181: The Underworld Adds a Blue Sky

Just three words, spoken softly, yet they struck Zhou Mingde's heart like a heavy hammer, instantly silencing him.

Zhou Mingde looked up, wanting to see the face of the person above him, but found that he couldn't.

He was already dead; was he dreaming at this moment?

But as soon as that person finished speaking, silence fell.

Zhou Mingde: "..."

* * *

At this moment, Lin Chuping thought: "This is tough."

"This old man is too honest."

"'I am ashamed of Your Majesty's trust.' Your Majesty must be Liu Chongshan, right?"

"Then do you know, with all the talents in the Old Capital, why did Your Majesty choose you, and only you, to preside over the murder case involving the Marquis of Pingyang's heir?"

Zhou Mingde looked bewildered. Was there a reason for that?

His Majesty gave the order, and he just carried it out. Wasn_t that enough?

It was merely a subject's duty.

"Sir."

Zhou Mingde cupped his hands, a hint of confusion in his voice.

"I am merely an ordinary official in the Ministry of Justice. Carrying out orders is my duty. As for why this humble official was chosen, that question is not within my scope of consideration."

Lin Chuping was speechless internally. This fellow's loyalty to the emperor was quite stubborn.

Such a huge mess dumped on you, and you didn't think about whether you could handle it?

When you were in crisis because of this, could the ruler you were loyal to save you?!

"Zhou Mingde, do you still remember how you died?"

Zhou Mingde was startled: "Burned to death. The Marquis of Pingyang went too far. The Marquis of Pingyang's heir committed murder, and the Marquis of Pingyang shielded his son, acting audaciously."

"Hmph! He thought that by killing me, his son would be fine. I've already secretly presented the evidence to His Majesty. He... his son is doomed."

He not only found out that the Marquis of Pingyang's heir committed murder, but also discovered the reason for the quarrel between the two parties at the time.

The Marquis of Pingyang actually used the blood of virgin boys and girls to make medicine in pursuit of longevity.

With conclusive evidence, the Marquis of Pingyang was also doomed.

* * *

Lin Chuping: "..."

You even dared to hmph.

Lin Chuping also sneered inwardly.

Looking at Zhou Mingde before him, he suddenly felt a bit sorry for him. In this power struggle, Zhou Mingde was merely a pawn.

Liu Chongshan ascended to power, and the Marquis of Pingyang had the merit of supporting the Dragon. Liu Chongshan merely wanted the Marquis of Pingyang to bow his head and, incidentally, relinquish his power.

The Marquis of Pingyang understood this meaning.

That's why he dared to cause such a huge commotion, even daring to kill Zhou Mingde, who was relentlessly pursuing his son, by burning him alive.

Only, the Marquis of Pingyang didn't know that Liu Chongshan had already accepted his sincerity—Zhou Mingde had just consumed the poisoned wine bestowed by Liu Chongshan.

Alas!

What a pitiable person.

In a court case, both the "prosecutor" and the "defendant" wanted him dead.

"See for yourself what the truth is!"

The pages of the Book of Life and Death turned on their own, rustling until they stopped at a certain page.

Zhou Mingde looked up and saw clearly written:

"Zhou Mingde, cause of death: poisoning. Perpetrator: Imperial Guard Zhao Wu, acting on a secret imperial decree."

"This... this is impossible!"

Zhou Mingde staggered back two steps, his soul fluctuating violently.

"Why would His Majesty kill me? I clearly..."

"Clearly loyal and devoted?"

Lin Chuping stood up, his dark official robe fluttering without wind. "Then I ask you, after your death, did anyone seek justice for you? Did anyone investigate this case? Where is your entire Zhou family now?"

Each question was like a sharp knife, piercing Zhou Mingde's most vulnerable spot.

He opened his mouth but couldn't make a sound.

The Book of Life and Death turned again, stopping on another page.

Zhou Mingde saw his family's fate recorded there: his elderly mother died of illness during exile, his wife was forced to remarry, his young son became a slave... "Do you see clearly?"

Lin Chuping's voice carried a hint of pity, "This is the reward your monarch gave you."

Zhou Mingde's knees buckled, and he fell to the ground.

"Why..."

His voice was hoarse, as if coming from the depths of Hell, "I handled the case impartially, what crime did I commit..."

Lin Chuping walked up to him and leaned down: "Because from the very beginning, you were merely a pawn."

"Also, ask yourself, what exactly did you uncover? Were those inhumane deeds truly the work of the Marquis of Pingyang alone?"

His finger lightly tapped the Book of Life and Death, and the scene changed, displaying the court scene from that year. "His Majesty needed someone to investigate the Marquis of Pingyang's heir, and you handled this matter exceptionally well—so well that you poked a hole in the heavens."

"How could Liu Chongshan not be afraid?"

Lin Chuping's voice was like a dull knife, slowly cutting through Zhou Mingde's last psychological defense.

The scene on the Book of Life and Death continued to flow, revealing more secrets that Zhou Mingde had not seen during his lifetime.

In the scene, the young emperor Liu Chongshan was pacing in the imperial study, his face grim.

"...That madman Zhou Mingde actually investigated the blood sacrifice... That old scoundrel, the Marquis of Pingyang, can't even clean up his own mess!"

Kneeling on the ground was none other than Imperial Guard Zhao Wu: "Your Majesty, Zhou Mingde has secretly sent out some of the evidence..."

"Destroy it, destroy it all!"

Liu Chongshan's expression was twisted as he swept the memorials from the desk to the floor.

"Issue an imperial decree, bestow him poisoned wine, and say... I, in consideration of his past merits, will grant him a complete corpse."

Zhou Mingde's soul trembled violently, the scene before him perfectly coinciding with his memory of "His Majesty's grace"—that day in prison, Zhao Wu came with a golden cup, saying that His Majesty, out of consideration for his hard work on the case, specially bestowed imperial wine... "So that's how it is..."

Zhou Mingde gave a tragic laugh, "What a 'grace'..."

* * *

Lin Chuping sat upright at the head, quietly watching the emotionally broken Zhou Mingde.

The candlelight in the hall flickered, casting Zhou Mingde's distorted shadow on the wall, like a trapped beast.

Zhou Mingde's soul gradually stopped trembling, replaced by a terrifying calm.

"Who are you, Sir?"

"Why are you telling me this?"

Zhou Mingde suddenly looked up at Lin Chuping, "You could have let me remain a confused ghost!"

"Because the time has come."

As the words fell, a golden light suddenly appeared in the Underworld Hall, and Lin Chuping declared loudly:

"In the first year of the Underworld Calendar, Lin Chuping, Lord of the Underworld, hereby proclaims to the Three Realms with the Yin and Yang decree:

There is a living soul, Zhou Mingde, courtesy name Zihui, born in the mortal world, and perished on a path of injustice.

During his life, he held the position of official in the Ministry of Justice, with the ambition of upholding justice.

Now, in consideration of your incorruptibility, you can suppress the defilement of the Nine Netherworlds;

Your discerning judgment can wield the balance of good and evil;

Your integrity and self-discipline are sufficient to set an example for the law;

Your benevolence and compassion can relieve the suffering of lonely souls.

Therefore, I bestow upon you the divine position of Judge, grant you the Soul-Reaping Brush of Life and Death, entrust you with the Book of Good and Evil, and empower you to administer rewards, punishments, and legal names.

May you uphold heavenly principles, without bias or favoritism, so that the order of Yin and Yang remains undisturbed, and the good and evil of humans and ghosts are clearly distinguished.

From this day forth, the Underworld gains a clear mirror, and Hell gains an upright official. By Imperial Order!"