"Wait, John Chou."
Fifth Tribunal Yama called out as John Chou and I were about to leave.
From the tone of Fifth Tribunal Yama, it seems the underworld still hasn't found a way to deal with the Three Evil Paths. If John Chou reclaims the Bloodbane Power, the Three Evil Paths will draw closer and connect, which could lead to serious problems.
"I don't know what you intend to do, but if I can't reclaim the Bloodbane Power, then there's no point in continuing this conversation."
John Chou's words were icy, giving Fifth Tribunal Yama no room to maneuver.
"John Chou, can't you wait a little longer?"
Lady Meng's voice drifted in from outside. She landed directly in the main hall, and I looked over.
"Wait? Heh, I've waited long enough. But now, I don't want to wait any longer. I want my Hundred Ghosts back."
Lady Meng's expression immediately changed.
"What exactly do you want, John Chou? Your Hundred Ghosts aren't exactly obedient. At this point, bringing them back is meaningless, isn't it?"
John Chou shook his head.
"You should know very well that the seven of us are fundamentally different from you. We've broken past the boundaries of ghosts."
I widened my eyes, but John Chou didn’t continue. Fifth Tribunal Yama and Lady Meng both looked grim.
"So you'd better think carefully about how you plan to stop the connection of the Three Evil Paths."
John Chou turned and floated upward, clearly intending to leave. I was at a loss for words. If the Three Evil Realms really fell into mutual conflict, it would only make this already chaotic and tangled war even worse.
"There is a way, John Chou."
At that moment, Lady Meng spoke up, and Fifth Tribunal Yama immediately shouted.
"Lady Meng, that's the last resort. It can only be used when absolutely necessary. If we do that..."
"Destroy the Three Evil Paths outright. Now that they've lost the ability to reincarnate and these ghosts can't be managed, releasing them would threaten both the yin and yang realms. But we can't just ignore them, so complete destruction is the safest option. How ironic—all of this is your doing, isn't it?"
John Chou shot a sharp look at Lady Meng and Fifth Tribunal Yama behind him. Both of them stared silently at John Chou.
"Things have reached this point—it's time to lay everything out on the table. If you keep hiding, the day that cover falls will be the day Hell collapses. If not for this war, maybe you could've held out a bit longer, but now everything has changed. Besides, this war is a chance for you to instantly reduce the number of ghosts in Hell. Isn't sending the punished fierce ghosts to the living world part of your calculation?"
I immediately looked at Fifth Tribunal Yama. He had always been a fair judge, but I couldn't understand how things had gotten this far.
"Easy for you to say, John Chou. You..."
"This is your responsibility and duty as Hell's administrators. Since you control everything about the dead, you must have the ability to bear it all. If you can't, then what are the Ten Tribunal Yamas and you even doing here?"
John Chou’s words were aggressive; I couldn't get a word in.
"Now you have the people of the Yellow Springs bringing fierce ghosts into the living world, and each person must carry ten of them. This is just a way to force the practitioners into the war, to make them your fighting force. Anyone can see that. If the fierce ghosts escape, after being trapped in Hell for so long, suddenly surrounded by the scent of life—what do you think will happen? And the practitioners can't stay out of it either! All our Ghost Sovereigns are already at the front lines, the living world has lost its restraint, and the practitioners have no choice but to join the war and eventually compromise with you. Is this your plan?"
Suddenly, John Chou’s eyes flashed red with fury. Yet Lady Meng and Fifth Tribunal Yama remained silent. I looked at Fifth Tribunal Yama, hoping for an explanation, but he said nothing.
"Forget it, Baotian, I know you feel uneasy. After all, this was my idea."
A high-pitched voice rang out, and a flash of red light appeared beside Fifth Tribunal Yama. We stared at the newcomer—King Quentin, Judge of the First Court.
The beaded curtain on his crown trembled slightly as King Quentin fixed a solemn gaze on John Chou.
"John Chou, since you already know, I'll be honest with you. This war isn’t just about Hell—it’s about everything in both the yin and yang realms. If we lose, it’s all over. Those three will never give up on reviving the Ghost Ancestor, and if he returns, it’s the end of everything."
"So this is a gamble. For you, you have to bet everything you can. Ridiculous."
Red particles floated around John Chou’s body.
