God-level Ferryman: Starting reward is the Ten Kings of Hell

Chapter 5: Talking about money hurts feelings, broaden your perspective!

Selling one bowl?

Chu Jiang almost burst out laughing when he heard Meng Po's words.

He looked at the old woman in front of him, who held an extremely high position in the legends of the underworld, holding an empty bowl, and cautiously asked if he could sell her a bowl of water.

This scene has a certain charm that comes from the contrast.

"Meng Po, what are you saying?" Chu Jiang put away his teacup, spread his hands, and said very frankly.

"Talking about money really hurts feelings!"

Meng Po's blurry face seemed to twitch slightly, clearly not expecting this answer.

Chu Jiang pointed to the crystal-clear river in front of him, and then to the long procession of souls in the distance. His voice was not loud, but all the ghosts around him could hear him clearly.

"This water can help you brew a sacred soup, allowing the departed soul to forget their past and depart more peacefully. That is a great act of merit that benefits all living beings. It is my honor to be able to do my part as a humble ferryman. How could I possibly accept your money?"

He took two steps forward, cupped his hands in a respectful gesture towards Meng Po, and adopted a very humble posture.

"Besides, it's my duty to purify this River of the Underworld. If you can use this water, then that's its greatest value."

Chu Jiang waved his hand and said with great enthusiasm, "Open your mind! Take as much water as you want from this river, use as much as you like! Consider it my small contribution to the efficiency of our underworld's cycle of reincarnation!"

KPI?

Meng Po was taken aback. Although she didn't understand the word, she understood its meaning.

A genuine smile appeared in her calm, deep eyes.

"What a great 'broadening perspective'! What a great 'contributing to KPIs'! Brother Chu, you're quite something."

She put away the bowl and nodded solemnly to Chu Jiang: "This old woman is grateful for your kindness. If you ever need my help in the future, I will always be there to guide you across the Bridge of Helplessness."

This is a promise of immense weight.

Chu Jiang was overjoyed inside, but remained humble on the surface: "Meng Po, you flatter me. It's all for the harmonious development of the underworld."

The two exchanged a smile, everything understood without a word.

Just then, a faint yet venomous voice, like a mosquito buzzing, suddenly entered Chu Jiang's mind.

It is a transmission of divine consciousness.

"Chu Jiang! Don't push your luck! If you dare touch me today, my uncle will definitely not let you off! I advise you to know when to quit while you're ahead!"

It was Wei Tong, who was still kneeling on the ground.

Immediately afterwards, another, even more sinister voice rang out, coming from Judge Wei.

"Chu Jiang! Don't push your luck! You're just a newly crowned Ghost King, your foundation isn't solid yet. Give me face today, and let's drop this matter!"

"I guarantee you entry into the Reincarnation Bureau, where you'll serve as its deputy head! I'll also reward you with a mansion in Fengdu City and a thousand catties of top-grade Yin Crystals! These conditions are enough for you to cultivate for a thousand years!"

"If you insist on being my enemy, don't blame me for using the full power of the Reincarnation Bureau to fight you to the death!"

Using both soft and hard tactics, coercion and inducement.

This old bastard, even at this point, is still thinking about turning the tables.

Chu Jiang's smile remained unchanged, but his gaze slowly shifted to Judge Wei, who was kneeling on the ground, not daring to raise his head.

As if he hadn't heard, he suddenly picked at his ear and asked loudly with a puzzled look, "Oh dear, the wind in the Nether River is so strong, I think something just crawled into my ear."

His shout drew all the ghosts' attention back to him.

Judge Wei's soul suddenly stiffened, and an ominous premonition surged into his heart.

Chu Jiang walked over to Judge Wei, squatted down, and patted him on the shoulder in a very "friendly" manner.

"Judge Wei, what did you whisper to me just now? Your voice was too soft, and my hearing isn't very good, so I didn't hear you clearly. Could you please say it again?"

Judge Wei's soul trembled violently, his face turned deathly pale, and he shook his head frantically, making "woo-woo" sounds, not daring to utter a single word.

"Not going to tell?" Chu Jiang stood up, stroking his chin as if trying hard to remember.

"Oh, I remember now!" he exclaimed, slapping his thigh.

He cleared his throat and, imitating Judge Wei's tone, repeated the content of the telepathic transmission from earlier in a loud voice, word for word.

"Chu Jiang! Don't push your luck! You're just a newly crowned Ghost King, your foundation isn't solid yet. Give me face today, and let's drop this matter!"

"I guarantee you entry into the Reincarnation Bureau, where you will serve as its deputy head! I will also reward you with a mansion in Fengdu City and a thousand catties of top-grade Yin Crystals!"

"If you insist on being my enemy, don't blame me for using the full power of the Reincarnation Bureau to fight you to the death!"

With each word he spoke, Judge Wei's face paled a little more.

When Chu Jiang finished speaking his last sentence, Judge Wei collapsed into a limp mess, his soul light dimmed to the extreme.

