Chapter 111: The Passing of the Ghost Army

"That was dangerous!" Zhou Jie wiped the spider fluid from his body. His frame was covered in wounds, yet they healed almost instantly.

"This is the underworld; wounds sustained by a soul heal quickly," Fang Chuan'en said, leading Zhang Shengnan toward a riverbank. The pitch-black water flowed silently and serenely, without a single ripple.

"Were you truly a bad person when you were alive? Is that why you were sentenced to never be reincarnated?" Zhang Shengnan had calmed down by now. Seeing the two men risking their lives to protect her had made her situation painfully clear.

"Of course. But then again, how many truly good people are there in this world?" Zhou Jie whistled toward the river. At the sound, a vortex formed in the center, and a small boat rose from the depths.

"Once you cross the River of Oblivion, you reach the Palace of King Yama. Generally, the souls of good people arrive at this river directly after entering the gates of hell. They then proceed to the Palace of King Yama, where, after judgment and verification, they pass before the Bridge of Three Lives to enter reincarnation," Fang Chuan'en explained while watching the boat.

As the boat pulled up to the bank, Fang Chuan'en produced a token. The boatman nodded upon seeing it, and the three of them boarded.

Just then, a massive swarm of vengeful spirits surged up behind them, seemingly desperate to board the boat crossing the River of Three Paths. Seeing so many spirits, Zhang Shengnan recoiled in terror.

The boatman pushed off from the bank. As the vengeful spirits leaped from the shore, trying to reach the vessel, skeletal fish emerged from the tranquil water. With white bones and black nerves, they dragged the souls into the water and devoured them completely.

"These souls seeking redemption all want to board this boat. Once they cross, they have a chance to enter the path of reincarnation," Fang Chuan'en said, watching the souls being consumed without a hint of pity.

"There are too many souls in this world. It’s better that some are eaten; it saves us the trouble," Zhou Jie remarked lazily, leaning against the mast.

Zhang Shengnan looked thoughtfully into the sunless, eternal night. "Little Daoist Fang You, perhaps we shall meet again in the next life."

***

Before the Hell of Killing, a young Daoist priest approached slowly. This hell held only the most vicious and violent of ghosts and demons—those who had committed heinous crimes and treated human life as worthless during their mortal days. Now, they were imprisoned here, suffering eternally from the weight of their own sins.

Fang You held a sword in each hand, stepping across the threshold of the Hell of Killing, determined to find Zhang Shengnan and lead her away from this place. The hell was filled with wailing ghosts and scattered limbs.

Suddenly, a giant demon spotted the intruder. "Human flesh... the scent of human flesh! A long-lost fragrance!" The demon opened its cavernous mouth, exhaling a nauseating stench as it lunged at Fang You.

"Don't get in my way!" Fang You swung his blade, slicing the demon clean in two.

More spirits noticed him, lured by the scent of a living man, and swarmed forward. Fang You brandished his dual swords, chanting the Exorcism Mantra and the Body Protection Mantra in turns. Golden light shimmered as his blades carved through the crowd of malicious ghosts.

"Where is my beloved?"

Beloved—that was how he referred to her. Fang You admitted it to himself; Zhang Shengnan was indeed the woman he loved. She always had been, but he had refused to acknowledge it because of his own fate.

Limbs were shattered, and Fang You himself suffered multiple wounds, but he pressed forward, his footsteps never faltering, driven by the need to find Zhang Shengnan.

"Who dares to wreak havoc in my Hell of Killing?" A towering figure emerged from a magnificent palace in the distance. He exuded an overwhelming aura, causing the ghosts to scatter in fear.

"I am Fang You, a Daoist of Maoshan," Fang You replied. His hands were trembling, but he steadied himself and spoke to the Minor Yama.

The figure was Guangye, one of the Eighteen Minor Yamas, who oversaw the punishments within the Hell of Killing.

"I have come to seek someone named Zhang Shengnan!" Fang You gasped, struggling for breath.

"Audacious! Even if you are a Maoshan priest who usually drives away evil, trespassing in hell is a crime punishable by death!" Guangye roared in fury.

"I only wish to take Zhang Shengnan and leave!" Fang You stared at the Minor Yama, enunciating every word.

"Guards, flay him alive!" Guangye bellowed.

Instantly, numerous ghostly officers appeared, wielding cleavers and long spears, looking fierce and predatory.

"If you will not give her to me, I will take her by force!" Fang You raised his swords. "Forgive me."

"Kill him!" Guangye commanded, his face emotionless.

Dozens of officers swarmed him. Fang You did not hesitate; he bit his tongue and spat blood onto his copper-coin sword and peach-wood sword. The red light merged with his ritual implements, and drawing upon his Daoist power, he engaged the officers in battle.

The sound of clashing blades rang out, sparks flying as Fang You fought on. Suddenly, a red whip lashed out, binding his right arm. Before he could react, the officers piled onto him, pinning him to the ground, unable to move.

"Throw him into the deepest pit of the Hell of Killing! Let him never escape!" Guangye ordered.

"I am Li Shanshui, an envoy of the underworld. Who are you, and why have you come here?" The ghost envoy holding the whip retracted it and looked down at Fang You.

"I came for Zhang Shengnan. Have you seen this woman?" Fang You struggled to speak despite being pinned by the officers.

"Zhang Shengnan!" Li Shanshui started in surprise. "Could it be that she is...?"

The officers raised their spears, ready to impale Fang You and cast him into the depths of the hell to suffer eternally. Suddenly, Li Shanshui shouted, "Wait! I know this person. Can you leave him to me?"

"You are merely an envoy; you have no right to negotiate with me!" Guangye turned to Li Shanshui, his expression stern. "This man dared to disrupt the Hell of Killing today. If he is not condemned to suffer forever, what will become of my authority?"

"My Lord—"

"Silence!"

Guangye stroked his long beard. "You need only worry about gathering enough souls of the virtuous to complete your own reincarnation. My actions do not require your counsel."

Just then, a divine light erupted from deep within Fang You's soul, and a profound voice resonated through the space:

"Does that include me?"