The next morning, when Wu Biyou returned to the City God Temple, he found the guest rooms empty. Mu Gesheng and Chai Shuxin were nowhere to be found.
The stove in the kitchen hadn't been lit, either; clearly, the two hadn't just stepped out for a moment.
Beneath the stove, he discovered a scrap of paper with two lines of messy scrawl—unmistakably Mu Gesheng’s handwriting.
*Gone on honeymoon. Don’t miss us.*
Wu Biyou stood frozen, staring at the note. He had come looking for breakfast, only to be stuffed full of "dog food." His expression soured like overturned soy sauce, and he felt a wave of complicated, sympathetic stomach pain.
Mu Gesheng’s talk of a "honeymoon" was just his usual flippancy; in reality, he and Chai Shuxin had headed to the Mirage.
The original entrance to the Mirage had been destroyed. Before Chai Shuxin had left, he had carved out a new passage, a makeshift connection between the mortal realm and the Realm of Water and Sky. The tunnel was incredibly unstable, feeling as though it had been built inside a tumble dryer. Everything shook, with frequent tremors and collapses. Even with Chai Shuxin clearing the way, the journey was grueling.
By the time they emerged, Mu Gesheng had to be supported. He hadn't listened to Chai Shuxin’s advice and had eaten breakfast beforehand; now, his stomach was doing somersaults. He felt as though he’d developed motion sickness just from walking.
Back in the day, the young Commander Mu could tear down houses and shoulder rifles; he could munch on dry rations while blowing up tanks and scavenge for food among the dead. He had always emerged from the greatest storms full of vigor. Now, the fact that a simple breakfast could make him nauseous gave him a melancholy sense of "General Lian Po growing old."
Mu Gesheng questioned his life choices for a moment, certain he hadn't done anything particularly draining lately. He sifted through his memories and finally fished out a reason to pose to Chai Shuxin.
"Am I suffering from kidney deficiency?" Mu Gesheng asked with total sincerity.
Chai Shuxin was choked by this blunt, unceremonious question and remained silent for a long while.
The entire Zhu clan had moved to the Realm of Water and Sky to conduct emergency repairs. They had managed to prop up a basic framework; the heavy rains had ceased, the wild tides had receded, and a piece of high ground had emerged from the sea—a modest island. The Mirage, now a shattered mess of ruins, stood upon this land.
Flocks of vermilion birds flew to and fro, feathers drifting everywhere like a giant waterfowl sanctuary.
Mu Gesheng squinted at the sky. A Vermilion Bird was hovering, clutching a piece of jade in its beak to patch a hole. The Zhu family were descendants of divine beasts, and their true forms were mostly brilliant and elegant. However, the love for food is universal; for instance, the fellow overhead—likely one of Zhu Yinxiao’s uncles, judging by the hue of his scarlet feathers—looked like a round, festive lantern, his physique plump and celebratory.
Mu Gesheng watched as the bird flapped halfway across the sky, seemingly running out of steam. Its grip on the jade faltered, and with a *plop*, the stone fell into the sea.
"Jingwei filling the sea," Mu Gesheng commented. "The middle-aged, overweight version."
His comment was a double entendre. Repairing the Mirage was no easy feat; in a sense, it truly was as monumental as moving mountains or filling the ocean.
Now that the lineage of the Mohists was severed, only the Zhu family could take over such a massive undertaking. It was predictable that for at least the next century, no Vermilion Bird would appear in the mortal world again.
Of course, that didn't rule out a show-off like Zhu Yinxiao sneaking out.
Speak of the devil—Zhu Yinxiao emerged from some nook on the island and sprinted toward Mu Gesheng.
"Old Fourth—!"
He looked like he had just rolled in a mud pit, water still dripping from his clothes. Seeing this, Mu Gesheng immediately shoved Chai Shuxin in front of him as a shield. Zhu Yinxiao was forced to slam on the brakes, trotting the rest of the way like a timid daughter-in-law.
"Brother, you’re here."
