What shocked Zuan was not their appearance, after all, he had seen many more terrifying-looking demons in recent days, but that the other party looked very much like the Black and White Impermanence from the legends of his previous life!
His gaze fell on the black and white mourning stick in the hands of the two ghosts. The stick was covered with strips of cloth, making it look like a feather duster.
Zuan, however, dared not underestimate them, because he sensed that there seemed to be a power of rules on those two sticks, which seemed to be able to directly affect the soul.
"Another little devil has arrived. Looks like we'll be able to meet this month's targets," Black Impermanence said in a gruff voice. Although he was talking about something happy, there was no joy on his face.
On the contrary, Bai Wuchang said with a grin, "Yes, we can finally take a proper vacation."
Zuan: "???"
Why are these Black and White Impermanence acting like those working-class slaves from my past life, always thinking about taking a break and slacking off?
However, he quickly tensed up. He had important business to attend to and certainly couldn't let himself be taken away by these Black and White Impermanence. It seemed that a fierce battle was inevitable.
Those two mourning sticks from the other side seem to pose a great threat to my current state. It seems I need to take advantage of their current carelessness to launch a sneak attack, which should be able to achieve an instant kill.
Although Zuan made this judgment, he did not act immediately, as he had some reservations.
According to the myths and legends of the past, the Black and White Impermanence were official civil servants in the underworld, and their ranks seemed to be quite high.
If I kill the officials within the system as soon as I arrive in the Netherworld, wouldn't that put me on the opposite side of the entire Netherworld?
At that point, let alone completing the mission, they'll probably find themselves unable to move an inch in the underworld.
Just as they were struggling with their decision, Bai Wuchang suddenly spoke up: "Hmm, why does this little devil seem a bit special?"
Black Impermanence was also taken aback: "That's right, it's not an ordinary wandering ghost, and it seems to be quite strong."
As he spoke, he quietly picked up the mourning stick.
Zuan felt a chill run down his spine. It seemed he couldn't wait any longer. Even if he didn't kill them, he had to subdue them first.
Just as he was about to make his move, Bai Wuchang suddenly said, "There is a mysterious aura about you. Oh, it's a colleague. My apologies for not recognizing you."
"Colleague...?" Zu An was about to make a move when he heard this and was stunned. He had considered a million possibilities, but this was not one of them.
"Isn't that right?" Bai Wuchang put the mourning stick back behind his back, his expression becoming somewhat affectionate.
Zuan, however, remained vigilant, wondering if this guy was being two-faced and plotting a sneak attack.
He glanced at Black Impermanence and saw that he had also put away his mourning staff: "So you're the new ferryman of the River of Oblivion. Why didn't you say so earlier? You almost caused a misunderstanding."
Zuan was even more confused: "The ferryman of the River of Oblivion?"
Wait a minute, that mysterious giant said I was destined to be with the River of Oblivion, and that it used a drop of water from the River of Oblivion as a medium to perform a secret technique to allow me to enter the Netherworld in my current state. Could this be the identity it arranged for me?
Seeing his puzzled look, the Black and White Impermanence were taken aback for a moment, then laughed and said, "Brother, it's normal that you're unfamiliar with the situation here since you've just arrived in the Netherworld. Don't think that being a ferryman on the River of Oblivion is as arduous as rowing a boat, blacksmithing, and grinding tofu in your previous life. In the Netherworld, it's an extraordinary position. You must have accumulated a great deal of merit in your previous life to be appointed to such a position."
"I am new here and have not yet had the pleasure of learning your esteemed names." Zu An bowed. Since they were not to be enemies, he naturally wanted to cultivate a good relationship, which might be helpful for their upcoming actions.
Seeing his humble attitude, the Black and White Impermanence's expressions softened even more. The White Impermanence smiled and said, "We are the Black and White Impermanence of the Underworld. Whenever someone dies in the mortal realm, we go to summon their soul and bring it to the Underworld. We just sensed a new ghost and originally intended to bring it to the Underworld, but we didn't expect it to be you."
Zu An's heart skipped a beat; it was just as the legends said: "Isn't this the Netherworld?"
"Actually, it counts, but strictly speaking, you only truly enter the Netherworld after passing through the Gates of Hell," Black Impermanence explained.
"The Gates of Hell?" Zu'an had heard many legends about the Gates of Hell, and people would even say they had walked through the Gates of Hell when describing a life-or-death crisis. He never expected that this time he would really be going to pass through the Gates of Hell.
"Look, there it is." Bai Wuchang pointed ahead, and Zu An looked up and saw a huge archway not far away.
This archway has four pillars, forming three entrances. Each pillar is carved with ferocious sculptures, which should be some strange beasts from the underworld.
Above the three gates are seven pavilions of varying heights, with upturned eaves, but there are no actual rooms in those pavilions.
Such archways are commonplace, and the more powerful and wealthy a family is, the more magnificent their archways are.
However, the archway in front of us is so special because archways in the human world usually have vermilion pillars, and sometimes they are even paired with bright yellow glazed tiles.
But this archway was completely black, so black that it sent chills down one's spine.
The only difference is the color of the plaque directly above, which reads "Gate of the Underworld" in seven large gold characters.
Zu An felt a chill run down his spine, never expecting the gatekeeper of the underworld to look like this.
At this moment, he noticed two monsters standing on either side of the Gate of Hell. Both were human, but one had a bull's head and the other had a horse's face.
"Ox-headed and horse-faced demons?" Zu An was momentarily dazed as beings from mythological stories from his past life appeared one after another.
At this moment, the Black and White Impermanence explained from the side: "They are the guardians of the Gate of Hell. Sometimes some ghosts escape from the Netherworld, and they are responsible for capturing them. In addition, some powerful beings retain considerable fighting power after death. In order to prevent them from causing trouble when we guide them, Ox-Head and Horse-Face are responsible for suppressing them."
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