Chapter 2166: Forgotten River Ferryman

Zu An was shocked, not by their appearance—he had seen far more terrifying demons and monsters in recent days—but because the figures strongly resembled the legendary Black and White Impermanence from his previous life.

He noticed the black and white mourning staffs held by the two figures. The staffs were covered with strips of cloth, making them look somewhat like feather dusters. Yet, Zu An dared not underestimate them. He sensed a kind of rule-based power emanating from the staffs, one that seemed capable of directly affecting souls.

"Another spirit, looks like we'll meet our quota this month," said Black Impermanence in a low, muffled voice. Despite speaking of a successful outcome, his face showed no hint of joy.

In contrast, White Impermanence chuckled and replied, "That's right, we can finally get some proper time off."

Zu An was bewildered. Why did these two act like tired corporate workers from his previous life, constantly dreaming of holidays and slacking off?

Soon, however, he tensed up. He had important matters to attend to and certainly couldn't be captured by Black and White Impermanence. It seemed an arduous battle was inevitable. Their mourning staffs seemed to pose a significant threat to his current state. He figured he should use their current carelessness to launch a surprise attack, which might result in an instant kill.

Despite this assessment, Zu An didn't act immediately, harboring some reservations. According to the myths and legends from his previous life, Black and White Impermanence were legitimate civil servants of the Underworld, and their rank seemed quite high. If he were to eliminate officials within the Underworld's system right after arriving, wouldn't that instantly put him at odds with the entire realm? At that point, let alone completing his mission, he might find it impossible to move an inch within the Underworld.

While he was still pondering, White Impermanence suddenly spoke, "Oh, this spirit feels a bit special."

Black Impermanence was also startled. "Indeed, not an ordinary wandering ghost. And he seems quite strong." As they spoke, they subtly raised their mourning staffs.

Zu An's heart tightened. It seemed he couldn't wait any longer; even if he didn't kill them, he had to subdue them first.

Just as he was about to make his move, White Impermanence suddenly said, "He carries a mysterious aura... Oh, you're a colleague! My apologies."

"A... colleague?" Zu An, who had been on the verge of attacking, froze upon hearing this. He had considered a myriad of possibilities, but this wasn't one of them.

"Indeed!" White Impermanence re-sheathed his mourning staff behind his back, his demeanor becoming notably more amicable.

Zu An, however, did not relax his guard. Who knew if this fellow was merely being outwardly friendly while planning a dishonorable sneak attack? He furtively glanced at Black Impermanence, who had also put away his staff. "So, you're the new Ferryman of the River of Oblivion! Why didn't you say so earlier? We almost had a misunderstanding."

Zu An was even more confused. "Ferryman of the River of Oblivion?" Wait, that mysterious giant statue had mentioned his connection with the River of Oblivion and had used a drop of its water as a medium to perform a secret art, allowing him to enter the Underworld in his current state. Was this the identity it had arranged for him?

Seeing his puzzled expression, Black and White Impermanence first exchanged a look of surprise, then chuckled. "It's normal for a newcomer to the Underworld not to be familiar with everything here, brother. Don't think that being a Ferryman of the River of Oblivion is a tedious job like rowing a boat, blacksmithing, or grinding tofu in your previous life. In the Underworld, it's an incredibly distinguished position! You must have accumulated immense merit in your former life to be appointed to such a role."

"As I've just arrived, I haven't yet had the honor of asking your esteemed names, brothers," Zu An said, bowing. Since they weren't enemies, it was best to foster a good relationship, which might prove helpful for his future actions.

Seeing his humble attitude, Black and White Impermanence's expressions softened further. White Impermanence smiled and explained, "We are Black and White Impermanence of the Underworld. Whenever someone dies in the living world, we go to retrieve their soul and bring it to the Underworld. We detected a new spirit appearing just now and came to escort him, but it turned out to be you."

Zu An's heart stirred. It was indeed just as the legends described. "Is this not yet the Underworld itself?" he asked.

"It is, in a way," Black Impermanence explained, "but strictly speaking, you only truly enter the Underworld after passing through the Gate of Ghosts."

"The Gate of Ghosts?" Zu An had heard many legends about it. People often used the phrase "walked through the Gate of Ghosts" to describe a narrow escape from death, and he never imagined he would actually be passing through it this time.

