Chapter 2171: No ghost can resist such temptation

Zu An realized this was true. If he hadn't been warned, he might have foolishly rushed to assassinate other contestants. Not only would it have been pointless for karma, but he likely wouldn't have won the fight.

While he was confident he could handle one or two of the Styx Ferrymen, who all possessed secret Styx techniques, he knew that if his intentions were revealed, the others weren't fools and would surely gang up on him.

In such a fight on the River Styx, against so many ferrymen wielding secret Styx techniques, he'd more likely fall into the river, be torn apart by the water ghosts, and become one of them himself.

With only one hour remaining, how could he possibly ferry so many souls? He wished there was a bridge.

Suddenly, his eyes lit up. "Wait," he thought, "shouldn't there be a Bridge of Helplessness over the River Styx? And there's a Lady Meng at its head. The Black and White Impermanence said we were fated, and that giant statue outside mentioned someone on the Styx side had a significant karmic connection with me."

He frantically searched around, spreading his divine sense in all directions. But alas, on the vast expanse of water, there was no sign of the Bridge of Helplessness.

He quickly questioned the voice, but it responded, "I must ensure the fairness of this competition; I can no longer help you."

Zu An was so incensed he let out a laugh. "Fair? I've only been here for an hour, while those others have already ferried hundreds of thousands of souls! Is that what you call fair?"

The voice hesitated for a moment before replying, "You have a point. Alright, I'll make an exception just this once. The Bridge of Helplessness isn't located here; it's behind the Hall of the Wheel-Turning King, in a completely different spatial dimension. You can dismiss that idea."

"This won't work, that won't work — why don't you suggest something that *will* work?" Zu An was growing impatient.

"This trial depends solely on you. Since 'I' brought you here, I trust you will succeed." After saying this, the voice fell silent and did not respond again.

Zu An muttered in frustration.

He took a deep breath, quickly reining in his impotent fury, knowing it was meaningless.

But what method could possibly close a gap of hundreds of thousands in less than an hour?

Gazing at the surging waters of the Styx, a thought stirred in Zu An's mind. It seemed there might be a way after all...

Zu An then reboarded the small boat and rowed back. Along the way, he tested the idea that had come to him, and finding it viable, his spirits were greatly lifted.

Upon reaching the opposite bank, Zu An approached the nearest ferryman. "Brother," he began, "how about we make a deal? It seems your merit points are significantly behind the top three. Why not sell your merit to me?"

The ferryman rolled his eyes, staring at him as if he were an idiot. "What do you intend to buy it with?"

"What do you need?" Zu An inquired.

The man scoffed, replying somewhat facetiously, "I need merit."

Zu An was speechless.

The man continued to mock him. "In this netherworld, only merit is of any use to us. Nothing else matters."

Zu An, however, remained unruffled. "I don't have enough merit to buy it outright at the moment, but I can pay in installments."

"Installments?" The ferryman paused, clearly unfamiliar with the term.

"That's right. For instance, if you give me 10,000 merit points now, I'll pay you back 1,100 points every month. After ten months, you'll have 11,000 merit points, which is a decent 10% return," Zu An explained. He reasoned that once he completed his mission and left the netherworld, they could chase after anyone they wanted for payment.

You covet my interest, and I'll covet your principal!

The ferryman seemed a little swayed, but quickly composed himself, declaring, "I'm not interested."

What a joke! He had nearly given up, but this fellow across from him had just presented a whole new way of thinking.

Why can't I just do this myself?

You, a novice with mere dozens of merit points, what right do you have to propose a partnership with me?

With that, he directly dismissed Zu An and hurried off to consult with other ferrymen who had accumulated more merit about installment payments, hoping to catch up to the top three.

Seeing the other's ecstatic expression, Zu An offered a faint smile. Their reaction was precisely what he had anticipated.

He then approached several other ferrymen with the same proposition. Without exception, they all rejected him, yet then, equally tempted, they themselves went off to discuss installment payments with others.

Each of them secretly mocked the newcomer, thinking, "With a mere few dozen merit points, what right does he have to partner with us? He clearly doesn't know his own worth."

Unperturbed, Zu An then sought out the ferryman ranked fourth. This ferryman had accumulated over eighty thousand merit points, and while not far from the top three, it was clearly impossible to catch up in the limited time remaining.

Seeing Zu An approach, the ferryman sneered, "You needn't waste your breath. I'm quite aware of what just transpired. It's laughable how foolish those others are, all considering installment payments. Don't they realize the top three will simply adopt the same method? With identical strategies, how can anyone hope to match the pace of the leaders? Ultimately, they'll just end up owing a massive amount of merit for nothing."

Zu An smiled. "It seems you're a smart one too. So, you're not planning to participate?"

"Of course not. If I lose, I lose. While I won't win a spot in this trial, at least these eighty thousand-plus merit points are solid and real, enough for me to live comfortably for years to come," the ferryman said, looking remarkably clear-headed for a ghost. "So you needn't try to persuade me."

Zu An then spoke up, "Brother, you've misunderstood. I'm not here to propose the installment payment method. Rather, I wanted to ask if you've considered lending?"

"Lending?" The ferryman's brow furrowed slightly.

"Exactly. Since those others are consumed by greed, and you're aware that method won't help you catch the top three, why not lend out your merit points? Everyone is desperate for merit coins right now, so you'd be incredibly popular as a lender," Zu An proposed.

"Hmph, a mere 10% profit isn't worth my consideration," the ferryman scoffed, waving his hand. He was a cautious individual, and losing such a large amount of merit if it wasn't repaid would be a significant problem.

"It's far more than just a 10% profit," Zu An explained with a smile. "That's merely a smokescreen. For instance, if you lend 10,000, and the borrower returns 1,100 in the first month, then another 1,100 in the second month, they would only owe you 9,000 merit points. Yet, the interest would still be calculated based on the original 10,000. The true interest rate, when calculated, turns out to be nearly double. Furthermore, you can re-lend the merit points as they are repaid, maximizing resource utilization. The total merit you stand to gain would be far greater than you can imagine."

"What's more," Zu An continued, "everyone is frantically seeking merit right now. Even if you set a higher interest rate, many would likely accept it. You could potentially earn double, or even several times, your initial merit back." Zu An thought that if he weren't pressed for time, he would play this game himself, introducing a new level of intensity to the netherworld's financial system and letting these simple natives experience the cunning of a capitalist from his previous life.

Predictably, the ferryman's eyes immediately lit up.

While he wasn't willing to risk it for a mere 10% profit, what if the return was in the hundreds of percent?

No one—and no ghost—could resist such a temptation!

His breathing quickened, but he clung to a sliver of rationality, regarding Zu An with suspicion. "If this idea is so good," he asked, "why aren't you pursuing it yourself? Why tell me?"

Zu An spread his hands, replying with a helpless shrug, "I'd love to, but unfortunately, I'm new here and lack the startup capital. I can't do it on my own. So, I can only seek a partnership with you. All I ask, Brother, is that after we succeed, you share a thousand merit points with me."

"Aren't you afraid I'll go back on my word?" the ferryman chuckled slyly.

"I can tell, Brother, that you possess an extraordinary demeanor, and you're surely not as ungrateful as those others," Zu An said, his expression remarkably sincere. "My telling you the method first is a testament to my sincerity." Anyone familiar with his female confidantes would likely have immediately recognized he was concocting a scheme.