Chapter 44: The Waters of Forgetfulness

Noticing that the water in the vat was running low, Zhao Yu immediately realized he needed to go fetch some water from the river.

However, he was in no rush, deciding first to brush the tiger. Although the tiger was perfectly healthy, it was only half a tiger, undoubtedly having been gnawed on by someone.

Without giving it a wash, it just didn't sit right with him.

Once the brushing was done, the soup in the pot had come to a boil.

He tossed the tiger inside.

"Roar..."

Accompanied by a faint, mournful tiger roar, the pot grew quiet.

He added more firewood.

Soon, the rich aroma of meat began to spread.

"Wife, Xiaowanzi, younger brother, time to eat."

Time to eat.

The family gathered in the main hall for dinner.

As they ate, Zhao Yu couldn't help but look up at his wife.

"Husband?" Ying's gentle voice carried a hint of confusion.

Zhao Yu shook his head silently. "Nothing."

Yet, his gaze drifted once more toward his wife's attire.

Why had his wife been wearing red all day today?

He distinctly remembered that his wife always wore white.

While a wife in red stirred a somewhat unfamiliar impulse within his heart, her sudden wardrobe change made him feel rather unaccustomed to it.

Could it be that when the cleaver mentioned he had two wives, it actually meant he not only had a wife in white, but also an extra wife in red?

Bah, nonsense! He only had one wife.

Cursing himself inwardly, Zhao Yu forced those thoughts out of his mind and focused entirely on eating the meat.

When the meal was nearly finished, the wife in red, smiling faintly just like last time, began to clear away the bowls and chopsticks.

Zhao Yu thought for a moment, picked up his carrying pole and buckets, and said, "Wife, there's no water left in the vat. I'm heading down to the river to fetch some."

The wife in red immediately expressed her concern: "The winds of despair are raging outside, Husband, please be careful."

"Don't worry, Wife, I'll steer clear of the black winds."

He waved his hand and set off toward the river with his buckets.

If they ran out of medicine, his younger brother and sister-in-law could hold out for a while, but if they ran out of water, cooking meals would become a problem. Even with the black winds howling, he had to make haste and fetch water.

...

Down by the riverbank, Fang Hui and a man in black were crouching at the water's edge.

Fang Hui stared at the river water, his eyes gleaming with delight. "This is it—the waters of the River of Forgetfulness, rumored to flow from the Netherworld Springs deep within the Yin Mountains."

The reason the million-li-long Yin Mountains were called the Yin Mountains was precisely because of the waters of Forgetfulness!

They had previously been hunted down by paper figures, and everyone else had died, leaving only the two of them alive. It wasn't because they had managed to escape the paper figures' pursuit, but rather because, for some unknown reason, the paper figures had suddenly stopped chasing.

Thinking back now, it was probably because they had wandered near these waters of Forgetfulness.

The man in black was equally astonished. "Everyone in the world assumed the waters of Forgetfulness in the Yin Mountains were just a tiny pool, which is why no one could ever find it, leading them to believe it was merely a false legend. Who would have thought it is actually a great river?"

Fang Hui's joy grew even stronger. "I won't keep it from you. If the quantity were scarce, even though we both serve under the Provincial Governor, I would definitely cut you down to keep it for myself. But since this is a great river, let us cooperate sincerely and gather as much as we can."

The man in black caught his breath, then hesitated. "Fang Hui, we are still not out of danger, and harvesting these waters is extremely perilous. Since we already know its location, in my view, we should make haste and leave. Once we are safe, we can ask the Provincial Governor to dispatch a True Lord of the Deity Transformation realm to gather the water."

As the discoverers, they surely wouldn't leave empty-handed.

Fang Hui sneered. "How many years has the legend of the waters of Forgetfulness persisted? With a river this vast, what makes you think the two of us possess the extraordinary luck of being its first discoverers? Even I, Fang Hui, bearing the Astral God True Form, wouldn't dare boast of such fortune!"

"What do you mean?" The man in black's expression shifted slightly.

