Mu Gesheng and Chai Shuxin wandered through Fengdu for a long time, returning to the City God Temple only deep into the night.
They had entered the Mirage during the twelfth lunar month, but it was now the height of summer. The ginkgo tree in the front courtyard was lush with foliage. Mu Gesheng lay on a rattan chair beneath its branches, lazily waving a cattail fan.
Chai Shuxin went to the back courtyard and returned with an enamel mug. "Sour plum soup, infused with dried osmanthus."
"My dear wife has worked hard," Mu Gesheng said as he took the mug, patting the space on the chair beside him. "Sit, my lady."
Chai Shuxin looked at him helplessly. "How much longer are you going to keep this up?"
"I’m enjoying myself immensely."
As they lay beneath the ginkgo tree with a cool breeze rustling the leaves, Mu Gesheng decided to tell Chai Shuxin about his encounter with the little novice monk inside the *Shan-Gui* Coin.
The cause and effect of the entire affair were incredibly complex. It took him quite a while to untangle the threads and even longer to explain them. Chai Shuxin remained quiet throughout, listening until he finished. Finally, he asked, "Why are you telling me this?"
"Because I felt you ought to know," Mu Gesheng replied.
Chai Shuxin pondered for a moment. "May I meet this grandmaster of yours?"
"What for?"
"On the second day after a new bride enters the household, she must offer tea to the elders," Chai Shuxin said with a perfectly straight face.
Mu Gesheng was utterly defeated by his wit. Nevertheless, he took out the *Shan-Gui* Coin, let a drop of blood fall onto it, and entered the illusory realm within.
He wasn't sure if the coin had any restrictions; as the inheritance of the Heavenly Calculator lineage, he could enter, but Chai Shuxin might not be able to. To his surprise, Chai Shuxin entered the illusion alongside him.
The little novice monk sat in the empty space. As if sensing Mu Gesheng’s confusion, he smiled and said, "Grand-disciple, you are stained with the Rakshasa’s aura. The coin recognizes him."
Chai Shuxin stepped forward and bowed respectfully. "Greetings, Grandmaster."
"Congratulations, congratulations." The little novice helped him up, nodding with satisfaction. "The Heavenly Calculator lineage has endured for generations, and finally, we have one who isn't a bachelor."
The lineage of the Heavenly Calculator had three great traditions: swindling and cheating, joining the order halfway, and remaining a bachelor.
Swindling and cheating went without saying. As for joining halfway—the little novice had been a monk who ran away; Mo Qingbei had been a cultivator who abandoned his path; and Mu Gesheng had been a soldier who left his post. He hadn't exactly "run away," but the price he paid had been devastating.
Those who never forgot their original intentions tended to die young.
But at least one could take a wife.
Mu Gesheng did the math. Although being the Heavenly Calculator was an exhausting ordeal, looking at Chai Shuxin’s face, he felt he had come out ahead.
"One does not visit the Three Treasures Hall without a reason," the little novice said, looking up at him. "Speak, my dear grand-disciple. What is it this time?"
Though he had come to let Chai Shuxin meet the grandmaster, Mu Gesheng did indeed have questions.
"When Sanjiutian and I were in the Mirage, we saw Master’s memories," Mu Gesheng said. "I’ve been wanting to ask—who exactly placed those memories there?"
What he and Chai Shuxin had seen were the past events of Mo Qingbei and Hua Bucheng. He had always had a suspicion, and what the little novice said later confirmed it—the one who stored those memories in the Medicine House’s place of inheritance was Song Wentong.
Only the Second Senior Brother could have accomplished such a feat.
But that raised another question—Song Wentong likely obtained those memories because the Ginkgo Hall Master had instructed him to do so.
Why would his Master do that?
Mu Gesheng asked himself: if he were to truly die one day, he might leave a memory for posterity, but it would surely be filled with the trivial daily lives of himself and Sanjiutian, a blatant display of affection to blind anyone who watched.
But the story of Mo Qingbei and Hua Bucheng was not like that. It was a tragedy.
No one likes to reopen old wounds, and his Master wasn't a masochist. That left only one possibility—there was something vital in those memories that had to be passed down.
Yet Mu Gesheng had combed through them many times and found nothing amiss.
What was the purpose? To make them act more kindly toward Penglai?
If so, it was incredibly awkward, given that Chai Shuxin had killed Hua Bucheng with his own hands.
When it came to the taboo of betraying one's master and ancestors, the Ginkgo Hall was truly a den of experts.
The little novice smiled. "I knew you would ask this eventually."
