After being registered at the Diyu Hell Hotel, you are brought before the first Hell King and his Magic Mirror of Retribution.

Here you are forced to watch as every detail of your life is replayed upon the mirror in excruciating detail. We are talking superior 4K HD Hell-O-Vision. All your past sins are uncovered and naughty thoughts replayed. What a terrifying concept.

Once all the evidence is in, Qinguang Wang gives his verdict. The truly righteous take the Golden Bridge straight to eternal happiness in Western Paradise. This is a one-way trip and very few get to make it.

The not-quite-so-righteous take the Silver Bridge to the dull but comfortable Southern Paradise — but only if they have spent a lifetime making up for their bad deeds. There they get a little vacation before plunging back into the rebirth cycle.

The rest of us have to repent and suffer punishment for our sins. And Diyu is very well-equipped in the punishment department. There are chambers for every kind of sin imaginable, from murder to bad personal hygiene.

Qinguang Wang also rules the fate of souls who have met untimely deaths by accident or misfortune. Such people may be let off lightly if they haven’t lived long enough to accumulate spiritual brownie points.

Legend tells that the First Court of Diyu was originally ruled by Yanluo Wang, the God of Death. But the Jade Emperor gave the post to Qinguang Wang instead when it turned out the God of Death was a bit of a softie.

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Article last revised on September 25, 2018 by Rowan Allen.
Editors: Peter J. Allen, Chas Saunders

References: Coming soon.

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