Of Weddings and Wakes | Chapter 27 | The Weight of Fate | Novela.app

"The strength of one city may not be enough to hold it," Mu Gesheng said slowly, emphasizing every word. "But what about the strength of the Seven Schools?" "If we gather the power of all seven, can we hold a single city?" Wu Nie froze for a moment, then burst into a peal of ringing laughter. "A fine idea! To gather the Seven Schools just to fight a few ghost soldiers and guard a tiny city—how could such a thing fail?" she clutched her stomach, laughing so hard she nearly shed tears. "But have you considered this: why on earth would the Seven Schools hold this city for you?" Mu Gesheng remained silent for a long time before answering, "The position of the Heavenly Diviner." "Oh? Your talk was so bold a few days ago, yet the moment you hit a snag, you remember the benefits of your master’s seat." Wu Nie arched an eyebrow. "He kept that seat warm for you for years and you refused to sit in it. Now, a few ghost soldiers show up and you lose your nerve?" "A man must have self-knowledge. I’m fine in a mundane war, but dealing with gods and ghosts is beyond my reach," Mu Gesheng replied. "Besides, the fact that I’ve taken up the Mountain Ghost Flower Coins will reach the ears of the Seven Schools sooner or later. I used the coins to seal the Yin-Yang Staircase; even if I try to back out now, the Seven Schools won't let the matter rest." "As long as you understand." Wu Nie’s tone shifted. "Seven days ago, you used the Mountain Ghost Flower Coins to forcibly seal the staircase, throwing Fengdu into chaos. The Seven Schools are already fully aware. When you return this time, a hard battle awaits you." "Great One, please stop talking as if this doesn't affect you," Mu Gesheng said wearily. "If we trace this back to the source, your grand array is the root of this mess." "Every family has its own cross to bear. You have your city to guard, and I have my own descendants to worry about," Wu Nie said indifferently. "We are simply settling our own accounts." "I can't beat you anyway, so whatever you say goes." Mu Gesheng sighed. "Still, thank you for the ride." "Just remember the favor. We’re almost back to the mortal realm. I have one last thing to tell you, boy—listen well and think on it." Wu Nie set down her oar and leaned close to Mu Gesheng, whispering, "Inheriting the mantle of the Heavenly Diviner may be unavoidable now, but you must be certain." "Do the Seven Schools of the Sage-Descendants truly obey the commands of the Heavenly Diviner?" As Wu Nie sent Mu Gesheng back to the world of the living, she tossed him a medicine bottle. "The pills inside are infused with my cultivation. They will ensure you can move freely in your daily life." Mu Gesheng bowed in thanks. "Much obliged, Great One." "Don't thank me. I am, after all, a dead soul; my essence is different from the living. Take as few as possible, or they will shave years off your life." Wu Nie waved him off. "Now, scram." With a sweep of her oar, she vanished into the distance. Mu Gesheng first returned to the military camp on the outskirts of the city. The old adjutant jumped when he saw him. "Sir? Why are you back?" Mu Gesheng was taken aback. "What do you mean?" "Weren't you headed into the city with the young master of the Yao family to assist with disaster relief?" The conversation was a muddle of cross-purposes, leaving the adjutant scratching his head. "Why are you dressed like that? Are you hurt?" He gasped. "Don't tell me the refugees have rioted?" Mu Gesheng turned and left without a word, storming into his office. He pulled out the schedule logs and reviewed the past few days' affairs from start to finish. *Night of October 29th: Unusual activity in the city. Early morning the following day: Earthquake occurred, significant damage to streets, numerous casualties.* The following days were filled with details of the relief efforts. Looking at the signatures and annotations on the final page, Mu Gesheng began to understand what had happened. The earthquake had been caused by the ghost soldiers entering the Yin-Yang Staircase. As for the person handling military affairs in his stead, it had to be Song Wentong. The Mo School excelled in the art of disguise, and "Old Second" could mimic his handwriting almost perfectly. Back when they were students at the academy, they had often used this trick of "substituting the plum for the peach" to help each other escape punishments or skip classes. Though it was hard to fool the Master of the Ginkgo Pavilion, deceiving ordinary people was child's play. Mu Gesheng breathed a sigh of relief. Song Wentong didn't know how to lead an army, so to avoid causing trouble, he hadn't touched much of the military business, focusing instead on the relief efforts in the city. Mu Gesheng flipped through the backlog of documents, processed a few urgent matters, changed his clothes, and headed into the city without pause. The priority was to swap back with Song Wentong; otherwise, having two Mu Geshengs walking the streets in broad daylight would be like seeing a ghost—another mess he