Mu Gesheng thought: *Then why didn't you say so earlier?*
"Haste makes waste," the little novice said. "There were actually two sets of memories stored in the Mirage. One was left for you by Qingbei, and the other was left for you by the Mozi. Qingbei’s memories were sealed directly within the Medicine House’s inheritance; they could be seen by opening the 'Hundred-Son Cabinet' on the top floor. That was the century of history you and the Rakshasa saw together."
"The remaining set was stored within the *Shan-Gui* Coin, using the Pan Geng Oracle Bones as a catalyst. You used them to enter the illusion and saw the events that transpired after your death."
"Both sets were placed there by Second Brother?" Mu Gesheng asked.
The little novice nodded. "Correct."
Mu Gesheng frowned.
Chai Shuxin noticed his change in expression. "Is something wrong?"
"I entered the second illusion alone; you don't know what I saw inside." Mu Gesheng sighed. "I experienced some incredible things, but that’s not the point. At the end of the illusion, I saw you kill Hua Bucheng."
Chai Shuxin nodded. "I did indeed kill Hua Bucheng."
He looked at Mu Gesheng. They knew each other's speech patterns well; Mu Gesheng bringing this up now wasn't to settle an old score. The point was what came next.
"If those were the memories Second Brother left behind, then those memories are flawed," Mu Gesheng said. "They created a massive misunderstanding. At the time, I believed the reason you suffered the Heavenly Curse was because you killed the previous Eternal One."
Chai Shuxin was slightly stunned.
"It was only after I saw the *Shan-Gui* Coin Third Brother left at the No. 1 High School that I realized what was actually going on," Mu Gesheng said slowly. "The memories Second Brother left were incomplete. It’s very likely that someone deleted a portion of them."
He smiled and took Chai Shuxin’s hand. "The most important portion."
"Ahem." The little novice cleared his throat. "Business first. What then?"
"Then isn't it your turn to speak?" Mu Gesheng turned to him. "Second Brother wouldn't have hidden the matter of my marriage to Sanjiutian. He would have certainly left that segment in the *Shan-Gui* Coin. Now that it’s been deleted, who did it? You live inside the coin; how could you not know?"
In truth, he had suspected the little novice. After all, this person could directly edit the "back end" of the illusion, showing the audience whatever he wanted them to see. Mu Gesheng had been led around by the nose more than once.
But the little novice clearly had no reason to do so. His previous concealments felt more like guidance, allowing Mu Gesheng to uncover the truth of the past in a more stable, gradual manner.
But why go to such lengths? Just to help him accept everything better? Since when did the Heavenly Calculator lineage produce someone so kind-hearted?
The little novice pressed his palms together and chanted a Buddhist invocation. Three prayer mats appeared out of thin air. "Sit."
"What I have to say next is long. Your legs might ache if you stand."
The three of them sat. The little novice began, "First of all, your guess is correct. The *Shan-Gui* Coin left by the Mozi was indeed tampered with."
Though he had expected it, Mu Gesheng still found it mind-boggling.
The *Shan-Gui* Coins were the tokens of the Heavenly Calculator lineage, recognizing only the successive Diviners as their masters. Aside from himself and the little novice, it was hard to imagine who could possibly alter the memories within.
The power required to interfere with a *Shan-Gui* Coin was beyond words.
It was practically a god-like feat.
"The number of people capable of such a thing is indeed rare in this world."
The little novice looked at him and spoke slowly. "In fact, you already have a candidate in mind, don't you?"
To tamper with the memories Song Wentong left in the Mirage, many conditions had to be met.
First, the person had to have a profound understanding of the Seven Houses, being familiar with at least three generations of masters preceding Mu Gesheng. Second, they had to be intimately familiar with the structure of the Mirage, able to enter and exit at will. Finally, they had to possess immense strength—perhaps even exceeding that of Chai Shuxin and Mu Gesheng.
Chai Shuxin thought of someone. He looked at Mu Gesheng, who remained silent.
Finally, he spoke the name for Mu Gesheng: "Lin Juansheng."
Mu Gesheng had already sensed it. Back in Penglai, Lin Juansheng had lied to him.
He had asked Lin Juansheng if Chai Shuxin suffered the Heavenly Curse because he killed the previous Eternal One.
Though Lin Juansheng hadn't answered directly at the time, every word he spoke afterward had been designed to lead Mu Gesheng toward that conclusion.
