Fuling brought Ye Jie and Nan Linghe back to the magnificent wine town, and watched the maid escort them to the top floor. After their figures completely disappeared, she rubbed her back with her hands and uttered a low groan of pain:
"Guazi, are you really protecting us in secret? I was almost killed by my enemies. If I die this time, my soul will be scattered and there will be no possibility of resurrection."
Following Fuling's call, ripples spread across the air. Shark Tooth and Triangle Eyed Melon Seed shifted in, their eyes wide open with a look of despair. "I've been watching you all the time. You'll be fine. Before I could make a move, you guys took care of the enemy yourselves."
Fuling was utterly humiliated after being beaten to a pulp by Master Black Hawk. She was naturally furious. "Is it really necessary to let us fall into this desperate situation? Aren't you afraid that if you're a little slow, you might cause us to make a mistake?"
Guazi shrugged his face and said, "Only in desperate situations can one see a person's true potential. This is also what Aunt Meng meant."
After hearing Guazi mention Aunt Meng, Fuling stopped asking questions, but one thing still puzzled her: "Since Nan Linghe possesses all the potential and innate magical powers, why is it that Aunt Meng is meeting that Ghost Messenger Jie instead of her?"
"I'm afraid you can only ask Aunt Meng yourself about this question." Guazi looked up and said.
On the top floor of the winery that soars into the clouds, Nan Linghe was arranged to taste exquisite snacks in a private room, while Ye Jie, led by a maid, entered a special room.
Upon entering, Ye Jie felt as if he were transported to another dimension. The bright lights in the corridor had vanished, replaced by a beautiful scene of picturesque scenery. The verdant bamboo forest exuded a vibrant atmosphere, while the chirping of flowers, birds, and insects filled his ears. In the distance, a clear, rippling river shone. On the riverbank, a plump, elegant woman, her back to Ye Jie, worked busily.
Ye Jie looked around. Such a vast mountain and river scenery had already exceeded the scope that the top floor of the wine country could accommodate. Only ghost immortals could perform such means of changing the stars and space.
Feeling impressed by the magical methods of the ghost fairy, Ye Jie walked forward slowly, only to see the woman wearing a jade phoenix slit on her head and a bright yellow brocade dress with her sleeves rolled up high, revealing a pair of white jade arms with some black clay on them. She bent down and kept pressing the clay ball in front of her with her fingers. From time to time, she held up her hands, scooped water from the river, and poured it on the clay in front of her that was almost finished.
Ye Jie stood behind her without saying a word. It was not until about an incense stick of time had passed that she stopped what she was doing, stood up and looked at Ye Jie with satisfaction.
It was not until she stood up that Ye Jie saw her full appearance. She was plump and had a wealthy face. Her round cheeks were a bit as tender as a baby's. The white skin on her arms looked as shiny as mutton-fat white jade against the backdrop of the dark clay.
The immortal-level aura she exuded was different from the Guazi or other fifth-rank judges in Ye Jie's impression. She did not have the terrifying pressure that would terrify people. Instead, she seemed extremely gentle, like a spring breeze, refreshing and pleasant.
Facing the Lord of the Wine Country, the Ghost Immortal of the Underworld, Ye Jie did not dare to be disrespectful and bowed, saying, "Ghost Officer Ye Jie, I pay my respects to the Ghost Immortal."
The plump woman smiled faintly: "Do you know who I am?"
Ye Jie nodded and lowered his brows: "You are the master of this wine country, and the daughter of the powerful Meng Po in the underworld, the immortal Aunt Meng."
"Well. I've heard about your story from Yulan. You helped her solve a problem that had plagued her for years and found her lost parents among the vast crowd. You know, that's something I haven't been able to do. It seems that you really have some impressive skills." Aunt Meng said slowly.
Ye Jie didn't dare become complacent because of Aunt Meng's praise. Who knew what the immortal was thinking? He hurriedly said respectfully, "Regarding this matter, Yulan has given me a reward beyond my expectations. Speaking of which, I should be more grateful to her."
Seeing Ye Jie's cautious expression and careful attitude, Aunt Meng smiled softly and asked, "You've been a ghost messenger for sixty years. How much do you know about the immortal path above the fifth level of the Immortal Sealing Realm?"
"This..." Ye Jie showed a bit of embarrassment. "To be honest, I'm just a small second-level ghost messenger. I have never dealt with immortals. Apart from knowing that there are nine levels of immortals, I don't know anything else."
