The King of Hell will weep, at the third quarter of the Zi hour.

We all remember that unruly monkey, who shattered the order of the Underworld with a single swing of his staff. We all praise his rebellion and pursuit of freedom.

Yet, when the monkey strode away triumphantly, who has ever seen Yama, sitting alone in the empty hall of the Underworld?

When the cold(gusty winds of the netherworld) died down and the will-o'-the-wisps faded, did he too, at the third quarter of the Zi hour (around 11:45 PM), feel a moment of loneliness?

"I have counted countless sins in the mortal world, yet I cannot count how many nights I have stayed awake."
This song, Yama Weeps, lets us hear the sigh of a deity for the first time. He is not a cold, emotionless symbol—he is a "prisoner" who holds the judge's brush in his hand, yet is also shackled by his fate.

What touches me most is this line: "The fact that golden cudgel never came crashing down breaks my heart more than if it had."

That staff would have shattered his authority, but what remains is the endless mockery he endures at the hands of "rules" and "destiny." It turns out he can govern the cycle of reincarnation across the Six Realms, yet he cannot control a single being who fears not death.

"It is easy to judge the life and death of others, but far too hard to judge the meaning of my own existence."

This is not just Yama's monologue—it is also the voice of every one of us: pretending to be strong under overwhelming pressure, and shouldering responsibilities in loneliness.

Tonight, hit play on this song. Do not fear—if Yama can weep, so can you.

#YamaWeeps #MythRetold #JourneyToTheWest #OfficeWorker