Chapter 10: Trap and Resurrection #journeytothewest #monkeyking #sunwukong #pigsy #zhubajie

Emperor Taizong is playing Go, you know, the board game. Super strategic. Right, with one of his top ministers, Wei Zhang. They're in a side chamber in the palace, deep focus. And the source actually spends a bit of time on the game itself, which is interesting, gives you a feel for Go strategy. Yeah, it talks about being precise, stone placement, you know, high in the belly, lower at the side, middle in the corner, things like that. Tactical stuff too, right? Like, better to lose one piece than the initiative? Exactly. Sacrificing small for a bigger gain. Thinking moves ahead, offense versus defense. It really sets the scene, you know. This isn't just a casual game, it's a mental battle. Right, intense strategy. And we get a specific time. Which is around, what, 1.45 p.m.-ish? Yeah, mid-afternoon. Peak concentration time, you'd think. And right then, Wei Zhang just nods off. Yep, slumps right over the board. Starts snoring, apparently, just gone. Wow, okay. Picture that. Pieces on the board, intense, quiet, and then snoring. Ah, yeah. And Taizong's reaction is kind of surprising, isn't it? He's not mad. No, not at all. He looks at Wei Zhang, all slumped over, and basically says, ah, my minister, he worked so hard for the state, building this empire, he's exhausted. So he blames it on overwork. Yeah, he thinks it's honorable exhaustion, so he kindly decides, you know, let him sleep, don't wake him. Shows how much he respects Wei Zhang, really. It's a nice moment. Almost tender, right? But that quiet doesn't last. Not for a second. While Wei Zhang's still out cold, bam, huge noise outside the palace gate. Real commotion. Oh, in? In come the generals, Qin Shibao and Xu Mogong, bursting in. And they're carrying something. Oh, yeah, they're carrying a dragon head. A bloody dragon head. What he did, it just fell out of the sky, right near the market, the south end of the Thousand Pace Corridor, the crossroads there. Fell. From the sky. A dragon head. They've never seen anything like it, just dropped onto the street. Okay, hold on. So, bloody dragon head appears out of nowhere in the capital city, while the emperor's go-partner is asleep at the board. Weird timing, right? Taizong must be freaking out. Totally shocked. And his first instinct, according to the text, turned to Wai Zing. The sleeping guy. Why him? Wai Zing wakes up right about then, starts apologizing like crazy for nodding off. Oh, right, bowing. I deserve 10,000 deaths, that kind of thing. Exactly, super apologetic. But Taizong's like, never mind that, what about this dragon head? He asks Wai Zing what it means. And Wai Zing has an answer. Does he ever? Well, it's astonishing. He says, okay, while his body was here, plain go, his spirit actually left his body. His spirit went out. In a dream? Like he traveled somewhere? That's what he says. His spirit went on a little trip while he was napping. And in this dream journey, he got orders. Heavenly orders. To do what? To execute the dragon king. Execute the dragon king? Why? Apparently, the dragon king had broken some celestial laws. The source doesn't give specifics here, but other versions mention, like messing up a rain forecast. Here, it's just violated celestial laws. Okay, so in his dream, he's ordered to kill a dragon king. And he describes it really vividly, just like the source says. He saw the dragon king tied up on this special execution platform, a him-ani. Told him he'd committed heavenly crimes. Sentence was death, came straight from above. Did the dragon king say anything? Oh yeah, he pleaded. Begged for his life. Described as a, like, really mournful and bitter. But Wai Zing? Wai Zing says he rallied his spirit, stepped up, raised his sword, calls it a frosty blade. He chopped his head off. In the dream. With a sharp sound, head just fell off. Into the void. Okay, wait, let me get this straight. Wai Zing claims his spirit, while he was asleep dreaming, executed the dragon king. And that dream action resulted in the dragon king's actual physical head falling onto the streets of Chang'an. According to Wai Zing, yes. According to the story, yes. A spiritual action in a dream had a direct, immediate, and, uh, very messy physical consequence. Okay. My head hurts. How does Taizan react to that story? It's complicated. The text says his heart felt a mix of sorrow and happiness. Happiness? Why happy? Pride. He praises Wai Zing. Calls him a hero, Yizhen. Thinks, wow, my ministers are so capable. They're even carrying out heavenly justice in their sleep. The empire must be secure with guys like this. Okay, I can kind of see that. But the sorrow part? Uh, yeah, that's the key bit for what happens next. He's sad because, the source says, he had a dream earlier. And in his dream, he'd actually promised to save the dragon. He promised. So Taizan feels like he broke his word. Exactly. Even though it was Wai Zing acting on heavenly orders in his dream, Taizan feels personally responsible. Like, he let the dragon king down because of that promise he