Yanluo Wang- Chinese GodDeity"King of Hell"

The Fifth Court

Yanluo Wang rules the Fifth Court of Hell. In some traditions he was originally ruler of the First Court but was demoted to the Fifth for showing too much leniency, releasing souls too quickly out of pity for their suffering. Even divine judges must answer for their performance.

The Chinese underworld is organized into ten courts, each ruled by its own King who judges specific categories of sin. Souls arriving from the mortal world are first assessed by King Qinguang of the First Court, who weighs the balance of good and evil deeds and assigns the soul to the appropriate court. The punishments are designed to fit the crime: liars have their tongues pulled out, the greedy are starved while surrounded by food they cannot eat, and those who wasted food are forced to consume what they discarded. These torments, depicted in temple murals and the Ming dynasty text Yuli Baochao, are not eternal. After serving their sentences, souls proceed to the Tenth Court of King Zhuanlun, who determines their next life.

The Messengers of Death

Yanluo Wang's most feared agents are the Black and White Guards of Impermanence: Fan Wujiu and Xie Bi'an. White Impermanence, tall and pale with a long tongue and a conical hat, carries a sign reading "You too shall come." Black Impermanence, dark and fierce, carries one reading "Seize at first sight." According to folk legend, the two were mortal friends who made a pact to meet at a bridge. One drowned waiting for the other during a storm. The survivor hanged himself in grief. Both were appointed as underworld officials in recognition of their extraordinary loyalty.

At the end of the judgment process stands Mengpo, the old woman who serves her Soup of Forgetfulness at the Bridge of Helplessness. Every soul must drink before crossing into their new life, erasing all memory of who they were and what they learned.

The Book of Life and Death

The Book of Life and Death records every mortal's name, predetermined lifespan, and the deeds that will affect their karmic judgment. When a person's time comes, Yanluo Wang's messengers consult the book and dispatch bailiffs to escort the soul.

In Journey to the West, Sun Wukong descends to the underworld and erases his name and those of all monkeys from its pages. This act of cosmic vandalism removed them from Yanluo Wang's jurisdiction entirely. The outraged underworld officials brought their complaint to the Jade Emperor, beginning the chain of events that would lead to the Monkey King's rebellion against heaven.

The Mirror of Karma

When a soul is brought before Yanluo Wang's court, the record of their life is read aloud, and the Mirror of Karma is placed before the accused. The mirror reveals hidden sins that the dead may try to deny. It shows their deeds as they truly happened, not as the dead would prefer to remember them.

Yanluo Wang presides in the robes and cap of a high official, stern-faced and dark-complexioned. Before him lie the ledgers that weigh good against evil. His demon clerks maintain records and his soldiers handle the dead with grim efficiency.

Emperor Taizong's Descent

In Journey to the West, Emperor Taizong of Tang dies briefly and descends to the underworld, where he encounters the ten courts firsthand. Judge Cui, one of Yanluo Wang's officials, recognizes the emperor and intervenes to add twenty years to his lifespan in the Book of Life and Death. This harrowing experience motivates Taizong to sponsor the Buddhist pilgrimage that drives the novel's plot.

During the Ghost Festival on the fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month, the gates of hell are believed to open, releasing hungry ghosts into the mortal world. Families burn paper money and set out offerings of food for their departed kin. Buddhist monks chant sutras to transfer merit to the deceased, reducing their sentence in Yanluo Wang's courts. The prayers of the living can shorten a soul's suffering.