470: Leaving the underworld and returning to the heavenly court

He did not dare to be the slightest bit negligent and immediately signaled to Judge Cui beside him.

Judge Cui brought out the main volume of the Book of Life and Death, presenting it with both hands.

Lu Jiuyuan took the thick volume, which appeared ordinary but actually contained the profound principles of Reincarnation and life and death, and flipped it open casually.

He searched for the records of Shangguan Xueer, Lu Xiaofeng, Li Xunhuan, Shangguan Jinhong, and You Longsheng.

The pages turned without wind, and the countless tiny characters, cinnabar annotations, and threads of Karma upon them flowed ceaselessly as if they were living things.

An ordinary immortal or deity would become dizzy and have their Divine Soul shaken by just one glance, yet Lu Jiuyuan looked at it casually, his gaze like a deep, still pool, without a ripple.

He did not turn the pages quickly; he seemed to be searching, yet also seemed to be reminiscing.

King Yama and Judge Cui stood in attendance below, not daring to breathe loudly, while their thoughts raced:

Who does the Great Heavenly Venerate want to check? Why does he need to personally come to Hell to read the original Book of Life and Death? Could it be that another earth-shattering event is about to occur?

The pages rustled loudly.

Suddenly, Lu Jiuyuan's turning finger paused slightly.

The page stopped at a certain spot.

King Yama and Judge Cui subconsciously held their breath; they dared not look directly at the page, but they desperately tried to glance at it from the corners of their eyes.

On that page were several names that were both familiar and strange to them; the ink varied in color and depth, clearly recorded in different eras.

Shangguan Xueer, female, ancestral home Jiangnan. Lifespan: twenty-two. Cause of death: injured by extreme emotion.

Place where the soul returned: A wisp of a remnant soul with lingering obsession wandered the peak of Mount Tai for a hundred years, later nourished by the earth's veins, by a twist of Opportunity, it entered Reincarnation, and was reborn as... blurred.

Lu Jiuyuan's gaze lingered on the blurred Reincarnation record for a moment, and a barely perceptible ripple flashed in the depths of his eyes.

He extended his finger and tapped lightly on the blurred handwriting.

"Hum..."

The Book of Life and Death flashed with a faint light, and the originally blurred handwriting, as if washed by clear water, appeared clearly:

Reborn as: Small World 'Qingyun Realm', named Nian Xue, lived a life of peace and joy, lifespan eighty-two, died of old age, re-entered Reincarnation.

The corners of Lu Jiuyuan's mouth seemed to curve into an extremely faint arc as he withdrew his finger.

Lu Jiuyuan continued to look down.

Lu Xiaofeng, male, ancestral home Nanyang. Lifespan: seventy. Cause of death: at the 'Yihong Courtyard' in Jiangnan, excessive drinking, stroke during intercourse, died in the arms of the top courtesan 'Ru Meng'.

Note: Before death, he discussed the new, wonderful uses of the 'Lingxi Finger' with Ru Meng, expression joyful, no signs of pain.

Soul evaluation: Romantic and straightforward, although he had countless ill-fated connections, his Heart-Nature was open-minded, without great evil, and he has already entered the human path of Reincarnation according to standard procedures.

When he saw "discussed the new, wonderful uses of the 'Lingxi Finger'", Lu Jiuyuan finally could not help it; he chuckled softly and shook his head.

"This guy... died in a romantic and happy way, fitting his personality."

Next was Shangguan Jinhong.

The record was rather brief, with only a few words:

Shangguan Jinhong, male. Lifespan: sixty-nine. Cause of death: essence and blood exhausted, died when lifespan ended.

Note: Possessed the talent of an overlord, but was stubborn and emotionless, with heavy Karma, the soul entered the Avici Hell to be punished for three hundred years; it seems there is some dark Luck, reincarnated as a king!

Lu Jiuyuan's gaze swept over it without comment; this was the path Shangguan Jinhong had chosen for himself.

Finally, it was You Longsheng.

You Longsheng, male. Lifespan: thirty-five. Cause of death: Mount Tai Jade Emperor Peak, committed suicide for love in red clothes.

"Thirty-five..." Lu Jiuyuan gently closed the Book of Life and Death, letting out a barely audible sigh.

Forget it, you should have a good Reincarnation; I will grant you an Opportunity for immortality, so stop standing behind me!

He handed the Book of Life and Death back to Judge Cui, who was almost petrified beside him.

Judge Cui took it with both hands, feeling that the volume was heavier than a mountain.

King Yama cautiously stepped forward half a pace, weighing his words:

"Great Heavenly Venerate... are there any improprieties in these records? If so, your subject will immediately order someone to correct them!"

