Непревзойденная наследница

Глава 21

Everyone turned around and saw the huge wall behind the evil god statue gradually move away with a rumbling sound, revealing a narrow path. On both sides of the path, red flowers bloomed, with slender petals, like dahlias.

The stone gate slid open completely, and the shaking of the temple finally stopped. Everyone looked on in disbelief. Caesar remembered walking around the temple before entering, and there was no such view behind the main hall.

"The Road to the Underworld!" Qin Wen exclaimed excitedly. "This is the Road to the Underworld where the dead reside! Mano Kingdom truly lives up to its reputation as a Buddhist kingdom; even the road to the cemetery is completely modeled after the descriptions in Buddhist scriptures."

Miller, unfamiliar with Buddhist culture, asked, "What is the Road to the Underworld?"

"The Yellow Springs originally referred to underground springs, a path in Buddhist legend that the dead must pass through to reach the underworld." Finding the passage, Qin Wen's mood noticeably improved. "Along this path connecting the living and the dead, grows a beautiful and alluring flower—the Manjusaka, also known as the Red Spider Lily. Its flowers are as vibrant and red as blood, carpeting the road to hell, and it has flowers but no leaves, making it the only flower in the underworld. Legend says its fragrance has magical power, capable of evoking memories of the deceased's past life. These flowers bloom in vast quantities along the Yellow Springs path, appearing from afar like a carpet of blood." It is also known as the 'Path of Fire' because of its fiery red color, and it is the only scenery and color on this long road to the underworld. When a soul crosses the River of Oblivion, it forgets everything from its previous life; everything remains on the other shore. The deceased then follows the guidance of these flowers to the Netherworld. She paused, then stepped into the road to the underworld, her eyes unfocused. "Buddha said that the other shore is a world without birth or death, without suffering or sorrow, without desire or craving—a blissful realm where one forgets all pain and suffering. Is the other shore of the River of Oblivion truly a pure land of bliss?"

Miller seemed to understand but not quite, so he picked up Marseille and followed him inside.

Just as she entered the Road to the Underworld, Qin Wen caught a glimpse of a mural in the far corner of her eye. The painting was so well hidden that it was difficult for anyone to spot. The scene depicted in the painting made her heart tremble violently, and as if she had thought of something, her face darkened.

The road to the underworld is long and winding, seemingly endless, filled with the intoxicating fragrance of red spider lilies. Qin Wen suddenly smiled and said, "Everyone, take a good look at the scent of this flower. Legend has it that it can help people remember their past lives."

“Once you're on the road to the underworld, whether you live or die is meaningless.” Qin Wen's voice lowered, and she fell silent, seemingly lost in thought, or perhaps recalling something. After a long while, she suddenly stopped, staring intently at a beautiful woman in a white dancing dress standing gracefully amidst the cluster of red spider lilies. She took a soft breath and murmured, “Zhenyan?”

The woman in white turned around, revealing Yin Li's face. She raised the corners of her lips, revealing a smile that could topple empires. In that instant, even the red spider lilies at her feet paled in comparison.

"The red spider lily blooms for a thousand years and withers for a thousand years, its flower and leaves never meeting." Qin Wen turned around and looked at Situ Xiang, saying meaningfully, "Love is not bound by cause and effect, fate determines life and death."

Situ Xiang stared back blankly, momentarily at a loss for words.

She looked again at the spot where the woman in white had stood, and saw only vibrant red flowers. She smiled bitterly; the fragrance of the red spider lily truly did evoke memories of the past. But there were some things she wished she had never remembered.

Miller remained on edge throughout, fearing that these flowers might also turn into man-eating poisonous plants, killing people in the blink of an eye. But reality disappointed him; the road to the underworld was peaceful, a peace that was terrifying.

They walked for an unknown amount of time, until they finally reached the end of the Road to the Underworld. A great river lay before them, its water a blood-red color.

"Beyond the Yellow Springs Road lies the River of Oblivion," Qin Wen said. "Its color is blood red, and there's a Bridge of Helplessness across it. The river is filled with souls who couldn't cross it and fell into the blood pool to suffer. I never imagined that the Kingdom of Mano would have such a river. Could this really be the underworld?"

Miller gazed into the distance: "There doesn't seem to be a Bridge of Helplessness here."

