Chapter 5 Love Dream

Chapter 5 Love Dream

Chapter 5 Love Dream
At the Naihe Bridge, many ghosts who are about to return to the world of the living pass by here every day. After drinking the bowl of Mengpo soup, forget everything in this life and welcome the beginning of a new life. Originally, the person who made the soup here was an old woman, and everyone in the underworld called her Mengpo. But from today on, this job has been handed over to a young girl. The reason is that Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva felt that the practice of forcing those disobedient ghosts to drink Mengpo soup in order to improve the efficiency of reincarnation was really inhumane and disrespectful to the ghosts. In any case, this compassionate Bodhisattva wanted these ghosts to be able to calmly let go of their obsessions in their previous lives and voluntarily embark on the road to a new life at the last moment when they were about to enter a new life. For this reason, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva specially chose Mengpo's granddaughter, the innocent and lovely Xiaomeng girl, to take on this important task.

Xiao Meng has been carefully cared for and raised by Meng Po since she was a child. In addition to her beautiful appearance and moving voice, she also has a simple and gentle personality. This can be said to be extremely rare in the gloomy and depressing underworld. The breath of youth and vitality exuded by her is incomparable to an old woman like Meng Po, and the ghosts should be willing to open their hearts to her. The Bodhisattva also built a forget-worry hut at the head of the Naihe Bridge. Every soul will enter this room, and Xiao Meng will offer them Meng Po soup. And persuade them to drink this bowl of soup willingly. The Bodhisattva's request is also very simple. In any case, within ten minutes, it is the time for Xiao Meng to communicate with these ghosts, and the ghosts cannot be forced. But after ten minutes, the ghost must walk out of this room. If the ghost is still unwilling to drink the bowl of soup in his hand at this time, it is up to them. The horse-faced ghost standing next to Xiao Meng will take action by himself, or the old way, force it!

Just like that, today is Xiao Meng's first day to replace Meng Po at the Naihe Bridge. The ghosts will soon line up to cross the bridge and come to her. Xiao Meng seldom communicates with other ghosts. Apart from her grandmother Meng Po, she is only familiar with Niu Tou and Ma Mian. In the underworld, apart from the ghosts, only Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva has spoken to Xiao Meng a few times. The Bodhisattva likes this child very much, and Xiao Meng also likes the Bodhisattva very much. She thinks he is the most kind and gentle person in the world except for her grandmother. Therefore, she is very concerned about the Bodhisattva's entrustment this time, and thinks about how to comfort those sad ghosts. At this time, a faint cry gradually came from not far away. Niu Tou had brought the first batch of ghosts to the other side of the bridge. Ma Mian nodded to Niu Tou, and Niu Tou took the first ghost onto the bridge and gradually walked in front of Xiao Meng.

Xiao Meng carefully looked at the ghost in front of her. This was a middle-aged female ghost, trembling all over, sobbing as hard as she could. She could only bury her head very low, but one could still see drops of tears falling from her cheeks. Xiao Meng took her hand, pulled her into the hut and sat down, and said gently: "Everything in the past is over. As long as you drink this bowl of soup, you can forget all the sad things in the past and gain a new life."

Xiao Meng smiled and brought Meng Po soup to the ghost girl, but the ghost girl was like a demon, howling and crying crazily. No matter what Xiao Meng said, the ghost girl did not respond, but just kept crying. Xiao Meng tried every way to communicate with her, but she couldn't do it at all. Time passed by, and Xiao Meng could only comfort the crying ghost girl. At this time, the door of the house was suddenly opened, and the horse-faced man came up with the soul-catching lock and said to Xiao Meng: "The time has come, I will take her out." The horse-faced man put the soul-catching lock on the ghost girl, and the ghost girl stopped crying and showed a painful expression. The horse-faced man dragged her out of the house, and the little ghost next to her took the opportunity to pry open her mouth and poured a full bowl of soup into her. After the ghost girl drank Meng Po soup, she gradually stopped shouting, crying and struggling. Finally, she said a sentence: "Bitter! So bitter!" As the words ended, the ghost girl's eyes gradually lost their spirit. The horse-faced demon put away the soul-catching lock, and the little demon led the female demon forward step by step. At this time, the female demon followed the little demon who led the way unconsciously, with no expression on her face...