But he hadn't thought much of it then. Even if Lin Juansheng was lying, he had reason to believe his senior brother simply didn't want him to waste his efforts—after all, no matter the cause of the curse, breaking it would be no easy task. From Lin Juansheng’s perspective, it was understandable if he didn't want Mu Gesheng to get too deeply involved.
Mu Gesheng had considered many possibilities, but he had never doubted Lin Juansheng.
Just as he would never doubt Wu Zixu or Song Wentong.
That was his Senior Brother.
But Lin Juansheng was indeed the only candidate who met all the criteria.
Mu Gesheng was silent for a long time. He slowly exhaled and looked at the little novice. "I have a few questions."
"A teacher exists to pass on the Way, provide professional instruction, and resolve doubts," the little novice said. "Ask whatever you wish."
"The first question is for Sanjiutian," Mu Gesheng said. "In the memories of the past, when you burned Penglai and heavily injured Senior Brother, he was no match for you at all. Why can't you defeat him now?"
"Because he later entered a ghost marriage with you. To save you, he took on the Heavenly Curse," the little novice answered for him. "This significantly diminished the Rakshasa’s strength."
"It was my own wish." Chai Shuxin gripped Mu Gesheng’s hand. "It is not your fault."
"I know." Mu Gesheng patted his hand. "I’m alright."
"Second question. We are both Heavenly Calculators; we know how powerful the restrictions on the *Shan-Gui* Coins are. Even if Senior Brother became the Eternal One, is it truly possible to break those restrictions and alter the memories?"
The little novice said, "Normally, it is indeed impossible. The *Shan-Gui* Coins have always recognized only the Heavenly Calculator as their master. Even for an Eternal One—even if he truly ascended to godhood—trying to forcibly interfere with the coins would be nothing more than a pipe dream."
"Then how did Senior Brother do it?"
The little novice didn't answer directly. Instead, he asked, "How many *Shan-Gui* Coins do you have in your possession right now?"
Mu Gesheng blinked. With Chai Shuxin always by his side, he rarely had a reason to use the coins. He hadn't checked them in a long time. Moreover, carrying all forty-nine coins was too heavy, so he had scattered them in various corners of the City God Temple.
He pulled out the coins he was carrying and counted them. Thirty-seven in total.
Chai Shuxin said, "There are three by the head of the bed, two under the plum blossom porcelain basin, five by the stove, two on the rafters of the east wing, and one in the mouth of the stone lion."
Mu Gesheng was amazed. "How do you know so clearly?"
"I found them while cleaning the rooms."
"Sanjiutian, you really are the perfect spouse... wait." Mu Gesheng suddenly realized something was wrong. "Say that again. How many coins are in the temple right now?"
Chai Shuxin counted. "Thirteen." Then he, too, realized the discrepancy.
Mu Gesheng had thirty-seven on him. There were thirteen in the temple.
That made fifty *Shan-Gui* Coins.
"Did you miscount, Sanjiutian?"
Chai Shuxin shook his head. "No. I just cleaned yesterday."
"The Rakshasa did not miscount," the little novice spoke. "There are indeed fifty *Shan-Gui* Coins."
He looked at Mu Gesheng. "You should remember that back when Lin Juansheng was not yet the Eternal One, you needed to calculate the national destiny. The Rakshasa once begged him for a *Shan-Gui* Coin."
Mu Gesheng remembered.
At that time, he needed to cast a divination for the nation's fate, but he had already used one coin to create the *Shan-Gui* Suppression. The national destiny was a major divination; he couldn't be missing even one coin. Chai Shuxin had gone to the Sword Pavilion to plead with Lin Juansheng and eventually obtained a coin.
That coin had been made by Song Wentong. According to the traditions of the Heavenly Calculator, once a new Diviner succeeded the position, all fellow disciples of the same generation were expelled from the sect.
However, being expelled didn't mean they could no longer practice the art of heavenly calculation. On the contrary, to help the disciples make a living, the sect would gift each of them a *Shan-Gui* Coin.
That coin did not descend from antiquity; it was crafted by the contemporary Mozi, a masterpiece of divine craftsmanship.
Mu Gesheng said, "...You mean the *Shan-Gui* Coin Second Brother left in the Mirage was not the original artifact."
"Correct. The coin he left in the Mirage was the one he made himself," the little novice nodded. "After all, one’s own creation is always easier to use."
This explained why Lin Juansheng could alter the memories within it.
"I still don't understand." Mu Gesheng shook his head. "Even though the evidence is persuasive, there’s a crucial missing link—Senior Brother had no reason to do this."
