Chapter 1185 - River of Forgetfulness Soup
Chapter 1185: River of Forgetfulness Soup
Zhou Wen could see Li Xuan in his Terror form as the data stream on his body constantly shimmered like a smart-brain that was rapidly processing calculations.
Although Zhou Wen didn’t know much about Li Xuan’s Terror transformation, it didn’t seem like the effects of the Thousand Year Dream on him were that intense.
After about half an hour, the rapidly flowing data over Li Xuan’s body finally stopped. His sleeping body also woke up.
After escaping the Terror transformation, Li Xuan’s body landed heavily on the ground.
“Does that count as me clearing the Dream Punishment? Do I need to do it again?” Li Xuan asked the white-haired granny.
However, when he looked over, he realized that the white-haired granny was gone.
Zhou Wen and company didn’t notice when the white-haired granny had vanished either.
“What’s going on? I guess I cleared it?” Li Xuan walked out of the torture chamber.
Boom!
Just as Li Xuan walked out of the torture chamber, he heard a loud bang. The door at the back of Netherworld City slowly opened, revealing a path that led outside.
Zhou Wen found it odd that he hadn’t seen City Lord Netherworld. The City Lord Netherworld he met previously had completely vanished. He hadn’t appeared from beginning to end.
Furthermore, as the door to Netherworld City opened, there was no desert scenery outside. Instead, a bridge appeared.
The stone bridge led into the distance, but there was no end in sight. Yellow smoke beneath the bridge churned, and nothing beneath could be seen.
At one end of the stone bridge sat the white-haired granny from the Dream Punishment Chamber. However, there was no stone table in front of her. There was only a huge pot. There seemed to be something boiling in the pot, but the steam was billowing above it as well. It was impossible to tell what was being cooked.
“Don’t tell me this is the legendary Bridge of Helplessness and Granny Meng Soup?” Lu Bushun’s expression turned odd when he saw the bridge and pot.
In fact, when they saw this scene, the others also had the same thoughts as him.
The legend of the Bridge of Helplessness and Granny Meng’s soup was known by everyone in the East District.
Legend had it that after a person died, they would turn into a ghost. If a ghost wanted to reincarnate, they had to drink a bowl of Granny Meng’s soup and wash away the memories of their previous life. Only then could they undergo reincarnation as a pure soul.
In the Six Paths of Reincarnation for the Three Realms, all living beings had to drink such a bowl of soup when they reincarnated. It was obvious how magical and strange Granny Meng’s soup was.
After crossing the Bridge of Helplessness, it would be the true Netherworld. It wasn’t a place where the living were supposed to go.
At this point, even if hell was ahead, Zhou Wen and company could only take the risk.
An Tianzuo led his men towards the stone bridge. Zhou Wen and Li Xuan exchanged looks before heading towards it.
“The path to the Underworld must be taken without any lingering memories. If you wish to step onto the Bridge of Helplessness, you have to drink a bowl of River of Forgetfulness soup,” the white-haired granny said when An Tianzuo and company approached the stone bridge.
“Since this is really the River of Forgetfulness and the Bridge of Helplessness, this soup should be the Granny Meng Soup that can make people forget their past lives, right?” An Jingyu asked.
“I only know the River of Forgetfulness Soup, but I don’t know what Granny Meng Soup is,” the white-haired granny answered calmly without any change in expression.
“Aren’t you Granny Meng?” Lu Bushun asked.
“I’m only a bridgekeeper. All I know is to watch the bridge and sell soup. I’ve long forgotten my name.” The white-haired granny still had the same expression as before, as though it all had nothing to do with her.
“Then, will drinking your soup make people lose their memories?” Lu Bushun asked again.
“Yes,” the white-haired granny answered.
“Can we cross the bridge without drinking soup?” Unwilling to give up, Lu Bushun asked again.
“Yes.” The white-haired granny’s answer surprised everyone.
However, the white-haired granny continued, “As long as you die, you can cross the Bridge of Helplessness without drinking the River of Forgetfulness Soup.”
“Overseer, it looks like we can only force our way through,” Lu Bushun said softly to An Tianzuo.
“We mustn’t,” Zhou Wen said.
Although he had never seen this white-haired granny, who claimed to be a bridgekeeper, attack, from the antelope’s reaction, her strength was definitely at the Calamity grade. Furthermore, this was her territory. If they really fought, it was unknown how many people could survive, much less talk about saving Ouyang Lan and company.
“You forget everything when you drink the soup. What can we do if we don’t barge in?” Lu Bushun asked Zhou Wen.
Zhou Wen walked in front of the white-haired granny and sized up the Bridge of Helplessness. He couldn’t see anything. All he could see was billowing yellow smoke. It was unknown how deep the River of Forgetfulness was.
“May I ask if a group of humans came here about ten days ago?” Zhou Wen asked.
“I forgot. I only sell soup and don’t look at their faces,” the white-haired granny answered expressionlessly.
“Then did you sell any soup ten days ago?” Zhou Wen wasn’t anxious as he asked after some thought.
“Yes.” The white-haired granny finally answered Zhou Wen’s question.
“Can you tell me how many bowls you sold that day?” Zhou Wen asked again.
“Eight bowls,” the white-haired granny answered.
“That’s right. It should be Madam Lan and company. According to the clues and information, there should have been eight who retreated into Netherworld City,” Lu Bushun said happily.
An Tianzuo and An Sheng jolted. Madam Lan and company were likely still alive, so this was naturally good news.
“Did all of them drink the soup?” An Tianzuo asked.
“To cross the Bridge of Helplessness, they naturally have to drink the River of Forgetfulness Soup unless they’re dead,” the white-haired granny answered.
“Is it possible to drink the River of Forgetfulness Soup without losing your memories?” An Tianzuo asked again.
“There’s the Three-Lives Stone in the River of Forgetfulness. If you can engrave your name on the Three-Lives Stone, you won’t lose your memories of your past life even if you drink the River of Forgetfulness Soup,” the white-haired granny answered.
“Where’s the Three-Lives Stone?” Lu Bushun hurriedly asked.
“In the River of Forgetfulness.” The white-haired granny’s answer disappointed everyone.
It was unknown how big or deep the river with the billowing yellow smoke was. They also didn’t know what the Three-Lives Stone looked like. It was like searching for a needle in a haystack.
“Young Master Wen…” An Sheng looked at Zhou Wen. It seemed a little difficult to find the Three-Lives Stone now. If possible, it was best to barge through.
However, Zhou Wen had previously said that they couldn’t barge in, so An Sheng wanted to seek his opinion.
“Let’s search for it.” Zhou Wen looked at the River of Forgetfulness, hoping to find the legendary Three-Lives Stone.
The legendary Three-Lives Stone was something that recorded one’s past and present lives. However, it looked different from the legends.
Lu Bushun and company looked at An Tianzuo. They ultimately followed his lead.
“Find the Three-Lives Stone.” An Tianzuo glanced at Zhou Wen before looking at the River of Forgetfulness.
“Overseer, we can use Companion Beasts here. Let me give it a try,” an officer said.
Zhou Wen and company also realized that this place was different from Netherworld City. There was no taboo power that prohibited flight and Companion Beasts.
An Tianzuo nodded as the officer summoned a huge silver eagle. Under his control, the eagle flew towards the River of Forgetfulness. Just as it touched the yellow smoke in the river, it was suddenly yanked into the yellow smoke. Then, it vanished. The eagle symbol on the officer’s body also vanished.