Chapter 2167: Red Spider Lily

Indeed, a little.

Zu An wondered, *Why is he here? Aren't you enthusiastic?* Just then, White Impermanence explained with a chuckle, "Actually, you can't blame him. You know, the ferryman of Oblivion is a lucrative position."

"A lucrative position?"

Zu An was taken aback; he couldn't connect the idea of a boatman with a lucrative job.

"Of course it's lucrative," Black Impermanence rumbled at this point. "You see, after someone dies, their spirit is escorted by us, their brothers, to the Ghost Pass. Then, it's the responsibility of the Ox-Head and Horse-Face guardians to dispatch their subordinates to escort the spirit along the Yellow Springs Road, then to the Palace of King Qin Guang, and finally, they must cross the River of Oblivion."

To cross the River of Oblivion, spirits can only be ferried across by the boatman. And the ferryman never offers free rides; he requires those spirits to pay the fare.

Zu An was stunned. "How do ghosts have money?"

"Of course they do. Usually, after someone dies in the human world, their relatives and descendants burn a lot of joss paper money for them. On the other hand, those who die violent deaths, or lone wandering spirits who have no one to send them off, can't board the boat."

Black Impermanence explained, "Without a ferry, those spirits who wish to enter reincarnation must proceed, so they risk trying to swim to the other bank."

"Furthermore, some cunning spirits who manage to get on the boat through trickery are eventually thrown into the River of Oblivion by the ferryman."

"The River of Oblivion is a wondrous river in the Underworld. No matter what enters its waters, their memories of a lifetime are washed away, turning them into imbeciles who are forever submerged, becoming water ghosts. Over countless years, innumerable water ghosts have gathered in the River of Oblivion. So, once a new spirit accidentally falls into the River of Oblivion, the existing water ghosts will desperately tear and grasp at it, refusing to let it reach the shore, forcing it to become a water ghost just like them, eternally sinking in Oblivion, unable to enter reincarnation and attain liberation."

White Impermanence showed a hint of schadenfreude when speaking of these things. It was clear he harbored a twisted mentality, taking pleasure in the misfortune of those water ghosts and wishing ill upon others.

Zu An listened with awe. He recalled having experienced the power of the River of Oblivion's water during his previous battle with the War Priest; even just a single drop had been incredibly potent. If it were the entire Heavenly River of Oblivion, he could only imagine its terror.

At this point, White Impermanence chuckled. "Every spirit that enters the Underworld, no matter how powerful, wealthy, or highly cultivated they were in life, must pay the ferryman of Oblivion. Don't you think that's a lucrative position?"

"Indeed," Zu An thought. *No wonder Black and White Impermanence were so polite after sensing his identity. It seems the saying 'money makes even ghosts work' isn't false after all.* He then asked, "By the way, what did you mean by the Palace of King Qin Guang and reincarnation and liberation just now?"

He recalled some terms the other party had just mentioned.

Black and White Impermanence were also keen to establish a good relationship with him. Having finally caught a "newbie" who knew nothing, they were naturally happy to share information and clarify doubts. "In the Underworld, we have ten Yama Lords. Each Lord has their own exclusive palace, and the Main Palace of King Qin Guang is the administrative seat of King Qin Guang. It's the first Yama King's palace spirits pass through upon entering."

"The Main Palace of King Qin Guang is primarily responsible for verifying whether we ghost envoys have apprehended the correct person. If there's no mistake, they begin to judge the spirit's good and evil deeds from their life. If their good deeds and merits outweigh their evil misdeeds, they are directly sent to the final Hall of Reincarnation, allowing them to enter the Six Paths of Reincarnation and be reborn. If their evil misdeeds are greater," White Impermanence's smile was particularly sinister, "then they'll have a lot to endure."

Black Impermanence explained, "If the evil misdeeds are greater, they will proceed to the subsequent Yama Lords' Palaces. Depending on the nature of their sins, they will suffer endless punishments in different regions. Only after countless ages of torment in hell might they cleanse their sins and be allowed to enter the Six Paths of Reincarnation and be reborn."

"Of course, there are also some truly heinous individuals who will likely never be able to leave hell, not for all eternity."

