Baishui Temple, Zen Room.
"The Master of Ginkgo Study entrusted this object to me years ago," the Abbot said, producing a wooden box. "Now, it is time to return it to its rightful owner."
The surroundings were profoundly still. The two men sat cross-legged on mats woven from white bamboo. Mu Gesheng gazed at the calligraphy hanging on the wall; the ink was lush and the strokes were bold and unrestrained—a piece of wild cursive. "Such masterful character. Is this part of your collection, Master?"
The Abbot smiled peacefully. "It was a personal gift from the Master of Ginkgo Study."
Mu Gesheng was taken aback. "This is my Master’s writing?"
In his memory, the Master of Ginkgo Study’s handwriting was lean and elegant, specializing in the Liu style. It was hard to imagine such wild, unbridled cursive coming from a man so frail and sickly.
*A predecessor's three-foot blade within the case, hewn to capture blue light and write the Songs of Chu.*
"This couplet is by the 'Poet Ghost,' Li Changji," the Abbot said softly. "The sentiment is solemn, carrying the air of slaughter—hardly suitable for a temple’s Zen room. Yet, before the Master of Ginkgo Study passed away, he requested that I hang this scroll here. Perhaps only you, Young Master Mu, can understand his intent."
"I haven't even mastered half of my teacher's profound skill." Mu Gesheng shook his head at the words. "Does the Abbot know of my Master’s life before the study?"
"The lineage of Celestial Calculation has always walked alone. The Master established the Ginkgo Study here some thirty years ago. Anything before that is a past unknown even to me."
"Thirty years ago..." Mu Gesheng sighed. "Master only looked to be in his thirties himself."
"To be honest, I know nothing of my Master’s past. Those of the Celestial Calculation lineage do not appear in the Registers of Life and Death; even Fengdu cannot trace them. Thinking on it now, we disciples have truly been unfilial."
"What is past cannot be corrected, but what is to come may yet be pursued," the Abbot chanted a Buddhist invocation. "Now that the wooden box has returned to its owner, I have finally fulfilled the Master’s trust."
"I had my doubts about what I must do today, but seeing Master’s calligraphy, it seems everything is within his expectations." Mu Gesheng smiled. "This puts my mind at ease. However, regarding my taking of the Mountain Ghost Flower Coins, I must ask the Abbot not to inform the other families."
"Rest assured, Young Master. My obligation was not to the Seven Families, but to the Master of Ginkgo Study alone."
Mu Gesheng bid the Abbot farewell and returned to the Ginkgo Study, entering the incense hall.
The Abbot had handed him a quite ordinary wooden box—dim, ancient, and devoid of any decoration, lacking even a latch or copper buckle. It looked more like a smooth block of wood. As Mu Gesheng placed his hand on the box, wondering how to open it, a soft *click* sounded, and a seam appeared in the center.
Mu Gesheng grinned. "Classic Mohist craftsmanship."
Inside were forty-nine Mountain Ghost Flower Coins, a letter, and a brocade pouch.
Mu Gesheng opened the letter. It contained only fourteen characters:
*When the messenger from Fengdu arrives, take the coins;*
*When a great upheaval strikes, open the pouch.*
He stared blankly for a moment before bursting into laughter. "Master, oh Master, have you really foreseen everything?" His tone then shifted. "And 'open the pouch when upheaval strikes'? You really think you're Zhuge Liang? Besides, the strategist gave Zhao Yun three pouches; you're being far too stingy with just one."
As he spoke, he tucked the pouch away and poured out the coins. At the bottom of the box, he found another slip of paper, again in the Master’s handwriting: *You aren't Zhao Zilong either, so don't go complaining about your Master's poverty.*
Mu Gesheng: "..."
It had to be said: a Master is always a Master. He knew his disciple through and through.
Left speechless, Mu Gesheng could only gather the coins, place the wooden box on the incense altar, and perform three respectful kowtows.
The following day, Fengdu received Mu Gesheng’s letter.
*The twentieth day of the ninth lunar month: The Ghost Soldiers emerge.*
For the next several months, Mu Gesheng was so busy his feet barely touched the ground. He would often collapse into sleep at midnight only to crawl back up before dawn to work. The military training was beginning to show results, but a mountain of headache-inducing problems still awaited him. The gap between domestic weaponry and foreign equipment was too vast. They mostly used Zhongzheng rifles, which were severely lagging in range. "What kind of international convention did the damn Qing Dynasty sign?" Mu Gesheng cursed at the firing range. "Banning dum-dum bullets for the army?"
Dum-dum bullets were incredibly lethal; the bullet head would expand and deform upon entering the body. However, the domestic military budget was woefully inadequate. They only had light and heavy machine guns and grenades. Rifle grenades, grenade launchers—none of it. As for submachine guns or sniper rifles, the veteran soldiers hadn't even heard of them. Mu Gesheng was so frustrated he cursed every few days. He had been poor abroad, but had he known it would be like this, he would have sold the Mu Estate just to ship back a load of military supplies. Now, with war breaking out across the country and transport blocked, even with money, one could only sigh at the horizon.