made in his own dream. The lines between dream and reality, responsibility, they're getting really blurry for him. Wow. Okay, so he feels guilty, but publicly? Publicly. He orders the head displayed. Show the people. And he rewards Wai Zing. Puts on a good face. Side inside. That evening, the text says, he's still really troubled. Can't stop thinking about the dragon king begging for his life, that promise he felt he made. It's starting to get to him, physically. He feels unwell, tired, really distressed. It's more than just guilt. It's like a weight on him. And it gets worse, doesn't it, at night? Oh, yeah. Much worse. Around, huh, maybe 2am, there's sounds outside the palace, crying, wailing. Did you hear those sounds? Nope. Taizan's kind of half asleep, and suddenly, there he is. The headless dragon king appears right there to him. Headless. Oh, man. Is this another dream? Doesn't seem like it. This feels like a direct spiritual assault. The dragon king is holding his own bloody head. Oh, geez. And he's yelling at Taizan, give me back my life. You promised to save me, then you had your official kill me. He blames Taizan directly. Yep. Says, Taizan broke his promise. He grabs Taizan, says, let's go. We're going to the underworld, to Yan Luo's court, to argue this case. Whoa, he's trying to drag the emperor to hell. Pretty much. Taizan is terrified, can't speak, sweating like crazy. It's a full-on physical and spiritual attack. His guilt and fear have literally come back to haunt him. He's trapped. What happens? Just when it seems hopeless, help arrives. From the south, there are these fragrant clouds, colorful mists, and this figure appears, a thulk, a female immortal. Turns out, it's the Bodhisattva Guan Yin. She's actually on her way east, her mission, to find the scripture pilgrim. The main quest of the whole book. Exactly. She's just passing through, staying temporarily at the local city temple. Pure coincidence she was nearby. Seems like it, but crucially, she heard the disturbance. The text says, ghosts crying, spirits howling from the palace. And being Guan Yin, compassionate Bodhisattva, she steps in. To save the emperor. Right. She just waves her willow branch, that symbol of hers, for compassion and healing and poof. The headless dragon spirit is forced away. Where does it go? Towards the northwest. Towards Lucha, the underworld. Okay, so Guan Yin saved him, but the dragon went somewhere. Yes, and the text specifically says he's gone to the underworld to lodge a complaint. A formal case against Taizong. So this is far from over. Not even close. Taizong wakes up, screaming his head off. There are ghosts! There are ghosts! The whole palace must have gone nuts. Total panic. Empress, concubines, eunuchs, nobody sleeps. The emperor has been visibly, deeply terrified by this. It's not just a nightmare anymore. And the next day? Officials are waiting outside like usual. No emperor, they're told he's sick. And he is. His health just plummets after that night. How long does this go on? Days. Five to seven days pass. The officials are getting seriously worried. Finally, the Empress Dowager calls in the doctors. And what do they say? Is it just exhaustion or fear? No, it's bad. The diagnosis in the text is specific and grim. His pulse is weak, rapid, irregular. He's talking about seeing ghosts constantly. Seeing ghosts? So it's affecting his mind, too. And his body. They mention a critical pulse reading. She's skipping beats regularly. That's a really bad sign in traditional medicine. They say his vital organs are losing their energy, their heat. So the haunting, the spiritual attack. It's physically killing him. It seems like it. The doctors basically say his vital energy is drained. The prognosis. He'll be dead in seven days. Seven days. Okay, this is a full-blown crisis. The Emperor is dying from a ghost attack. Absolute crisis. So the Empress Dowager does the only thing left. She summons the big guns, the generals. Zhu Maogong, the duke who protects the state. Probably Zhu again, or someone of similar rank. And the legend, Yu Qi Gong. The toughest guys in the empire. Pretty much. Taizong, even though he's weak, talks to them. He reminds them, look, I've fought everywhere. South, north, east, west. I've seen more battles, more death than anyone. Right, he's a hardened warrior. And he says, I've never been scared of ghosts or evil spirits before. It's never seen the slightest weird thing. But this, this is real. He is genuinely haunted. And he describes it. What's happening? Yeah, he says, at night, bricks and tiles get thrown around his rooms. See, there's ghostly howling outside his door. Eugene. It's physical, it's audible, and it's preventing him from getting any rest, which is making the illness worse. How does someone like Yu Qi Gong react to that? He's famously fierce. Yeah, Yu Qi Jingde, that's his courtesy name. He's initially a bit skeptical. Says something like, your majesty, you've killed thousands to build this empire. Why would you fear ghosts now? Like, shouldn't they fear you? A soldier's logic. Makes sense. But Taizong