"There it is," White Impermanence said, pointing ahead. Zu An looked up and saw a massive archway not far away. This archway had four pillars forming three entrances. In front of each pillar, ferocious sculptures were carved, likely depicting strange beasts of the Underworld. Above the three entrances were seven undulating pavilions with upturned eaves, though none of these pavilions contained actual rooms.

This style of archway was common in the human world; the wealthier and more prominent a family, the grander their archway. However, the archway before him was unique. Human world archways often featured vermilion pillars, sometimes even paired with bright yellow glazed tiles. This one, though, was entirely black, so dark it sent shivers down one's soul. The only contrasting color was the seven large golden characters "Gate of Ghosts of the Underworld" written on the plaque directly above.

Zu An's heart tightened; he hadn't expected the Gate of Ghosts to look like this. At that moment, he noticed two monstrous figures standing on either side of the Gate of Ghosts. Both had human bodies, but one possessed a bull's head, and the other a horse's face.

"Bull-Head and Horse-Face?" Zu An felt a momentary daze. Figures from the myths of his previous life were appearing one after another.

Black and White Impermanence then explained, "They are the guardians of the Gate of Ghosts. Sometimes, spirits escape from the Underworld, and they are responsible for apprehending them. Additionally, when powerful beings die, their souls often retain significant combat strength. To prevent them from causing trouble or refusing to be escorted, Bull-Head and Horse-Face are responsible for subduing them."

Zu An's mind stirred. "From that description, Bull-Head and Horse-Face sound quite formidable?"

"Their combat prowess is indeed good," Black Impermanence replied.

White Impermanence, however, seemed to guess his thought and added, "We brothers are no weaker than them. You must understand, some powerful beings in the living world are even more troublesome to deal with."

Zu An figured the fellow was worried he might underestimate them, so he seized the opportunity to offer a few compliments. Black and White Impermanence clearly appreciated it.

Soon, Bull-Head and Horse-Face noticed them. "Oh, Black and White Impermanence, who's this? You two are being awfully polite to him."

"This is our future colleague, the Ferryman of the River of Oblivion. We're escorting him to his post," White Impermanence declared proudly.

Upon hearing "Ferryman of the River of Oblivion," Bull-Head and Horse-Face's expressions instantly changed. On their grotesque faces, Zu An actually detected a hint of flattery. "So, he's the new appointee! Black and White Impermanence, you two are so busy with your work. Why don't you let us brothers escort him the rest of the way?"

"We're not particularly busy today, so it's no trouble to escort Brother Zu to his post," Black Impermanence said, his face dark. They had naturally learned Zu An's name on the way. "Your position guarding the Gate of Ghosts is too important to be disturbed."

Zu An had initially considered giving a false name, but then he thought that these beings specialized in capturing souls. What if they had some secret art that could reveal a person's true name? That might offend them instead.

"It's no trouble at all. Affairs within the Gate of Ghosts are our brothers' responsibility anyway," Bull-Head and Horse-Face insisted, walking closer and enthusiastically offering to accompany Zu An.

"We've already become quite familiar with Brother Zu on the journey here; we'll take him," White Impermanence said, still smiling as he gripped his mourning staff. "Right, Brother Zu?"

The atmosphere in the area instantly grew tense, the situation between the two parties seemingly on the verge of erupting.

Zu An naturally couldn't refuse White Impermanence directly. After agreeing, he clasped his hands and bowed to Bull-Head and Horse-Face. "Once I've settled into my new role, I'll be sure to come find you, Brothers Niu and Ma, to thank you for your warm welcome."

"Haha, it should be us hosting a welcoming banquet for you then!" Bull-Head and Horse-Face's faces also brightened with smiles. They thought to themselves, *This fellow knows how to play the game.*

Black and White Impermanence also exchanged surprised glances with him. Avoiding a direct confrontation with Bull-Head and Horse-Face was certainly preferable, and they hadn't expected this young man to be so adept at handling situations.

As they passed through the Gate of Ghosts, White Impermanence suddenly chuckled. "Brother Zu, you must be quite curious why Bull-Head and Horse-Face were so enthusiastic towards you."