didn't need. Despite being mentally prepared, the state of the city still shocked him. As he walked toward the epicenter of the quake, he saw that more than half of the houses and streets had collapsed. Ruins were everywhere. Congee stalls had been set up along the road, with long queues of people—entire families—waiting for a meal. In just seven days, the world had turned upside down. Song Wentong had established a relief zone. Besides the daily congee, those left homeless could rest there so they wouldn't have to wander the streets. However, the aftershocks hadn't ceased, and everyone remained on edge. Many didn't even dare return to their homes, fearing they would be the next to be crushed. A gloom hung over the long streets, and a bitter wind blew, making the sunlight feel piercingly cold. As Mu Gesheng walked, he felt a slight vibration from the coins in his sleeve—a resonance. He had used the Mountain Ghost Flower Coins to forcibly seal the Yin-Yang Staircase, and the rioting ghost soldiers within were constantly battering the seal. He could feel the suppression growing weaker. It wouldn't hold for long. Mu Gesheng knew this wasn't a permanent solution. Each Mountain Ghost Flower Coin contained vast power, but how much could be unleashed depended on the wielder's ability. Currently, he was heavily injured and barely holding on; though he had used one coin to seal the staircase, he could only draw out less than thirty percent of its power. Wu Nie’s calculation was correct. He had half a month at most before the ghost soldiers broke the seal. A funeral procession approached from the end of the street. Incense, paper horses, and the mournful wail of suona horns filled the air as paper money drifted like snow. Mu Gesheng was jolled by a beggar. "A year of great calamity!" the man cried, his hair disheveled and feet bare as he wandered off in a craze. A blind fortune-teller sat by the roadside. Bumped by the madman, Mu Gesheng happened to stop right in front of the stall. Hearing the movement, the blind man looked up, revealing a skeletal grin. "A great war is coming. Care for a divination to save your life?" "Have mercy!" a crippled victim crawled toward him. "Spare some change!" A disheveled woman sat by the road, numbly holding her bowl of congee before suddenly breaking into a howl of grief. The mad, the blind, the lame, the foolish—all walks of life were on display on this long street. The suona horns blared toward the heavens, a symphony of madness. Mu Gesheng couldn't bear to look any longer. He hurriedly dropped a few copper coins and turned to leave. The old adjutant had said Song Wentong and Chai Shuxin entered the city together. Unable to find them in the streets, Mu Gesheng headed to the Chai Residence. The Chai estate was vast, situated in a quiet part of the city. The last time Mu Gesheng had been here was many years ago—a youth seeking plum blossoms in the snow. Now, everything had changed. He knocked on the side gate. The young medicine apprentice who opened it froze. "Didn't you just leave?" Mu Gesheng guessed he was referring to Song Wentong disguised as him. Not wanting to ask directly where "he" had gone, he said, "I remembered something I forgot to tell San... cough, the Lingxuzi. Is he in the manor?" "I see." The apprentice bowed. "The Clan Head has not yet left. Please, follow me." The apprentice led Mu Gesheng to the main hall, which was buzzing with voices. The apprentice bowed again. "I should have taken you for tea, but since you left earlier, the Clan Head and the elders have continued their heated debate. I have been in this manor for years and have never seen such a scene. I take the liberty of asking you to go in and mediate." Mu Gesheng was stunned, unsure of what was happening inside, but he could only play along. "It's no matter." "Please wait a moment," the apprentice said. "I shall go in and announce you." Waiting outside the hall, Mu Gesheng caught snatches of the conversation. The Yao family seemed to be arguing over the distribution of medicinal supplies. "I absolutely refuse!" someone shouted, their voice impassioned. "To send seventy percent of our supplies to the front lines and leave only thirty percent for city relief? You ignorant brat! This is the accumulation of a hundred years of the Yao family—do you intend to squander it all?!" "This great nation itself has already been squandered to nothing," came Chai Shuxin’s voice. "When the mansion is collapsing, no one can stand by with folded sleeves." "The world unites and divides; the changing of dynasties is the natural order of things! As a Sage-Descendant, you care only for the gains and losses of a single city—this is short-sightedness!" "If the skin is gone, where can the hair attach itself? If we cannot hold one city, how can we protect the nation?" "You are acting on emotion, losing the greater picture for the sake of the small!" "Pardon the interruption," the apprentice’s voice cut in. "Young Master Mu is here to see the Clan Head." "He comes at the perfect time! Let him in. We shall settle this today!" Mu Gesheng was alarmed by those few