insists, no, this is real. It's unbearable at night. He needs help. Actual physical protection. From ghosts. From whatever is throwing bricks and howling. That's when Qin Shibao steps up. Another legendary general. What does he suggest? He offers to stand guard. Personally. Right at the palace gate that night. And he says, Jingde Yu Qi Gong will stand guard with him. So the two most fearsome generals in China, basically acting as supernatural bouncers. That's the plan. Two living legends famous for their intimidating presence. Standing guard to ward off a headless ghost. And Taizong. He's desperate. He accepts their offer. And the way the text describes them getting ready. It's something else. Really paints a picture. Oh, totally. It emphasizes how incredibly formidable they look. Golden helmets, shining, you know, dragon scale armor. They're meant to look utterly intimidating. Larger than life, almost. Yeah. Like figures of legend. Exactly. The source goes into detail. The armor, these protective mirrors they wore. Even their eyes are described as fiery, intense enough to scare the stars. Intense. And this description, it directly connects them to a later folk tradition. These two guys become the famous door gods, you know. The protective images people put on their door. Ah, okay. That makes total sense when you hear how they're described here. So these two imposing generals stand guard. Real, live deterrence. Does it work? It does, yeah. For a few nights anyway. The disturbances just stop. Taizong finally gets some peace, some actual sleep. Their presence alone is enough. Okay, great. But, I mean, you can't have your top general standing guard duty every single night forever. Yeah. That's not really sustainable. No, exactly. They're human. They get tired. Super tired, actually. So Taizong, he appreciates their effort, but he needs a more permanent fix. He talks to his officials. And someone has an idea. Yep. One of his advisors, Zhu Maogang, suggests something, well, pretty innovative. Okay, so not just more guards. What is it? It's paintings. Paintings. Seriously. Portraits. They commission artists to paint Qin Shibao and Jinde looking just as fierce and imposing as they did in person. Full battle gear. The whole intimidating look. Huh. So the idea is to capture their, like, protective energy on canvas. Pretty much. Capture that aura, yeah. And then they actually post these paintings up on the main palace gates. Okay, that's creative. Does that work? Can a painting stop a ghost? According to the story, yes. It works just as well as the real generals did. The painted images keep the main gate secure. No more disturbances there. It's a really interesting mix of, you know, the practical need for security and the symbolic power of the image. And it really cements that door god connection we talked about. Front door secured with art. That's amazing. Problem solved, then. Taizan must be feeling better now he can sleep. You'd think so, wouldn't you? But, um, no. The problem isn't quite gone. It seems these disturbances are persistent. Oh, no. Yeah. You secure the front gate, just find another way in. The noises, the spooky stuff. It starts up again. But this time, it's coming from the back gate of the palace. Okay, so round two. New gate, new problem. Need another guardian. Exactly. Yu Maogang steps in again. This time he suggests Wei Jing. Another important official. Taizan says, okay. Wei Jing. And does he also get a fearsome description? Ready for spectral combat. He does, actually. The text describes him preparing, wearing, like, a silk scarf, a brocade robe, jade belt. But crucially, he's holding his dragon-slaying sword. Dragon-slaying sword. Okay, so he means business. Maybe more than just bumps in the night this time. Yeah, the implication is he's equipped for some serious supernatural trouble. And again, it works. He stands guard at the back gate all night, and things are quiet there, too. Okay, so now we have the front gate secured by paintings, the back gate secured by Wei Jing with his dragon-slaying sword. The palace is locked down, right? Both physically and spiritually. Seems like it. No way in for unwelcome visitors. So now Taizan must be recovering, finally getting better. This is where it gets really serious, actually. Despite the palace being secure, Taizan's health, it doesn't just fail to improve, it gets significantly worse. Oh, wow. So locking the gates didn't fix the underlying issue. Apparently not. It starts to look like maybe the disturbances were a symptom, or maybe an attack connected to his illness. But the illness itself is the real critical problem now. He's fading fast. It gets that bad. To the point where they're preparing for the end. Yeah. The Empress Dowager is called, the ministers gather. They're actually discussing funeral arrangements. Heavy stuff. Very. And Taizan himself, he seems resigned. He gives instructions to Xu Magong about running the state after he's gone. The story even makes a point of comparing it to a famous historical moment, Lu Bei entrusting his son to Zhu Jing. Wow. So he's really preparing for