Xiao Meng witnessed all this and felt that something was wrong, but she couldn't figure out what it was. She lowered her head and murmured, "I didn't comfort her well enough."

The Horse-Faced Ghost said, "You have done very well. The obsessions in the hearts of these ghosts are not so easy to eliminate. There is no better ending than having someone to talk to at the last moment and being treated so gently. Don't think too much. If this one doesn't work, there is always the next one. You will always succeed."

Xiao Meng nodded and walked back to the house. At this time, another ghost had been brought over by the Bull Head. This was the ghost of a middle-aged man. The Horse Face signaled the man to go into the room. The man did not resist, but slowly opened the door and came to Xiao Meng.

Xiao Meng carefully looked at the ghost in front of him. He was dressed neatly and had standard etiquette, but he was very nervous and uneasy in every move, and his face revealed a sad expression. Xiao Meng smiled at him, trying to ease his nervousness, and then asked, "Is there anything that makes you sad? Can you tell me about it?"

The man's ghost smiled bitterly and said, "I never thought my life would end so soon. My wife and I had just gotten married and our children were still very young. I couldn't imagine what they would do without me."

Xiao Meng said: "Human life is short in nature, and one can die at any time. This is not uncommon. There are many people like you who left their families very early. But when you experience reincarnation and gain a new life, you will have new family and friends. This is the case for everyone, so why should you dwell on the karma of this life?"

The man's ghost shouted angrily: "You don't understand how important they are to me! I don't want an afterlife. I just want to live well for them in this life. If I lose them, I don't know what the meaning of my life is."

Xiao Meng said: "Calm down. Everyone will experience the separation of life and death sooner or later. This is the law of nature. How can you always be with them?"

The ghost said, "Even so, why now? This is unfair! I can accompany them until they grow old, and then die peacefully with my family by my side. If that were the case, I would definitely have no regrets."

Xiao Meng said: "I have seen many ghosts in the underworld. They often say that if their lives were this or that, they would have no regrets, but in fact they all have regrets. The Bodhisattva said: 'The desires of life can never be satisfied, but all living beings are trapped in dreams and cannot extricate themselves. In the end, when they wake up from the dream, everything is empty.'"

The man's ghost suddenly howled hysterically: "No! No! This is not a dream! How could this be a dream! I don't want reincarnation, I want to go back to them!" The horse-faced ghost heard the shouting from inside the house, immediately opened the door, and put the soul-catching lock on the ghost. The man's ghost struggled in vain and was dragged out of the house by the horse-faced ghost. The ghosts outside the house skillfully opened his mouth and poured a bowl of soup into his mouth. Gradually, the man's ghost stopped struggling, his eyes gradually became blurred and dull, and he let the ghosts lead him forward, as if he had forgotten everything he loved...

Xiao Meng looked at the ghost's back as it gradually went away, feeling a little lost. Seeing this, the Horse-Faced Guard quickly comforted her, "People are like this. The one they are most reluctant to part with is the one they love. Xiao Meng, you don't have to be sad. When he reincarnates, he will have a new family. By then, he will have already forgotten everything now and will enjoy a happy new life."

Xiao Meng nodded absentmindedly and sat back down in the room. Horse-Faced Man sighed, ran to the other side of the bridge, and said to Ox-Headed Man, "Brother, what's wrong with you? Are all the ghosts sent here today so difficult? Xiao Meng is only on the first day of work today, can't you just let two simple ghosts come over first?"

Niu Tou said, "Brother, the time of reincarnation is determined by the Judge and the King of Hell. Who comes first and who comes last is all arranged, you know this too! How dare I change it privately?"

The horse-faced ghost said, "First, send two ghosts who are not so obsessed and easy to persuade over here, so that we can open the shop. It won't be too late to come in order after that. It won't take long. You and I are brothers. If you don't tell me and I don't tell you, how can others know?"

Upon hearing this, Niutou smiled and stretched out three fingers towards Horse-Faced Demon.

The Horse-Faced Guard quickly said, “Okay, okay! As long as you agree, I will treat you to steamed buns from Hell, sashimi from Knife Mountain Hell, and barbecue from Volcano Hell!”

Hearing this, Niutou smiled helplessly and shook his head, sighing, "If I become your brother, you will kill me sooner or later!" Niutou looked around the ghost team, picked out two ghosts, and said to Mamian, "Let's go, brother, there will be no problem this time!" Niutou and Mamian each carried a ghost and came to Xiaomeng's room again. Mamian pushed the ghost in his hand.

