If Xu Hu had not personally gone to "invite" Luo Qian back, Luo Qian would still have been searching Upper Clarity Heaven for Du Lengning. Thoroughly unwilling, Boss Luo prostrated himself in the golden hall and cried, "Long live Your Majesty!" The Supreme Pure Emperor knew Luo Qian had suffered a grievance and could hardly leave him kneeling there. "Rise." Luo Qian stood without ceremony before his imperial brother-in-law.
"Luo Qian, you witnessed everything that happened in Upper Clarity Heaven from beginning to end. My ministers and I have discussed it and decided to hear your opinion. Whatever else may be said, you are a member of the Immortal Court." With that, the Supreme Pure Emperor explained why he had summoned him. Luo Qian glanced around and understood: these people plainly could not agree, so they had found themselves a scapegoat. And that poor scapegoat is me. He could stay out of it easily enough. He need only say he had not been in Upper Clarity Heaven when the riot began, that he had arrived later, and deny everything to the bitter end.
But then the lives of four or five thousand people in Upper Clarity Heaven would hang in the balance. He sighed inwardly. If I don't descend into hell, who will? When the Buddha Ancestor said those words, was he like me today—not filled with righteous conviction, but driven half by helplessness?
After a moment's thought, Luo Qian made up his mind. He straightened his chest and declared, "Your Majesty, the people of Upper Clarity Heaven were merely carried away by anger. The Meng Household committed evil upon evil and brought this upon themselves. In my view, this was neither a riot nor a rebellion. If it must be given a name, I would call it... a