The next day, by the River of Forgetfulness.
The group scattered in twos and threes, wandering along the riverbank.
Chen Mu stood beside Shi Dechun, still shaken as he stared at the boundless, rippleless water. The terror of struggling at the bottom of the river still lingered in his heart.
As he gazed blankly at the river, a splash suddenly appeared.
A humanoid black shadow abruptly leaped from the water before sinking back beneath the surface. As it rose and fell, it alternated between a human form and a cloud of black smoke.
After struggling dozens of times in succession, it finally sank to the riverbed and vanished. Only a ring of ripples slowly spread outward, but they soon faded, and the water became as still as a glass mirror once more.
"What a pity." Shi Dechun's face was filled with sorrow.
Chen Mu frowned. "What will happen to that person after falling back to the riverbed?"
"What else could happen?" Shi Dechun snorted.
Chen Mu's heart skipped a beat.
Would he die completely?
He remembered that the River of Forgetfulness Water was incredibly corrosive, as terrifying as a potent poison.
Shi Dechun's face darkened. "Of course he'll be reincarnated."
Chen Mu froze. "Isn't reincarnation a pretty good outcome?"
Shi Dechun wore a sour expression. "He gets to go enjoy himself in the mortal world, but I've lost five Jade Dew Beads for nothing."
"Ox Head said that whoever helped him retrieve a Yinling from the river would have five Jade Dew Beads deducted from their travel fee to Jigu City."
"What a loss..."
Chen Mu could not help rolling his eyes.
I thought you were mourning one of your own kind. After all that, you're worried about your income?
Tch...
But...
"Is reincarnation really a thing?" Chen Mu was