Chapter Seventy-Seven: The King of the Prison Was a Tyrant in His Previous Life

The Ghost King sighed deeply and continued, “In my past life, I was born in the realm of the living, within an imperial family. I even served as emperor for several years.”

When Wei Xiaoping heard that the Ghost King’s former life was as a prince, and that he had once been an emperor, he studied the Ghost King carefully. Although the Ghost King’s spectral face was rather ugly, it bore a gentle and amiable expression, devoid of any trace of imperial authority or domineering presence. From the moment Wei Xiaoping approached him until now, the Ghost King had behaved with perfect composure, showing no sign of a violent temper.

Wei Xiaoping thought to himself, “He doesn’t resemble an emperor in the slightest. With that sort of temperament, he barely qualifies to be the warden of a prison, let alone a king among ghosts!”

“My name is Gaoyang,” the Ghost King said after a brief pause. “I had four brothers. From the moment I was born, my appearance was hideously ugly, so much so that my royal father and mother remained cold and distant towards me. Thus, I received little affection from them, almost none at all. My other four brothers, who were all more handsome than I, were showered with their love and care. Because I was ugly and lacked parental affection from childhood, my heart was weighed down by sorrow and oppression. Although I felt inferior due to my looks, I worked diligently at my studies. You must know, being born into the imperial household with several brothers is an exceedingly dangerous position!”

Wei Xiaoping asked, “Dangerous? Why is that? With soldiers guarding you every day, it ought to be perfectly safe!”

The Ghost King was somewhat surprised by Wei Xiaoping’s question. How could a general be so naïve? Did he not understand the ways of imperial families at all?

He went on, “When several brothers are born into the imperial family, it is customary for the eldest son to inherit the throne. This is the rule and tradition of the imperial house. The position of emperor is a tremendous temptation. Whoever ascends to the throne wields the power of the entire nation, can do as he wishes, gaining both fame and fortune, and is remembered by history after death. Throughout history, all capable men have coveted the throne, including the emperor’s own generals and sons.

“My royal parents had five sons. Naturally, we all knew how much was at stake. Even before my father passed away, each of us sought to win favor, hone our skills, and devised all manner of schemes and traps to frame our own brothers, hoping to become crown prince and inherit the throne after our father’s death.”

Hearing this, Wei Xiaoping thought, “So in the Ghost King’s past life, his brothers were all bitter rivals. Such viciousness! In my own country, Qingfeng, nothing like this has ever happened. Perhaps it’s because our nation is so newly founded that people haven’t developed such ideas yet.”

“Because I feared my brothers’ suspicion and plots, I began feigning stupidity from a young age. Only by pretending to be a fool would my brothers believe I was truly harmless and not a competitor. While I played the fool, I studied diligently in secret and trained in martial arts, acquiring a certain degree of skill.

“Later, when my eldest brother inherited the throne, he thought we posed no threat to him. Seeing that I had some talent, he entrusted me with important positions. Gradually, I shed my feigned stupidity and became more focused and organized in my duties, winning the trust of the ministers. My imperial brother valued me more and more, continually promoting my rank.

“Eventually, due to mismanagement, the emperor was assassinated. Following the royal rules, my second brother inherited the throne. By then, I had risen to the rank of Chancellor, second only to the emperor. Most of the court trusted me as well.

“Seeing that I had built a strong network in the palace, I grew greedy for the throne. I used both kindness and cruelty, employing ruthless measures to force my second brother to abdicate, and ultimately killed him.

“Thus, I ascended to the throne, adopted a new reign title, governed diligently, reformed the administration, prioritized agriculture, built irrigation works, revised the laws to benefit farmers and citizens, and implemented statutes favorable to merchants. I promoted virtuous ministers, strictly punished corrupt officials, and generously rewarded those who contributed to the state.

“Within a few years of my reforms, harvests flourished, commerce prospered, tax revenues soared, and the treasury overflowed. The people’s quality of life improved beyond all previous eras.

“With a rich treasury and an improved standard of living, I reformed the military system, enforced strict discipline, increased the military budget, enhanced soldiers’ benefits, and cared for their families, so the troops could serve in peace.

“Soon, the army grew powerful. I led them into battle, reclaimed territories lost to enemy nations during my brothers’ reigns, and built a wall stretching thousands of miles along the border to protect our frontiers from invasion. The nation was secure and the people at peace.

“In time, however, I became arrogant and boastful, and my life grew increasingly decadent. Having been denied affection as a child due to my ugliness, and after years of feigning stupidity and committing fratricide for the throne, I was plagued by guilt and developed a severe mental illness, eventually succumbing to schizophrenia.

“Puffed up with pride in my accomplishments, I indulged in debauchery and drunkenness, growing ever more cruel and bloodthirsty. The ministers grew to despise me. Years of excess ruined my health, and at last, scorned by my subjects and poisoned by alcohol, my body failed and I died.

“After my physical death, my spirit descended to the underworld and reported to the Office of Transmigration.

“The underworld’s clerk reviewed the record of my previous life and, upon learning I had become a cruel tyrant, submitted my case layer by layer until it reached the King of Hell. The King of Hell, after reviewing my record, acknowledged my contributions to the nation and people after my ascension, but my later actions, after succumbing to madness, brought disaster and suffering and violated countless moral laws. Although my crimes outweighed my merits, they did not warrant immediate destruction. Thus, I was sentenced to be imprisoned forever in the Black River Prison, never to be released, and deprived of the right to reincarnation or transmigration.”

After hearing the Ghost King’s brief account of his past life, Wei Xiaoping and the two Nether Hounds were a little astonished. From the first moment they saw the Ghost King, in no aspect did he resemble an emperor, nor did he bear any imperial presence. Though he was king of this nether prison, he showed not the slightest trace of authority. Had he not revealed his past, they would have guessed he was no more than a bandit chief in his former life.

“Who would have thought the Ghost King was an emperor in his past life!” Wei Xiaoping exclaimed.

“Why does General Wei say that? Is it because I lack any hint of authority?” the Ghost King asked with a gentle smile.

“Exactly! In fact, Ghost King, you seem more like a kind and respected patriarch than a ruler,” Wei Xiaoping replied.

“Hahaha! Thank you for your praise, General Wei! I committed too many sins in my past life, and after being imprisoned here, I have had much time to reflect. Now, I see through many things, and naturally, my temperament has become much more peaceful,” the Ghost King said.