That reason for closing the gate was quite insincere, only lacking Song Emperor Yu himself standing on the city gate to say:

"Ah, this King is not home, go check another house."

Or perhaps,

That was the intended effect.

Basically, even the pretense and superficialities were too much effort.

This wasn't surprising.

Half of Song Emperor City was still collapsed and hadn't been repaired.

A year and a half ago, the moon fell here.

Not only did it cause great casualties,

But it also made the Song Emperor lineage a laughingstock for the other great halls for over a year.

In fact,

Both Song Emperor Yu and the officials in Song Emperor City were very wronged.

In the past, when Grand Eunuch was chased all the way here,

It was Song Emperor Yu himself who stepped forward to stop Ying Gou.

Wasn't that enough friendship and loyalty?

What is a friend?

A friend who fights with you may not be a true friend, but one who helps you take a beating is definitely a true brother.

Although the result was a bit embarrassing, getting hammered along with the city by the moon, at least he bravely stood up at the time.

But as a result,

It became fodder for others' ridicule.

This time,

Only a fool would stick his neck out to help.

The Ten Kings of Hell were never of one mind. Saying they each harbored their own ghosts might be a bit of an exaggeration, but they certainly weren't building a harmonious and happy environment in hell together.

Otherwise, when King Equality Lu was chased by the Ten Eunuchs, wouldn't the other Kings have just turned a blind eye?

As for things like "a shared loss" or "common plight," Song Emperor Yu hadn't really considered them.

Just now, one of his subordinates had said that he had received a decree from King Chu Jiang, saying that clues to the whereabouts of the master of the Nether Sea had been found in the Yang Realm (mortal realm), and called on all the Kings of Hell to go to the summit of Mount Tai to discuss the matter together.

The decree was still hot,

Less than the time it takes to drink a few cups of tea,

And someone was already hunting him down.

How amusing.

…………

"Really not even bothering to pretend?"

A man in a dark red robe asked with a smile.

Across the pavilion, sat Song Emperor Yu in a cyan robe. Facing the question, Song Emperor Yu just smiled, pointed to his face,

And asked back:

"Hasn't this old face of mine lost enough face?"

The person who could converse with a King of Hell like this was certainly no ordinary person, at least, not just any ordinary person.

The robed man put down his teacup, shook his head, and said:

"In this humble one's opinion, it doesn't seem very appropriate."

"Appropriate or not, it doesn't really matter anymore. King Chu Jiang has always been closest to the Bodhisattva, so why doesn't he just go to Mount Tai? Why come here to me?

Heh,

Besides,

One of the Ten Kings has already been lost.

Although the number nine is quite auspicious,

It's like a mirror with a piece broken off, it just makes people feel uncomfortable.

One is already gone, can't there be another?

It really doesn't matter anymore.

Didn't the Bodhisattva raise those great eunuchs?

Right now, my position is one day closer to being gone. I'm just estimating the days. When the time comes for me to step down, can I even say 'no'?

King Chu Jiang himself came to persuade me to let go, saying that when the time comes, it will come. He lectured me with great principles. Who doesn't know he's conveying someone else's words?

I'm about to step down,

Why should I care about these miscellaneous matters?

A few days ago, that great monkey suddenly appeared, leading a group of ancient relics who ran out of the sealed land in the far west to attack the main city of the Underworld.

In the end, it was still the Bodhisattva who had to issue a decree before two Kings of Hell were willing to show their faces.

If the Bodhisattva doesn't make a statement,

Do you believe me,

Even if the main city is completely destroyed,

Not a single King of Hell would be willing to move an inch to take a look."

The robed man heard this, nodded, and sighed, saying:

"It is indeed difficult for you all."

"That's too sentimental. To put it bluntly, this world was usurped in the first place. For thousands of years, everyone has been staring at their own little patch of land, and they're too lazy to care about what's going on outside.

A few years ago, I was still thinking that if I could join hands with the Ten Eunuchs and form a good relationship, then even if I stepped down and gave up my position in the future, at least I could leave some goodwill behind.

But after last time, I saw through it."

"I heard that the Ten Eunuchs have a very good relationship. They live, eat, and sleep together, as if their hearts are connected."

"Didn't we ten have a very good relationship in the beginning? Although not as disgusting as those eunuchs, we did cherish each other. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been us ten who echoed each other when we started the rebellion.

But what of it?

Old King Lu's hall was slaughtered.

When he was chased by those ten eunuchs,

He didn't think to come to us for shelter. Of course, we didn't think about helping this old friend who walked out with us back then either.

That's just how people are.

Hey,

If I had to say it,

Old Lu was ruthless enough to sacrifice himself, but that one was really good and fulfilled his promise.

Didn't they have hearts connected? He broke off one of their fingers.

So ah, what feelings, what past, it's all unreliable.

That time, I really saw through it.

Those dead eunuchs haven't risen up yet, but when they really do and take our positions, they'll be much more ruthless than we are when they turn on us.

