Translator: Dj2203
Editor: Dj2203
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The entire area fell silent because of Zhuang Li’s strange methods.
Everyone watched with almost breathless disbelief as Master Xuan Zhenzi’s soul descended into the Yama’s Palace.
Zhuang Li said in a deep voice, “Now, take a good look at Yama, who is sitting in the hall. Carefully examine his face and then tell me who he is.”
Xuan Zhenzi, who had been looking up at the sky, slowly shifted his gaze forward, his eyes wide open but his pupils unfocused. After a long moment of stunned silence, he exclaimed, “It’s you! You’re actually Yama, the King of Hell!”
His pupils finally focused, but what they reflected was Zhuang Li’s indifferent face.
Xuan Zhenzi knelt down with a thud, cold sweat pouring down his forehead, gradually soaking his clothes. He was completely immersed in this half-real, half-illusion.
Upon hearing Xuan Zhenzi’s words, the onlookers showed expressions of extreme horror, and then retreated in unison, genuinely believing that Zhuang Li was Yama, the King of Hell.
Governor Qin was so frightened that he turned pale and then followed the crowd to hide behind.
Only Qi Wang and his guards remained standing, silently protecting the isolated young master.
Zhuang Jiuge was slightly taken aback, then suddenly realized. He had been pondering for days who the person inside his brother’s body was, and now he finally had the answer.
Everyone was stunned by the illusion created by Zhuang Li. Xuan Zhenzi, who was inside it, trembled like a leaf, his liver and gallbladder were about to burst, and his face showed a look of resistance, as if he wanted to break free from the illusion.
Zhuang Li immediately gave the order: “Look me in the eyes and tell me your name.”
Xuan Zhenzi couldn’t help but look into those deep, dark eyes, and unable to resist, he told the truth: “My name is Zhang Dahu.”
He used his secular name, not his Taoist name, which showed that he had no sense of identification or belonging to Taoism. His faith was false.
Zhuang Li continued to ask, “Where are you from? Why are you being interrogated in the underworld?”
Xuan Zhenzi answered honestly, “I am from Luanzhou. I don’t know how I got to the Yama’s Palace. I was here as soon as I opened my eyes.”
“Lying!” Zhuang Li said in a deep voice, “Only those who commit heinous crimes will enter the Hall of Hell. What exactly did you do in the mortal world? Confess now!”
“Your Majesty, I am truly innocent. I have not committed any crime.” Xuan Zhenzi stubbornly refused to speak.
However, in a deep hypnotic state, his consciousness and subconsciousness were completely beyond his control. As long as Zhuang Li increased the intensity of his guidance, he would inevitably be unable to resist.
“Do you know the Book of Life and Death? Whether you speak of it or not, all your experiences in life will be recorded there. Let me take a look.” Zhuang Li closed his eyes, seemingly flipping through a book in his mind, before coldly speaking: “You slander and harm others, use clever words to argue, commit murder and arson— you deserve to go to the hell of knives! Do you admit to these crimes or not? If you don’t, I will subject you to the punishment of being slowly sliced to death!”
Xuan Zhenzi knew about the Book of Life and Death, and he also knew that the methods of immortals were not something that mortals could fool, so he had no choice but to lower his head and confess, “I admit it.”
“Tell me the truth about who you’ve killed!” Zhuang Li immediately began to urge him on.
Based on Daoist Ling Xi’s actions, Zhuang Li guessed that Xuan Zhenzi must also be involved in some shady dealings. To save time, he decided to start with the most serious charges. If Xuan Zhenzi were to list all the people he had deceived over the years, he could probably count them all from today to tomorrow.
Hypnosis merely created an illusion and could not alter a person’s thinking ability. Therefore, if Xuan Zhenzi did not commit murder, he could completely deny it.
Xuan Zhenzi wanted to deny it, but the person interrogating him was Yama, the King of Hell. If he lied, the records in the Book of Life and Death would immediately expose these lies, and the consequences would only be more serious.
This was the effect of authority in hypnosis. Once the hypnotist established supreme authority in the subject’s mind, his words became divine pronouncements.
Xuan Zhenzi dared not defy the gods and spirits, so he had no choice but to honestly confess his crimes. From the age of eighteen when he first entered the martial world to the age of sixty-eight when he became famous throughout the world, he killed a total of 49 people, each of whom had a name, surname, and origin, and was not made up out of thin air.
Among them were his adulterous lover, his fellow villagers who had dirt on him, court officials who hindered his career, as well as ordinary people and his disciples.
He killed them for money, sex, power, or to silence them; each had their own reasons.
These people’s corpses were either thrown into the wilderness to be fed to wolves, buried in the ground and turned into withered bones, or burned to ashes. There was even a young Taoist boy whose corpse he buried in the flower bed of Qingtian Temple, nourishing many beautiful flowers.
Everyone around was stunned. Someone exclaimed, “I know this Liu that Xuan Zhenzi is talking about! We’re from the same village. Liu went out to travel years ago and never came back. His wife was having an affair with Xuan Zhenzi! Xuan Zhenzi even killed him because of this, my God!”
The man’s words caused a horrified uproar among the crowd.
He killed 49 people in 50 years, which was equivalent to killing one person per year on average. There really was such a demon in the world!
If someone hinders his future, kill them! If they see him carrying too much money, kill them! If they find something wrong with him, kill him! If they advise him not to do evil, kill him too!
This Xuan Zhenzi was not human at all, but a ghost in human skin!
The crowd retreated further, their faces showing indignation.
When Xuan Zhenzi started confessing his crimes in detail, Zhuang Li gestured to his younger brother to write them down quickly.
Zhuang Jiuge quickly spread out a sheet of Xuan paper and wrote with lightning speed. After Xuan Zhenzi finished giving his instructions, he also wrote the last word.
Zhuang Li took the petition, looked at it, and then handed it to Xuan Zhenzi, ordering him to sign and affix his seal.
Xuan Zhenzi obediently signed the document and pressed his fingerprint. Then Zhuang Li counted down from five to wake him from the hypnotic state.
If the hypnotist doesn’t provide guidance, the subject won’t lose the memories from the hypnosis, so Xuan Zhenzi remembered everything after waking up. Ignoring the reactions of those around him, he lunged at Zhuang Li, trying to snatch the charge sheet.
Before Zhuang Li could dodge, Qi Wang had already knocked Xuan Zhenzi unconscious with a chop to the neck, coldly saying, “Lock him up in jail for interrogation. Governor Qin, immediately send people to investigate the crimes listed in this petition. Find out the truth as quickly as possible and give the people an explanation. The Qingtian Temple is sealed off, and all the Taoist priests in the temple are arrested and imprisoned for trial!”
Governor Qin agreed with trepidation, then hesitated and said, “Xuan Zhenzi has refined a kind of elixir that is said to cure all diseases.”
“I dare not eat the elixir made by such a person; I find it disgusting,” Qi Wang said with extreme disgust.
Governor Qin dared not speak up for Xuan Zhenzi any further, he just bowed deeply, and then hurriedly left with the petition. The Prince had personally ordered a thorough investigation, so he naturally dared not delay.
The crowd cheered for Qi Wang, while others were terrified and completely bewildered. But regardless of their feelings, their opinion of Zhuang Li was unanimous— this Mr. Zhuang could actually bring people’s souls into the underworld for interrogation! He must be a deity!
Thinking this, some people’s knees buckled, and they actually knelt down before Zhuang Li. Influenced by these people, more and more people knelt down.
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