Chapter Thirty-Three: The Lady of Forgetfulness

“Cen Ningyue, Niu Dashuang, each of you take one pill to aid your cultivation! Chrysanthemum, you get two!”
Now that Xu Cheng had amassed some wealth, he thought it only right to help his subordinates improve their skills.
“Thank you, Lord Right Envoy!”
The three responded obediently.
“No need for thanks. Once you’ve cultivated well, go out and capture more ghosts and monsters—and remember, I want them alive! When the time comes, I’ll reward you with more of these pills.”
With that, Xu Cheng led the four to a safe spot and began his own practice.
In the depths of the Yellow Springs, Yun Sheng stood respectfully before a titan, a hundred yards tall.
“Master, your disciple’s grandchild was banished to the Yellow Springs in order to save my apprentice. I beg you, Master, to lend your aid!”
Yun Sheng spoke softly.
After a moment’s silence, the giant finally replied, “Your apprentice saved your mortal incarnation, didn’t she? I’ve calculated her fate—she truly has some fortune. Very well! I’ll pull her from the cycle of reincarnation.”
“Thank you, Master!”
Yun Sheng chanted a Buddhist verse, a faint smile appearing on his young face.
The giant’s massive hand plunged into the void, searching for a moment. When it reemerged, there was a green orb nestled in the palm.
“Her fate lies with Lady Meng. Take her to Meng Po and all will be well.”
The giant placed the green orb before Yun Sheng.
“Yes, Master!”
Yun Sheng leapt onto the giant’s hand, picked up the green orb, and transformed into a golden light heading straight for Meng Po’s abode.
By the banks of the Forgetting River.
“Is Lady Meng here? Lady Meng!”
Yun Sheng knocked on the door.
“Oh! It’s Yun Sheng! What wind brings you here today?”
The door swung open, revealing a peerless beauty. She wore a phoenix crown, a robe of colorful flowers and butterflies, a skirt of dark patterned brocade, and a jacket embroidered with Suzhou moonlight motifs.
This was Meng Po.
“Master said you could help her.”
Yun Sheng presented the soul of Qing Shu to Meng Po.
Meng Po took the green orb, examined it carefully, then said, “You little rascal, always sneaking over to drink my soup and forcing me to brew more! But this time, you’ve done a good deed. Very well, she’s in my care now. You may go.”

“Meng Po, could it be that she…”
Yun Sheng seemed to have realized something. He hadn’t divined the fates before arriving, and now he regretted it.
“As long as you understand. Hurry back!”
Meng Po slammed the door shut.
“Well, it’s not so bad after all!”
Yun Sheng comforted himself.
“Yun Sheng! Sneaking another sip of Meng Po’s soup?”
The mundane world is full of turmoil, and at the end of the Forgetting River, there is no homecoming. Meng Po lived on its banks, and there was a ferry on the river. As Yun Sheng was lost in thought, someone called to him from the ferry.
“What business is it of yours if Yun Sheng treats Meng Po’s soup as wine! Mind your ferry, or else those aboard will become my meal!”
From the river emerged a monstrous black fish, several yards long—much larger than the ferry itself. The fish bared its teeth and spoke, terrifying the “passengers” aboard into trembling.
“Whoever falls in is guilty beyond measure. If you eat them, it’s only right. Whether I ferry or not has nothing to do with it!”
The old man on the boat spoke indifferently.
“I won’t argue with you!”
The black fish slapped its tail against the little ferry, sending it drifting dozens of yards downstream. These two in the river were the gossipmongers of the Yellow Springs; once they learned of anything, within half an hour, the news would reach everyone from the Underworld King to the lowest ghost warden.
Yun Sheng ignored them and retraced his steps.
Meanwhile, Xu Cheng, using the black pill in his hand, quickly condensed his third seal. This seal was built on the Yellow Springs Netherwater technique as its foundation, with myriad spell symbols as its bricks. He spent fifty thousand spell symbols forging this seal, and its power surpassed both the Black Dragon and Black Vermilion Bird seals he’d previously formed.
Xu Cheng had grown wiser this time; he used only water and ice spell symbols—such as the Water Dragon’s Fury, Ten-Thousand-Mile Freeze, and True Water of Mysterious Light.
Now, when he cast the Netherwater technique, the attack would be remarkably potent.
When Xu Cheng opened his eyes again, Ghost Judge Chrysanthemum was leading the way, with Niu Dashuang and Cen Ningyue bringing over a hundred ghosts in tow.
Having tasted the benefits, these three were eager and captured ghosts everywhere, resulting in the scene before him.
Xu Cheng coughed; he hadn’t expected them to be so efficient, and was pleased.
“Lord Right Envoy, these ghosts have no merit to their names and can be sent straight to the Yellow Springs!”
After Chrysanthemum spoke, the ghost ranks stirred. Niu Dashuang snorted coldly, sending sparks from his bovine nostrils, frightening the ghosts into silence.
Every Ghost Judge had a booklet that recorded the merits and faults of the ghosts, and Chrysanthemum was no exception—saving Xu Cheng the trouble of checking each one with the Yellow Springs token.
Since all had been interrogated, Xu Cheng summoned the great Yellow Springs gate, ordering the “people” before him to line up and enter one by one.
Then came the sacrifice: hundreds of ghosts, yielding twenty-three more black pills.

Xu Cheng was overjoyed—such a rapid method of increasing cultivation was matched only by the three grand pills of the Xuantian Dao Sect.
He had carefully studied these three pills: Jade Purity Pill, Supreme Purity Pill, and Grand Purity Pill. Each required nine years to refine, and so few had been produced by the sect.
Ordinary healing pills, True Qi Pills, Jade Essence Pills, and Condensation Pills, however, could be made in days or months, and amassed in great quantities.
“You three have done well. I am very pleased with the bounty. Each of you gets three pills!”
Even after giving three pills each, Xu Cheng had fourteen left—a respectable number. If he used them sparingly, he could condense his fourth seal.
Yet, advancing too quickly in cultivation was not always wise; perhaps it was better to use them to develop the Small Dog Earth Fortune technique.
This technique, composed solely of spell symbols, was no less powerful than the fully formed seals of the Yellow Springs techniques.
“Lord Right Envoy, does catching more ghosts earn us more of these pills?”
Cen Ningyue asked.
“Of course!”
Xu Cheng knew exactly what she was scheming.
“Then let’s split up—whoever catches the most ghosts gets the most pills from you. How about that?”
Apparently, Cen Ningyue wanted a competition. He’d heard before that people are less troubled by scarcity than by unfair distribution; now, even equal sharing made them dissatisfied.
“Are you sure? Chrysanthemum’s cultivation is far higher than yours—he’ll find it easier to catch ghosts!”
Xu Cheng gave a friendly warning.
“No way! Every time we catch ghosts, I do all the work, and he just stands by watching!”
Cen Ningyue pointed angrily at Chrysanthemum. In Xu Cheng’s former life, he’d say that guy was just loafing around; no wonder Cen Ningyue was disgruntled.
“What do you two think?”
Xu Cheng turned to Chrysanthemum and Niu Dashuang.
They considered for a moment, then nodded in agreement. Xu Cheng was pleased to see competition within his team. Since everyone agreed, he approved their plan: whoever caught the most ghosts would receive the most pills.
He watched them leave, eager and bustling for the sake of their performance, and felt deeply satisfied.
Like a landlord overseeing his estate, he began preparing to develop his grand techniques.