"Tieguanyin originally intended to bring a 'Buddha' character, as she believed that the Buddha of the otherworld represents great wisdom, using the severance of worldly ties and karma as a foundation to dispel evil and alleviate calamities, thus achieving purity of the six senses."

"However, Tieguanyin ultimately abandoned this idea because, over these twenty years, she came to understand this world and also witnessed the Eight Sceneries of Netherworld deep within the underworld, and saw the Bloodstain Pond."

"Compared to the great wisdom of Buddhism, she instead appreciated the Bloodstain Pond of this world more."

"There is no Buddha in this world, so no one thinks about dispelling this evil count. There is only one way, which is to stop evil with killing."

"All the evil obstacles and karmic debts of the human world cannot be forgiven, only blood can repay them!" 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

"..."

Hu Ma listened and increasingly understood a problem but kept silent: "Back then in Shangjing, Tieguanyin escaped, seemingly laying everything bare, but one could feel she seemed to hide an extraordinary issue."

"Now, seeing her guidance to Miss Red Wine and others, and her retreat using the Twelve Ghost Altars in Shangjing City, can even more confirm it."

"..."

In a moment of thought, he saw that Burning Blade was completely ignoring the Li Family's Great Master across the Bloodstain Pond, merely letting out a cold snort before stepping towards the Bloodstain Pond.

On both sides of the Bloodstain Pond were the White Jade Platforms constructed by the Li Family, upon which were the projections of human world execution officers cast into the underworld.

Whether in this world or the other, the problems faced are similar, like evil counts and grievances. However, the otherworld has Buddhist philosophy to dissolve grievances, while here, there is no Buddha but rather the most direct approach to stop evil with killing.

Since it is to stop evil with killing, the Bloodstain Pond requires human world execution, and these projections are people who have taken on killing duties in the Bloodstain Pond, thus being a part of the Bloodstain Pond. The closer to the front, the heavier the killing intent.

And now, Burning Blade was undoubtedly storming the Bloodstain Pond, forcefully seizing authority.

Everyone widened their eyes to see Burning Blade striding forward, and the shadows on the White Jade Platforms on either side were stirred by the aura emanating from him, each one opening their eyes in disbelief gazing upon him.

Some were clearly enraged, while others immediately felt threatened, silently opening their mouths as if to rebuke something.

But Burning Blade rested his hands behind his back, not even sparing them a glance, and the killing intent rising from him strangled their throats as if by an invisible giant hand.

Scores of shadows, either frightened or furious, suddenly grew afraid as his overwhelming killing intent approached, one after another, falling to their knees on the White Jade Platforms before him.

More still, frightened, directly fell off the White Jade Platforms, dissipating into nothingness.

"Where in the human world did such a person come from, one possessing such overwhelming killing intent?"

At the end of the White Jade Platform, the Li Family's Housekeeper, although mentally prepared, was also quite scared by such a scene.

Burning Blade, who ranked low in duty at the Bloodstain Pond before, left little impression even on the Li Family's Housekeeper, but now he exhibited an extraordinary dominance.

Those who bowed their heads to him represented the acknowledgment of Burning Blade's greater killing intent, voluntarily relinquishing their duties and authority in the Bloodstain Pond.

Those who were stunned and fell were forcibly stripped of their duties and thereby were no longer associated with the Bloodstain Pond in the human world.

He was stirred a few times but forced himself to endure, witnessing Burning Blade's unstoppable advance, with a crushing aura, approaching the Bloodstain Pond straightforwardly. Of the shadows closer to the Bloodstain Pond than him on the high platform, only three or five remained.

"Hmm?"

But at the same time, Hu Ma suddenly was shocked, his gaze falling upon the three or five figures right in front of the Bloodstain Pond.

The foremost one was sitting firmly like a statue, and from his posture and aura, it appeared to be the God-given King still guarding Menghu Pass.

But the one ranked second was a presence that surprised Hu Ma.

That person's attire was like an old farmer, with a calm and even numb expression, and beside him lay two segments of a broken knife, entirely different in aura from those around him.

An old acquaintance?

Hu Ma recognized him; he was the old farmer Hu Ma encountered when dealing with Gua Shao in Wutong Town, who came with a murderous aura that dimmed the sky, accompanied by the Evil Ghosts.

He did not practice the Path, yet he was here and even sat second in rank under the Bloodstain Pond?