txolops Chapter 141 Wuji Kingdom: Night Trial of the Ghost King
Chapter 141 Wuji Kingdom: Night Trial of the Ghost King
Poetry:
A sudden gust of wind under the moon sends a ghost to roam; a tiger carries a wronged soul to knock on the Zen door.
Li Fa pretended to be a lowly official in the underworld, while the true dragon at the bottom of the well awaited the dawn.
Meanwhile, the Black Tiger of Youdu, carrying a ghost in its mouth, gently placed it in front of Li Fa.
The ghost originally intended to enter Tang Sanzang's room at night to visit him in a dream, but it was intercepted by a fierce tiger on the way and snatched away in one bite. It was so frightened that its three souls and seven spirits were scattered, and it collapsed to the ground, motionless.
Upon seeing this, Tang Sanzang turned deathly pale and stammered, "Daoist... Daoist Master, this... this is..."
He recalled Li Fa saying during the day that "this tiger feeds on ghosts and monsters," and his fear intensified. He hurriedly grabbed Li Fa's sleeve and said, "Master, monks are guided by compassion. Even if it is a ghost, you must not harm it! You... you must tell this tiger not to eat it!"
Li Fa laughed and said, "Elder, rest assured. Although this tiger of mine eats ghosts and monsters, it only eats those who have committed many evil deeds and have heavy karma. Since this ghost has come here in the middle of the night, there must be a reason. Let me interrogate him and find out his intentions before I deal with him."
Upon hearing this, Tang Sanzang felt somewhat relieved.
Li Fa wiped his face, transformed himself, and instantly changed his appearance.
But he was seen:
He wore a seven-ridged crown, a black silk robe, a white jade pendant at his waist, and pink-soled boots. His face was as red as a jujube, and his eyes were like cold stars. Three strands of black beard hung down to his chest, and a faint aura of yin energy swirled around him.
He was absolutely imposing and awe-inspiring, with a chilling aura. Where was the trace of a wandering Taoist priest? He was clearly a judge from the underworld!
Upon seeing this, Tang Sanzang was startled again and stammered, "Daoist... Daoist, what is this...?"
Li Fa coaxed him, "Elder, don't panic. Ghosts are most afraid of the underworld. Once they encounter underworld officials, they'll say anything. I'll just transform into an underworld official and question this ghost."
Upon hearing this, Tang Sanzang said, "Amitabha! So the Taoist priest has such abilities. I am relieved."
Li Fa waved his hand and said, "Elder, there's no need for such formalities. Just watch my skills."
Having said that, he pointed and shouted, "You monster, wake up!"
The ghost, who had already fainted from fright, slowly woke up after being shouted at.
He opened his eyes and found himself lying in a meditation room. A black-faced judge sat before him, and a white-faced monk stood beside him.
He looked closely and realized that the monk was none other than Tang Sanzang, whom he had wanted to appear to in his dream! Overjoyed, he was about to speak when his gaze fell on the dark-faced judge beside Tang Sanzang.
This one look was quite alarming; it scared him so much that his soul almost left his body!
Li Fa said, "Don't be afraid, ghost. I am the Imperial Censor under the Great Emperor of Fengdu in the Northern Underworld. I am ordered to inspect the two realms and take charge of grievances in the human world and injustices in the underworld. Today, I passed by Baolin Temple and saw that the yin energy was swirling here. I knew that there were wronged spirits causing trouble, so I waited here."
"Do you know that the person beside me is the monk appointed by the Buddha of the West to retrieve the scriptures? Why have you come to disturb him in the dead of night? Do you intend to harm him and ruin his spiritual practice?"
The ghost trembled violently, prostrated itself on the ground, and repeatedly kowtowed, pleading in a trembling voice, "Priest, spare me! Priest, spare me! I...I didn't mean to offend you, I'm just so wronged that I...I came to disturb this elder, please have mercy, Grandfather! Please have mercy!"
Li Fa slammed his hand on the table and said sternly, "Tell me your grievances!"
