Chapter 1 The Woman at the Bridge

Chen Xiao had long since noticed the bridge over the river, and naturally, the old woman in the middle of the bridge.

And the speaker was that old woman.

"This person must be Meng Po."

Chen Xiao guessed, although not yet certain, it was already a close guess.

Meng Po's words weren't just idle chatter; the place was indeed somewhat hot, but not from summer heat.

The heat was rising from the Wangchuan River.

The feeling was like facing a large bath in a bathhouse, which didn't have much of an impact on Chen Xiao.

However, since the old woman had spoken, Chen Xiao stepped on the Yitian Sword and flew over, landing in front of the old woman.

The bridge surface was very wide, and the old woman had set up a shed on one side of the bridge with a stall, which didn't seem crowded at all.

And what the old woman was selling at her stall was naturally the herbal tea she mentioned.

This was also different from the legend; in legends, Meng Po made Meng Po soup, not herbal tea...

"Young man, the weather is hot, have a cup of herbal tea to relieve the heat!"

When the old woman saw Chen Xiao flying over on his sword, there was no change in her face, and she repeated what she had said before.

"Are you Meng Po?"

Chen Xiao asked coldly, with no trace of politeness in his words.

"This old one's surname is indeed Meng."

The old woman admitted her identity.

"Then this below must be the Wangchuan River?"

Chen Xiao asked, as if to confirm.

"Beneath the Naihe Bridge, naturally lies the Wangchuan River."

Meng Po replied with a smile.

"Seeing me, you don't seem surprised at all?"

Chen Xiao asked again.

"I'm too busy being pleasantly surprised to be surprised!"

Meng Po said with a smile, then added, "In three thousand years, you are the first living person this old one has seen enter from the outside."

"Three thousand years..."

Chen Xiao pondered for a moment; it seemed that the Underworld had existed for at least three thousand years, which corresponded to the era when myths and legends were passed down.

"Young man, have a cup of herbal tea."

Meng Po picked up a large coarse porcelain bowl and handed it to Chen Xiao.

The bowl contained a tea-colored liquid, clear and transparent, with a hint of coolness.

"Hehe, no need, I don't like to drink herbal tea."

Thinking of the legends about Meng Po's soup, Chen Xiao naturally didn't take it.

Regardless of whether it was tea or soup, it was best not to touch anything given by Meng Po.

"Hehe, young man, you have the courage to break into the Gates of Hell, but not the courage to drink a bowl of herbal tea from this old one?"

Meng Po said with a chuckle, a hint of disdain in her eyes, "You don't think that drinking this old one's herbal tea will really make you forget your memories of the human world, do you?"

Chen Xiao sized Meng Po up, snatched the herbal tea, and said proudly, "It's just a bowl of herbal tea, what is there to fear?"

Although he knew this was a reverse psychology tactic used by Meng Po, Chen Xiao still didn't want to be looked down upon by this old thing.

The main reason was that he had enough confidence in his body; so what if there was a poison that could sever intestines in it? Chen Xiao could still easily dissolve it.

He didn't believe that drinking this herbal tea would cause him to lose his memory.

Because he was very clear that the people in this Underworld were not the ghost gods who guarded the Underworld as described in myths.

They were just some humans who practiced the ghost path.

Chen Xiao drained the herbal tea in one gulp, threw the coarse porcelain bowl on the table, wiped his mouth, and couldn't help but praise, "Refreshing!"

The taste of the herbal tea was very solid, like drinking a sip of iced cola in the hot summer, making people feel comfortable.

Meng Po smiled and said, "Young man is indeed courageous, to tell you the truth, this old one's herbal tea is really just to relieve the summer heat coming from this Wangchuan River. As for losing your memory after drinking it, that's purely fictitious, just nonsense."

"Did you call me over here because you have something to say to me?"

Chen Xiao thought that Meng Po couldn't have called him over just to give him a bowl of herbal tea.

But this time, he was wrong... Meng Po really just called him over to give him a bowl of herbal tea to drink.

"This old one doesn't know you, what could I have to say to you? I just saw you wandering by the shore, worried that you would be harmed by the summer heat, so I sent you a bowl of herbal tea to drink."

Meng Po said with a straight face.

"So, you're still a good person... no, a good ghost?"

Chen Xiao asked incredulously.

"Young man, since you can come here, it means that your skills and knowledge are beyond the reach of ordinary people. Then you must know that this old one is not a ghost god, but just a human who practices the ghost path."

Meng Po was also frank and told the truth directly.

This time, Chen Xiao didn't know what to do. He had been thinking about what kind of schemes and tricks Meng Po had, but he didn't expect the other party to be as frank as a blank sheet of paper.

She said whatever she had to say and didn't beat around the bush with you.

"Cough cough, Granny Meng Po, since you don't have anything else, then I'll take my leave."

Chen Xiao coughed awkwardly, cupped his fist at Meng Po to say goodbye, and his words became a little more polite.

"Young man, this old one just saw you staring blankly at the Wangchuan River. Did you come to the Underworld for the Wangchuan River?"

Meng Po asked.

"That's right."

Chen Xiao nodded.

