The Three Pure Ones' Secret: Expressing Spirit

After listening to Fan Biao's words, I realized how insignificant humans are. It turns out that everything in the world has already been perfected and fixed, and we are just insignificant existences among these specks of dust.

Then Fan Biao said to me, "Hey bro, don't call me 'Brother Fan,' actually we were born in the same year, on the same day. From now on, you can call me Lao Fan, and I'll call you Lao Pu!"

I gave an awkward laugh and nodded silently. Old Fan then continued to describe the river beneath the bridge. He said it was the most famous moat of Fengdu City in the Underworld, the Ruoshui River, also known as the Wangchuan River. The Wangchuan River was filled with weak water; unless you crossed it by bridge, even a fly that landed on it would fall in and sink to the bottom. There were many folk tales about the Wangchuan River. The most famous profession along its banks was that of ferrymen. They were an unofficial profession in the Underworld, often secretly ferrying the souls of those who weren't quite dead to the other side. Most of these were people who had been lovers or suffered tragic fates in life, making it seem like illegal crossing. The Underworld didn't seem to care too much about this, often turning a blind eye when they discovered it.

I was particularly surprised that this was the underworld that people talked about. I never expected to be in such a situation. Lao Fan and I were walking on the white road again. This road was left for people to go to the underworld. In fact, people who walk on this road can no longer be considered human. They are just not real ghosts of the underworld. They are newly arrived ghosts.

We crossed the Bridge of Life, and the River of Oblivion churned with turbulent waves, even though there was no wind around. We couldn't understand why the river was churning so violently. However, the Bridge of Life was so far from the river that we couldn't see the true state of the water at all.

After crossing the Pingsheng Bridge, we arrived at the gate of a very grand and gloomy city gate. On the gate was a particularly large plaque with three eye-catching characters: Fengdu City!

Beneath Fengdu City lie three gates, each symbolizing a different path, with each person entering following their own way. However, it seems not just any ghost can enter Fengdu City in the underworld; they must wear a pass, a mark etched on their foreheads. The ghost guards at the gates of Fengdu City simply need to sweep something across their foreheads, and a green glow will emanate from the ghosts' foreheads.

Seeing that there were ghost messengers checking the posts, I made a foolish mistake and asked Fan Biao somewhat fearfully, "Hey, Lao Fan, there's a sentry post ahead. How do we get in? Won't we be exposed if we go this way?"

Old Fan said nonchalantly, "Ignore them, let's just go straight there."

I exclaimed in surprise, "Ah! You're going to force your way through?"

He shook his head: "No, you just need to follow me."

I silently followed behind Fan Biao, and we lined up to pass through. When it was Fan Biao and my turn, the ghost guard not only didn't stop him, but also respectfully bowed to him, and he walked past as if nothing had happened. But just as I was about to follow, the ghost guard stopped me abruptly. Before he could reprimand me, Fan Biao hurriedly said to the two ghost guards, "Hey, I brought him in!"

The two ghost messengers didn't say anything, they just gestured for me to come over. I was a little dumbfounded. Why were these ghost messengers giving him so much face?

Once we entered the city, I hurriedly asked Fan Biao, "Hey, Lao Fan, why are they being so polite to you?"

Fan Biao said smugly, "Because I am a geomancer, I have dealings with the underworld. I'm already familiar with them, so they definitely won't stop me. If I bring you along, they'll think I have something to do with you, so they won't stop you either."

I was skeptical. What era are we living in? Does the profession of geomancer really exist? I looked around and decided to ignore it. Maybe they don't exist in the real world, but whether they do exist in this scene around me is really uncertain.

I don't know how big Fengdu City is. Fan Biao and I walked for a long time. He said to me, "We can't go back the way we came. I'll take you to get the things and then we'll take another road to another place in Banbuduo. We won't go through Xingyao Village."

I didn't know where he planned to go back from. So I asked him, "Which way are we going back, that we have to go all the way back to Banbuduocheng?"

As he walked forward, he shook his head at me: "No. We won't go into Banbuduo City. We'll go to a place outside Banbuduo City, but that place is also under Banbuduo's jurisdiction. It's called Yibu Shao, and next to it are the famous Eighteen Levels of Hell and the Hall of Reincarnation in the Underworld."

