Chapter 5

"Where... where am I?" The hazy consciousness gradually became clear, and a young man opened his eyes on the desolate land, looking around in confusion.

"Where is this, and who am I?" The young man held his forehead with one hand, trying to remember something, but he couldn't recall anything—his identity, his name, or where he was, all forgotten.

After several attempts to recall, the young man began to observe his surroundings.

Behind him was a vast, desolate land stretching as far as the eye could see. In front of him was an endless expanse of blue river, with both sides lined with flowers as red as fire, like a carpet of blood, which made him want to pick them.

A light mist floated over the river, shrouded in smoke, making it impossible to see what lay within.

The young man stood there in confusion, unsure of what to do. In this desolate place with no memory, he felt at a loss.

During his confusion, a figure gradually became visible on the misty river, approaching the shore.

With two small braids of fiery red hair, a white and blue dress, thick-soled wooden sandals, and a huge scythe in hand, the figure exuded a strong sense of authority. If Wu Feng hadn't lost his memory, he would have immediately called out her name: Omoikane Nozomu, the ferrywoman of the Sanzu River.

"Is this time's spirit just one?" She looked very authoritative, and her words carried a strong sense of pressure, making Wu Feng worry about what would happen next.

"Give me all your money to cross the river."

"I don't seem to have any money," Wu Feng said, patting his empty pockets, which were cleaner than his face. Since the girl appeared, Wu Feng had a feeling that he was already dead, and her words confirmed that he was a spirit.

"Hey! You can actually speak?" Omoikane Nozomu opened her eyes wide in surprise, staring at Wu Feng. Spirits generally couldn't speak, and their consciousness was usually very unclear. Only demons or humans with certain cultivation could maintain their consciousness and speak. It was rare to encounter a speaking spirit.

"Um, is it strange that I can speak?"

"Yes, it's very strange. You seem to have the smell of death on you. Never mind, I'm in a good mood today, and since you have no karmic ties, I'll give you a free ride. Get on the boat."

On the journey, Wu Feng found that Omoikane Nozomu was very talkative, almost non-stop.

"What's your name?"

"I don't remember," Wu Feng shook his head, indicating that he couldn't recall anything.

"Amnesia? After death, it's possible to lose your memory. Why do you have no money? After death, as long as someone mourns you, you will have money. Don't you have any family or friends to burn money for you?"

Wu Feng shook his head again, but a vein appeared on his forehead. How could you know I have amnesia!

"How did you die?"

Just as Wu Feng was about to say he didn't remember, a vague feeling emerged in his mind, and he quickly changed his words.

"I was betrayed," Wu Feng said firmly.

"But you have amnesia, how do you know?"

Damn, you know I have amnesia and still ask... Wu Feng was furious.

"I was definitely betrayed; my brain tells me so."

Of course, there were also some useful things, like the place they were about to go to, which was the hell ruled by the highest judge of the paradise, Shiki Eiko.

"Lord Shiki, I've brought a new spirit," after a few hours of travel, Omoikane Nozomu brought Wu Feng to a building.

Before she finished speaking, a repentance stick landed on her head, making a crisp sound, followed by a long lecture.

"Omoikane, are you slacking off again? Transporting spirits isn't your job. Do you know how important the ferrying work on the Sanzu River is? It could cause a large number of spirits to fail to reincarnate in time. Last time, because of your laziness, spirits were trapped in the flowers, causing a lot of trouble. It took a long time to resolve, and you still haven't learned your lesson..."

Omoikane Nozomu's reaction made Wu Feng instantly find her adorable. Her authority was completely gone, and she looked very cute, with tears in her eyes as she looked at the girl holding the repentance stick, covering the spot where she was hit, and said in a委屈 (wronged) tone:

"Lord Shiki, I wasn't slacking off this time. The area I manage has recently seen a significant decrease in spirits, and almost none can cross the Sanzu River. I just happened to find a rare amnesiac spirit with the power of death and no karmic ties or merits, so I brought him early."

Just as Wu Feng was staring at Omoikane Nozomu, another repentance stick hit him, but this time the target was Wu Feng.

"Ouch!" Wu Feng finally understood why Omoikane Nozomu had that expression earlier—it really hurt!

"You also have no karmic ties or merits, which makes things difficult. You can't be sent to hell for punishment, you don't meet the standards to enter heaven, and you're far from meeting the requirements for reincarnation. You can only go to the underworld," the girl's voice was slightly troubled.

Wu Feng then carefully looked at the girl holding the repentance stick. If it weren't for the two hits, she would have been mistaken for a literary girl. Her ink-green shoulder-length hair fluttered in the wind, and she wore a deep blue top over a white shirt, black thigh-high socks, and a blue skirt.

Shiki Eiko, the highest judge of paradise, a seemingly quiet and beautiful girl.

"By the way, the new manager of the underworld has been in office for a hundred years and has been calling for more people. Since you have the power of death, you can go there to accumulate merits," Shiki Eiko clapped her hands and made the decision, then said to Omoikane Nozomu.

"Since you're slacking off, as punishment, take him to the White Jade Tower."

"Hey? How can you do that!"

Shiki Eiko looked very busy and disappeared after saying that.

When Wu Feng turned around, a huge scythe was already at his neck, and Omoikane Nozomu's eyes were red.

"You didn't see anything just now."

"Um..."

"You didn't see anything just now!"

"…Okay, I didn't see anything."

Omoikane Nozomu then put away the scythe and sighed in relief.

"What were you going to say just now?"

"…" Wu Feng silently pointed behind her, unable to bear the sight.

Omoikane Nozomu was greeted by Shiki Eiko's seemingly calm eyes, but the burning flames inside indicated her mood.

"Omoikane! Is this how you work!"

The sound of the repentance stick hitting and a half-hour lecture followed.

When Omoikane Nozomu reappeared, her red eyes were completely swollen, and her face was full of委屈 (wronged) expression.

"Miss Omoikane, are you okay?"

Omoikane Nozomu glared at Wu Feng fiercely but didn't do anything.

"Thanks to you, I was hit hard. It hurts, sniff."

"Miss Omoikane..."

"Call me Omoikane... 'Miss Omoikane' sounds too harsh."

"Omoikane, is the place we're going to dangerous? You seem very unwilling to go."

"Not at all. No one dares to cause trouble in that foodie's territory. And there are countless cherry trees there, which can be called a wonder of the underworld during spring. Many spirits go to visit."

"Then why?"

"Because there are many, many minor spirits on the way, which is very annoying..."