Upon landing in hell, the line I saw was much much longer than what I saw at the Gate of Heaven. But with Deputy Wang by my side I had no trouble getting the VIP treatment and got in by his side. The road that let us was obviously the "Huangquan Road," also called the death path. Deputy Wang changed himself back. The Yan King, or the king of hell, has two deputies, one the Oxen Head and the other the Horse Face. Deputy Wang is the Horse Face deputy. The deputies are soul snatchers. When the soul escapes the body upon death it would be their job to catch the soul to bring it to hell. I used to breed thoroughbred horses as a hobby so when I saw the white horse face I felt immediately at ease.
"Deputy Wang, I don't mean to be impolite, your face is quite magical and handsome." With the long line behind me and fate unknown awaiting for me, I have to win a friend on my side.
"Believe me, you don't want to see my face. The Yan King will be receiving us soon. I suggest you think hard about what you may request of him and hope you will have a better life." Wang said in quite a matter of fact way. He is not interested to be my friend.
The death path naturally led us through the Goodbye Bridge where underneath flows the river of blood. It is said only the good and kind can pass through whereas the villains and evil would fall in to the river to be punished first. Lady Meng stands as expected at the end of the bridge behind the famous Glancing Stone with her face all wrinkled up with age and a body mechanical and stiff like the Stone. This would be where one would take a past look at his or her life then drink the soup Meng offers to wipe out all memories of the past.
"Deputy Wang, I really shouldn't be drinking the soup today because I'm delegate member and we haven't discussed my fate yet." I protested.
"Lady Meng, he is a guest from the West, let him pass." Wang apparently agreed with me.
The Yan King's palace is as grand as the Forbidden City I have visited in Beijing. The King is the keeper of the Book of Life, a book that foretells the exact timing of the moment of life and death for all souls throughout the dimensions. Yan King received us at his side office from the main hall. He is in his fifties with a stern face and a dry humor. Yan King served as the equivalent of a chief justice during the Song Dynasty in China and ruled on many cases with fair and sympathetic results for the poor and disprivileged. Upon death he was promoted to be the King of the Dark Realm. I felt lucky I could talk to him directly since I have spent my entire career in dealing with judges as a lawyer.
Yan King held upon one hand and suggested that I hold my words and then said to his deputy the Horse Face, "even the West doesn't know what to do with him what are we suppose to do?"
"Your Majesty, the Fighting Lord Wukong led the delegation to the West to discuss cross boundary issues. On the issue of overseas Chinese and their descendants not affiliated with their local religions the West hasn't figure out a way to deal with it and wants to see if we can try to work out a solution to this situation. The Fighting Lord gave him to us to handle this and Mr. Yao volunteered for this project. His grandparents came from China." Wang was as eager as me to try to resolve the matter.
"Sorry, Deputy Wang, my great grandparents came from Taishan China." I felt I have to correct him this time.
Both Yan King and Horse Face looked surprised. "If it were your grandparents who came from China would be one thing, we could in theory have you reincarnated by following your family tree. But with great grandparents the lineage gap would be too far stretched. We would have no way to have you registered in the Book of Life." Yan King said while looking at Horse Face with his expression never changed like a judge.
Horse Face began to sweat. I broke the silence, "Your Majesty, I don't want reincarnation. I was really summoned up due to mistaken identity. All I need is to go back to where I was."
"If the West has no reincarnation, and the soul can not be returned due to decay of the body, that is a problem." Yan King commented while tabbing his left middle finger on his desk. My heart sunk. Being a wandering ghost either in the West or the East wouldn't really matter. The point is I really don't want to be one. I have to think on my feet at this moment.
"Your Majesty, I know whatever you may decide today will set the precedent." I had to get his attention. "Even a wandering soul will eventually have to be reincarnated but then you would still have the registration issue with the Book of Life. It simply delays the problem but doesn't solve it." With expecting looks from both Yan King and Horse Face, this is the moment I have to make the sale and clinch it. "I know the Dark Realm controls the Wheel of Life. I read it on Webnovel, ah, it is an internet website. A website is"
"Mr. Yao, we know what a website is. In fact our Book of Life is managed by AI on a 5G network already." Horse Face stopped me from explaining.
"Pardon my ignorance. What I meant to say was instead of trying to solve the problem for the disposition of overseas Chinese, the better option is to prevent it from happening so you don't have to deal with it then." I said. "Chinese and their descendants living overseas have assimilated into their local societies. Let them deal with the life and death issues on their own. The Realm of Darkness should abstain from exercising jurisdiction over this." Now I feel like I'm talking like a lawyer again.
"As to me, you can simply use your Wheel of Life to send me back. There are many people you send back who have arrived but have not met their time to die."
"This does sound like a good solution and may likely make everyone happy. The only problem is..." Yan King looked at Horse Face and spoke.
"Your Majesty, although we've never done this but the Wheel of Life can be adjusted to point to the West." Horse Face quickly added with his eyes looking down. Yan King said nothing and made me worry. But this appeared to be the only opportunity to go back, alive. I have to take my chances. "So long as it will be the same place and around the same time I will have no problem with it. I am willing to take the risks as the volunteer." I said.
Between heaven and hell there is earth, the world I grew up in, the world that has given meanings to my life and the world I found my meanings of life. Eternity in heaven sounds too far away and too lonesome. Reincarnation doesn't interest me either. Life is no cherry pie. Throughout my personal life and my years of law practice I have lived through and witnessed love and hate, success and failure, fulfillment and disappointment. Life can be easy and joyful life can also be hard. So life once lived and lived to my own fullest or contentment would be all I need. I shall therefore return and continue my searching.
The Life Wheel I'm in turn out not to be one wheel but four wheels aligned together pointing to eight even directions. As Horse Face was adjusting the dials he asked, "How is life in America? With the population booming here and modernization creating its many new problems I have to keep myself much busier than before."
I wasn't about to start a conversation with him as I was getting ready to be projectiled away. "Deputy Wang, life is good in America, less people and less pollution. But like every country it has its own problems and issues to deal with. I want to thank you for saving my life. In the bottom of my heart I feel like you are my true patron." I really couldn't say to him to come to visit me.
Horse Face winked at me. The soul snatcher does not show up unless one's death is due. "Well, good luck to you. Since you regard me as your patron and I believe you mean it, it'd be customary for me to give you a gift." He reached into his pocket and took out a dark metal badge. "I don't have much to give you and can't spare you a life. I was however the Horse Lord before I became the King's Deputy the Horse Face. You can keep this as a memorabilia and maybe one day it can be of help to you."
The wheels started turning and spinning at the same time, faster by the moment, to a hue of ball of light.