Inner Demons

Chapter 131: World of Jackals and Wolves

The White Yama King looked at him, shaking his head slightly, as if finding some potential thought of his rather laughable.

But he quickly added, “Therefore, in this land of the Wei River, the post of Judge of the Living World can be granted to you. There are some people you will take for me. Although I can’t give you any benefits now, you won’t be at a disadvantage in the future.”

Li Yunxin pondered for a moment. “Why not Dongting Jun?”

The answer was as he expected— “Hmph, I will have whomever I please do it. Why must it be him?”

Li Yunxin sighed. “Alright. It sounds good, although it’s possible you’re still trying to screw me over. But I can give it a try—so give me the book.”

The White Yama King’s fine brows furrowed. “When did I ever promise you anything?”

Li Yunxin raised his eyebrows in surprise. “The Book of Life and Death? The Book of Merits, and all that? Don’t you have those things? The ones that record people’s lifespans and the good deeds they’ve done—how am I supposed to start my work without that?”

Hearing his words, the White Yama King was stunned for a moment. Then he suddenly burst into wild laughter, his long tongue trembling like a red silk ribbon in the wind. He seemed to find it genuinely amusing at that moment, so much so that his figure became somewhat blurry, his outline flickering.

Li Yunxin just sat quietly on the blue stone and watched him laugh.

After the White Impermanence had laughed his fill for a quarter of an hour, he finally stopped and pointed a finger at Li Yunxin from afar. “You Human Demon, oh my, hahaha. Do you really think there’s some Book of Life and Death, some Book of Merits? Hmm? For those mortals to use?”Li Yunxin said with a calm face, “The first time I saw you two in a dream, I saw you take out a small, thin booklet and say I wasn’t in it.”

“If you’re talking about that, well, it could barely be considered a Book of Life and Death.” The White Impermanence seemed to want to laugh again. “But such a thin booklet, how many people can it record? Do you really think it’s some kind of treasure? I’m telling you now, on that booklet are only those emperors, kings, dukes, ministers, and literary giants I mentioned before. We use this book to record them, fearing we might get it wrong. The moment we find out one of them is about to die or is already dead, we hurry to collect their soul—”

“‘Find out’? ‘About to die or is already dead’?” Li Yunxin interrupted him. “What do you mean?”

The White Yama King looked at him, seeming to find it even more amusing. “Tsk, tsk. You Human Demon, you actually believe in things like karmic rewards and retribution? Just like those ignorant mortals, you really think I have a little book in my hand that records when a person will die, how many good and bad deeds they’ve done in this life, and then whether they’ll be reincarnated as a human or an animal in the next life?”

Li Yunxin looked at him calmly. “You don’t?”

“Of course not.”

“Doesn’t that mean that some people who do nothing but evil in this life enjoy glory and wealth, yet face no retribution in the next? And some who do good deeds live in poverty their whole lives, with no blessings to look forward to in the next?”

The White Yama King giggled. “Of course not, of course not!”

He seemed to happily stroke his long tongue. “It means that those who have done nothing but evil in one life and enjoyed glory and wealth are even more likely to enjoy that glory and wealth in the next. And those who have done good deeds and lived in poverty are even more likely to continue doing good deeds in the next life.”

Hearing this, Li Yunxin was silent for a moment before looking up to ask, “You’re not joking with me?”

The White Yama King stared at him playfully. “I’m not in the mood for that.”

Li Yunxin, lost in thought, remained silent for a long, long time before saying, “Can you explain it to me? I really want to understand.”

“Hehe… your reaction is quite interesting.” The White Yama King circled him, then suddenly leaned in close. “I thought a Human Demon like you would clap your hands in delight upon learning this.”

Li Yunxin didn’t speak.

Seeing him like this, the White Yama King straightened up. “Then I will tell you. But after I do, you must become this Judge of the Living World. If you learn of these things and still try to refuse, I will truly take you.”