“But there’s a ferry here.” Qin Wen walked to the riverbank, where a small boat was moored, just big enough to seat five people. Caesar jumped aboard first and laughed, “The ferryman on this boat must have made a lot of money before, since people going to the cemetery to pay their respects all had to take his boat.”

His joke was clearly not funny. Once everyone was on the boat, Qin Wen remembered to ask who could row. Caesar picked up the oar without hesitation and said confidently, "I'm the runner-up in the World Rowing Championships."

“Very good. Mr. Caesar, you are truly talented.” Qin Wen smiled innocently, but Caesar didn’t feel that she was praising him at all.

As the boat set sail, Qin Wen leaned against the edge and indeed saw blurry shadows floating in the blood-yellow river water, like unknown plants growing underwater. Those must be the souls that couldn't cross the Bridge of Helplessness in legend.

Situ Xiang also noticed those shadowy figures and was frowning in thought when he suddenly saw a head emerge from the water. Upon seeing its appearance, Situ Xiang's expression changed drastically.

Huang Ming!

The head that emerged from the water was actually Huang Ming, the policeman who came to the Mano Kingdom ruins for rescue three years ago!

"Huang Ming, you're not dead yet?" Situ Xiang reached out to him, trying to pull him out of the water. Qin Wen was shocked and tried to stop him, but it was too late. The moment his hand touched Huang Ming's head, the head suddenly jumped up, and instead of a body, a thick green rope appeared under the neck. The rope immediately wrapped around his arm, and a strong force pulled him into the river. He fell into the water with a loud thud.

In the stench-filled water, he saw countless ropes like these, each with a human head that was not yet rotten, many of them still wearing soldiers' helmets and police hats!

It turns out that all those who came to rescue us died in this river!

Something seemed to be coiling around his feet like a snake. He looked down and saw a slightly thinner rope slipping into his pants. At that moment, he suddenly realized that an unknown and terrifying creature, like a vine, lived in the river. It used humans as its host, its body as nourishment, and its head as bait to lure the next prey!

If that rope were to burrow into his muscles, even a celestial being couldn't save him. He desperately treaded water, finally managing to surface, only to be violently dragged back down by the rope. Qin Wen, on the boat, was also sweating profusely with anxiety. Miller raised his gun and fired into the river, missing several times. Qin Wen cried out urgently, "Be careful! Don't hurt Situ!"

Miller cursed, "What the hell is this thing?!"

"Dead Man's Vine." Qin Wen grabbed Caesar. "I'll explain the rest later. Haven't you always been bragging about how good your marksmanship is? Now, this glorious and arduous task is entrusted to you!"

"If I break this dead man's vine, how will you repay me?" Caesar smirked, drawing his gun. Qin Wen blushed and roared, "What kind of time is this to be talking about this?"

"How about this? I saved him, and you'll have to promise me one thing, okay?" Caesar hesitated to fire, and Qin Wen finally understood what it meant to take advantage of someone in distress. She glanced at Situ Xiang, who was still struggling in the river, and finally nodded: "Okay! I promise you!"

"Excellent!" Caesar pulled the trigger without even glancing underwater. Several bullets pierced the river and struck the vines accurately. Situ Xiang immediately felt his feet lighten, and seized the opportunity to leap out of the water and into the boat, causing the small boat to rock violently.

"Are you trying to get us all killed?" Qin Wen really wanted to slap him across the face. "If the boat capsizes, we're all finished!"

Before Situ Xiang could apologize, he forcefully ripped the half-section of the dead man's vine that was wrapped around his foot and threw it into the river. He grabbed a paddle and, together with Caesar, began to paddle vigorously, the paddles striking the water with a dull thud.

One by one, the dead man's vines rose from the water's surface, countless human heads swaying at their tips. Situ Xiang seemed to hear Huang Ming's voice, questioning why he hadn't gone to save him. He gritted his teeth, didn't look back, and just kept paddling forward. But fate was unkind; several more dead man's vines appeared ahead, completely surrounding them in the middle of the river.

With no way forward and pursuers behind, the people on the ship felt an unprecedented sense of despair.

"Wen, is there any way to get rid of the Dead Man's Vine!" The three men raised their guns and fired, managing to sever a few vines, but with limited ammunition, it was a drop in the ocean.

Qin Wen clutched her head, frantically searching her memory. There must be a way, there must be some way to get rid of these damned plants!

The encirclement was getting tighter and tighter, and bullets were running out. Situ Xiang roared, "Have you even thought of anything?"

