“Brother Zhu, why all the formality!”
Old King Yama certainly didn’t act like an outsider.
He plopped himself down onto a meditation cushion without a second thought.
With a flick of his hand, he produced a black-jade wine gourd.
“Brother Zhu, come, come—today I’ve brought some fine wine. Let’s have a drink together.”
The liquid that poured from the gourd shimmered with a faint glow, wreathed in wisps of purple-green flame.
“Azure Flame Wine!” Western Plague Envoy Zhu Tianlin immediately recognized the vintage, his divine eyes lighting up—clearly a seasoned drinker himself.
His form flickered, and in an instant he was seated across from Old King Yama.
Taking the offered cup, he first brought it close to his nose and inhaled.
An exotic fragrance drifted into his senses, instantly lifting his spirits!
Then he downed it in one gulp.
His expression was one of pure bliss, and his entire being felt an indescribable sense of satisfaction.
“Excellent wine, excellent wine!” Zhu Tianlin praised without reservation. “Lord Yama, I’ve heard this wine is brewed from the rootless waters deep within the Netherworld, combined with eighty-one Netherworld ingredients including ten-thousand-year-old datura—incredibly rare!
What’s the occasion today, brother? What makes you so generous as to share such fine wine with me?”
“As long as you enjoy it, brother—here, have another cup!”
Zhu Tianlin raised his cup and drank again. “Truly exceptional wine! By the way, Lord Yama—why aren’t you drinking?”
“Heh heh… I can’t afford to. You drink, you drink!”
He moved to pour another round.
But this time, Zhu Tianlin covered the mouth of his cup with his hand, fixing Old King Yama with an amused, knowing smile. “Lord Yama never visits without purpose. You must have something to ask of me today, don’t you?”
“Brother, you jest! In all the years we’ve known each other, can’t I simply come share a drink with you? Come, come—another round!”
Zhu Tianlin said nothing, merely continuing to gaze at him.
The King of Hell let out two dry chuckles before finally setting down the gourd. “I truly can’t hide anything from you, Brother Zhu. The truth is, I did come today with a favor to ask.”
“A favor from me?” Zhu Tianlin blinked, then laughed. “Lord Yama, you’re the King of the Netherworld, and I’m merely a protector deity of the Plague Ministry. Our duties are usually clearly divided. If anything, it should be me asking you for favors. How did things get reversed today?”
Old King Yama stroked his beard and smiled. “Thirty years east, thirty years west—fortune’s wheel always turns, doesn’t it?”
Zhu Tianlin raised his cup in a gesture of invitation. “Then by all means, I’m all ears.”
Old King Yama’s expression turned serious. “To be honest, I’ve recently taken on… a half-godson in the mortal world. The boy’s a handful—he took on a task to cure an illness and save a life, and ended up coming to me for help.”
“Cure an illness and save a life?” Zhu Tianlin couldn’t help but laugh. “Brother, have you come to the wrong place? If it’s healing the sick you’re after, why come to a plague god like me? You should be seeking out the celestial physicians.”
“Ah, but you see, the affliction I examined bears the distinct mark of your Plague Ministry.”
King Yama shifted gears and cut straight to the point: “Alright, I won’t beat around the bush with you, brother. The person in question has been struck by exactly that—the Plague Ministry’s Heaven’s Killing Intent!”
At those words, Zhu Tianlin’s gaze turned icy cold. The way he looked at Old King Yama shifted entirely.
“Brother, you’re not joking with me, are you? You should be well aware of the Plague Ministry’s rules.”
“Oh, come now, Brother Zhu, don’t be upset! Here, have another drink first.”
Old King Yama glided to Zhu Tianlin’s side and personally refilled his cup.
Though his expression remained cold, Zhu Tianlin still drained the cup in one go.
Old King Yama offered an appeasing smile: “My dear brother, of course I know the Plague Ministry’s rules.
To mortals, this is Heaven’s Killing Intent.
But to you, it’s a means of cultivation—an act carried out in accordance with Heaven’s will, a way to enhance your cultivation… performance metrics!
Yes, performance metrics!
As they say, blocking someone’s path to wealth is like murdering their parents.
I know it’s not easy for me to make this request.
But unfortunately, my… half-godson begged me so earnestly that I simply couldn’t refuse. That’s why I came to pay you a visit—to see if there might be some way to work things out?”
Zhu Tianlin let out a cold snort: “Since you understand the stakes so well, brother, you should know that my Plague Ministry never treats such matters lightly, nor do we use them as bargaining chips for mutual favors.
That would be like me asking you to resurrect an ordinary mortal—you’d have to think twice, wouldn’t you?
So why can’t you understand my predicament?
The yearly quotas for Heaven’s Killing Intent are all personally set by the Plague Great Emperor. How dare a mere protector like me presume to act on my own authority?”
“Well…”
Of course Old King Yama understood perfectly well.
He was fully aware of the gravity of the situation.
That was precisely why he and Lord Wealth God shared the same opinion.
The Plague Ministry and the Smallpox Ministry were fundamentally different from the other ministries.
Nowadays, they specialized in carrying out the Heavenly Court’s disciplinary actions—in other words, they did all the dirty work, much like the Netherworld.