“Alright.”

“Then listen carefully. I am in charge of life and death, but not only life and death. Whether a person does good or evil is just a minor detail. The most important thing is to see what impact they have on this world. For example, an evil person is born in a chaotic era. As a youth, he rampages through his village, harming the common people. As a young man, he rapes and pillages, becoming a local tyrant.”

“In middle age, this evil man gathers a band of bandits, preys on travelers from his mountain stronghold. Later, he gradually gains power and begins to contend for the throne. In the end, this man becomes an emperor—he then persecutes loyal officials and imposes exorbitant taxes. This counts as an evil man. But he ended the chaotic era, allowing the people to recuperate and thrive… this is a great merit.”

“We don’t care how many good people he harmed. As long as he can allow the people of this world to multiply and prosper, he is useful. This kind of person is blessed with fortune. After death, he comes to the underworld for a turn, to be reincarnated. He already has that fortune and is more skilled at being a human, at being an emperor, than the average person—do you think I should have him reincarnated into an imperial family or not?”

“Take another example, some are even more thoroughly evil—born into a noble family, but they only know how to exploit the people and corrupt the court, truly bringing not a single benefit to the world. But it just so happens that at this time, the dynasty’s fate is sealed and it should be forgotten. After his death, such a person is needed to continue his villainy—who would be more skilled at it than him? Naturally, he is reincarnated back into a noble family.”

Li Yunxin listened quietly, his face betraying no joy or sorrow. After pondering for a moment, he asked in a calm tone, “So you’re saying when a person’s soul is reincarnated and their memories are erased, some things aren’t wiped clean. Some imprints remain. To be reincarnated with such imprints and do the same things again will always be easier.”

The White Yama King nodded. “Precisely.”

“Then… why not let good people do these things?” Li Yunxin asked. “There must be people who are capable but not so evil.”

The White Yama King blinked. “How great do you think my powers are? There are so many variables in this world, how can you know which small matter will affect the grand scheme of things? All I can do is observe the trend and fortune of a certain place at a certain time, and then use this trend to guide things a little. For example, that evil man from before—it’s not that I wanted him to become emperor. His fortune was good, he conquered a piece of land, and among the several people vying for the throne, he was the most likely to succeed. Should I have gone to the trouble of supporting someone else?”

“Even if I do that, for the many, many things in this world, just observing these trends and fortunes already nearly exhausts my powers. How could I have time to pay attention to whether he is a good or evil person?”

Li Yunxin sighed softly. “So that’s how it is. This means that when people die—some do indeed die because you want them to. You might feel that the grand trend has reached a certain point where he should die. But for most… it’s just that they died, and you go to collect their souls.”

“Precisely.”

Li Yunxin stood up, rubbing the tear-bamboo bone folding fan in his hand, and looked into the distance for a while—it was unclear what he was looking at.

Then he said in a low voice, “Then in this world, there really is no good and evil, no justice?”

At this moment, the White Yama King seemed genuinely curious. He stared at Li Yunxin for a good while before asking, “You, do you really care about those things?”

Li Yunxin pursed his lips and took two steps away, to the edge of the woods. With one hand behind his back, he looked at Dongting Lake in the distance.

After watching for a while in the hazy mist, he turned around and smiled slightly. “My friend, I think you, and all of you, might have some misunderstandings about me.”

The night dew was heavy. Tiny water droplets clung to his hair and long eyelashes. He looked damp and cool.

He thought for a moment more, as if organizing his words. After a couple of breaths, he began, “I’ve long known what this world is really like.”

“There is no inherent benevolence, righteousness, or morality in this world. Never mind benevolence and righteousness, there’s not even a distinction between good and evil, no justice, no fairness. For example, in this Great Qing Dynasty, or in the future when people become more advanced and create some United States, Federation, or Republic—”

“When you walk down the street, you can see police officers. Someone who does something wrong will be arrested. Then they will be judged and punished. When you walk into a school, you can hear teachers talk about morality and justice, and you know that the world operates in an orderly fashion. But in essence… where does the power to punish wrongdoers come from? It’s seized. When they seized power and succeeded, no one was there to punish them.”

