“Ouyang Ying, Deputy Chief Clerk of the Heavenly Court, with an official rank of sixth grade.”
...
In fact, Li Bingjie and Ouyang Ying never uttered a word after appearing together in the hall.
The fact that Xu Zhengyang was able to be deified was truly due to his nepotism and personal bias.
However, no one will say anything.
Apart from these six people and Wan Yun, who became true gods, others such as Yan Liang, Wang Chenghao, Gong Xinhao, and Ding Changri were all given various powers, but they still held the titles of ghost messengers.
Xu Zhengyang then bestowed the low-grade Nine Provinces Record artifact jade that he had made upon Li Haidong; Chen Chaojiang still carried a city scroll, firstly for easy communication, and secondly for easy inspection of various places to know the details; Su Peng also had a city scroll, and also carried a Soul-Slaying Whip; Wang Yonggan also received a Soul-Slaying Whip, as well as a Merit Officer Token, to facilitate communication with various places.
The other ghost messengers still only had the old Soul-Striking Ruler and Ghost Messenger Token, but the low-level artifacts in their hands had been slightly modified by Xu Zhengyang, and upgraded by one level. The Ghost Messenger Token had the three characters "Zhouhuangfu" on it.
The information on these people was naturally included in the original Nine Provinces Records, which is now also known as the Divine Commander's Order, and has been renamed the Divine Commander's Order.
Volume Seven: The Emperor, Chapter 367: The Intimidating Power of the Gods
In truth, within the underworld, as the Yama King of the Southeast Yama Palace, Xu Zhengyang really doesn't need to be bothered with matters here.
For him personally, there was plenty of time to finish his earthly affairs before managing the underworld. Even those who had died in recent years, who had committed many evils in life and were about to receive various punishments in hell, were not in a hurry.
It takes several years to walk the road to the underworld and many years to float on the River of Oblivion before one can reach the Mingnie Terrace at the intersection of the River of Oblivion and the River of Three Crossings.
The Minglu Platform then selects those who have committed evil deeds in the world. The most wicked are thrown into the slow stream by the ghost messengers, while the moderately wicked are thrown into the middle stream...
All things considered, it will still take a long time.
It is absolutely impossible to let those evil spirits escape the cycle of reincarnation so easily, because hell is empty, and they can be easily reincarnated.
Therefore, based on Xu Zhengyang's understanding and experience of society, after people in their fifties or sixties die, aside from the punishment of the River of Three Crossings, the remaining punishments will probably be a very long time from now. By then, it won't be too late for Xu Zhengyang to establish the underworld and hell institutions.
However, Xu Zhengyang now needs to streamline the organization and save money and resources in the mortal realm. For those hardworking ghost messengers, simply throwing them into the underworld to enter reincarnation would be unfair to them, and Xu Zhengyang's conscience wouldn't allow it.
He was a man of great loyalty and righteousness, so he simply established a complete underworld. Those who wanted to stay could stay, and those who didn't would be given a good chance to be reincarnated. Anyway... as the Yama of the Southeast Yama Palace, it would be a waste to keep all that divine power he had accumulated.
Leading Wan Yun through the underworld, from the Gates of Hell to the Road to the Underworld, then across the River of Oblivion, past the Platform of Sinful Deeds, across the River of Three Crossings, across the Bridge of Helplessness, to the Pool of Reincarnation...
Along the way, Xu Zhengyang briefly informed Wan Yun about the situation in the underworld, as well as the working status of various divine artifacts, the officials and ghost messengers who needed the trust of the underworld, and how to complete their tasks.
Upon arriving at the Southeast Yama Palace, Xu Zhengyang had Wan Yun sit in the Yama Palace and, through the huge plaque, slowly familiarize himself with the various positions and regulations within the underworld. Xu Zhengyang, as the Yama of the Southeast, went to the courtyard behind the palace, took out the Book of Life and Death, the Judge's Pen, and other such items, and then infused them with his Yama power.
These two items were given to Wan Yun to use as divine artifacts, but Wan Yun could not become the master of the divine artifacts.
Better safe than sorry!
After doing all this, Xu Zhengyang sensed the power of the underworld he possessed as Yama, which should be enough to build the other eight Yama Palaces in the Underworld, and also enough to build all the Mingnie Platforms.
He enjoys the boundless worship of ghosts in the area under the jurisdiction of the Southeast Yama Palace. Xu Zhengyang, this Yama King, naturally possesses extremely abundant divine power.
However, Xu Zhengyang doesn't have the mood to worry about the underworld right now. If the ruins of all eight Yama Palaces have to be rebuilt, how long will that take?
Let's talk about it later when the heavenly court's institutions in the human world are perfected and we have more free time.
Back in the Yama Palace, Wan Yun sat at a table below the hall, carefully reviewing the rules, regulations, and organizational structures of the underworld.
