C1 A Good Person Is in Hell

In the pitch-black depths of hell, a throng of souls formed a line that stretched for thousands of miles, culminating at nine towering gates. Each gate represented one of the nine paths of reincarnation: the wicked were condemned to the path of beasts, the lesser evils to the path of nature, and those who met untimely deaths were given the chance to rejoin the human realm and start anew.

Liu Xiaobao found himself in the midst of this endless queue, having spent ten days there since his demise. How did Liu Xiaobao meet his end? He died a hero, performing a good deed. Just ten days prior, fresh from receiving his university diploma, Liu Xiaobao and his classmates decided to celebrate with a hot pot meal. During their outing, he noticed a little girl in the street, directly in the path of an oncoming car. Sensing danger, Liu Xiaobao dashed forward to push her to safety, sacrificing his own life in the process.

Witnessing Liu Xiaobao's death, his classmate wept bitterly, exclaiming, "Xiaobao, how could you be gone? Why did you have to play the hero? Haven't you always been the timid one?"

Indeed, our protagonist, Liu Xiaobao, had been known for his timidity since childhood. Raised in an orphanage, his slight frame made him an easy target for bullies. Thankfully, the orphanage teachers looked after him well, yet Liu Xiaobao had always instinctively fled at the first sign of trouble. Despite this, he was a bright student, excelling academically and eventually becoming the top humanities scholar in his county. With the orphanage's support, he was able to attend university.

Liu Xiaobao had just successfully graduated and was eager to work hard, repay the orphanage, and improve his own life. Tragically, his life was cut short before he could begin.

"What on earth is happening? Why did I rush to save that little girl?" Liu Xiaobao was baffled by his own actions. "No, this can't be right. My life, my future, all gone."

"Silence! Who's causing such a commotion? Do you want to be skewered and tossed into the oil pot below?" bellowed the Ghost Messenger, brandishing a large fish fork with menacing authority.

Liu Xiaobao clamped his mouth shut and whispered to the Headless Horror in front of him, who was eerily cradling his own head, "Brother, they say good people are rewarded and ascend to heaven. So why am I here with you after dying in an act of heroism?"

The Headless Horror's head rotated a full 180 degrees as he remarked, "My friend, I don't mean to criticize, but heaven is a concept from the West, the stuff of barbarians. What does it have to do with us?"

Indeed, the Headless Horror's perspective was irrefutable. Liu Xiaobao, driven by curiosity, gazed at the Headless Horror's detached head and inquired, "Brother, how did you meet your end? How did you lose your head?"

"Let me tell you, little brother," the Headless Horror began, "despite my current state, I was quite influential in the southwest. One call from me would have a thousand of my guys rushing over in an instant."

"So, what happened to you?"

"Well, my death was a tragic one. I was ambushed and tried to call for help, but the guys who showed up were all traitors. Just for a bit of profit, they turned on me and took me out."

Liu Xiaobao realized he was completely out of his depth chatting with the Headless Horror. The affairs of these underworld figures were beyond the grasp of a simple commoner like him. Best to steer clear.

Roughly ten days passed—though who could really tell in the eternal darkness of Hell. Eventually, Liu Xiaobao made his way to the Gate of Reincarnation. A mature woman dressed in black sat at a desk, guarded by four Ghost Generals. Her enchanting voice called out, "Next, Zhu Dazhuang."

"Present," responded the Headless Horror, who was actually Zhu Dazhuang. "I'll be going ahead, brother. See you in the next life."

As Zhu Dazhuang approached the woman, she fixed him with a piercing white glare. "Zhu Dazhuang, you died a victim of vengeance, having committed countless misdeeds in life. In your next life, you shall be reborn as a dung beetle. Off you go, through the first gate."

With a defiant "Pah!" Zhu Dazhuang, head in one hand, slammed his other hand on the desk. "Miss, you're really sentencing me to be reborn as a dung beetle? Do you believe I'd let you get away with that?"

Before Zhu Dazhuang could escalate the situation, two Ghost Generals seized him tightly and dragged him through the Gate of Reincarnation.

"No, I don't want to become a dung beetle. I don't want to become a dung beetle!"

Liu Xiaobao was muttering to himself, "Headless Horror of society, it's your turn. Looks like we won't meet in the next life."

"Next up, Liu Xiaobao."

"Present." Liu Xiaobao approached the desk and got a good look at the woman's face. Honestly, she was more beautiful than any celebrity or model he'd seen on earth. Liu Xiaobao's gaze drifted downward. Being a coward, he couldn't help but have that loser vibe. He had to sneak peeks at the beauty, careful not to get caught.

