Living Up to You

Chapter 24

At this side, Ling Xi had entered the netherworld. After she had walked for some time and discovered that there were no small or big ghosts that surrounded her, she finally let out a breath of relief.

She was not completely ignorant about the netherworld. She knew that Nan Zhi and Xinyin on her and Juisheng on her waist who had slept for a few days were all immortal spirits. In fact, a spirit consists of only one immortal part and one mortal part. They couldn’t be considered to be a completely alive soul and wouldn’t be easily detected by those ghosts of the netherworld. However, as for herself, senior sister didn’t give her any cover and only said that she was different from ordinary people.

Ling Xi couldn’t think so long now. It was fine as long as she could pass through the netherworld smoothly. She had to get to the River of Forgetfulness and get the Soul-Locking water first!

There was no daytime in the netherworld. The cold wind blew all day long and crying and laughter could be somehow heard, making one’s hair stand on end. Ling Xi had been following the group of souls that were led by the Black and White Impermanence Guards. The whole way went smoothly. Until when the group stopped, Ling Xi’s heartbeat quickened more and more when the stream of the River of Forgetfulness came into sight.

- One’s hair stand on end: one’s blood run cold

In front of her was the Naihe bridge that she often heard about. After crossing the Naihe bridge, drink madam Meng’s soup and forget about the past, the soul would be reborn.

- Naihe bridge means the bridge of Helplessness. The soul has to cross this bridge, drink the soup to be able to reincarnate. This soup wipes the memory of the person so they can reincarnate into the next life without the burdens of the previous life

In fact, that Madam Meng’s soup is actually water of the River of Forgetfulness. Madam Meng used the water of the River of Forgetfulness as the charm to draw out the present lifetime’s memory of the soul and let it re-enter the water. The water of the River of Forgetfulness is called Soul-Locking water. In fact, it would not only lock the soul but also lock the memories. Therefore, no one knew how many memories of how many lifetimes of the souls are in the River of Forgetfulness that was so deep that you couldn’t see the bottom of it.

After arriving at the Naihe bridge, other ghosts stood guard. After the Black and White Impermanence Guards mumbled something, they disappeared without a trace. From time to time, there would be some souls who refused to drink Madam Meng’s soup. They howled and struggled and were subdued by the ghost-guards in a moment.

There weren’t many ghost-guards at the River of Forgetfulness, but there were many red spider lilies blooming like flames. Ling Xi felt that the color was more eye-piercing than the red clothes of high-tiered deity Donghua.

Red spider lilies are poisonous. Ling Xi didn’t dare to use spells in order to avoid being detected by the ghost-guards. Just as she was pondering about how to get to the bottom of the River of Forgetfulness without anyone noticing when she suddenly heard an old and weird voice shout, “There is still one left. Still not coming over quickly?”

The road where Ling Xi stood on is called the Yellow Springs Road. There was no place for her to hide on this road. The whole way she had been invisible. She had been following from far away. Originally, she thought that the Black and White Impermanence Guards didn’t discover her and the other ghosts also wouldn’t be able to smell her. She looked at the Naihe bridge. There wasn’t one soul left. That madam Meng truly seemed to be talking to her.

“What are you still looking at? It’s you!” Madam Meng got a bit impatient.

“Madam Meng, what are you talking about? Just now, big brothers Black and White said there were fifty-six souls today. Just now, I also counted. It was exact fifty-six.” A ghost said fawningly.

“Right, Madam Meng. We also didn’t see any other souls.” Another ghost said while he narrowed his eyes and looked forward.

Madam Meng didn’t have an official rank in the netherworld, but her qualifications were great. Even when the king of hell saw her, he would be more respectful. These small ghosts didn’t dare to offend her, but she had an extremely difficult temperament. After being together for such a long time, the small ghosts would inevitably have complaints. The ghost who first spoke already cursed silently. Could they be more blind than Madam Meng who doesn’t have eyes? There was obviously not even a shadow of a soul in front of them. It must be certainly that she wanted to make trouble out of nothing again.

“Little miss, come over quicker. It’s not difficult to get into this place, but it is not easy to go out. A moment of carelessness and you can become a lonely soul and a homeless ghost.”

Madam Meng laughed very wickedly. Ling Xi couldn’t help but shiver.

“Nan Zhi, what to do…” Ling Xi couldn’t help but ask Nan Zhi in her heart.

“Go over.”

The special bond between an immortal spirit and the owner makes the communication between the two very easily and it would not be noticed by others. After Ling Xi heard Nan Zhi, she decided to make herself visible.

Ling Xi approached the Naihe bridge. Only now did the ghost-guards saw her and they were very surprised.

She clenched her fists tightly. She didn’t know what would happen next and how should she deal with it. She instinctively copied the appearance of those souls from before and walked to Madam Meng.

“Little miss looks very unfamiliar.”

Madam Meng poured a bowl of Madam Meng’s soup. Ling Xi was thinking about it. Could it be that she (M) really took her as a soul? When she looked up again, she took two steps back from shock. This Madam Meng clearly has no eyes.

“Madam Meng, I think this person…this ghost…no, this thing…is very strange. I will take her to let the officials take a look at it.”