death. He is. He bathes, changes his clothes, basically gets ready to die. He's waiting for it. And just as he's about to pass away. Right then, Wei Zheng, the guy guarding the back gate, rushes in and stops him. Stops him? How? He makes this absolutely incredible claim. He says he has a way to guarantee Taizong long life. Even now, on his deathbed. How is that even possible? Taizong must think he's delirious. Taizong is skeptical, yeah. He points out how sick he is. But Wei Zheng insists, and his plan, it involves the underworld. The underworld. Okay, now we're really leaving the realm of the normal. Completely. Wei Zheng produces a letter. He tells Taizong to take this letter with him when he dies. And deliver it to someone specific in the underworld. A figure named Guizhou. Guizhou. Who's that? Some kind of underworld official. That's what Taizong asks. And Wei Zheng explains, yeah. In life, Guizhou was an official who served Taizong's father. Rose up to be minister of rights. Okay, so a known figure from the past. But more importantly, Wei Zheng says they were sworn brothers. Like incredibly close friends, bound by oath. So close they still met in dreams after Guizhou died. Whoa, friends across the veil. So Guizhou has a job in the afterlife now. He does. According to Wei Zheng, he's now a judge. A judge of Fengdu, specifically in charge of the Ledger of Life and Death. The Book of Life and Death. So he has some serious power down there. Immense power. And Wei Zheng's whole plan relies on this friendship. He tells Taizong, give Guizhou this letter. And because he's my sworn brother, he'll help you. He'll make sure you come back. Cosmic networking. You need a contact on the inside. Kind of, yeah. It's about leveraging a personal connection in the afterlife bureaucracy. Incredible. So Taizong, what does he do? He must be desperate. He really has nothing to lose at this point. So he takes the letter, tucks it into his sleeve, closes his eyes, and dies. The palace erupts in mourning. But his soul. The story follows his soul, right? It does. His spirit, his consciousness, leaves his body and finds itself. Well, lost. Wandering in this sort of bleak, empty wilderness. Alone and disoriented. Until someone calls out his name. Guizhou. It is. It's Guizhou. And the description of him in the underworld is interesting. Not exactly royal, maybe a bit disheveled with messy hair and beard, but clearly official. He's got the robes, the belt, an ivory tablet, serving the king of hell, holding that all-important Book of Life and Death. And he was expecting Taizong. How did he know? He says he knew Taizong was arriving because he'd actually been summoned by King Qin Guang, one of the kings of hell. Summoned for what? For something called a three-way trial. It involved Taizong, the king of hell, and the ghost of the Jing River Dragon King. Wait, the dragon? Yeah. The one-way Xing executed in a dream earlier in the story? That's the one. Apparently, the dragon filed a complaint against Taizong in the underworld for, you know, allowing his execution. So Taizong's death wasn't just illness. It was also this official summons to face charges. Wow. Okay. Layers upon layers. So Quizu knew about this trial. Yes. And he came specifically to meet Taizong before the trial could happen, to intercept him, essentially. What a relief for Taizong. Finding a friendly face. Oh. Well, a friend's friend waiting for him right when he's facing afterlife port. Absolutely immense relief. Taizong confirms who he is, asks about his position, and then just overjoyed, he hands over Wei Zing's letter. The crucial letter. What does it actually say? Is it formal? It's deeply personal. Wei Zing basically pours his heart out. He talks about how much he misses his sworn brother Quizu, mentions making offerings to his spirit, acknowledges Quizu's, uh, high promotion down there. A promotion to judge of the underworld, yeah. Right. He laments being separated by life and death, and then he gets to the point. He says, look, I know Taizong is here about that dragon business, but please, brother, be convenient. Be convenient? Like, bend the rules a bit. Exactly. Pull some strings, help Taizong get back to the living world, and he explicitly invokes their friendship, their birthday friendship, as the reason Quizu should do this huge favor. It all comes down to that personal bond. Does it work? It works instantly. Quizu reads the letter, looks really happy. He even mentions he already knew about Wei Zing slaying the dragon in the dream, and he thought it was pretty impressive. Okay. And then he adds something really important. He says that Wei Zing, back in the living world, has been taking care of his Quizu's family, his descendants. Ah. So there's ongoing obligation and care there too. Yes. So because of the letter, their strong friendship, and the fact Wei Zing is looking after his family, Quizu doesn't hesitate. He promises Taizong right then and there, don't worry, you're going back. You'll return to the world of the living and get your throne back. Taizong actually arriving at the gates of the