Though Commander Mu raised his son like a dog, the troops he left him were already equipped with the best weapons in the country. Yet the entire nation only had twenty-six cannons; it was hard to imagine what the front lines looked like. In the end, it was the old veterans who came up with a solution. Since the Zhongzheng rifles had a short range, they would focus on lethality—grinding the bullet tips blunt against stones to create a rough surface. Once they hit a target, the bullets would tumble inside the body, often causing devastating injuries.
After learning so much abroad, he had returned home to find no money and no food, forced to rely on primitive methods. Mu Gesheng felt his four years overseas had been a total waste; he would have been better off following his father to war, or at the very least, making money in business. Anything was better than staring helplessly as he was now.
Instead, it was the old Chief of Staff who looked at him with a chuckle. "The Little Young Master has grown up quite a bit."
"Don't mock me, sir. Once my father returns and finds me a wife, I'll be a father myself. I'm hardly 'little' anymore." Mu Gesheng had been busy all day and was hurriedly shoveling down a few mouthfuls of cold rice. "Besides, in these times, who has the leisure to play the young master?"
The Chief of Staff left the telegram log on the desk, still smiling as he departed. "The Little Young Master is right."
The Chief of Staff was a veteran brought up by Commander Mu and had practically watched Mu Gesheng grow up. Mu Gesheng didn't dare talk back to his elders, so he just lowered his head and ate vigorously, nearly choking. He rummaged through the room for a thermos. "Damn it, what kind of 'young master' eats like this?"
He finally found the thermos, but it was empty. Mu Gesheng had to go fetch water, and on the way, he stopped by the communications room to make a call. "Hello? Aunt Zhao? Is the Second Brother there?"
Song Wentong happened to be at the Guanshan Pavilion and picked up the phone. "What is it?"
"Come deliver some food to your father tomorrow..." Before Mu Gesheng could finish, a world-shaking explosion suddenly erupted in the distance. The call cut off abruptly, leaving only a dial tone.
The entire military camp was jolted. Mu Gesheng dropped the thermos and ran for the roof. The outskirts were on high ground, and the rooftop offered a view of half the city. He had heard it clearly—the noise came from within the city.
Mu Gesheng sprinted upstairs. In the distance, smoke and dust billowed, and the cold wind howled, obscuring his vision. He ordered an orderly to bring him binoculars and pulled out several flower coins, arranging them according to the locations where smoke was rising in the city. Finally, looking at the formation the coins had made, his expression shifted.
"What is the date today?" he asked the orderly beside him.
Seeing his grave expression, the orderly immediately replied, "October twenty-ninth."
October twenty-ninth was exactly the twentieth day of the ninth lunar month. Mu Gesheng took off running, throwing back a hurried command: "Send a small squad to help. Everyone else, stay at your posts. No one enters the city without my order!"
While Mu Gesheng told others not to move recklessly, he himself was the first to charge into the city. He sprinted all the way to the Wu residence, not even knocking before vaulting over the wall, where he ran straight into Wu Zixu, who was heading out.
"You're just in time." Wu Zixu grabbed him. "The phone lines are down. I was just about to head to the outskirts to find you."
Mu Gesheng noticed the *Guwang* pipe in his hand. "The disturbance in the city just now—was it related to Fengdu?"
"The Ghost Soldiers have emerged," Wu Zixu said succinctly. "The Yama Kings can't hold them back anymore. Lord Taisui and the family elders have already rushed over. I'll tell you what you need to know, listen carefully..."
"I've always wanted to ask," Mu Gesheng interrupted. "When the Ghost Soldiers emerge, exactly which 'gate' are they emerging from?"
"The West City Pass," Wu Zixu said. "When the Ghost Soldiers emerge, ten thousand ghosts press upon the borders. The Ghost Soldiers are suppressed within the Avici Land, maintaining a balance with the resentful souls and fierce ghosts inside. But in an era of great chaos, resentment surges, the balance is broken, and the Avici Land can no longer contain them. Once the Ghost Soldiers break through the West City Pass, Fengdu will surely be devastated."
Mu Gesheng grabbed him back. "You're going too?"
"You are of the Mu family, and I am of the Yin-Yang family." Wu Zixu looked at him with a smile. "We are the same. Sanjiu, is there anything else you want to say?"
"What are your chances?"
"Hard to say."
"...Come back alive."
"Of course." Wu Zixu patted his shoulder. "This is our home. Even if our souls return after death and we are truly separated by the veil of Yin and Yang, I will surely come back to find you all."
After seeing Wu Zixu off, Mu Gesheng pulled out his flower coins to cast a divination. He found the most critical spot in the city and rushed there. At a crossroad, a massive pit had collapsed, bottomless and swirling with ghostly winds. He recognized it instantly—this was where the Fifth Brother had gone missing years ago. It was also a Yin-Yang Ladder, connecting the realms of the living and the dead.
Aside from the Yin-Yang family, a Yin-Yang Ladder could only be opened by those of great power. Years ago, the ladder had been opened by Lord Taisui, Wu Nie, himself. Now that it had manifested on its own, it meant the ley lines were in massive disarray. The situation inside Fengdu was more than just a little thorny.