That was why they didn’t rely on incense offerings; they had their own cultivation methods.
But originally, the Plague Ministry and the Smallpox Ministry hadn’t been so extreme.
They too had once protected the mortal world.
Yet as time passed,
mortals only remembered the “bad” these two ministries had done.
They forgot their “good.”
Over time, incense offerings completely dried up.
This forced the two ministries onto their current path.
And “Heaven’s Killing Intent” became one of their cultivation methods.
Now, that rascal Lu Chen wanted the Plague Ministry to revoke Heaven’s Killing Intent.
That act was no different than snatching food from a tiger’s mouth.
Of course it was nearly impossible.
But all of this was Heavenly Court secret lore.
That’s why both Lord Wealth God and King Yama himself
had tacitly kept their mouths shut on the matter.
To avoid leaking celestial secrets and incurring unnecessary karmic entanglements.
“Is there truly no room for leniency, Brother Zhu?”
“If you came to drink and reminisce, brother, I’m happy to keep you company. But if it’s about this matter—please, take your leave.”
With that, Zhu Tianlin’s form flickered, and he had already retreated into the inner hall.
“Just like a dog—turns on you faster than flipping through a book!”
Old King Yama cursed inwardly, but had no choice but to rise and take his leave.
He’d already said there was only a twenty percent chance of success… and the other eighty percent said it wasn’t happening.
“What a waste of that Azure Flame Wine. All for nothing. You little brat—this ten million Nether-coins of yours isn’t coming free!”
He had barely stepped out of the hall.
King Yama was about to vanish and take his leave.
But then a voice called out from behind.
“Well, well—Lord Yama!”
King Yama paused, turned toward the voice, and immediately plastered a smile back on his face, cupping his hands in greeting as he approached: “Ah, Brother Li!”
The newcomer was broad-shouldered and thick-backed, with crimson hair standing up like spikes—none other than the Southern Plague Envoy among the five great Plague Envoys—Li Qi.
“Lord Yama, what brings you to the Nine-Dragon Palace today?”
“You flatter me, brother.” King Yama glanced back at Zhu Tianlin’s residence.
Li Qi immediately caught on: “Don’t tell me—were you here specifically to see Tianlin?”
“Well… not exactly.”
“In that case, why not come to my humble abode for a visit?”
Old King Yama’s mind stirred, and he nodded at once. “Sure, let’s go!”
In the blink of an eye, the two were seated across from each other in Li Qi’s hall.
“Excellent wine! This Azure Flame Wine truly lives up to its reputation!”
Li Qi downed two cups in succession, utterly exhilarated.
“Lord Yama, what’s this about, really? Do tell.”
“Sigh, it’s a troublesome matter—and one that offends your Plague Ministry to boot.”
“Oh?” Li Qi’s interest was piqued. “I’m all ears.”
King Yama then proceeded to explain the situation in broad strokes.
Sure enough, after hearing it, Li Qi’s expression shifted several times as well, and he was no longer as warm as before.
Still, he was considerably more courteous than Zhu Tianlin.
“Lord Yama, you went to Tianlin with this? That was bound to end badly.”
“Then… brother, is there any way? Consider it a personal favor I owe you!”
Li Qi shook his head as well. “If it were any other task, I’d help you without hesitation. But those marked for Heaven’s Killing Intent are all personally appointed by the Star Lord—I truly have no authority to intervene. If you insist on trying, your best bet is to go directly to the Star Lord Himself and plead your case. See if He might be willing to grant your request.”
“Well…” King Yama smiled sheepishly. “You jest, brother. My rank is low and my words carry little weight—I wouldn’t dare disturb the Star Lord Himself.”
“Then I’m afraid I can’t be of help.” Li Qi let out a long sigh.
“Alas!” Having been turned away twice in a row, King Yama was at his wit’s end. He let out a heavy sigh. “That boy is really making things difficult for me. What a headache!”
“Speaking of which,” Li Qi suddenly said, “there is something I’ve been puzzled about lately.”
“What is it, brother? Speak freely.”
“I wonder when exactly this strange wind started blowing through the Three Realms—everyone’s scrambling to form sworn brotherhoods with ordinary mortals?
To be honest with you, recently Lord Wealth God of the Ministry of Wealth also took on a sworn younger brother.
And guess what? His temple—which used to be even more neglected than ours in the Plague Ministry—is now bursting with incense smoke and bustling with activity.
Immortals come and go without end. Even the Water Virtue Star Lord Himself paid a visit in His dragon chariot.
Rumor has it it’s all because of that sworn brother of his.
I thought it was an isolated case, but now you’ve gone and taken on a godson too.
You’ve really opened my eyes, brother.
Tell me—has this godson of yours brought you any benefits?”
As Li Qi spoke, he noticed Old King Yama’s expression turn peculiar. Curious, he asked: “What’s wrong, Lord Yama?”
Old King Yama cleared his throat. “Brother, what if I told you that the number of mortals currently offering incense to me has already reached several thousand? Would you… believe me?”
Li Qi was stunned for a moment, then nearly shot up from his seat: “You… what did you say?!!”