The ghost was so frightened that it cried out, "Your Excellency, the Imperial Censor, please understand! I was originally the King of Wuji Kingdom. Three years ago, I was framed by a villain and pushed into a well to drown."
Because my grievances remain unaddressed, and my soul cannot find peace, I have heard that this elder is a holy monk from the Tang Dynasty in the East, capable of subduing demons and monsters. Therefore… therefore, I have come to beg him to grant me justice and clear my name! But I have alarmed the Underworld; I deserve to die! I deserve to die!
Upon hearing this, Li Fa's expression softened slightly. He said, "Oh? You are the King of Wuji Kingdom? Murdered by treacherous people? Tell me in detail, and if you utter even a single falsehood, I will surely make your soul fly away and never be reincarnated!"
The ghost kowtowed repeatedly, saying, "This humble king dares not! This humble king dares not!" Then it recounted in detail what had happened three years ago.
Three years ago, a Taoist priest from Quanzhen Temple came to Wuji Kingdom. He could summon wind and rain and turn stones into gold. The king became sworn brothers with him, and they slept and ate together, becoming very close.
Unexpectedly, the Taoist priest harbored evil intentions. One day, while strolling in the royal garden with the king, he pushed the king into the octagonal glazed well, covered the well opening with a stone slab, and then chanted a spell to transplant a banana tree and plant it over the well.
The Taoist priest then transformed himself into the appearance of a king, seized the throne, and took the queen as his own. For three years, no one recognized his true identity.
After speaking, the ghost, tears streaming down its face, cried out, "I, Wang, died unjustly! For three years, my soul has been restless, hoping someone will seek justice for me. Hearing that the holy monk has come, I have come to plead my case, but I have disturbed you, sir! Please, sir, have mercy! Please, sir, grant me justice!"
Upon hearing this, Tang Sanzang was already in tears, and he clasped his hands together, saying, "Excellent! Excellent! Such a grievance! I wonder if... no, Your Excellency, could you possibly avenge this king?"
Li Fa remained silent, only staring at the ghost, and said, "You just said that the Taoist priest transformed into your likeness, seized your kingdom, and took your queen. Since you have been wronged, why don't you go to the underworld to file a complaint? Why don't you appeal before King Yama?"
The ghost cried out, "Grandpa, you don't know! That Taoist priest is incredibly powerful and has connections with the gods in heaven. I went to the underworld to complain several times, but I was turned away each time."
The young prince had also appeared in the prince's dream, but the prince, being young, could not discern its reality and took it merely as a nightmare. The young prince, having exhausted all other options, has come to disturb the holy monk, begging you, sir, to discern the truth!
Upon hearing this, Li Fa nodded and said, "I see. Please stand up and speak."
The ghost dared not get up, but knelt on the ground, staring longingly at Li Fa.
Li Fa said, "Your injustice is not difficult to prove. Let me ask you, where is your body now?"
The ghost said, "It is in the octagonal glazed well in the Imperial Garden. At the bottom of that well is a crystal palace, which is the residence of the Well Dragon King. My body sank to the bottom of the well, but thanks to the compassion of the Well Dragon King, he protected it with a youth-preserving pill, and it has not decayed to this day."
Li Fa said, "If that's the case, then this matter will be easy to handle. I will inform the King of the Underworld and obtain permission to return to the living world, so that I can personally confront that evil Taoist."
Upon hearing this, the ghost was overjoyed and kowtowed repeatedly: "Grandpa, your great kindness is unforgettable! But... but that demon is so powerful, I'm afraid..."
Li Fa waved his hand and said, "Don't worry about that. I have my own plan." After saying that, he turned to look at Tang Sanzang and said, "Elder, I need your help with this matter."
Tang Sanzang quickly replied, "As Your Majesty commands, this humble monk will certainly obey. What is it that you require of this humble monk?"
Li Fa said, "I need to borrow your eldest disciple, Sun Wukong. He is incredibly powerful and resourceful, and can be a great help to me. Tell him about the king's grievances, and he will naturally help you."
Tang Sanzang nodded repeatedly and said, "That's easy! I'll go and call Wukong right away!"