**[Note: This is purely a YY opening, a bit naive, hehe. If you're not interested, feel free to skip this part and jump directly to the main text of the first volume, hehe!]**
For a hundred lifetimes, common beings were like horses and oxen; for one lifetime, they were Buddhas and dragon elephants! Thus unfolds the curtain of heroes!
Lan Ling was quite unlucky. He never expected that his fate would be toyed with by a few unexpected big figures. Looking at the solemn and deadly Yama's Palace, he finally believed the fact that he was dead. And all of this began with the damn mahjong.
For nearly a thousand years, under the promotion of Buddha Tathagata, the celestial realm encouraged foreign trade development, creating a harmonious scene. Even the Jade Emperor's salary increased several times. Naturally, the one most pleased with this prosperity was Yama, the ruler of Abode of Endless Torment. Without the constant hindrance from Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, the newly implemented Eastern and Western bilateral trade economic development plans were widely promoted, making hell a particularly lucrative department. It was rumored that even Zhu Bajie, the Clean Altar Envoy, tried to bribe his way in for a share, showcasing the prosperity.
On this day, it was New Year's Eve in the mortal world. The Jade Emperor, having received the Buddha's decree, set up a banquet in Yama's Palace to entertain the distinguished guest sent by the Western God of Creation, along with Satan, the ruler of the Western Hell, to discuss further economic and trade cooperation.
The little demons stood guard below Yama's Palace, while the judge accompanied them.
At the banquet, after a round of pleasantries, the four important figures naturally began their discussion.
"God, you said the trade cooperation meeting happens once every hundred years, so let's not bother with formalities. Let's have some fun. I've secretly invited several fairies from the Moon Palace to dance and sing for entertainment," the Jade Emperor suggested.
"At the host's convenience!" God smiled mysteriously. "Jade Emperor, I heard there's a new game called mahjong in the human world under the Eastern celestial realm. I've practiced it in the Western Paradise. Just the four of us here today, how about a small game for fun?"
God's proposal was immediately met with enthusiastic approval. Although the game of mahjong had been passed down since the Ming Dynasty, it had particularly flourished in recent years. Even the Queen Mother of the West enjoyed playing it with the flower fairies and other deities, reaching its peak popularity.
At the mahjong table, the Jade Emperor's face grew increasingly grim. He couldn't understand what had gotten into God and Satan; after a few rounds, he was on the verge of a nervous breakdown from losing so badly. Unfortunately, he had to make up the numbers with Yama, who, despite his brilliant business acumen, was terrible at gambling and didn't know how to cooperate. While their opponents repeatedly achieved perfect hands, he and Yama kept losing disastrously, making him want to flip the table in frustration.
It wasn't about the money; it was the Queen Mother's notoriously bad temper and his strict adherence to "wife's authority." If he couldn't account for the losses when he returned to the Celestial Palace, he'd be in for another miserable punishment, kneeling on a washboard.
"One Bamboo!" Yama, equally anxious, knew all too well that serving the emperor was like serving a tiger; the Jade Emperor was clearly furious.
"Sorry! Haha, I win again, Thirteen Orphans!" Just as Yama played his tile, God excitedly shouted, unable to believe that after a hundred years, the Jade Emperor's skills had deteriorated so much. This time, giving him a thorough beating felt immensely satisfying.
However, when dogs go mad, they eat feces; when humans go mad, trouble follows. In his excitement, God used too much force, causing the mahjong tile to bounce off the gambling table. Worried that the Jade Emperor and Yama would think he was cheating, he panicked and forgot about his boundless power, reaching out to grab it. The "One Bamboo" tile slipped through God's fingers and bounced towards the Wheel of Life and Death."Oh no, this is bad," Yama's face turned pale. The Wheel of Life and Death governs the reincarnation of all beings in the Eastern Pure Land. If the mahjong tile fell into any of the wheels, it could cause disturbances in life and death, a crime against the heavenly laws. How could he not be terrified?Although the four of them were extraordinarily powerful, life and death had their own rules that even they would not easily violate. The dead were terrified, standing by the Wheel of Six Realms, and opening their heavenly eyes to look down, they were scared stiff. The mahjong tile, unfortunately, bounced into the human realm of the six paths. They prayed fervently that it wouldn't hit some unlucky soul.Unfortunately, it did hit someone, and that person was Lan Ling, known as the biggest jinx of the 21st century. When he realized that his death was caused by the whims of these four "bastards," he almost cursed out loud. What made it worse was that the Book of Life and Death showed his lifespan was supposed to be 120 years, and he was only 20 now. Losing a century of life because of a "One Bamboo" tile, how could he not be furious? He immediately started acting shamelessly."Hey, big brothers, great immortals, isn't this a case of toying with human life? We talk about human rights nowadays…" Lan Ling wailed. Thinking about his father, who was a wealthy man listed in Forbes, and his grand plans for a luxurious life that had just begun, being cut short like this was intolerable. He had to demand an explanation; it was not in his character to let it go."Jade Emperor, how should we handle this?" God asked, a bit troubled. He knew that the East and the West were different, with the East having reincarnation, which was not as simple as the Western concept of soul salvation."How would I know?" The Jade Emperor, slightly gloating, felt some relief from the earlier gambling loss. However, he knew he couldn't show it too obviously as trade cooperation was crucial for the celestial economy for the next hundred years. He said, "Yama, you are in charge of the life and death of beings in the East. Since Lan Ling's soul has already been brought to Yama's Palace by the ox-headed and horse-faced guards, issue a decree."Yama stroked his beard and thought for a moment before saying, "Your Majesty, according to the 'Hell Codex,' the laws of life and death are set at the time of birth, following the cycle of the heavenly way. This… this case of being killed by a mahjong tile is the first since Pangu created the world. Though I manage life and death, I cannot alter the rules. Therefore, I do not have a solution."God and Satan exchanged troubled looks, seeing the dilemma in each other's eyes."However, I do have a workaround." Yama lifted his head and looked at Satan."What brilliant idea do you have, Yama? Please enlighten us!" Satan asked."The solution is simple," Yama said. "The Eastern rules of life and death are set by the Buddha and are immutable. However, the Western Paradise can freely control life and death. Brother Satan, as the ruler of the Western Hell, you have the authority. We just need to send this troublesome guy to the West. This would not only solve his relentless pestering but also avoid the calamity caused by the mahjong tile. Isn't that perfect?"Satan's eyes lit up, and he exclaimed, "This is a great idea! However, I need to check if he is willing to cooperate. If he resists, I will have to use force. We cannot let him jeopardize our important affairs."