Bullets were flying all over her head, and Qin Wen felt that her heart could not bear the pressure.

Just then, a miracle occurred. The dead man vines, as if summoned by some unseen force, retreated back underwater, some even burrowing into the mud at the bottom of the lake. The three men stared in astonishment at this strange sight. Was it Buddha protecting them, and their lives not yet over?

Qin Wen suddenly looked up and exclaimed happily, "I remember now! The Dead Man's Vine has a natural enemy, which is the ancient monster living below the River of Oblivion—the Demon Body Heaven! This monster is enormous, covered in all sorts of gems and gold, dazzlingly beautiful. It feeds on the Dead Man's Vine and human souls, lives in the lower reaches of the River of Oblivion, and often comes to the upper and middle reaches to forage!"

Before she could finish speaking, she saw a deep-seated fear on the faces of the other three, staring intently behind her. A chill ran down her spine, and she turned around to see a dazzling light rapidly swimming towards her from the other end of the river.

She practically screamed, “Quick! Row faster! That’s the ‘Demon Body Heaven’! If it catches up with us, none of us will survive!”

Needless to say, Situ Xiang and Caesar paddled furiously, and Qin Wen thought to herself, quite unambitiously, that if she had that kind of speed at the Olympics, she would definitely win the championship.

The ball of light was less than fifty meters away from them in the blink of an eye. The currents it created caused the small boat to bob up and down like a carousel in an amusement park. Qin Wen felt an urge to cry. The legendary 'Demon Body Heaven' was incredibly fast; even the Roc was no match for it. It seemed they were destined to perish in the monster's jaws today.

But the 'Demon-Body Heaven' seemed to have no desire to eat them. Instead, it dived to the bottom of the river, bit into several dead vines, and with a sudden tug, uprooted them and swallowed them whole. The waves grew larger, and the boat shook violently, almost capsizing. Everyone could only hold on tightly to the edge of the boat to keep their balance and avoid being thrown overboard.

The 'Demon Body Heaven' kept swimming and devouring in the river. Qin Wen looked down and saw a strange ball of light with colorful glows on it. It should be the precious gems growing on its body.

“It’s really beautiful.” Caesar stared at the glowing lights, his mind somewhat hazy. A bluish light also appeared on Miller’s face, and his eyes flashed with intense greed and desire.

Qin Wen was startled. What was going on? She had never heard of any poison in the 'Demon Body Heaven' that could drive people insane. Could it be that her memory was faulty?

"Marcel!" Miller grabbed his collar and said excitedly to the unconscious man, "Look, so many gems! If we get any one of them, we won't have to be mercenaries for the rest of our lives!" Before anyone else could react, he jumped into the river. Qin Wen was terrified, her face ashen, and she screamed hysterically, "Are you crazy? You think it's not getting enough to eat and you want to fill its teeth?"

Before she could finish speaking, there was another loud splash beside her. She turned around and stared in disbelief at Caesar diving into the water. Had this kid gone mad?

"Caesar! Come back here!" Qin Wen lunged towards the water, but Situ Xiang quickly caught her, saying, "Xiao Wen, calm down, you can't save them even if you go in!"

Qin Wen slumped down, exhausted. Situ Xiang glanced deeply into the water, picked up the oar, and rowed forcefully toward the other side. At that moment, Qin Wen could no longer feel the huge waves that nearly capsized the boat; she only felt a chill in her chest.

When Caesar jumped into the water, she felt as if a piece of her heart had been ripped out; the pain was excruciating, and she couldn't think straight. What was going on? Why had they suddenly gone mad? If Miller was poisoned by the butterfly, that would be understandable, but what about Caesar? He was as healthy as an ox!

Where exactly did things go wrong?

Caesar, jolted awake by the icy water, instantly regained his senses. The moment he opened his eyes, he saw a colossal creature, a round mass covered in what appeared to be countless bumps, each one a precious gem. On its belly was a gaping maw, its sharp teeth tearing at the deadly vines; he could even hear the terrifying screams of the severed heads.

His heart began to pound, and a chill ran down his spine. What was happening? How did he end up in the river?

A shadowy figure swam toward the monster; it was Miller. He landed on the monster's back, drew his Swiss Army knife, and forcefully plunged it in, digging out a pink diamond, which he then stuffed into his clothes.

Caesar was shocked; this man was simply blinded by greed!