underworld. He's got Quizu, plus some attendants. And it's not just, you know, some vague portal. It's described as a proper, solid gateway. The text calls it Quizu. The netherworld gate of hell. Yeah. It feels very much like a real place. A definite point of entry. An imposing one. Like a border crossing almost. Kind of, yeah. And the danger is immediate. Like right away. Almost as soon as they step through, Taizong is confronted by his dead brothers, Jian Cheng and Yuan Ji. The text is quite vivid. They physically attack him. Grabbing at him. Demanding his life. It really hammers home how earthly grudges can persist. Scary stuff. But his guide, Quizu, he knows what he's doing. Oh yeah. He reacts fast. Shouts for a ghost envoy described with a green face and fangs. Pretty terrifying image to basically chase them off. Gives Taizong a moment to breathe, I guess. Keep moving deeper into this underworld city. Exactly. So they move past that initial shock, through the streets. They come to the main, sort of, administrative building. The central palace. And the description here is really something. It's not just some dark cave. No. It paints this incredibly detailed picture. Green tiles push you out. Right. And those eaves shaped like monster heads shoot. Mandarin duck tiles. Doors with red gold nails. A white jade threshold. It sounds almost like an earthly palace, but off. Otherworldly. Plus you have mist and light mentioned. It's detailed, elaborate. It feels like a real seat of power. It really establishes the underworld as this structured place. A bureaucracy, almost. Precisely. It's not chaos. It's organized. It has gates, streets, the central administration. And the building even has specific names. Right. Two names. Yeah. The General Assembly Gate of the Underworld. And Hisha. The Lower Yamas Palace of Maya. And this is where things get really interesting. Because Taizong is about to meet the Man of Vanity. He is indeed. He's brought before the Ten Kings of the Underworld. The source actually lists them all. You know, Xin Guang Wang, Chu Jiang Wang. All ten. A full committee. And what's fascinating is how they greet him. They actually come down from their thrones to meet him. There's a level of respect shown to him as a living emperor. It tells you the underworld still recognizes, or at least interacts with, the hierarchies of the living world. Okay, so why was he summoned in the first place? It wasn't just a courtesy call. No, not at all. It turns out the whole reason he's there is because of a complaint filed against him. By the Jing River Dragon. Remember him? The one who was executed earlier in the story. He accused Taizong of breaking a promise to save him. Ah, right. So Taizong has to defend himself now in front of the Ten Kings. Exactly. He explains the whole situation. The dragon came to him in a dream. Beg for help. Taizong agreed. But he argues the dragon was already fated to be executed by his official Wei Zing. The chess game incident. That's the one. Taizong trying to distract Wei Zing by playing chess with him. Keep him busy so he couldn't carry out the execution. But it didn't work. No. Wei Zing apparently carried out the execution in a dream while dozing off during the game. So Taizong's defense is basically, look, I tried, but it happened in a dream. Wei Zing was acting under orders from above. And anyway, it was the dragon's time. Pretty much. He's arguing it was divine intervention. Fate. Not really his fault. Which, you know, raises big questions about responsibility versus destiny here. Was he really culpable? Or was it all unavoidable? Well, the kings seem to have their own perspective. They basically say, yeah, we knew about the dragon. His fate was apparently sealed before he was even born. Recorded in a different book. The South Star's Book of the Dead. Predestined. Predestined to be executed by a human official. So they process the dragon's complaint, but ultimately send him off for reincarnation. His case, from their end, was already closed, really. Bringing Taizong there was almost procedural. Okay, so the dragon issue is settled. But they're not done with Taizong yet. Nope. Now they turn to his file. They ask the judge, Quizhou, the same guy who brought him in, to go check Taizong's lifespan in the Book of Life and Death. The official record. And this. This is where it gets absolutely wild. Quizhou goes to the record's office, finds the ledger for emperors and rulers, and he finds Taizong's entry. It says his reign is destined to last only 13 years of the Zenguan era. Just 13 years. Yeah. But he's already in his 13th year, isn't he? Exactly. Quizhou's shocked, the text says, ha, he was startled. And then right there, he grabs a brush with thick ink, and he adds two strokes to the character. One, changing it to three. Wait, wait. He just edits it. He changes one to three. Just like that. Changes 13 years to 33 years. Adds 20 years to the emperor's life with two flicks of a brush. So the kings see the altered record. Yes. Quizhou brings it back. Look, see, 33 years. They note he's currently in year 13. So they tell