Chapter 139: Hall of Rebirth

"Li Rouyin?"

"Brother Lu!" As the two descended the stairs one after another, several people immediately stepped forward.

Li Li Rouyin's eyes were hollow; she lifted her bamboo cane and lightly tapped Hao Tian's leg: "I will take him inside the hall to pay respects."

"There are refreshments in the room; entertain the guests well."

Hao Tian: "I will accompany you over there."

"Lady Lady Wangquan dislikes being disturbed." Li Li Rouyin repeated her earlier words, tapping the ground with her bamboo cane as she stepped over the high threshold.

Hao Tian: "."

Dislikes being disturbed?

I cannot go, yet he, Lu Ran, can?

"Do not worry." Lu Ran nodded to the several people. "I will return shortly."

"What happened just now? The energy fluctuation was so immense," Chang Ying could not help but ask.

"Ah, Lady Lady Wangquan came to see me," Lu Ran said casually, striding into the rear courtyard.

"Eh?" Chang Ying blinked her large eyes.

Including Hao Tian, everyone was somewhat bewildered.

Lu Ran's expression management was passable; he flashed a smile to put everyone at ease:

"Lady Lady Wangquan possesses a tremendous aura; good heavens, she gave me quite a fright~"

The crowd: "."

"Hmph." Li Li Rouyin let out a cold snort, seemingly somewhat displeased.

She did not like people mentioning Lady Lady Wangquan's name too often.

The two walked along the stone slab path, one leading and the other following.

The bamboo cane tapped and knocked; Li Li Rouyin's pace was slow.

If she were truly blind, Lu Ran would naturally have patience, perhaps even lending a hand to support her.

But Lu Ran did not think so.

He gazed at the beautiful back clad in a long black skirt: "Can you not see?"

Li Li Rouyin: "I wish I could."

Lu Ran tried to fish for information: "You can see me, yet you cannot see the road?"

Li Li Rouyin halted her steps, and the bamboo cane ceased tapping the ground.

A breeze blew past, causing the bamboo leaves and exotic flowers to sway gently.

Li Li Rouyin's brows furrowed slightly, as if communicating with someone; only after a long while did her brows relax.

Lu Ran stood quietly, observing this mysterious devotee of Lady Lady Wangquan.

Lady Wangquan, Lady Wangquan...

The 'Wang' of the River of Forgetting, the 'Quan' of the Yellow Springs.

Indeed, the deity matches its name.

Truly underworldly!

Lu Ran still vividly remembered everything he had just witnessed on the second floor of the bamboo hut.

By rights, those departed souls should have been inhaled into Lu Ran's Death Realm Eye, yet those eerie copper coins firmly imprisoned the souls, preventing Lu Ran from succeeding.

Li Li Rouyin finally spoke: "People all believe that I cannot see... Eh?"

Just as she took a step, she suddenly tripped over the stone slab path.

It was rare for the usually elegant woman to appear so disheveled.

She stumbled forward two or three steps before propping herself up with the bamboo cane, finally regaining her footing.

The rear courtyard fell silent once more.

"Good heavens~" Lu Ran grinned.

Are you pulling this 'falling off the stool' act on me?

The siblings, Hao Tian and Li Li Rouyin, seemed to possess a certain magic.

Whenever he was with them, Lu Ran always experienced a special moment—awkward silence!

Li Li Rouyin smoothed out her black skirt.

This elegant movement concealed her earlier embarrassment, and she then resumed walking.

This time, she lifted her foot a little higher: "People all believe that I cannot see."

Lu Ran: "."

You certainly cannot see!

Tripping on flat ground indeed proves I was rash.

Li Li Rouyin: "Before encountering Lady Lady Wangquan, that was indeed the case."

"Oh?" Lu Ran became interested. "Did Lady Lady Wangquan cure your eye ailment?"

"In a certain sense." Li Li Rouyin sighed softly. "I still cannot see this world; I cannot see living people."

"I merely..."

Lu Ran raised his eyebrows slightly.

Li Li Rouyin turned her head slightly, revealing her profile to Lu Ran:

"I can see ghosts, and I can also see deities."

"So, you saw my eyes." Lu Ran seemed to realize something.

"Mm." Li Li Rouyin smiled. "They are truly beautiful."

Lu Ran: "With such a beautiful face, say fewer cruel words."

Li Li Rouyin was somewhat dissatisfied: "I praised your eyes for their beauty, yet you call me cruel."

Lu Ran snorted: "Whether you want to pluck it or not, we both know the truth in our hearts."

