Chapter 1669: Farewell

After finishing a bowl of Meng Po Soup, Kui Niu smacked his lips. It was a clear broth, bland and tasteless, with a bitter, astringent aftertaste.

He had drunk the soup meant to erase memories, yet this fellow was shaking his head and rolling his eyes with vibrant energy, as spirited as ever.

Can it replenish soul force? Kui Niu stroked his chin, finding his memories intact, but feeling an extra surge of soul force within him.

The effect of Meng Po Soup was truly beyond his expectations.

Isn't this supposed to be the soup of forgetfulness? Why does it feel more like a powerful tonic?

Kui Niu was inwardly surprised. He had finished the soup but still held the empty bowl, tempted to ask for another.

Ye Chen's eyes gleamed brightly, and he saw at once that the so-called Meng Po Soup hadn't erased Kui Niu's memories—it was ineffective on him.

This was very similar to what Ye Chen had experienced in the past. Not only did it fail to wipe away memories, but it also boosted soul force, a sensation that was incredibly wonderful.

Ye Chen guessed it was because Kui Niu had formed a yuan shen.

Meng Po Soup works on ordinary souls, but for someone who has condensed a yuan shen, it's useless, no matter how much you drink.

So, Kui Niu could carry his memories into reincarnation, which was an absolute boon for him, bringing immense benefits.

Imagine being born with an innate yuan shen, plus the cultivation insights from a previous life—that's an incredible advantage.

At his side, Chu Ling's beautiful eyes fluttered as she scanned Kui Niu up and down.

Ye Chen could tell, and so could she, that this big guy had drunk the forgetfulness soup and acted as if nothing had happened.

Seeing this, Ye Chen quickly sent a sound transmission to Kui Niu,

"Act like you've lost your memory."

Kui Niu was quick on the uptake. He swayed on the spot, clutching his head,

"Ah! Ah! My head hurts."

No wonder he's sworn brothers with Ye Chen—their acting skills are top-notch, worthy of an academy award.

As he cried out, Kui Niu's expression turned dull, his cow-like eyes becoming vacant and emotionless.

From his demeanor, it was clear he was someone without memories. He and Ye Chen knew the truth—they were just fooling Chu Ling.

"Your past life is over; go into the cycle of reincarnation clean and pure."

Chu Ling murmured softly, gently waving her sleeve with an air of authority.

With that, she sat back in her seat, crossing her legs and cracking melon seeds, fully embodying her role as the Naihe Bridge guardian.

Kui Niu heard her clearly but showed no reaction, stiffly turning and heading straight for the middle level of the Naihe Bridge.

He was entering the human path, one of the three good paths among the six paths, far superior to someone else's animal path—worlds apart in essence.

Ye Chen followed to see him off for the last stretch.

Kui Niu kept walking without slowing, sending a sound transmission with a smile,

"See you in the various heavens."

"One day, I'll fight my way back." Ye Chen replied with a laugh.

Kui Niu said no more; everything was understood in silence.

He stepped onto the Naihe Bridge and walked toward the human path reincarnation.

Ye Chen didn't follow further, stopping at the bridgehead and watching Kui Niu go.

His expression was full of sorrow. Even in reincarnation, it might not be the same realm—perhaps the Ling Domain or the Yan Domain.

Domains have natural barriers, meaning that if they ended up in different ones, the two might never meet again in this life.

This farewell could be a final parting.

On the other side, Kui Niu had stopped in front of the human path vortex.

Just before jumping in, he suddenly looked back, across the Wangchuan River and the Naihe Bridge, smiling at Ye Chen.

Ye Chen smiled too, waving lightly,

"Have a safe journey."

"We'll wait for you in the various heavens." Kui Niu laughed, then closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and leaped into the vortex.

The human path vortex was massive and spinning rapidly; he vanished in an instant.

He wasn't like Ye Chen, that kind of prodigy who could disrupt reincarnation. There were no major fluctuations, not even a ripple.

In that moment, Ye Chen's body relaxed slightly.

He was homesick too, longing to return. So many people were waiting for him, and that vast land was his true home.

He stood there for a long time before letting out a weary smile, turning back and sitting beside Chu Ling, his mind still a bit dazed.

"Your fellow townsman?" Chu Ling asked, tilting her head with a casual tone.

"We're all from the same hometown." Ye Chen smiled.

Chu Ling was completely baffled, not understanding what Ye Chen meant.

After that, neither spoke. Chu Ling went back to cracking melon seeds.

Occasionally, she glanced up to steal a look at Ye Chen.

But every time she did, she caught him staring right back at her.

What was worth noting was his gaze—full of warmth, like a husband looking at his wife, which made her feel uncomfortable.

Chu Ling coughed awkwardly and turned away. This guy was just too weird.

Ye Chen shook his head with a smile. It was only because her memories were sealed.

He wanted to take Chu Ling with him, but the problem was, he couldn't.

The judges wouldn't give the order, and Di Huang wouldn't help. The only option was to find Qin Guang Wang, but that guy was still in seclusion.

Thinking about it, Ye Chen felt at ease. He'd waited this long; a couple more days didn't matter. At least he had Chu Ling's company.

A gust of yin wind blew in, and at the end of the Huangquan Road, figures appeared—it was Ox-Head and Horse-Face, escorting a ghost soul.

Speaking of Ox-Head and Horse-Face, they looked quite amusing, both with center-parted hair, clearly having put effort into their appearance.

