The fire spread in an instant. Only then did Chai Shuxin realize that the sky above Fengdu was filled with lamps, all interconnected by threads of golden silk.
"The tail feathers shed during a Vermilion Bird’s first complete transformation should be enough to burn for three days and nights," Mu Gesheng remarked, looking quite satisfied. "Such a grand sight is rare. Come on, let’s find a place to drink."
Ninety-three thousand and seventy-two Jinwu Lamps illuminated the city. The entire capital of Fengdu erupted into a frenzy as waves of flowing light and overflowing brilliance washed over the streets. Cries of astonishment rose from every corner.
Song Wentong forced Wu Nie back with a strike of his blade, his face etched with shock. "The Jinwu Lamps Forbid the Night?! What on earth is Lao Si doing?"
Wu Nie narrowed her eyes at the sky. "The Night of Jinwu Lamps... even I haven't seen this in a long time." She blew a kiss toward Song Wentong. "I’m in a good mood today, little brat. We’ll part ways here."
"Wait!" Song Wentong shouted, moving to give chase, but she had already vanished without a trace.
Mu Gesheng bought several jars of wine and pulled Chai Shuxin onto the roof of a tall building. They lay against the eaves, watching the lights. Mu Gesheng slapped open the mud seal of a jar and took a long swig. "Sanjiutian, you look like you’ve been dying to ask me something all the way here. There’s no one else around now, so out with it."
Chai Shuxin held his own wine jar and took a sip. "You did it on purpose."
Mu Gesheng immediately spat out his wine, coughing violently. "No way... you could tell?"
Chai Shuxin gave him a flat, expressionless look.
"Fine, fine. Sanjiutian, you really are... as expected of the Master of the Spiritual Pivot." Mu Gesheng shook his head helplessly. "Tell me then, what did you see?"
"We didn't wander into the West City Pass by mistake; you led us there intentionally," Chai Shuxin said. "Why?"
Mu Gesheng took another deep gulp of wine and sighed. "For Lao San."
***
Song Wentong hammered loudly on a set of massive gates. "Is anyone from the Wu family home?!"
This was a grand estate in Fengdu, a sprawling residence that occupied two whole streets. The vermilion gates creaked open, and a young boy in green robes stepped out. He bowed to Song Wentong. "Greetings, Master Mo. May I ask what brings you here?"
"Where is Lao San? Tell him to come out!"
"In response to Master Mo, the Head of the House is not in."
"Not in?" Song Wentong frowned. "Where did he go?"
"In response to Master Mo, there is a joyous occasion in Fengdu today. As the Master of Impermanence, the Head of the House went to offer his congratulations. He departed at the hour of the Rat." The boy bowed and gestured inward. "Weak tea has been prepared in the manor. Would Master Mo care to wait inside?"
"A joyous occasion in Fengdu?" Song Wentong didn't enter. Instead, he asked, "Whose wedding is it?"
"In response to Master Mo, it is the King of Hell marrying off his daughter."
***
"The King of Hell marries his daughter, and a hundred ghosts offer their congratulations." Mu Gesheng watched the distant lights. "As the Master of Impermanence, Lao San has to deal with the King of Hell more than almost anyone else. Even if they aren't friends, they absolutely cannot be enemies. Sanjiutian, as the head of the Apothecary House, you should understand this logic."
"I do." Chai Shuxin nodded. "And so?"
"The King of Hell once visited the Wu residence and specifically requested a wedding gift," Mu Gesheng explained. "He wanted Lao San to ask the Master of the Mohist House to personally craft a phoenix crown."
Chai Shuxin looked puzzled. "What is so difficult about that?"
"The difficulty lies in the fact that it’s a phoenix crown. If he wanted some other treasure or fine mechanism, it wouldn't be impossible to get Lao Er to do it." Mu Gesheng sighed. "But Lao Er has only ever made one phoenix crown in his life—as a dowry for his mother."
"This isn't exactly a secret among the Seven Houses. You must have heard of the previous Master Mo’s romance with that famous courtesan. When that Master Mo walked to the Bridge of Helplessness in a bridal gown, she was wearing the crown Lao Er made. Since then, Lao Er swore he would never again craft items for a woman’s vanity."
Chai Shuxin thought for a moment. "If that is the case, if the circumstances were explained, the King of Hell should not be an unreasonable man."
"Sanjiutian, you aren't close with Lao San, so you don't know how difficult things are for the Yin-Yang House in Fengdu." Mu Gesheng shook his head with a bitter smile. "Since the birth of the Seven Houses, the Yin-Yang House has specialized in the affairs of ghosts, dealing with the Underworld for thousands of years. To put it nicely, they cooperate. To put it bluntly, they are rival administrations."
