Mu Gesheng poured out the tea. "Actually, when the city fell, I was prepared to die."
"When I woke up, I was dazed for a good while. I never expected to keep my life." Mu Gesheng looked at Chai Shuxin and smiled. "But then I saw you. It’s no surprise, then—with Sanjiutian here, there’s no need to worry about staying alive."
"I am no immortal; I cannot bring the dead back to life every time." Chai Shuxin met his gaze. "You must learn to take care of yourself."
Mu Gesheng arched an eyebrow. "That doesn't sound like something the great Sanjiutian would say."
"...The battlefield is a place of stray bullets and blades. I cannot protect you at every moment."
"I know, I know. They say those who survive a great disaster are destined for good fortune later. Rest easy." Mu Gesheng stood up and offered his hand. "We have to head over to the Wu family’s side. Let me help you up."
Chai Shuxin paused for a moment before taking the hand. The palm was dry and warm—the temperature of a living person.
He had exhausted himself too much and had been keeping watch by Mu Gesheng’s bed for a long time. When he tried to stand suddenly, his legs gave way.
"Can you manage?" Mu Gesheng frowned. "Is your body really alright?"
Chai Shuxin denied it flatly. "I’m fine."
"You should look in a mirror before saying that." Mu Gesheng knew this man was stubbornly proud and wouldn't admit to anything. He changed his tone, teasing with a smirk, "Look at this delicate, willow-like frame of yours. I wonder which household this young lady belongs to?"
"...Mu Gesheng!"
"I’m here, I'm here." Mu Gesheng, delighted to finally see Chai Shuxin flustered again, continued relentlessly, "How old is the young lady? Where do you live? Are you betrothed?" He shifted into a theatrical lilt, leaning close to Chai Shuxin’s face. "Do you have a sweetheart?"
Chai Shuxin could never stomach such nonsense. He turned to walk out the door, but his footing was unsteady, and he nearly stumbled. Mu Gesheng laughed heartily. "Sanjiutian, oh Sanjiutian, you really are too thin-skinned."
Teasing aside, Mu Gesheng stepped forward and swept the man up into a horizontal carry. "Let’s go, my lady. This humble scholar shall escort you to the west wing."
Chai Shuxin was utterly stunned. It took him several moments to react as Mu Gesheng strode quite a distance. Finally, he snapped in shock, "This is improper! Put me down at once!"
"I won't. You're an injured patient; what use is propriety?" Mu Gesheng walked as if his feet were winged. "Don't be so formal, my lady. Just give in to this humble scholar."
Mu Gesheng’s arm was hooked firmly around his waist. Chai Shuxin felt like he was going mad. It seemed Mu Gesheng had truly recovered his strength; no matter how much Chai Shuxin struggled, the other man wouldn't let go, carrying him all the way into the main hall.
Inside the hall, a meeting was in progress. Hua Bucheng gave the two a brief, indifferent glance, showing no reaction. However, an elder dressed in black stood up and barked, "Who goes there? How improper!"
Mu Gesheng clicked his tongue. "See that, Sanjiutian? Your face looked just as sour as his just now. People should smile more; don't act like an old man every day."
Chai Shuxin: "...Put me down. Now."
Mu Gesheng sauntered forward and set Chai Shuxin down, keeping one hand on the man’s arm to steady him. He smiled at the elder in black. "The injured take precedence. Please don't take offense."
The elder was taken aback. Hua Bucheng stepped forward and introduced them. "These two are the Tiansuanzi and the Lingshuzi."
Then, turning to Mu Gesheng and Chai Shuxin, he said, "This is an elder of the Yin-Yang School, the grand-uncle of Wuchangzi."
"Greetings, Elder Wu," Mu Gesheng greeted him with a beaming smile. Beside him, Chai Shuxin performed a formal bow appropriate for a junior.
Elder Wu stroked his beard, sizing Mu Gesheng up. "So this is the Tiansuanzi. It seems your health has recovered significantly."
"You flatter me. I merely escaped death by a hair."
The group took their seats. For a moment, silence fell. Mu Gesheng calculated inwardly—the Yin-Yang School’s arrival boded no good.
Wu Zixu and Wu Nie had helped him repel the Ghost Soldiers, but that might not have been the intention of the main Yin-Yang clan. If Wu Nie were still here, her presence as the fearless Taisui would have held the floor, but things were different now.
He had acted recklessly, and he knew the Seven Houses would demand an accounting. But looking at the scene, only Penglai and the Yin-Yang School were present. He wasn't sure about the state of the Yao family, though Chai Shuxin likely had a way to handle them. As for the Zhu family’s absence, Mu Gesheng had a faint guess as to why.
Wu Nie’s cultivation was exhausted; her life or death was unknown.
Grief, joy, worry, and sorrow—a complex brew of emotions stirred in his heart.
"Tiansuanzi," Elder Wu began solemnly. "I have come regarding the matter of the Ghost Soldiers."
"Oh? I’m all ears."
Elder Wu clasped his hands. "Though the Ghost Soldiers were repelled by our joint efforts, there are still lingering resentments within the Yin-Yang Ladder. These are vicious, unredeemable things. To ensure absolute safety, I am here to request the Tiansuanzi—seal the Yin-Yang Ladder."
