Song Wentong began his long narration, starting from that fateful night in Penglai.
On that day, Hua Bucheng had demanded that Mu Gesheng perform a divination on the national fate as the price for saving the lives of Song Wentong and Wu Zixu. Mu Gesheng had locked himself in his room for a day and a night, emerging only after he had laid out an incredibly vast and intricate plan.
Given his character, he was never one to sit idly by and wait for death. Not only did he refuse to accept his fate, he intended to upend the entire chessboard of destiny.
Mu Gesheng first went to see the heavily injured and bedridden Song Wentong. At that time, Song Wentong had regained consciousness but was too weak to speak. He could only lie there, listening as Mu Gesheng talked to him for an entire day.
Mu Gesheng detailed every arrangement. The sheer scale and madness of the plan were beyond anything a normal person could imagine. After hearing it, Song Wentong found it impossible to sleep. He wanted to stop Mu Gesheng, but his strength failed him; he could only watch helplessly as the other man proceeded step by step.
The entire plan began with the death of the Heavenly Diviner and would end with the destruction of the Seven Houses.
After everything he had endured, Mu Gesheng had completely lost faith in the Seven Houses. If his greatest bond was the companions he had grown up with, then Penglai and the Yinyang House using his brothers' lives to blackmail him had shattered his final moral boundary.
He would subvert the Seven Houses and destroy them utterly.
Of course, the Seven Houses had endured for a millennium; their roots were deep and could not be easily unraveled. To find their weakness, Mu Gesheng performed a divination upon the Altar of Heaven—he calculated the fate of the Seven Houses.
Just as a fortune-teller cannot calculate their own fate, this divination was of no small consequence. Its danger far exceeded even that of divining a nation's fate. Yet, Mu Gesheng easily deceived everyone, for they all believed he was divining the national fate and had died from the backlash once the hex was complete.
In truth, it was not so. He had calculated the fate of the Seven Houses.
As for where the divination of the national fate came from?
"I often suspect that Master had already foreseen everything." That day, before leaving, Mu Gesheng had tucked a silk pouch under Song Wentong’s pillow. "When I took the Mountain Ghost Coins from the abbot of Baishui Temple, the box contained forty-nine copper coins and a silk pouch.
"Master’s final words instructed me to open the pouch if I encountered a great upheaval. I felt the current situation was dire enough, so I opened it last night. Guess what was written inside?"
Mu Gesheng leaned close to Song Wentong’s ear and whispered, "The last divination Master performed before his death was for the national fate."
Song Wentong’s eyes widened in shock.
"I knew Master wouldn't pass away so easily from illness. The old man must have foreseen something. Divining the national fate shaves years off one's life and grinds away one's soul; that must have been the true cause of his death.
"I will divine the fate of the Seven Houses on the Altar of Heaven. By the time the hex is complete, I’ll be at my last breath. I will write down the resulting hex and the subsequent arrangements. Second Brother, you only have one task: be the first to ascend the Altar.
"Use the national fate from the silk pouch to swap out the fate of the Seven Houses I calculated. That way, no one will suspect a thing."
The Seven Houses were led by the Heavenly Diviner, and all their actions were guided by the hexes revealed by the Mountain Ghost Coins. According to Mu Gesheng’s plan, after his death, the lineage of the Heavenly Diviner would be broken. The Seven Houses, left leaderless, would inevitably fall into chaos.
And from chaos comes change.
Later, following Mu Gesheng’s plan, Song Wentong successfully swapped the hexes on the Altar. He obtained the fate of the Seven Houses and the grand design Mu Gesheng had laid out—a prophecy for the end of every house.
According to the national fate, the era of chaos would end in thirteen years. However, it would be a new era where gods perished. Old faiths would vanish, replaced by new deities. Soon, the world would no longer have a place for the Vermilion Bird; the Zhu House had a century of fate left at most.
The Yinyang House had two paths. One was for Wu Zixu to continue diligently as the Head, maintaining the family business for a few more centuries. The second was to slowly relinquish power. Given the elders' penchant for troublemaking, squandering the family fortune within a century wouldn't be a problem, and the entire clan would rapidly decline.
