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05 The Dragon King Is Beheaded

The next three are the Prison of Ice, the Prison of Shell-Stripping and the Prison of Gut-Drawing — filthy-faced and unkempt, brows knitted in anguish, holding those who bullied the marketplaces and preyed on their neighbours. The next three are the Prison of the Oil Cauldron, the Prison of Darkness and the Prison of the Knife Mountain — all trembling and lamenting, holding those who were arrogant and domineering and used their strength to oppress the weak. The lowest three are the Prison of the Blood Pool, the Prison of Avici and the Prison of the Steelyard — flayed and broken, with shattered arms and severed sinews, holding those who murdered for gain and brought ruin on the living. Truly: good and evil are repaid in the end; only the hour of reckoning comes early or late. Having seen the eighteen levels, they went a little further and came upon two bridges, one of gold and one of silver. Several ghost soldiers knelt by the road with banners and canopy, saying, "The Bridge Envoys have come to receive you!" Judge Cui bade them rise and led the Emperor across the golden bridge. After a while another bridge appeared, many li long and a thousand fathoms deep, swept by rolling gusts of cold, with no rail or handhold, while below, waves of blood surged and the cries of the damned rose up. "Your Majesty," said Cui Jue, "this is the Naihe Bridge, the only road back to the world of light." Even as he spoke the Bridge Envoys withdrew. The Emperor's heart quaked, and he hurried across after Judge Cui and Marshal Zhu. Beyond that bitter realm the Emperor came to the City of Wrongful Death. A host of fierce ghosts — broken-backed, limb-torn, some footed and headless — blocked his way, crying, "Give us back our lives!" The Emperor dodged left and right, shouting for help. Cui Jue said, "These are poor, hungry ghosts with none to tend them: they have no money and cannot be released. Your Majesty must give them silver to get away." The Emperor had not a coin, and turned to the judge for advice. Cui Jue told him, "In Kaifeng in the world of light there lives a man named Xiang Liang who has thirteen storehouses of gold and silver laid up here. Your Majesty may borrow one storehouse and distribute it among these hungry ghosts. And when you return you must hold a Water-and-Land Assembly to release them — only then will the world of light know peace." The Emperor at once drew up a deed, with Judge Cui as guarantor, borrowed one storehouse of Xiang Liang's gold and silver, and had Marshal Zhu pay off the ghosts; then they hurried away from the City of Wrongful Death. Drifting on, the Emperor crossed the broad level road and came with the judge and the marshal straight to the Six Paths of Reincarnation, where demons and sprites, beasts and birds, each took its own path and hastened beneath the wheel. Seeing the Emperor puzzled, Cui Jue said, "This is called the Six Paths of Reincarnation: the doers of good ascend to the path of immortals; the loyal are reborn to the path of honour; the filial to the path of blessing; the just return to the human path; the virtuous to the path of wealth; and the wicked sink to the path of ghosts." The Emperor heard him out with many sighs. Judge Cui brought him to the gate of the Path of Honour and took his leave with a bow. "This is the place of rebirth. Marshal Zhu will guide Your Majesty back to the world of light; your humble servant bids farewell." The Emperor bowed in return. He parted from the judge and followed Marshal Zhu through the gate. There stood a fine black horse with a golden saddle and silver bridle, red tail and dark mane, pawing proudly in the wind. Marshal Zhu helped the Emperor onto the horse, and it galloped on swift as a flying arrow.

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