Chapter Sixty-Nine: The Yellow Springs

In her daze, Zisang heard the sound of water droplets falling. Slowly opening her eyes, she found herself standing on a boat.

The boat drifted slowly down a river, a place so dark it seemed devoid of any light. The banks were lined with red spider lilies.

As the boat approached a broken bridge, she noticed a figure standing at its end, faintly visible in the distance. When she tried to get a better look, the figure vanished like a wisp of smoke, as if luring her.

Unconsciously, she stepped forward, inching toward the bow of the boat. Suddenly, a voice called out.

"Miss... if you go any further, you'll fall overboard!"

Zisang snapped back to reality and quickly retreated.

Looking for the source of the voice, she realized there was now a boatman she hadn't noticed before. Dressed in a raincoat and wearing a bamboo hat, he smiled kindly at her while steadily rowing the boat.

Just as she was about to ask him some questions, the boatman dissipated like smoke. Zisang stood there, bewildered, her mind blank. Another voice called out.

"Miss..."

She turned and saw an old woman standing on the riverbank. The woman had a wrinkled face, white hair, and a pale, withered complexion. Her simple hairstyle was held up with a wooden hairpin, and she wore plain clothes, leaning on a blackened cane with a hunched back.

In her panic, Zisang hurriedly asked, "Who are you? What is this place? Why am I here?"

She spoke quickly, fearing the old woman might vanish like the boatman. The old woman seemed to understand her concerns, a slight smile crossing her wrinkled face.

Walking along the riverbank, keeping pace with the boat, the old woman explained, "This is the Nine Nether Yellow Springs. Ahead lies the Bridge of Forgetfulness."

She moved slowly, yet somehow stayed abreast of the boat. It was unclear if she walked quickly or if the boat drifted slowly, but it seemed the boat's pace was controlled by her steps.

"The Yellow Springs? ... Am I dead?"

The old woman chuckled. "No, no. I'm inviting you here as a guest."

A guest? Zisang had never heard of anyone being invited to the Yellow Springs.

Seeing her silence, the old woman continued, "I've spent countless years in the Yellow Springs. There are no living beings here, only wandering souls. But in these dark lands, there are a few stubborn life forms. One is the well-known red spider lilies lining the Yellow Springs, blooming for a thousand years, never meeting their leaves."

"The other is a lesser-known plant, the Dizang Xuanhua, also called the 'Ghost Flower.' It grows on the cliff of the Resurrection Cliff in the underworld. Souls that cannot reincarnate are absorbed as its nourishment, making it a potent elixir capable of reviving the dead."

"And what does that have to do with me?" Zisang demanded.

The old woman chuckled again. "That flower was taken by a young man in white."

"A young man in white?" Those words struck a chord, bringing the image of Nanzhenyi to her mind.

Was it him?

Her mind swirled with countless questions. The old woman continued, "That young man was clever but foolish. Taking something from the underworld without consequence? When the King of the Underworld found out, he was furious and sent three thousand soldiers to capture him."

"I thought the young man would surely die, but to my surprise, he escaped after taking a blow from the King."

Zisang shook her head vehemently, refusing to believe what she was hearing.

"How can that be? No... it's impossible. You're lying to me. You must be lying!"

The old woman laughed. "Believe it or not, it's up to you. The path ahead depends on your choices."

When Zisang turned back, the old woman was gone. Looking ahead, she saw the boat had reached the bridge. Above it were three characters: "Bridge of Forgetfulness."