Xu Zhengyang casually placed the Book of Life and Death and the Judge's Pen next to Wan Yun and said, "You will gradually learn about the affairs of the Underworld. As the Yama King of the Underworld, I am unfortunately juggling multiple duties and cannot handle them all... Therefore, I entrust the affairs of the Underworld to you. Apart from the positions of Judge and above, you can arrange all other subordinate positions for you."
"Thank you, Your Excellency!" Wan Yun quickly got up, walked to Xu Zhengyang, knelt down and kowtowed.
Wan Yun was completely unaware of the desolate emptiness of the underworld and how uncomfortable life was in such a lifeless environment. He only knew that he now possessed immense power. Although his official rank was not high, he was fully authorized to represent Yama in handling all matters of the underworld, which... was comparable to Li Haidong in the human world.
How could Wan Yun not be moved?
"Take some time to go to hell and see... the ghost messengers they have there. They're either the most wicked or the most ruthless... Never mind, I won't give you any more instructions. I believe you'll do a good job."
"Remember... don't let me down! Otherwise, you might be one of those being punished in hell."
Having said that, Xu Zhengyang's consciousness stirred, and he vanished into thin air.
To say that Xu Zhengyang harbored no resentment or prejudice against Wan Yun would be a complete lie. After all, Wan Yun had once considered taking Xu Zhengyang's life and hadn't taken Xu Zhengyang's life seriously at all.
However, Wan Yun was indeed a person of great ability, and generally speaking, he was a good official in the mortal world, with his merits outweighing his faults. Moreover, Xu Zhengyang urgently needed talented people, so he kept Wan Yun on the job. This could be seen as a demonstration of his selflessness and clear distinction between good and evil.
At least, his subordinates respected Xu Zhengyang even more because of this incident.
Xu Zhengyang wasn't worried that Wan Yun would cause trouble or create any problems in the underworld.
It's important to understand that all power, even the divine artifacts, is under Xu Zhengyang's control. According to the rules of the underworld, the divine power of judges like Wan Yun is kept at a certain level, and it's impossible for them to rise further, as it all goes to Xu Zhengyang. The divine power he needs to arrange for ghost messengers and subordinate officials also has to be obtained through the Book of Life and Death, and the divine power in the Book of Life and Death comes from Xu Zhengyang.
Before leaving, Xu Zhengyang specifically reminded Wan Yun to go and see hell...
After Wan Yun sees those cruel punishments in hell, he'll probably be even more terrified, won't he? To dare harbor rebellious and disloyal thoughts, hmph.
Xu Zhengyang knew one thing: among the ghost messengers brought to the underworld, although more than three thousand ghost messengers in the State God's Palace were unwilling to reincarnate and were willing to serve as ghost messengers, he figured that after seeing the scene in the underworld, at least two-thirds of them would choose to reincarnate.
First, Wan Yun needs to screen candidates; second, the work environment is truly unbearable.
It wasn't that it was disgusting, but rather that it was eerie and chilling...
Xu Zhengyang didn't want to stay here any longer.
At this time, Xu Zhengyang never expected that Wan Yun would manage the underworld so well. The ghost messengers worked hard and pioneered a large-scale production and reconstruction project. Except for the gloomy, deathly, and terrifying environment that the underworld needed, they transformed the entire place into a beautiful and unforgettable place.
From this moment on, the underworld paradise will be built up little by little.
That's a story for another time, so let's leave it at that...
...
In the blink of an eye, half a month has passed since Xu Zhengyang used his divine sense to enter Beijing and had that conversation with Nelson.
Garan was not sent back.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and security personnel are still engaged in a war of words with the US side, practicing a ridiculous and long-standing, highly skilled form of Tai Chi back and forth.
Li Ruiqing and his team were anxious, having already anticipated the outcome of this situation. Therefore, they hadn't held out much hope. However, since Xu Zhengyang had stated that he would definitely bring the person back and would find a way, the government was now determined to pursue the matter relentlessly, regardless of the cost.
However, it's unlikely that this one incident would actually affect bilateral relations or normal diplomatic relations.
Frankly speaking, it's not worth it.
In fact, Jialan is now a useless piece of trash in both sides' eyes.
However, whether or not to extradite Garan is a matter of national pride. In this respect, a nation and a small family are essentially the same; people need face, and trees need bark.
The country under the most pressure is the United States.
Because they were not only facing the government of a country, but also a very strange figure—Xu Zhengyang.
What troubled and angered them most was that since Xu Zhengyang had asked Nelson to relay a message to the high-ranking officials in China, he hadn't contacted them about the matter again, nor had he urged them to do so. It was as if nothing had happened at all, or as if he hadn't taken it seriously at all.
However, the more this is the case, the more uneasy the government and intelligence and security departments of Country M become.
Who knows what Xu Zhengyang is thinking?
Half a month ago, Xu Zhengyang told Nelson what he had to say and then left gracefully. Nelson immediately reported the matter to the director in China, and soon the president and the CIA’s top officials also learned about the request made by Xu Zhengyang.