Chai Shuxin gave a faint grunt of affirmation. "We are fine. All is well."
Zhu Yinxiao breathed a sigh of relief. "That’s good, that’s good."
Since the incident at the Mirage, Zhu Yinxiao had stayed in the Realm of Water and Sky, handling everything from rescue and relocation to summoning the entire clan. He had barely managed to keep the situation stable. There was no signal here, and he couldn't contact the outside world. For days, he had worked from dawn till dusk, waiting only for this word of safety from Chai Shuxin.
Mu Gesheng looked him up and down. "What have you been doing? Why are you covered in mud?"
"Diving into the sea to recover things washed away from the Mirage," Zhu Yinxiao spat out a mouthful of water. "I dove a bit too deep just now and planted headfirst into the silt."
The Vermilion Bird belonged to the element of fire; most of them disliked water. Zhu Yinxiao, however, was an anomaly. Perhaps due to the corrupting influence of the Ginkgo Study, this "little mutt chicken" had grown up a bit crooked in every aspect. Despite being a Vermilion Bird, he had even caught the bird flu once.
Mu Gesheng reached out and patted one of the few clean spots on Zhu Yinxiao’s shoulder. "Good work, Old Fifth."
"Go clean yourself up. I have something to tell you."
Aside from his usual banter, Mu Gesheng rarely gave sincere praise. Hearing a rare "good work" from him made Zhu Yinxiao beam with joy, and he scurried off happily.
A moment later, he returned in clean clothes, waiting for his "Old Fourth" to pin a gold star on him.
Mu Gesheng looked him up and down, nodded, stepped out from behind Chai Shuxin, and got straight to the point. "Your brother has confessed everything. You’re an accomplice. The organization has decided to be lenient—you can choose between the mountain of blades or the vat of boiling oil."
Zhu Yinxiao didn't understand at first. It took a good while for it to click, and then his head felt like it was going to explode.
It was over! Old Fourth knew about his brother "marrying" him!
Aside from Chai Shuxin, he was essentially the only witness to the events of the past, having watched the shifting winds of the intervening years. When Mu Gesheng first woke from his slumber, Zhu Yinxiao had considered telling him the truth.
But Chai Shuxin had stopped him. While the official reason was "I don't want him to carry such a heavy past, I'll shoulder the rest," Zhu Yinxiao felt it was actually because the "forced marriage" was a bit illegitimate, and his brother was too chicken to admit it.
If his brother was a chicken, he was naturally even more of one.
Over the years, he had dropped countless hints, both overt and subtle, but Mu Gesheng’s head was like a block of elm—stubborn and utterly oblivious. One treated the marriage like a brotherhood, while the other treated the brotherhood like a marriage. It was a messy, farcical situation that was both tragic and hilarious.
It was hard to say if Mu Gesheng was simply too thick-skinned or if Chai Shuxin was too patient, but they had somehow forged a tacit understanding that transcended the confusion. They seemed to have leaped over numerous hurdles in the dark, reaching a state of spiritual sublimation.
Life-and-death confidants; an old married couple.
Eventually, Zhu Yinxiao had gotten used to it and let them be.
Now that the secret was out, Zhu Yinxiao’s mind was a cacophony of alarms. In his frantic scramble to find a way out, he grabbed Mu Gesheng and blurted out, "Sister-in-law, it’s not my fault! My brother wouldn't let me say anything!"
Mu Gesheng: "..."
Chai Shuxin cleared his throat, looking profoundly uncomfortable.
There was no reasoning with this idiot. Mu Gesheng expressionlessly rolled up his sleeves and beat Zhu Yinxiao until he was sprawling on the ground.
The man was clean now, which made him a much more convenient target.
In the end, Mu Gesheng even beat Zhu Yinxiao back into his shrunken bird form. He was hoisted by the neck and dunked into the sea, getting covered in silt all over again.
Chai Shuxin watched the entire process without moving a muscle. Only when Mu Gesheng started smearing mud on the bird did he walk over. "...Do you need me to help?"
