Chapter 258: Reincarnation VIP Channel

So that's how it was.

On the vast, misty waves of the East Sea, Li Changshou explained the matter of the tree spirit in detail to Jiu Jiu.

Jiu Jiu looked at the magical artifact in Li Changshou's hand containing the soul, pouted her lips, and sighed, "Senior Sister Jiang Yu has had such a tough life, and in the end, it's all because Senior Brother Qi Yuan acted on impulse. This needs to be set straight once and for all!"

Jiu Jiu casually grabbed the gourd hanging at her waist, tilted her head back, and chugged a couple of mouthfuls. She let out a satisfied "Ah..." before burping loudly.

"Burp!"

Sitting behind her, Li Changshou couldn't help but chuckle at the sight.

If she wanted to drink, she could just drink—no need to make excuses for it.

Since Jiu Jiu was sitting so casually, Li Changshou didn't stare directly; he just occasionally... well, he gazed at the blue sky and white clouds!

Li Changshou said, "Martial Uncle, Ancestor Wangqing has now achieved the realm of Golden Immortal, so she'll live forever without aging."

"What's so great about living forever?" Jiu Jiu curled her lip. "All these qi refiners chase after it without thinking. Living forever... what if, just what if...

Hey? How does that saying go?

Anyway, for me, if one day the wine runs out and I still have to keep living forever, that would be an unbearable torment."

Li Changshou laughed and said, "Martial Uncle means 'losing all emotions and desires,' right?"

"That's it!" Jiu Jiu immediately gave Li Changshou a thumbs-up. "Little Changshou, you really know your stuff!"

"Martial Uncle, everything has two sides. Losing all emotions and desires is also a state of cultivation."

Li Changshou said warmly, "The higher the realm, the closer one gets to the Great Dao.

In ancient times, the ancestors of the Dao sought to merge with the Heavenly Dao, all to reach the ultimate end of the cultivation path.

But you're not wrong, Martial Uncle—if after living forever, one loses all feelings, preferences, and even the pursuit of the Dao, then it's truly a pointless existence."

"Changshou, you're different from the rest."

Jiu Jiu shifted back a bit, sliding down from the front of the gourd to its narrow waist. She propped her hands behind her, crossed her legs, and tilted her head up, locking eyes with Li Changshou sitting on the back half of the gourd.

Jiu Jiu suddenly grinned mischievously, and Li Changshou blinked, wondering what his martial uncle was up to.

"Little Changshou, you're the most interesting and fun person I've ever met!"

Li Changshou: ...

That was a compliment, right? It had to be a compliment!

If she were calling him a fool, she'd probably use different words.

Li Changshou just smiled without responding. He took out a recently compiled alchemy scripture and said, "Martial Uncle, could you please keep the gourd steady and head toward the underworld? I'll start my cultivation now."

"You're no fun after I just praised you!"

Jiu Jiu huffed but didn't say more—after all, she was the one who had volunteered to go to the underworld with him.

Was she just looking for an excuse to go out and explore?

No, it was because she was worried about Little Changshou, whose cultivation was only at the Yuanxian level. The underworld was such a dangerous place—how could he wander in alone?

Jiu Jiu took another sip of wine and sped up the gourd, racing like the wind straight toward the underworld.

And so, a few days later...

"Ox, is that Sea God really as amazing as you say?"

On the eastern side of Fengdu City, atop two adjacent peaks, a bonfire was lit near the cliff. Two burly men, dressed in the uniforms of underworld officials, squatted there chatting.

"Horse, why would I lie to you? What's in it for me?

You just had to copy those human qi refiners and go into seclusion for cultivation. Do you even need seclusion? You're a witch, you idiot!

If you hadn't been in seclusion, you could've come with me back then and seen it yourself!

What a scene it was—people everywhere, flags waving, drums pounding, and powerful figures all around!"

One witch grumbled casually, while the other chuckled awkwardly and kept saying how regrettable it was.

Then Horse's eyes lit up, and he lifted his long chin toward a path not far below the mountain.

"Hey? Is that one of our Wu Clan bloodlines?

Ox, look over there. That human girl sitting at the front of the big gourd—is she a witch?"

"Probably one of our Wu Clan descendants, but how did she strengthen her bloodline? She bulked up her chest muscles of all things. How's that supposed to help in a fight?"

"Just charge and ram into the enemy, I guess."

The two exchanged glances, then burst into shoulder-shaking laughter.

But as they laughed, Ox suddenly perked up and noticed another person sitting on the back of the gourd. He quickly shouted, "The man in the back—see him? That's the Sea God's good friend! It's all thanks to him that we can even talk to the Sea God!"

"The Sea God's partner?"

"No, a guy!"

"By the goddess, these humans are so degenerate... Heh heh heh, but I like it."

"Spit! I meant his friend, not his partner!"

Ox jumped to his feet, pulled on his headgear, and said hurriedly, "Quick, let's go prepare a welcome. This is our chance to help those guys on the surface!"

