The surrounding mist gradually dissipated, and the darkness slowly faded away. Next to the moss-covered stone, the young man yawned and slowly slumped, falling asleep at this unexpected moment.
Qin Shi watched as Xiao Qi slowly sipped the cup of Meng Po's tea, knowing that all memories of her past life had been erased. A wave of sadness washed over him. He glanced at his wife and found her gazing back at him with a similar expression. Qin Shi suddenly realized that though he wanted to cry, there were no tears to be shed.
Ahead, the darkness began to coalesce, and Meng Po's face darkened as she barked, "Who's there?"
Qin Shi followed her gaze and saw a massive black cloud rising from the ground, seemingly suspended in place without any movement. Gradually, the cloud began to shrink, its edges turning white. As it contracted, they could make out a figure clad in white, with all the blackness disappearing into his body. His face was slightly pale, his beard reaching down to his chest, and his eyebrows slanted slightly. He wore a white robe and black shoes.
Meng Po quickly knelt down and exclaimed, "Your honor, humble servant Meng Po presents herself to the White Ghost Escort!"
The White Ghost Escort approached slowly and solemnly stated, "All souls present, I have been informed of your grievances. I shall report to the Emperor of the Underworld, and once the truth is revealed, justice will be served. Do not fret. Follow me across the Naihe Bridge, and we shall present ourselves to the ruler."
The dark mist gradually lifted, and from the distance, a sound emerged, fading away slowly until all was silent again. The White Ghost Escort led the group slowly towards the darkness in the distance. Suddenly, he seemed to remember something and floated backwards. Approaching the mossy stone, he knelt down, picked up the sleeping young man, and carried him away with supernatural speed.
Everything returned to its original state, with Meng Po smiling as she brewed tea by the Naihe Bridge, as if this had been the eternal scene since the beginning of time.
While the darkness in the distance was fading, the gloom ahead seemed perpetual, a solid mass of blackness that offered no direction. In the dark, fear always lurked.
The White Ghost Escort remained silent, extending his hand to cast a gray beam into the darkness. Slowly, the blackness began to disperse, revealing the true mysteries of the Underworld.
As the darkness vanished, a deafening roar filled the air. Before them stood a vast river, its waters surging downstream, splashing and foaming as they neared a bend. Beyond that, the river flowed onward, its destination unknown.
Two ghostly soldiers, wielding spears, stood facing them. Upon seeing the White Ghost Escort, they bowed and stepped aside. Behind them stood a small stone bridge, appearing to be no more than ten meters long and eight meters wide, a humble structure. However, the White Ghost Escort paused before it, not proceeding directly across.
Turning back, he addressed the group, "Ahead lies the Naihe Bridge. I will lead you across. Remember, follow me closely and do not be distracted by any sounds or visions. If you lose focus, nothing can save you on this bridge." After receiving nods of understanding from the group, the White Ghost Escort turned and embarked on this unknown journey.
In the span of a human life, one traverses a sea of ups and downs, enduring the trials of countless ages. Bearing the weight of love, hate, jealousy, and compassion, one accumulates gains and losses throughout the journey. Yet, when the final day arrives, it's inevitable to feel a sense of attachment and reluctance. Nevertheless, the end must come, and from life to death, one enters the cycle of rebirth, embarking on a new journey. Before that, however, any lingering thoughts of the past can taint the purity of the next incarnation. Hence, the path to rebirth begins with the Gates of the Underworld, leading to the Yellow Spring Road, the Naihe Bridge, and the Oblivion River. Along this path, there is also the Tea of Meng Po and the Stone of Three Lifetimes. These exist solely to gradually dispel the fears of the past and erase the memories of what once was. And somehow, these words have become legends in both the mortal realm and the Underworld: "On the Yellow Spring Road, never look back. Do not accept the Tea of Meng Po. On the Naihe Bridge, there's no regret. And in the Oblivion River, shed no tears."
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Legend has it that anyone who turns back on the Yellow Spring Road will be devoured by evil spirits who await there. And once the Tea of Meng Po is consumed, all memories of the past - loved ones, hated enemies, everything - disappear forever. The Naihe Bridge, however, is perhaps the most mysterious of all. Among the spirits, there are whispers: "The Naihe Bridge, a long journey, each step takes you three miles in your wanderings. The Oblivion River, abandoning a thousand years of memories, faces unknown, what can be done?" No one knows the true meaning of these words.