Before Mu Gesheng could speak, Chai Shuxin cut in, "That is entirely unnecessary."
"Why does the Lingshuzi say so?"
"The Yin-Yang Ladder already has a sealing object."
"Is the Lingshuzi referring to the Taisui Nuo Drum?"
"Indeed."
"Allow me a word," Elder Wu said, stroking his beard. "The Nuo Drum is a possession of the Yin-Yang School."
"What do you mean?" Chai Shuxin’s voice turned cold. "Is the Yin-Yang School planning to withdraw the Nuo Drum?"
"Correct. The Nuo Drum contains five hundred years of the Taisui’s cultivation; it is of vital importance to the Yin-Yang School. The Taisui used it to seal the Yin-Yang Ladder without the clan’s permission. For the Yin-Yang School to reclaim it now is not an overstep."
"Utterly ridiculous," Chai Shuxin countered sharply. "The Nuo Drum was manifested from the Taisui’s own cultivation. How it is used depends entirely on her will. By what right does the Yin-Yang School interfere?"
"Then let me put it another way—as the Taisui’s kinsmen and descendants, we have the right to handle her remains. What does the Lingshuzi think of that?"
"You are twisting the truth! To disregard the wishes of the deceased is disloyalty; to waste the painstaking efforts of an elder is unfilial!"
Elder Wu shook his head, his tone heavy with implication. "If we are to speak of disloyalty and unfilial conduct, the Seven Houses would all pale in comparison to the Lingshuzi’s past actions."
Chai Shuxin stood up abruptly.
"Elder Wu," Hua Bucheng said calmly. "The Lingshuzi’s actions are an internal matter of the Yao family. Outsiders have no right to comment."
Mu Gesheng patted Chai Shuxin’s back. "Stay calm." Then, lowering his voice, he asked, "What exactly did you do before? Why does it sound like you’re all speaking in riddles?"
Chai Shuxin said nothing.
"Fine, we’ll talk about this later." Mu Gesheng shook his head and raised his voice. "Elder Wu, I have a question."
"Please, Tiansuanzi."
"Most of the Ghost Soldiers have dissipated, and the lingering resentments in the Yin-Yang Ladder are few. Why not simply send people to eradicate them instead of insisting on a seal? Leaving it like this—isn't that just inviting future trouble?"
"The Tiansuanzi is unaware," Elder Wu said. "The resentments currently in the Yin-Yang Ladder are not few in number."
Mu Gesheng froze.
"In the battle for the city, blood flowed like a river. Where does the Tiansuanzi think the souls of the fallen soldiers and civilians went?"
"Ghost Soldiers inherently possess the ability to assimilate resentment. Those souls who should have moved on to reincarnation were all sucked into the Yin-Yang Ladder."
"They have become vicious spirits, beyond redemption."
The words struck like a thunderclap.
A roar erupted in Mu Gesheng’s ears. Red flames surged; the war scenes flashed vividly before his eyes.
The comrades who died that day, the Chief of Staff who martyred himself with a satchel of explosives, little Fengzi with his face covered in blood... Since waking up, he had tried his best to avoid thinking about it. There were too many things to do, and he had no time for grief.
Their bones were buried in the green hills, but where were their souls?
And this man said so lightly: *They have become vicious spirits, beyond redemption.*
No place for their bodies to rest, no peace for their souls, no closing of their eyes in death, and no chance for rebirth.
By the time Mu Gesheng came to his senses, Chai Shuxin was holding him back with all his might. He looked down to see Elder Wu beaten black and blue, the hall in a state of total wreckage.
"...Mu Gesheng!" A sharp ringing filled his ears; Chai Shuxin’s voice sounded distant. "...Let go first!"
Let go?
Mu Gesheng thought, *To hell with that.*
When he finally calmed down, Elder Wu was no longer breathing. Hua Bucheng stepped forward to check. "He’s dead."
Elder Wu hadn't been a living person to begin with; he had merely manifested a false shell in the mortal realm. Unable to withstand Mu Gesheng’s blows, his soul had long since fled.
"Too good for him." Mu Gesheng spat out a mouthful of blood. "Damned son of a bitch."
He knew exactly what the Yin-Yang School was plotting. Even if there were vicious resentments in the Yin-Yang Ladder, they weren't impossible to eradicate. The Wu clan simply wanted to leave a lingering threat to use as leverage against Fengdu.
The Ghost Soldier riot had left a massive psychological scar on the Ten Yama Kings. If not for the Taisui’s intervention, Fengdu would have fallen into chaos. However, Wu Nie’s power had been too great; if the Yin-Yang School reclaimed the Nuo Drum, they would be viewed with suspicion and fear.
Without the Taisui as their umbrella, the Yin-Yang School would become a target for everyone. So, how could they maximize their strength while keeping Fengdu at bay?
By leaving a time bomb like the Ghost Soldiers. As long as the resentments in the Yin-Yang Ladder existed, the Ten Yama Kings wouldn't dare move against the Yin-Yang School.