At most, we'll just sweep the snow from our own doorsteps; them, heh.

So what good will, what old friendships, it's all wasted effort. It's better to just listen to Mr. Su sing a song here."

Mr. Su, full name Su Dingjiang, from Taizhou, Jiangsu, is from the same hometown as Mr. Mei Lanfang, but two generations older.

Gold always shines, that's true; even if you didn't shine during your lifetime, there's still a chance after death.

Mr. Su was not famous during his lifetime, and even lived a very difficult life. After death, by chance, he was appreciated by Song Emperor Yu. The specific details will not be elaborated upon.

Song Emperor Yu is a person who loves to listen to opera. He usually arranges for Mr. Su to live in his hall, and the other Kings occasionally invite him to sing a few songs.

How high a performer is ultimately depends on how high the person who supports him is.

At least Mr. Su's status in hell now is considered very lofty.

"It is this humble one's blessing that Your Majesty loves to listen to my songs."

"Heh, when the time comes, after I step down from this position, I might as well open an opera house in this hell.

It seems I have to make arrangements in advance, bring down some good talents from the Yang Realm to set up this makeshift troupe."

Hearing this,

Mr. Su immediately said:

"Your Majesty, there are not many good talents in the Yang Realm to begin with. It is better to leave them to continue the family lineage in the Yang Realm."

Song Emperor Yu reached out and gently patted the back of Mr. Su's hand,

Saying:

"A joke, a joke, don't take it seriously, don't take it seriously."

Song Emperor sighed,

Got up,

And put his hands behind his back.

"It's an eternal Bodhisattva and a flowing Underworld. I used to feel really uncomfortable when I heard that I was going to step down, but now I know that counting the days until I step down feels almost the same as waiting to die."

"Will the Bodhisattva help him?" Mr. Su asked.

"That's really not certain. Last time that one came, I was the one who got hit the hardest. The others heard the news and simply sent a Dharma body to go through the motions.

Although the Bodhisattva also came, to be honest, that's really not the Bodhisattva's true level."

"Is the Bodhisattva very strong?"

"Isn't it already circulating in hell that the Bodhisattva is ruling from behind the curtain? If he didn't have the ability to deal with us, how could we let him sit up there and rule from behind the curtain?

But the people of Buddhism pay attention to karma, clearly the secular world is like flowers entering the forest, but they insist on not being touched by a single leaf.

At first, I didn't understand,

But now,

I understand a little.

When everyone doesn't know how strong you really are, that's actually when you're at your strongest."

Speaking of this,

Song Emperor bowed slightly to Mr. Su and said:

"Sir, please wait here for a moment. That one is catching up, allow me to go and greet him."

"Is Your Majesty going to see him?"

"Being beaten means one's skills are inferior, and there's nothing to resent about being beaten for having inferior skills.

Besides, things change, and after that time a year and a half ago, we haven't been able to track his whereabouts. Some say he has completely fallen into the depths of the Naihe River, and some say he is still hiding in the Yang Realm, slowly recovering.

Actually, it doesn't matter, after all, he's a figure from ancient times, and Di Ting can't hear his location."

"How strong is he?"

"He can be very weak, and he can be very strong."

"Compared to the Bodhisattva?"

An ordinary person sitting in the guest chair of the King of Hell is still just an ordinary person, and the questions he asks are also very ordinary, but that may be what is most attractive about him - purity.

"Hard to say, but now, unless those old fogeys who are still hiding in their shells come out, otherwise, we can only rely on the Bodhisattva.

However, this one is now like this teacup, with cracks in the bottom, unable to hold much water, and if it does, it will slowly seep out.

So even though he looks so powerful right now, chasing King Chu Jiang everywhere, that's just for this period of time, unless you keep adding water, otherwise the water will eventually leak to the bottom.

But before the water leaks out, unless we work together sincerely, none of us are his opponent.

You just watch,

King Chu Jiang continues to run outwards,

Knocking on doors one by one,

To see who will be willing to save him.

Everyone sees through it and is waiting for his water to leak out completely, otherwise, going up to save him now is purely sending oneself to their deaths.

Even if we Kings put aside our grudges and join hands, that one can at least drag one of us down as a sacrifice, this deal is too much of a loss."

The next moment,

As Zhou Ze's body flew over Song Emperor City,

Song Emperor Yu's Dharma body manifested,

Tall and majestic,

Except that the right side looked a bit dilapidated, probably because it hadn't been repaired yet.

Zhou Ze stopped.

He thought that Song Emperor would be like last time,

And play the honest man.

But you can't always let the honest man suffer,

As Zhou Ze stopped,

In the depths of the hall, in the courtyard, Mr. Su's expression suddenly twitched nervously when he saw Song Emperor Yu's expression,

And the Dharma body in the center of Song Emperor City immediately reached out,

And pointed to the west:

"Went west."