"No need."

Lu Jiuyuan waved his hand, "Life and death have their destiny, and Reincarnation has its Dao. Their respective choices created their respective Karma. Hell acts according to the law, and there is nothing improper."

"In the future, when someone causes trouble in Hell and tries to change the Book of Life and Death, cooperate with them! This volume cannot be changed, but you can change the Clone of the Book of Life and Death."

"Great Heavenly Venerate, rest assured, I understand! I understand! We will do exactly what we did when that monkey caused trouble back then!" King Yama said with a smile, echoing him.

Hearing this, the smile in Lu Jiuyuan's eyes deepened, and he nodded, saying, "You are a sensible person."

He said no more, stood up, and brushed his non-existent sleeves.

"Hell's affairs are complex; you all just need to attend to your duties diligently. I am leaving."

"Your subjects respectfully see off the Great Heavenly Venerate!"

King Yama led the Yin gods to bow again, and only after the figures of Lu Jiuyuan and A Fei completely disappeared into the gray light outside the Senluo Hall did they dare to slowly straighten up.

The hall was silent, with only the suppressed breathing and heartbeats of the Yin gods remaining.

Judge Cui leaned close to King Yama, lowering his voice:

"King Yama... those last words of the Great Heavenly Venerate... were they telling us to... cooperate with 'causing trouble in Hell'? And specifically to change the Book of Life and Death? This... this is like that incident with the monkey back then..."

"Silence!" King Yama hissed, his expression changing unpredictably. He stroked the thick, curly beard on his chin, his eyes flashing with sharp light,

"The Great Heavenly Venerate's thoughts are as deep as an abyss. Since he told us to 'cooperate', then we will 'cooperate' properly."

He looked around, his gaze sweeping over the Four Judges and the Ten Yin Commanders: "Did you all hear clearly? Listen to my instructions:"

"First, the 'original' Book of Life and Death must be immediately sent to the deepest part of the 'Reincarnation Hall' and sealed with the 'Nine Nether Soul-Suppressing Array'. Except for when we of the Ten Halls gather to open it, no one is allowed to open it! Even if... ahem, even if that Liu Chenxiang really fights his way in, he won't be able to find his way!"

"Second, prepare several 'copies'. They must be done properly; the necessary names, necessary annotations, and necessary threads of Karma must not be missing a single one. Especially the names Liu Yanchang and Liu Chenxiang, as well as the entire Liu Family Village, must be placed in a conspicuous position."

Judge Cui understood and nodded immediately: "This subject understands! Just like what we prepared for that monkey back then, true and false, virtual and real, it can handle the situation without damaging the foundation."

"Third," King Yama's mouth curved into a smile, "Notify the Yamas of each hall, the judges of each department, and all Yin Commanders and ghost officials to dig out the case files of dealing with the monkey back then and review them!"

"Whether it's 'fake fighting', 'going easy', 'collapsing in defeat', or 'crying for parents'... make it look realistic! Whoever messes up the performance, reveals the truth, and ruins His Majesty's 'amusement', this King will send him to the 'Stripping Pavilion' to act out tragic dramas for a hundred years!"

The Yin gods looked at each other and then responded in unison: "We will strictly obey the King's order!"

After all the Yin gods had left, Judge Cui said in a low voice: "Your Majesty, should we settle some bad debts this time..."

"Settle them! But pay attention to the methods; be subtle, don't let it be seen! For those unlucky victims, compensate those who should be compensated, and throw those who should be thrown into a Small World."

"Give them some benefits, don't feed them Meng Po Soup, let them think they have Transmigration, let them believe it is Rebirth, and after they finish their Karma, destroy them as soon as they return. The Great Heavenly Venerate will not care about some things, but if someone reports it to the higher-ups, the higher-ups will have to deal with it."

"This subordinate understands!"

Lu Jiuyuan stepped out of Hell, and the scene before him had transformed from the gloomy and dark Nine Nethers into the Nine Heavens with ten thousand golden rays and a thousand auspicious vapors.

He did not go directly back to Tongming Hall, but strolled to the Pixiang Hall.

This was where the Heavenly Court stored classics and observed the Luck of the Lower Realm. There were no luxurious decorations in the hall, only countless Jade Slips and golden books floating in the air,

flowing slowly and emitting a soft light, each one recording the rise, fall, and fate of a region in the Three Realms over a period of time.

The immortal official on duty saw the Great Heavenly Venerate arrive personally and was terrified, wanting to bow, but Lu Jiuyuan waved his hand, signaling him to withdraw.

He walked to a huge jade wall in the hall.