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Chapter 135: Ferry to the Underworld's Ferry Operator
The reason I went to the Northeast was to find an immortal, and now I have one right in front of me. It’s clear that Wong Tai Sin has a good heart, so if I ask him to help me with the Ferry to the Underworld, my chances should be quite high.
When Wong Tai Sin heard me call him, he looked at me and curiously asked, "Brother, is there something you need?"
Upon hearing this, I felt that Wong Tai Sin's image in my mind grew even taller. He spoke to me like a brother, unlike the Weasel who had called me in such a condescending manner. This is what it means to be an enlightened person. I quickly cupped my hands and bowed respectfully, saying, "Great Master, your disciple wishes to take a Ming Ship across the Wangchuan River. It is said that one needs the help of an immortal to cross that river, so I have an unreasonable request and hope that Great Master can assist me in ferrying my Ming Ship into the Wangchuan River."
"Brother, did I hear you correctly? You want to ask me to help you ferry a boat across the river?" Wong Tai Sin suddenly showed a surprised expression.
Seeing this expression, my heart sank; it seemed this matter might not work out. So I asked, "Great Master, I need to enter the Wangchuan River to save a friend, so I really need your help. I hope Great Master can grant my request."
Wong Tai Sin suddenly burst into laughter, looked at me, and then said, "You might have found the wrong person for this task; I cannot help you with this. I don't have that ability."
Hearing this made me freeze for a moment. Previously, Cao Qilong had told me that as long as it was an immortal, they could help me ferry a boat. Why was this Wong Tai Sin saying he didn't have that ability?
Seeing my puzzled expression, Wong Tai Sin continued, "You are a boatman; you can ferry the boat yourself. Why do you need us immortals to help you? Just go and ferry your friend yourself!"
This left me even more confused; where was this conversation going? So I said with a bitter face, "What do you mean by that, Great Master? I'm just a Paper Effigy Maker and have nothing to do with being a boatman. Moreover, once the Ming Ship enters the water, it will be damaged; how can it succeed without the help of an immortal?"
Wong Tai Sin mysteriously laughed again and said, "I say you're a boatman because you are one; it's just that the timing isn't right yet—you don't know it yet. All I can tell you is that you don't need to look for immortals anymore because you are the one who will ferry the boat. The Wangchuan River is indeed a river of the underworld; ordinary immortals cannot cross it—only you can ferry it. Additionally, the Ming Ship is not an ordinary vessel; first go find your Ming Ship, and then you'll be able to ferry it."
At this moment, I was completely confused. I thought that by finding the immortal and then making a paper boat myself, I could go down to the River of Forgetfulness to rescue Lin Xiaoqi. However, I never expected that I had indeed found the immortal, but the answer I received was something entirely different. The immortal could not help me; I had to be the one to ferry across the river, and it was insisted that I was the ferryman, only I could cross the Underworld River. What puzzled me even more was that the Ming Ship was not a paper boat. If that were true, then what exactly was the Ming Ship?
I suddenly realized that it would be far from easy to use the Ming Ship to rescue Lin Xiaoqi as I had previously imagined. I looked at the mysterious Wong Tai Sin and asked him, "Great Master, why can’t I understand what you are saying? Is there a special type of boat for crossing this river?"
Wong Tai Sin chuckled and told me, "Not just any boat can cross the river because the Underworld River is filled with ghosts, monsters, and serpents, with raging waves. No matter if you are human, ghost, or immortal, no matter how powerful you are, as soon as you step into the Underworld River, you will surely be swept away by the waves into the depths of the river, or be soaked and corroded by the icy water, or bitten by ghosts. No boat can cross the Underworld River except for Ferry Master Qu's specialized Ming Ship."
"Ah? How is it that Ferry Master Qu is so powerful? Is she still ferrying boats in the Underworld River?" I was surprised and anxious because according to what he said, only that ferryman with the surname Qu could cross the river. If I could find her, I should be able to ask for her help.
When Wong Tai Sin heard my question, he suddenly burst into laughter as if my question was very amusing. This left me stunned. I anxiously asked him, "Great Master, why are you laughing all of a sudden? I truly do not understand; that's why I'm asking such a common-sense question. Please don't laugh at me."
