112 A Gold Coin

"Brothers!" The Prince of Sleep and the Prince of Dreams were actually brothers; no wonder they bore such a striking resemblance. This news caught Time and Space completely off guard. Even within the Divine Realm, brothers sharing the same bloodline were a rarity, let alone appearing together in the Underworld.

The Prince of Dreams paid no mind to Time and Space’s astonishment. His gaze swept over the restless spirits, his brow furrowing slightly. Was it truly worth it for Lady Luo to pay such a steep price just to grant these spirits a chance at rebirth?

Of course, he did not reveal his true thoughts. Perhaps Lady Luo had her own reasons for acting this way.

The Prince of Dreams’ gaze finally settled on Lady Luo. Compared to when they first met, she seemed to have changed significantly.

She remained radiant; no matter the environment, she always commanded every eye. Against the backdrop of the profound darkness of the Underworld, the holy light emanating from her felt even more intense.

Yet, between her brows lingered a mysterious aura that he could not quite decipher. This version of her was both familiar and strangely alien.

The Prince of Dreams had once exhausted every effort to trap Lady Luo in the Realm of Nightmares, only to find himself ensnared in a dreamscape of her creation, unable to escape. Since that battle, the Prince of Dreams had changed. He longed to defeat her with his own hands one day, yet he could not suppress the inexplicable stirrings in his heart—he found himself strangely unwilling to harm her.

Lady Luo was also surprised to see the Prince of Dreams. She feared he might be playing tricks again, just as he had when she first boarded a vessel here. But she had no choice; only by relying on this ship could they successfully cross the River Styx.

"Prince of Dreams, when can we depart?" Lady Luo was the first to break the silence.

The Prince of Dreams regained his composure, the smile on his lips deepening. "We can begin immediately, of course. However..."

He did not finish his sentence.

"However, what?" Time and Space asked, confused. Were there additional conditions?

The Prince of Dreams continued to smile inscrutably. Lady Luo paused, wondering if he was up to something again.

The Prince of Dreams was satisfied with the outcome; Lady Luo had indeed not anticipated this.

He flicked his hand, and a brilliant ray of light shot from between his fingers. Lady Luo suddenly realized what she had forgotten.

"Gold coins?"

"The Goddess of the Earth is absolutely correct. Gold coins. Each spirit requires one as payment for their passage."

*You have to be kidding me.* Gold coins in the Underworld? This was clearly a common scheme for wealth accumulation in the Mortal Realm—no, compared to the Mortal Realm, such a price was the mark of a profiteer. Time and Space could never have guessed that the Prince of Dreams' "however" meant this.

Time and Space looked at Lady Luo. So, her Highness had encountered this before. But what could the Underworld possibly want with these gold coins? Surely they wouldn't be stopped here simply for lacking them.

Lady Luo suddenly laughed. "Prince of Dreams, is His Majesty the Underworld King aware of this?"

The Prince of Dreams wanted to assert confidently that, "Of course His Majesty knows," but after a moment's thought, he shook his head.

"Excellent. Since His Majesty is unaware, according to our agreement, I can amend the conditions of reincarnation. As for the matter of the gold coins, we shall discuss it later." It would be a farce to be stopped at the River Styx again for lack of coins. Fortunately, she had remembered her authority to modify the terms of reincarnation.

***

The Prince of Dreams felt helpless. He had already received a warning from his brother, the Prince of Sleep, to avoid making things difficult for Lady Luo. This time, the Prince of Sleep should have come himself, but the Prince of Dreams had insisted he could handle it, fearing he would be overlooked by the King if he failed again, even though he had not been involved in the affair at the City of Reincarnation.

"Your Highness, set sail." Lady Luo’s voice was smiling, but it was unmistakably a command.

The Prince of Dreams couldn't fathom why every visit from Lady Luo resulted in the overturning of so many of the Underworld's customs.

Though the coins served as payment for the crossing, they had another purpose.

The spirits boarded the ship one by one, each clutching a gold coin provided by the Prince of Dreams. Time and Space had assumed such a small vessel could not possibly hold so many spirits, yet she felt not the slightest bit of crowding.

The brilliant gold contrasted sharply with the pale, withered hands of the spirits. Lady Luo stared at the coins; she had never witnessed a crossing before, but she sensed these coins might serve a greater purpose.

The Prince of Dreams repeatedly urged the spirits to hold onto their coins tightly, warning that they would bear the consequences otherwise.

Lady Luo glanced at him sideways. Since when had the Prince of Dreams become so long-winded?

The vessel traveled across the River Styx, turbulent waves continuously battering the hull. Compared to the vast expanse of the river, the small boat seemed so fragile, swaying incessantly as if it might capsize at any moment.

Time and Space found the motion difficult to bear, her face turning pale.

Lady Luo took hold of Time and Space’s hand, transmitting warmth through her fingertips. Niaoniao had reacted the same way back then.

