ENG
The mighty Inspector, the emperor's guard so grand,
Rides fiery wheels, at the celestial gate to stand.
Upholding justice, silent and stern,
With one steel whip, the souls burn.
In the Celestial Court, it was a well-known fact among gods and Buddhas that Taiyi Thunderclap Supreme, also known as the Supreme Inspector, was the Jade Emperor's most loyal enforcer. If his gaze was fixed upon someone, it spelled certain doom. Admiral Tianpeng, who was cast down to become a pig, served as a prime example; once a prominent rising star, he vanished without a trace after the Supreme Inspector reported him.
Initially, the Supreme Inspector did not have his current peculiar appearance. Though not as handsome as Tianpeng, he was at least presentable. Later, the Jade Emperor, in appreciation of the Inspector's impartial enforcement of his decrees, transformed the Inspector's head into the shape of his right hand, symbolizing that when the Inspector was present, it is as if the Jade Emperor himself was there.
When deities encountered the Inspector, they respectfully greeted him and then quickly distanced themselves. They dared not engage in any high-spirited discussions in his presence, fearing that any mistake might be caught and reported.
Although the Inspector had no close companions, he did have some interactions with an old god of very high rank in the Celestial Court, aside from the Jade Emperor.
Some immortals said that since the Inspector willingly took on such a significant role, he deserved to endure this solitude; every advantage came with a disadvantage. Others argued that the Inspector accepted this unappealing position precisely because he preferred not to socialize, finding himself perfectly at ease and content in his role. Opinions were divided, and no consensus was reached. As for what the Inspector truly thought, no one knew.
This text describes a powerful celestial enforcer called the Supreme Inspector, whose formal name is Taiyi Thunderclap Supreme. He is the Jade Emperor’s top guard and stands at the gate of the Celestial Court. He is described riding on fiery wheels and carrying a single steel whip, using it to punish wrongdoers and “burn” souls who fall under his judgment.
The Inspector’s role is to enforce the Jade Emperor’s decrees impartially and without mercy. That reputation is feared across the heavens and the Buddhist realms: when the Inspector focuses on someone, that person’s fate is effectively sealed. The example given is Admiral Tianpeng, a once-prominent figure who was reported by the Inspector and then cast down and turned into a pig. That story is used to show how final the Inspector’s reports can be.
Originally, the Inspector did not look strange. He was at least presentable, though not as handsome as Tianpeng. Because he carried out the Jade Emperor’s orders so strictly and without bias, the Jade Emperor rewarded him by changing the Inspector’s appearance: the Inspector’s head was transformed into the shape of the Jade Emperor’s right hand. This change is explicitly symbolic — when the Inspector is present, it is meant to be like the Jade Emperor himself is there enforcing the law.
Other deities react to the Inspector with guarded respect. They will greet him formally and then move away quickly; they avoid easy or careless conversation in his presence because even a small mistake might be noticed and reported. The Inspector has no close companions in the court, though he does have occasional interactions with one very old, high-ranking god besides the Jade Emperor.
Immortals in the Celestial Court argue about why the Inspector remains so isolated. Some say solitude is the price he pays for taking on such a harsh, necessary job. Others say he chose the role because he prefers not to socialize and is content with his duties. No one knows which is true, and the Inspector’s personal thoughts remain private and unknowable to the other gods.