Chapter 2 By the Naihe Bridge

The darkness deepened, with only a faint glow lingering around the bluish stones. The mist around them gathered, thickening with each passing moment. From the depths of that shadowy void, strange sounds began to emerge. They seemed like the calls of birds or the roars of tigers, but upon closer inspection, they were neither. Trying to listen more intently, it seemed as if the sounds vanished into the ether.

"Travelers, who among you is weary? Come, have a cup of tea with me, and continue your journey refreshed," said an old woman, her voice warm and patient as she offered her wares.

"Grandmother, we're here to wait for someone. Please, have mercy and don't urge us on. We know you have a kind heart, let us wait a little longer," pleaded a fragile young woman, her courage finding its voice as she spoke. Her face was etched with pleading. "Please, don't let us drink your tea!"

"Oh?" The old woman furrowed her brow. "You're here to wait for someone? Hmm, 'Do not wait by the Naihe Bridge, nor look back upon the River of Forgetfulness.' Have you heard that saying before?" She scooped up a ladle of boiling water and continued, "By the sound of your voice, it seems you already know who I am. I'm curious, who told you not to drink my tea?"

"This..." The young woman and her husband exchanged glances, hesitated, and then lowered their heads in silence.

"Well, if you can't say, I won't force you. Your arrival here is a rare fate indeed. Why don't you try my brew?"

"Wait!" A slightly boyish voice rang out. Everyone turned to see a teenager who had been lingering in the back of the crowd. "Grandmother, my name is Xiao Qi. I deliver vegetables in the town. I often help the Qin family with their deliveries. Ever since my parents died, the Qin family has been very kind to me, and I've always been grateful to them. If the Qin couple has to drink this tea, let me drink it for them. It'll give them some extra time to wait for who they're expecting. Would that be alright with you, Grandmother?"

The words flowed smoothly from the boy's mouth, obviously well-thought-out in his mind. After speaking, he looked at the old woman with hopeful eyes. The others around him seemed equally surprised, as the quiet and diligent Xiao Qi had never spoken so boldly before. They were all momentarily stunned.

"Hmm, good boy, good boy!" The old woman chuckled. "I haven't seen such gratitude in a long time, and from such a young one. It's truly remarkable."

"Phew~" Qin Shi, the tall and muscular man standing nearby, let out a breath after hearing those words. He thought, This old woman sounds like the boy won't have to drink that strange tea. The others around him shared the same sentiment. Although they had their own differences and conflicts, they seemed to agree on this matter that seemed unrelated to them. However, the young woman in the red dress who had arrived earlier, her shoulders trembled slightly.

The mist grew thicker, and the surrounding air seemed to chill even further.

Qin Shi gently embraced his wife as they listened intently to the old woman's soft yet profound words. "Alas, we stand within the Gates of the Underworld, at the end of the Yellow Spring Road, beside the Naihe Bridge and the Stone of Three Lives. The Hall of the Yama King is governed by strict laws, and the realm of the dead abides by its own set of rules. After death, spirits traverse the Gates of the Underworld in various ways. Crossing the Gates, they embark on the Yellow Spring Road, sip the tea of Meng Po, and traverse the Naihe Bridge. Thereafter, they are escorted by specialized guides to the Hall of the Yama King for judgment."

Here, her voice paused, and the old woman surveyed the crowd with her gaze. She continued slowly, "It has been said since ancient times that to reach the Hall of the Yama King, one must cross the River of Forgetfulness. To traverse that river, one must pass over the Naihe Bridge. And to ascend the Naihe Bridge, one must drink the tea of Meng Po. Yes, as you may have guessed, the River of Forgetfulness lies not far ahead, and I, am Meng Po. To pass, you must leave something behind. Therefore, regardless of what you do, the outcome will be the same: you must drink my tea."

Turning to Xiao Qi, she said, "Come child, since you have such a desire, let me prepare a cup of the most delicious brew for you to taste a flavor unknown in the mortal realm."

In truth, the world only knows of Meng Po's tea, but they are unaware that there are various kinds. Ordinary spirits, upon arriving in the underworld, are destined to drink Meng Po's tea twice. However, the two occasions carry subtle differences. The first time is when a person has recently passed away and must cross the Naihe Bridge to reach the Hall of the Yama King. At this juncture, the tea prepared by Meng Po is called Spirit-guiding tea. Its function is to ensure that the spirit traverses the Naihe Bridge unhindered by external disturbances, allowing it to swiftly pass to the other side in a new form. It was this tea that had transported the Taoist priest away.

