Rabbit Must Die
Chapter 587 - 191: Blowing Up the Mountain_1

Chapter 587: Chapter 191: Blowing Up the Mountain_1

The River of Oblivion flows with more than just water; it also carries many persistent souls.

Qin Shou couldn’t help but mutter, "Souls go off to be reincarnated, the uninitiated ones become lone in the outside world. Those that reached the Nether River are Asura, so what about these ghosts here? Where did they come from?"

"They come from there." At this moment, a familiar voice sounded—it was Xunxiang.

Xunxiang had been assigned to guard the River of Oblivion and Naihe Bridge and happened to see the absent-minded Rabbit coming by, so she approached him and casually responded.

Qin Shou followed the direction Xunxiang was pointing to; it was the spot on the Naihe Bridge!

At the same time, a man suddenly backed away, shouting loudly, "I won’t drink! I don’t want to forget all this, I don’t want to forget her! I want to remember her, I want to wait for her! Even if just to see her one more time would be enough!"

Mengpo didn’t chase after him to force-feed the soup but simply held up the bowl high and said, "Drink this, and you will have no more troubles."

"I won’t drink it! I will not forget her, even if it means dying once more!" With that, the man turned and leaped off the Naihe Bridge, plunging into the River of Oblivion.

No sooner had the man hit the water than numerous ghosts in the river grabbed him, pressing him under. Some ghosts strained to stand on him to get a bit higher, closer to the Naihe Bridge. They had no intention of getting on the bridge; instead, they followed the undulating waves, trying hard to stand on others, trying hard to climb higher, then staring with wide eyes at each person on the bridge... but most of their efforts only resulted in sorrowful despair. Yet these people never stopped trying.

"They have loved ones they can’t let go of, people they want to see one last time even after death. So they try hard to climb higher to look..." Xunxiang explained.

Qin Shou asked, "Has anyone ever succeeded?"

Xunxiang nodded.

Qin Shou asked, "Then what happens after they succeed?"

Xunxiang said, "Since ancient times, gaining something has meant losing something else. They chose not to drink Mengpo’s Soup, not to forget the past, in the vain hope of seeing someone one last time. Thus, after entering the River of Oblivion, they will never reach the shore again in this lifetime. They live by the obsession in their hearts, and when that obsession fades, they transform into river water and forever disappear between heaven and earth."

Qin Shou, surprised, exclaimed, "The water in the River of Oblivion, is it all transformed from them? Is it worth it?"

As Qin Shou asked this, he reflected on what he would do if he were to cross the Naihe Bridge. Could he really bear to forget everything? Forget Chang’e, forget the teachers and friends around him?

In the end, Qin Shou fell silent.

It was at this moment that Xunxiang said softly, "It’s worth it."

Qin Shou was taken aback. Did this woman also have someone she couldn’t forget? Had she too experienced the Naihe Bridge, Mengpo’s Soup, leaping into the River of Oblivion?

Before Qin Shou could ask, Xunxiang said, "I’ve been here for several days now and have come to understand many things."

Qin Shou asked, "Like what?"

Xunxiang said, "Like, the practice of Buddhism is to practice true self and self-awareness, to see the nature of the mind. I’ve ultimately strayed off the path these years, thinking that forgetting or sealing away memories would lead to transcendence. Yet, how can one become enlightened if they cannot even see themselves clearly?"

Upon hearing this, Qin Shou had an epiphany, then asked, "So... what exactly have you experienced?"

Xunxiang’s gaze grew distant as she looked far away, then pursed her lips with a smile and said, "I’ve gone through what many others have—the memory of someone unforgettable. It’s no use asking me; I won’t tell you. I understand the Bodhisattva’s intent now; he has given me this opportunity, so I shall stand guard at the edge of the Naihe Bridge, waiting for him to appear, to see him just once more."

Scratching his head, Qin Shou asked, "Xunxiang, how old are you?"

Xunxiang replied, "I don’t remember, millions of years, tens of millions, or perhaps even longer."

Qin Shou said, "Then isn’t the person you’re waiting for possibly already reincarnated millions of times? Or maybe they have become an immortal or a Buddha, living for a hundred years, or perhaps they have already turned to ashes. You’re foolishly waiting here, aren’t you afraid of waiting in vain?"

Unfettered, Xunxiang laughed and said, "Waiting is itself a desire. If I can’t wait, then I’ll try to understand why. If I can’t understand, then I’ll wait for him to come. If I can’t do either, then I’ll just keep waiting..."

Qin Shou was speechless, looking at Xunxiang, whose face now bore less petulance and more of her carefree nature. He suddenly felt that this woman wasn’t so bothersome after all.

"Rabbit, as you just stood here with a melancholic look, is there something on your mind? Do you want to talk about it?" asked Xunxiang.

Qin Shou had nothing to hide and shared his concerns honestly.

Xunxiang burst out laughing, "You call that a problem?"

Qin Shou retorted, "Why wouldn’t it be?"

Xunxiang didn’t respond directly to Qin Shou’s question but pointed at his heart and said, "You already have the answer, so why torment yourself? If you truly could let go of everyone and return to the Heavenly Court to enjoy blessings, would you be conflicted now? Since you can’t let go, then do a good job and go back after. You’ve got to clean up your own mess, right?"

Qin Shou was startled and then slapped his forehead, laughing. He glanced at Xunxiang and said, "Next time, use a different metaphor. It ruins the mood when a pretty woman talks like this. They say big breasts, no brains, but really, those with small chests have the brains that work."

Xunxiang glared at Qin Shou and, turning around, waved her hand, "Damn rabbit, the day I become a Buddha, I’ll tear your mouth to shreds!"

Qin Shou said woefully, "Weren’t you off to pursue your true heart?"

Xunxiang affirmed, "This is definitely one of my truest desires!"

Qin Shou: "..."

Boom!

Just then, a massive explosion sounded, followed by a shake of the earth!

Qin Shou looked into the distance and vaguely saw a mountain burst open, the whole mountain blown away!

Qin Shou and Xunxiang exchanged glances, then took off toward the direction of the blast.

Upon arriving, Qin Shou realized that what had exploded was not an entire mountain but part of a mountain range! Even so, the scale of the task was much more substantial than if the humans on Earth had tried to level the Himalayas.

Qin Shou asked Xunxiang, who had arrived first, "What’s the situation?"

Xunxiang shook her head, "I don’t know. It’s just a barren mountain... Why blow it up?"

At that moment, another figure descended from the sky, and a familiar voice rang out, "It’s not that simple!"

Seeing the newcomer, Qin Shou immediately laughed. She was petite, with long hair, wearing a large black robe embroidered with patterns of cyclic paths, and a black crown trimmed with gold.

This person was none other than King Zhuanlun, Yishui.

Yishui descended from the sky with grave eyes, followed by two burly Ghost Immortals. It appeared that after Yishui’s recent close call, the Netherworld had assigned her bodyguards.

Although Xunxiang was one of the Eight Heavenly Dragons, the Eight Heavenly Dragons were but guardians of Buddha Mountain, which is considered a branch of Spirit Mountain. Although the Netherworld is also a branch of the Heavenly Court, in theory, the bureaucracy is above the community organization. Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha, in principle, is on equal footing with the Emperor of the Perdition City, but officially, he is one rank lower.