However, the Wuchangzi would be liberated because of this. Mu Gesheng even took the liberty of divining a marriage for him, saying he would have a son. If he chose the second path, his son would not repeat the tragic cycle of the previous Wuchangzi.
As for the Mo House, Mu Gesheng perfunctorily wrote a single sentence to Song Wentong: *Just live out this life well.*
The implication was clear. The Mo House followed a line of single succession. As long as Song Wentong did not marry or have children, the Mo House would end with him.
The most troublesome was Penglai. Mu Gesheng had left a pile of symbols and calculations on the Altar that Song Wentong couldn't understand. He didn't know how long Mu Gesheng had spent calculating, but the final result on the paper was that the Mountain Ghost Seal would loosen within a century.
Logically, the Mountain Ghost Seal was something Mu Gesheng had placed himself, which should have guaranteed peace for centuries. Yet, the conclusion drawn from the Mountain Ghost Coins was the exact opposite—eighty-two years later, the seal would loosen for unknown reasons.
He used this to craft a plan. Within a century, the ties between the Seven Houses would inevitably become loose, even crumbling into sand. Without a Heavenly Diviner, no one would have the authority to reunite them. However, the loosening of the Mountain Ghost Seal would be the catalyst to bring the Seven Houses together once more.
By then, Wu Zixu and Song Wentong would likely have passed away. The person needed to inherit this plan was Zhu Yinxiao. Song Wentong was obligated to trick the Fifth Brother onto this "thief's ship" during his lifetime—Zhu Yinxiao would use the reunion of the Seven Houses and the pretext of repairing the Mountain Ghost Seal to reopen the Mirage and gather the seven sacred tokens.
The tokens of the Seven Houses would never normally appear in the world, but the Mountain Ghost Seal was a sufficient reason.
The Mountain Ghost Coins, the Vermilion Bird’s Blood, the Guwang Pipe, the Crimson-Licking Blade, the Pangeng Oracle Bones, and the Rakshasa’s Fate.
These six items brought together could destroy Penglai.
Penglai’s token was the island itself—that isolated, immortal mountain across the sea. It was said that in ancient times, an immortal ascended, and their discarded mortal shell fell into the sea, becoming Penglai. Penglai Island could not be destroyed by ordinary means, but with the other six tokens gathered, there was a chance.
If everything went according to plan, the seven tokens would perish together, and the Seven Houses would lose their source of power.
With that, the Seven Houses of the Sages would be completely severed.
The only exception in all of Mu Gesheng’s plans was the Yao House.
*I don’t want to drag Chai Shuxin into this,* Mu Gesheng had told Song Wentong then. *Just consider it a bit of selfishness on my part.*
Furthermore, the Yao House was originally a family of ordinary mortals, practicing medicine for generations. As long as the token was destroyed, there was nothing wrong with their lineage continuing in the human world.
Ultimately, the reason the Seven Houses had become so arrogant and treated human life like grass was simply because they believed they possessed more power than ordinary people.
As for their original intent—to steer the course for all living beings—that had been lost many dynasties ago.
"According to Fourth Brother’s arrangement, Third Brother and I were to go to the Vermilion Sparrow Terrace in Kunlun first to try and lead Fifth Brother out of the mountains," Song Wentong said. "Old Man Zhu Baiqi could read the stars; I think he guessed a lot of what was happening, but he didn't object. He agreed to let us take Fifth Brother out.
"Afterward, I told the two of them all of Fourth Brother’s arrangements. They didn't have any objections."
"Fourth Brother’s arrangement was actually finding a way out for me," Wu Zixu said. "The actions of the Wu clan were chilling."
"Once the Heavenly Diviner died, the Seven Houses were bound to fall into chaos. My grandfather already had intentions of withdrawing," Zhu Yinxiao smiled. "Besides, I grew up following my older brothers."
"So, we had everything arranged. Fourth Brother had even thought of a way out for you; I even thought about going abroad to visit you later." Song Wentong looked at Chai Shuxin. "But who could have imagined you would actually become the Rakshasa?"
The Rakshasa’s Fate was a thing of great calamity. Its very existence went against the heavens, and even the Mountain Ghost Coins could not divine it.
Chai Shuxin was the only outsider in Mu Gesheng’s entire layout, yet he had also become the only loophole in the plan.
