“So that’s what happened…”
On the vast waves of smoke in the East Ocean, Li Changshou and Jiu Jiu explained in detail about the tree spirit. Jiu Jiu looked at the Dharma artifact in Li Changshou’s hand that contained a soul. She pursed her lips and sighed. “Senior Sister Jiang Yu has had quite a hard time. At the end of the day, Senior Brother Qi Yuan was a little impulsive. This matter should be resolved!”
Jiu Jiu grabbed the gourd hanging on her waist and raised her head to gulp its contents down. Then, she let out a satisfied “Ha “…
“Burp!”
Li Changshou sat at the back and was amused.
If you want to drink, just drink. Why did you have to find a reason for yourself?
As Little Aunt-Master’s sitting posture was a little casual, Li Changshou could not stare at her. He would just occasionally… ahem, he would look at the blue sky and white clouds!
Li Changshou said, “Uncle-Grandmaster Wang Qing has now become a Golden Immortal. He will be able to live forever from now on.”
“What’s so good about being immortal?” Jiu Jiu pursed her lips. “Every Qi Refinement cultivator is pursuing this. Why don’t you think about it? If you are immortal… What if… What if… Eh? How does that saying go? In any case, to me, what if I end up finishing all the wine one day and still have to live forever? How painful would that be?”.
Li Changshou smiled and said, “Aunt-Master, are you trying to say that one will become jaded and lose their innocence over time?”
“Yes, yes.” Jiu Jiu gave Li Changshou a thumbs-up. “Little Changshou knows a lot!”
“Aunt-Master, there are two sides to everything. It is also a state of cultivation.” Li Changshou said in a mellow voice, “The higher your realm, the closer you are to the Great Dao. In the past, the Ancestor of the Dao Sect had merged with the Heavenly Dao in order to reach the end of the cultivation path. However, Aunt-Master, you’re right. If I lose my personality, preferences, and even my pursuit of the Dao after I obtain immortality forever, I would be living forever for nothing.”
“Changshou, you’re different.”
Jiu Jiu shifted backward and slid down from the front of the gourd, landing on the gourd’s slender waist.
She placed her hands behind her back and crossed her legs. She looked up and met Li Changshou’s eyes.
Jiu Jiu suddenly chuckled. Li Changshou blinked and wondered what happened to his Aunt-Master.
“Little Changshou, you’re the most interesting and fun person I’ve ever seen!”
Li Changshou was rendered speechless.
Is this a compliment? This should be a compliment! If she is calling me a fool, she should be using other words, right?
Li Changshou smiled and did not say anything. He took out the Pill Sutra that he had recently sorted out and said, “Aunt-Master, please control the direction and rush to the Netherworld. I’ll cultivate first.”
“Seriously, I just praised you. You’re boring!” Jiu Jiu snorted and did not say anything. After all, she was the one who suggested going to the Netherworld together. Was she out for a stroll?
She was just worried that Little Changshou’s cultivation level, which was just at the Essence Immortal realm, might be too low for him to barge into such a ferocious place like the Netherworld.
Aunt-Master Jiu Jiu drank a little more wine. She rode the gourd and sped towards the Netherworld.
Hence, a few days later…
“Ox, is the Sea God really as mysterious as you
say?”
On the east side of Fengdu City, there was a bonfire beside the cliff at the top of two tall mountains. Two burly men, who looked similar to each other, were squatting and chatting in their “official robes”.
“Horse, why would I lie to you? Are there any benefits to that? Who asked you to go into seclusion like the Qi Refinement cultivators of the human race? Do you need to go into seclusion? You are a Magi, bastard! If you had not gone into seclusion, you would have gone with me and seen it yourself! That scene was really magnificent. There was a sea of people, banners waving, gongs, and drums. There were mighty figures everywhere!”
One Magi cursed casually while the other Magi laughed awkwardly and said regretfully.
The horse’s eyes suddenly lit up. It raised its long chin and looked at the path not far away from the mountain.
“Eh? Is that a Magi? Look over there. Is the human girl sitting on the huge gourd a Magihuman?”