him, okay, you've got 20 more years left on earth. Case closed. Lifespan extended. Unbelievable. Pretty much. He's cleared to go back. Does he ask anything else before he leaves? Yeah, he asks about his family back home. He's told they're okay, although there's a little mention that his imperial sister's lifespan looks a bit short in the records. A slightly ominous detail. Anything else? Well, there's that slightly odd, almost funny bit. Taizong is grateful, obviously, and offers to send gifts back once he returns to the living world. Okay. And the kings say they'd appreciate melons, but they specifically mention they don't get many south gourds, pumpkins, or squash, basically. Pumpkins. They want pumpkins in the underworld. Apparently so. And Taizong promises to send some. It's such a strange, mundane little request amidst all this cosmic drama. It really grounds it, like you said. So he gets escorted out. Yes. By Quizhu again, and another figure, Zhu Taiwei. But they don't go back the way they came. A different route. Quizhu explains they're taking him via the Zuan Linzang, sometimes translated as the Wheel of Reincarnation, or maybe Treasury of Reincarnation. He calls it the Way Out, No Way In, and says it allows Taizong to sort of observe the process. See how things work on the way out. Right. And this path leads them toward the final hurdle before the living world, a place called Wuxia. Netherworld Bacchian Mountain. Sounds cheerful. Not remotely. The description is bleak. Dark clouds, thick fog, really rugged, difficult terrain. The text stresses what's not there. No birds, no grass, no flowing water. None of the signs of life. Only signs of death and bureaucracy. Exactly. It's crawling with ghosts and demons, naturally. But also, you see these officials again. Fate-urging judges, literally hurrying souls along, clutching warrants. Watching people to their fate. And Hissa, soul-chasing marshals, bustling about with paperwork. It's this image of a constantly working administrative machine, even out here on the gloomy fringes, like a supernatural processing center. The DMV of the damned. Something like that, yeah. A system always in motion. And as they enter, they pass the Yin Mountain. The atmosphere is immediately impactful. Yeah, the source uses phrases like sounds of sorrow shaking your ears and frightening monsters that alarm the heart. It's clearly not a pleasant welcome. Definitely not. So from this entry point, the judge guides him deeper into a major feature described here, the 18 layers of hell. Ah, the Shurinia. It's a concept, you know, many people have heard of. But what does this text show us? How are they stressored? Who's in them? Well, the judge gives him a tour, basically. And it groups these layers based on the types of sins committed and the suffering that goes with them. It's presented as a very ordered system. Okay, let's break that down. What's the first set of hells the source mentions? It names the Ena and Enea. And the people there, the text describes the atmosphere around them as lonely and vexed. Lonely and vexed. And who ends up there? Those who committed countless sins in life. Countless sins, leading to being lonely and vexed. Plus, you know, hanging tendons, unjust suffering, fire pits. That mix of sort of existential misery and physical pain is striking. It is. And then there's the next group, the text details. Okay, what are those? That's the Ooty and Pulse. Here, the description really emphasizes sound and visual distress. Crying and miserable. These layers are for those described as unloyal, unfilial, harming natural principles, or having a deceitful heart masked by kind words. Like a Buddha's mouth, but a snake's heart. So, fundamental betrayals against family, state, basic honesty. And that results in intense misery, tongue-pulling, being flayed. Wow, there's a strong link there, isn't there? Deceit and tongue-pulling. Seems very direct, yes. Moving deeper. The source points to the Deo-ya and Kiyan. And the suffering here. It's made very explicit. Skin-torn, grimacing in pain. Ouch. And the sins. These are for those who were still unfair, deceiving their own conscience, or who secretly harmed others with clever, insincere words. So, deceit again, unfairness, hidden malice, leading to being ground, pounded, crushed. The punishment feels like a really direct, brutal consequence. It does. Then, the next set mentioned are the Ia, Dian, and Yang. Okay. And the appearance of the souls here is noted. Dirty face, messy hair, frowning. Looking pretty wretched. And what did they do? Their particular sin is Kiyan, using false weights and measures to cheat the simple-minded, the vulnerable. Cheating the vulnerable. And the text explicitly says, this so-caused misfortune to accumulate upon themselves. So, cheating others brings misfortune back onto you, resulting in freezing, shedding your form, having your intestines pulled out. Grim. And you look miserable, too. Exactly. The fifth group described are the Oyo, Or, and Palesa. Oil vats, darkness, knife mountains. Sounds bad. And the state of the inhabitants reflects