Public execution!

This is blatant public execution!

The entire ferry crossing was deathly silent.

All the spirits, including the two ox-headed and horse-faced demons, looked at Chu Jiang with the eyes of someone looking at a god.

And this kind of operation?

That's amazing!

Chu Jiang shrugged, turned to Meng Po who was watching the scene unfold, and asked innocently, "Meng Po, please be the judge. Doesn't this count as public bribery? And threatening the underworld officials on top of that? According to the laws of the underworld, how many years would that be?"

Even Meng Po was stumped by Chu Jiang's move. After several seconds, she managed to squeeze out two words from her blurred face.

"He deserves to die."

Upon hearing those two words, Judge Wei's eyes rolled back, and he was so frightened that half of his soul disintegrated.

Just then, something unexpected happened!

"Boom—"

A deafening roar seemed to come from the depths of the netherworld.

Without warning, a huge crack appeared in the sky above the Sanzu Ferry.

A dazzling golden light burst forth from it, like a sacred ribbon, stretching from the sky directly to the ferry dock, forming a glittering golden avenue.

An aura far surpassing that of the Ghost King realm, so vast, boundless, and majestic that it instantly enveloped the entire Netherworld River like a celestial river flowing backwards!

Faced with this aura, Chu Jiang's previously imposing Ghost King pressure was like a small flame in a storm, instantly suppressed to the point of being almost imperceptible.

All the souls at the ferry crossing, including the two ox-headed and horse-faced demons, were uncontrollably prostrate on the ground, their souls trembling like leaves.

Even Meng Po bowed slightly to show her respect.

A figure slowly walked down the golden avenue.

The newcomer wore a first-rank official robe with a qilin design, a Liang crown on his head, and had an ancient and dignified appearance. He held a black book in his left hand and a large vermilion judge's pen in his right. His eyes seemed to be able to see through the cycle of reincarnation and discern all illusions.

With each step he took, golden lotuses bloomed beneath his feet, and the laws of the Great Dao resonated with them.

Seeing this, Meng Po's voice also became solemn as she slowly spoke.

"Welcome, Chief Judge of the Ten Kings of Hell, Lord of the Investigation Department, Cui Jue."

Judge Cui!

The boss of the boss who is said to be able to "judge the world of the living by day and the world of the dead by night" and who holds the Book of Life and Death!

Chu Jiang's heart skipped a beat.

Big work is coming.

Judge Cui landed at the ferry crossing, his sharp eyes sweeping across the entire area.

When he saw Judge Wei kneeling on the ground, his soul unstable, and the crystal-clear river beside him, its merit and spiritual energy almost tangible, a hint of emotion appeared on his eternally unchanging icy face for the first time.

He walked quickly to the riverbank, stretched out his finger, and gently touched the water.

A soft golden light appeared at his fingertips and then quickly disappeared.

Judge Cui's body visibly stiffened for a moment.

He suddenly looked up, his gaze fixed intently on the Yellow Springs Spirit Ship, its entire body shimmering with light and runes flashing, and the shock in his eyes could no longer be concealed.

"The Treasure of Merit and Virtue... Merit Transforms into Holy Water..."

He muttered to himself, almost dropping the judge's pen in his hand.

Finally, his almost tangible gaze fell upon Chu Jiang, the only one still standing in the room.

He saw the initial stage of the Chujiang Ghost King's realm, and even more so, he saw the dense aura of merit on his body that was almost condensed into a canopy.

Judge Cui's brows furrowed deeply.

He turned around abruptly, pointing his judge's pen directly at Judge Wei, who was lying paralyzed on the ground. His voice was as cold as ice, devoid of any emotion.

"Wei Wuji!"

Judge Wei shuddered, and his soul dissipated once again.

"Is this how the Reincarnation Bureau operates?"

"Such a peerless genius, burdened with immense merit, and your evaluation result is to banish him to the River of Three Crossings to row a boat?"

"You've brought your men here today not to reward me, but to interrogate me?"

Judge Cui's voice grew heavier and colder with each sentence.

"Are you telling me that my underworld's system of rewards and punishments is just a piece of paper?!"

The last sentence, delivered with the force of thunder, directly shocked Judge Wei's soul, causing him to exhale a breath of yin energy and completely lose consciousness.

After dealing with Judge Wei, Judge Cui's insightful eyes locked onto Chu Jiang once again.

The immense pressure caused Chu Jiang to feel a slight stinging sensation in his soul.

"You are Chu Jiang?"

Chu Jiang remained neither humble nor arrogant, and bowed respectfully, saying, "I am Chu Jiang, and I greet Lord Cui."

"Raise your head."

Judge Cui's voice brooked no refusal.

Chu Jiang raised his head and met his gaze.

Judge Cui stared at him for a full ten breaths, as if trying to see through him inside and out.

After a long silence, he finally spoke, his tone carrying a hint of inquiry.

Give me an explanation.

"What exactly happened here in the past three days?"