“She should be a descendant of the Magi. However, her bloodline has strengthened her body. How did it strengthen her chest? How is she going to fight someone like that?” “She should still have strength.”
The two of them looked at each other and shrugged.
However, as they laughed, the “cow” suddenly perked up.
It saw another person sitting behind the huge gourd and hurriedly shouted, “Do you see that man behind? That’s the Sea God’s lover! The reason we can speak to the Sea God is all because of his recommendation!”
“Is the Sea God a female?”
“Male!”
“Oh Goddess, these humans are really rotten… Hehehe, but I like it.”
“Pui, I was wrong. That’s the Sea God’s good friend! He’s not a lover!” The “cow” immediately stood up, took out his hood, and quickly put it on. “Quickly go down and prepare to receive them. This is a good opportunity for us to help those guys on the ground!” The two War Magi who had bled during the ancient battle were busy for a while. They turned into the Soul-Reaping Envoy of the Netherworld.
Ox-head and Horse-face waited on the cliff for a while. When the huge gourd flew to the front of the “One-Line Sky”, it was stopped by the Netherworld servants. Ox-head called out and two figures jumped down from the cliff!
Below, Jiu Jiu put away her gourd and followed behind Li Changshou. Li Changshou took out a treasure pouch and handed it to the general with a smile. The Netherworld General also seemed to have an insatiable appetite today and was unable to relieve himself. His face was black as he held the treasure pouch in his hand. He glanced at Jiu Jiu and snorted.
“Behave yourself when you enter Fengdu City. This is not a place where you Perfected Immortals of the human race can behave atrociously!”
Jiu Jiu rolled her eyes and did not say anything. At that moment, two black shadows fell from the sky. The restrictions on the sky above the One-Line Sky flickered, but they did not stop the two figures… “Stop!” “Hey! What are you doing?!” He heard two shouts. A huge foot flew over from the side and kicked the general away. The treasure pouch flew twenty feet into the air and was firmly grabbed by Ox-head.
Ox-head stared at the general who had been sent flying a thousand feet away and cursed, “Are you blind?! This is our distinguished guest of the Netherworld! Moo!”
Horse-face who was at the side immediately stepped forward and bowed to Li Changshou and Jiu Jiu. There was a warm smile on his surprisingly handsome horse face. “Sirs, my subordinate has offended you….” Jiu Jiu was already standing in front of Li Changshou, protecting him as he stood behind her. She even said, “Be careful. This Netherworld is too strange.”
Li Changshou was rendered speechless.
He could not kill them with one blow. The most abnormal ones were the two men in front of him who were wearing headgear. At that moment, Ox-head chuckled and moved closer.
Horse-face stood at the side with a reserved expression. There was a stone comb in its hand, and it was quietly combing his brown mane.
Ox-head ignored Jiu Jiu and smiled at Li Changshou. “Changshou, we meet again!
Did the Sea God instruct you to come to the Netherworld this time?”
“Aunt-Master, let me do it.” Li Changshou whispered something into Jiu Jiu’s ear. Then, he walked forward and bowed to the Ox-head.
Then, after some small talk, Li Changshou explained his purpose for coming. He said that he was there to send his close friend to reincarnate.
Ox-head smiled and said, “That’s easy. Coincidentally, the two of us aren’t busy either. It’s our duty as Soul-Reaping Envoys to send souls to reincarnate. We’ll accompany you on this trip! Please! This way please! When you reach the Netherworld, you don’t have to be restrained. We’re all family. Make yourself at home!” “Thank you, Senior Ox-head,” Li Changshou replied with a smile. Jiu Jiu could not help but support her forehead with one hand. She could not bear to look at him.
Ox-head summoned a comfortable convertible ox cart and asked Li Changshou and Jiu Jiu to sit on it while he and Horse-face accompanied them.
They ordered another team of Netherworld servants to escort them to Fengdu City.
The old bull pulling the carriage was not an ordinary spiritual beast. He rode the black cloud and flew quickly.