In the middle of the night, the residents had been jolted awake by the disturbance. The streets were crowded, and the clamor of voices rose and fell.
Mu Gesheng flicked out a Mountain Ghost Flower Coin to suppress the surrounding ghostly energy. Then, he snatched a string of red lanterns from the eaves of a nearby shop and circled them around the pit. "Everyone, quiet down!" Mu Gesheng shouted. "The ground has collapsed due to years of neglect! Please, everyone, take a detour! It's late and dark; neighbors, please go home and sleep! Someone will be here to repair it tomorrow!"
The priority was to disperse the crowd. Now that the Yin-Yang Ladder was open, there was no telling what might crawl out. The times were chaotic enough; if some supernatural horrors appeared, the whole city might go mad.
"Officer," an old woman asked, leaning on a cane. "Is there going to be a battle?"
"Wasn't that a shell hitting the city just now?"
"Isn't the fighting in the south? Did it reach us so quickly?"
Mu Gesheng was stunned for a moment, but it was a plausible explanation. He followed the lead: "Things are unstable lately. Everyone, please disperse! Gathering together makes you an easier target! The city guards will ensure your safety!"
"Who are you?" someone noticed Mu Gesheng, seeing his military uniform. "A soldier? Can you lot even hold the city?"
Mu Gesheng was speechless. Under the gaze of the crowd, he couldn't say much, so he only said, "Sister, please go back and rest. There will be an official notice in the city tomorrow; we will definitely give you an explanation."
"What explanation? Since July, you officials haven't stopped giving 'explanations'!" A woman's brows shot up. "If you're so capable, go out and fight the war! Don't just put on airs here!"
"Exactly! We haven't won a single battle since the war started! You soldiers are too useless!"
"A bunch of cowards who only bully their own!"
"Demanding grain and taxes every day—the country is being ruined by parasites like you!"
The public's anger was like a stone causing a thousand ripples. The situation had been oppressive lately, and everyone was on edge, fearing they might die in the chaos of war at any moment. Mu Gesheng understood he had just walked into it; regardless of what twisted logic these people used, they just wanted someone to vent their anger on. He was used to being thick-skinned; they could curse him until the cows came home for all he cared. But the Yin-Yang Ladder was open; if these people stayed gathered, they would eventually attract something. With so many eyes and mouths, if one or two unlucky souls died, god knows what rumors would spread.
"That... um..." a girl spoke up timidly. "This brother is Commander Mu's son. He will help us. Everyone, please calm down..."
"Oh, would you look at that." The woman grabbed the girl's braid. "You little brat, you see a handsome face and start taking his side? Has your conscience been eaten by dogs?"
"Commander Mu's son? That little tyrant from back then?"
"Didn't he go abroad to study? He didn't even come back when the Master of Ginkgo Study died. What is he doing here now?"
"Betrayer of his master, fake foreigner!"
Mu Gesheng couldn't listen anymore. He rolled up his sleeves, ready to start a shouting match. So what if he had to act like a ruffian? Who wasn't a bit of a shrew these days?
Just as he took a deep breath to speak, someone suddenly grabbed his hand and whispered, "Don't curse. Let me."
Mu Gesheng’s breath hitched in his throat. He turned around indignantly. "How did you know I was going to curse?"
Chai Shuxin raised an eyebrow at him, his face practically saying, *Is it even a question?*
He had arrived unnoticed and pushed Mu Gesheng behind him. His voice was steady and resonant: "The winter night is cold, and medicinal supplies in the city are scarce. It would be better for everyone to return home and take cover, lest you catch a chill."
He bowed respectfully. "The city will not sit idly by regarding today's events. Tomorrow morning, we will surely give everyone an explanation."
"The explanation has been given," Mu Gesheng muttered from the side. "Years of neglect, accidental collapse."
Chai Shuxin glanced back at him.
Mu Gesheng made a gesture as if zipping his lips shut.
Chai Shuxin had practiced medicine in the city for years and had an excellent reputation. Once he spoke, the crowd found it hard to argue further and slowly dispersed. He walked over to Mu Gesheng. "You entered the city alone?"
"I sent a rescue squad, but it's too dangerous here, so I didn't have them come." Mu Gesheng looked at the hole in the ground. "This is a Yin-Yang Ladder."
"I remember."
"There's something down there," Mu Gesheng said. "I've temporarily suppressed it with the Mountain Ghost Flower Coins, but it's not a permanent solution. Someone has to go down and close the ladder."
"Don't you dare." Mu Gesheng saw Chai Shuxin’s expression and knew what he was going to say. "You haven't been to Fengdu often enough; you lack experience. Where's Second Brother? Call him over."
"Half of Guanshan Pavilion collapsed. The Mohist is over there assisting with the rescue."
"Guanshan Pavilion collapsed too?" Mu Gesheng frowned. "Fine, then I'm going down. You stay up here and keep watch for me. Don't let anyone get close." With that, he leaped into the abyss.
Chai Shuxin tried to stop him, reaching out a hand, but he only caught the empty air.
***
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