Mu Gesheng turned Zhu Yinxiao into a mud-sculpted chicken and tossed him into Chai Shuxin’s arms. "Smooth the mud out and roast him. We’re having Beggar’s Chicken for lunch."
Zhu Yinxiao didn't dare make a sound the whole time. Only when he was in Chai Shuxin’s hands did he let out a sob that sounded like a difficult labor. "Brother, you have to save me."
Chai Shuxin was silent for a moment, then washed Zhu Yinxiao clean in the water before uttering a single sentence.
"From now on, in this house, listen to your sister-in-law."
Looking back at Lord Chai’s life, though he had the bones of a gentleman beneath his killer’s exterior, he had quietly committed every sin from forgetting his ancestors to outright rebellion. Now, adding "fratricide" to the list—and at Mu Gesheng’s instigation, no less—he was becoming the "fierce wife and brutal husband" duo. His character archetype was collapsing.
To preserve a shred of his innocence, Chai Shuxin ultimately did not roast Zhu Yinxiao into Beggar’s Chicken.
Mu Gesheng’s stomach was already hurting, and after the exertion of thrashing Zhu Yinxiao, his face was pale. He stood before the Mirage, hand on his hip, lost in thought.
Zhu Yinxiao didn't dare turn back into a human. He huddled on Chai Shuxin’s shoulder like a shrunken quail. One coward plus one coward; the two of them watched Mu Gesheng from a distance, neither daring to approach.
Zhu Yinxiao watched for a long time, finding Mu Gesheng’s posture quite peculiar. The man was clutching his stomach. After a moment of thought, he asked hesitantly, "Brother, is Old Fourth feeling unwell?"
Chai Shuxin thought of Mu Gesheng’s "kidney deficiency" theory and felt a phantom toothache. He didn't speak.
Then, the bird on his shoulder dropped an even bigger bombshell: "Brother, is Old Fourth... expecting?"
As luck would have it, Mu Gesheng finally seemed unable to endure the upheaval in his stomach. He ran to the side and vomited.
Chai Shuxin: "..."
For once, Chai Shuxin didn't rush over immediately. He stood there as if his brain had crashed. It took a long time to dredge up some basic medical common sense from his mind to offer a strained rebuttal: "...He doesn't have that function."
"Oh, I see," Zhu Yinxiao said. "Actually, that’s not what I was wondering, Brother."
"Do you know what I was just thinking? Given how you're completely at Old Fourth's beck and call... which one of you is actually on top?"
Chai Shuxin shut down completely. He snatched the chicken off his shoulder and hurled it into the sea.
Mu Gesheng finished emptying his stomach and finally felt a bit of clarity return. He scooped up some seawater to splash on his face and asked the approaching Chai Shuxin, "Where’s Old Fifth?"
Chai Shuxin replied, "Roasted."
"No way? Really?" Mu Gesheng looked at Chai Shuxin’s expression and almost believed him, before realizing that the idiot must have said something brainless again.
He scanned the surroundings and saw Zhu Yinxiao splashing in the distance, making frantic signals with his eyes.
The guy was only impressive in front of the juniors; at his core, he was still a fool.
"But it’s enough," Mu Gesheng suddenly sighed.
Chai Shuxin looked at him.
"If I could see Old Second and the others now, they’d probably be just like him."
No matter how much one could command the wind and clouds or be a master of social grace, there would always be a few people who acted like a demon-revealing mirror, stripping away your layers of disguise until you were revealed in your most ignorant, brainless, and foolish form.
The juniors had Zhu Yinxiao, and Zhu Yinxiao had them.
And he and Chai Shuxin had each other.
Mu Gesheng couldn't help but wonder: if he and Chai Shuxin were gone, what would happen to Zhu Yinxiao?
He looked at Chai Shuxin. "I think we should find Old Fifth a partner."
This time, Chai Shuxin didn't follow. He had no idea where that conclusion had come from and stared at him blankly.