"But what you just said—destroying the Three Evil Realms—is impossible. We don’t have that kind of power. The force King Kṣitigarbha used to create the Six Paths far exceeds your imagination. The only option is to cast the Three Evil Realms into the Hell of Infinite Suffering and seal them away for now."
I widened my eyes.
"If they enter the Hell of Infinite Suffering, doesn’t that mean those souls will never reincarnate?"
King Quentin glanced at me and continued speaking.
"Answer Ethan Zhang’s question."
John Chou suddenly spoke, stepping forward as a faint red glow shimmered around him.
"They were evil to begin with, so..."
"Ridiculous, King Quentin. Everything you're doing now will only make this war even more treacherous. Your hardline approach will destroy everything."
The veins on King Quentin’s forehead bulged as he stepped down from the platform in a rage.
"You’ve always had absolute power over ghosts. Since the Immortality Society, you never intended to help, only to quietly smooth things over behind the scenes. But things don’t go as you wish. The Immortality Society collapsed overnight under our siege, but you gave up the chance to wipe them out, letting one person’s efforts go to waste and making our attack meaningless."
"This is your responsibility and duty as Hell's administrators. Since you control everything about the dead, you must have the ability to bear it all. If you can't, then what are The Ten Judges and you even doing here?"
I rushed over, trying to stop them, but at the moment John Chou turned his head, I froze. The John Chou before me was consumed by rage, no longer the person I knew. A chilling murderous intent spread throughout the hall.
"Now you have the Underworld Denizens bringing fierce ghosts into the living world, and each person must carry ten of them. This is just a way to force the practitioners into the war, to make them your fighting force. Anyone can see that. If the fierce ghosts escape, after being trapped in Hell for so long, suddenly surrounded by the scent of life—what do you think will happen? And the practitioners can't stay out of it either! All our Ghost Sovereigns are already at the front lines, the living world has lost its restraint, and the practitioners have no choice but to join the war and eventually compromise with you. Is this your plan?"
With a whoosh, I stared wide-eyed as John Chou flew at King Quentin, fist raised, and punched him.
With a snap, the beaded crown fell to the ground. King Quentin dodged, his wide robe dropping instantly. In my shock, I saw King Quentin raise his hand, pulling John Chou toward him and pinning him to his palm. Meanwhile, Black and White Impermanence dragged me out of the hall.
With a boom, a violent red beam burst forth. We dodged, and the stone floor instantly turned to ash. Through the red light, I saw John Chou fly out.
With another boom, King Quentin, now in a black bodysuit, flew out. As the red light faded, he found John Chou’s position in an instant, and with a wave of his hand, red thorny vines scattered down. John Chou got up from the ground, wiped blood from his mouth, and smiled coldly, slowly raising Belle in his hand.
With a swish, the thorny vines flying at John Chou were all sliced apart. John Chou closed in on King Quentin, swinging Belle at him. King Quentin caught the blade with one hand, and suddenly his other hand turned into a dog's head. With a boom, a red dog’s head slammed into John Chou, tearing a huge chunk from his body.
"You..."
King Quentin’s eyes widened. With a swish, I saw his palm easily sliced away. John Chou instantly turned into blood-red particles, quickly gathering behind King Quentin.
"But what you just said—destroying the Three Evil Paths—is impossible. We don’t have that kind of power. The force King Kṣitigarbha used to create the Six Paths far exceeds your imagination. The only option is to cast the Three Evil Paths into the Hell of Infinite Suffering and seal them away for now."
"Die."
With a buzz, a violent black airflow exploded. Black and White Impermanence dragged me away again.
Tabby Cat King and Rusty were awakened by the battle. We kept our distance as John Chou hung limply in King Quentin’s grip.
"This isn’t good. Why would John Chou pick a fight with a Yama? This is really bad!"
Tabby Cat King muttered. I watched nervously as Lady Meng and Fifth Tribunal Yama stayed on the rooftop, observing without intervening.
"Is that all you’ve got, Judge of the First Court?"
John Chou lifted his head, smirking coldly. King Quentin tightened his grip, and with a bang, John Chou burst into a spray of blood in his hand.
Blood splattered everywhere. King Quentin quietly watched the blood beads slowly flow across the floor. The beads gathered, and John Chou stood on the ground, completely unharmed.
With a boom, King Quentin pressed down on John Chou again, the floor caving in instantly. John Chou raised Belle, smiling coldly.