Just as the Buddhist light shone at its brightest, Ye Yu moved. Bringing his hands together in prayer, an endless violet aura erupted from thin air, completely enveloping the golden radiance. Behind him appeared countless ghostly faces, their expressions twisted with violence, disgust, pain, and helplessness. Their hushed whispers grew ever more insistent, gradually drowning out the recitation of sutras.
Buddhas of Kind Benevolence, Kind Thought, and Kind Awareness immediately sensed the disturbance. Their brows furrowed; they strove to quell the ripples in their minds, yet unbeknownst to them, thoughts once as calm as still water began to churn with inexplicable agitation. Irritation surged within their hearts. Even the deepest teachings of Buddhism proved powerless against it.
Overwhelmed by vexation, Kind Benevolence’s breath quickened as every petty grievance he had ever harbored rushed to the surface. The golden hue of his kasaya visibly shifted to purple. “Silence... all of you, be silent!” he thought, lowering his hands and ceasing his sutra recitation entirely.
Alongside him, Kind Thought and Kind Awareness suffered the same fate. One of them curled into a fetal ball as if confronted by unspeakable horror; the other flung his sleeves in exasperation, utterly overwhelmed by disgust. At that moment, all three Buddhas were seized by negative emotions, their rational minds lost and their will to resist utterly shattered.
This was the true power of Ye Yu’s path: Negative-Emotion Supremacy. Inspired by his Dreamborn talent, he realized that if he could harvest others’ negative-emotion points, why not absorb their very emotions as well? Over the years, the amount he had collected was staggering—and once unleashed, it proved unstoppable, even by Buddhas. Pleased with the result, Ye Yu personally transcended the three Buddhas, restoring absolute peace.
The blood moon in the sky reemerged, and the realm, once as bright as day, was once again cloaked in darkness. Ye Yu’s figure vanished. After advancing into the Ghost Emperor Domain and shattering the void, ascending to the Divine Realm would be only a matter of time.
Three days later, a new legend spread throughout the Underworld.
Underworld Sage Ye Yu had willingly entered the fray, enduring the insults of ten thousand ghosts without a word of explanation. He played the role of a monk in the Buddha Realm, proclaiming the Dharma to gain trust. Once the three Buddha sovereigns and their twenty-seven golden-body Arhats appeared, he alone, as a single ghost, slew them all—demonstrating the Underworld’s might and wreaking devastation upon the Buddha Realm—thus bringing peace across the Underworld.
This ghost truly was a sage!
When the tale first circulated, many ghosts were baffled. What was going on? First he was Savior of the Underworld, then Madman of the Underworld, then Sage of the Underworld again. Which was the truth? Moreover, Ye Yu’s madness was witnessed by countless ghosts—he had led Buddha Realm monks through every major ghost city to propagate the Dharma and torment the city lords. All of these deeds had been real. Who was now trying to whitewash his reputation?
At the instant doubt arose, a powerful rebuttal swept the Underworld. This was no whitewashing—it was fact! Hanging-Corpse Ghost Yan Ming, joined by over ten thousand ghost champions, spoke out for Ye Yu. They revealed everything they had witnessed during their ambush: though they had intended to trap him, he not only bore no anger but, to prevent their needless deaths, had forcibly driven them away with ghostly arts. Though painful and embarrassing, his concern for them—the younger generation—had been sincere and fervent. Even amid overwhelming enemies, he had placed their safety above all else. Considering how much they had insulted him before, only a true sage could return kindness for enmity.
Hence, across every ghost city, new monuments to Ye Yu arose—bigger and grander than before. Yan Ming himself led all survivors in prostration before Ye Yu’s stele, crying aloud, “Long live Sage Ye!” Though the phrase sounded somewhat grandiose, it suited Ye Yu’s status among ghosts.
Above one ghost city, Lord Qian Qian of Nian Ghost City bowed slightly to Ye Tong and said, “Mr. Ye, you have raised an extraordinary son.” Ye Tong’s eyes reddened, but he said nothing.
A fortnight earlier, when Ye Yu prepared to join forces with the monk Ru Kong to spread the Dharma, he had warned Ye Tong to lie low and enlisted Qian Qian’s help. After all, Ye Yu’s mission would antagonize every ghost. He feared someone might trouble his family. Having tormented Ye Tong so much in childhood, he now wished to spare him such worry in return. Although Ye Tong and Qian Qian knew of Ye Yu’s plan, they could not fathom why he insisted on it—one false move could mean irreparable ruin. Ye Yu offered no explanation; collecting negative-emotion points could not be spoken of. Silence was his only answer.
Now that his greatness was proven and the praise of ten thousand ghosts restored his honor, Ye Tong could step forward openly.
Atop another ghost city, Governor Li Anfeng of Shaoyin Ghost City appeared. “You truly aren’t much of a friend,” he chided Qian Qian. “You must have known of Ye Yu’s plan long ago, yet when I asked you, you pretended ignorance!”
Qian Qian smiled and shook his head. “I promised Ye Yu I would tell no one—yourself included.”
Li Anfeng was unsurprised, but glanced around and asked softly, “By the way, where is Sage Ye? I wish to see him once more.”
Qian Qian pointed west toward the Celestial Realm—the Buddha Realm. “Sage Ye said that ghosts should not always be on the defense. It’s only right to return kindness for kindness! He went there alone to transcend ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) those monks.”
Li Anfeng froze. A ghost venturing alone into the Buddha Realm? Even given a million years, no ghost’s life could reach such heights. Such was the true righteousness of the ghost race!
