Chapter 102: No Merit Equals Guilt

The palace was extraordinarily magnificent, yet atop it sat no one but a single judge occupying the center. His brow was furrowed, his eyes fierce, emanating a menacing aura far more formidable and gloomy than that of Feng Xiangru.

Before him lay a judge’s desk littered with numerous wine bottles, and at the very center of the palace stood a large drum.

At that moment, the judge glanced up to see Chu Youcai entering, momentarily startled before he snapped back to attention and demanded sharply, “Who are you?”

Then, with a fierce shout, he barked, “Just a mere human—what business do you have here? Get out at once! Or don’t blame me if I sentence you to death right here!”

In hell, though judges appeared terrifying to intimidate offenders, most souls were inherently kind. Their principle was to punish the wicked and reward the virtuous.

However, since judges held the power to determine a ghost’s fate, their authority bred many dark emotions.

Take this particular judge of the Punishment Bureau in hell—he harbored a deep hatred for humans.

Chu Youcai replied calmly, “I have come to learn the arts of demons.”

“Demon arts?” The judge was taken aback, then burst into loud, scornful laughter. “You, a human, have come here to cultivate demon arts? Ridiculous! Humans and demons cannot coexist; what right do you have to study demon arts?”

Chu Youcai said, “Because I carry the foundation of demon arts within me.”

The judge’s expression shifted, his gaze turning icily cold. “I say you cannot, so you cannot! No matter what methods you have, no matter if you bear the foundation of demon arts!”

Chu Youcai’s eyes shifted to the drum. “Since I have come, I will not leave empty-handed.”

With a movement of his hand, his fish-scale blade soared like thunder and struck the drum heavily.

The entire palace reverberated with a thunderous boom.

At once, a voice echoed from the depths of hell: “The Trial of the External Manifestation officially begins!”

Chu Youcai silently nodded to himself—his guess was correct; the drum was the key to initiating the trial. No matter how powerful the judge was, he could not halt the trial.

***

Enraged, the judge’s eyes darkened with a chilling intent. Since this human chose to enter the trial space, it was tantamount to choosing death. This trial was the most difficult, overseen by the Wheel King, an unsolvable test for decades.

The trial was named “Judgment of Pros and Cons.”

For decades, no one had passed this trial. Whether aligned with the path of ghosts or humans, none could succeed. Chu Youcai, merely a human, faced an inevitably grim fate.

Meanwhile, deep within hell, a man surrounded by countless divine wheels awoke from the darkness. Beside him shimmered seven radiant lights—Wheel, Elephant, Horse, Pearl, Woman, Layman, and Chief Commander—each a cursed treasure. Together, these seven cursed treasures radiated a golden light, embodying a terrifying power to uphold righteous law and bless the land.

This man was the Wheel King, the supreme ruler of hell, his cultivation unfathomable.

At this moment, his gaze fell upon Chu Youcai, his expression indifferent, neither joyful nor sorrowful, as if nothing in the world could stir his interest.

Chu Youcai sensed he had entered a new space.

Within, a grand hall of the underworld stood vast and imposing, with himself seated squarely at its center, clad in the robes of a judge.

Below the dais stood an official in formal attire, standing tall and unafraid before the judge.

Chu Youcai’s heart skipped a beat—what was happening? Was he to become a judge tasked with judging this official?

The official wore a proud expression. “In all my years in office, I have never taken a drop of water without a clear conscience. I have never embezzled from the people! Judge, why do you delay your verdict? Let me return.”

Suddenly, understanding dawned on Chu Youcai: this trial required him to assume the role of judge.

He recalled an ancient tale of a scholar who dreamed of the underworld, witnessing King Yama harshly ordering the escort of numerous prisoners. When an old woman came before King Yama, his expression softened, and he respectfully offered her tea, instructing his underworld officials to send her to the Heavenly Benevolence Hall for care. The scholar secretly asked why she was treated so kindly, and the official explained that this woman had never harbored selfish or harmful intent throughout her life. The scholar then understood.

Even the most learned Confucian scholars often harbored selfish desires, so it was unsurprising that King Yama treated her with such respect.

At this thought, clarity swept through Chu Youcai.

***

Striking the judge’s gavel, he said coldly, “You claim that you have never taken so much as a sip of water from the people’s wealth, yet do you know why officials are appointed?”

The official was momentarily taken aback.

Chu Youcai continued, “Officials govern the people—from prime ministers to postmasters—all must discern clearly what benefits or harms the people. If you think that not taking money makes one a good official, then why not place a puppet in the hall that drinks no water at all? Wouldn’t that be better than you?”

The official’s complexion changed drastically, protesting loudly, “I have neither merit nor crime!”

Chu Youcai said coldly, “I have reviewed your records. Throughout your life, you sought perfection, but in ten cases where the offenders were higher-ranking officials, you turned a blind eye. Have you not wronged the people? In three cases, fearing accusations of favoritism, you refused to preside over trials. Have you not betrayed the nation? Your evaluations over the past three years? No merit is equal to guilt!” His voice thundered, striking like lightning.

The great hall fell utterly silent. All eyes were wide with shock and disbelief.

The official’s face turned ashen, the proud edge in his demeanor completely eroded, his countenance withering.

Chu Youcai then said lightly, “If other officials show reverence in this hall, it means their hearts are still timid, that there is hope for them. Know that in heaven and earth, there are many things you do not understand. Yet you commit wrongs and remain arrogant—you will surely be met with heaven’s wrath and the people’s fury.”

The official’s face paled, and he whispered, “I have been instructed.”

For a moment, the judge was stunned—he did not expect the official to be so thoroughly convinced.

The Wheel King pondered silently. Though his expression remained calm and unreadable, he finally nodded and said, “Agreed.”

At once, countless sacred waters of the Yellow Springs poured down from the heavens, shimmering with radiant streams, enveloping Chu Youcai entirely.

The moment the Yellow Springs water touched him, he felt an unparalleled joy in his mind and spirit, as if his very marrow had been cleansed in an instant.