Inner Demons

Chapter 29: Black and White Yama Kings

However, regarding the existence of the "Black and White Yama Kings," there was actually no empirical evidence, more often just inner conviction.

This must be explained from the cultivation system of this world.

It is said that this world originally had only a thin shell. There was no life, no mountains or rivers. But later, Celestial Beings appeared, and with their supreme divine powers, they pieced together the thin shells floating in the void, forming a giant sphere – signifying perfection – named the Celestial Sphere.

Afterward, plants, creatures, mountains, and rivers appeared in this world.

The Celestial Beings created mortals and taught them divine methods. But mortals gained power and tried to challenge the Celestial Beings. So the Celestial Beings destroyed the world and recreated the current humans. Seeing that current humans lived in hardship and that powerful demons still roamed the world, they once again passed down cultivation methods to the lower realm.

This is what cultivators refer to as the "Celestial Heart Orthodox Law."

The Celestial Heart Orthodox Law, with its one core and three divine powers, established the three inheritances: Daoist Orthodoxy, Sword Sect, and Painting School. It is said that ordinary people who cultivate the various methods evolved from the Celestial Heart Orthodox Law, upon reaching the highest level, can ascend and become Celestial Beings as well.

However, the Painting School is now little known, and of the remaining Daoist Orthodoxy and Sword Sect, no one has ever heard of anyone truly ascending.

The current Daoist Orthodoxy Book Saint and Sword Sect Sword Saint are the two highest-cultivation individuals, having lived for nearly three thousand years. Such people, in the eyes of mortals, are not only Immortals but "Immortals that are almost impossible to believe truly exist, only feeling like a legend."

But even these two most powerful individuals in the world have been unable to ascend to the heavens.Some say the Two Saints actually already possess the power to shatter the void, but are waiting for something, though no one truly knows what.

This means that for over three thousand years, cultivators have known that Celestial Beings and true Immortals indeed exist, and occasionally even hear celestial music, but no one has ever seen them.

As for the Underworld's Senluo Hall, it is said that during creation, two Celestial Beings voluntarily sacrificed themselves, personally entering this Celestial Sphere where humans reside, transforming into the Black and White Yama Kings, specifically to collect the souls of the living and oversee reincarnation.

Therefore, the Black and White Yama Kings are, in fact, true Immortals and Celestial Beings.

Compared to those Celestial Beings residing high above in the Ninth Heaven, the Black and White Yama Kings are somewhat more approachable. These two always deal with people and sometimes communicate through dreams.

Cultivators who have mastered the divine power of Spiritual Soul projection and dream contemplation occasionally see the two Yama Kings in their dreams.

But that is not a good thing.

It is mostly when these two Yama Kings come to inform those enlightened Masters – "Your lifespan is exhausted, three days from now, we will come to collect you."

Gradually, the stories of the Black and White Yama Kings spread, becoming widely known and deeply believed figures.

And Li Yunxin knew that his original world also had such legends, and similar two figures. However, their names were "Black and White Impermanence."

He thought this way all along, realizing that his dream...

Was probably due to some reason, he met the two Yama Kings.

For example, they were coming to take Qiao Jiaxin's soul.

Then... Qiao Jiaxin's soul, hasn't been taken yet? Is it still wandering somewhere in the mortal realm?

Or will the souls of people related to him in the future, upon death, all wander and linger in the mortal realm?

Li Yunxin also didn't know if the little Cat Demon's current state was also connected to that matter.

As for what they mentioned, the incident two thousand years ago where someone "fought their way to Senluo Hall"...

Who was that? Who possessed such divine power? And what did it have to do with him?

A deduction seemed to be on the tip of his tongue, but he ultimately couldn't delve deeper into it.

Because Weicheng had arrived.

From the place where they met Yu Meng to Weicheng, it took a total of four hours. Yu Meng didn't talk much to him, only drove the cart, occasionally glancing at Li Yunxin. He seemed to want to get closer but was afraid Li Yunxin would become like those people from before.

Li Yunxin certainly understood his intentions. With such a childlike temperament and intelligence, he handled him with ease. So, throughout the journey, only Old Daoist Liu incessantly chattered about Weicheng.

The old man also knew he had gotten into big trouble this time, fearing its exposure even more than Li Yunxin. He repeatedly warned him that there were some people in this city who absolutely could not be provoked. Or rather, he thought Li Yunxin could probably afford to provoke them, but he himself certainly couldn't.