Aunt Meng nodded and patiently explained to Ye Jie, "The path to immortality truly begins only after a mortal breaks through the fifth level of the Immortal Sealing Realm. There are nine levels of immortality, from the first level to the ninth level. Between each level, there is an insurmountable chasm. The power gap between them is as huge as the gap between a mortal's first level and the fifth level."
Ye Jie silently noted the situation, then listened to Aunt Meng say, "After becoming an immortal, one must face the baptism of immortal tribulation. A first-level Black Iron Immortal has sixty years to prepare for the tribulation, a second-level Bronze Immortal has two sixty years, and so on. The moment the immortal tribulation arrives, if one can withstand it, one can break through the realm and enter the next level. If one cannot, one's body and soul will be annihilated, and one will die. Only after breaking through to the ninth level can one be free from the calamity clouds."
Ye Jie was stunned. He had never known such a secret.
"The Way of Heaven nurtures man, and man, through his own cultivation, repays Heaven." Aunt Meng sighed. "Above the Heavens, stands the Lady of the Nine Heavens, who wields the Way of Thunderous Punishment. Since her enlightenment, the power of the Immortal Tribulation has increased tenfold. Aside from a few exceptionally gifted and talented immortals who can still withstand the Tribulation and break through, the rest, if they don't want to be annihilated, have no choice but to seek reincarnation to avoid it."
Ye Jie was puzzled: "What is the method of reincarnation?"
Aunt Meng looked at Ye Jie deeply and said, "When the Immortal Tribulation arrives, if the Immortal who is destined to face it chooses to enter the Samsara Well and reincarnate, then they have survived the tribulation. In the countless lives that follow, if they can regain their immortal status, they won't have to worry about the Immortal Tribulation coming until they reach a higher realm than before."
Hearing this, Ye Jie breathed a sigh of relief. He never thought that there would be such a secret after becoming an immortal. If Aunt Meng hadn't told him the truth, he might not have known this in his life.
After firmly memorizing the knowledge, Ye Jie began to have some new doubts. He asked, "This is the method of the immortals, which is very far away from me. Why did Aunt Meng tell me such a secret?"
Aunt Meng smiled and raised the clay figure she had just made. "Do you know what this is?"
Ye Jie examined it carefully and replied, "This is a clay figure made of Styx soil. As long as you carry it with you when you reincarnate, your appearance as an adult in your next life will definitely be that of a clay figure. Just a handful of Styx soil requires hundreds of thousands of Yin De. Only fourth-level ghost messengers like Heibai Wuchang can afford it..."
At the end of his words, Ye Jie choked up. He noticed that the clay figure in Aunt Meng's hand looked very similar to her. Except for the slightly thicker eyebrows and thinner lips, the rest of the figure, whether it was the plump figure or the gentle expression, was simply a carbon copy of Aunt Meng.
"Could it be that Aunt Meng wants to..." Ye Jie looked horrified. Combined with what Aunt Meng had said before, the answer was already very clear. However, the meaning behind it still made Ye Jie break out in a cold sweat. He did not dare to speculate on the ghost fairy's intentions.
Seeing that Ye Jie had come to a realization, Aunt Meng opened her red lips slightly, a look of worry flashing across her beautiful eyes. "My calamity is approaching. Within a month, the Immortal Tribulation will descend. Although I am the daughter of Meng Po, my aptitude is mediocre. Surviving the Second Bronze Immortal Tribulation is already my limit. This Third Silver Immortal Tribulation is something I cannot possibly survive. The arrival of the Immortal Tribulation can only be brought forward, not postponed. Before the Immortal Tribulation arrives, I need to find a ghost messenger to send me to the Naihe Bridge and complete my reincarnation. Coincidentally, at this moment, you came into my sight."
Ye Jie's body trembled. Completing the reincarnation for the immortal was a dream come true for the ghost officials. It meant that they could collect an immeasurable amount of guiding fees, which was enough to cover what an ordinary ghost official would earn from working for hundreds of years.
However, Ye Jie was not overwhelmed by the news. Years of experience told him that opportunities are often accompanied by risks, not to mention that the current matter involves the immortal level. If he is not careful, he will be doomed.
"Why choose me? I just helped Yulan and Fuling solve a few minor problems. Can I win the favor of the immortal just for this?" Ye Jie asked in a trembling voice without daring to raise his head.
Aunt Meng smiled softly. "You can find the whereabouts of anyone, right? I may be a ghost immortal in this life, but who can predict what will happen in my next life? Having lost all my memories, it's incredibly difficult to stand out from the crowd with just a few innate magical powers. I was originally planning to have my maids search for my reincarnated whereabouts based on the clay figures I created, but your appearance has saved me a lot of trouble."