“If a country’s emperor or its court does something very, very bad, there is no one to punish them. If they are bad enough and strong enough, they can escape punishment forever. This world does have justice in its local parts and details, but in the grand scheme, in its essence, it does not exist.”

“It is a naked, dark, world of jackals and wolves. All morality and justice are built upon plunder and power.”

“I once heard a saying, a poisonous tree bears no good fruit. But this real world is indeed a deformed existence—on rotten soil, what seems to be sweet fruit has grown.”

Hearing this, the White Yama King couldn’t help but clap his hands in praise. “Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant! You are a rare and insightful person. No wonder—”

Li Yunxin smiled, shaking his head to interrupt him. “I’m not finished yet.”

“Since I know this truth, I also understand some other things. The distinction between good and evil, justice and righteousness, becomes extremely important in such a world. Some fools think to themselves, ‘this is just how the world is,’ so what need is there for order and morality. Not only do they do bad things themselves, but while doing them, they scoff at principles of justice. This kind of person, if I see one, I will kill them.”

“You ask me why? Because he will make my life worse. Do the emperor and the high officials not know the essence of this world? But they insist that people believe in benevolence and morality precisely because these things don’t inherently exist. If no one even believes in them, the world will fall into chaos—and they would have to spend more effort suppressing and pacifying it just so they can live happily.”

“Those nobles have the capital to suppress, pacify, and protect themselves in chaos, yet they still have to put on an act. As for the evil people among the common folk—once everyone is like them, unafraid of any order or morality, the world would instantly descend into chaos. Where would he find any advantage then? How could he survive? Perhaps the very person he mocked as old-fashioned and foolish would be the first to kill him. This kind of person benefits from order and morality without realizing it, and instead turns around to mock it, thinking himself clever…”

“That is both evil and stupid. I hate stupid people more than evil people. I’ll kill every one I see.”

The White Yama King frowned slightly. “Hmph, what are you trying to say?”

Li Yunxin reached out and wiped the dew from his temple, smiling faintly. “I was just moved by what you said. I used to think that there was no retribution in this world, but perhaps there would be after death. Now that I know there won’t be any after death either, I feel this world is so thoroughly dark, it makes one despair a little.”

“But this is mainly to make the next thing clear to you. You want me to be the Judge of the Living World, and I can do it. But I realize you seem to have some misunderstandings about me. Perhaps you still have some designs on me, so I need to make things clear in advance, to avoid awkwardness for everyone later, and to make it difficult for us to be friends.”

The White Yama King seemed about to laugh from anger. “Friends? You’re the first one who dares to speak to me like this. I’d like to hear what you have to say. And what have I misunderstood about you?”

“You said I was insidious, cunning, heartless, and disloyal.” Li Yunxin’s smile vanished as he looked at him. “I can’t accept those words.”

The White Yama King giggled. “You Human Demon. Think about the things you’ve done in the past. Do you not deserve those three words?”

“Is that so?” Li Yunxin started to walk, tapping his palm with the folding fan, speaking slowly. “My friend, then think about it.”

“Those Six Ghosts of the River, and the cultivator who killed mortals to pass his Tribulation, according to the principles of justice, should they not have died?”

“That Prefectural Governor Li Yaosi. He regularly took bribes and perverted justice, loved to beat confessions out of people, and wanted to harm me for a piece of property. Should he not have died?”

“That Qiao Jiaming. He went around the streets, prescribing nonsensical medicines, killing people with his treatments yet crowing with delight. Should he not have died?”

“Those Qiao sisters, senior and junior. They murdered for the family fortune and had an affair with Qiao Jiaming, violating all ethics. Should they not have died?”