Then they held a secret meeting to discuss the matter.
Actually, if the domestic diplomatic department hadn't initially requested extradition from the M country's government, and Xu Zhengyang had instead made the request privately in his personal capacity, things would have been much simpler. Without going through diplomatic channels, there wouldn't have been too much of a loss of face; it would have just been a minor breach of protocol, not a big deal. If such an enigmatic figure as Xu Zhengyang wanted it, they could simply send him back privately, without causing a stir, and the matter would be settled.
Anyway, Jialan is useless now, she's just a burden.
The problem is that they went through the diplomatic service, which means the matter is now out in the open...
Agreeing to their demands and extraditing them back would be tantamount to losing face in front of the entire world. Seriously, these are countries with completely different legal systems, and you're the most powerful nation, constantly criticizing them. Yet you sheltered and released someone like Jialan. What kind of behavior is that?
Of course, no one, including the president, would say such things openly.
Everyone knew the truth, yet they had to adopt a righteous and forceful stance. However, during the discussion, they had to take it seriously. The final solution was to stall... wait for Xu Zhengyang to bring it up again, so that they could at least argue their case and obtain some favorable terms, even if it was just empty promises, before letting him go. They could also take the opportunity to arrange for someone to get closer to Xu Zhengyang.
Unfortunately, Xu Zhengyang completely ignored them.
They were too ashamed to approach Xu Zhengyang.
And so it dragged on, and half a month passed.
Everything was as usual, peaceful and quiet.
The more things went this way, the more anxious Nelson became, like a cat on a hot tin roof. Who knew if that damned Xu Zhengyang would suddenly disappear to the US without a word? As the head of the overseas office, Nelson was caught in a dilemma: on one hand, he both hoped and feared seeing Xu Zhengyang; on the other hand, he desperately hoped for a call from home instructing him to contact Xu Zhengyang...
Meanwhile, the security department of Country M, which was just as nervous as he was, raised the domestic security level after learning of Xu Zhengyang's message about a two-week time limit, especially the president's office and residence.
They all looked as if they were facing a formidable enemy, as if a deity might descend from the sky at any moment.
At this time, Xu Zhengyang seemed to have truly forgotten about the matter. He was at home holding some modern books on Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism, trying to understand the profound doctrines of these religious teachings that have been passed down for thousands of years.
Although the occasional mentions of gods and the doctrines of Heaven in these books are not entirely in line with reality, they are, after all, summaries of various issues concerning human nature, natural law, and morality by great sages over thousands of years. Since these were compiled by humans, they must have embodied the ideal state of human life that the sages of all ages hoped for, as well as how the ideal Heavenly Gods should treat and interfere with human beings in the secular world.
For Xu Zhengyang, who has always intervened in the mundane world based on his own conscience and shallow knowledge, using superficial concepts, this is indeed something he needs to study seriously. It will be of absolute help to him in arranging the rules and responsibilities of the Heavenly Court in the future.
Of course, when reading these books, Xu Zhengyang, the highest-ranking supreme deity in the Three Realms, would inevitably be angered by some of the benevolent and righteous principles contained within, and would slam his fist on the table and curse.
If reasoning and love can work, then sometimes it's possible to persuade people without reason or even to influence them with evil.
Look at the current state of society, and it's clearly like that!
Nonsense, utter nonsense!
However, after his anger subsided, Xu Zhengyang decided to continue watching. He would choose the good parts and follow them, and correct the bad parts.
The ghost messengers and deities in the three capitals and six prefectures under the Heavenly Court are all busy right now, wondering what to do. Blind mercy is indulgence, and that is a crime!
...
There are coincidences.
Twenty days have passed since Xu Zhengyang gave them the allotted time.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wasn't overly anxious, because they knew that these kinds of things couldn't be rushed; it was normal for them to drag on for three to five years, and the outcome was uncertain. If they could resolve it within a year, that would truly be a miracle.
In Country M, security departments are on high alert. From security guards to department heads and high-ranking officials, and even the president, everyone is restless, unable to eat or sleep. After all, Xu Zhengyang, whom they are facing this time, is truly too bizarre and terrifying.
Well, if this continues, before Xu Zhengyang even remembers this and seeks revenge, several of them will have already broken down.
The coincidence happened on the twentieth day.
That day, the president emerged from his office, escorted by numerous bodyguards, and walked out of the office building to take a car to the Capitol Building to attend a meeting.
Perhaps because he had a lot of things to do and was nervous because of Xu Zhengyang's matter, he accidentally twisted his ankle and almost fell to the ground when he walked down the steps of the office building. He was only saved from embarrassment by being supported by two bodyguards and hurriedly got into the car.
This was originally a very minor accident, and almost everyone encounters a few such minor accidents every year in their lifetime.
But in this tense and alert atmosphere, an unexpected incident occurred...
This can easily lead to overthinking and unnecessary worry.