The Prince of Dreams watched Lady Luo with interest. No matter how she changed, some things perhaps would never alter. He, too, thought of Niaoniao, that bird that had once transformed into human form.

Just then, the boat lurched violently, and a gold coin slipped from a spirit’s hand and fell into the Styx.

The Prince of Dreams’ expression darkened instantly. He casually swept the spirit into the river.

"Prince of Dreams, what are you doing?" When Lady Luo realized his intent, she tried to stop him, but she was a step too slow. She could only watch as the spirit was swallowed by the dark waters.

The sudden incident shocked the other spirits; they gripped their coins tightly, terrified of suffering the same fate.

"Did I not warn them to hold onto their coins? They bear the consequences of their own negligence. Why is the Goddess of the Earth so angry?" The Prince of Dreams seemed indifferent to the matter.

"The Prince of Dreams would do well to provide a reasonable explanation."

"Does the Goddess of the Earth not understand the function of these coins?" It seemed he would have to explain, though he was loath to do so.

"Due to their nature, spirits would sink into the River Styx if they fell in. These coins lighten their weight; otherwise, with so many spirits boarding at once, the boat would have sunk long ago. Is that explanation satisfactory, Your Highness?"

So that was the reason. "Then why do Time and Space and I not need to hold coins?"

The Prince of Dreams sneered. "Does Your Highness think gods are the same as spirits?" If it were truly so, he wouldn't mind tossing Lady Luo into the river again—though that was merely a hypothetical.

***

Lady Luo did not mind the Prince’s sarcasm; she was thinking about how the spirits could obtain these coins—they couldn't rely on the Prince of Dreams every time. Though she didn't know how he acquired them in the first place.

Time and Space, however, could not tolerate the Prince’s rudeness toward Lady Luo. Just as she was about to retort, Lady Luo signaled for her to be quiet.

"How are these coins obtained?"

The Prince of Dreams gave a sly chuckle. "As for that, ask the Prince of Sleep. I wouldn't know."

Time and Space looked at him, thinking to herself that they were indeed as deceitful as brothers could be. He clearly wanted something from the Mortal Realm.

The boat continued forward, experiencing several more violent lurches, but this time, no one was tossed into the river for lacking a coin.

No one spoke; the only sound reaching their ears was the flowing of the River Styx.

After the long voyage, just as Time and Space thought the seemingly endless journey would continue forever, she finally saw hope.

The boat slowly pulled into the dock, where the Prince of Sleep was already waiting. Lady Luo felt a pang of disappointment; she hadn't seen *that* figure after all.

Entering this place once more, Lady Luo was filled with complex emotions. Her gaze turned to the temples perched atop the mountains. Those temples remained as mysterious as ever, the Palace of the Underworld King still exuding its majestic aura. She could not forget everything she had experienced in that subterranean world—the lost kinship, the endless challenges.

Time and Space was once again stunned by the sight. This was the true face of the Underworld. Compared to this, the River Styx, which she had found terrifying earlier, seemed like the most ordinary little ditch in the Mortal Realm. Compared to the mountain temples, the Temple of the Goddess of the Earth looked like the poorest thatched hut of a mortal family. At this thought, Time and Space felt a pang of sympathy for Lady Luo. She had been to the Divine Realm, and the temples there had already overwhelmed her; she hadn't expected the Underworld’s architecture to be no less magnificent.

Only Lady Luo’s temple was so small. As the most powerful goddess between heaven and earth, if Lady Luo had spared even a little concern for herself, she would have possessed the most vast complex of temples in the world. Yet, she would never use her power for personal gain.

Even the main Temple of the Goddess of the Earth had been built only to save more humans in times of crisis; otherwise, Lady Luo would surely have scaled it down even further.

At that moment, Time and Space was profoundly grateful to be serving such a goddess. She had heard whispers of the darkness hidden behind the light in the Divine Realm, and she felt fortunate never to have had to worry about such things. Compared to other gods in the Divine Realm, she was blessed.

For some reason, Time and Space suddenly felt a chill wash over her, as if she were being frozen into ice. A bone-deep despair began to wrap around her, and the sound of the wind grew piercingly harsh. The World of the Dead was, indeed, not something everyone could withstand.

Time and Space felt a surge of shame. When Lady Luo had first ventured into the Underworld alone, she had even harbored resentment, wondering why her Highness had gone herself. Now, she realized that neither she, nor the Seasons and the Light, could have endured this place. Only a miraculous and terrifying creature like Niaoniao could have assisted her Highness. Had they come, they would not only have been unable to help, they would have been a distraction.

Thinking of how she felt such discomfort after only a brief stay, she wondered about the spirits—did they not endure all this, and perhaps even crueler punishments, before they faded away? Thinking of those who had died innocently, it was no wonder her Highness was willing to exhaust every effort, using the City of Reincarnation to secure their precious chance at rebirth.

At this moment, Time and Space understood her Highness’s painstaking efforts even more deeply. She was creating new hope for the Mortal Realm; only after experiencing bone-deep despair could one truly discover the value of life.