"The Seven Houses often interfere in the affairs of the dead to achieve their own ends, causing no small amount of trouble for the Underworld. Although the Heavenly Calculator reads the Mandate of Heaven, and all living things must respect that mandate, at the end of the day, the Heavenly Calculator is still a mortal. The Underworld might not say it out loud, but they don't necessarily respect us."
Chai Shuxin caught on quickly. "So the King of Hell was intentionally making things difficult?"
"Exactly. It’s impossible to get Lao Er to make that crown. Lao San didn't even tell him about it; if Lao Er found out, he’d tear the King of Hell’s palace down. With the world in chaos lately, the dealings between the Seven Houses and the Underworld will only increase. Lao Er could throw a tantrum to vent his frustration, but it would only cause more trouble down the line."
"So, to resolve this properly, you needed a better gift—one that would surpass even a phoenix crown made by the Master of the Mohist House," Chai Shuxin picked up the thread. "And you chose the Night of Jinwu Lamps."
"Yes." Mu Gesheng took a drink and laughed. "Fengdu hasn't seen the Jinwu Lamps lit for nearly three hundred years. The Zhu family are descendants of gods; they aren't people a mere King of Hell can summon. Today’s sky full of lanterns is worth more than ten miles of mortal bridal finery."
*The Vermilion Bird carries the lamp, the Jinwu forbids the night; spring comes to the Yellow Springs as the King of Hell takes a bride.*
"I understand your meaning now," Chai Shuxin said, looking at the distant festivities. "But what does this have to do with entering the West City Pass?"
"To light the Jinwu Lamps, one must use something from a Vermilion Bird as a catalyst. I couldn't exactly bleed Lao Wu or pull out his bones, but since he’s nearing his transformation, those molting feathers were the perfect fuel." Mu Gesheng continued, "But as you said, transformation requires a massive supplement of spiritual energy. The Vermilion Bird’s needs are even more extraordinary. The West City Pass, with its swarms of ghosts, was the best place for him to feed."
"Were you and the Great General Wu Nie in league?"
"What do you mean 'in league'? It’s not like we’re a political faction." Mu Gesheng waved a hand, no longer hiding anything. "Auntie Wu Nie is Lao San’s ancestor; she certainly wouldn't sit by and watch him suffer. I asked her to open a Yin-Yang Ladder near Guanshan Yue to trick Lao Wu into Fengdu. Then I used the fight between her and Lao Er to have his Crimson-Licking Blade break the barrier of the West City Pass. You know the rest."
A silence fell between them.
They sat in silence, surrounded by ten thousand lights.
In the distance, the sound of silk and bamboo instruments rose as the wedding procession moved through the streets. Beside the trees of fire and silver flowers, the scene was even more vibrant.
"You are simply reckless," Chai Shuxin finally spoke, his voice cold. "Entering the Avici realm is no small matter. If anything had happened—"
"Nothing would have happened," Mu Gesheng interrupted. "I calculated it. This trip was 'danger without disaster.' Otherwise, I never would have dragged you into it..."
"Meaning, if it had been truly dangerous, you would have gone alone?"
"Lao San is my brother." Mu Gesheng ignored his expression and drank to himself. "Years ago, when Lao Er and I caused a massive scene in Fengdu, we were far too arrogant. According to the law, we were supposed to be sent to the Bureau of Underworld Law for the 'Punishment of the Staff.' It was Lao San who pulled strings everywhere, and Auntie Wu Nie who spoke up for us, that allowed us to escape with our lives."
"Don't try to lie to me." Chai Shuxin exposed him directly. "The first time I met you, you were being carried back from Fengdu covered in blood. You didn't 'escape with your life'; you were hanging by a thread."
"Lao San was the one who carried me back. Back then, Master personally punished me, ordering me to go to the Bureau of Underworld Law to accept my sentence. Originally, I wasn't supposed to come out alive." Mu Gesheng sighed. "It was Lao San who managed the officials and went to the Apothecary House again and again to beg for your help. That’s how I kept my life."
"We caused a huge mess in Fengdu that year. Master was furious. He ordered that after I finished my punishment, I had to climb back up the Yin-Yang Ladder myself. Lao Er had been punished too and couldn't help me. Lao San wasn't even as tall as me back then, but he insisted on carrying me back on his shoulders." Mu Gesheng smiled as if remembering something. "To keep me from falling asleep, that idiot cried and sang the whole way back. He was hoarse for an entire month afterward."
"So you would go to such lengths for him?"
Mu Gesheng raised his cup to Chai Shuxin and smiled. "We are brothers."
Chai Shuxin stood up abruptly. He stared at him in silence for a moment, then turned and walked away.