Mu Gesheng had apparently adapted to his "matriarchal" role with lightning speed, progressing from "morning sickness" to "matchmaking" in an instant. He beckoned the cowering Zhu Yinxiao back. "I have something serious to say."
Zhu Yinxiao looked at Mu Gesheng, feeling that his Old Fourth had awakened some latent potential. The way the man looked him up and down with crossed arms made him incredibly uneasy. Since "the eldest brother's wife is like a mother," Zhu Yinxiao felt he might actually have to start calling him "Mom."
However, Mu Gesheng didn't mess around; he was indeed talking business. "How much do you know about what happened back then?"
Zhu Yinxiao gave a full account, which basically matched the memories Mu Gesheng had reconstructed. "Basically, whatever my brother knows, I know," he concluded.
"Then let me update your database. Your brother learned some new things recently." Mu Gesheng told him about Lin Juansheng being Hua Bucheng, omitting only the existence of the little monk.
Zhu Yinxiao was left speechless.
Perhaps the Seven Houses were cursed this year; "shattering for peace" seemed to be the trend, as the worldviews of the juniors were being smashed one by one. Now it was Zhu Yinxiao’s turn.
He was quick enough to react, managing to glue his broken thoughts back together. "So, Old Fourth, what do you plan to do now?"
"Follow the plan I laid out back then: use the six tokens to destroy Penglai, then kill Hua Bucheng," Mu Gesheng said succinctly.
Because of Penglai’s ambition, at least four generations had been dragged into this bloody vortex.
Speed was of the essence. Now that the root cause had been identified, the sooner they acted, the better—lest long delays lead to complications.
Furthermore, Wu Biyou’s generation was not yet deeply entangled. If they moved fast enough, they could completely sever the rotting obsession.
After thousands of miles of clouds and moonlight, and generation after generation of young men growing old, they finally had the chance to seize fate and shed one last drop of blood.
To win a tomorrow without shadows for their descendants.
There was a time difference between the Realm of Water and Sky and the outside world. Mu Gesheng and Chai Shuxin couldn't stay long. After explaining the essentials in a few words, Mu Gesheng said to Zhu Yinxiao, "That’s about everything. I mainly came this time for the Zhu clan’s token."
The Zhu clan’s token was the Blood of the Vermilion Bird. It required three drops of blood from the Star Sovereign: blood from the brow, the fingertip, and the heart.
This wasn't difficult. Zhu Yinxiao nodded. "Alright. Old Fourth, wait a moment."
Taking the blood required him to manifest his true form. Zhu Yinxiao walked to an open space. Vermilion feathers emerged from his brow and spread across his body—a brilliant, blazing scarlet, magnificent to behold.
Mu Gesheng watched the great vermilion bird in the distance, his mind wandering. He hadn't seen Zhu Yinxiao’s true form much over the years. The "little mutt chicken" of the Ginkgo Study, whom he had once almost turned into soup, now had a form that could blot out the sun.
If they didn't make it back this time, Zhu Yinxiao would be the only one left among the Seven Houses who knew the full truth of these years.
Mu Gesheng suddenly felt a bit of a pang. Sages had been lonely since ancient times; their generation had struggled for so long—he didn't want any more saints or sages. Living a steady, quiet life was the real goal.
...They really should find Old Fifth a partner.
As he stood there lost in thought, someone suddenly spoke: "Heavenly Calculator."
The voice was familiar. Mu Gesheng turned to see Zhu Baizhi.
"Elder Zhu," Mu Gesheng greeted him with a bow.
When he had first met Zhu Baizhi, he would only have given a casual nod. Now, he was willing to observe the full etiquette. It wasn't that he had become "sensible" with age; he had simply started to enjoy the process. After all, rare things are precious, and this was likely the only person left to whom he could still bow.
Then he remembered that although Zhu Baizhi had lived in seclusion for years, he might have known quite a lot.
He looked at Chai Shuxin, who understood the look and stepped forward. "Elder Zhu, I hope you have been well."