Xiao Meng carefully looked at the ghost in front of her. It was a very young female ghost with an angry expression on her face. Xiao Meng asked, "Is there something that makes you angry? Can you tell me about it?"

The female ghost said, "That guy with a horse's head just threw me in like an object. I will make him pay when I get out!"

Xiao Meng chuckled and said, "You can't beat him. He is a ghost fairy from the underworld. He is very powerful."

The female ghost said, "Ghost immortals are so great? Can ghost immortals just throw people around like things? They don't even treat me as a human being!"

Xiao Meng said: "You are indeed no longer a human being. You are dead now and are a ghost."

The female ghost said again: "That's too disrespectful to ghosts!"

Xiao Meng smiled again and said, "You are much better now. If it were before, you would have already drunk Meng Po's soup and reincarnated. Is there anything you are still lingering on or reluctant to let go of?"

The female ghost said, "I have nothing to be reluctant to leave."

Xiao Meng said, "That's great! Drink this bowl of soup quickly and welcome a new life."

The ghost girl asked, "If I drink this bowl of soup, will I forget everything in my life?"

Xiao Meng said: "Yes, luckily you don't have anything you particularly love. As long as you drink this bowl of soup, you will be able to reincarnate and be reborn."

The ghost girl said, "That won't do. I can forget other things, but I will never forget that unfaithful man. If I have to reincarnate, I will definitely seek revenge on him!"

Xiao Meng: "Ah? Why do you hate him so much?"

The female ghost said, "He kept saying he loved me, but he abandoned me and got together with another woman. I gave so much to him, but he repaid me with hatred. He killed me, how can I forget such hatred?"

Xiao Meng said: "But you can't always live in the hatred of the past. It will be very painful. You should look forward and strive for a better future."

The ghost girl said, "You don't understand how much I hate him. Revenge on him is the only thing I want to do. Apart from this, I am not interested in anything else. If I have to forget my hatred for him in order to be reborn, then I would rather not be reborn than forget this deep-rooted hatred."

Xiao Meng looked at the ghost in front of her, silent and not knowing what to say. At this moment, the door of the room was opened again, and the time was up. The horse-faced man used the soul-catching lock again and pulled the ghost out...

Seeing this, Niu Tou smiled awkwardly and said, "Sorry, brother. I didn't expect the hatred in her heart was so deep... Don't worry, there will be no problem!" As he said that, he pushed the ghost in his hand in.

Xiao Meng carefully looked at the ghost in front of her. It was a fat uncle ghost in his forties, wearing expensive clothes and gorgeous jewelry, and looked like a "successful person" in the eyes of the world. This time, before Xiao Meng could speak, the fat uncle spoke first: "Little girl, you are so beautiful. Just like the white roses blooming in my garden at home."

Xiao Meng asked: "What is a white rose?"

The fat uncle said, "Have you never seen a rose? A white rose is beautiful and pure."

Xiao Meng said: "I have never seen a flower, so I don't know what the flower you are talking about looks like."

The fat uncle was surprised and said, "Ah! So there are no flowers here. That's too bad. Flowers are the most beautiful things in the world. As long as you see them, you will be deeply attracted by them, and appreciating them is the most beautiful thing in the world. Flowers can bring happiness to people's hearts."

Xiao Meng said, "It sounds great, but I still can't imagine what the flower looks like."

The fat uncle said, "There are many kinds of flowers, and their shapes are different. The petals of roses overlap, and they are about to burst out, passionate and unrestrained. Chrysanthemums open and close, as if the world is contained in one flower. Plum blossoms are small but strong, cold and resolute. Orchids are upright and harmonious, like gentlemen among humans. I have a collection of all kinds of famous flowers at home, but it's a pity that I can't go back." The fat uncle said with a sad expression.

Xiao Meng comforted him, "After drinking Meng Po soup, you will forget the things in your past life. But after reincarnation, you can still see the flowers in the human world!"

The fat uncle said, "No, how can they be the same? My flowers are carefully selected. They are the most valuable varieties in the world. They are carefully cultivated by me and grow little by little. They are the only things I love. Whether I am happy or sad, they are the only ones by my side. If I lose them, I don't know what the meaning of my life is. Little girl, you really should go and see all kinds of flowers with your own eyes. A world with flowers is a truly beautiful world. I can guarantee that you will fall in love with them."