Chai Shuxin pondered for a long time before looking at Zhu Yinxiao. "If he didn't know who the Rakshasa was, how were you supposed to obtain the Rakshasa’s token?"
"That wasn't an issue," Song Wentong replied. "As long as no new Rakshasa appeared in the world, the corpses of previous Rakshasas were suppressed beneath the Mirage. We could have just taken their remains."
"But you just had to become the Rakshasa yourself." Wu Zixu sighed. "So, the task that was originally meant for Fifth Brother could only be done by you."
"In that case, the Yao House’s lineage will also be severed," Song Wentong said. "I suppose that works too. A stroke of accidental luck."
"I wouldn't be so sure." Wu Zixu shook his head. "If Fourth Brother truly has a day where he wakes up, his feelings will likely be very complicated."
Then came the long years of the past. Chai Shuxin traveled everywhere to collect the scattered Mountain Ghost Coins, piecing together Mu Gesheng’s soul bit by bit. At the same time, he found Commander Mu and became his secret agent, doing many things beyond the battlefield.
After the war ended, Chai Shuxin went abroad to study for a time. He visited every country Mu Gesheng had once been to, walking through every corner mentioned in their past correspondence. During those days in the Soviet Union, he bought a scarf and often stood by the banks of the Neva River, watching the snow.
Song Wentong took Zhu Yinxiao and traveled everywhere. The two lived in the Mirage for a few years, then crossed the ocean to find Chai Shuxin. Song Wentong learned English and mocked Chai Shuxin for looking like a destitute vampire aristocrat from a novel, carrying his own coffin wherever he went.
At that time, Chai Shuxin was studying Western medicine, his primary research being the preservation of corpses.
Wu Zixu got married and accompanied his wife on travels, while quietly relinquishing his power. The elders fought tooth and nail for fame and profit, but he rarely returned to Fengdu. In the eighties, Wu Zixu returned to the old city once more and built a school on the site of his original residence.
In the early nineties, Chai Shuxin returned to the country and continued his search for the missing Mountain Ghost Coins.
In the late nineties, Song Wentong passed away, leaving the Crimson-Licking Blade to Chai Shuxin.
The first step of the plan was complete.
After the millennium, Chai Yanyan was born. Chai Shuxin returned to the Yao House for the first time in years to attend her full-moon banquet.
Subsequently, Chai Rendong passed away, and Wu Biyou was born.
In the third year after Wu Biyou’s birth, Mu Gesheng woke up. That same year, Wu Zixu passed away, and the Yinyang House completely dissolved.
The second step of the plan was complete.
Until the disturbance in the Mountain Ghost Seal occurred, and Cui Ziyu, in the name of that disturbance, requested the reunion of the Seven Houses.
The Seven Houses reunited, the Mirage reopened, the Pangeng Oracle Bones reappeared, and the Yao House’s lineage was severed.
The third step of the plan was complete.
At this point, only the final step remained in the grand design Mu Gesheng had laid out a century ago.
The illusion faded, and the Little Novice scratched his head. "Actually, only that first bit of memory was left for you by Wu Zixu. I took the liberty of adding the rest to help you understand."
"After you calculated the fate of the Seven Houses, you suffered heavenly punishment, and the Mountain Ghost Coins were scattered. But some remained. After Song Wentong studied them, he discovered they had the function of recalling memories. To be safe, he and Wu Zixu each kept one with them. After they died, the coins were stored in the Mirage and the First High School respectively, so that if you woke up and couldn't remember anything, they could provide some backup for you."
Mu Gesheng was silent for a long time before asking, "What did my 'silly daughter' and the others see?"
He understood now. What he could see in the Mountain Ghost Coins didn't depend on what his predecessors had left behind, but on what the Little Novice wanted him to know. This person could basically edit the footage from the backend; he had been led by the nose the whole time.
"They didn't see much, but we couldn't account for An Ping," the Little Novice said. "Wu Biyou brought Chai Yanyan and An Ping along. He already shares memories with you, and based on the clues, they've basically guessed seventy or eighty percent of the truth."
"How much is seventy or eighty percent?"
