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墨書 Inktalez
The cold wind howled, swirling with a chilling ghostly aura in the grand hall, as if countless vengeful spirits were lamenting and weeping. Wu Kong impatiently tapped the desk in front of him, which was constructed from eerie white bones, emitting a grating creak that suggested it might collapse at any moment. This Underworld was dreadfully dull, lacking even a decent table.
He cast a sidelong glance at Qin Quai, who knelt below, trembling in fear. The once arrogant figure had now been reduced to a quivering mass of flesh, exuding a nauseating stench of decay.
The Judge, responsible for the records, presented the Life and Death Register with trembling hands. The yellowed book was densely filled with the fates of all living beings. Wu Kong flipped through a few pages, his brow furrowing deeper with each turn. "Why is there no mention of Qin Quai's name? Are you trying to cover up for him and remove him from the Life and Death Register?" He slammed his hand on the desk, causing the Judge to tremble in fear and hurriedly kneel in supplication. "Great Sage, please calm your anger! How could I dare? Qin Quai is guilty beyond measure; I wouldn't mix him with other souls. I've made a separate record for him, tucked beneath the main ledger."
Wu Kong snorted coldly and snatched the Life and Death Register from the Judge. Sure enough, he found a thin booklet at the bottom, inscribed in vermilion with five large characters—"Qin Quai's Crimes." He casually flipped through a few pages and felt his anger boil over. Each recorded incident revealed Qin Quai's treachery and cruelty. During the Jin invasion, he had been cowardly enough to betray his country, using peace negotiations as an excuse to hand over the land! He had caused the death of Yue Fei and countless loyal subjects, subjecting the common people to suffering while he indulged himself in luxury!
"What a Qin Quai! What a traitor!" Wu Kong threw the "Crimes Record" in front of Qin Quai, laughing in fury. "You, as an official of the court, failed to serve your country and instead colluded with the Jin invaders to harm loyal subjects. Do you not know your crimes?!"
Qin Quai was terrified to the point of losing his wits; he prostrated himself on the ground, repeatedly knocking his head against it while mumbling incoherently in defense. "It was all forced by the Jin! It has nothing to do with me! Please spare me, Lord of Yan!"
"Forced? What a convenient excuse!" Wu Kong shouted in rage, pointing at Qin Quai's nose. "Let me ask you this: if you were truly forced, why did you have Yue Fei killed? Why did you sign that humiliating treaty?! How can you still call yourself a subject of the Song Dynasty?!"
Qin Quai was left speechless by these questions; he continued to knock his head on the ground until blood oozed from his forehead but still refused to admit his crimes.
"Hmph! You won't shed tears until you see the coffin!" Wu Kong scoffed and turned to the Silver-faced Judge beside him. "Bring forth the Seeking Treachery Water Mirror so this scoundrel can see what he's done!"
The Silver-faced Judge did not dare delay and quickly fetched a water mirror. As he held it up, ripples danced across its surface until an image resembling Qin Quai emerged. Dressed in official robes, he was seen kneeling before the Jin emperor with exaggerated deference, exclaiming, "Long Live Your Majesty!" The Jin emperor whispered something in his ear, prompting him to nod repeatedly with a sycophantic smile plastered on his face. As he left, he bowed deeply and said with a grin, "No need to say more!"
"Qin Quai! Look closely—who is that person in the mirror?!" Wu Kong shouted angrily.
Qin Quai glanced up but immediately lowered his head again, gritting his teeth as he replied, " Lord of Yan, that figure in the mirror doesn't understand the hardships of this Qin Quai! One cannot judge merely by appearances!"
"Hardships? Appearances?" Wu Kong laughed bitterly in fury. "Do you think hiding here in this Underworld will allow you to escape punishment? The sins you've committed are countless! Today, I shall act on behalf of heaven and let you experience the torment of being 'entangled in thorns'!"
As soon as the words fell, one hundred and fifty Iron Mask Ghosts emerged in response, wielding Six Million Embroidery Needles, surrounding Qin Quai completely. With a command from Wu Kong, the needles transformed into a flurry of snowflakes, raining down upon Qin Quai.
“Ah—” A piercing scream echoed throughout the Underworld, lingering in the air.
Wu Kong casually flipped through the charges against Qin Quai. The densely packed characters seemed to him like jumping lice, causing him great annoyance. “Shaoxing First Year, Qin Quai has been appointed as Vice Minister…” Wu Kong scoffed and tossed the scroll aside. “This fellow really knows how to put on a show, pretending to be some Vice Minister. I wonder how smug he feels inside!”
