The room fell into a dead silence.
An Ping’s first reaction was: *Is Fengdu actively seeking a death wish?*
The last time Mu Gesheng had sacrificed his life force to divine the national fortune, he had nearly—or rather, successfully—driven Chai Shuxin to the brink of madness. The officials of Fengdu usually acted like mice seeing a cat whenever the Rakshasa was around; where did they get the nerve to dance on the edge of Chai Shuxin’s bottom line?
Lin Juansheng spoke up calmly, "Judge Cui, the Heavenly Calculator and I hail from the same sect. I can personally vouch for my junior brother’s abilities. A divination of the national fortune performed with forty-nine Mountain Ghost Coins cannot be wrong."
Penglai held great influence, and the words of the Immortal carried significant weight. An Ping expected Cui Ziyu to take the hint and back down.
To his surprise, the usually sycophantic Judge Cui seemed to have grown a backbone of iron today. He pressed on relentlessly, "Some of the Masters present did not experience the events of those years and may be unaware of certain details."
Chai Puti flashed an intrigued smile. "Oh? And what details might those be, Judge Cui?"
"Back then, the Heavenly Calculator used one Mountain Ghost Coin to suppress the Yin-Yang Ladder, forming the Mountain Ghost Array. Only then did he cast the divination for the national fortune. It is evident that the divination was not performed with forty-nine coins, but was short by one."
As soon as he said this, Wu Biyou and Chai Yanyan were both stunned. Even Zhu Yinxiao took on a pensive expression. They hadn't lived through those years; everything they knew was hearsay from their elders. Zhu Yinxiao had a fair grasp of the history, but Wu Biyou and Chai Yanyan were completely in the dark.
Chai Puti said meaningfully, "Now, that is interesting."
Wu Biyou snapped impatiently, "Hey, old lady, are you listening to a storyteller? Do you have to chime in after every sentence? The Masters haven't even spoken yet; who gave you a seat at the table?"
Chai Puti smiled thinly, seemingly unbothered. Just as she was about to speak, Lin Juansheng cut in. "What you may not know is that the missing Mountain Ghost Coin was a gift from me."
He then explained the succession rules of the Heavenly Calculator’s lineage. "The coin used to fill the gap back then was crafted by the Mohist. It was a masterpiece of divine craftsmanship."
"The Immortal is correct," Cui Ziyu said with a bow. "Fengdu is aware of the Heavenly Calculator’s traditions. However, the Mohist has been dead for many years, and his lineage has no successor. No one knows how much efficacy that substitute coin truly possessed."
Mu Gesheng burst out laughing. "Judge Cui, you really should have said that to the second-oldest's face while he was still alive."
An Ping couldn't help but recall the Mohist—Song Wentong—sharp, flamboyant, and fierce as a blade or a flame.
Mu Gesheng was right. If Song Wentong were still alive, Cui Ziyu wouldn't have dared utter those words even if he were given ten times the courage.
Now, however, he was reduced to a mere "old friend" mentioned in passing.
Facing Fengdu’s relentless pressure, An Ping truly felt the weight of what Zhu Yinxiao had said back at the teahouse: the Seven Schools were indeed in decline.
Individually, their strength wasn't necessarily weak—the Chai Group, for instance, was at the height of its power in the business world. It was just that their hearts were like scattered sand, each harboring their own schemes.
Lin Juansheng frowned slightly, looking directly at Cui Ziyu. "Judge Cui, allow me to be blunt. Fengdu has overstepped."
"The national fortune is a major divination. A Heavenly Calculator might not perform it once in their entire life. Currently, the world is at peace; there is no need to calculate the fate of the nation." His expression hardened. "If this is merely to solve Fengdu’s internal troubles, that is not the responsibility of the Seven Schools. I suggest the Ten Yama Kings handle it themselves."
"Peace, Immortal," Chai Puti said leisurely. "As far as I know, a divination of the national fortune must be decided collectively by the Seven Schools. Why not ask for everyone's opinion?"
"Auntie," Chai Yanyan said with a sweet smile, "aside from the Chai Group, who else here do you think would side with Fengdu?" As she spoke, she slammed Wu Biyou’s head down onto the mahjong table.
Wu Biyou was about to explode, but he caught himself, shrinking back with a frustrated huff like a delinquent forced into good behavior.
Lin Juansheng surveyed the room. No one else spoke. "Judge Cui, you see. Even by the rules of the Seven Schools, a divination as significant as the national fortune requires the consent of at least four families before it can even be considered." He flicked his horsetail whisk. "If this is all Fengdu came for, please see yourself out."
An Ping did a quick mental tally. Between the two mahjong tables and Cui Ziyu, there were nine people present. Lin Juansheng was protecting Mu Gesheng; Zhu Baizhi and Zhu Yinxiao had no objections; Chai Yanyan was definitely on her ancestor's side. That meant the only ones supporting Fengdu were the Yin-Yang family and the Chai Group.
The Yin-Yang family was coerced by Fengdu, while the Chai Group was driven by the ambition to dominate.
Lin Juansheng had said it required four families—An Ping couldn't see how they would ever get four. So where did Fengdu get the confidence to call this meeting? They were offending everyone for little gain; why bother?
He even began to wonder if Cui Ziyu had offended his superiors and been sent on a suicide mission.
No, the real mystery was why Mu Gesheng had agreed to this gathering in the first place.
Just as An Ping’s mind was racing, Mu Gesheng spoke. Clutching his enamel mug, he said nonchalantly, "If Fengdu wants another divination of the national fortune, it’s not impossible."
An Ping: ?!?!
This was a true bombshell. Everyone stared at Mu Gesheng in shock, wondering if he had lost his mind.