While the small ghosts talked, they came over to buckle Ling Xi, but were stopped by a shout from Madam Meng. “I say that this little girl looks very unfamiliar!”

Ever since the day the netherworld existed, there was Madam Meng. Anyone that had went through the reincarnation cycle had to cross the Naihe bridge and drink her Madam Meng’s soup. She didn’t have eyes on her face, but she had a pair of eyes in her heart. As long as she had seen the soul once, she will be able to recall his previous lifetime and every lifetime before that.

After the little ghosts heard Madam Meng roar like that, they didn’t dare to make a sound again. They only scolded in their hearts. This thing…not a person, not a ghost…They had never seen a ghost that lacked a complete soul. Even more, they hadn’t seen a person that lacked a complete soul and who was still able to live well…

Ling Xi didn’t understand the mystery in this. She still wondered how she could take advantage of their inattentiveness to directly jump under the Naihe bridge, dive into the River of Forgetfulness and find the Soul-Locking water…While she was thinking, someone pushed her. She heard Madam Meng’s hoarse voice sneer, “Whether you are a person or a ghost, I’ll know by just one try.” Then, she (LX) felt a bone-piercing cold.

Ling Xi had never thought that she racked her brains to go down the River of Forgetfulness and that in the end, she was directly thrown into it by Madam Meng!

Usually, ordinary souls that had fallen into the River of Forgetfulness would be immediately swallowed by the river and the soul would be scattered into ashes. If it was a person that had fallen into the river, the whole body would be corroded by the river water. The spider lilies on the shore would quickly invade the body. Even if that person didn’t die from being corroded by the river water, he will die from being poisoned.

Fortunately, Qing Lian had thought her the water-repellent spell. Under a critical moment, Ling Xi’s reaction could be considered quick. She immediately casted the spell and quickly sank.

When the ghost-guards saw that something was not right, one immediately jumped into the river and chased after Ling Xi. Two other ghosts quickly went to report this matter. Only Madam Meng held a bowl of Madam Meng’s soup and sighed, “It’s an immortal again…”

Even if she used the water-repellent spell, the water of the River of Forgetfulness still froze Ling Xi, making her unable to move. When she heard the “pootong” sound of the water, she knew that someone chased after her. She called Xinyin and Juisheng. The two immortal spirits blocked the ghost-guard that came down. Then, she called Nan Zhi and they continue to sink.

The ghost-guard didn’t expect that Ling Xi had these “things” that were not human nor ghost. He shouted in alarm. Even if Xinyin and Juisheng were immortal spirits that have quite great cultivation, they didn’t have much advantage. The spells that the ghost-guard used were spells that they have never seen before. The two parties held each other back and no one had the upper hand for a moment.

Ling Xi sank quickly with Nan Zhi’s help. However, the more they went down, the colder the river water was. The water-repellent spell that she casted seemed to gradually lose its effect. Her skin began to notice the tingling pain and her head gradually began to turn black. The sour water of the River of Forgetfulness seemed to have pierced through her boundary and flow through her mouth and nose into her stomach, making her stomach feel very painful. Even the countless memories in the River of Forgetfulness began to attack her. There were memories of all kinds of people. For example, babies that had been born. For example, women being married. For example, old people struggled to not die in their sleep. Some people cried, some laughed, some yelled, some whispered. Various sounds and imagines filled her ears and head.

“We can’t go down any further.” Nan Zhi stopped suddenly.

Ling Xi bit her lips fiercely and tried to suppress the tremor of her body. She said in her heart, “No, Nan Zhi, continue to go down. It will be fine if you go a bit more down.”

“This water can prevent people from casting spells. The more we go down, the more powerful the water is. I’m afraid that if we go down further, you and I can’t use any spells.” Nan Zhi didn’t move his lips, but his voice passed to Ling Xi’s head without fail.

“But…” Ling Xi took another look at the emerging bubble not far away. She had a feeling that the Soul-Locking water was just below. “If we go up now, we will definitely be surrounded by the ghost-guards. It would be difficult to go down once more then.”

Nan Zhi pondered for a short moment, “Do you have to get the Soul-Locking water?”

Ling Xi nodded without hesitation.

Nan Zhi lowered his eyes. After a long while, he casted a spell with one hand, turned and was about to swim down. Ling Xi grabbed him with one hand, frowned and said, “Together.”

Nan Zhi turned his hand and grabbed her hand. There was no warmth on their hands but they clung together tightly. He looked at Ling Xi. There was a slight glister in his black eyes as if he was hesitating.

Ling Xi stared into his eyes and almost begged, “Together.”

Nan Zhi’s eyes softened. Those fine glistered seemed to melt in his eyes. He stepped forward and hugged Ling Xi.

Ling Xi suddenly couldn’t feel what he was thinking. She only felt that his hug was getting tighter and tighter. His body seemed colder than the water of the River of Forgetfulness. She was still about to faint after being attacked by the memories in the river, but she clearly knew that she didn’t want Nan Zhi to go take the risk alone and tightly held his hand.

Nan Zhi leaned slightly and kissed her lips gently.