"The Seven Houses have been one since ancient times. What benefit does he gain from leading us around in circles?"
"The Seven Houses have been one since ancient times," the little novice repeated Mu Gesheng’s words. "But didn't you, back then, also think of overthrowing the Seven Houses?"
"The root of all this actually traces back many years," the little novice said slowly. "You’ve seen the memories Qingbei left behind, and you know the history between him and Hua Bucheng in Penglai."
"Didn't all that end long ago?" Mu Gesheng asked.
"Not at all." The little novice shook his head. "That was only the beginning."
From the time Penglai joined the Seven Houses until now, for thousands of years, no one from their sect has ever ascended.
Despite possessing the blessed land of Penglai Isle and producing countless brilliant disciples, it was as if an invisible barrier existed. No matter how exceptional the cultivator, they all eventually died on the long road of seeking the Way.
The Eternal One is long-lived, but not immortal. They are free, yet still bound by the laws of heaven and earth.
"Penglai has gone too long without an ascended master. Over time, it became an obsession," the little novice said. "You saw in the memories how stubborn the previous Eternal One was in his pursuit of the Way. He even went so far as to violate the covenant of the Seven Houses to prevent Hua Bucheng from entering the mortal world."
When obsession runs too deep, inner demons are born.
"Thousands of years is too long; Penglai has forgotten its original purpose," the little novice sighed. "Penglai has a proverb: *The Immortal does not save the world.* Its meaning was eventually completely distorted. It was actually left by the first Eternal One to warn posterity: if you choose to save the world, do not dream of the path to immortality."
"Since Penglai joined the Seven Houses, they have essentially used their own providence to guide the mortal realm. From that moment on, it became impossible for anyone from Penglai to ascend."
"That phrase was left so that future generations would not covet longevity."
Mu Gesheng couldn't help but ask, "Then why didn't you just tell the Eternal One and end his delusions?"
"The obsession was already born; he wouldn't have listened," the little novice said. "If I had forcibly uprooted that idea, it would only have driven him to do something even more mad. He was the Eternal One; if he strayed into the wrong path, the impact on the entire human world would be catastrophic."
He seemed to recall a very distant memory, his gaze drifting. "Spilled water cannot be gathered."
To stop the obsession of that generation’s Eternal One, the little novice set a trap to draw Mo Qingbei into the mortal world.
In that generation of Penglai, Mo Qingbei and Hua Bucheng were the two disciples with the greatest hope of ascension. The little novice invited them into his "jar," hoping that through Mo Qingbei, he could influence Hua Bucheng, turning their hearts back toward the common people. He hoped they would work together to save the nation and its people.
But something went wrong. He hadn't expected Hua Bucheng to be a man of no emotion, who gained emotion because of Mo Qingbei, only to cast it away again to save him.
A single misstep in the game of chess had, ironically, provided Penglai with a boost. It allowed Hua Bucheng’s cultivation to advance further, making him the new Eternal One and continuing Penglai’s obsession with immortality.
The little novice knew he had left behind a disaster. It was impossible for anyone in Penglai to ascend, but Hua Bucheng’s cultivation was too strong, and he had severed his emotional core. If he remained fixated on divine fate, he would eventually become a source of great chaos, perhaps even subverting the Seven Houses.
He cast a divination—the only "Great Divination" of his life. He needed to find the turning point for the Seven Houses.
According to the hexagram, the turning point would appear one generation later—Mu Gesheng’s generation.
He couldn't predict what variables Hua Bucheng would bring. To prevent the Seven Houses from fracturing, the little novice left a deathbed instruction for Mo Qingbei to establish the Ginkgo Hall and gather the young successors of the Seven Houses. The bond of brotherhood established in childhood would be their final trump card against future variables.
"You were lured up the mountain by Qingbei with a stick of candied haws," the little novice smiled at Mu Gesheng. "That was actually my final wish. I told him to go down the mountain on that specific day, where he would encounter the next Heavenly Calculator in the city. And that person would be the turning point for everything."
"That person was you."
The lineage of the Heavenly Calculator passed down through the ages. Every master left something for their disciple before passing: Mo Qingbei left the national destiny for Mu Gesheng; the little novice left his final instructions for Mo Qingbei.
The road is long, but the torch is passed.
"And later events proved that everything I feared came to pass," the little novice said. "When the Ghost Soldiers rioted, Penglai stood by and watched. Later, when you were pressured to calculate the national destiny, it was Penglai who insisted on it. Even when the truth finally came to light, Lin Juansheng still tried to deceive you, letting you believe that Chai Shuxin suffered the Heavenly Curse because he killed Hua Bucheng."