Since Meng Po was being honest with him, he felt that there was no need for him to hide anything.

So he said directly, "I heard that there is a cultivation treasure at the bottom of this Wangchuan River. I came here to find it."

Chen Xiao didn't say that he was here to find a sacred relic, but explained everything else.

"Bottom of the Wangchuan River? Cultivation treasure?"

Meng Po's eyes suddenly lit up.

But the light flashed and disappeared, then receded.

"Young man, don't blame this old one for being nosy. This old one doesn't know what cultivation treasure there is at the bottom of this Wangchuan River, but this old one knows that there is a monster at the bottom of this Wangchuan River."

"This monster has great magical powers, and even Lord Yama has no way to deal with it, so this old one wants to advise you to give up this idea."

Meng Po earnestly persuaded.

"Monster?"

Chen Xiao hesitated slightly, then felt that this was reasonable.

This monster was probably there to guard the sacred relic, and Yama's inability to deal with it was the best proof.

Otherwise, Yama wouldn't just sit idly by and watch the sacred relic in his territory without trying to retrieve it.

But the Ten Yama Kings were afraid of that monster, but Chen Xiao wasn't afraid. He spent a lot of effort... well, it wasn't that much effort... Anyway, he came to the Underworld for the sacred relic, how could he return empty-handed?

"Thank you, Granny, for the reminder, but I'm determined to go. No matter what terrible monster there is at the bottom of this Wangchuan River, I will meet it."

Chen Xiao said confidently.

"Alas, this old one knew I couldn't dissuade you..."

Meng Po sighed, as if she had expected Chen Xiao's decision.

Just then, on the other side of the Naihe Bridge, near the Fengdu Ghost City, a group of people came.

Saying "people and horses" wasn't accurate, because they only had people, not horses.

A team of hundreds of ghost soldiers, led by a middle-aged man dressed as a scholar.

This person had a pale face and no beard, and was holding a three-foot-long writing brush, the body of which was made of fine steel.

Seeing this getup, Chen Xiao's mind stirred, could this be the judge under Yama's command?

"Mom Meng, prepare a few buckets of herbal tea for us, we need to cross the river."

The middle-aged scholar cupped his fist at Meng Po from afar and shouted loudly.

At this time, Chen Xiao noticed that the middle-aged scholar and the hundreds of ghost soldiers behind him were in poor condition.

They were all red-faced and ears red, listless, and covered in sweat, as if they were about to be steamed.

Could it be because of the Wangchuan River below?

Chen Xiao thought to himself and guessed.

The Wangchuan summer heat had a particularly large impact on ghost cultivators, so Meng Po set up a herbal tea stall in the middle of the Naihe Bridge.

Otherwise, judging by their condition, they would probably all be steamed before they even walked off the Naihe Bridge.

"This old one obeys, I will prepare herbal tea for the Judge."

Chen Xiao guessed right again, this middle-aged scholar was indeed the Judge.

After Meng Po responded, she moved a few wooden buckets from behind the stall, all of which were filled with herbal tea.

And when the Judge and the group of ghost soldiers saw the herbal tea, it was as if people who had been walking in the desert for three days and three nights had seen an oasis.

They rushed over like crazy, grabbed large coarse porcelain bowls, and began to drink it down.

After drinking the herbal tea, the Judge finally recovered from his half-dead state.

He stood aside, waiting for his ghost soldiers to finish drinking.

"Lord Judge, what brings you out of the city?"

Meng Po asked, as if just making conversation.

"A mortal killed Niu Tou and Ma Mian and broke into the Underworld. Lord Yama sent me to arrest him. Mom Meng, have you seen any suspicious people?"

The Judge asked.

While asking the question, he noticed Chen Xiao standing aside in a daze, and his eyes suddenly narrowed. "You're a mortal?"

Chen Xiao nodded: "That's right, I'm a mortal."

The Judge glanced at Chen Xiao suspiciously and asked, "How did you enter the Underworld? Also, have you seen any suspicious people?"

Chen Xiao was shocked. Was this Judge brainless?

Little did he know that the Judge didn't think Chen Xiao had done it at all.

In his opinion, if this mortal in front of him had killed Niu Tou and Ma Mian.

Then he would have run away when he saw himself, how could he still be standing aside in a daze?

"Judge, right? Have you ever thought about this possibility... actually, Niu Tou and Ma Mian were killed by me."

Chen Xiao took the initiative to admit.

"What, you killed Niu Tou and Ma Mian?"

The Judge was shocked and flew into a rage. "You have such great胆zi to kill Niu Tou and Ma Mian, why didn't you run away when you saw this official?"

"Why should I run?"

Chen Xiao spread his hands and shrugged.

This question directly stunned the Judge, and it took him several seconds to react, screaming and raising the Judge's brush in his hand.

"Ah ya ya ya ya... you arrogant and狂妄mortal, no wonder you had the胆zi to kill Niu Tou and Ma Mian. Today, this official will let you see the means of the Underworld!"

Chen Xiao moved his wrists a few times, twisted his neck, and said indifferently, "Come on, I've already seen your brain, now let me see your skills!"