After death, there was no soul-leaving-the-body reaction. I was completely asleep, unconscious. I didn't know how long had passed when I suddenly "woke up" to find a rather grim-looking fellow standing before me. Looking at the symbol on his head, it was none other than a Bai Wuchang. I glanced around and saw Zheng Bingbing standing beside me, her face deathly pale, like a drowned ghost. I was startled!
Before I could speak, Bai Wuchang looped the iron chain around my neck and then around Zheng Bingbing's, and began dragging us away.
I couldn't speak, but I could still see. I looked around at the void, unsure of where we were. Time seemed to have lost all meaning. After walking for an unknown duration, I finally saw a familiar building appear before me: the City God Temple.
Inside the City God Temple sat a judge-like figure, though not the old Cui. The judge and Bai Wuchang exchanged a few words in what sounded like a dialect. Then, the judge wrote my name and Zheng Bingbing's in his ledger. Bai Wuchang then led Zheng Bingbing and me through a hidden door behind the judge. I remembered this place; it was the Gate of Hell.
Entering the Gate of Hell, it was the usual expanse of dim yellow. However, my consciousness was very hazy this time, and the dimness felt even more murky than the environment I had seen in Shengjing before. I couldn't feel the asphalt road beneath my feet, nor could I use my Qi-sensing abilities. All I could hear was the rhythmic clanking of the iron chain.
After walking for another unknown period, we finally reached the Bridge of Helplessness. The maiden by the bridge, no, the Meng Po by the bridge, was not the one I knew before. This was the entrance, and there was no need to make a... no, no need to drink Meng Po's soup. My mind was completely chaotic now, with all sorts of memories flooding my brain and becoming incredibly blurred.
After crossing the Bridge of Helplessness, it felt like we walked a long way on the bridge itself before arriving at a station on the other side of the River of Oblivion. Soon, a small train arrived. As usual, there were two ferrymen dressed in long robes on the train. Bai Wuchang tossed Bingbing and me into the carriage and secured the iron chain to a hook on the train to prevent us from escaping. In reality, we couldn't escape at all, because after Bai Wuchang let go, I lost all strength to move, as if my body had merged with the carriage.
Listening to the creaking sound of the small cart, I walked for an unknown time until we reached a larger station. The long-robed men transferred us to another cart, still a small one. What was different this time was that there were other ghosts in the cart. As we were being transferred, just as the driver was about to continue, one of the long-robed ferrymen suddenly got off the flatbed cart in front and ran towards me. He reached me, lifted my weakened face, and looked closely. He exclaimed, "Ah, Lord Wu, how can it be you!"
I recognized him too. It was one of the two long-robed men we had kicked to the back when I was traveling with Little Yama!
I wanted to speak to him, but my neck was chained, and I still couldn't make a sound. Fortunately, the long-robed man was proactive. He didn't continue driving but instead intercepted me and Zheng Bingbing from the cart, letting the other long-robed man go ahead. He didn't have a soul-summoning order and might not have been able to communicate with those above. He tried to use my and Bingbing's soul-summoning orders, but couldn't press the buttons. Anxiously, like Kong Yiji, he paced back and forth.
After pacing for who knows how many rounds, the long-robed man suddenly had an inspiration. He told us to stay put and not wander off, and that he would be back soon!
My consciousness was starting to fade. My eyelids were so heavy, it felt like I was falling asleep. Gradually, I couldn't see anything, nor could I hear the sound of the River of Oblivion. Finally, I passed out. I only remembered that before I died, I used all my strength to fall over and lie on Zheng Bingbing's lap, her expression completely blank.
A long, long, long time later, a voice, coming from afar and growing closer, woke me up!
I opened my eyes and saw Xie Bi'an!
"An'an! You're finally here!" I exclaimed excitedly, and then even more excitedly, because I could speak again!
The iron chains on my body had also been removed. Zheng Bingbing was squatting nearby, watching me with a smile.
Where was this? Why was there a familiar smell?
I looked around and found that we were actually in a hospital. Zheng Bingbing and I were both wearing blue and white striped hospital gowns!
"It's good that you're awake," Xie Bi'an snorted. "I'll go back to report. Goodbye."
With that, Xie Bi'an's figure disappeared.
"How did we get here? What time is it now?" I asked.
"Look over there..." Bingbing pointed towards the door.