"It's fine! It's fine!" Wong Tai Sin waved his hand and then said, "The timing isn't right; it's understandable that you don't know for now." He then began to tell me about Ferry Master Qu.
It turned out that in the Underworld there is a river called Sanzu River. It is also known as Sanzu River. It is part of the same river system as the River of Forgetfulness; ultimately, the waters of Forgetfulness flow into this river. Sanzu River is just as murky and filled with monsters and dangers as the River of Forgetfulness. In this Sanzu River, there has been a Ming Ship that has been ferrying people for generations; only this ferryman with the surname Qu can safely navigate across the Underworld River.
There is also a legend about this ferryman with the surname Qu. It is said that thousands of years ago when Sanzu River was still in the Yin Realm, one day a ferry operator died in this river. Since then, every year one ferry operator would die in Sanzu River; those who died were all ferry operators who were said to have been taken by water ghosts to serve as substitutes. Afterward, no ferry operator was willing to carry people across this river anymore, leaving people unable to cross.
At this time, there was a ferry operator with the surname Qu who made a small boat and came to Sanzu River to start carrying people across. Many people advised him against doing so, but he smiled and said, "I’m not afraid; even if I am taken by water ghosts, I can still help people cross as a ghost."
Thus, within three days, Ferryman Qu fell into the river and became a water ghost. However, he did not go back on his word; after becoming a water ghost, he did not take those who crossed as substitutes but instead blessed those who crossed safely. He often rowed his small boat to help others cross. From that time on, anyone wishing to cross Sanzu River had to take Ferryman Qu's boat because riding in his boat ensured safety.
Later on, Sanzu River was incorporated into the Underworld, and Ferryman Qu also came to the Underworld. Here in the Underworld, he chose not to seek reincarnation through substitutes but continued rowing his small boat daily to wait for those wishing to cross. Eventually, his deeds were recognized by the Jade Emperor who appointed him as a river god; all ghosts called him Ferry Master Qu. He not only ferried humans and ghosts across but also every thousand years would go to the River of Forgetfulness to ferry souls trapped there. Thus arose the custom that souls falling into Forgetfulness must wait a thousand years before they can ascend and be reincarnated. In this way, he has been rowing his small boat on Sanzu River for thousands of years without ever leaving it.
After hearing Wong Tai Sin finish telling me about Ferry Master Qu's legend, I finally understood. It turned out that in the Underworld's River of Forgetfulness, souls waiting a thousand years for reincarnation were all because Ferry Master Qu helped them reach shore.
Thinking of this, I became even more excited. It seemed that all I needed to do was find Ferry Master Qu and ask him to help me make a trip to the River of Forgetfulness. So I asked Wong Tai Sin, "Great Master, do you know if Ferry Master Qu is still at the Sanzu River?"
Wong Tai Sin smiled and said, "Not at all! He has not been at the Sanzu River for a long time. The heavenly realm sent him to reincarnate as a human a thousand years ago. Now, no one can cross the Sanzu River, and the souls in the River of Forgetfulness, once they fall in, will wait for thousands or even tens of thousands of years without anyone helping them to reach the shore."
"Ah, he's gone?" Upon hearing this, the glimmer of hope I had just felt was instantly shattered, leaving me momentarily stunned. If I couldn't find Ferry Master Qu, then I wouldn't be able to cross the river. Moreover, Ferry Master Qu wouldn't come to ferry souls across every thousand years; did that mean Lin Xiaoqi would never be able to reach the shore?
Thinking of this made me panic. At that moment, Wong Tai Sin said, "Don't rush. I have already told you that you have the ability to cross the river; you just haven't found your Ming Ship yet."
"I can cross the river? I'm not Ferry Master Qu; how can I cross?" I was very surprised.
"Well, the timing isn't right yet. When the time comes, you will know. In short, you are a boatman and can cross the river," Wong Tai Sin said with a mysterious expression, pretending to be profound. Seeing him like this clearly indicated that he knew the reason but was deliberately not telling me. If he weren't a Great Master, I would have really been angry; this kind of half-spoken words was quite frustrating and made me feel uneasy.
However, since he is a Great Master and I still needed his help, it wouldn’t be appropriate for me to force him to say what he didn't want to share. So I could only sigh and then ask, "Great Master, do you know where Ferry Master Qu's Ming Ship is?"
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