words. As the apprentice came out to fetch him, he quickly tried to fish for information. "They're still arguing?" "Yes. You and the Clan Head have been busy with relief efforts these past few days, using up so many of the Yao family's resources. The elders are furious." The apprentice sighed. "It’s a grave matter, and it’s not my place to speak, but please, go in. They are all waiting for you." Mu Gesheng didn't quite understand. "The Yao family’s foundations are so deep. Surely a bit of disaster relief wouldn't lead to this?" "You’ve said that so many times these past few days." The apprentice sighed. "Once or twice is nothing, of course. But when it accumulates over the years... forget it, just go in. They’re waiting." Before Mu Gesheng could ask more, he was ushered inside. The main hall was crowded. When Chai Shuxin saw him enter, he sent a subtle look. Mu Gesheng immediately realized that Chai Shuxin also took him for Song Wentong. However, the elders still addressed him as "Young Master Mu," meaning Song Wentong’s disguise was a secret. Given the recent chaos, that was indeed the safer move. One of the elders stood up. "Young Master Mu, the scouts sent by the Seven Schools have returned. They have confirmed that the Yin-Yang Staircase was indeed sealed by the Mountain Ghost Flower Coins. Since you have accepted the coins, you must fulfill the duties of the Heavenly Diviner." *Exactly what I was afraid of,* Mu Gesheng thought, but his face remained impassive. "I have no interest in the affairs of the Seven Schools." "And what if this matter concerns more than just the Seven Schools?" Mu Gesheng’s gaze darkened. "What are you trying to say?" "We seek a divination," Chai Shuxin spoke up. "We ask the Heavenly Diviner to use the Mountain Ghost Flower Coins to cast a hexagram—to calculate the survival of this city." *You and Old Second really don't mince words with each other,* Mu Gesheng thought. "The survival of the city? What do you mean?" "Since things have come to this, we shall speak plainly," an old man seated nearby said. "The Heavenly Diviner has visited our Chai clan for several days in a row. Both sides know the intent. The Heavenly Diviner has the duty to guard the city, and faced with the calamity of the ghost soldiers, he naturally wishes to borrow the strength of the Seven Schools to turn the tide." "Hold on," Mu Gesheng waved a hand. "Stop calling me 'Heavenly Diviner.' I can't carry that weight." "Since the Mountain Ghost Flower Coins have recognized their master, you have already inherited the position. Such is fate; it cannot be dismissed just because you deny it with your lips." The old man continued slowly, "The Seven Schools have never failed to obey the orders of the Heavenly Diviner. If you wish to borrow our strength, it is not impossible, but there is one condition." Mu Gesheng hadn't expected them to be so blunt. Though surprised, he followed the lead. "What condition?" "As the Clan Head just said: we seek a divination," the old man said. "Calculate whether this city you wish to guard can truly be held." "If it can be held, the Seven Schools will give their all to assist. If it cannot, the Seven Schools will evacuate within three days." The old man’s voice echoed through the hall. "Whether we stay or go shall be decided by the hexagram." The words hit like a thunderclap. He remembered the sentence Wu Nie had left him with: *"Do the Seven Schools of the Sage-Descendants truly obey the commands of the Heavenly Diviner?"* The Heavenly Diviner calculates fate. Under fate, the Seven Schools obey all. But what the Seven Schools truly obeyed was the hexagram revealed by the Mountain Ghost Flower Coins, not the person of the Heavenly Diviner himself. The Mandate of Heaven versus the Mandate of the Diviner—a hair’s breadth of difference, yet worlds apart. *What do these people take the Heavenly Diviner for?* Mu Gesheng thought. *A mere mouthpiece for so-called 'Fate'?* "This is a matter of great consequence," the old man was still speaking. "Please, consider carefully." "How about this," Mu Gesheng said slowly. "I’ll just throw the Mountain Ghost Flower Coins away. The Seven Schools can disband on the spot, and from then on, we’ll all just rely on our own luck. How does that sound?" "Presumptuous!" someone shouted, standing up in a rage. "You brat, how dare you!" "Then please, find someone else more qualified," Mu Gesheng said, turning to leave. "I’m not doing this damn job." "Wait!" the old man stood up. "Heavenly Diviner, do not act on impulse. This divination does not only concern the departure of the Seven Schools; it concerns the survival of the entire city! The tragedies on the streets are before your very eyes—can your conscience truly be at peace?" "What the hell are you trying to say?" Mu Gesheng stopped in his tracks. "Don't think I won't hit you just because you're old." "Think carefully," the old man’s voice was like a heavy bell. "If the city falls, how can you alone protect the lives of tens of thousands? You may have the courage of ten thousand men, but with powerful enemies invading from without and