Fang Hui let out a slow breath. "It is highly likely that these waters constantly shift their location, or perhaps they only manifest on specific days. In short, once we leave today, the two of us will likely never have another chance to harvest this water."

The man in black's lips moved, but he found himself unable to argue.

Fang Hui didn't care. "Stop wasting time. Hurry up and gather the water."

With that, Fang Hui took several deep breaths before approaching the river with a grave expression.

As he drew close, the spiritual power within Fang Hui erupted instantly. "Boundless heavens, sunken earth... By imperial decree!"

Accompanied by an even more terrifying fluctuation of spiritual power, countless beams of light surged toward the river water.

Yet, no matter how that terrifying spiritual power surged and churned, it failed to affect the river water by even the slightest fraction.

After a brief stalemate, Fang Hui's eyes brightened, and he shouted sharply, "Now is the time, gather the water!"

The man in black said nothing, simply pulling out a jade bottle radiating a faint halo and plunging the hand holding it directly into the water.

Before the water even entered the bottle, the man in black let out a harrowing, shrill shriek.

"Ah..."

The scream was so agonizing it sounded subhuman!

Cold sweat poured out of him in torrents, streaming down like rain.

Yet the man in black persisted.

Fang Hui also poured his all into unleashing his spiritual power, guiding the river water as best as he could.

After enduring for a long while, a single drop of water finally entered the jade bottle.

A look of joy crossed the man in black's face as he yanked his hand back.

Collapsing onto the ground like a puddle of mud, he gasped, "I... I can't hold on anymore. My divine soul... is about to shatter..."

The waters of Forgetfulness, when not located within the Underworld springs, inflicted terrifying damage upon the divine soul.

For a mortal, let alone touching it, simply standing nearby would cause their divine soul to instantly disintegrate.

As for cultivators... perhaps only a True Lord of the Deity Transformation realm could barely endure it head-on for a single fleeting moment?

Fang Hui wanted to kill him; this piece of trash was utterly useless.

Yet he said in a cold voice, "You cast the spell, I'll harvest the water."

The man in black said nothing, merely panting where he lay.

After resting for a long while, he finally got up and nodded.

His spiritual power erupted.

The moment the man in black managed to coax the water into a tiny movement, Fang Hui didn't hesitate for a second, plunging the hand holding the jade bottle straight into the water.

In the blink of an eye...

Fang Hui couldn't even describe the agony tearing through his divine soul.

It felt as though thousands of blades and axes were hacking away at him, piercing straight to his heart and marrow!

Though he managed to suppress his screams, his body trembled uncontrollably in spasms, and low groans escaped his throat.

Sweat poured from him like rain once more.

Yet Fang Hui knew it was all worth it; with his own eyes, he saw a droplet of water sliding into the jade bottle.

Time slowly drifted by.

Nearly a quarter of an hour later, Fang Hui had harvested two drops of water.

"No, I... I can't hold on either..." Fang Hui finally ripped his hand back, unable to endure another second.

His divine soul seemed to be teetering on the very brink of collapse.

The man in black giggled foolishly like an ordinary person. "We got a total of three drops."

The legendary waters of Forgetfulness from the River of Forgetfulness—they possessed three drops of it!

Fang Hui's eyes flickered as he said in a deep voice, "Such a great fortune must not be wasted. You and I must make haste to recover, and then we will continue harvesting the water!"

"Good." The man in black crossed his legs and sat directly on the ground.

Fang Hui's eyes flashed with a chilling light before he looked back at the river with lingering terror.

He had severely underestimated how terrifying it was to harvest this water... after going through such arduous torment, they had only managed to secure two or three drops?

Even if a mountain of endless treasures lay right before you, being unable to take them away made them utterly useless.

He had originally intended to show mercy and let his companion have a taste of the broth, but who would have thought...

Ultimately, this great fortune could only be enjoyed by himself alone.

"When the sun comes out, I climb the mountain slope~"

A cheerful tune drifted over in a daze.

Fang Hui, still deep in thought, snapped his head around instantly. That voice—wasn't that Zhao Yu?

Why was that mysterious Zhao Yu here?

Could he too have come for the waters of Forgetfulness?