Chapter 230
Chapter 230
Having made their decision, the two great yin deities, Ox-Head and Horse-Face, wasted no words. Each seized a mass of yin energy and threw it toward Hua Jiunan and the others.
As the yin energy entered their bodies, everyone felt their vision brighten.
Not only did the fog on the Yellow Springs Road disappear completely, even the ground beneath their feet was no longer cold.
For all his foolishness, Chen Daji knew that the other party had helped him.
He hesitantly walked forward, took out several packs of spicy strips, and offered them over.
“Brothers, you may be ugly… but you have beautiful hearts!
“I’ll remember what you did today. Come to my house another time, and I’ll treat you to wine and meat!
“My family lives at the southern end of Jiudaogou Village. Turn left at the seventh crooked tree…”
Chen Daji was about to keep rambling when Horse-Face interrupted him.
“Enough, enough. There is no need for idle chatter, Young General. Hurry and attend to your business!
“After you die, there will be plenty of time for us brothers to reminisce!”
Eighth Master Chang was quick-witted. Seeing that the two great underworld bailiffs were growing impatient, he immediately curled his great tail around Hua Jiunan and the other three, transformed into a wind, and departed.
Ox-Head’s voice drifted faintly from behind them.
“Worthy Brother Horse-Face, the Young General is bold and forthright, never bothered by petty conventions, but that mouth of his is truly foul!
“Every time I speak with him, I want to beat him before we exchange three sentences!”
Horse-Face slowly relaxed his great hand around his steel pitchfork and let out a long breath.
“So do I!
“He looks like that himself, yet he has the nerve to call us brothers ugly!
“Insulting the two of us is one thing, but how did he dare say that about the Ghost Immortal?
“If that snake demon hadn’t fled so quickly, I nearly would have lost control and hit him…”
Elsewhere, Chen Daji remained oblivious to the “danger” he had been in and was complaining about his “benefactors.”
“Eighth Master, why did you run for no reason?
“Brothers Ox and Horse helped us. Leaving without even saying goodbye was so rude!”
Eighth Master Chang was utterly speechless at the fool’s thick nerves. He curled his lip disdainfully.
“Say goodbye? If you’d kept babbling, you’d have been lucky not to get beaten!
“Still, I never guessed you were someone important in your past life. Even underworld bailiffs show you respect.”
Chen Daji had no idea why, but that did nothing to stop him from swelling with pride.
“See that, Fatty Zhao? I’ve got connections down here!
“I’m telling you, don’t beat me so often in the future!
“Otherwise, once you die, I’ll pull some strings and make you pay!”
Fortunately, the group encountered no more ghost guards as they traveled.
One day later, they reached the end of the Yellow Springs Road, where a great river of surging blood blocked their path.
Its fishy stench was almost enough to choke a person to death.
The corpses of countless creatures bobbed in the river amid swarms of insects and snakes.
Dense crowds of wandering ghosts barred from reincarnation drifted with the current, struggling desperately in the river of blood.
They wailed at Hua Jiunan and his companions without cease.
“Misery, misery, misery! How miserable we are!”
“Save me! Please, hurry and save us!”
A stone bridge crossed the river of blood. It was treacherously narrow and slick.
Beside the bridge stood an enormous piece of bluestone. Four characters upon it were red as blood:
May You Soon Reach the Other Shore.
Mist curled around the stone, and all manner of voices faintly drifted from within.
At first, they were too quiet to hear.
But when one listened carefully, the voices contained every joy, anger, sorrow, and delight of the mortal world, drawing the listener unconsciously into them.
Apart from Young Monk Wuxin, everyone’s expression went vacant, and they began approaching one step at a time.
“Namo Amitabha Buddha.
“Brother, that thing is dangerous. Don’t go over there!”
Only when Wuxin tugged on his robe did Hua Jiunan suddenly awaken.
Seeing the urgency of the situation, he immediately invoked the Daoist Spirit-Awakening Incantation on the others.
“The Three Pure Ones, masters of the teaching, make the bright terrace clear and lucid; no speck of dust may stain it, no art may invade it.
“Six Ding and Six Jia, swiftly heed my command; three ethereal souls and seven corporeal souls, swiftly awaken.
“Swiftly, swiftly, by command of the Grand Supreme Elder Lord!”
The instant the art settled over them, everyone stopped walking.
Only Chen Daji, for some unknown reason, slipped and stumbled headfirst into the stone.
“Holy fuck, that hurts!”
Seeing this, Hua Jiunan dashed forward.
“Close your eyes, Daji! Don’t look at that stone!”
Had Hua Jiunan not warned him, all might have been well. At the warning, Chen Daji instinctively looked up.
“What stone, Big Brother? What don’t you want me to see about this sto-”
Before Chen Daji could finish, he froze like a fool and stared blankly at the stone.
Drool ran from his mouth in a long strand.
Eighth Master Chang also came to his senses. He hurriedly closed his eyes, curled his great tail around Chen Daji, and dragged him back.
“Have you lost your mind, you little bastard?! You dare look at absolutely anything!”
Hua Jiunan did not dare be careless before such a divine object of the Underworld Court.
Chanting an incantation, he pointed at Chen Daji’s brow.
“Supreme Terrace Star, respond to change without pause. Drive out evil and bind demons; preserve life and guard the body.
“Let wisdom be bright and pure, the heart and spirit peaceful. May the three ethereal souls endure forever and the corporeal souls never fall away.
“Swiftly, swiftly, in accordance with the command! Chen Daji, awaken at once!”