In Li Changshou’s opinion, the Netherworld Soul-Reaping Envoys were quite interesting. In terms of personality, Ox-head was boorish while Horse-face was meticulous.
Ox-head sat cross-legged on the ox cart, chatting casually with Li Changshou.
Horse-face moved a stool and sat behind the ox cart. He also prepared a blanket for Jiu Jiu, the female Qi Refinement cultivator who was clad in a short skirt.
When Ox-head was out of words, Horse-face began to speak with fervor and assurance. He chatted with Li Changshou about life, art, and the great rivers and mountains of the Netherworld to avoid the awkward silence. Jiu Jiu, who was hiding behind Li Changshou, could not help but mutter,
“Little Changshou, are they the people from the Netherworld whom you mentioned you were close to?” Li Changshou recalled the five hundred female ghosts and replied, “Our relationship is somewhat not too bad. They have something to ask my other friend, so they are trying to please us. Actually, these two are the Battle Magi of who followed the Lady of Earth. They are powerful and have been appointed as clergymen by the Heavenly Dao. They are worth befriending.”
Upon hearing that, Jiu Jiu’s expression became… complicated.
Li Changshou quickly realized that although Ox-head and Horse-Face were not highly-ranked, their status in the Magi race should be extraordinary…
With the two of them accompanying them, the journey was smooth.
When they entered the magnificent and sinister Fengdu City, the various Netherworld servants bowed to them and could not help but secretly size them up.
The humans and demons who had come to Fengdu City to handle matters were also curiously observing the group.
The many ghostly cultivators and dark cultivators in Fengdu City also looked respectful.
Sometimes, they only needed an ox cart to look impressive.
As the ox cart swayed, they arrived at the forbidden area of Fengdu City, the central region of the city.
After passing through a few array formations, he saw the true appearance of the place. There were ten majestic palaces floating in the sky. In between the palaces, there were pitch-black chains that were dozens of feet in diameter. They formed a certain array formation.
Under the ten palaces in the middle of Fengdu City, there was a bottomless circular pit that was dozens of kilometers in diameter.
There was another Immortal Island floating above the circular pit. There was a huge circular disc wrapped in rays of light.
The bottom of the deep pit was filled with blood fog. It seemed that there was an endless abyss below, and the screams of countless souls could be heard…
That was the Yama Palace, the land of reincarnation, and the eighteen levels of Hell.
Numerous figures flew around Yama Palace. The Netherworld servants flew down and sent the souls to where they should go…
Li Changshou and the others went to Yama Palace first. They did not go to the main hall and hid in a corner…
Reincarnation also had to be divided into steps. With Ox-head and Horse-Face present, those steps could naturally be saved.
Horse-face immediately invited a judge over.
The judge’s Deity Position in the Netherworld was slightly higher than the Ox-head and Horse-Face. However, when he saw the Ox-head and Horse-Face, he was rather respectful.
Li Changshou carefully identified it. This judge had gone to the Sea God Sect’s ceremony previously… Ox-head rubbed his hands and asked with a smile, “Changshou, where’s Aunt-Master?” “Here.” Li Changshou took out the porcelain bottle and released the tree spirit’s soul. The tree spirit’s soul curled up in Li Changshou’s palm.
The judge took out an iron pen and an ancient book. That was the projection of the Heavenly Dao’s treasure, the Book of Life and Death and the Judge’s Brush. It could only be used in the Yama Hall by the judges.
In Li Changshou’s understanding, the Book of Life and Death and the Judge’s Brush were actually a set of “systems” and not two simple treasures.
The judge used the iron pen to tap the soul of the little tree spirit. A line of words appeared in the Book of Life and Death.
Then, the judge explained patiently, “It did not commit any sins in this life. In its previous life, it had accumulated merit and did good deeds. Its merit is greater than its negative karma. In its next life, it should enter the human Dao, but its life will be a little bumpy. Do I need to change this part?” Li Changshou hurriedly said, “If it’s convenient.”
“Alright, I’ll try my best to help her adjust her fate.”
The judge deliberated for a while and wrote two sentences.