Those messy and complicated sounds and pictures in Ling Xi’s brain exploded at this moment. Then, her head went complete blank. The temperature of her whole body came together on her cheeks. She had forgotten about the trembling. She just felt that when the softness of the lips connected and the fragrance of the Chinese roses made her dizzy.

When she regained her senses, Nan Zhi could no longer be seen. The fighting sounds above were getting fiercer. She didn’t have time to think. She simply went upstream. Xinyin and Juisheng noticed her and moved closer to her.

“Fuck, almost suffocated this master!” The moment Juisheng entered Ling Xi’s seal, he breathed from relief. The childlike voice and the words coming from his mouth were very unmatching.

Xinyin couldn’t talk yet. Although, Juisheng slept for a few days, it wasn’t that he was unconscious and said, “Did you get the thing?”

Ling Xi only whispered, “Delay them.” The three began to battle again.

Because they were on the River of Forgetfulness, the spells that Qing Lian taught Ling Xi was more useful than the spells she had learned before, but the spells the ghost-guard used was weird and distinguish. Besides, there were more and more ghost-guards. Just a moment, the three were squeezed together again. Juisheng yelled again, “Did you get the thing? The spells of this groups of ghosts is not the same as us. If we don’t free ourselves now, presumably, we won’t be able to get out”

Ling Xi was also very worried. She didn’t know what Nan Zhi had encountered at the bottom of the river. She also didn’t dare to be distracted lest she hold everybody back.

Just at this moment, the calm River of Forgetfulness suddenly became turbulent. Waves came after waves. Even the netherworld shook a few times. The expression of the ghost-guards changed. They quickly jumped out of the River of Forgetfulness.

Ling Xi had just stabilized her body. Just as she was wondering whether it was Nan Zhi who took out the Soul-Locking water that caused the netherworld to have an earthquake, when a violent murderous aura came from the top to the bottom. It came down as fast as lightening. Ling Xi wasn’t able to control herself yet when she was pulled by a force and fell into the river again.

“What kind of lunatics to actually dare to move the Soul-Locking water?!” With the lightening murderous aura that went into the river was a roar that would send chills down to one’s spine.

Ling Xi saw with her own eyes that the place where she just stood had been split by an invisible force and the water of the River of Forgetfulness had been split in two. It rose high and didn’t fell down for a long time.

“Fortunately, my reaction was quick…” Juisheng murmured. While rotating his gourd body, he rushed out and didn’t forget to remind Ling Xi, “When you see an opportunity, escape!”

Xinyin followed behind Juisheng. Ling Xi’s speed was not comparable to theirs. Seeing that they were not close yet when that person, no, that ghost appeared and she was grasped with one hand by that ghost. He returned to his true form. “Just small immortal spirits dared to come rashly to my netherworld!”

Only now did Ling Xi see the appearance of that person. He had the appearance of an officer of the mortal realm. He had a long beard and looked fierce and evil. Could it be the judge of the netherworld? She knew that she was not his opponent. She wanted to get out of the River of Forgetfulness in hope to lead him out, but the water of River of Forgetfulness surged again and the netherworld shook. The fierce and evil looking ghost that appeared like the judge didn’t bother with Ling Xi anymore and immediately jumped into the River of Forgetfulness.

“Nan Zhi!” Ling Xi shouted in her heart. No one responded to her.

The River of Forgetfulness calmed down. The ghost-guards at the shore surrounded Ling Xi, but they didn’t attack. Not far away, Madam Meng was still holding a bowl of soup and her eyes seemed gloomy.

The two parties were deadlocked. Ling Xi was worried about Nan Zhi at the bottom of the river. She called repeatedly but didn’t get a response. The ghost-guards were afraid that Ling Xi would escape. They didn’t even blink.

Waves emerged on the river again. They leaped high but not a drop scattered on the shore. The judge rose to the surface fully drenched in water. With one hand he threw the thing in his hands towards the spider lilies on the shore.

Ling Xi looked at the “thing” that had been thrown into the flowers and her whole body froze.

When she regained her senses, her body was already running towards the patch of flowers uncontrollably.

“Nan Zhi, Nan Zhi!” Ling Xi didn’t even have time to cry. She didn’t care that the red spider lilies were poisonous. She knelt on the flowers. Even if she was afraid to hear an answer, but she had to admit that no matter if this “thing” answered or not, he was Nan Zhi.

That was right. If it wasn’t Nan Zhi, who else could it be?

Nan Zhi always dressed in black. Now, those black clothes had been completely corroded. Nan Zhi had always been cold with no expression. Now that face was so blurry that even the coldness couldn’t be seen. Nan Zhi had always been unexpectedly strong and could do all the things she couldn’t do. Now, he lay among the fiery red spider lilies and was badly mutilated from head to toe.

Nan Zhi, Nan Zhi…

Ling Xi’s hand trembled and she didn’t dare to hug him for fear to cause him pain. She didn’t dare to call him anymore for fear to not hear a response. She didn’t even dare to cry for fear that if her tears fell on him, it would hurt his wounds.

The judge seemed to be very satisfied with this result. He looked at them disdainfully, “Not knowing your place! Send them to hell!”