"The root of all this is that Penglai wants to stand alone at the top."
"After all these years, Penglai must have discovered that the greatest obstacle to their path to immortality is the covenant of the Seven Houses from a thousand years ago. In that ancient pact, the first Eternal One voluntarily gave up all divine fate, using his own providence as the price to guide the world and seek peace for the land."
"The Ghost Soldier riot was Penglai’s first attempt. They hoped to use the baleful aura of the ghost soldiers to disrupt the world's providence, thereby breaking the covenant and seeking ascension."
"But it failed because you were too stubborn. You actually succeeded in stopping the riot."
"After that, Penglai began a larger scheme. They wanted to directly devour the other six houses, thereby consuming their providence and standing alone."
"Their first step was to eliminate you, the Heavenly Calculator. You were a rebel among the Seven Houses, a variable too large for them to control."
The little novice smiled. "Penglai wanted to stand alone, and you wanted to eradicate the Seven Houses. In that, you were somewhat aligned. Over the years, Penglai even gave your plan a push."
"For instance, they allowed the Mohist lineage to break, they watched as the Yin-Yang House declined, and Lin Juansheng clearly knew the Rakshasa bore a Heavenly Curse and that the Medicine House’s inheritance was severed, yet he said nothing until the Mirage incident threw the Seven Houses into chaos."
"Do you know why Lin Juansheng didn't tell you the truth? Why he wanted you to believe the Rakshasa’s curse was due to killing Hua Bucheng?" The little novice looked at Mu Gesheng. "Because he knew that if that were the case, you would choose to perish together with the Rakshasa in order to break the curse and preserve the Medicine House’s inheritance."
Chai Shuxin suddenly looked at Mu Gesheng.
Mu Gesheng couldn't deny it. He had indeed thought that way and had even asked Lin Juansheng if such a method would work.
"That played right into his hands. He altered the memories in the *Shan-Gui* Coin to create a misunderstanding between you, leading to your mutual destruction. That way, the inheritance of two more houses would be severed."
"I have said so much; you should understand now. Lin Juansheng’s tampering with the memories and his later lies were not without purpose. He has been plotting this for a long time."
The little novice finished his tale, and the space fell into a dead silence.
Finally, it was Chai Shuxin who spoke, his hand still gripping Mu Gesheng’s. "Grandmaster, I wish to ask one thing."
"Speak," the little novice said.
"If you knew all this long ago, why didn't you reveal the truth sooner?" Chai Shuxin asked. "Why let Mu Gesheng believe Lin Juansheng’s words? Why take such a long, circuitous route?"
The little novice looked at Mu Gesheng. "What do you think?"
Mu Gesheng remembered his first meeting with the little novice in the Mirage. At the time, many things the novice said weren't true, yet they contained enough hints.
The little novice had said the *Shan-Gui* Coin in the Mirage was made by the Mozi.
That was a hint that the coin in the Mirage was not the original.
The little novice had said that before he died, he cast a divination for the lifeblood of the Seven Houses.
That was a hint that this was the same divination Mu Gesheng had cast before his own death.
The little novice had said that the Yin-Yang House had declined, the Mohist lineage was broken, and the Zhu family lived in seclusion.
But he had pointedly never mentioned Penglai.
...
Mu Gesheng shook his head, his voice slightly hoarse. "I still find it hard to believe."
"Senior Brother wouldn't do all this. Even if he became the new Eternal One, he was raised by Master. With his character, he would understand how ridiculous Penglai’s pursuit of ascension is."
To his surprise, the little novice actually nodded. "Not just you. I find it hard to believe as well."
Mu Gesheng looked up sharply. "Then why did you do all this?"
"Because I had to be certain of one thing," the little novice said. "I watched everyone in the Ginkgo Hall grow up through the *Shan-Gui* Coin. I also felt that Lin Juansheng didn't seem like someone who had lost his mind."
"The reason I didn't tell you the coin had been tampered with was because I wanted to see Lin Juansheng’s reaction. I wanted to see if he would tell you the truth."
"If he had told you the truth about the Rakshasa’s Heavenly Curse, it would have meant I was overthinking things," the little novice said. "But that was not the case, and it confirmed one thing for me."
"What thing?" Mu Gesheng asked.
"The current Eternal One is not the Senior Brother you know."
"If I am not mistaken," the little novice said slowly, "the soul within that skin belongs to Hua Bucheng."
***
**Glossary**
