Chapter 375: A Pass Through the Ghosts' Gate (Part 2)

The sky has collapsed.

Indeed, the sky has collapsed.

How is it that even in the living world I'm constantly obstructed, and now in the netherworld even queuing has someone in charge?

Du Shanü's vision darkened again and again; she shuffled forward, weak and listless, and announced her name:

"Wrong, I truly know I was wrong... hiss!"

The ox-headed ghost official retrieved the book he had used to strike Du Shanü's head, his two bull eyes glaring like copper bells:

"You're already here—how can you still lie!"

"You gave a false name, so you can't get any chips; how will you reincarnate?"

"Do you think I have no means to verify your identity?"

Indeed!

Using false names and identities for wrongdoing doesn't always work!

This time I'm likely in trouble!

But...

Chips, again chips.

What exactly are these chips?

Du Shanü covered her sore head from the blow and asked cautiously:

"Chips?"

The ox-headed ghost official glared at her again, flipping the book in his hand with a rustling sound, clearly searching for something:

"Naturally it's chips; what else could it be?"

"Everyone's fate is ranked high or low, already set before reincarnation."

The ox-headed ghost official spoke casually, as if he'd dealt with countless clueless souls over the years, and offhandedly pointed to a frail, emaciated male ghost behind Du Shanü:

"For example, this ghost's fate is the most common Ghost Capital minted coin, its color gray."

"He received the coin here; after passing this gate, he can toss the coin into the River of Forgetfulness, thus reincarnating as an ordinary commoner, enduring fifty years of hardship, then returning here to continue receiving gray coins."

"Plop" sounded, accompanied by faint, sorrowful sobs.

Du Shanü didn't need to turn around to know that the emaciated male ghost had collapsed to the ground, wailing loudly.

The ox-headed ghost official seemed accustomed to such scenes, showing no reaction, merely flipping through his book faster.

That book in his hand seemed endless, with no visible end.

The ox-headed ghost official barked:

"Enough, stop crying."

"Isn't the Ghost Capital Gambling Hall just behind? If you want a better fate, just go gamble."

Gamble.

Again, gamble.

This was the umpteenth time Du Shanü had heard this word in this bizarre place, but the first time she grasped its meaning.

The ox-headed ghost official finally slowed his hand, freezing on a page, staring with his copper-bell eyes to examine closely:

"That's right, just go gamble."

"All sayings about the underworld in the living world are false. A person's lifetime fate is fixed from birth; the sole chance to defy heaven and change destiny is that gambling hall."

"If you take the gray coin to reincarnate, you'll live a mediocre, painful fifty years; but if you use it to gamble, you might win other chips for yourself."

The ox-headed one glanced at the book while casually reaching into his waist pouch, pulling out a handful of multicolored minted coins:

"Indigo represents some artistic talent from birth."

"Cyan represents some literary talent from birth."

"There are many other colors, each representing different talents; as long as you can win better chips for yourselves, you may linger endlessly in the gambling hall behind me until you choose to reincarnate."

This means that in this lifetime, reincarnation need not be a meaningless existence.

A commotion arose behind Du Shanü; the previously stagnant, numb souls stirred, whispering excitedly, as if this promise already granted them a better fate.

Yet Du Shanü did not lower her guard; instead she whispered:

"May I ask, Officer Big Brother, losing nine out of ten bets at the gambling table is commonplace; what if I lose even my original gray coin there?"

Although the other party also said that gray coin is utterly commonplace, since it's the 'most common,' it actually has some value, like a copper coin that can serve as a cornerstone.

Then, if even that last copper coin is lost, what would reincarnation be like?

The ox-headed ghost official seemed never to have heard this question before; he paused, then laughed:

"You little girl, you're interesting, daring to call me Big Brother."

"Rest assured, in Ghost Capital there will never be a day when you have no chips at hand; at most there's only a difference between good and bad chips."

"Below the gray coin are blood-colored coins, representing the fate of the extremely wicked; beneath those are dark-colored coins...... Wait, Du Shanü, why have you already received your coin?"

Du Shanü had been listening intently; the moment the official's last words came out, she instantly sensed trouble.

The ox-headed ghost official was quite surprised, stepped forward, pressed her shoulder, and asked again:

"Shouldn't you have already reincarnated?"

"You clearly won chips representing an emperor's fate for yourself; why are you still here?"

"You died again? But your fated time of death is clearly not today...... What have you done? What did you do before coming here?"

"You wretched creature, quickly search your person for any lost chips; if they're gone, you'll never be able to reincarnate!"

The ox-headed ghost official seemed shocked by this mistake, showing no restraint.

Du Shanü's shoulder was gripped, pain clinging to her; she instinctively searched her person and actually pulled out two gleaming gold coins from her money bag.

Seeing this, the ox-headed ghost official first stared, then buried his head in the book for a moment before finally letting out a great sigh:

So that's how it is, so that's how it is.......

Today is your childbirth day, probably too dangerous, so your soul is unsettled, you almost mistakenly entered the underworld.

Wait!

Wait!??

What does it mean that today is her childbirth day, she has no memory at all???

Before she entered the dream, she actually......

She seems to be......

She seems to be......

Du Shanü could not struggle, could only cover her gradually aching head, chaotic thoughts surged into her mind, she finally vaguely recalled everything before entering the dream......

If I'm not mistaken——

She got up early today, specially sneaked away Chinu, and went to find Afang.

Afang recently took another thousand taels of silver from the treasury, melted it into gold, and according to the blueprint Du Shanü gave, forged it into a palm-sized gold house.

If I'm not mistaken, before she 'entered the dream', she seemed to be sitting in front of Afang, lamenting that a thousand taels were enough to exchange for such a small amount of gold, while discussing with Afang how to give Chinu a surprise when he returns.

Today is October 28th, coincidentally Chinu's birthday.

She had decided to give Chinu a good day, but Chinu hadn't returned yet, she felt a slight stomach pain......

She hoped the baby would endure a little, at least past Chinu's birthday, not to spoil such a good day.

But after enduring, her stomach hurt more and more, she could only say to Afang, 'Playing with birds, Afang, this time it's really going to cost a life.'

Then she plunged into Afang's embrace......

Oh no.

Really oh no.

No wonder she's been dazed, feeling extremely exhausted——

Giving birth to a child, she even gave birth herself into the underworld!

Du Shanü felt terrible, anxious to return, while also worrying about another matter:

'Big brother, please send me back.'

'I seem to have taken an extra coin here, I'll return it to you, trouble you to escort me a ways.'

That ghost official with a huge ox head, his expression is more than just 'words fail to describe'.

He didn't take the coin, but pushed Du Shanü, shoving her into the door, gesturing for her to run in a direction:

'That's not your coin, no need to return it.'

'Hurry back to the yang world...... your child is still waiting for you.'

?? Yes, it's about giving birth to a baby! A bit of stream of consciousness, but I believe everyone should understand!