Rebirth of Nezha in the Investiture of the Gods

"Who are you?"

As if regaining some clarity, Ao Yu abruptly shook off Li Mingzhu and ran straight toward the realm beyond the Six Paths. The chilling atmosphere within the Six Paths made her deeply uneasy.

"Wait, slow down, slow down!"

Li Mingzhu followed closely behind, deeply anxious. Ao Yu was indeed, as Houtu had said, merely saved from death—but her memories were completely erased.

More importantly, even preserving her life could only last for one year.

To make Ao Yu, who'd lost her memory, fall in love with him again—a ridiculous challenge. Yet for the sake of saving her, Li Mingzhu had no choice but to try.

Furthermore, seeking the true item capable of saving Ao Yu within Bian'an Forest was extraordinarily difficult. Where in the vast expanse of eight hundred miles could it be found?

Outside Bian'an Forest lies Bhikkhunī!

"Boss! We need a room!"

Unknowingly, they had already reached the edge of Bian'an Forest. Li Mingzhu led Ao Yu into the Bhikkhunī and spoke the moment he stepped inside, prompting a woman to hurriedly emerge.

"To stay here requires souls. The worst are evil souls, the best are kind souls. They must also be free from reincarnation."

The woman's tone was unapologetically blunt. Such souls, free from the Six Paths of Reincarnation, were undoubtedly the finest supplements for those dwelling in the underworld—be they Ghost Messengers or wandering spirits.

"I don't have any!"

Li Mingzhu replied curtly. In fact, he genuinely did not possess such items. Of course, if he wished, he could easily capture those types of wandering spirits.

"No souls, no room! Let me warn you, this Bian'an Forest is exceedingly treacherous. Wander around and you might not even know how you end up dead!"

The woman's face tightened, her hands on her hips as she glared at Li Mingzhu.

"We're leaving!"

Li Mingzhu ignored her and gently spoke to Ao Yu, holding her hand as they slowly walked out.

"Not staying?"

"Not staying."

Though Ao Yu had lost her memory, this did not mean she had become foolish. She was merely akin to a blank slate, which Li Mingzhu needed to carefully fill in and guide.

"Stay. I won't charge you for the room."

Just before Li Mingzhu stepped out, a woman happened to enter the establishment. She brushed shoulders with Li Mingzhu and suddenly spoke.

Meng Po!

"Silly girl, no charges—what are we supposed to eat and drink then?"

The earlier woman lamented, looking as though she had suffered a great tragedy, her face contorted with despair upon hearing Meng Po's words.

"It doesn't matter; we're strays of the Yin realm. Eating or not makes little difference, doesn't it?"

The young Meng Po chuckled softly and set down her soup ladle and wooden bucket to the side.

"It's not the same! You know very well how much eating souls enhances us."

"What does it matter in the end? Aren't we still left guarding the Netherworld alone?"

"Feel free to stay here. I won't take your money—but heed this advice: don't wander into Bian'an Forest recklessly!"

Meng Po's words trailed toward Li Mingzhu as he stood outside, and then she drifted away, paying them no further attention.

After thinking for a moment, Li Mingzhu ultimately returned to Bhikkhunī. He needed to ask Meng Po about the situation in the eight hundred miles of Bian'an Forest—such as why the Bian'an blossoms had suddenly disappeared!

"Head over there."

The earlier woman pointed fiercely to a direction where dilapidated quarters could be seen—direly different compared to the guest rooms upstairs, as if comparing the heavens to the earth.

Li Mingzhu did not mind, following her directions. A wood shed would suffice.

That night, after coaxing Ao Yu to sleep, Li Mingzhu went to the Bhikkhunī's main hall.

The hall was brightly lit. The woman from earlier, along with Meng Po, was seated at the long wooden table in the center, drinking tea.

Without hesitation, Li Mingzhu walked over, poured himself a cup of tea, and began sipping leisurely.

"I knew you'd come!"

Meng Po chuckled softly—it seemed she had anticipated Li Mingzhu's arrival all along.

"Wasn't this arranged by you from the start?"

Li Mingzhu countered. Without a purpose, he couldn't believe Meng Po would grant them shelter.

"It's truly unexpected that the one inside would intervene. Houtu's Radiant Light—it has been centuries since she used it."

Meng Po's cryptic remark left Li Mingzhu stunned.

What kind of person was Meng Po? She dared to address Houtu by name so freely and showed no reverence toward Ping Xin, the true ruler of the underworld.

If he hadn't witnessed it himself, it would have been unimaginable. After all, Meng Po was merely considered a slightly renowned Ghost Messenger in the mortal world.

"Who are you, really?"

Li Mingzhu stood abruptly. A commanding aura surged forth—a matchless dominance imbued with intensity.

"Does it matter who I am? What matters is, without me, it's impossible for you to find the one thing that can truly save Ao Yu. Sit down, boy."

Meng Po's smile carried a hint of bitterness.

"I'm all ears!"

"Do you know about Mengpo Soup?"

Meng Po asked again, deliberately evading Li Mingzhu's question.

Feeling irked but helpless, Li Mingzhu replied, "Mengpo Soup, said to make one forget their past and present lives—I've heard of its renowned name."

"Do you know how Mengpo Soup is brewed?" Meng Po continued her questioning.

"Rumor has it, it's crafted using the tears of time. As for specifics, I am not aware," Li Mingzhu answered honestly.

"One drop of Birth Tears, two measures of Old Tears, three parts Bitter Tears, four cups of Regret Tears, five inches of Love Tears, six ladles of Illness Tears, seven lengths of Separation Tears!"

Meng Po spoke slowly, though she omitted one key ingredient that was rarely used.

"I see—it's certainly peculiar, but logical. All things in the world boil down to birth, aging, sickness, and death. Only such a concoction can soothe the sorrows of all souls!"

While Li Mingzhu initially wasn't inclined to engage in idle chatter, the composition of Mengpo Soup did spark his curiosity.

"But what does Mengpo Soup have to do with saving Ao Yu?"

Li Mingzhu couldn't resist asking—his primary concern remained Ao Yu's safety.

"Because the only thing that can save Ao Yu is Mengpo Soup—not the one I just described, but the true Mengpo Soup!"

Meng Po did not hide the truth. Since Li Mingzhu asked, she shared it outright.

"What is the true Mengpo Soup?"

Li Mingzhu asked urgently, his breath growing uneven.

"One drop of Birth Tears, two measures of Old Tears, three parts Bitter Tears, four cups of Regret Tears, five inches of Love Tears, six ladles of Illness Tears, seven lengths of Separation Tears—and a drop of Meng Po's Sad Tears!"

Meng Po spoke softly, her gaze distant—as if traversing ancient rivers of time.

"But aren't you Meng Po? Why would it still require a search in Bian'an Forest?"

Li Mingzhu was baffled. According to Meng Po's description, the true Mengpo Soup should not be difficult to acquire.

"What you see on the surface might not always be the truth. Now, boy, are you interested in hearing a story?"

"How could there be a story without wine?"

Li Mingzhu chuckled lightly, and with a casual gesture, dozens of fine wine jars materialized in the air.