that. It's described as utter terror. Trembling, sorrowful, cowering, lonely. It's just pure fear and isolation. Why are they there? The text says, Ayo Eadu, because they violently bullied the kind and good. So, bullies get the terrifying torments and end up trembling and alone. A clear consequence for preying on the vulnerable, then. Very clear. And finally, the text presents the sixth group. Alesis Eadu. And so. Blood pool. Avicii Hell. The worst of the worst. It certainly sounds like it. The physical description is extremely graphic. Skin peeled, bones exposed, arms broken, tendons severed. Just horrific. And what lands you there? The most severe sins listed. Jimila. Murdering for wealth. Or slaughtering animals. Taking life. And the outcome for those specific violent acts. What does the text say? It says, They fall for a thousand years with no explanation. Sink for all eternity, unable to turn over. Eternal damnation. No escape. That's how this depiction presents it, yes. An inescapable endpoint for those particular actions. What really stands out going through these layers is how specific the text gets. It's not just names of hells. It's explicitly linking types of sins to types of torments. Exactly. Even the atmosphere, or how the souls look. It builds this very detailed, um, moral landscape where consequences are specific and, well, seemingly unavoidable. It's like a direct mapping of earthly actions to afterlife outcomes, isn't it? Within this story, anyway. Precisely. And the agents carrying out these punishments are also described. Ah, yes. Who are they? The text mentions Unful. Rudd-haired and black-faced ghosts. Armed with sail, long spears, and short swords. And also, A.V. Kuenhol, the famous ox-heads and horse-faces, carrying iron rods and copper hammers. The classic enforcers. And the text even sums up the whole principle behind it. Things, too. Which means? Basically, don't deceive your conscience in life. The gods and ghosts are watching who gets let off. Good and evil eventually get their retribution. It's just a matter of sooner or later. That really feels like the core message, doesn't it? The governing principle for this whole system of hells. Absolutely. So, after this, uh, pretty harrowing tour of the hells, the source says, Taison's journey continues. It leads him to a series of bridges. Okay, bridges. First, the text mentions passing over a golden bridge. Yes. And it's noted that Taison messengers come out to welcome him. So, a welcoming committee. Sounds like a path for, maybe, important people. Or virtuous ones. It seems that way, yes. Reserved for those of high status, or maybe great merit. And then he sees a silver bridge. Right. And this one is explicitly used by Adem Sobriada. The loyal, filial, virtuous, and just. Okay. Exactly. And they also get met with welcoming banners. So, these are clearly paths for the worthy. So, you've got these two nice welcoming bridges for people who lived, you know, upright lives. And then, the text describes a third bridge. I'm guessing it's different. Oh, yes. In stark contrast, this is the Nihe Bridge, Nate. And the description here is incredibly vivid. And frankly, deeply unsettling, based on the source details. Okay, lay it on us. What does the text paint a picture of? Well, first, the river below. It's filled with wood-wrenching bass water and lupus of blood. Rushing water and blood waves. Not good. And the atmosphere. It sounds unbearable. A yin energy that chills you right to the bone. And a fishy rank wind with a smell that's pungent, piercing. Ugh, just reading it sounds awful. What about sounds? Just as bad. Unending sounds of wailing. Constant wailing. And the bridge itself. Described as a treacherous narrow path. How narrow? How treacherous? It gives dimensions. A hundred feet high. Over a chasm a thousand layers deep. And critically. No handrails. A hundred feet high. Over a chasm a thousand layers deep. And critically. Extremely. Making the crossing incredibly perilous. Yeah. And the text identifies the people struggling here. The ones trying to cross or suffering nearby. Who are they? They're called hitrugukul. Sinful ghosts and tormented souls. Often described as dew. Barefoot, with messy hair. Just looking distressed. And does the source detail specific torments happening right there? On or around the bridge? It does. They're shown with sochei shackles and chains binding them. The text also mentions yuku. Copper snakes and iron dogs. Freely devouring them. Devoured by snakes and dogs while trying to cross. And there's even a really specific detail about certain women. Keohor. Those who slandered their parents-in-law or were seen as, well, promiscuous and unruly. What happens to them? The text says they're seen hanging from trees nearby. Ew. Oh. Hanging by their colorful silk clothes. Wow. Specific sins, again, leading to very specific gruesome punishments right at this. This bottleneck bridge. The detail about the silk clothes is so strange. Almost mundane in such a horrific scene. It's very specific. And guarding this whole crossing are husuk. Fierce, divine generals posted