? You think you can plead your case with me? Do you take me for someone so easily deceived? After all these years, this is the first time I've encountered such an interesting little ghost. Having said that, a little ghost moved to approach Lü Qiushi.

After listening, Lv Qiushi nodded his head

Lü Qiushi was left speechless; it seems that dying early is indeed not as good as dying late

King Qin Guang, after listening, could not help but scrutinize Lu Qiushi closely. Lu Qiushi, feeling uncomfortable under the gaze, expressed his dissatisfaction, saying: "Old Qin, I know this is not your fault. I will let go of the losses I incurred from the fright tonight; just hurry up and let me return to life."

"You began to be eloquent and persuasive at the age of fourteen, and the eight years spent in the realm of rhetoric and literature account for more than a third of your life. However, other eloquent individuals do not have such short lifespans as you do. These individuals either have good deeds to offset their misdeeds or have directly acknowledged their faults, being cast into hell. Where is there anyone as shameless as you?" The judge looked at Lü Qiushi with a smug expression.

King Qin Guang looked at Lü Qiushi and said, "Tonight, I will ensure that you die with complete acceptance and satisfaction"

As the judge's voice fell, a sound of "splash" was heard, and Lü Qiushi was completely soaked, having collapsed to the ground

Observing this grand hall, enveloped in black mist, it is impossible to discern its size. What stands out prominently is the high platform on the right side of the hall. This platform is approximately ten feet high, and on it stands a mirror, measuring ten spans in size, with seven characters inscribed above, stating, "No good person before the mirror platform." This is indeed the first hall of the Ten Yama Kings.

Bold Lü Qiushi, you dare to mock this king time and again, do you truly believe this king can be deceived!

King Qin Guang, upon hearing this, hurriedly said: "Indeed, indeed, come here..."

King Qin Guang had not finished speaking when he was interrupted by Lü Qiushi: "I beg you, esteemed elder, please quickly check my current life. Why bother with so many chaotic matters? The feeling of anxiety is quite distressing!"

"Judge, go fetch the Book of Life and Death," King Qin Guang said with a deep voice

Little Ghost Lu Qiushi, are the words of this king's judge truly so

King Qin Guang's subordinate ghost took a step forward, facing Lü Qiushi, and loudly proclaimed: "Your Highness, the little ghost Lü Qiushi, listen well. You have lived for over twenty years in this world. Although you have not committed any major evils, since the age of fourteen, you have relied on your sharp tongue, being glib and eloquent, engaging in deceit and trickery, up until now. Moreover, while your face appears simple and honest, your thoughts are intricate, a typical case of being two-faced!"

It is no wonder that Lu Qiushi felt wronged. As a senior this year, he was studying at a well-known university in Beijing. The day before his death, he had just represented his college to win the championship and the title of Best Debater in the university debate competition for the third consecutive time. A group of friends celebrated that night, indulging in food and drink until they were completely oblivious. When he woke up, he found himself in a place resembling a library of the underworld, only to realize that he had drunk himself to death

A voice exclaimed "I am Wang" interrupted King Qin Guang's words. King Qin Guang felt displeased; without saying anything further, he had been interrupted countless times throughout the night. He cast a dissatisfied glance at the judge.

King Qin Guang looked at Lu Qiushi's face full of grievance and couldn't help but feel a surge of anger. He thought to himself, "I have judged countless ghosts, and none have dared to plead their case before me. Furious, he exclaimed: 'You insolent little ghost, are you claiming to be wronged? Judge, announce the charges against him!'

After a while, Lü Qiushi sensed that the atmosphere was not right. King Qin Guang had fallen silent, and the judge was also silent. Could it really be that his lifespan had come to an end?

King Qin Guang's face turned red and his neck thickened with anger, his whole body trembling as he pointed at Lü Qiushi, and after a long pause, he finally managed to utter a sentence: "Slap her mouth for me!" The Beijing-style curse was unleashed.

King Qin Guang raised the corner of his mouth and looked at the judge: "Judge, how should such evil deeds be punished?"

King Qin Guang said nothing further, directly turning to the present life of Lü Qiushi, and was taken aback. The judge noticed something was amiss, leaned in to take a look, and was also stunned

Upon hearing these words, the judge's expression changed dramatically. Did others not know, yet he himself was unaware? Although they were all part of the Ten Yama Kings, each serving in different departments, the Ten Yama Kings placed great importance on their reputations, especially in comparison to one another. He quickly said: "Why are you not executing the sentence? What are you waiting for!"

Taking advantage of the judge's absence while retrieving the Book of Life and Death, Lu Qiushi wiped his sweat again, licked his lips, and swallowed a few times. There was no other choice; after cursing for so long, he was thirsty

"Slow down!" This sentence was shouted by King Qin Guang. Reputation is of great importance for a high-ranking figure like King Qin Guang, and he must clear his name. Moreover, Old Bao was originally the King of Hell in the First Hall, but he was reassigned to the Fifth Hall due to frequently allowing the deceased to return to life.

You foolish and senile King Qin Guang, you old scoundrel. You trample on human life, engage in favoritism and corruption, neglect your duties, accept bribes, make promises you do not keep, act incorrectly, fail to correct your mistakes, and when you do make changes, you still err...