ragginovel Chapter 46 A Glimpse of the Judge
Chapter 46 A Glimpse of the Judge
After a long while, the statue's eyes suddenly lit up.
A phantom figure floated out of the statue and slowly solidified into a human form.
It was a middle-aged man in a red robe with a dignified face, whose appearance was exactly the same as the statue.
He held a pen in his hand, and a thick booklet lay open on his lap.
Lu Pan.
No, it was a wisp of Lu Pan's divine thought.
"Mortal, how dare you!"
Judge Lu's voice was deep and authoritative, as if it came from the depths of the netherworld:
"How dare you trespass into the sacred grounds of the underworld and spy on my divine statue!"
Zhou Ning did not back down, and cupped his hands in greeting:
"My name is Zhou Ning, a disciple of Yan Chixia of Qingyun Mountain. I have no intention of offending you, but I have been asked to investigate a matter."
A hint of surprise flashed in Lu Pan's eyes:
"Yan Chixia's disciple?"
Zhou Ning nodded: "Exactly."
Judge Lu was silent for a moment, then his tone softened:
"That old bastard Yan Chixia, is he still alive?"
Zhou Ning said, "My master is in good health, thank you for your concern."
Judge Lu snorted coldly:
"Who cares about him? That old man still owes me a favor from back then."
Zhou Ning was taken aback: "Does my master owe you a favor?"
Judge Lu waved his hand:
"Let bygones be bygones. Since you are Yan Chixia's disciple, I will not hold your trespassing offense against you. Speak, what brings you here?"
Zhou Ning recounted Zhu Erdan's story in detail.
After listening, Judge Lu remained silent for a moment, then said, "Zhu Erdan... I know him."
Zhou Ning's heart skipped a beat: "You knew?"
Judge Lu nodded: "Three months ago, he came to the Ten Kings Hall to take shelter from the rain and fell asleep in front of my statue. Seeing that he had good aptitude, I gave him a 'Wisdom Coin' to help him gain enlightenment."
"A breakthrough?" Zhou Ning frowned.
"Young Master Zhu said that since that incident, his memory has become exceptionally good, but his personality has also changed; he's become cold and aloof. Is this the price of enlightenment?"
Judge Lu shook his head: "The Tonghui Copper Coin will only enhance wisdom, not change one's character. The change in his character has another reason."
"What's the reason?"
Judge Lu opened the booklet on his lap and pointed to one of the lines with his finger.
"Zhu Erdan, with a lifespan of eighty-three, is destined to face a tribulation. This tribulation is the 'Tribulation of Inner Demons.' As his wisdom awakens, inner demons will also arise. If he can overcome this tribulation, he will become an extraordinary person. If he cannot overcome it…"
He didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning was clear.
Zhou Ning frowned: "Then by giving him the Tonghui copper coins, wouldn't you be harming him?"
Judge Lu glanced at him: "I'm just giving him a chance. Whether he can seize it or not is up to him."
He closed the booklet and continued:
"Go back and tell him that to overcome his inner demons, he must guard his true self and not be swayed by external things. He should be wise enough to understand this principle."
Zhou Ning nodded: "Thank you for your guidance, Judge."
He paused, then said, "Judge, I have another question to ask you."
"explain."
"May I take that Tonghui copper coin with me?" Young Master Zhu said that he had tried throwing it away, but it always came back on its own.
Judge Lu said, "The copper coin has already recognized its owner, so you can't take it with you. However, you can keep it for now. Once Zhu Erdan overcomes his inner demon tribulation, the copper coin will naturally disappear."
Zhou Ning nodded and took the copper coin out of his pocket.
The copper coin felt slightly warm in his palm, as if it were resisting.
"Put it away," Judge Lu said.
"Remember, don't try to destroy it. It's a token of the underworld; destroying it will cause big trouble."
Zhou Ning carefully put the copper coins away and bowed to Judge Lu, saying:
"Thank you for your guidance, Judge. I take my leave now."