The monster felt the pain, roared, flipped over, and threw Miller off. At the same time, it opened its blood-red maw, and Miller somersaulted in the water, falling straight into its mouth.

Caesar frowned, as if he had made a decision, and cursed inwardly, "Antonio Caesar, you better not regret this!" He gritted his teeth, turned around, lunged at Miller who was slowly falling, grabbed his waist, and with a powerful push of his legs, swam vigorously toward the surface of the water.

Seeing the fat meat in its mouth fly away, 'Demon Body Heaven' was unwilling to give up. It took a breath, and the river water rushed into its mouth, forming a small whirlpool. Caesar felt a powerful suction force wrap around his body, pulling him underwater.

"Damn it!" Caesar cursed under his breath, only to fall into the monster's mouth. In the nick of time, he plunged his Swiss Army knife into the gap between the 'Demon Body's' teeth, temporarily stopping its descent into its throat. The 'Demon Body' seemed to think that the two humans could no longer escape its clutches, and satisfied, it turned over and closed its mouth.

The 'Demon Body's' mouth is located on the lower part of its body; once it flips over, the contents of its mouth spill out. Caesar had been waiting for this opportunity. He drew his gun from his waist and fired several shots at its tongue. Black blood immediately spread, and the monster roared in pain as the air blew them out of its mouth.

Caesar was overjoyed. While the monster was still thrashing about, spitting out black blood, he and Miller swam desperately toward the surface. The water pounded against his eardrums; he could hear and see nothing, and could only keep rising to the surface by instinct.

With a splash, the world seemed to brighten instantly. He wiped the water from his face and saw that he was very close to the other side. Qin Wen sat on the shore, stunned. As soon as his head surfaced, she instinctively jumped up, as if something had exploded in her chest. She danced with joy: "Caesar, are you still alive?"

Caesar managed a weak smile: "He seems to be still alive."

Before he could finish speaking, he saw Qin Wen and Situ Xiang's expressions change, their eyes filled with fear as they stared behind him. He knew without a doubt what was behind them, and swam to the shore at lightning speed. The moment he reached the land, 'Demon Body Heaven' leaped out of the water, its sharp fangs snapping at them.

"Caesar! Watch out!" Qin Wen threw her dagger into the monster's mouth. The monster, in pain, abandoned Caesar and Qin Wen, and instead lunged at her. She hadn't expected the 'Demon Body Heaven' to be able to come ashore, and it didn't even have legs, yet it was incredibly fast, reaching her in the blink of an eye. Caesar couldn't save her in time. She screamed, fell to the ground, and rolled away, dodging the 'Demon Body Heaven's' gaping maw. However, its fangs slashed a long gash across her arm, splattering blood into the monster's mouth.

The pain nearly made her faint. She thought she was going to die in the monster's jaws, but then the monster let out a shrill howl and started rolling around on the shore, as if it was enduring great pain.

Situ Xiang and Caesar came over to help her up. The three of them looked at each other, wondering what this 'Demon Body Heaven' was up to.

The demon opened its mouth, and the three were astonished to find that its mouth was beginning to ulcerate, with pustules appearing and oozing foul-smelling pus and blood. Its teeth also fell out one by one, scattering on the ground around it.

After struggling for a while, it rolled back into the water with difficulty, splashing up huge waves, and then the River of Oblivion returned to silence.

"What's going on?" Situ Xiang asked. "If it were Xiao Li's blood, that would make sense, but why is it even yours...?"

Qin Wen tilted her head and thought for a long time before finally realizing, "I remember now! The Buddhist scriptures say that the Garuda is the only nemesis of the monster 'Demon Body Heaven'. Although it can't match the speed of this demon, its blood is a deadly poison to 'Demon Body Heaven'!"

25. Wandering in the Saha World

“As far as I know,” Situ Xiang said, “it is only the soul that is reincarnated. Even if you are the reincarnation of Garuda, your blood is just ordinary blood.”

Qin Wen shrugged and shook her head, saying, "I don't know, maybe it's Buddha's blessing."

Whether or not, Situ Xiang, though of Buddhist descent, is a staunch atheist. In his mind, there may be many things in this world that science cannot explain, but he does not believe in ghosts or gods.

Miller, who had been in a daze, choked on some water and finally woke up. He looked around blankly and frowned, asking, "What happened?"

