Description
In the Kingdom of Pure Joy, there was an official of high standing. A skeptic of spirits and deities, his path to power was paved with the lives of many. As age and illness beset him, he found himself bedridden. In a feverish sleep, he dreamt of two bull-headed guais emerging from blazing flames. Standing upright in armor, they declared they were to take him to the underworld for trial and urged him to settle his affairs with the living.
Lavabull Revenant
Information
Type: Lesser Yaoguais
Location: The Flaming Mountain
Startled awake and realizing the gravity of his past wrongdoings, the official hastily told his family to gather monks and daoists to perform rituals in the house. He dispelled his wealth through acts of charity, feeding the poor, donating to temples, and gilding Buddha statues. All the rituals and charity were done in the hope of sparing himself from the torments of the underworld. His deeds stirred the city; praises for his generosity echoed in the streets.
Then, came another dream. The bull guais, with a scroll in hand, came to claim his soul.
He protested, “I’ve done much good recently; surely, it offsets my past wrongs!” One guai explained, “True, you’ve done something good. But that was after how you falsely accused the righteous, how you betrayed your peers, how you extorted the peasants, and how you plundered for your wealth. For those, Yama still awaits your trial, and to the underworld, you must go.” The other guai sneered, “Good deeds are good, but evil deeds are still evil. Your end as a greedy official is sealed.”
With that, they shackled his soul with iron chains and dragged him into the flames, leading him towards the underworld. That very night, the official died in agony and fear, eyes bulging wide, losing control of his bowels.
Black Myth Wukong (2024)