Zu An's heart stirred. He thought of Catcher and seized the opportunity to inquire about the Skinning Hell. "The Skinning Hell? It seems to be under the jurisdiction of Lord Kacha's Palace."

White Impermanence thought for a moment before answering.

"Are there Ghost Kings in hell?"

Zu An continued to ask.

"Ghost Lords?"

White Impermanence smiled upon hearing this. "Those fellows in hell are all just criminals. With me and my brothers here, how dare they call themselves kings?"

Zu An was surprised. *There are no Ghost Kings? Then what about the Skinning Ghost King?* At this moment, Black Impermanence explained, "It's just that hell is full of vile ghosts who suffer torment day and night. It's inevitable they have many negative emotions to vent, so they often fight among themselves. Sometimes, a strongest individual emerges in a particular region. They secretly call such a one a 'Ghost Lord,' but to us, it's just a joke."

Zu An frowned slightly, feeling that something was amiss. "Under what circumstances can such a hellish 'Ghost Lord' go out and move freely?"

Black Impermanence was taken aback. "Generally, only when their sins are completely atoned for and cleansed are they brought to the Hall of Reincarnation and assigned to the Six Paths of Reincarnation. However, those who become 'Ghost Lords' are usually extremely evil individuals. How could they possibly cleanse their sins? So, such a situation simply doesn't happen."

"What if a Ghost King really escaped?" Zu An pressed.

White Impermanence burst out laughing. "That would only happen if all of us here were dead."

A hint of a smile also appeared on Black Impermanence's usually stern face. He seemed to have heard a ridiculous joke.

As he watched Black and White Impermanence, more and more doubts clouded Zu An's mind.

However, seeing that he couldn't get any useful information, he changed the subject and asked something else. "By the way, you mentioned that the Main Palace of King Qin Guang is responsible for judging a person's good and evil deeds during their lifetime. But with so many people in the world and so many things happening, can it really review everything?"

"That's where you're mistaken," White Impermanence said with a smile, his long tongue particularly unnerving. "The Palace of King Qin Guang has a Mirror of Sins. When any spirit is reflected in the Mirror of Sins, all the events of their life are revealed, especially their evil deeds, leaving every wicked ghost utterly convinced of their fate as they enter hell."

"Such an astonishing thing exists in this world!"

Zu An was somewhat astonished, unable to imagine how it accomplished all of that.

"There are many wondrous things in the Underworld, too many to list all at once. We can tell you more when there's an opportunity, brother Zu."

Seeing his "newbie" appearance, Black and White Impermanence felt particularly pleased. They recalled being much the same when they first arrived, knowing nothing and wanting to ask about everything. At this moment, Zu An noticed a patch of blood-red light ahead and was startled. Since arriving in the Underworld, he had seen mostly black, white, and grey, with hardly any other colors. Thus, this crimson hue stood out strikingly.

Ahead lay a quiet path, lined with beautiful flowers, but not a single leaf was to be seen.

Around each flower, delicate filaments spread outwards, while the petals clustered tightly in the center, making them appear extraordinarily beautiful and eerie.

However, the vibrant red of the flowers instilled a subtle sense of unease in him. "Are these the legendary Other Shore Flowers?"

Zu An recalled some legends.

"That's right. In the human realm, they are also called Mandarava Flowers. These flowers grow along both sides of the Yellow Springs Road, serving to guide the souls of the deceased, consolidating their spirits and allowing them to recall certain memories from their past lives," White Impermanence explained.

"Past lives?" Zu An was somewhat surprised. He unconsciously sniffed the floral scent in the air, and indeed, some scenes from a previous life flashed in his mind: him sitting in front of a computer, directing and commenting on events. Just as he was about to speak, terrifying images suddenly appeared in his mind, as if the world was being destroyed and all living beings were crying out in lamentation.

His expression changed, and a sharp pain shot through his head. Even with his current endurance, he couldn't bear it and cried out in agony.

"What's wrong?"

Black and White Impermanence asked anxiously.

"Nothing."

Zu An's face was pale. The image had flashed by in an instant, yet it felt incredibly real. He tried to recall it again, but nothing came to mind.