“The contents of the nether edict for soul entities are as follows: XX of the human world shall pass away at XX location, at exactly XX hours, XX minutes and XX seconds on XX date, XX month, XX year. Detailed records of the cause of demise will be documented. We will seize the soul-entity at the exact time and location specified and escort it back to the netherworld to receive punishment. When encountering recalcitrant soul entities, we will act sternly and force them into the netherworld. The place and circumstances of every mortal’s passing differ. Most succumb to illness and draw their last breath in hospital beds. Hospitals are therefore places where many mortals meet their end, which is why we often go there to apprehend soul entities and bring them to justice.
“We almost never seize the wrong spirit. The edict reveals the entire course of the mortal’s death in advance, and we preview the death process once when we receive the edict. Before a mortal’s demise, their body radiates an aura of light, varying in brightness and darkness from person to person. The brighter the aura, the greater the virtuous deeds the mortal has cultivated; he may even be a pure cultivator. If the mortal’s bodily light fades completely and is shrouded by the black light of hell, this spirit is the one we Ox‑Head and Horse‑Face must take back to the netherworld. With these two signs, mistakes are rare. Should we mistakenly apprehend a spirit, we immediately send it back to the mortal realm, and the Nether Sovereign Yama King will conduct a thorough investigation and settle the matter accordingly.
“The Nether Sovereign Yama King imposes strict penalties upon beings who transgress the precepts. Nevertheless, if our error is unintentional, the Nether Sovereign Yama King grants us a chance to reform. Every event that unfolds arises from a chain of causes and conditions. Still, we carry out our duties with great caution. Repeated wrongful arrests stemming from carelessness would spark tragedies for mortal families. Even if the Nether Sovereign Yama King refrains from punishing us, we ourselves would bear a heavy karmic debt. Generally, we arrive at the scene before the mortal’s passing to survey the surroundings and verify the soul’s identity to avoid error.
“Nearly all soul entities we apprehend nowadays for passing away are mortals who have violated the precept against sexual misconduct. Any soul-entity escorted back by us must have committed grave karmic evils worthy of hell retribution in their lifetime. Innumerable mortals in the present world commit sexual transgressions, and their soul entities carry dense, unwholesome sexual energy. Witnessing this, how could we possibly smile?
“Some of these condemned souls tainted by sexual evil still emanate lustful thoughts even after death, formed by long-ingrained habits. We must adopt a stern bearing to rouse their awareness, letting them know their human blessing rewards have been exhausted. They ought to repent sincerely and undergo punishment in hell.
“We wish we could smile, yet we cannot. Only when The Inexorable Nether Laws circulates widely among mortals, when all people uphold moral ethics after reading it and cease creating hellish evil karmas, and when all hells are emptied — only then can we smile.
“Nowadays, ever more mortals of the human world fall into hell, and our workload grows heavier. Ayù, please finish writing The Inexorable Nether Laws as soon as possible. May this virtuous publication guide humanity toward goodness and avert numerous future disasters upon the mortal world.”
“Amitabha! We have official duties to attend to; we shall converse another day. Continue your tour. We take our leave now, farewell!”
Amitabha! Ox‑Head and Horse‑Face moved with astonishing speed, already out of sight. Though every staff member of the netherworld appears fierce, they uphold justice and possess a strong sense of responsibility. I must return and hasten my writing.
Namo Amitabha! I returned home riding on a white lotus flower.