Although a bit narcissistic, I, born in a remote and impoverished village, truly didn't have any ill intentions, and was naively honest. Aside from having once mischievously stolen eggs from the neighbor's chicken coop.
The Judge flipped to a page about me in the Book of Life and Death, furrowed his brows, and said that according to the book, my lifespan in the Mortal Realm was not yet over, and I should not have come here. Then, he arranged for a Ghost Soldier to show me around the Underworld while he went to consult with the King of Hell.
Most of the buildings in the Underworld were of ancient architectural styles, rarely seen now. There were no tall buildings, with the tallest being merely two or three stories. Just like in the Mortal Realm, there were small merchants and vendors along the streets, conducting their business.
I asked the Ghost Soldier why there were still so many people here if everyone was supposed to be reincarnated after arriving.
The Ghost Soldier told me that just as living humans have a lifespan, ghosts have an "underworld lifespan" that can range from one year to several hundred years. When their underworld lifespan ends, they can be reincarnated, and some people who don't wish to be reincarnated can settle here, provided that they have accumulated enough merit.
I once wondered whether those incense sticks, spirit money, and paper ingots burned in the Mortal Realm worked in the Netherworld. After my inquiries, I got the answer that the ingots were the main currency in the Netherworld, while the paper money and such were pretty much regarded as trash. As if to prove his point, the Ghost Soldier took out a handful of spirit money from his bosom and tossed it into the sky.
A gust of spiritual wind blew past, stinging my face. I watched as the spirit money floating in the air instantly turned to ash, leaving not a trace behind.
I couldn't help but be amazed. The Netherworld's environmental protection measures were praiseworthy. If the Mortal Realm had this kind of spiritual wind, wouldn't garbage disposal become unnecessary? Simply toss it into the air, and the spiritual wind would turn it to ash—convenient, quick, and clean.
After wandering around for a while, I grew bored. Apart from architectural styles, there seemed to be little difference from the Mortal Realm, except that here it felt oppressive and stiflingly hot.
Suddenly, I remembered the Eighteen Levels of Hell mentioned by adults. After much pleading, the Ghost Soldier finally agreed to give me a tour, but I could only look and not make a sound.
He conjured a set of paper clothes out of thin air, asking me to put them on. I'd never worn paper clothes before and looked at the Ghost Soldier for help.
The Ghost Soldier shook the clothes, then swiped them over me, and to my astonishment, I was already dressed. The clothes felt soft to touch, similar to cotton.
Seeing that I had finished changing, he took a key from around his neck, twisted it into the void, and a virtual gate of light appeared in front of us. He grabbed my arm and stepped through.
A flash of white light, and my vision was restored. A fiery glow filled my sight.
Seeing this, the hairs on my body stood on end as I reached up to cover my mouth.
The Ghost Soldier looked at my awkward state and told me not to be scared. He said this level was called Tongue-Ripping Hell, where those who sowed discord, slandered, and were smooth-talking, deceitful, and lied in the Mortal Realm were punished.
As I watched, I followed the Ghost Soldier down a rugged path.
Soon, we arrived at the second level, named Scissor Hell. I watched as people lined up neatly, each extending their hands out, quietly waiting for their punishment. The Ghost Soldier held scissors, and "every finger hurts connected to the heart." It pained me to watch, let alone for those undergoing the punishment.
The third level, Iron Tree Hell, was filled with withered trees. But the branches were not ordinary limbs; they were sharp blades.
The fourth level, Sin Mirror Hell, was where I saw that man who claimed to be Li Gang being flogged by the Ghost Soldier before. He knelt before a mirror, stripped of his previous arrogance.
The name of that mirror was "Sin Mirror" and if someone committed a crime in the Mortal Realm, even if they did not confess, or they worked connections and deceived to escape punishment, they would not be able to hide from the Sin Mirror.
Li Gang admitted his guilt and was dragged away by the Ghost Soldier with chains, to an unknown destination.
The fifth level, Steamer Basket Hell, had naked people stacked like buns, thrown by the Ghost Soldiers onto a huge steamer basket.
The sixth level, Copper Pillar Hell, was filled with copper pillars, about one meter in diameter and two meters tall, packed closely together. The Ghost Soldiers stoked the pillars with charcoal and used bellows to make them glow red hot.
The seventh level, Knife Mountain Hell, mainly targeted those who had killed living beings in the Mortal Realm. In the Underworld, there was no distinction between the high and low, noble or humble; humans, cows, horses, sheep, chickens, they were all called living beings.
The eighth level, Ice Mountain Hell, had people standing naked on the ice, shivering violently. Some were covered in a thin layer of frost, while others were frozen stiff like ice pops. In this level, most were women, who in life either committed adultery or maliciously terminated pregnancies. The few men there had been unkind, unjust, and addicted to gambling.
The ninth level, Oil Cauldron Hell, greeted us with the sound of sizzling as soon as we entered.
The tenth level was Cattle Pit Hell, a place of vengeance for the animals. Anyone who harmed animals for mere pleasure in life, taking joy from their pain, would be brought here after the animals' grievances were verified. They would be thrown into a pit where countless fiery bulls would gore or trample them, ensuring endless suffering.