Chapter 2170: Impossible Mission

The deceased’s face changed drastically. He instinctively tried to pull his leg back, but his entire body suddenly stiffened, and his expression became vacant.

Almost simultaneously, countless water ghosts appeared on the bank, scrambling to grab his legs and drag him into the water. Then, a dense swarm of water ghosts swarmed over him, tearing and biting. In that instant, it was as if every drop of Oblivion River water had transformed into a water ghost or malevolent spirit—truly a sight for those with trypophobia.

Although the deceased had lost his consciousness, he instinctively felt pain and struggled desperately. Unfortunately, he was no match for the endless water ghosts surrounding him. He was eventually dragged down into the water. After the other water ghosts finished their feast and dispersed, another new water ghost surfaced, its face filled with resentment and malice, just like the previous ones. It stared intently at the deceased souls on the bank, seemingly wanting to drag more of them down as companions.

Seeing this, all the deceased souls took a few steps back, gazing fearfully at the Oblivion River before them.

“Alright, one by one. Anyone who causes trouble again will be thrown directly into the water,” Zu An said fiercely. From what he had just witnessed, these individuals were not easy to deal with, and force seemed to be the only way to manage them. Coupled with the miserable fate of the unlucky soul, his words indeed had a deterrent effect. Although the deceased souls still pushed and jostled each other, they reluctantly formed a line.

Soon, one by one, the deceased souls boarded the boat, each fawningly offering a coin. Zu An wondered what he would do with these underworld coins. However, he sensed that the coins were unusual, so he took them anyway. These coins were not the paper money burned in his previous life, but rather round on the outside and square on the inside, similar to ancient copper coins. However, their material was not any kind of metal, but something special.

“This is... merit?” Zu An was surprised. He had previously heard the Black and White Impermanence mention that merit was the most important thing in the Underworld. If a soul accumulated enough merit, it wouldn’t have to suffer in hell but could directly proceed to reincarnation through the Six Paths. The higher the merit, the easier it was to be reborn into a favorable existence. Even wicked villains, after enduring torments and cleansing their sins in hell, often had too little merit and could only be reborn into lower realms like animals. Not to mention the deceased souls, even ghost officials like the Black and White Impermanence seemed to receive merit as their regular stipend. Any expense in the Underworld could be exchanged with merit; it was a hard currency.

No wonder the Black and White Impermanence said the ferryman of the Oblivion River was a lucrative position—it turned out the ferry fees were paid in merit! He wondered where these deceased souls got such coins. He presumed they were probably converted from the paper money their living relatives burned for them, by an institution similar to a “Merit Bank” in the Underworld.

Soon, the boat was full of passengers, and Zu An had received dozens of merit coins. Although they were temporarily useless, Zu An still put them away. He continued rowing the boat toward the opposite bank. Along the way, the waters of the Oblivion River were exceptionally turbulent, making the entire boat incredibly bumpy. The deceased souls on board, however, showed no signs of courage or aggression. They all huddled in the center of the boat, keeping away from the edges.

It turned out that water ghosts from the Oblivion River were swimming alongside the boat the whole way, constantly extending their claws to snatch at the souls on board, attempting to drag them down to suffer with them. Yet, the boat seemed to possess a magical power that prevented the water ghosts from getting too close. However, their malevolent nature compelled them to incessantly try and pull the souls from the boat into the water, causing all the souls on board to fear for their lives. Seeing the deceased souls trembling, Zu An found it somewhat amusing.

Speaking of which, what was this boat made of? It could float on the Oblivion River without sinking, even though legend had it that not even a feather could stay afloat on its waters. And the oar, which seemed to be an integral part of the boat, was also impossible to identify the material of. In a way, this boat must be a divine artifact, right? Was there a chance he could take it?

Before he knew it, Zu An had delivered a boatload of souls to the other side. As soon as they docked, the souls scrambled to jump off, not even willing to utter a single word to him, eager to get as far away from the terrifying Oblivion River as possible.

Zu An felt a pang of frustration. Was he really going to be a ferryman here forever, transporting these souls? He had important missions to fulfill, so he certainly wouldn't stay here as mere labor. He jumped off the boat as well, pondering if he could gather any information from the areas ahead.

Just then, a voice suddenly echoed in his mind: “To qualify for the trial, you must become the undisputed king of your respective area in the Underworld.”

Zu An’s expression changed. It was the voice of the mysterious colossal statue. “Did you follow me here? Where are you now?”

The voice, however, seemed not to hear him and offered no reply. Instead, it continued, “As the ferryman of the Oblivion River, today is the last day of the competition. By the third watch of the night, whoever has transported the most deceased souls across and earned the most merit during this period will be crowned the king of the Oblivion River ferrymen, qualifying them for the trial.”

Zu An’s pupils constricted after hearing this. What a joke! How long had he even been here? He hadn't even transported fifty souls in one boat. The other ferrymen had been here for who knew how long, having transported at least eight thousand, if not ten thousand, souls. As if sensing his confusion, a piece of information suddenly appeared in his mind. The ferryman ranked first had already completed transporting 108,800 souls. The second had transported 108,600 souls. The third had transported 108,500 souls. Even the tenth-ranked had transported tens of thousands. The gaps among the subsequent ranks were considerably larger, clearly indicating that the ultimate winner would emerge from the top three. Zu An’s name, at the very bottom, was particularly glaring; he had only completed thirty-eight.

Damn it! Zu An finally understood why the ferryman next to him had ignored him earlier. Everyone was busy with the competition; no one wanted to waste time talking to him.

Zu An took a deep breath and asked, “What time is it now?” In the Underworld, he had no idea of the precise time. He hoped there was still at least a day left, which would give him time to figure something out. Even half a day might offer a chance. He could try to enlist the help of Black and White Impermanence, or Ox-Head and Horse-Face, to see if he could stage a comeback.

At that moment, the voice spoke: “It’s already the second watch of the night. There’s only about one hour left until the deadline.”

Zu An was speechless. “Aren’t you my old friend? You sent me here just to face such a rigged situation?”

“I don’t understand what you’re saying. This competition adheres strictly to the principles of fairness, impartiality, and transparency.”

Sparks practically flew from Zu An’s eyes at this moment. He felt like killing someone. With so little time, he couldn’t catch up even if he were piloting an aircraft carrier! He looked at the other ferrymen of the Oblivion River nearby and suddenly had an idea: to win the championship, it seemed he didn’t necessarily have to transport the most souls. If he eliminated everyone ahead of him, wouldn’t he be first?

Just as he was about to act, the colossal statue’s voice resonated in his mind again: “I advise you against that. This competition is about who transports the most deceased souls, not who is the strongest among the Oblivion River ferrymen. These ferrymen are individuals with great merit. If you kill them to take their treasures, the sins you incur will far outweigh any merit you gain, and you might even fall into the Avici Hell. Furthermore, each ferryman possesses a secret technique of the Oblivion River; you might not be able to defeat them on the Oblivion River.”

Zu An gritted his teeth and said, “But what am I supposed to do with so little time left?”

The voice fell silent, and after a moment, it said, “I don’t know why you are here, or why you carry my residual aura. However, since you were sent here, there must be a reason, and I believe you can accomplish it.”

“Can’t you offer any other help besides these encouraging words?” Zu An said coldly. His heart stirred slightly. Judging by the voice’s tone, it seemed to be separate from the colossal statue outside. Although they were the same entity, their thoughts and memories were not connected.

“My recent warning was already the greatest help I could give you; otherwise, you would already be suffering in Avici Hell,” the voice replied.