Xiao Meng listened to the uncle's words and became very interested in beautiful things like "flowers", although she still couldn't imagine what flowers looked like. This time, Xiao Meng changed from a narrator to a listener. She just listened quietly to the fat uncle talking about the types, shapes, and colors of various flowers, immersed in the infinite reverie of the beauty of flowers. With a creak, the door of the room was pushed open again, and Ma said to the uncle's ghost: "Hello, the time is up, please follow us."

The uncle stood up reluctantly, looked back at Xiao Meng, and followed the horse-faced man out. The ghosts brought Meng Po soup to the uncle's ghost. The uncle snorted coldly and turned his head to the other side. Seeing this, several ghosts rushed over and threw him to the ground, forcing him to drink a bowl of soup. Then they carried the uncle who was already unconscious and continued to move forward step by step. Seeing this, Niu Tou could only smile awkwardly again and said to the horse-faced man: "Brother, I'm really sorry, I didn't expect his obsession with flowers is so deep, otherwise I will treat you to a volcanic hell barbecue!"

The Horse-Faced Guard sighed helplessly. Xiao Meng watched helplessly what was happening in front of her, and asked the Horse-Faced Guard sadly, "Uncle Horse-Faced Guard, are the flowers really as beautiful as that uncle said?"

The Horse-Faced Man said, "For people who like flowers, they are indeed the most beautiful. I haven't seen flowers for a long time, and I almost forgot what they look like."

Xiao Meng asked, "Uncle Horse-Faced, have you ever seen flowers?" Horse-Faced said, "I saw them a long, long time ago, before I came to the underworld."

Xiao Meng murmured, "That's great! I wish I could see the flowers, too..."

In the next few days, many ghosts came to communicate with Xiao Meng every day, but as expected, no ghost was willing to listen to Xiao Meng's advice and drink Meng Po soup to forget everything in the past and welcome a new life. Xiao Meng's mood was always low.

Seeing Xiao Meng being unhappy every day, Horse-Faced was very worried, so he asked Ox-Headed to discuss with him, "Brother, do you know where to find flowers?"

Niutou was surprised and said, "Flowers? You mean you want to find flowers in the underworld? I think you are really old and confused! There is not even a blade of grass here, how can there be flowers?"

The Horse-Faced Mask said, "I mean the underworld is so big, what if there is one? Think about it, even though we don't have it here, I think the Bodhisattva may have it."

Niu Tou said, "You are so bold! Let's not talk about whether there are flowers in the Bodhisattva's place. Even if there are, what realm is the Bodhisattva in? How can two little ghosts like you and me easily see it? I think you should stop imagining it."

The Horse-Faced Guard said firmly: "Even if there is only a glimmer of hope, I must give it a try."

Niutou cursed: "You are committing evil, just do it, sooner or later you will kill yourself!"

The Horse-Faced Guard smiled and said, "If I were really gone, you would be very lonely, brother."

Niu Tou said: "Why am I lonely? I'm just afraid that you will be gone and I will have to do your job. I will be exhausted to death by then."

The Horse-Faced Man smiled and stopped talking. The Ox-Headed Man thought for a moment and said, "I have heard the ghosts and immortals mention this before. According to Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, there is really a flower in the underworld called 'Bianhua', also known as 'Mandragora'. It is the last flower to bloom in the season. When the tea flowers bloom, only the flowers that bloom on the other side of the river are left. According to the Buddhist scriptures, "Bianhua blooms for a thousand years and falls for a thousand years. The flowers and leaves never meet. Love is not a cause and effect, but fate determines life and death." The Horse-Faced Man murmured, "The flowers that bloom on the other side of the river... Could it be that the flowers are on the bank of the Wangchuan River!"

Niutou said, "It's very likely! If there really is such a flower, it must be there."

Upon hearing this, Horse-Faced Guard stood up and was about to leave, but Ox-Headed Guard quickly stopped him and said, "You are not allowed to enter that place without permission. You need to be careful." Horse-Faced Guard nodded, and the two of them agreed to sneak into the underworld late at night when the ghosts are howling to find out what's going on.