"Hehe~" Li Li Rouyin smiled gracefully, lowered her head, and whispered, "I won't; I just want to toy with it a bit."

Lu Ran:?

Li Li Rouyin whispered: "You won't even let me touch it; what a stingy ghost."

Lu Ran was truly speechless; so you're throwing a little tantrum now?

Really.

He suddenly spoke up: "Hey, you've gone off course; it's time to turn!"

Li Li Rouyin: "."

Watching her return to the correct path, Lu Ran spoke again: "The divine arts of the Wangquanyi Sect are related to departed souls?"

Li Li Rouyin nodded gently.

Lu Ran: "Then is that copper coin some kind of divine art? Are all the departed souls within it collected by you?"

Li Li Rouyin suddenly said: "Do you know what this courtyard is called?"

Lu Ran responded after a moment, saying: "You Huang Du?"

Li Li Rouyin: "What does 'Du' mean?"

"'Du'..." Lu Ran thought long and hard before tentatively suggesting, "The 'Du' of guiding across; the 'Du' of crossing the River of Forgetting?"

Li Li Rouyin showed slight surprise and turned to face Lu Ran.

On her face appeared that same beautiful smile as before: "I didn't expect you to be quite so clever."

"Mm, more or less."

Lu Ran shrugged: "On the way here, your brother explained the meaning of Lady Lady Wangquan's name to me."

Li Li Rouyin: "I help those departed souls escape suffering and assist them in redeeming their sins before sending them to where they belong."

"Naturally, they must give me some wealth in return, isn't that so?"

Lu Ran was somewhat puzzled: "Sending them to where they belong?"

Li Li Rouyin continued step by step: "Free of mortal thoughts, free of pain, dissolving between heaven and earth."

Lu Ran pursed his lips: "Even if you don't help them, they can still disappear."

Li Li Rouyin scoffed: "How could ordinary mortals like you possibly understand?"

"All departed souls are filled with sorrow and have endured endless torment. Oh, right, you are different from ordinary people."

"You understand."

Lu Ran fell silent.

Inevitably, rows of departed souls from the battlefield arose in his mind.

Those angry shouts, those mournful cries, and those heart-wrenching sobs.

"Huu..." Lu Ran exhaled deeply, his heart feeling somewhat heavy.

"As expected. Words should only be spoken to those who understand." Li Li Rouyin had naturally heard Lu Ran's sigh.

Lu Ran said softly: "Besides escaping suffering and being sent to their destination, you also mentioned just now that you help the departed souls redeem their sins?"

Li Li Rouyin did not respond, as the two had finally crossed the courtyard and were approaching the massive hall doors step by step.

Although the main hall was constructed of bamboo and wood, it was quite magnificent, no smaller than the gates of the great temples and observatories of the mortal world.

Directly above the hall gates hung a massive plaque.

Inscribed upon it were three large characters—Rebirth Hall!

"Da, da." Li Li Rouyin lifted her bamboo cane and gently tapped the great door.

Lu Ran waited quietly; were there other Lady Wangquan believers inside the hall?

Li Li Rouyin spoke softly: "What are you waiting for?"

Lu Ran paused, startled: "Ah?"

Li Li Rouyin: "Such heavy hall doors; surely you don't expect this weak woman to open them?"

Lu Ran rolled his eyes and stepped forward.

After this brief contact, he finally believed Hao Tian's words; this girl, who appeared cold and aloof, indeed liked to play little pranks.

Mm... perhaps living alone for so long had driven her a bit crazy.

"Creak~"

The bamboo and wood doors parted to left and right, revealing a wondrous sight to Lu Ran.

Red threads hung down like fine rain, ten thousand strands descending.

Tied to every single red thread was a copper coin.

The fine silk of the red rain moved without wind, swaying gently, truly beautiful.

Yet Lu Ran felt no beauty, only an abnormal chill and an overwhelming presence of ghostly qi!

"Lady Lady Wangquan." Lu Ran murmured, his gaze sweeping past the aesthetic red thread rain to look toward the depths of the hall.

There stood a small shrine, and within the shrine, the small statue was none other than Lady Lady Wangquan.

In such a magnificent hall, the statue's scale was so small, which was truly unexpected.

Yet the imposing manner of the small statue was by no means insignificant!

That thick aura of death emanated precisely from the shrine, making it especially terrifying!

"Da." The bamboo cane tapped lightly as Li Li Rouyin stepped into the hall.

Upon entering this place, she seemed to have activated a full-map cheat!