"That's exactly what I was going to ask you." Qin Wen's serious gaze swept over his and Caesar's faces, "Why did you two lose your minds for a few jewels and offer yourselves up to 'Demon Body Heaven' as midnight snacks?"

The two were silent for a moment, looked at each other, and said, "Before I lost consciousness, I smelled a fragrance."

"What smells like that?" Situ Xiang asked.

“It’s hard to describe,” Caesar recalled the faint scent. “It was very light, soft, and sweet, not strong at all. I thought it was your perfume.”

Qin Wen glanced at him sideways: "Are you out of your mind? I haven't even had a proper shower since you kidnapped me, where would I get any perfume from!"

Caesar was delighted and leaned closer to her, revealing a mischievous grin: "To make it up to you, I'll give you a limited edition Chanel perfume when we get back, if you're interested."

“Let’s talk about it when you get back.” Qin Wen glanced at him disdainfully, then turned and walked up a small hill. “Beyond the River of Oblivion lies the Land of the Dead. Gentlemen, what you see now is the final resting place of the Volgilians.”

The sunlight was intense, blinding everyone. Miller, carrying the still-sleeping Marcie on his back, felt as if he had arrived in Cambodia. The countless pagodas and towers were strikingly similar to those in Angkor Wat, numbering in the thousands. In this cemetery, only one type of plant grew, its flowers as beautiful and delicate as water lilies, yet a dark red like the red spider lily—the color of blood. They had no leaves, and their petals were incredibly light. A gentle breeze swept through the air, swirling countless petals into a fluttering dance. The pagodas and tombs were built in this garden, the petals fluttering like red butterflies, casting a hazy and alluring red hue over them.

“These flowers are the symbol of ‘the suffering of the world.’” A faint sadness welled up in Qin Wen’s eyes. “I’ve heard that the world is full of immeasurable suffering, and suddenly my brows furrow before the wind. Greed is like a wolf, anger is like a tiger, and the Lord of Demons draws his bow and arrows, foolish men and women. The sun and moon come and go, cold and heat come and go, heaven and earth open and close, sunshine and rain come and go. White bones are scattered and turn to dust. Alas, throughout the ages, who has trod the path of no birth?”

"What are you reciting?" Caesar interjected. "What exactly is this 'departure from the Saha world'?"

"It's just a Buddhist poem." Qin Wen glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and said, "'Saha' in Sanskrit means 'endurable,' referring to the world that Shakyamuni Buddha taught. The beings in this world are content with the ten evils, able to endure all kinds of suffering but unwilling to leave, making it a place where the three evil realms and the five destinies are mixed together."

"So, 'Saha' is a hellish and ugly world?"

Qin Wen sneered: "From a spatial perspective, the universe is boundless. From a temporal perspective, the universe has no beginning and no end. The Buddha called the Milky Way a 'small world,' a thousand small worlds make up a 'small chiliocosm,' a thousand small chiliocosms make up a 'middle chiliocosm,' and a thousand middle chiliocosms make up a 'great chiliocosm,' which is often referred to as the 'three thousand great chiliocosms.' The universe is composed of countless great chiliocosms, and all of them are in constant flux and cycle through the processes of formation, existence, decay, and emptiness, without a moment of stillness. In every great chiliocosm, past, present, and future, Buddhas appear and teach the beings there. The great chiliocosm we inhabit is called the 'Saha World.'"

Caesar was startled: "You mean, we live in a 'Saha World' that's like hell?"

"Isn't that so?" Qin Wen's lips curled into a mocking smile. "This world is full of people's 'desires,' and there is no place in the world where evil does not exist. Yet the people living here are completely unaware of this and refuse to escape the sea of suffering. What else is this but the 'Saha World'?"

Caesar was speechless; he knew the girl was right.

“This flower is truly an evil flower. 'Wandering' means ‘displaced and homeless,' signifying the confusion of people in this ‘Saha world.' It is nourished by people's greed and desires. Once it appears in the world, it will amplify the desires of those around it infinitely, driving people insane, ultimately leading to suicide or mutual slaughter.” Qin Wen’s face was filled with gloom. “Legend has it that these flowers were once ubiquitous in the human world a long, long time ago, and humanity almost went extinct because of them. Buddha thought they were too evil, so he sealed them forever in hell. You had better be prepared; these flowers may not be the real ‘Saha wandering,’ but they are definitely not just for people to admire!”