“That bailiff in the Prefectural Office, Long Taoyi. He colluded with Madam Qiao Wang to subvert justice, disregarding human life. Should he not have died?”

“That Ninth Dragon’s Son. He ate countless people. I was a human at the time, a different species from him. Should he not have died?”

“That Liu Ling. She also treated mortal lives as nothing. She knew that taking me back to the mountain might kill me and didn't particularly care. Should she not have died?”

The White Yama King was slightly stunned by the barrage of questions he threw out. Then he snorted. “What about the beggar? The beggar you promised eternal life to?”

Li Yunxin smiled. “That beggar was blind. His body was weak, and he wouldn’t have lasted another year or two. He couldn’t get food or warmth on the streets and was mocked by everyone—what joy was there left in being human? So I had him become a ghost, gave him eternal life, and let him become a ghost cultivator—what’s the problem with that?”

The White Yama King sneered at him again. “Are you going to say that you did all these things without any selfish motives, that you’re a great, great benefactor?”

“A benefactor? I’m no benefactor.” Li Yunxin shook his head and smiled. “As for selfish motives—of course I have selfish motives. Why would I go to all this trouble if not for myself? I’m just telling you, my friend, I am lawful evil, not chaotic evil.”

“Perhaps you don’t understand what that means. Let me put it this way—”

“At least in this life, I have a normal person’s moral compass… well, I can’t say I have one. I can only say that I can understand a normal person’s moral compass, and I appreciate it very much. It is because of this moral compass that I can have delicious food to eat and beautiful scenery to see. Dongting Jun eats people but with restraint, probably for the same reason.”

“Because I understand and appreciate it, I will try to respect it when possible. For example, if I want someone to die today, I don’t mind spending a little more effort to find someone who deserves to die.”

“But if I can’t find an evil person for a while and a good person has to die, I won’t refrain from doing it because of that—you should know I’m no good person. But I will try to compensate him somehow. Not because of a sense of morality—in fact, for certain reasons, I can’t really experience that thing personally. It’s just because…”

“The world will be better this way.”

“If the world is better, I will live better. If someone doesn’t play by the rules, they are not making the world better, and therefore, they are not letting me live better.”

“If you don’t let me live well, you will have to die.”

Li Yunxin pondered for another moment, then looked up at the White Yama King in the night. “I don’t know if you understand what I’ve said. I have my own principles when I do things. Although I cannot experience the so-called normal moral compass, I have my own self-consistent theoretical system—which is attached to this moral compass.”

“You can say I’m not a good person, but I have my own style of doing things. Now you want me to be the Judge of the Living World, I can accept it. But don’t expect me to act like a demon or a monster. Even if I am a demon, I, Li Yunxin, am a Human Demon.”

The White Yama King spoke after a while.

But the sneer on his face was completely gone.

“Well. You… I underestimated you before.” He said, uncharacteristically hesitant. “Interesting, interesting. Although I don’t fully agree with your reasoning… it’s still somewhat palatable.”

After a moment, he frowned again. “I have designs on you? What a joke.”

He suddenly pulled an iron chain and a thin, blue-covered booklet from his robes and tossed them all to Li Yunxin. “Take them and use them!”

After saying this, he grabbed the Taoist priest’s soul and vanished in a flash.

But Li Yunxin was already used to this Yama King’s habit of coming and going abruptly and paid it no mind.

He caught the iron chain and the booklet, examined them for a moment, and realized the iron chain was for restraining souls, while the booklet seemed to record the people he needed to take, as well as some minor rules.

Li Yunxin, holding the folding fan, iron chain, and booklet, sat back down on the large blue stone.

The chirping of insects gradually started up again.

After sitting in silence for a while, he opened the folding fan. The surface of the fan was blank and white.

He placed the iron chain and the booklet on the fan’s surface, and they disappeared. Then he closed the fan again.

================