These two battle witches, who had shed blood in the ancient wars, bustled about and transformed directly into the underworld's soul-reaping messengers, Ox Head and Horse Face.

Ox Head and Horse Face waited on the cliff for a while until the big gourd flew toward the "One Line Heaven" pass and was stopped by the underworld officials. Then Ox Head called out, and the two figures leaped down from the cliff!

The various restrictions above One Line Heaven flashed with light but didn't hinder them.

Below, Jiu Jiu had put away her precious gourd and was following behind Li Changshou. Li Changshou was holding out a treasure pouch with a smile, handing it to the local underworld official.

The official looked unwell, his face dark as he took the pouch and glanced at Jiu Jiu. He snorted, "Keep things in order when you enter Fengdu City. This isn't a place where you human true immortals can run wild!"

Jiu Jiu rolled her eyes but didn't say anything.

Just then, two black shadows plummeted from the sky. A loud voice shouted, "Stop right there!" "Hey! What's going on?"

A massive foot flew in from the side, kicking the official straight away. The treasure pouch soared two zhang into the air, and Ox Head caught it steadily.

Ox Head glared at the official, who had been sent flying a hundred zhang, and scolded, "Are you blind? These are our underworld's honored guests! Moo!"

Horse Face stepped forward at once, bowing politely to Li Changshou and Jiu Jiu. His unexpectedly handsome horse face wore a gentle smile as he said, "Forgive the offense from our subordinates... My apologies... Neigh."

Jiu Jiu had already positioned herself in front of Li Changshou, shielding him, and whispered through voice transmission, "Be careful—this underworld is way too strange."

Li Changshou: ...

Not everything here was abnormal; it was just these two with the headgear who were the odd ones.

Ox Head approached with a chuckle, while Horse Face stood a bit more reservedly to the side, pulling out a stone comb to quietly groom his row of brown mane.

Ox Head ignored Jiu Jiu completely and said to Li Changshou with a grin, "Changshou, it's good to see you again!

Does the Sea God have any instructions for this visit?"

"Martial Uncle, let me handle this."

Li Changshou whispered to Jiu Jiu, then stepped forward and bowed to Ox Head with a daoist salute.

After some polite exchanges, Li Changshou explained his purpose: he was here to send a loved one's soul for reincarnation.

Ox Head laughed and said, "That's easy. My brother and I aren't busy right now, and escorting souls is our job as soul-reapers. We'll accompany you on this trip!

Please, this way! Make yourself at home in the underworld—it's like visiting your own family!"

"Thank you, Senior Ox Head," Li Changshou replied with a smile.

Jiu Jiu couldn't help but cover her face with one hand, feeling a bit embarrassed.

Ox Head summoned a comfortable open-top ox cart and invited Li Changshou and Jiu Jiu to sit inside, while he and Horse Face accompanied them. They also called a team of officials to escort them, heading unhurriedly toward Fengdu City.

The old ox pulling the cart wasn't an ordinary spirit beast; it rode black clouds and moved quite swiftly.

In Li Changshou's view, these two soul-reapers were quite entertaining—Ox Head was rough and bold, while Horse Face was more refined.

As soon as Ox Head got on the cart, he sat cross-legged and chatted casually with Li Changshou.

Horse Face, on the other hand, brought over a stool and sat at the back of the cart. Noticing Jiu Jiu's short skirt, he even prepared a blanket for her legs.

Once Ox Head ran out of things to say, Horse Face took over, chatting about life, art, and the great scenery of the underworld to keep the atmosphere lively.

Hiding behind Li Changshou, Jiu Jiu couldn't resist whispering, "Little Changshou, are these the underworld acquaintances you mentioned?"

Li Changshou recalled the five hundred female ghosts and replied through voice transmission, "Our relationship is passable. They're trying to butter us up because they need help from another friend of mine.

Truth is, these two are battle witches who follow the great deity Hou Tu. They're powerful, hold heavenly positions, and are worth getting to know."

Hearing this, Jiu Jiu's expression became... hard to describe.

Li Changshou soon realized that while Ox Head and Horse Face might not have high official ranks, their status within the Wu Clan was probably quite significant.

With them personally escorting, the journey went smoothly without any hitches.

As they entered the grand and eerie Fengdu City, the officials saluted them, while curious eyes from humans, demons, ghost cultivators, and yin cultivators peeked at them.

Sometimes, all it took to stand out was one ox cart.

The cart swayed gently as they arrived at the forbidden area in the center of Fengdu City.

After passing through several grand arrays, the true sight revealed itself.

Ten majestic halls floated in the air, connected by thick, black chains several zhang in diameter, forming some kind of formation.

Beneath these halls, in the heart of Fengdu City, was a massive round pit dozens of li across and bottomless. A fairy island hovered above it, with a huge disk enveloped in rosy light standing on the island.

The pit's bottom was filled with blood mist, seemingly leading to endless abysses below, from which endless screams of souls echoed.

This was Yanluo Hall, the wheel of reincarnation, and the eighteen levels of hell.

Figures flitted about Yanluo Hall as officials herded souls to their destinations.