These guys aren't sick, are they? Lan Ling was speechless. Their "whispers" were loud enough for the whole world to hear. From their conversation, it seemed they wanted to send him to the West. What if he didn't agree? Not agree? Just looking at the gloomy faces of those four made his back feel cold, the situation didn't seem to bode well for him.
"Human Lan Ling, right? Lan Ling, I, the Lord, ask you, do you wish to live as a human again?"
"Yes, yes!" Seeing Satan's face, so handsome it could charm anyone to death, now twisted into something more terrifying than the ox-headed and horse-faced demons, Lan Ling dared not say no. But he felt unwilling in his heart. How could he give up his life of wealth and honor? Anyone would feel the same.
This guy was good at reading the room. He had already noticed their guilt and fear of being found out. Deciding not to let himself be at a disadvantage, he smiled slyly and said, "But, esteemed Lord Satan, I'm just an ordinary person, my death is insignificant. But isn't this a historic injustice? People choke on water, die in their sleep, at least they live out their natural lifespan. But I'm different, have you ever heard of anyone else being killed by a mahjong tile? So, could you give me some compensation?"
"What kind of compensation do you want?" Satan, despite his reputation as a fallen angel, was not a bloodthirsty person. He felt this guy's death was indeed unjust, and his reasoning made sense. His tone became a bit calmer.
Lan Ling stroked his chin, thinking for a moment before saying, "I've read a lot of novels. For someone like me, who dies and meets super experts like you, shouldn't I be reborn with some great abilities? Ideally, something like the Chinese incantations from Tai Shang Lao Jun, so I can have a place in the world!"
Lan Ling thought simply. His 20 years in the mortal world were wasted, living a life of debauchery. Since revival was impossible, having enough power would suffice. He had already planned his future, relying on the powerful abilities granted by Satan to become a hero admired by all, never again to be the wastrel people cursed.
"Lao… Lao…" Satan's facial muscles twisted with jealousy, almost cursing out "Laozi." Struggling to control himself, he couldn't help but roar, "You won't get those things. This is the West, not the East, remember that. There, only magic and swords, dragons and noble knights exist. Considering our guilt, we can only help you choose a good family. So, what do you want?"
"This?" Lan Ling was stunned. He had only thought about becoming a hero and hadn't considered this. Hearing Satan's tone, it seemed his birth could be chosen. So he said, "Lord Satan, I want to be a hero. I haven't thought about this. Could you suggest some identities for me to choose from?"
"Son of the emperor of an empire? That's already the highest position. Being a prince, you'll have wealth, power, and beauties, able to command everyone. Isn't that much more comfortable than your previous life?" Satan suggested.
"I don't want it. Being a prince? Look at all the emperors in ancient China, their sons died horribly fighting for the throne. Take Li Jiancheng from the Tang Dynasty, pierced by thousands of arrows. Just thinking about it scares me. I'd better not."
"Then be a powerful minister, only serving the king." Satan continued.
Lan Ling's face turned pale, "Lord Satan, that reminds me of Chao Cuo, who served Emperor Wen of Han faithfully, only to be executed by waist chop. Even the mighty general Yue Fei was killed by Qin Hui. Are you trying to harm me? Esteemed Lord Satan, can't you find an identity for me that guarantees safety, power, and ability, lets me avoid a miserable death, and allows me to be a great hero?"
"Get lost as far as you can." Satan was furious. From being the highest-ranking seraph to the fallen angel Lucifer, and then the Lord of Hell, he had never been so angry. Lan Ling was honored to be the first human to truly enrage him.
The long robe swished as the sleeves were flicked, and in the center of Yama's Palace, a forbidden curse array was quickly formed. Lan Ling's soul was swiftly absorbed by the intense energy, leaving him no room for resistance, only a resentful voice echoed, "I've practiced. If you have the guts, come fight me one-on-one!"
"Phew, finally some peace!" The four exchanged glances and sighed in relief. Talking to that guy was pure torture.
**Volume One: The Rise in Another World**
**Chapter One: Heart Like a Rock**
On the continent of Caesar, in the year 223 of the Epic Era, after the death and rebirth of Duke Kao's son, Atre Ivan, the later generations could only attribute his resurrection to divine favor due to his rapid rise in the following years. This theory is supported by his meteoric ascent over the years. While investigating King Atre's heroic journey, we found no clear traces, which has become a topic of great interest for future scholars.
— "The Conqueror Empire: Historical Notes"
"Satan, is it appropriate to have Lan Ling reincarnate into such a powerful family? The Creator might get angry." God, who governs the West, sensed where Lan Ling's soul was about to be born and showed some concern. After all, this involved disrupting the order of time and space, something even he couldn't defy given the Creator's immense power.