In the deep night of the underworld, there is only endless darkness. No light, such as sunlight, moonlight, lamplight, firelight, candlelight, etc., can reach here. The ghosts sank in the endless darkness, and their confused and fearful howls resounded throughout the underworld. Taking advantage of the night, Niu Tou and Ma Mian, relying on their familiarity with the road in their memories, quickly crossed the Naihe Bridge and headed straight for the endless abyss behind the bridge. They had never been to the Wangchuan River, but they knew that the Naihe Bridge must be very far away from there. In the pitch-black darkness, they could only run forward side by side. They didn't know how long they had been running, but suddenly there was a little light in front of them. As they ran closer and closer, the light gradually became clearer. They were stunned by the scene in front of them. In front of them, there was a blooming flower like a fiery red carpet, and countless fireflies gathered here, illuminating the entire flower bush. Niutou was surprised when he saw this, "I didn't expect that in the dead of night in the underworld, when hundreds of ghosts are howling, there is still light here!" Horse-Faced Guard walked forward, gently picked a few red spider lilies, carefully placed them in his arms, nodded to Niutou, and walked back. Unexpectedly, when he looked up, he caught a glimpse of an old lady, who was concentrating on stirring the soup in a big pot with a spoon by the Wangchuan River. Horse-Faced Guard motioned Niutou to look over there. Niutou took a look and was immediately frightened and turned pale. He quickly waved to Horse-Faced Guard to come back. Horse-Faced Guard lowered his footsteps and quickly returned to Niutou. Niutou pulled Horse-Faced Guard and quietly withdrew from the flowers, and then ran wildly again, running straight to the Naihe Bridge. The Horse-Faced Ghost panted and said to the Ox-Headed Ghost, "If I'm not mistaken, isn't that Meng Po? How come she is there?" The Ox-Headed Ghost said, "It is said that the ingredients of Meng Po Soup include the water of the Wangchuan River and the petals of the red spider lily. So it seems to be true. Other ghosts once said that Meng Po was obsessed with the seasoning of Meng Po Soup and always tried various methods to improve the taste of the soup. However, thousands of years have passed, and it seems that she is still trying. This shows that despite thousands of years of research and attempts, she still hasn't found a taste that satisfies her. That old woman has a very strange personality, so it's better for us not to provoke her. That's why I took you and ran away before she discovered us."

The Horse-Faced Guard said, "Brother, I really want to thank you for getting this flower this time!" The Bull-Headed Guard said generously, "We are brothers, why should I say thank you?" Then he extended his iconic three fingers. The Horse-Faced Guard smiled and said, "Don't worry, you will definitely be indispensable this time!"

On this day, Xiao Meng came to the house near the Naihe Bridge very early as usual. She pushed the door open and found a porcelain vase on the table. In the vase was something that looked very much like the beggars mentioned by the fat uncle ghost. Xiao Meng carefully observed the bouquet of flowers and gradually revealed a knowing smile. The horse-faced ghost standing at the door had already been frozen in place by her smile, as if everything in the world had stopped at this moment. The horse-faced ghost stared at her stupidly until Xiao Meng called out, "Uncle Horse-faced Ghost?"

The Horse-Faced Guard finally came to his senses, smiled slightly, and said, "Stop calling me uncle all the time. It makes me look old. In fact, according to the age of the underworld, I am not much older than you. You should call me brother."

Xiao Meng smiled and said, "Okay, Brother Horse Face, did you find this flower for me?" Horse Face said, "Yes, I did find it. It's called the Red Spider Lily, also known as the Mandragora Flower. How about it? Do you like it?"

Xiao Meng said: "I like it very much, thank you, Brother Horse-faced."

The Horse-Faced Guard was immersed in inexplicable joy, enjoying indescribable happiness, but was suddenly interrupted by a shout. It turned out that the Bull-Headed Guard had already lined up today's ghosts on the other side of the bridge. Today's ghosts were indeed the same as usual, immersed in the bits and pieces of their lives. In the end, they all relied on the Horse-Faced Guard's soul-catching lock, or the little ghost's forced intoxication. In a blink of an eye, there was only one ghost left.

Xiao Meng carefully looked at the ghost in front of him. This was the ghost of a young man wearing glasses. Although his clothes were very unique, he had a calm demeanor, as if the gloomy environment of the underworld did not affect him. Xiao Meng said, "You seem very different, different from the ghosts I have met before."