I was both intrigued and a little scared when I heard this. Was this guy lying to me all along? Was he going to take me to the eighteenth level of hell and lock me up? But then I thought about it, and I couldn't think of anything I'd ever done to anyone wrong. Except for when He Qiaohe said she wanted to marry me when we grew up and I didn't agree, and she cried her eyes out and wouldn't play with me anymore, what else have I ever done to wrong anyone? Did I steal twenty yuan from my mom when I was little to buy spicy snacks and then get constipated?

Could the underworld setting be that useless? The more I thought about it, the more unrealistic my ideas seemed. Maybe he just wanted to take me a shortcut!

I looked at Fan Biao's back in front of me. This guy had been very polite the whole way. Although he stuttered when he spoke, he didn't seem like a bad person. Apart from being a bit dark-skinned and his short-sleeved outfit making him look like a street thug, there was nothing else wrong with him.

And he claimed to be a highly skilled master, a geomancer! While in my mind, geomancers are like the characters played by Uncle Ying in ghost movies, what if this guy's more of a trendy type? Who knows? Whatever, I'm penniless. It seems like he'd only waste his time by lying to me. He wouldn't be involved in human trafficking, would he? Even if he did traffic people in a place like this, it shouldn't involve organ transplants or kidney-breaking, right?

Fortunately, these were just my buddies' wild thoughts. Fan Biao led me to a place in Fengdu City, I don't know if it was the city center or not. He stopped and said to me, "Hey Lao Pu, I'll take you to a fun place first. I'll show you about past lives, present lives, and future lives. Are you interested?"

I didn't understand what he meant, so I asked him, "What about past lives, present lives, and future lives?"

He pointed to something and said, "See that mountain south of the city?"

I moved closer to where he was pointing, and I saw a mountain in the distance, a very tall mountain. Its peak was shrouded in black clouds, obscuring the view. Seeing how tall and far away the mountain was, I shook my head. "Uh, brother," I said, "this mountain is so far away and so high, how long will it take to get there?"

Fan Biao became interested: "What's there to be afraid of? Where we are now, one day is equivalent to one hour in the human world. It's only a day's journey from here to the top of the mountain at most. I'll show you around, and after we've explored the mountain, we'll go get what I need to take back, and then we'll head back."

What can I say? I can only follow him. And like he said, a day here is like an hour in the human world, so it doesn't matter. Just treat it as a pointless trip, since things have already come to this?

There were many people along the way... no, they should be called demons and monsters. However, everyone remained orderly and stood in neat rows, like an earthworm wriggling forward.

Old Fan told me that so many ghosts went to that mountain because there was a place there that was extremely important to all ghosts. At the time, I didn't understand, and the old man pretended to be mysterious and wouldn't tell me. Fortunately, the underworld is designed so that ghosts never get tired no matter how far they travel; although the mountains are high and the roads are long, all ghosts maintain order.

We slowly walked to the foot of the mountain. There was a large entrance at the foot of the mountain, similar to the gate of a scenic area, but no one was managing it. All the ghosts obediently walked forward slowly. When I arrived at the gate, I saw a large stone tablet with text recording detailed information about the mountain and its origin.

This mountain was originally called Sansheng Mountain. Legend has it that in ancient times, when Pangu separated heaven and earth… no, in ancient times, when the goddess Nuwa mended the sky, some stones accidentally fell from it. However, these stones have nothing to do with the Monkey King, Sun Wukong, who sprang from them. One of the small stones that Nuwa dropped while mending the sky landed on Sansheng Mountain in the underworld, and the place where the stone was located became a unique and magical place in the underworld. Originally, the rulers of the underworld wanted to transport it to the netherworld, saying that the stone carried auspicious energy, and since ghosts are inherently yin, it might harm the lives of these ghosts.

But since ancient times, there have always been a few reckless individuals who insist on touching the stone. And it is only after touching it that they discover the secret hidden in this stone that fell from the sky.

Whenever a ghost touches the stone, the stone emits a light, drawing the ghost's consciousness into a fantastical space where three perplexing images appear. However, over time, the ghosts of the underworld discover that these images are none other than a person's past, present, and future lives.