At the end of her speech, Aunt Meng's smile faded, and a solemn and majestic look, that of an immortal, appeared on her face, making it impossible to look directly at her.
"I want you to find my reincarnation, protect me along the way, and help me return to the immortal realm. The Yin De I have accumulated over the past few hundred years is enough for a third-grade reincarnation, which costs 100 million Yin De. According to the rules of the underworld, you can charge 1 million Yin De as a guide fee. This 1 million Yin De is your reward. Not only that, you can use anything in the wine country at will, as long as you get the permission of the head maid."
"One million good deeds..." Ye Jie muttered to himself. He had never seen such good deeds in his life. Such a huge number was enough to drive any ghost messenger crazy.
After understanding the whole process, Ye Jie immediately clasped his fists and said, "Ghost Officer Ye Jie, I am willing to take on this mission."
Aunt Meng nodded and smiled, and the two of them reached an agreement. A breeze blew by, and ripples appeared on the mirror-like surface of the lake.
Ye Jie still had one thing he was puzzled about, and couldn't help but ask, "Aunt Meng, you are the daughter of Meng Po, the powerful being from the underworld. Do you also have to drink Meng Po soup to be reincarnated? Can't you just not drink it?"
Aunt Meng sighed softly. "My mother's duty is this, and even I'm no exception. I'm not the only one facing the Immortal Tribulation. Even the immortals in the Heavenly Court mostly don't dare face the terrifying Immortal Tribulation head-on, and can only resort to reincarnation to avoid it. Many True Immortals have pleaded with my mother before their reincarnation, even offering their most precious immortal magic, asking her to be flexible, to turn a blind eye, to let them drink only half a bowl of Mengpo soup, or not drink it at all, and reincarnate with the experiences and memories of their immortality, as well as all the transcendental skills. But my mother flatly refused. Only those who are truly 'destined' can avoid the Mengpo soup and reincarnate with their past memories."
Hearing this, even Ye Jie couldn't help but take a deep breath. The difficulty and pressure of rejecting the pleas of the immortals were extremely great.
Aunt Meng's brows furrowed slightly, a hint of worry on her face. "Over the years, my mother has offended many immortals. Many of them hold a grudge against her for her unwillingness to compromise, especially those of the Xuannv lineage. If news of my reincarnation were to get out, I'm afraid it would bring unnecessary trouble, or even lead to robbery and murder by those with ulterior motives. Even if they were just trying to harm me, I don't know how much time would be wasted."
Ye Jie naturally understood the meaning of her words and assured her, "Don't worry, Aunt Meng, even if there is a knife on my neck, I will not reveal a single word about this matter."
Aunt Meng smiled faintly. "I checked your file in Guangwang Palace. If someone else had said this, I might have doubted it. After all, people's hearts are secretive, and no one can guarantee that someone they trust now won't turn against them in the future. But I'm willing to believe you. For sixty years, you've been fulfilling the wishes of wandering souls without asking for anything in return. Your actions have proven your character to me."
Hearing this, Ye Jie was deeply moved. Just as he had said to Xia Xianshou before, perhaps a temporary act of kindness may not bring rewards, but one day, it will surely become a help on the road ahead.
After saying goodbye to Aunt Meng, Ye Jie also met Nan Linghe in another private room, who was tasting various pastries.
Seeing Ye Jie return, Nan Linghe's face lit up with joy. She picked up a small plate in front of her, which contained a smooth, crystal-clear, black jelly-like pastry. She scooped a spoonful and brought it to Ye Jie's mouth, saying, "Brother Jie, this is the Poria Cocos Paste that Fuling sent. I heard that she made it with her own hands despite her injuries to thank us. Come and try it."
Ye Jie tasted it and found it tasted really good.
"By the way, Fuling heard that I haven't settled down in the underworld yet, so she lent me the basement below the wine country." Nan Linghe paused, then looked at Ye Jie expectantly and whispered, "Come to think of it, I still don't know which street in the underworld Brother Jie's home is on..."
Ye Jie smiled and patted Nan Linghe's head. "I don't have a home. Ghost Messengers are tireless and work day and night. Home is of little use to me. If I have time to rest at home, it would be better to take on more missions."
"Ah, how can that be?" Nan Linghe pouted and insisted, "In that case, the basement of the wine country will also be Brother Jie's home from now on!"
"What..." Ye Jie scratched his head. Why did he settle down in the basement of the wine country for no apparent reason? However, looking at Fuxing beside him, he did not refuse. It seemed that he would have to rely on her more in the future.