The man's ghost smiled and asked, "What's the difference?" Xiao Meng said, "The ghosts I met before all had strong emotions, such as fear, unwillingness, anger, sadness, etc., which can be seen at a glance. But you don't seem to show these emotions."

The man said, "Humans are not plants or trees, so who can be heartless? I just try my best to reconcile reason and emotion so that I don't lean towards either side. If a person is too rational, life will be boring. On the contrary, if he is too emotional, it will inevitably increase his sorrow, so it is better to compromise."

Xiao Meng asked, "Aren't you afraid of death? Is there nothing left in this world that you would miss?"

The man said: "I am indeed not afraid of death, but I still have things in this world that I miss."

Xiao Meng asked, "Everyone is afraid of death? Why aren't you afraid?"

The man said, "Because there is nothing left in this world that I would miss."

Xiao Meng said: "But you just said that you still have things in the world of the living that you miss. Isn't this contradictory?"

The man said, "This is not contradictory. The person I miss, whether I am still in that world or not, her life will no longer have anything to do with me. I can't give her anything, so I say that I have nothing to miss. She and I are like the mandragora in this vase. When the flower blooms, you can't see the leaves, and when there are leaves, you can't see the flower. The flower and the leaves never meet, and they miss each other forever. The reason why I say that I still have something to miss is just that I still love her."

Xiao Meng said: "I feel nostalgic and yet I don't want to leave. Although I don't quite understand, it feels a bit sad. So are you willing to drink Meng Po soup and go to reincarnation?"

The man said: "I don't want to, even if I am dead now, even if she and I will never meet again, I still don't want to forget her.

Xiao Meng said: "Just because you don't want to forget, you give up the chance to be reborn? In my opinion, this is not a rational behavior, it is too emotional!"

The man smiled and said, "Perhaps you are right. I will drink it. But not for the so-called new life, or to voluntarily forget everything now."

Xiao Meng asked: "Why is this?"

The man said, "Because I have no choice! If I don't have to drink it, I definitely won't drink it. But whether I want to or not, I still have to drink it in the end. Rather than being manipulated by those little devils, I might as well drink it myself."

Xiao Meng was silent for a while after hearing this, and then asked, "In fact, I have never understood why all the ghosts are unwilling to drink Meng Po soup. Some ghosts have many beautiful and happy memories, and it is understandable that they don't want to forget them. But some ghosts' lives are obviously full of pain and lost memories, but they are unwilling to forget these and welcome a new life. Why is that?"

The man said, "Whether happy or sad, they are all proof of their unique existence. Little girl, what do you think life is? Is it just a body that is gradually aging and decaying? That's totally wrong! Before I entered this room, I never felt that I was dead. But after entering this room, I really felt that death was getting closer and closer to me..."

The door of the room was opened again, but the horse-faced man did not throw out the soul-catching lock. The man's ghost had already taken the bowl in his hand the moment the door was opened, and finally smiled at Xiao Meng and said, "Little girl, you really should go to the human world to have a look. It's beautiful there, with many interesting things, at least more beautiful than here." After that, the man's ghost drank the soup in the bowl and gradually fell asleep.

Xiao Meng stared blankly at the man lying on the table, tears falling from the corners of her eyes. Suddenly, she stood up and ran out of the house. Seeing this, the horse-faced man chased after her. Xiao Meng ran home in one breath and cried to Meng Po, "We actually killed those ghosts, right?"

Meng Po looked at Xiao Meng and said sternly, "What are you talking about? They are already dead."

Xiao Meng shouted, "No, no! They are not dead, but their bodies no longer exist, but their souls are still alive. And your soup killed their souls..."

Meng Po sighed helplessly and said, "You have listened to so many sutras taught by the Bodhisattva, but you still have the distinction between life and death."

Xiao Meng said, "I just met a ghost, very different from the others. I have heard before that many ghosts are sad because they can't bear to leave the people they live with, and are unwilling to accept new life. This is understandable. But the person he is thinking about has no contact with him in his life. He just doesn't want to forget, and he doesn't want to forget until his death... He is willing to give up his new life for this. I used to think that life is the most precious thing, but now, I understand that I don't even know what life is, so how can I understand why it is so precious? I am tired of everything in the underworld, and I don't want to stay here anymore. I want to go to the human world to see those beautiful things they talk about. Sunshine, rain, mountains, rivers, animals and plants. I want to know what the meaning of life is..."