Amidst the endless drifting fine threads of red rain, Li Li Rouyin moved with light, brisk steps, pressing forward all the way.

The black-skirted young girl, like a black phoenix butterfly dancing gracefully, actually managed not to touch a single thread!

It was simply bizarre!

Even Lu Ran wouldn't dare guarantee that he could pass through without brushing a single leaf, straight into the depths of the great hall.

"Come," Li Li Rouyin called out from afar.

Lu Ran walked in cautiously and indeed brushed against many red threads.

The copper coins on the threads constantly collided, emitting a pleasant sound.

Li Li Rouyin smiled brightly: "Do you like listening to music?"

Lu Ran: "."

What kind of remark was that!

"Bow," Li Li Rouyin said, setting down her bamboo staff and slowly kneeling before the prayer cushion.

Lu Ran's expression turned serious; rarely, he pressed his palms together and bowed with a bent waist.

One must know that even when facing the divine statue of the god Liangye Jian Yi, Lu Ran had merely raised his head to gaze upon it.

Li Li Rouyin looked displeased: "I brought you before Lady Lady Wangquan; why do you not kneel?"

Her words halted abruptly.

After just a few seconds, Li Li Rouyin whispered: "Yes."

After Lu Ran finished his reverence, he asked: "What did the divine lord say to you?"

Li Li Rouyin slowly rose and habitually smoothed her long skirt: "Lady Lady Wangquan instructed me to be friendlier toward you."

Lu Ran nodded silently.

"Choose a string," Li Li Rouyin said softly.

"Choose what?"

"The string of coins, of course—the sweet dates bestowed by my lord."

Li Li Rouyin turned to gaze at the "fine rain of red threads," her expression showing some reluctance.

"Is this some kind of magical artifact?" Lu Ran asked with a strange expression, sizing up the miraculous sight. "Besides, this is called a 'string of coins'?

On a single red thread, there is only one copper coin."

Li Li Rouyin: "Why not use those beautiful eyes of yours to look properly?"

"Whoosh~"

Energy surged in Lu Ran's eyes, and his round pupils once again transformed into cold, horizontal slits.

Divine Art: Death Realm Pupil!

"Gulp." Lu Ran swallowed.

How could this be mere "fine threads of red rain"?

In another dimension, every red thread was strung full of copper coins.

They were layered and stacked, enough to be described as "heavy with fruit."

The corner of Li Li Rouyin's mouth lifted slightly as she said faintly: "You just asked me about making lost souls atone for their sins."

Lu Ran nodded: "Mm."

"For the heroic souls of the human race, I will see them off on their final journey."

Speaking thus, Li Li Rouyin raised her hand, pointing at the strings of copper coins drifting across the sky:

"As for demonic lost souls, they shall be sealed within these individual copper coins, at my command, for my use.

Only until they have atoned for the various sins committed in the mortal world might I show a shred of mercy and send them to the afterlife."

Although Lu Ran had been mentally prepared, he was still horrified deep in his heart.

Every single copper coin here sealed a demonic lost soul!

Lady Lady Wangquan was indeed an old acquaintance of Lord Xiang Xiang Xianyang.

Truly catering to one's preferences!

Throwing me into this Rebirth Hall is no different than throwing a mouse into a rice vat.

Hmm... what a pity; Lady Lady Wangquan is a bit stingy.

She only gave one string of coins.

If she had given a few more strings, wouldn't the Yemo Yemo Xiesu in my Divine-Demon Sculpture Garden take off explosively?

"Shh." Li Li Rouyin suddenly raised her hand, issuing a command for silence.

Those slender, Bai Xi fingers gently picked up a phantom copper coin, sensing the agonizing wails of the lost soul within.

Lu Ran stared blankly at this scene, unsure how to describe the visual impact.

The black-skirted young girl, with her ancient charm, was truly elegant.

Yet she kept company with lost souls, imprisoning and controlling countless demonic spirits.

Death, indeed, was not the end of suffering.

Without her consent, no lost soul could depart in peace.

Even in the world after death, they had to endure endless torment, at her arbitrary command.

"Does the demonic race ever have a time when their sins are atoned for?" Lu Ran asked.

Li Li Rouyin lightly twisted the copper coin between her fingertips, seeming to ponder seriously for a moment: "I am not clear either.

While in my hands, right up until they are worthless and their souls scatter, none of them have ever atoned."

Lu Ran: "."

Acceptable,

Li Li Rouyin, you're a ruthless one!

(End of Chapter)