The grudges between the Yin-Yang School and Fengdu had lasted a thousand years; Mu Gesheng was used to it. From the perspective of the Tiansuanzi, this was indeed a good strategy—preserving the Yin-Yang School meant preserving the strength of the Seven Houses.
But he never wanted to be the Tiansuanzi.
Mu Gesheng took a deep breath, tossed the corpse aside, and said to Chai Shuxin, "When Wuchangzi wakes up, have him take me into Fengdu."
"What are you going to do?"
"Negotiate," Mu Gesheng said. "I’m going to see the Ten Yama Kings. They might have a way to perform the rites for the souls in the Yin-Yang Ladder."
Hua Bucheng spoke suddenly. "The Yin-Yang School has always been the intermediary between the Tiansuanzi and Fengdu. To bypass them and see the Yama Kings directly is improper."
"Changshengzi," Mu Gesheng said coldly. "The current Yin-Yang School does not listen to me, the Tiansuanzi."
"That is because you have never fulfilled the duties of the Tiansuanzi."
"I never fucking wanted to be the Tiansuanzi!"
"It is your fate." Hua Bucheng looked at him, speaking slowly. "There is no way to have both in this world. You cannot be both the Tiansuanzi and a soldier. The Mountain Ghost Coin has chosen you. If you keep running, you will only fall into endless entanglement."
"I told you before—to fight against heaven’s will carries a heavy price. You chose to go your own way, and this is the karmic consequence."
"To hell with karma," Mu Gesheng said, enunciating every word. "As long as I negotiate with Fengdu, there is a chance for change."
Hua Bucheng said flatly, "You cannot go."
"Both the Mozi and the Wuchangzi are heavily injured and unconscious. The Yin-Yang Ladder is sealed. There is no one who can take you into Fengdu."
Mu Gesheng looked at Chai Shuxin. "When will Wuchangzi wake up?"
"We need the medicinal herbs. Their injuries are stable for now, but they won't be truly out of danger until the medicine is administered..." Chai Shuxin stopped mid-sentence as he realized something.
"Correct," Hua Bucheng said. "Injuries caused by Ghost Soldiers cannot be healed by ordinary herbs. And the only place that has those herbs is Penglai."
He looked at Mu Gesheng, his face as calm as a still well.
"One task for one life. If you want to save them, you must fulfill your duty as the Tiansuanzi."
"Is Changshengzi trying to strike a bargain with me?"
"It is not my wish," Hua Bucheng said. "But there is no other way."
"And if I refuse?"
"You have already tasted the price once. Besides, this time, you cannot afford to lose what is at stake."
Every word was a dagger to the heart.
Mu Gesheng was silent for a moment. "You said one task for one life. If the Mountain Ghost Coin’s duty is for Wuchangzi’s life, then what is the other task?"
Hua Bucheng said calmly, "I ask the Tiansuanzi to cast a divination."
"A divination? Surely the Mozi’s life isn't that cheap?" Mu Gesheng said. "What kind of divination does the Changshengzi want?"
"It is not my request alone, but the wish of all Seven Houses. Since the passing of the Master of the Ginkgo Library, no hexagram has appeared in the world. Now that the world is in chaos, the Seven Houses need a guiding light."
"No need for such a long buildup." Mu Gesheng let out a mocking laugh. "Just tell me what the divination is for."
"The heavens are vast, yet the national destiny withers." Hua Bucheng looked out the hall. "China has been in chaos for too long. We need a specific time."
Mu Gesheng understood instantly. In his extreme shock, he lost his voice, then suddenly burst into loud laughter.
Chai Shuxin felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar. "What did you say?" he asked in disbelief.
"I have made myself clear." Hua Bucheng stood with his back to them. "Since the Tiansuanzi took his position, the Seven Houses have wanted only this one divination."
"We ask the Tiansuanzi to cast the hexagram and divine the National Fortune."
***
**Glossary**
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
---|---|---
弱柳扶风 | delicate, willow-like frame | Lit. "weak willow swaying in the breeze," used to describe a slender, fragile, or graceful person (usually a woman).
小生 | humble scholar | A self-referential term used by young male characters in traditional Chinese opera.
无常子叔公 | grand-uncle of Wuchangzi | A senior elder related to Wu Zixu (Wuchangzi).
阴阳家 | Yin-Yang School | One of the Seven Houses, specializing in the arts of Yin and Yang, spirits, and the underworld.
太岁傩鼓 | Taisui Nuo Drum | A ritual drum manifested from the Taisui's cultivation, used for sealing or exorcism.
血流漂橹 | blood flowed like a river | Lit. "blood flowed enough to float shields," an idiom describing a massive slaughter.
十殿阎罗 | Ten Yama Kings | The ten kings who rule the various levels of the Underworld (Fengdu).
山鬼花钱 | Mountain Ghost Coin | A specific numismatic charm/talisman associated with the Tiansuanzi's authority.
国运 | National Fortune | The destiny or fate of the country/nation.
银杏斋主 | Master of the Ginkgo Library | Likely referring to the previous Tiansuanzi/Mu Gesheng's master.