by the bridge. So it's guarded, treacherous, full of suffering. What happens if you fall? Or fail to cross? The ultimate fate described is eternally falling into the Nehi river with no way out. Just permanent suffering in that river of blood and sorrow. The contrast couldn't be sharper, could it? Welcoming paths for the virtuous. And this horrifying, unavoidable gauntlet to the sinful. It really emphasizes the consequences of your earthly actions, according to this depiction. A very clear fork in the road. It certainly does. So after navigating past these bridges, where does Taizong go next? The source mentions another significant location, right? Yes. He reaches Wangxi city, the city of wrongful deaths. The city of wrongful deaths. Okay. What happens there? Well, the source says he's met with a noisy crowd and they're shouting, Wu Yiming is here, which is of course, Taizong's personal name. They know who he is and who are these ghosts? This is where he encounters a specific group. Those who died wrongfully. The text is actually quite precise about where they come from. Oh, where? It states they are souls from the Orchichi, 64 places of conflict or rebellion, 72 bandit strongholds and various princes and leaders. So people who died violently, often in conflicts, rebellions as outlaws, maybe many feeling they were unjustly killed or died without proper closure. It seems likely. That's the implication. And their appearances described pretty graphically too. How so? Ghosts with broken waists, severed arms, some with feet, but no heads, just spectral forms showing their violent ends. Disturbing. And what do they want? They're shouting his name. They physically block Taizong's path demanding, give back my life. Give us our lives back. Wow. So these are ghosts with unresolved grievances directly confronting the emperor who, you know, presided over the realm where they met their end. Exactly. And the text highlights just how desperate their state is. They are uncontrolled, unmanaged, unable to pass on to be reborn. Stuck. Right. And heck yeah, they have no money or resources for their journey in the afterlives. So they are just cold and hungry ghosts essentially stranded and suffering right there. Stranded, suffering and angry. And Taizong, he can't just pay them off, can he? No. The text points out he's, he arrived empty handed. He has no earthly wealth with him to offer them any kind of recompense or appeasement. The judge proposes a solution to Taizong's predicament. Okay. What is it? He explains that there's someone in the mortal world, a living person who has actually deposited wealth right there in the underworld. Wait, what? Deposited wealth in the realm of the dead by a living person. Exactly. There is a person in the world of the living who has gold and silver deposited here in my underworld administration. That detail is incredible. So specific and surprising. Does it say who? It does. It names him explicitly. He is from Kaifeng Prefecture in Henan. Surname Xiang, given name Liang. Xiang Liang from Kaifeng. And how much does he have stashed away down there? According to the judge, this Xiang Liang has 13 vaults of gold and silver right there. 13 vaults. So a specific living guy has a massive fortune stored somehow in the underworld bank. And Taizong can, what, borrow it? He can. The judge facilitates it and it's framed very bureaucratically. Taizong has to issue an IOU in his name. An IOU to the underworld bank. Essentially, yeah. And the judge acts as guarantor. With that set up, Taizong borrows one vault of Xiang Liang's gold and silver to distribute among these wronged ghosts. One vault out of 13. Okay. And Taizong's reaction, is he okay with it? According to the text, he's pleased, quite willing to issue the IOU and borrow the funds. He's happy to do it. This whole negotiation, this exchange of, like, earthly-rooted debt for appeasing the dead happening in the underworld, it feels so unique to the story. It really blends the spiritual realm with these very tangible, almost administrative concepts. Banking, debt, guarantors. It's quite something. The money gets distributed. Yes. The military official can handle the distribution. Then the judge addresses the ghosts. What does he tell them? He tells them they've received the money, that Taizong has a long life ahead of him, and importantly, that the emperor will perform a Greed, a grand water and land ceremony back in the mortal world, specifically to help them pass on. And he tells them to stop causing trouble now. So money now, and a promise of spiritual help later. Do the ghosts accept this deal? They do. According to the source, having received the gold and silver, they all bowed and retreated. The transaction, plus the promise, works. It appeases them in this depiction. Amazing. So with the ghosts placated by this underworld loan, Taizong is finally able to leave Wengshi City. That's right. He's guided out by the same military official, using a soul-guiding banner onto a flat, open road. It signals his departure from this part of the underworld journey, as the text describes it. Wow.