Meng Po looked at Xiao Meng, took a deep breath and said, "Okay, go if you want. However, any reincarnation of a ghost must drink Meng Po soup. If you have made up your mind, I will help you."

Xiao Meng said, "I have made up my mind." Then she turned and left, and no one knew where she went.

The Horse-Faced Guard had been hiding nearby and eavesdropped on their conversation. After Xiao Meng left, the Horse-Faced Guard walked in and asked Meng Po, "Grandma, are you getting old and confused? How could you agree to let Xiao Meng go to the human world? There are the sufferings of birth, aging, sickness and death in the human world, as well as the troubles of separation from loved ones, resentment, failure to obtain what one desires, the five elements, etc. How could you bear to do that?"

Meng Po said: "She insisted on going. What can I do? Every ghost has the right to reincarnate. She is willing to drink Meng Po soup and go to reincarnation. No one has the right to stop her." Upon hearing this, Horse-Faced Demon stomped his feet in anger, turned around and chased after Xiao Meng.

Xiao Meng sat alone at the Naihe Bridge with her hands holding her chin, wondering what she was thinking about. Horse-Faced Guard came to Xiao Meng, sat down beside her, and advised: "Xiao Meng, don't listen to the ghosts talking about how beautiful the world is, and be tempted by the worldly desires. Nothing in the world of beauty can last forever, and sometimes it's not as comfortable as the underworld!" Xiao Meng said: "I know, but even so, I still want to see what that short-lived beauty that no one wants to forget looks like." Horse-Faced Guard wanted to say something else, but when he saw Xiao Meng's determined eyes, he didn't know how to start.

Xiao Meng left, and it was Meng Po who personally gave her Meng Po soup to drink. After Xiao Meng left, Meng Po once again took over the job of feeding soup to all the ghosts. Unlike Xiao Meng, Meng Po would doze off in a rocking chair as soon as she entered the house every day. She never communicated with the ghosts when they came in, and let them do whatever they wanted. There were neat rows of soup bowls on the table, and she didn't mind at all even though no ghost took the initiative to drink. As time passed, the ghosts were pulled out by the little ghosts, and another ghost was put down and came in again, but she never cared.

Since Xiao Meng left, Horse-Faced has been in a bad mood all day. Seeing this, Ox-Head said worriedly, "Brother, you can't do this! How about we go to the Knife Mountain Hell, eat sashimi, and have a few drinks together?"

The Horse-Faced Guard suddenly grabbed the Bull-Headed Guard's hand and said, "Brother, I have decided. I want to go to the human world, to Xiao Meng's side. You have to help me!"

Niu Tou roared, "Are you crazy? Why don't you want to be a ghost fairy and go to the human world?"

The Horse-Faced Guard said, "Brother, take a good look at the place we live in! It is filled with sadness and confusion, and a desolate place with nothing. For thousands of years, we have been repeating the same work every day. I don't know what the meaning of such a life is. I have actually been tired of it for a long time. For me, Xiao Meng's existence is the only meaning of my survival..."

Niu Tou said: "Brother, calm down. If you want to enter reincarnation, you have to drink Meng Po soup. If you drink Meng Po soup, you will not remember anything. How can you find Xiao Meng? So forget it."

The Horse-Faced Guard said, "That's why I need your help. I plan not to drink Meng Po's soup and go to reincarnation secretly."

Niutou said angrily: "I think you are really crazy! That is a serious crime that violates the heavenly law. If you are caught, your soul will be torn apart. If you want to die, go by yourself. I will not be stupid with you."

The Horse-Faced Man said ashamedly, "Indeed, I was not thoughtful enough and almost got you into trouble. Well, I'll go by myself."

The night of the underworld fell again. Horse-faced man ran alone on the long road to the bank of the Wangchuan River, but his heart was full of excitement and joy. The little light gradually appeared in front of him, and the red spider lilies that bid farewell to the dead, became his hope at this moment. Horse-faced man tiptoed through the flowers and moved forward slowly. Suddenly, he heard a loud shout: "Who dares to trespass into the forbidden land of the underworld?" Horse-faced man looked up and saw that it was Meng Po standing in the air, staring at him with a pair of blood-red eyes.