ghost soldiers rioting from within, ask yourself: do you truly have absolute certainty in this battle?" "If the hexagram is unfavorable, the safest course is to arrange for the citizens to evacuate as soon as possible. Arrogance may serve for a moment, but it is no long-term solution. If the city is filled with corpses in the future, will you be able to face yourself without guilt?" Before the words had even finished, Mu Gesheng kicked the main hall doors. The heavy wood groaned and collapsed inward. The entire room fell into a shocked silence. "Arrogance?" Mu Gesheng said softly. "Soldiers fighting a hundred battles, their bodies returned wrapped in horsehide—and in your mouth, it’s just 'arrogance'?" Chai Shuxin shuddered at the words. He suddenly realized something and stood up abruptly. "To decide the lives of ten thousand people with a single hexagram—who gave you the right to play god like that? The damn Qing Dynasty has been dead for decades!" Mu Gesheng turned back to glare at the man. "You say I’m acting on impulse? Isn't it more pathetic and laughable to pin victory or defeat on forty-nine copper coins that you can't even spend?" "You call me a green youth who knows nothing. I call you a doddering old fool, clinging to a shameful life!" The crowd erupted in an uproar. Several people turned pale with rage. "How dare you!" "Heavenly Diviner, watch your words," the old man said grimly. "The Mandate of Heaven is profound. Do not be so ignorant of the heights of the heavens and the depths of the earth." "Then I’m truly sorry," Mu Gesheng suddenly laughed. "If this 'ignorant' person doesn't cast the hexagram, that 'great' Mandate of Heaven of yours can't open its mouth. And your grand Seven Schools will be nothing more than a swarm of headless flies." "Does the Heavenly Diviner mean to say he has no intention of divining?" "I won't," Mu Gesheng said. "If I end up buried on the battlefield and the line of the Heavenly Diviner ends, you can all just disband and enjoy your leisure." "If that is the case, then permit us to evacuate tonight," the old man said. "Without a hexagram, we have no duty to obey." Mu Gesheng waved a hand as he walked out. "Be my guest." "How tragic," the old man sighed. "The Clan Head’s years of painstaking effort, all gone to waste." "What do you mean?" Mu Gesheng caught the hidden meaning. "Disaster relief in the city is the Yao family’s duty. What does it have to do with me?" Someone sneered. "You make it sound so simple. Do you think mere disaster relief accounts for even a fraction of what our Yao family has done for you?" "Silence!" Chai Shuxin barked immediately, moving to stop the speaker. But Mu Gesheng was faster, striding up to the man. "Make yourself clear. What has the Yao family done?" The man met his gaze with a cold, piercing look. "Years ago, when Commander Mu was trapped in the mountains, the situation was dire. The water sources had been poisoned, and more than half the soldiers were ill. It was a physician who traveled a thousand miles, breaking through the encirclement, who saved your father’s life!" "You spent four years studying abroad, living a carefree life. You had no idea that while the country was ravaged by war and armies were starving for funds and grain, the units under Commander Mu’s command never lacked for anything! Supplies flowed in constantly—even specialized Western medicines from abroad! Field medics are worth their weight in gold, yet every year, medical students returning from overseas joined his army!" "Do you truly think all of that was simply because Commander Mu cared for his subordinates and was invincible in battle?" "If not for the Clan Head’s orders, who would have served a mere disciple who hadn't even inherited the seat of the Heavenly Diviner?" "He poured almost the entire wealth and resources of the Yao family into you!" *** ### Glossary Table Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation --- | --- | --- 七家 | Seven Schools / Seven Families | The seven major occult or influential lineages in the setting. 天算子 | Tiansuanzi / Heavenly Diviner | The title for the master of the Tiansuan (Heavenly Calculation) lineage. 山鬼花钱 | Mountain Ghost Flower Coins | Ritual coins used by the Tiansuanzi for divination and sealing spirits. 阴兵 | Ghost Soldiers / Spectral Soldiers | Ancient, restless military spirits from the underworld. 阴阳梯 | Yin-Yang Staircase | The mystical path connecting the mortal realm to the underworld (Fengdu). 药家 | Yao School / House of Medicine | The lineage specializing in healing, medicine, and alchemy. 灵枢子 | Lingxuzi | The formal title for the head of the Yao School (Chai Shuxin). 墨家 | Mo School / Mohist School | The lineage specializing in mechanics, disguises, and defensive arts. 银杏斋 | Ginkgo Pavilion | The name of the academy where the protagonists studied. 太岁 | Taisui | A powerful, ancient entity; here refers to Wu Nie. 忘川 | Wangchuan / River of Forgetfulness | The river in the underworld that souls cross. 李代桃僵 | Substituting the plum for the peach | An idiom meaning to substitute one thing for another, often as a sacrifice or deception.