The group led by White Ghost Escort has been walking on the bridge for a long time. The blood-red waters of the Oblivion River churn and boil beneath their feet, a pungent breeze carrying the scent of decay. Occasionally, they can hear the seductive calls rising from the depths of the river, like ethereal melodies that enchant the mind. Thankfully, they remember White Ghost Escort's warnings and stay close, lest they succumb to the temptation and become lost spirits, doomed to suffer endless torment in these waters.
The Naihe Bridge, despite its apparent smallness, seems to stretch on endlessly. The elderly man in the brocaded robe continues to follow White Ghost Escort calmly, showing no signs of impatience. The wife of the Qin family and the young servant Xiao Qi follow closely behind. Qin Shi supports his mother with one hand while the other clutches the cold handle of his axe. The sounds he heard earlier had stirred his blood, almost causing him to lose control. Quickly, he reached for the giant axe strapped to his back, feeling its familiar comfort. It had been with him through countless battles, and its presence reassured him.
After some time, his heart finally settled. The Naihe Bridge is indeed mysterious. It looks short, but it seems to stretch on forever. Who knows how many spirits lie buried in the river below, with snakes and insects crawling everywhere and the stench of decay filling the air. This bridge is truly perilous.
As they were marching onward, suddenly, a river beside Qin Shi's wife erupted skyward, and a hulking, dark green, triangular snake head emerged from its depths, lunging swiftly towards her. Instantly, confusion, panic, and horror gripped the hearts of all who witnessed the scene.
White Ghost Escort reacted swiftest, spinning on his heel to intercept the oncoming menace before Qin Shi's wife. With a swift gesture, he unleashed a barrage of thunderbolts. These thunderbolts were crafted through the occult arts of the Underworld, rapidly condensing the ambient Yin energy into spherical attacks. As each sphere contained a spark of Yang energy at its core, they exploded upon encountering resistance, the collision of Yin and Yang igniting a violent detonation. Among the practitioners of the Underworld, few possessed such Yang energy, and only those with profound cultivation attained the secrets of harnessing it. Thus, the Yin thunderbolts were not only a demonstration of power but also a symbol of status.
The Yin thunderbolt flew swiftly towards the monster snake's crown, detonating in an instant, showering the air with a rain of flesh and blood. The already blood-tinged river turned even redder as the remains of the snake plunged into its depths. Just as everyone exhaled a sigh of relief, the river's surface began to churn even more violently. Suddenly, seven or eight more dark green monster snakes emerged from the water, charging towards the group on the bridge from all directions.
White Ghost Escort remained calm amidst the chaos, calling for the others to gather behind him. He gently placed the slumbering young man on the ground and swiftly gestured the signs of a spell, summoning a vast orb that glowed dark blue within its blackness. The orb hovered over the heads of the snakes, hissing ominously, and then exploded in a deafening roar, unleashing countless sinister bolts of lightning. The snakes were obliterated, and once again, a shower of flesh and blood descended, leaving none of the monsters alive. The Elder Escort's prowess was indeed extraordinary.
However, this immense orb was an immensely draining technique. Named the Hundred Lightning Yin Thunder, it was a spell that White Ghost Escort had perfected during his recent period of secluded meditation. As a result, after its use, he was panting heavily, his powers greatly diminished.
The crisis was not yet over. Another snake head emerged from the river, distinguishable from the others by its jet-black hue and thinner neck and body. As soon as it broke the surface, it lunged towards the elderly Lady Qin on the left, moving as swiftly as a flash of lightning. White Ghost Escort was still recuperating and could not reach her in time. Just as the snake's jaws were about to clamp down on the elderly lady, Qin Shi quickly drew his axe and swung it with a mighty roar towards the monster's head. But the snake seemed to have anticipated this, retracting its head with astonishing agility and redirecting its course towards the slumbering young man. Those nearby were frozen in horror, and the only one with the courage to act was Qin Shi. But he was too far away, and it was already too late to save the young man. Finally, to the horrified gaze of all, the helpless, slumbering young man vanished forever into the depths of the Oblivion River.
All was silent once more as they finally reached the end of the Naihe Bridge.