Chapter 374: A Pass Through the Ghost Gate (I)

For a long time I couldn't wake, and countless dreams clung to me.

When Du Shanü opened her eyes for the seventh time, the dream world remained dim.

She dreamed that all things were gloomy, and countless people were marching to death beside her.

That's right.

That's right.

Innumerable people were walking to death with her.

Regardless of age, gender, or clothing, they all had stiff expressions, slow steps, and staggered together toward the only bright place in the dim world.

Du Shanü could not tell where she was, nor why she had appeared there, yet she could sense the overwhelming deathly aura emanating from these people.

Numb, stiff, stagnant...

Clearly, it was the aura that only those who had lost vitality and fallen into the Yellow Springs possessed.

Even, even, even she herself was filled entirely with this aura.

Strange.

Strange.

Du Shanü had dreamed many times, but never had any dream been so bizarre——

No power, no wealth, no companions, not knowing where she was headed...... and even lacking absolute danger.

She could only numb‑ly follow a glimmer of light, walking on and on.

Deceptive, deceptive.

The Yellow Springs had no spring; before her eyes there was no color, only a stretch of darkness and deathly stillness.

Only countless people were pressing forward toward the sole place of light.

Du Shanü raised her head; several times she wanted to shout, but found that only a fragmented, weak, weary voice leaked from her throat.

Du Shanü listened for a long time before she understood what she was shouting.

She was shouting, she was shouting:

"Chinu, Chinu..."

"I hate you..."

Facing imminent death, she vaguely realized that this time she was surely doomed.

But the words she shouted still tore apart the last hidden thought in her heart......

She still thought, let me hate Chinu once more.

Chinu is no good, Chinu is certainly no good.

Chinu is jealous, never weighing severity, always quarreling with her, giving her headaches to the extreme.

Chinu is ruthless, killing without blinking; the number dead by his hand is not a thousand but eight hundred.

Chinu......

Chinu also often uses a flash of beauty to captivate people, gaining what he desires and seeking what he hopes for.

But what can be done?

But what can be done?

What she worries about most in leaving is this "Chinu'er".

Yu Baobao is naturally optimistic; though he will miss her after her death, he will surely be well cared for by others.

Although Chen Weifang does not profess to be content with poverty and the Dao, he estimates that even after her death he will not miss her for long.

After all, under heaven none understands "a fine bird chooses its tree" better than a poisoner.

Although her "Wise Lord" may be decent enough, compared to what Afang desires—the Yellow Intestine Soup—and the patronage and profundity behind it......

Afang will likely drag her broken body onward, continuing until she finds another lord who looks upon her favorably.

Only Chinu.

Only Chinu.

Under heaven, only her Chinu'er......

She fears that upon leaving, she may lower her head and follow her.

She cannot bear it, she cannot bear it.

Yet she is extremely hypocritical, dreading that the next glance will not smoothly see Chinu.

Best if Chinu commits suicide by sword before her, then she can righteously lecture him about his following, but Chinu hooks her little finger, washes his face with tears, and begs to follow......

Then her life would truly be complete.

What a pity, what a pity.

I don't know why, but Chinu hasn't come.

This is the root of her hatred for him.

She cannot bear his death, and hates even more that he does not die.

Former oaths of sea and mountain have all turned to mist; indeed, he has been lying all along.

Hate him to death.

Hate him to death.

Du Shanü swears that she truly hates Chinu to death.

But no matter how much she hates, cries, or feels unwilling......

Chinu still has not appeared before her.

Du Shanü can only follow the crowd, or rather countless souls slowly weaving, staggering onward.

She seems to have walked a long while, also seemed weary a long while, before slowly approaching that light source.

However, beneath that point of light was not some reincarnation well for rebirth, nor was there any Meng Po dispensing soup or a Bridge of Helplessness.

That point of light.......

It was a door.

It was a door emitting dazzling golden light, brilliant and eye-catching.

Beyond the door, this side was crowded with souls, while the other side was filled with voices—not human voices, but ghostly clamor.

Candlelight flickered, the scene extraordinarily lively, the shouts and calls of gambling deafening.

Chips and coins clattered, the gamblers' faces frenzied—some slamming tables in wild laughter, others beating their chests in regret, the noise rolling on, a scene of decadent chaos.

A gambling house?

How could there be a gambling house here?

Du Shanü couldn't figure it out, but there were many things in this dream she couldn't understand, so she just watched and stayed silent.

She saw a thin, ragged man full of longing, his soul slowly approaching the door flashing with splendid light, and, as expected, before he could step through, someone stopped him.

Of course, if one could call that person a human.

The 'person' blocking the ghost had a human body, an ox's head, and a heavy bronze nose ring hanging from his nose.

Frankly, that face was loathed by both humans and ghosts.

Du Shanü personally saw the ox-headed ghost official stop that rashly advancing soul; the thin man's soul instantly showed fear and wanted to leave.

However, the ghost official merely blocked him, without intending to deny him entry.

He flipped through the book in his hand, then reached into one of the large pouches at his waist, pulled something out, and handed it to the thin man's soul before saying:

"Go gamble."

"Hope your luck improves, so you won't have to suffer too much."

The thin man took the thing somewhat bewildered, and finally staggered through the door.

Du Shanü, standing a bit away, couldn't see what the ghost official had given him, but from his words she felt something was off—

She had also read many strange tales; this human-bodied, ox-headed person must be the Netherworld's 'Ox-Head,' right?

By common sense, after death one should go to the Netherworld, pass through the Yin Court, drink Meng Po's soup, and enter the Rebirth Well, right?

So this Ox-Head neither guides nor dispenses soup, but instead advises people to gamble?

Is that right?

Can that be right?

Du Shanü couldn't explain, so she held back her doubts and continued queuing.

This 'queue' was extremely long; clearly it started with only dozens of souls, yet somehow it kept growing, more and more.

Du Shanü waited anxiously, finally discovering that someone—or rather, a ghost—had cut in line!

What the heck!

We've come all this way, and yet there's still this sort of thing?!

Du Shanü turned her face, pointed at the light ahead, and from the back she knew this 'wealth-and-status-obsessed' queue‑jumper's soul, and shouted at the other ghosts in the line:

"This ghost cut in line—why isn't anyone reacting?"

No ghost dared respond to Du Shanü's words; they just kept their heads down, silent.

Only the fat soul who had cut in line turned back at the noise, glanced disdainfully at Du Shanü, and shook his jade thumb ring, which shone brightly even in the Netherworld Court.

The meaning was obvious—

"Sir, I have the means."

Du Shanü couldn't swallow this insult; after asking repeatedly with no reply, she cheerfully stepped forward:

"If you'd said you all wanted to cut in line, I'd have wanted to too—I'll go first, farewell!"

Under everyone's gaze, Du Shanü gleefully leapt past several souls, and as she passed the fat soul she couldn't resist slapping him, sending him spinning three times on the spot.

The Ox‑Head ghost official heard the commotion, looked toward the sound, and shouted sternly:

"They bought their spot with paper money burned by their families—why can't they cut in line?!"

"What's your name, daring to cause trouble in Fengdu? I'll reduce your reincarnation chips by ten percent."

?? Reading both chapters together makes it clear!! Really! No lying!