"Wait a minute," Judge Lu called out to him.
Zhou Ning turned around: "Does the judge have any further instructions?"
Lu Pan looked at him, a complex expression flashing in his eyes.
"You carry the aura of the Black Mountain."
Zhou Ning's heart skipped a beat: "The judge saw through it?"
Judge Lu nodded:
"The Black Mountain Demon's influence is infiltrating the Underworld. I suspect that someone is secretly helping them."
He paused, then continued:
"Since you've made an enemy of Black Mountain, you need to be careful. Their methods are far more ruthless than you imagine."
Zhou Ning solemnly replied, "This disciple understands."
Judge Lu waved his hand: "Go. Tell Yan Chixia that he owes me a favor and it's time to repay it."
Zhou Ning bowed respectfully and withdrew from the side hall.
When we left the Ten Kings Hall, it was already completely dark.
The moon was obscured by thick clouds, and the world was pitch black.
Only the eternal lamps in the Hall of Ten Kings still flicker with a faint light.
Zhou Ning stood at the entrance of the palace and glanced back.
The two stone statues with bull heads and horse faces looked particularly ferocious in the night.
He took a deep breath, turned around, and walked towards Zhu Erdan's house.
It was late at night when they returned to Zhu Erdan's house.
Zhu Erdan was still awake, sitting in the courtyard in a daze.
Upon seeing Zhou Ning return, he quickly stood up.
"Young Master Zhou, have you found out?"
Zhou Ning nodded and relayed what Judge Lu had said.
After listening, Zhu Erdan remained silent for a long time.
"The tribulation of inner demons..." he murmured, "So that's how it is."
He looked up at Zhou Ning:
"Young Master Zhou, what should I do?"
Zhou Ning said, "Judge Lu said that you need to guard your true self and not be misled by external things. Your wisdom should be able to help you see clearly what is true and what is false."
Zhu Erdan smiled wryly: "But now I can't even tell who I am anymore."
Zhou Ning thought for a moment and said, "Then think about it, what did you like to do most before? What did you care about most?"
Zhu Erdan was silent for a moment, then said:
"I used to love drinking and chatting with friends, and I loved...helping others."
"Then let's do it," Zhou Ning said.
Don't avoid associating with others just because you think they're stupid. Don't refrain from helping others just because you think it's too much trouble. Your heart will tell you the answer.
Zhu Erdan stared at him blankly for a long time before nodding.
"Young Master Zhou, thank you."
Zhou Ning smiled and said, "No need to thank me. I'm setting off for the North tomorrow. Take care of yourself."
Zhu Erdan quickly said, "Young Master Zhou, are you going to the North? It's very dangerous there."
Zhou Ning said, "I know. But some things have to be done."
He stood up, cupped his hands in farewell to Zhu Erdan, and said, "Farewell."
Zhu Erdan saw him to the door and watched him leave.
A night breeze blew by, bringing a refreshing coolness.
Zhou Ning walked on the deserted street, yet his heart was unusually calm.
Zhou Ning stayed in Guobei County for another two days.
For the past two days, he has been visiting Zhu Erdan's home every day to observe his changes.
Zhu Erdan followed his advice and began to actively interact with his neighbors, helping them write letters and mediating disputes, gradually regaining his former enthusiasm.
Although the external spiritual energy within him was still there, it no longer affected his personality.
"It seems the inner demon tribulation has temporarily passed." Zhou Ning felt somewhat relieved.
On the morning of the third day, just as he was preparing to set off north, he suddenly heard a commotion coming from the village entrance.
He walked out of Zhu Erdan's house and looked in the direction of the sound. He saw a sedan chair parked at the entrance of the village. The curtain was lifted and a middle-aged man in a red robe with a dignified face stepped out.
Zhou Ning was startled; the man's appearance was exactly the same as the statue of Judge Lu in the Hall of Ten Kings.
No, it's not that they look alike, but... that is Judge Lu himself.