Li Changshou and his group first went to the upper halls, avoiding the main hall and staying in a corner.

Reincarnation had its steps, but with Ox Head and Horse Face there, they skipped what they could.

Horse Face directly summoned a judge.

This judge held a higher position than Ox Head and Horse Face in the underworld hierarchy, but he was quite respectful upon seeing them.

Li Changshou recognized that this judge had attended the Sea God festival before.

Ox Head rubbed his hands and asked with a grin, "Changshou, where's your martial uncle's soul?"

"It's right here," Li Changshou said, taking out the porcelain bottle and releasing the tree spirit's soul. The little tree spirit's soul curled up in his palm.

The judge produced an iron pen and an ancient book—these were projections of the heavenly treasures, the Book of Life and Death and the Judge's Pen, usable only in Yanluo Hall by judges of various ranks.

In Li Changshou's understanding, the Book of Life and Death and the Judge's Pen were like a complete "system," not just simple treasures.

The judge touched the tree spirit's soul with the iron pen, and lines of text appeared on the Book of Life and Death.

He then explained patiently, "This life has no sins, and the previous one had accumulated good deeds and merits that outweigh the karma. The next life should be in the human path, but the fate will be a bit rough.

Would you like to make any adjustments?"

"If it's possible, please do," Li Changshou said quickly.

"Alright, I'll do my best to adjust her fate."

The judge pondered for a moment and wrote a couple of lines.

Though he couldn't alter the existing text in the Book of Life and Death, he added, "Turn misfortune into fortune, and meet noble helpers along the way," effectively changing the fate.

Ox Head asked, "Can we add anything else? Let's get it all for your martial uncle!"

"We can also specify the family of rebirth," the judge said with a smile. "It'll use up some merit, but since we're all insiders and she's no evildoer, a few changes are fine."

"Do it!" Ox Head waved his hand, and the judge got to work.

Although by the rules, Li Changshou and Jiu Jiu couldn't look at the Book of Life and Death directly, they might accidentally catch a glimpse.

Soon, the reincarnation package for the martial uncle was all set.

The judge added, "The Book of Life and Death mostly affects mortals. Once someone starts cultivating and steps onto the immortal path, its hold on their fate weakens significantly."

Li Changshou thanked the judge and presented a prepared gift. The judge glanced at Ox Head and Horse Face, then accepted it with a smile.

With the soul's next life confirmed and the reincarnation slot secured, Ox Head and Horse Face led Li Changshou and Jiu Jiu out of Yanluo Hall.

They took a side path around the deep pit and ascended to the fairy island above.

This island was extraordinary. As soon as they stepped onto it, the light and shadows shifted, and the world turned upside down.

It turned out to be a hidden small world!

At the end of this confined space stood a massive, colorful disk.

Many officials were busy, escorting human-shaped souls to the Terrace of Yearning, the Stone of Three Lives, then across the Bridge of No Return, where they drank Meng Po Soup before entering reincarnation.

This was the standard reincarnation process.

Countless true spirits also floated around like fireflies on a summer night, occasionally drawn toward the Six Paths Reincarnation Disk.

This was true spirit rebirth, different from soul rebirth.

Ox Head and Horse Face led them straight to cut in line, right up to the Terrace of Yearning, and the ghost officials quickly made way.

A beam of pale yellow light from the terrace enveloped the tree spirit's soul.

The tree spirit's form slowly dissipated, reverting to its original true spirit state, then condensed into a beautiful woman in a flowing dress.

Her eyes were full of confusion. She glanced at the Terrace of Yearning and saw only a dying old tree at the end of its years.

Then, a beam of light pulled her to the Stone of Three Lives, where she stood quietly, witnessing her past life and the one before that.

Soon, tears welled in her eyes. She turned to look at Li Changshou and Jiu Jiu, whispering, "Thank you... Thank you...

Junior Sister Jiu, and Changshou... Thank you..."

She must have seen Li Changshou in this life as the tree spirit and learned his name.

Li Changshou returned a daoist bow, and Jiu Jiu grinned at Jiang Yu, though she secretly wiped the corner of her eye.

It was just the wind in her eyes—not that she was emotional.

Ox Head and Horse Face stepped forward together and said, "The time is right—go on and reincarnate soon. Don't waste the good intentions of your friends."

Jiang Yu bowed to Li Changshou, then was escorted by Ox Head and Horse Face, one on each side, onto the Bridge of No Return.

As she reached Meng Po, Meng Po scooped a bowl of soup.

Ox Head whispered a few words to Meng Po, and she shook her hand, spilling most of the soup back into the bucket, leaving Jiang Yu to drink only a little.

Once Jiang Yu's figure was enveloped by the light from the Six Paths Reincarnation Disk and vanished quickly, Li Changshou finally felt a weight lift from his heart.

Next, he would go to the place of Jiang Yu's rebirth and station a paper effigy to guard her.

Li Changshou turned his head and saw Jiu Jiu tilting hers, gently leaning on his shoulder with a soft, heartfelt sigh.