Mu Gesheng took a sip of tea. "The biggest difficulty in divining the national fortune is the cost to one's life force. As everyone knows, I can no longer be considered a living person." He spread his hands. "So, whether it consumes my lifespan or not is irrelevant to me."
Zhu Baizhi huffed, his beard twitching, but ultimately remained silent.
Chai Puti chuckled softly. "So, the Heavenly Calculator accepts?"
"Not quite." Mu Gesheng shook his head and pointed to his temple. "What I’m about to say isn't exactly a secret among the Seven Schools—most of you probably know that my memory is incomplete."
"When I performed the divination back then, I invited heavenly retribution. When I died, the Mountain Ghost Coins were scattered, which also caused my memories to leak away." Mu Gesheng looked at Cui Ziyu. "Do you understand what I mean, Judge Cui?"
Cui Ziyu blinked, but An Ping caught on instantly—*Holy crap, so that’s the play!* The coins were scattered and hadn't been fully recovered; he didn't have all forty-nine. He couldn't perform the divination even if he wanted to!
No wonder Chai Shuxin had agreed to this meeting so easily. They were just playing these people for fools!
An Ping was busy scoffing internally when Mu Gesheng dropped another bombshell. "Although the Mountain Ghost Coins are incomplete, if we really want to do the divination, there is a way."
An Ping: "..."
No one even tried to respond anymore. Heaven only knew what kind of trick this guy had up his sleeve.
After leading everyone on a wild goose chase, Mu Gesheng finally said at a measured pace, "Since I’m a dead man anyway, divining the national fortune is no big deal. But with the coins missing, the divination will inevitably be inaccurate. We need something to substitute for them."
"The Seven Schools have endured for a millennium, each possessing a legacy artifact. The Heavenly Calculator has the Mountain Ghost Coins; the Rakshasa has the Rakshasa’s Life; the Immortal has the White-Glaze Whisk; the Star Gazer has the Vermilion Bird’s Blood; the Impermanence has the Pipe of Vain Illusions; and the Mohist has the Blade of Licked Crimson."
He paused. "And then, there is the Lingshuzi’s Pangeng Oracle Bone."
At the mention of the Chai family legacy, both Chai Yanyan and Chai Puti tensed up.
"The Pangeng Oracle Bone dates back to the Shang Dynasty. It is also known as dragon bone and can cure a thousand ailments. However, its original purpose was for divination and record-keeping—hence the term 'Oracle Bone Script,'" Mu Gesheng explained. "The missing Mountain Ghost Coins can be supplemented by the Pangeng Oracle Bone. Together, they can calculate the national fortune."
Then, his tone shifted. "The Pangeng Oracle Bone has been passed down through the generations to the Lingshuzi of the Chai family. It is a symbol of the Seven Schools. But ever since the previous Lingshuzi, Chai Shuxin, became the Rakshasa, the succession of the Lingshuzi has been severed, as far as I know."
Chai Yanyan took over the explanation. "According to the rules of the Seven Schools, a succession must be designated by the previous Master, and the legacy artifact must be handed over personally to be valid. After my grand-uncle suppressed the Yin-Yang Ladder, his whereabouts were unpredictable. The Chai family couldn't find him, so the succession of the Lingshuzi has been on hold."
As for later... it was likely because the Rakshasa was too terrifying to provoke. If he didn't bring up the handover, no one dared to knock on his door.
Chai Puti’s eyes flickered. "Since the Heavenly Calculator mentions the Pangeng Oracle Bone now, is it for the sake of the Lingshuzi’s succession?"
Mu Gesheng smiled. "Exactly."
Chai Yanyan sat up straight. Zhu Yinxiao and Wu Biyou also turned their gaze toward Mu Gesheng.
Everyone assumed Mu Gesheng would naturally favor Chai Yanyan and that the title of Lingshuzi would eventually return to her branch of the family. But Mu Gesheng hadn't breathed a word of this beforehand; instead, he told both Chai Puti and Chai Yanyan at the same time. Was he setting up a fair competition between the two?
On second thought, Mu Gesheng was the Heavenly Calculator, after all. This approach was logical. If he simply gave the Oracle Bone to Chai Yanyan, the Chai Group would never accept it, leading to endless trouble.
To do this right, every seam had to be tight; it had to look good and be fair.
An Ping wondered what the old fox was planning. He had no doubt Mu Gesheng would rig the game, likely opening a floodgate of advantages for his favorite.
Mu Gesheng asked, "Do you all know of the Mirage Tower?"
"The Mirage Tower?" Zhu Baizhi said. "Are you referring to the place where the Seven Schools were founded?"
Mu Gesheng nodded. "Indeed."
Seeing An Ping’s confusion, Zhu Yinxiao explained, "A thousand years ago, after the Seven Schools were established, the Mohist built a mechanical tower called the Mirage Tower. The ancients believed that large clams—*shen*—exhaled mist to create towers and cities, hence the name."
"The Mirage Tower exists outside the three realms, located in a peripheral dimension. It can only be opened with the consent of the seven families. It houses a vast collection of secret treasures accumulated by the Seven Schools over generations, and it is also where the legacy artifacts are kept."
Mu Gesheng nodded. "After the previous Lingshuzi became the Rakshasa, because there was no successor, the Pangeng Oracle Bone was returned to the Mirage Tower. It has been kept there ever since. According to the tower’s enchantments, only the Lingshuzi themselves can enter the top floor’s sanctuary to retrieve the bone."
"Decades have passed, and the seat of the Lingshuzi has been vacant for too long. It is time to choose a new master."
He looked at Chai Yanyan and Chai Puti. "The Chai family is currently divided into two main branches, with the two of you as their respective heads. If there are no objections, the Mirage Tower will open in half a month. The Rakshasa will personally preside over a trial."
"The winner shall be the successor to the Pangeng Oracle Bone."
***