The Horse-Faced Man secretly cried out in his heart, but said calmly, "Ah, isn't this Grandma? I had nothing to do late at night, so I came here to appreciate the flowers. I didn't expect Grandma to be here too."

Meng Po was not willing to believe his lies and said coldly, "One more step forward, into the bottom of the Wangchuan River, is the place of the six reincarnations. You really picked a good place to appreciate the flowers! Are you trying to sneak out of the underworld?"

The Horse-Faced Guard said, "What are you talking about, mother-in-law? How is that possible? I just came here to enjoy the flowers and wander around out of curiosity. How could I want to escape from the underworld?"

Meng Po said: "Well, you and I will go to the Bodhisattva's mount Di Ting and let him listen to you. If I really wronged you, I will apologize to you. But if you really want to sneak into the reincarnation, don't blame me for not remembering our past friendship."

Horse-faced man secretly groaned in his heart. He had long heard that the Di Ting under the Bodhisattva was a divine beast, with ears on the ground, which could distinguish the loyalty, treachery, good and evil of the three realms of beings. If he really went to the Di Ting with this woman, how could he hide his little thoughts? The Wangchuan River was right in front of him, and he was just a little bit away from escaping. He might as well give it a try, and maybe there was still a glimmer of hope. Horse-faced man thought to himself, and his right hand unconsciously reached for the soul-catching lock on his waist. Meng Po's eyes were so sharp that how could she not see the little action of Horse-faced man? His right hand behind his back had already grasped the big spoon used to make Meng Po's soup. In a flash, Horse-faced man had thrown the soul-catching lock and went straight for Meng Po. But Meng Po threw the long-handled soup spoon, and the soul-catching lock was tightly wrapped around the long-handled big spoon, but it did not stop the momentum of the spoon. The soup spoon went straight to Horse-faced man's left arm, and Horse-faced man had no time to dodge, and fell to the ground injured in an instant. Meng Po walked up to Horse-Faced Monster and said, "You little brat, how dare you fight with me? When I followed the Bodhisattva, you were not even born! According to the Heavenly Law, if you sneak into the reincarnation, your soul will be scattered. Don't blame me!" As Meng Po said this, she was about to attack Horse-Faced Monster.

At this moment, a roar was heard: "Grandma, please show mercy and don't harm my brother!" Then a steel fork fell from the sky and attacked Meng Po. Meng Po dodged and said with a smile: "Sure enough, there are accomplices, interesting!" Ox-headed appeared beside Horse-faced and helped him up.

The horse-faced man smiled bitterly and said, "I am so stupid. I shouldn't have told you at the beginning. I am going to implicate you again this time."

Niu Tou said, "You and I are brothers, why are you talking about getting involved or not?"

Meng Po looked at the Ox-Headed and Horse-Faced Devil and said, "Even if the two of you are combined, you are still no match for me. Now you only have two choices. If you want to reincarnate, drink this bowl of soup from my hand. As long as it does not violate the Heavenly Law, I will not stop you. Or you can go back and continue to be your ghost fairy. Considering our past friendship, I do not want to embarrass you. You can choose."

The Ox-Headed and Horse-Faced looked at each other, and the Horse-Faced suddenly smiled at Meng Po and said, "I choose the third way. I will definitely not drink Meng Po's soup. But who says I must reincarnate as a human? I am willing to enter the animal realm as long as I can be with Xiao Meng. Entering the animal realm does not require drinking Meng Po's soup, and this does not violate the Heavenly Law."

When these words came out, Niu Tou and Meng Po were both shocked. Niu Tou cried and advised: "Brother, why are you doing this?"

Meng Po couldn't bear it any longer and said, "Think carefully. Once you enter the animal realm, you will practice hard for a thousand years, but you will die in one day. Is it worth it?"

"As long as I can be with her, it's enough..."

Under the astonished gazes of Niutou and Mengpo, Horse-Faced Warrior moved forward with difficulty, gradually passing through the sea of ​​flowers, and once again held up a bunch of Mandragora flowers with his only remaining arm, and finally walked into the bottomless Forgotten River...

On the endless plain, a girl in white rode a sturdy white horse and galloped under the vast blue sky. The sun shone on the girl's youthful face, making her smile look even more beautiful. The white horse galloped with four hooves, constantly making high-pitched neighs, as if responding to the girl's innocent laughter...

(End of this chapter)