For example, there were two School outposts in this city.

The Daoist Orthodoxy's Shangqing Elixir Cauldron Sect and the Sword Sect's Lingxu Sword Sect. The Thirty-Six Grotto-Heavens and Seventy-Two Schools were indeed a group of "divine beings," but not all divine beings only consumed clouds and mist. Eating, drinking, defecating – every single thing required money.

Although there was more than one Great Qing Dynasty in the world, and every imperial court more or less granted fiefdoms and tributes, it was always good to have more income. Moreover, the human world was not peaceful; sometimes demons appeared, requiring high-ranking experts to subdue them.

Therefore, Grotto-heavens and Schools had outposts in major cities in the secular world. Those who felt they could no longer advance on their cultivation path, or who happened to be entering the mundane world for Undergoing Tribulation, would come to these outposts. Occasionally, they would subdue demons, accept tributes, or irregularly select disciples...

Or, do some unknown things.

When a School outpost was in the city, even the government had to show three points of deference. When a case was met by a "master" from a School outpost who happened to be present and made a decision, even if the county magistrate had objections, he had to report it to the prefecture and await a final ruling.

Then there were several prominent families in the city. Weicheng was not the national capital, nor even a prefectural seat. But previously, it was the former dynasty's old capital. After the previous dynasty's fall, the subsequent **** (rebels/dynasty) operated in Weicheng for over sixty years, but ultimately failed. After the Great Qing army attacked Weicheng, they massacred the city for three days before sheathing their blades. Afterward, the nobles of the current dynasty felt Weicheng was ominous, so they established the capital in Jinghua.

However, Weicheng was a confluence of rivers and a commercial transit hub, and it re-flourished a century after the Great Qing's establishment. Some retired officials came to settle in Weicheng, and some wealthy merchants also came to settle in Weicheng. Over time, this city became a place where dragons and tigers lurked – even metropolitan officials dared not be arrogant here.

However, Li Yunxin had no patience to remember which family or sect the old Daoist was talking about. He came to Weicheng precisely because he didn't want to cause trouble. He only wanted to find a way to break the seal on his Snow Mountain Qi Sea, and then focus on studying that "Lucid Jade Slip." This was not just out of curiosity, but also because of his "background."

He realized that the Painting Saint...

Was absolutely extraordinary.

When entering the city, Li Yunxin noticed the Weicheng soldiers. The four guards at the gate were brightly armored and robust, looking much better than the constables in Qinghe County.

He also noticed the attitude of those city guards when they saw Yu Meng.

They were initially indifferent and lazy towards passersby, occasionally questioning and extorting money from unfamiliar faces who seemed to have some wealth.

But upon seeing Yu Meng in the crowd, they immediately puffed out their chests, lifted their swords and spears leaning against the city wall, shouting to clear a path through the entering pedestrians. When they got close to Yu Meng and saw the heavily wounded, unconscious Qiao Duanhong and the blood-stained Qiao Jiaxin in the cart, they widened their eyes even more, shouting with exaggerated urgency: "Dragon Head! Who was the blind fool who injured your people?! Huh? This subordinate will immediately call my brothers to capture him!"

As they spoke, they walked beside the cart, looking as if they were facing a formidable enemy.

Li Yunxin frowned – even if they were trying to curry favor, this act was too dramatic.

But soon he knew what these four scoundrel soldiers were after.

Yu Meng also frowned, waving his hand: "Go away, go away! You don't need to concern yourselves! We encountered tigers and leopards! Hurry and go away!"

But the scoundrel soldiers pretended not to hear, continuing to escort him while shouting to disperse pedestrians, wanting to clear a path for him.

Yu Meng became annoyed, seemingly disliking being treated this way, so he reached into his bosom, pulled out some silver, and threw it on the ground: "Your reward, go away, go away! Don't block my way!"

Li Yunxin, sharp-eyed, saw that they were three five-tael silver ingots.

Fifteen taels of silver... calculated by the purchasing power of this world, it was probably thirty thousand in his previous era.

The scene of casually scattering thirty thousand on the street...

That's what those four scoundrel soldiers were after, presumably. It seemed it wasn't the first time they'd done this. The Yu Family was a prominent family in Weicheng, and Yu Meng was the Yu Family's only young master, yet he was bullied to this extent.

However... he probably never felt he was being bullied.

Given his personality.