阎王好见，小鬼难当
yán​wáng​hǎo​jiàn​xiǎo​guǐ​nán​dāng

the King of Hell is easy to see, but the little devils are hard to deal with

阎王好见，小鬼难当 閻王好見，小鬼難當 yán​wáng​hǎo​jiàn​xiǎo​guǐ​nán​dāng
the King of Hell is easy to see, but the little devils are hard to deal with
It is easier to deal with a high-ranking official than with their subordinates or lower-level gatekeepers who can be more obstructive