After Nan Yi fell into a coma, her consciousness drifted aimlessly, and she didn't know where she was. When she finally stopped, she found herself in front of a palace. The surroundings were dark and silent, and the sky was shrouded in a cold mist. Only this palace was radiant with light and color, and the three large black and gold characters in front of the palace were particularly imposing.

"The Palace of Hades," she thought, "it looks so familiar. I think I used to come here often, but I can't remember when I came." Many fantastical fragments flashed through her mind, but when she tried to recall them, she found that her memory was becoming blurry and her mind suddenly went blank.

She shook her head slightly and glanced at the surrounding scenery. The scene before her changed again, with a large expanse of golden datura flowers, alluring and strange, swaying without wind. Damn it, how did she know they were datura, and why was she so certain of it?

Nan bent down and looked closely at the flower. The flower, as if seeing her, gently swayed its head, as if to greet her.

Just as she was wondering, she noticed something strange behind her. Someone was there. She turned around and saw a monk with a jade-like face staring at her intently. His eyes were clear as water and he had a gentle smile on his face, which made her feel inexplicably calm.

She smiled back and blurted out, "Bodhisattva, how have you been?"

Huh—she knows him? He's like an old friend she hasn't seen in years. Although she can't remember him, she's felt something strange about this place ever since she came here, a strange familiarity that runs deep in her bones.

"Hope you've been well."

Before she could finish speaking, he teleported right in front of her. Nan's eyes widened, her mouth formed an "O," and she froze in shock. Wow, he flew, without even touching the ground.

The jade-faced monk then asked, "What brings Qinglian here?"

Qinglian? Is that her name? I think her name is Nan Yi, or maybe Tong Yilan. I can't remember which one it is, but I still answered, "I don't know. I just came here."

The jade-faced monk counted on his fingers, frowned, and looked at her with pity. Since he entered hell and was named the Lord of the Underworld, tens of thousands of years have passed, and only the Weeping Cry has kept him company in the underworld.

Afterwards, golden lotuses were born in the underworld, followed by the King of the Underworld, and the smallest was the blue lotus. Only then did they have a chance to grow and thrive. Over thousands of years, they have formed an inextricable bond.

Qinglian, in particular, grew up playing on Titing's back after cultivating her human form. Recently, Titing has been complaining that the underworld is unusually boring. Without the three troublemakers, the already quiet underworld is even more desolate and gloomy.

After a long while, the two stood quietly, and even so, they felt a sense of silence that spoke volumes, as if this was how it was supposed to be.

Concentrating, Nan Yi noticed something unusual at her feet. Looking down, she was slightly surprised to see a golden, long-haired lion gnawing at the hem of her skirt, its expression seemingly aggrieved and indignant, its eyes brimming with tears.

She was overjoyed, as if they hadn't seen each other for a long time. She bent down and hugged its neck tightly, her face sinking into a ball of long fur.

The golden lion scooped her onto its back, hoisted her up, and galloped away, leaving only the sound of silver bells and laughter echoing in the wind.

The jade-faced monk shook his head and chuckled, watching the backs of the man and beast as they rode away in the wind.

The golden lion led her on a wild run for a while. When they reached the banks of the River of Oblivion, Nan Yi, worried that it would get tired, gently patted its head a few times. It then slowed down and leisurely walked against the wind.

Nan Yi was taking a leisurely nap when Jin Shi stopped, and the ear she was holding perked up, listening intently. Sensing something amiss, she sat up and asked, "What's wrong?"

The golden lion raised its head slightly, gesturing for her to look ahead. She looked up, her expression unchanging, but it was indeed the Naihe Bridge spanning the River of Oblivion. Unchanged since time immemorial, it remained as precarious as ever. Day after day, year after year, long lines of the dead waited to cross the bridge. Those who reached the bridge would often fall into the river and be swallowed by the river's vengeful spirits. Even so, nothing could deter them from crossing the bridge.

Ten meters from the bridge, there was a ferry crossing, where many spirits lined up. The emaciated ferryman rowed a dilapidated boat, indifferent to the eager scrambling to board. Once the boat was full, he set off, ignoring the spirits who couldn't get out of the way and fell into the river. As the boat traveled into the middle of the river, it was hit by waves, rocking violently. In an instant, only two or three people on board reached the other side.

The golden lion carried her forward, following behind a female ghost. When they reached the front of the Yama King's palace, they slipped inside and hid in a corner to eavesdrop. The Yama King sensed something, glanced in their direction, and then ignored them.

Nan Yi glanced at Yama and found it amusing. Just as she had imagined, he had a dark face and a full beard, and he looked quite familiar. She was also getting used to the strange thoughts that kept popping into her head. In any case, everything in this place was strange, including her.

The hall was surrounded by iron cages, where many wronged ghosts, big and small, were imprisoned. Outside the cages, instruments of torture were piled up. Yama, the King of Hell, sat high in his hall and suddenly slammed his gavel, startling even Nan Yi.

"Who are you kneeling here, you little devil? State your name!" The loud shout made everyone's ears ring.

The kneeling female ghost trembled with fear and cried out, "I am Zhang Xiaoyue, a woman from the capital. I have come to pay my respects to Your Majesty, King Yama."

"Zhang Xiaoyue?" Yama muttered as he flipped through the Book of Life and Death. When he saw her name, he frowned and shouted, "You audacious Zhang Xiaoyue! You aided and abetted evil, poisoned people, and caused the deaths of thirty-two people. Your crimes are unforgivable. Guards, take her down to the eighteenth level of hell to be punished!"

The ox-headed and horse-faced figures stepped forward, saying, "Yes, sir!"

The woman kneeling on the ground crawled forward, crying out, "Your Honor, you are innocent! Your Honor, you are innocent! I had no choice but to do it. Please, Your Honor, spare me!"

King Yama slammed his gavel again and roared, "How dare you poison people and cause the deaths of dozens of people? How can you claim innocence?"

The female ghost cried out urgently, "My lord, please hear my story, my lord?"

"speak"

"My lord, I did not mean it. I was just a lowly servant girl. I dare not disobey my master's orders. Please see the truth."

“Soliciting excuses,” he said, raising his hand and pointing into the air. A clear image suddenly appeared in the air, showing Zhang Xiaoyue’s figure.

She whispered to a maid in green, then sprinkled some powder into a plate of pastries, packed it up, and left the courtyard. As she passed two large sycamore trees, the scenery outside the courtyard gate seemed familiar to Nan Yi, but she couldn't quite place it. Even when Jin Shi turned to look at her, she didn't notice.

The woman went into the inner kitchen, where many people were busy. She stood next to a plump girl, took out some pastries from a box, and put them down.

Just then, the chubby girl was talking to a woman. The woman took out a piece of pastry and gave it to the girl. The chubby girl leaned forward and blocked the woman's view.

She took the opportunity to move the pastry with the toppings to the same spot as the fat girl's. Then, she pretended to chat with someone else, but her eyes kept glancing at the table. The fat girl turned around, packed the pastry into a box, and took it along with the toppings, disappearing from sight.

The King of Hell glared angrily and shouted, "Do you have anything else to say? You're really stubborn to the end. Drag him away."

The female ghost collapsed to the ground, her shoulders trembling, as the ghost messengers dragged her away.

Nan Yi stared blankly, unaware that the golden lion had carried her out of the underworld. Her thoughts were elsewhere, and she walked off the golden lion's back in a daze, standing in front of a patch of bright red flowers, lost in thought. The golden lion also walked over, and then, taking advantage of her unpreparedness, swept her away with a palm.