When the rulers of the underworld learned of this, they built a palace at the spot where the stone fell, and the entire mountain was named Sansheng Mountain after the stone. Because of the Sansheng Stone on Sansheng Mountain, which allows ghosts to observe their past, present, and future lives, it became a unique tourist attraction in the underworld.

After reading these introductions, I realized that the myths and legends of the human world are not just made up; these stories all have certain prototypes. In fact, besides the River of Oblivion and the Mountain of Three Lives, there are many other stories in the underworld. For example, before being reincarnated, people go to Huiguang Village. In Huiguang Village, there is a platform that looks like a huge cliff. That platform is none other than the platform of longing for home that people often talk about.

Fan Biao and I walked through the gate and slowly entered the dark green forest. The surrounding trees grew crookedly, with strange, eerie leaves on their branches. They looked like human hands and swayed as they passed by ghosts, as if trying to grab and bind them.

There is no sun in the underworld, only a dim, twilight-like light. The dark clouds in the sky do not move or change. As Fan Biao and I climbed higher and higher, fog slowly rose around us. The hazy fog was like a severe smog. Fortunately, our formation for climbing the mountain did not change.

After walking for a long time, just when I was almost in despair and about to collapse, I finally saw the Three Lives Stone Hall on the introductory stone tablet. I originally thought the hall would be a normal size like a temple, but when I got there I realized I was wrong. It was as big as a large stadium, and the Three Lives Stone described was not a stone as people would think, but rather like a mountain. The hall surrounded the stone and had five levels in total, with various vendors selling their wares on each level.

I really don't understand, because ghosts in this place don't need food or water, so why do they still sell things like people do?

Out of confusion and curiosity, I asked Fan Biao, "Old Fan, we don't need to eat here, so why are there stalls and shops selling things all along the way?"

Fan Biao looked at it and said, "Huh? What do you mean I don't need to eat?"

I told him my doubts and confusion, and he laughed awkwardly: "Brother, you misunderstood. Ghosts don't not eat; it's just that you don't eat. The reason you don't feel hungry now is because your body in the human world isn't hungry, but some of your soul hasn't left yet, so you don't feel hungry."

Only after Fan Biao explained did I understand that ghosts do not abstain from food; they are worshipped with incense, which is their daily sustenance. Even the small incense sticks and candles have specific meanings: three sticks represent gods, humans, and ghosts, while two candles represent heaven, earth, yin, and yang.

Through his explanation, I also learned some things about Yin-Yang masters. It turns out that everything is not formed without reason, and there are stories mixed in with the origins, but those who are not in the know do not understand the way.

We strolled through the Hall of Three Lives, from the first floor to the fifth. Everywhere we looked, ghosts were touching the Three Lives Stone. I, however, never had a chance. Curious, I asked Fan Biao beside me, "Old Fan, am I in a good enough state to touch this big stone?"

Fan Biao hesitated for a moment: "I'm not sure either. Do you want to give it a try?"

I glanced at the large rock not far from me. But as I got closer, I realized it was more like a jade mountain than a rock, its smooth, pale yellow surface radiating an indescribable aura. Following the flow of people, Fan Biao and I finally squeezed our way through the throng of ghosts to the Three Lives Stone. Fan Biao said I could try it and see what the reaction was. Looking at the gleaming stone, I felt a surge of excitement, but along with that excitement, a thought that left me speechless arose. This stone could actually see the past, present, and future—so, couldn't I see all of my life's experiences? I'd better keep an eye out for when the lottery jackpot will be won and which real estate projects to invest in.

However, reality was quite frustrating. With my ridiculous idea in mind, I touched the Three Lives Stone, closed my eyes, and tried to feel it, but nothing happened for a long time. I closed my eyes again, hoping for a long time, but still nothing. I opened my eyes and looked at Fan Biao, who was watching me. Seeing that I had opened my eyes, he asked, "Finished? So fast?"

I shook my head at him: "There's nothing there, no visuals."

Fan Biao didn't seem to understand either, so he grabbed the hair on his head and said, "Then try again."

I was stunned. What was going on? Did I have to watch a gay scene? But even gay scenes need visuals, right? Did I have to subscribe to a membership?