Centuries

Chapter 15

 "Ah, there you are," Meng Po said as I entered her abode. "I was so worried that you wouldn't come back!"

"What do you mean? I always come back.," I replied.

"Yes, but the Lord of the Dead himself came looking for you. He and his retinue."

"Why?"

"He said something about reducing your sentence because he needs people like you. And in the centuries that have passed, he says that more and more people have died."

That was good news, wasn't it?

"Yes, but he grew suspicious when I said that you weren't around. I tried to say that I'd punished you, sent you to isolation to meditate."

"And...?" I asked. If I had a heart, it would have exploded out of my chest by now.

"He almost ventured into the chamber that I said you were in," she said. "But I told him that you were meditating deeply."

"Did he believe you?"

"Yes. But now go--he requests your presence in court," Meng Po said, transforming into a man.

I rushed out of the abode, but then, she--now he--stopped me.

"Maybe change your clothes first. You smell like the earthly realm."

*

"Ah. Cowhead. You are just in time," the Lord of the Dead said as I strolled into his court. Horsehead, as well as the White and Black Guards of Impermanence were in attendance. I bowed.

"I have appealed to the Jade Emperor to release you for good behaviour."

"Thank you, Your Majesty," I bowed again.

"I trust that your punishment has taught you a lesson," he continued. I nodded, not daring to look up, lest he see how guilty I was.

"Very well. We shall leave," he gestured, and with the wave of his hand, we were in front of the Jade Emperor once more.

The Jade Emperor did not seem to age, and he still sat on his throne. Two fairies fanned him, and the rest of the gods were standing in the clouds, in some sort of gallery. He still looked as imposing as ever, and I tried not to look at him in the eye. Instead, I looked at the clouds that made up the gallery, admiring the fairies' handiwork.

"Cowhead, psychopomp of the Underworld. You were last cough fraternising with a mortal, and sentenced to house arrest for all eternity," he said. His voice boomed throughout the heavens. I did not say anything, fearing that it would be construed as disrespect.

"Your Lord and Master, the Lord of the Dead, has come to ask for clemency. Shall we give it to him?" he asked. The gallery of deities started muttering amongst themselves.

"But it is necessary for him to be pardoned," The Lord of the Dead argued. "He has learnt his lesson."

"Indeed, I have."

"The other psychopomps, based on his imprint, are nothing more than empty bodies. They do not soothe the souls. If I had him back, I would grant him the power to be in many places at once, as it is warranted."

"But who will be the one to supervise him?"

"I will." Horseface stepped forward. A few deities raised their long and bushy eyebrows.

"You are close to this... Cowhead," one of them, probably the Deity of Longevity, replied.

"But that is a given. We had to work together, before the... incident," he explained.

"And you were a pair, the first people to uncover the reason for the Lord of the Dead's death," The Jade Emperor finished.

We nodded.

"Very well. So be it. But I will assign any deity--and you won't know who it is--to monitor where you are, Cowhead. And you should not be able to go near any mortal and have any more romantic liaisons with them. Is that understood?"

I gulped and nodded.

"Very well," the Lord of the Dead declared. "It has been decreed."

He bowed to the Jade Emperor and the gods, and they bowed back to him. In the blink of an eye, we were back in his court.

*

"Never forget what I had to do," the Lord of the Dead eyes, narrowing his eyes at me.

"And now that you're back, here's another list of people to collect. We've been behind on this, and the Jade Emperor's rigid punishment did not help matters," the Lord of Shadows said.

"Now go," he said, "and do not fail me."

Horsehead looked at me and grinned.

"It is great to have you back," he said.

"It's good to be back," I replied. We bowed to take our leave, and walked out of the gates of hell. This time, I had permission, of course. And the first port of call was Guangzhou--a place I hadn't been in a while.