Legend says that after death, people pass through the Gate of Hell and walk along the Road to the Yellow Springs. At its end lies the River of Forgetfulness, crossed by the Bridge of Helplessness. After drinking Granny Meng's soup, they forget all their attachments and enter one of the six paths, to be reborn as an immortal, a human, or an animal. Those who have earned great merit but refuse to drink Granny Meng's soup must leap into the River of Forgetfulness and endure a thousand years of flooding before they can enter the next cycle of reincarnation. Before they do, Granny Meng marks them. Jin Tao's mark is a birthmark on his right palm, shaped like a little golden snake sword.