Zhu Baizhi didn't waste time with pleasantries. "The Rakshasa and the Heavenly Calculator have come for the Zhu clan’s token. Is it for Penglai?"
Mu Gesheng thought: *As expected.*
From the Star-Gazing Pavilion atop the Sparrow-Riding Terrace, one could look down upon all things. Zhu Baizhi might not have known the details of the plan Mu Gesheng had laid out, but the fact that Lin Juansheng was actually Hua Bucheng was likely something more than just the little monk had noticed.
Zhu Baizhi’s temperament hadn't changed in a thousand years—always direct. Without waiting for an answer, he said, "This old man can lend you both a hand."
Mu Gesheng and Chai Shuxin were both stunned.
"The Zhu clan has been in seclusion for a long time. Now that the Mirage is in peril, I fear another century will be wasted," Zhu Baizhi said calmly. "Perhaps before the Vermilion Bird can appear in the world again, there will be no more gods among men."
"Be they immortals or gods—all things in their profusion, each returns to its root." Zhu Baizhi’s tone was steady, carrying the serenity of one who had seen it all. "The Zhu clan is, after all, one of the Seven Houses. We have stood by for too long; it is time to settle the old accounts."
Chai Shuxin didn't have a big reaction. He asked calmly, "What does the Elder intend to do?"
"This old man has his own ways," Zhu Baizhi said. "I only wish to ask you two: when do we act?"
Chai Shuxin replied, "Within half a month."
Zhu Baizhi nodded and, without another word, turned and walked away.
Mu Gesheng watched his back and thought for a moment. "Should we tell Old Fifth about this?"
Chai Shuxin: "He might not be unaware."
Mu Gesheng then remembered that Zhu Yinxiao was actually very good at hiding his thoughts. Though he often seemed dim-witted, he had seen off Song Wentong and Wu Zixu over the years, yet he still maintained that carefree facade.
"...We should go buy some insurance," Mu Gesheng said. "That way, if we don't come back, Old Fifth can at least get a payout so he isn't left all alone."
His train of thought had become increasingly eccentric lately. Even Chai Shuxin had to process it for a moment before saying, "No need."
"Why?"
"He has already prepared for the worst, which is why he chose to stay at the Mirage," Chai Shuxin said. "This is the place where the Mohist stayed with him."
The person was gone, but the tower was not empty.
Mu Gesheng didn't understand at first, but after a moment’s thought, he suddenly realized what Chai Shuxin meant.
A moment later, Zhu Yinxiao flew over, clutching a jade vial in his beak. He placed it in Mu Gesheng’s hand. "Old Fourth, keep this safe. Don't you dare spill it."
Mu Gesheng took the vial and patted him. "Take me for a flight."
"Huh?"
"Don't 'huh' me." Mu Gesheng grabbed a handful of feathers and vaulted onto his back. "Move it, hurry up."
"Your brother and I are in a rush."
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 狗粮 | Dog food | Internet slang for public displays of affection (PDA). |
| 廉颇老矣 | General Lian Po growing old | An idiom referring to a great figure losing their strength with age. |
| 肾虚 | Kidney deficiency | A concept in Traditional Chinese Medicine often used as a joke regarding sexual stamina or general health. |
| 精卫填海 | Jingwei filling the sea | A Chinese myth about a bird trying to fill the ocean; used to describe a determined but seemingly impossible task. |
| 叫花鸡 | Beggar’s Chicken | A traditional Chinese dish where a chicken is wrapped in mud and roasted. |
| 夫物芸芸，各复归其根 | All things in their profusion, each returns to its root | A quote from the *Tao Te Ching* (Chapter 16) regarding the cycle of life and returning to the source. |
| 星宿子 | Star Sovereign | A title or position within the Zhu clan (Vermilion Bird lineage). |
| 乘雀台 | Sparrow-Riding Terrace | A location within the Mirage/Zhu clan territory. |
| 观星阁 | Star-Gazing Pavilion | A location within the Mirage/Zhu clan territory. |
