Chapter 705: Extra Chapter 2: Xiao Jiu Has Already Said It Quite Implicitly

Zhao Zixun is a walking corpse; he came to the pawnshop to pawn, belonging to a yin pawn.

In the yin pawn, there is a request that cannot be refused.

This is the rule of Wufu Town Pawnshop.

After a brief fright, my rationality quickly returned, and I immediately asked, "Is this a dead pawn or a live pawn? What is the pawn gold?"

Xiao Jiu did not answer me directly, but instead took a pawn ticket receipt from the counter and handed it to me.

I took it and examined it carefully, quickly understanding.

This order is a dead pawn.

Zhao Zixun pawned the coffin nail to the pawnshop, and the pawn gold he requested was…… ferrying across the Wangchuan River.

My hand trembled violently, and I instinctively shook my head: "No, he wouldn't make such a difficult request of the pawnshop, and this matter would also need Yu Nian, senior sister Yu's consent, right?"

"He came to find me first." Yu Nian's voice came from outside the door, "I agreed."

I turned my head and saw Yu Nian walk in from outside.

She wore a hundred-family robe, held a rolled-up thousand-soul banner in her hand, her black hair casually coiled up and fixed with a gold hairpin.

This gold hairpin was handcrafted using ancient techniques, heavy and exquisite.

Her entire demeanor had completely changed.

The former Yu Nian was gentle and frail, making anyone who saw her feel an instinctive urge to protect her.

But the Yu Nian before me seemed to emanate an invisible force, making her appear reliable.

She walked slowly up to me, stood before me, and said: "Before Zhao Zixun came to the pawnshop, he went to the Wangchuan River and chatted with me for a long time. His request is: starting from the day of pawning, at any time within one month, you can ask me to ferry you across the Wangchuan River; exceeding the one-month limit will be considered as you automatically giving up this opportunity."

Only a one-month limit…… what about Zhao Zixun?

Didn't we agree? We were supposed to go together!

I turned to look at Zhao Zixun's corpse, only to discover it was quietly rotting.

Two lines of blood and tears streamed down my cheeks; I trembled with my lips, unable to accept this outcome.

Zhao Zixun's soul was sealed inside his corpse by the coffin nail; now that he pulled out the nail, does that also mean his soul has flown away and scattered?

Was it that he could no longer hold on, squeezing out his last bit of value to win me a chance to be ferried?

But he's gone; what meaning is there for me to remain alone in this world?

Thinking this through, I suddenly realized a problem: if Zhao Zixun truly vanished into ashes and smoke, wanting to help me reincarnate, why would he have Yu Nian ferry me across the Wangchuan River, carrying the memories of this life into reincarnation?

He could clearly have asked Xiao Jiu for a drop of lamp oil.

So…… he left me a way out, and in fact also left one for himself?

I looked at Xiao Jiu with hopeful eyes.

Xiao Jiu is so smart; how could she fail to see the information I'm revealing in my eyes?

She walked over and spoke earnestly: "Wanwan, I know what you most want to hear right now, but I cannot mislead you, giving you hope only to disappoint you in the end.

Yes, after Zhao Zixun pawned the coffin nail as a dead pawn to the pawnshop, his soul left his body, leaving the corpse at the pawnshop; I did not personally see his soul vanish into ashes and smoke, but I do not know what happened to him afterward.

According to A Cheng's divination, he has battle souls scattered across the world; thus, after his soul leaves his body, it is likely to head toward some battle soul fragment, and if he is lucky enough, perhaps he can truly avoid this calamity.

But, Wanwan, if that is the case, gradually he will no longer be himself.

He…… will also no longer be himself……

Xiao Jiu has already said it quite implicitly.

A Cheng said Zhao Zixun is an immortal who descended from heaven to undergo tribulation; in his previous life he failed the tribulation, his battle soul shattered; if his soul can truly recondense the battle soul, this is his process of returning to his true identity.

Next time we meet, perhaps he will already have to return to the Upper Realm.

Xiao Jiu fears that I have overly high expectations and will ultimately have to face such a situation.

After all, sometimes parting while alive can be more heart-wrenching than death, leaving one unable to let go for a long time.

I let out a long breath and said: "Still the same— as long as he lives, whether we ultimately achieve fruition or each follow our fate, I accept it."

The few girls present instantly huddled together, all feeling sorry for me.

I personally cremated Zhao Zixun's corpse and buried him.

His ashes were buried on the hill opposite the Zhu Pan Jiang River.

As I piled up that small mound of earth, I was overcome with myriad emotions.

The four words "burial brings peace" were, for me and Zhao Zixun, actually harder than ascending to heaven.

I sat beside the grave, accompanying "Zhao Zixun" for a long, long time, telling him many things from my heart.

When the sky showed fish-belly white at the horizon, I finally left the graveside.

On the way back, I planned to return and enter seclusion, staying at the memorial tablet to cultivate diligently.

I don't care about the one-month limit; without Zhao Zixun, carrying my memories into reincarnation would be meaningless.

I would rather devote my energy to cultivation.

I always feel that Zhao Zixun wanting to successfully gather the battle souls, pass the tribulation, and return to the Upper Realm is no easy feat.

If at that time I am needed to lend a hand, what then?

I hope that by then I can be of great help to him.

When I returned to the pawnshop, I discovered that the Big Family had not slept, waiting for me.

As soon as I entered, Yu Nian stood up and said, "Wanwan, you're back? I've been waiting for you."

I wondered, "Waiting for me?"

"Yes, waiting for you." Yu Nian said, "Wanwan, do you want to go with me to the netherworld, board my ferryboat, and see the scenery of the Wangchuan River?"

I looked at Yu Nian in astonishment, not daring to be certain: "Really possible?"

Yu Nian nodded: "Now I am the ferryman of the Wangchuan River; the ferry rules are set by me; as long as you're not afraid, I dare to bring you aboard."

My heart surged with excitement; such an opportunity is rare to encounter but impossible to seek; of course I want to go up and have a look.

But I was also a bit confused: "Why?"

Why take me onto the ferry boat to have a look?

Yu Nian said, "There are two reasons. One, you are the first soul I may possibly ferry; I have no experience ferrying, and I want to use you to practice beforehand; two…"

Xiao Jiu said, "Wanwan, your soul cultivation level is already very high; each step downward is extremely difficult; to break through, you must seek opportunities to train; in the Wangchuan River there are countless demons and monsters; I think it will greatly benefit your cultivation, so I also support you going with your senior sister to train."

I felt what they both said made sense, so I agreed.

Before dawn, I followed Yu Nian into the Nether Realm.

Although I have been a ghost for over a hundred years, this is the first time I have truly set foot in the Nether Realm.

Just upon entering, I felt my Soul Body swaying, very uncomfortable.

I tried hard to steady my mind, but I just couldn't.

My head felt as if injected with an expanding agent; my consciousness expanded and rolled in circles, and my mind was instantly filled with countless unfamiliar yet familiar memories.

It felt as if I had been here before.

I had… belonged here…