The second occasion is well-known: it is before reincarnation, when the spirit crosses the Naihe Bridge again. People commonly refer to this tea as Meng Po's tea, but its true name is Soul-Severing tea! The meaning of Soul-Severing is to sever all ties with this life. All past deeds, good or bad, loves, hates, passions, and grudges dissipate with the tea's ingestion. From then on, the spirit is ready to be reborn.

Today, however, Meng Po held the old woman in high esteem for her willingness to step forward and ease the crowd's dilemma, despite their initial reluctance to drink her tea. Therefore, the tea she prepared this time was different. It was called Soul-Anchoring tea. Its purpose was to aid new spirits in adjusting to the new environment of the underworld. If a person in the mortal realm died unexpectedly, due to illness, hunger, thirst, or any other cause, drinking the Soul-Anchoring tea would alleviate any lingering pain from their death.

Meng Po reached for her ladle, smiling as she dipped it into the small pot, stirring the contents. Steam rose, drifting into the air and mingling with the dark mist.

Qin Shi suddenly sensed an abnormality in the corner and turned his head. It was the red-clothed woman, who seemed unable to bear the cold, shivering even more violently now.

As the aroma began to waft through the air, it ensnared everyone's senses. Their eyes glistened with desire, even the delicate Qin lady couldn't help but swallow repeatedly, eager to grasp the cup. The young man who had been sitting motionless beside the massive bluish stone regained his wits and turned his gaze towards the commotion. Meng Po, the creator of this enticing brew, smiled contentedly as she sniffed the tea she had carefully crafted.

With a flick of her finger, the powdered ingredients settled at the bottom of the cup. Grasping the white porcelain vessel with her left hand and waving her right index finger gracefully, she released a delicate fragrance that hovered in the air. The scent was subtle yet irresistibly captivating.

As the crowd's excitement reached a fevered pitch, Xiao Qi calmly approached Meng Po and slowly reached out to accept the cup. Upon seeing the boy's serene expression, Meng Po was astonished. How could it be? As the keeper of the Soul-Anchoring tea for thousands of years, she had never encountered anyone who could resist its enchanting effects. Was this young man's origin truly so unusual? It was implausible! Even the gods dared not underestimate her tea-making skills. How could a mere youth resist them? But the fact remained that the boy seemed unaffected. How could she explain this? Could it be that there was a flaw in her Soul-Anchoring tea's brewing method?

With these thoughts in mind, Meng Po decided to seek answers to her puzzle. She raised her eyes and noticed that Xiao Qi was holding the cup with his left hand and slowly rotating it with his right, as if lost in contemplation of the famous Meng Po tea. Just as Meng Po was lost in her thoughts, Xiao Qi gently lifted the cup to his lips, ready to take a sip.

"Child, how does the tea smell? Is it fragrant?" Meng Po asked kindly.

"Oh?" Xiao Qi sniffed lightly and replied, "It doesn't seem to have much of a scent."

"Eh?" Meng Po was slightly alarmed by his response and quickly asked, "Really? No scent at all? Try sniffing it again carefully."

"Oh, yes! It's like...there's a faint, strange odor. It's like the scent of bitter greens mixed with the aroma of the ear of a creature!"

"Ah?" Meng Po was perplexed. Although souls lose their five senses upon entering the underworld, they retain some functions initially, certainly enough to detect such a powerful aroma.

Suddenly, Qin Shi spoke up, "No, Xiao Qi, there's a kind of indescribable fragrance to it, but it's definitely not the scent of bitter greens or creature ears. Wait, bitter greens and creature ears? Wasn't that the dish you delivered to our house that day? It was called Thousand-Mile Fragrance, right?"

"Oh, yeah!" Xiao Qi realized with a jerk of his head as he sniffed his fingers and collar. "Grandmother, what I smelled earlier was the aroma of that dish I delivered to the Qin residence some time ago. I didn't expect it to still be lingering now. But even with the strongest scents, it's hard for me to detect them clearly because I caught a cold while sleeping those days and my nose has been blocked ever since."

"Ah!" Meng Po felt a mix of annoyance and impatience after hearing this. She had thought that this young man was some great figure who could resist her personally crafted Soul-Anchoring tea. It was just a cold that had blocked his nose! That explained why she hadn't detected anything special about him. Nevertheless, this youngster had unknowingly tricked her, a feat unseen in a thousand years.

Slightly displeased, Meng Po lost patience and waved her gray sleeve, saying, "Oh, so that's it. Well, then, while the tea is still hot, drink it quickly and don't waste my good intentions."