Mu Gesheng opened another jar of wine. As he drank, he muttered, "He doesn't seem very happy about being my brother."
"This is the first time I’ve seen the Master of the Spiritual Pivot lose his composure like that." Wu Nie leaped onto the eaves. "He’s likely furious with you."
"I can't hide anything from him." Mu Gesheng shrugged. "He was just using Lao San as an excuse to scold me. He clearly saw through it."
"This generation’s Master of the Spiritual Pivot is deep and thoughtful; you aren't necessarily smarter than him. Besides, your scheme was a bit shoddy." Wu Nie opened a jar of wine for herself. "The moment you came to me and mentioned the White Jade Choke, I knew what you were up to. You gave him the medicine so blatantly; only a fool wouldn't see it."
Mu Gesheng’s elaborate plan, aside from the Jinwu Lamps, was also to find the White Jade Choke. Since it could cure ten thousand ailments, it could naturally cure Chai Rendong’s illness.
He had guessed that Chai Shuxin was being coerced by some powerful figure in Beiping. Later, he heard from the docks that it was because that person held a specific medicine that could alleviate Chai Rendong’s condition. Mu Gesheng had scoured the library of the Ginkgo Pavilion and finally identified the White Jade Choke. He then performed a divination and found that the opportunity lay with Wu Nie.
"Now, now, I couldn't hide it from you, Auntie." Mu Gesheng laughed. "The scheme was simple, but it killed three birds with one stone. It solved Lao San’s problem, found the medicine, and helped Lao Wu pass his transformation. Whether Sanjiutian is happy or not doesn't matter, as long as it helps cure Sister Chai."
"I didn't expect you to step in for the Chai family’s young lady. Her illness has dragged on for years without a cure. The White Jade Choke isn't a common medicine; the Apothecary House searched for years without finding it."
"That’s because they didn't look for the right person. I did a quick calculation and knew you’d have an idea—who would have known that a young Vermilion Bird could gestate a White Jade Choke? In all of heaven and earth, you’re the one with the most experience."
"Stop using roundabout ways to call me old." Wu Nie arched an eyebrow. "I wanted to ask when you first came to me—a lazy, good-for-nothing like you who spends all day dodging work, why did you have the heart to help someone this time? Did he pay you?"
Mu Gesheng scratched his head. "Not really."
"Then why? You’ve only known him for a few months, and the man isn't even willing to be your brother."
"Eh, Sanjiutian has that kind of personality—a sharp tongue but a soft heart." Mu Gesheng held his wine jar, falling into thought. "As for why... I can't really say. Maybe because he’s good-looking?"
"I don't believe a word of that."
"Then maybe it’s because Sister Chai’s cooking is so good." Mu Gesheng thought for a moment. "The people of the Apothecary House always take care of their hands, but Sister Chai neither paints her nails nor protects her hands, all because her chronic illness prevents her from practicing medicine. But I heard from Master that back in the day, the eldest miss of the Chai family was incredibly gifted, with peerless medical skills."
"A pair of hands like those shouldn't be relegated to just making soup."
"You and your master... you do nothing all day but gossip. There isn't a single piece of old laundry from the Seven Houses that you two don't know about." Wu Nie shook her head repeatedly. She stood up and set down her wine jar. "I’m off. Give my regards to the Heavenly Calculator. Tell him to try and stay alive as long as possible."
"Take care, Auntie." Mu Gesheng stood up to see her off. "I’ll find you for a game of mahjong another day."
"Don't bother. I don't like playing cards with paupers."
***
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
---|---|---
金吾灯 | Jinwu Lamps | Magical lamps made from the bones of a Vermilion Bird; "Jinwu" refers to the golden crow/sun.
白玉噎 | White Jade Choke | A rare medicinal stone (Baiyuye) formed in the throat of a divine bird.
阴律司 | Bureau of Underworld Law | A department in the underworld responsible for judging and punishing ghosts.
折杖法 | Punishment of the Staff | A historical form of corporal punishment involving caning or beating with a wooden staff.
阴阳梯 | Yin-Yang Ladder | A mystical passage or staircase connecting the realms of the living and the dead.
凤冠 | Phoenix Crown | An elaborate traditional Chinese headdress for brides or noblewomen.
妆奁 | Trousseau/Toilette items | Items related to a woman's dowry or vanity, such as jewelry boxes and mirrors.
指桑骂槐 | Pointing at the mulberry to curse the locust | A Chinese idiom meaning to scold someone indirectly.
一箭三雕 | Killing three birds with one stone | A variation of the idiom "killing two birds with one stone."
舐红刀 | Crimson-Licking Blade | Song Wentong's (Mozi's) signature weapon.
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