Judge Gao observed carefully and leaned closer, bowing slightly. “Great Sage, you see clearly. This Qin Quai is rotten to the core! He doesn’t actually want to be any Vice Minister; rather…” Judge Gao deliberately paused, lowering his voice and speaking mysteriously, “he wants to be Prime Minister!”
Wu Kong burst into laughter. “Be Prime Minister? Him? Does he even deserve it?!” His laughter was filled with disdain and mockery.
Judge Gao smiled apologetically. “What Great Sage says is true; with his character, even if he had ten times the courage, he wouldn’t dare to dream of the Prime Minister position. But unfortunately, this world is full of delusional fools!” Clearing his throat, he continued, “In my humble opinion, there are two types of people who aspire to be Prime Minister: one type consists of shameless individuals who only think about indulgence and having many wives and concubines. They want to be Prime Minister to enhance their own reputation, to bring glory to their ancestors, and to wield power…”
Wu Kong waved his hand impatiently. “Alright, alright! I know all that; say something I don’t know!”
Judge Gao chuckled and went on, “The other type is like Qin Quai—traitorous scoundrels who seek personal gain at the expense of their country. They want to be Prime Minister to control state affairs, to manipulate the emperor and command the lords, all for their own selfish desires! They appear virtuous on the surface, spouting righteousness and morality while secretly engaging in all sorts of immoral activities!”
“In August, Qin Quai was promoted to Right Deputy Minister. In September, Lu Yihai again took up the role of Prime Minister and jointly governed with Qin Quai…” Wu Kong looked at the content on the scroll with a cold smile. “This treacherous villain has indeed climbed higher step by step!” A glint of coldness flashed in his eyes. “It’s a pity that Lu Yihai possesses great ambitions but is toyed with by this scoundrel; it’s truly lamentable!”
Looking further down: “The emperor once said to Bachelor Qi Chongli: ‘Qin Quai wants to exchange the people of Hebei for lands occupied by the Jin Kingdom and exchange the people of Central Plains for lands occupied by Liu Yu. If that happens, Southerners return South and Northerners return North; as a Northerner myself, where should I go?’”
Wu Kong trembled with rage, tearing the scroll to shreds. "What a Qin Quai! What a treacherous traitor selling out the country for personal gain! How could he come up with such a ridiculous and malicious proposal? He deserves to die a thousand deaths!"
"The Song Emperor speaks like a true man!" The Wanderer slammed his golden bowl down heavily, causing the beams and pillars of the hall to vibrate, making the courtiers shrink back in fear, none daring to speak. With blood-red eyes, he scanned the room before finally fixing his gaze on Qin Quai. "You say the common people are ignorant, but even the merchants and laborers know that when the Jin invade, they must burn incense and vow before the temple to shed their blood for this land! You hold high positions and live in luxury; have you ever considered where your wealth and honor come from? Who granted you your high offices and riches? Who paved your glorious path?!"
Cold sweat trickled down Qin Quai's forehead, yet he forced himself to remain calm and cupped his hands in respect. "Lord of Yan, please see clearly. Though I may be foolish, I am devoted to my country and hope that His Majesty can rest easy..."
"Rest easy?" The Wanderer interrupted him with a cold laugh. "What a fine notion of resting easy! You would hand over the Song Dynasty's territory to let the Jin trample this land, and that would be considered resting easy?!"
"'The southerners return south, the northerners return north,'" The Wanderer stepped forward, closing in on Qin Quai, each word like thunder. "What a lighthearted 'joke'! Have you ever thought that the common people are like pieces on a chessboard, manipulated by treacherous scoundrels like you? You see them as mere weeds; have you ever considered that they too were born of parents, longing for family reunions, yearning for peace in this world?!"
"Lord of Yan, you are mistaken," Qin Quai's eyes darted as he continued to argue. "I am solely devoted to the state; this matter of peace is merely for long-term consideration..."
"Long-term consideration?" The Wanderer laughed in anger. With a wave of his hand, two fierce-looking Ghost Messengers brought forth something resembling a small mountain to the front of the hall. This small mountain was entirely blood-red, constructed from countless sharp knives, their tips glinting ominously.
"Master Qin, do you recognize this object?" The Wanderer asked with a smile that was anything but warm.
Qin Quai's legs buckled beneath him as he collapsed to the ground, his face as pale as paper. How could he not recognize it? This was the legendary torturous punishment—Knife Mountain!
"If you wish to negotiate peace with the Jin, first ask if Knife Mountain agrees!" At The Wanderer's command, the two Ghost Messengers seized Qin Quai and roughly hurled him toward the bloody Knife Mountain...
"Ah!" Qin Quai's piercing screams echoed through the vast hall, lingering long after he fell silent.
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