The woman caught Liu Xiaobao's furtive glances and said, "Young man, are you lacking courage? You're dead and still sneaking around. It seems unnecessary to review your past. Go to the third gate and reincarnate as a fish."

"Sister, please don't do this. I'm a good person, I'm a good person!" Liu Xiaobao hadn't expected his peeking to displease the beauty. "Sister, you have to follow the procedure. Check, check my past."

The two Ghost Generals, seeing that Liu Xiaobao had no intention of leaving, identified him as a troublemaker. They approached him, restrained his hands, and began escorting him toward the Gate of Reincarnation.

Liu Xiaobao continued to protest, "Beautiful sister, I'm a good person. I died saving someone."

"Oh?" The beauty looked at Liu Xiaobao, who was nearing the Gate of Reincarnation, her eyes emitting a white glow. After reviewing his deeds, she commanded, "Release him. Young man, proceed to the ninth gate and reincarnate as a wealthy heir."

"That was close, so close!" Liu Xiaobao nearly got sent through the Gate of Reincarnation to be reborn as a fish. He patted his chest in relief and exclaimed, "Thank you, sister, for your discerning eye."

The ninth Gate of Reincarnation, huh? Better get on with the reincarnation. Becoming a wealthy heir in the next life doesn't sound too bad.

"Please, wait a moment."

As Liu Xiaobao was heading toward the ninth Gate of Reincarnation, a crisp and melodious voice called out from behind. Curiosity got the better of him, and he turned to see a young beauty, about seventeen or eighteen, rushing toward him. Dressed in a white Daoist robe and clutching a white jade bottle, she seemed to be in quite a hurry.

"Wait up!" panted the young beauty as she caught up to Liu Xiaobao, squatting slightly to catch her breath.

"What do you want with me, beautiful lady?" Liu Xiaobao inquired.

Yinyin placed her hand on Liu Xiaobao's shoulder and said urgently, "My name is Yinyin, and I need to find you because the fate of the entire world is at stake."

"I've been watching you, and you've accumulated enough good deeds over a hundred lifetimes. The time has come for you to save the world," Yinyin declared with gravity.

"Save the world? Can you stop joking around? I'm in a rush to be reincarnated," Liu Xiaobao retorted.

"No need for reincarnation. I'll take you somewhere you can save us all," Yinyin insisted.

With that, Yinyin lifted the white jade bottle, and a single drop of water emerged, tearing a rift in the fabric of space.

"What is this, Yinyin?" asked a bewildered Liu Xiaobao.

Without warning, Yinyin spun around and shoved the unsuspecting Liu Xiaobao through the spatial tear.

The woman overseeing reincarnation approached Yinyin and questioned, "Are you certain this young man is the one who can rescue everyone?"

"Meng, do you doubt it?" Yinyin replied.

"Of course, I do. I've reviewed his life's deeds; he's always been timid and easily frightened. It's only by a stroke of luck that he did one good deed before dying, or else he'd be destined to reincarnate as an animal," Meng stated skeptically.

"You're not wrong, Meng. He is indeed fearful. But let me share a secret with you – his act of salvation was orchestrated by me. I manipulated him and that little girl who nearly got hit by a car, ensuring his death had some honor," Yinyin confessed.

"What? My death was orchestrated by you? There's a saying about the venomous nature of a woman's heart, but you, a beauty, are the deadliest of all," Liu Xiaobao exclaimed. Meng and Yinyin turned towards the source of the voice and saw Liu Xiaobao clinging to the edge of the spatial rift with his thumbs, preventing a complete fall.

With a sharp "snap," Yinyin stomped down on Liu Xiaobao's thumbs. "Who are you calling the deadliest? Just follow my plan, and all will be well."

"Ahhhh! I won't forgive you for this, not even as a ghost. Actually, I am a ghost now, and I stand by my word – I will not let this go," Liu Xiaobao's voice faded into the void.

Yinyin addressed Meng, "Do you see? Only someone like him is fit to be the world's savior. I've been observing him for ten lifetimes, and he's the most suitable candidate I've come across in a millennium. He harbors no evil intentions whatsoever, has a keen sense of right and wrong, and never falters when it comes to moral decisions."

Meng replied, "The way I see it, he's just a guy who's cooped up at home all day, dreaming about being a hero."

"We need exactly that kind of person," Yinyin insisted. "Let's not dwell on this any longer, Meng. I need to go after that young man." With that, Yinyin retrieved her white jade bottle and leaped into the void, which sealed shut behind her.

Watching Yinyin vanish, Meng whispered to herself, "Yinyin, the fate of the Three Realms now rests in your hands."