The two felt pretty good about themselves, thinking they looked handsome, walking with a swagger and an air of confidence.

Ye Chen knew exactly why. It was all because his Chu Ling was so beautiful. Anyone would be smitten, so those two had to spruce themselves up.

What if Chu Ling took a liking to them? Love was unpredictable—it could be fate.

They felt great about themselves, but with that center-parted hair, they just looked like shady characters, full of misplaced confidence.

As for the ghost soul they were escorting, it was a young man, looking dejected with black smoke rising from several spots on his soul body.

It seemed he hadn't been well-behaved on the way, getting beaten by Ox-Head and Horse-Face more than once—he'd been thoroughly tamed.

By the time they arrived, the two ignored Ye Chen completely and just stared at Chu Ling, grinning broadly.

"Immortal maiden, how have you been? I..." Ox-Head cupped his hands.

"Ye Chen?" Before Ox-Head could finish, Horse-Face exclaimed in surprise, staring at Ye Chen with a strange expression.

Ox-Head turned to look too. He had been so focused on the Naihe Bridge guardian that he'd overlooked the person beside her.

One glance and he was startled—it was the Holy Body, the ancient underworld general personally appointed by Qin Guang Wang.

In recent times, no one had been more notorious than him. First, he disrupted reincarnation, then shattered hell, leaving the nine palace underworld generals unable to show their faces. After half a year in the Sea of Sins, he came out alive and kicking.

This was a monster, a fierce one. Just standing in front of him was intimidating; even hearing his name made people tremble.

"Go about your business; don't mind me." Ye Chen said, keeping his head down and focused on cracking melon seeds, ignoring their stares.

Ox-Head and Horse-Face coughed awkwardly, forcing a smile, their expressions twisted.

With Ye Chen here, it wasn't just for cracking seeds. Anyone could see he was here to woo the Naihe Bridge guardian.

With this grim reaper around, their chances were ruined.

Who was kidding? This was Ye Chen, the mighty ancient Holy Body. Who dared to compete with him for a woman? Only someone tired of living.

"You're Ye Chen?" Chu Ling fixed her gaze on him.

"Oh, even here on the Naihe Bridge, you've heard of my great name?" Ye Chen straightened his clothes and smoothed his hair.

"Shut your mouth." Chu Ling snapped, rolling up her sleeves and slapping him across the face, her beautiful eyes blazing with anger.

"What did I do to you?" Ye Chen yelled. Chu Ling's slap came out of nowhere, leaving him stunned.

"What do you think?" Chu Ling advanced, slapping him again.

"You jerk! If you hadn't drunk over a hundred bowls of Meng Po Soup back then, would Granny Meng have lost her position as an underworld general?"

"If Granny Meng hadn't been removed, would I have been sent to this godforsaken place? Over a hundred bowls—why didn't you choke on them?"

The more Chu Ling ranted, the angrier she got, flipping Ye Chen over and pinning him down, hitting and scolding him without holding back.

Well, now Ye Chen understood everything.

Chu Ling wasn't wrong. Granny Meng had been screwed over because of him, and Chu Ling had been assigned here as a result.

Ox-Head and Horse-Face watched with twitching corners, their expressions odd.

People always said the Naihe Bridge guardian was like a heavenly immortal, gentle and kind. But now, it seemed that wasn't the case at all.

She was beautiful, sure, but gentle? Not even close.

Each slap landed with a sharp crack, pinning the Holy Body to the ground—it looked like she was going for the kill.

The most awkward one was the ghost soul, watching with involuntary shivers.

He was here for reincarnation, but who expected this kind of scene?

The underworld was more lively than he thought, and the legendary Naihe Bridge guardian was nothing like the stories.

"What's there to gawk at? Get lost." Chu Ling barked, her voice husky.

"We're going, we're going." Ox-Head and Horse-Face chuckled nervously, too embarrassed to stay, and hurried away.

"You, drink this bowl of soup and go reincarnate." After they left, Chu Ling turned to the young ghost soul.

"Uh-huh." The ghost soul nodded frantically, moving quickly.

He downed the bowl of Meng Po Soup without a breath.

This Naihe Bridge guardian was fierce; he couldn't afford to cross her. The last thing he wanted was a beating before reincarnation.

After drinking the soup, his expression gradually turned dull, his eyes vacant, his arms hanging limply as he turned silently.

Unlike Kui Niu, his memories were truly erased—he was just a wisp of soul, not a yuan shen body.

He also headed to the middle bridge, one of the three good paths, entering the human realm.

Behind him, Chu Ling finally calmed down, sweating from the exertion.

She had met Ye Chen twice before and never realized he was the one responsible for her being stuck here on the Naihe Bridge.

Only allowed to leave once every ten years, repeating the same tasks day in and day out—with her fiery personality, it was a wonder she hadn't exploded.

She was just looking for an outlet for her frustration, and Ye Chen had conveniently shown up. Since he was here, she might as well give him a thrashing.

Serves you right for showing up, she thought, still fuming as she cursed again.

Glancing at Ye Chen, he was sprawled out on the ground like a starfish, face bruised and swollen with black eyes, and a bloody nose.

He wasn't incapable of fighting back, but how could he lay a hand on her?

No big deal—he had tough skin and could take a beating from his wife. It was just venting, after all. Beatings are affection, scoldings are love!