Although he could not change the words that were already written on the Book of Life and Death, he could write a sentence at the back, “If it meets a dangerous person, turn him into a good person. Hopefully, it meets a benefactor in the future.’ That would be equivalent to changing her fate. Ox-head asked, “What else can we do here? Get them all for Aunt-Master!”
“We can also confirm where he was born.” The judge smiled and said, “Although it will cost some merit, we are not outsiders. This person is not an evil person. We can make some changes.”
“Do it!” Ox-head waved his hand and the judge immediately wrote with his pen.
Although Li Changshou and Jiu Jiu could not look at the Book of Life and Death according to the rules, they could occasionally glance at it and accidentally see some things…
Soon, Uncle-Master’s reincarnation package was completed. The judge explained, “The Book of Life and Death is probably only useful for mortals. As long as they start cultivating and step onto the Immortal Path, the restrictions of the Book of Life and Death will be reduced by more than half.”
Li Changshou thanked the judge and gave him a generous gift that he had prepared. The judge looked at Ox-head and Horse-face and accepted them with a smile. After confirming the next life of the soul and obtaining the reincarnation spot, Ox-head and Horse-Face brought Li Changshou and Jiu Jiu out of Yama Hall.
They took a detour from the side and climbed onto the Immortal Island with the deep pit. The Immortal Island was very particular. As soon as he arrived there, the light in front of his eyes turned, and the universe was in chaos. The surrounding scenery immediately changed… There was actually a Minor Chiliocosm hidden here!
A huge rainbow disc stood at the end of the narrow world…
Many Netherworld servants were getting busy everywhere. They escorted human-shaped souls to the village observatory, looked at the Three Lives Stone, went to the Bridge of Helplessness, drank a mouthful of Meng Po’s soup, and sent them into the reincarnation cycle. That was a process of reincarnation.
There were also countless True Spirits floating everywhere, like fireflies on a summer night. From time to time, they would be attracted by the Six Paths of Reincarnation and float towards the Six Paths of Reincarnation…
That was the reincarnation of a True Spirit, which was quite different from the reincarnation of a soul.
Ox-head and Horse-face led the two of them to the front of the village observatory. The group of servants quickly made way.
Most of the souls were in a daze and did not have any chance to express their opinions. A beam of light-yellow light flew out from the Village Viewing Platform and enveloped the tree spirit’s soul.
The tree spirit’s body slowly dissipated and turned into the original form of the True Spirit. It then condensed into a beautiful woman in a dress…
Her eyes were filled with confusion. She looked at the village observatory and saw an old tree that was about to die.
Then, the woman was led by a beam of light and flew to the Three Lives Stone at the side. She stood quietly on the Three Lives Stone for a while and saw her previous life and the life before her previous life… Not long after, the woman turned to look at Li Changshou and Jiu Jiu with tears in her eyes.
“Thank you… Thank you…”
“Junior Sister Jiu and Changshou… Thank
you…”
She should have seen Li Changshou in this life as the tree spirit and learned his name. Li Changshou bowed. Jiu Jiu grinned at Wan Jiangyu and secretly wiped the corners of her eyes.
The wind blew into his eyes. It was not because he was crying.
Ox-head and Horse-Faced walked forward together and said, “It’s getting late. Go and reincarnate early. Don’t let down your friend’s good intentions.”
Wan Jiangyu bowed to Li Changshou again and was escorted to the Bridge of Helplessness.
After walking past the Bridge of Helplessness and arriving in front of Meng Po, Meng Po scooped a bowl of soup.
Ox-head muttered to himself. Meng Po’s hand trembled, and most of the soup in her hand spilled out. It landed in the wooden barrel, and only let Wan Jiangyu drink half of it…
When Wan Jiangyu’s figure was enveloped by the light emitted by the Six Paths of Reincarnation and quickly disappeared, Li Changshou finally felt relieved.
Next, he would go to the place where Aunt-Master Wan Jiangyu reincarnated and arrange for a paper effigy to protect her…
Huh?
Li Changshou turned his head and saw Jiu Jiu tilting her head and leaning gently on his shoulder. She sighed emotionally.