"They know basically everything except for the plan you laid out back then," the Little Novice said. "Including the fact that Chai Shuxin married you."
Despite the mixed emotions in his heart, Mu Gesheng breathed a small sigh of relief. At least those kids didn't learn everything.
The grievances of their generation should be settled by their generation. The younger ones should have their own lives.
"My soul remained within the Mountain Ghost Coins, and I have witnessed everything over these years," the Little Novice said. "Although the current state of affairs isn't exactly the same as your original plan, it hasn't deviated from the main track. You can be considered one of the most excellent Heavenly Diviners; you calculated the fate of the Seven Houses very accurately."
Mu Gesheng sat there without saying a word.
The Little Novice sighed and crouched in front of him. "You can ask anything you want to know."
"Whose man is Cui Ziyu?"
"He was left behind by Wu Zixu, and he was the one who single-handedly facilitated the reunion of the Seven Houses, though on the surface he used the name of the Ten Kings of Hell." The Little Novice thought for a moment and added, "Actually, I've always wanted to say, Lord Cui is a good man."
"What exactly is the heavenly punishment Sanjiutian carries?"
"Since you're asking, it means you've already guessed it," the Little Novice said. "With a Rakshasa’s fate, killing an Immortal is not enough to bring down heavenly punishment; he was born with a murderous destiny. The real reason is because he entered into a ghost marriage with you."
The Master of the Spiritual Pivot saves people and does not kill; the Rakshasa kills and does not save.
"With his malevolent fate, he could indeed forcibly retrieve your scattered soul from the Mountain Ghost Coins, but the coins are no ordinary objects. There was bound to be a backlash—that is the punishment, the true heavenly punishment."
Because of this, the Yao House’s lineage was severed.
Mu Gesheng remembered that day when he told Chai Shuxin he would find a way to break the heavenly punishment. Chai Shuxin had said: *It is difficult.*
Chai Shuxin was the type to face difficulties head-on; that was the first time he had ever spoken the word "difficult."
Now Mu Gesheng understood why.
"...I have one last question," Mu Gesheng said.
"Go ahead, Grand-disciple."
"...Why did he keep it from me for so many years?"
The Little Novice was stumped. It took him a while to say, "That is indeed something I cannot answer.
"But from an onlooker's perspective, I think it might be because it was very hard to say out loud," the Little Novice continued. "After all, with a personality like the Rakshasa’s, if he hadn't been at his wit's end back then, he wouldn't have married you without asking for your opinion.
"That ghost marriage was more about the form. Most of the people who knew back then have passed away. If you hadn't discovered it, he might have just let that wedding remain as if it never existed.
"After all, you woke up. That was his greatest wish."
Mu Gesheng was silent for a very long time.
He suddenly remembered that morning when he woke up after years of slumber. It felt like a great dream. He had locked eyes with Chai Shuxin as he walked in, and the other man had accidentally dropped the medicine bowl.
At that time, Chai Shuxin’s gaze had been so complex that he couldn't understand it at all, yet he had remembered it for many years.
After he woke up, Chai Shuxin had meticulously arranged everything as if he had been preparing for a long time. It was precisely because of him that Mu Gesheng could integrate so quickly into this entirely foreign era, laughing and talking just as he had in the past.
Once, Mu Gesheng had joked, *Sanjiutian, it would be great if you were my wife—capable in the parlor and the kitchen.* He had expected Chai Shuxin to snap back, but instead, the man had looked at him helplessly while holding a rice bowl, placed a piece of food in his bowl, and a smile seemed to flash across his lips.
At the time, he thought he had seen wrong.
He thought they were already friends who had faced life and death together, facing each other day and night, companions year after year. So much unspoken understanding, so much concern, needing no words.
Only today did he understand what all those unspoken silences truly meant.
Finally, Mu Gesheng stood up. "I want to go out."
"Where to?"
"Back to the City God Temple, to give Fifth Brother a beating. He kept such a big thing from me for so many years."
"Don't blame the kid; it was the Rakshasa who forbade him from speaking."
"I know. That's why I'm going to beat up Sanjiutian too."
"...Are you sure you can win against him?"
"Don't meddle in a husband and wife's quarrel. Just hurry up, I'm in a rush."
He had already been late for too many years.
***
