Chapter 25

Baishui Temple, meditation room.

“The Ginkgo Abbot entrusted this item to me back then,” the abbot said, producing a wooden box. “Now is the time to return it to its rightful owner.”

The surroundings were utterly silent. The two knelt on white bamboo-woven cushions. Mu Gesheng looked at the handwritten calligraphy hanging on the wall, the ink flowing freely, wild and unrestrained—a stroke of cursive script. "Truly the style of a great master. Is this part of the master's collection?"

The abbot smiled gently, "It was personally gifted by the Master of Ginkgo Studio back in the day."

Mu Gesheng was taken aback, "This is the master's handwriting?"

In his memory, the Master of Ginkgo Studio's script was sharp and elegant, especially skilled in the willow style. Such a wild and unbridled cursive was hard to imagine coming from a frail, ailing hand.

In the predecessor’s box, three feet of water, carved to capture the azure light and inscribe the Chu Ci.

“This line comes from the poetic ghost Li Changji,” the abbot said softly. “The poem’s meaning is solemn and carries a sense of judgment, not really suited for a quiet temple meditation room. But before the Ginkgo Studio master passed away, he entrusted me to hang this piece of cursive script here. The intention behind it—perhaps only Master Mu can understand.”

“Master’s skill is far beyond half of what I have learned,” Mu Gesheng said, shaking his head. “Does the Grand Master know about the Master’s life?”

“The Tian Suan lineage has always walked alone through the generations. The Studio Master established the study in the temple over thirty years ago. Before that, even I, the old monk, do not know what came before.”

"More than thirty years ago." Mu Gesheng sighed, "Master looked to be no more than in his thirties."

"To be honest, I know nothing of Master’s past life. The Heavenly Calculator does not enter the Book of Life and Death, not even Fengdu can find a trace. Looking back now, we disciples have truly been unfilial."

"What is past cannot be changed, but what is to come can still be pursued." The abbot softly chanted a Buddhist mantra, "Now that the wooden box has been returned to its rightful owner, we shall not fail the trust placed in us by the host of the retreat."

"What was done today, I had my worries at heart, but seeing Master’s calligraphy, it seems everything was within his expectations." Mu Gesheng smiled, "With that, I feel much more at ease. Only, regarding my taking the money from the mountain ghost, I ask the master not to tell the seven families’ sons."

"Rest assured, young master, the one I have served is not the Seven Families, but solely the Master of the Ginkgo Studio."

Mu Gesheng took his leave from the abbot and returned to the study, entering the incense hall.

The abbot handed him a rather ordinary wooden box—dull and rustic, without any decoration, lock, or brass clasp. It looked more like a smooth block of wood. Mu Gesheng placed his hand on the box, pondering how to open it, when with a click, a thin seam appeared right in the center of the box.

Seeing this, Mu Gesheng smiled and lifted the lid. "Truly worthy of Mo family craftsmanship."

Forty-nine mountain ghost coins, a letter, and a brocade pouch.

Mu Gesheng opened the letter and saw fourteen characters:

A visitor from Fengdu, take the coins;

In the face of great change, open the pouch.

He was momentarily stunned, then suddenly burst out laughing: "Master, oh master, have you foreseen everything?" Then his tone shifted, "And you call that a big change opening the secret pouch? You really think you're Kongming? Besides, the strategist gave Zhao Yun three secret pouches, yours is just too stingy, do you have to be so miserly?"

Saying that, he put away the secret pouch and poured out the coins, but then found a note at the bottom of the box, still in the handwriting of the Ginkgo Studio Master—You're not Zhao Zilong, so don't look down on your poor master.

Mu Gesheng: "......"

One has to admit, a master is always a master, understanding his disciple thoroughly.

Mu Gesheng was left speechless, so he put away the coins, placed the wooden box on the incense table, and respectfully kowtowed three times.

The next day, Fengdu received a letter from Mu Gesheng.

On the twentieth day of the ninth lunar month, the Yin soldiers emerged from the pass.

For the next several months, Mu Gesheng was so busy he barely had time to rest. Often, he would collapse into bed late at night and wake before dawn to work again. The troop training began to show results, but there were still a mountain of problems waiting for him. The domestic weaponry lagged far behind foreign standards, mostly relying on the Type 24 rifle, with a much shorter range. "Damn the Qing Dynasty for signing those international treaties," Mu Gesheng cursed as he stood on the shooting range. "The army is forbidden from using dumdum bullets."

Dumdum bullets are highly lethal; their heads expand and deform upon entering the body, which is why they are also called "expanding bullets." However, the domestic military budget was extremely insufficient, only equipping light and heavy machine guns and hand grenades. There were no rifle grenades, grenade launchers, or the like, and as for submachine guns and other advanced weapons, the veterans hadn’t even heard of them. Mu Gesheng was so frustrated he cursed constantly. Though he was poor abroad, if he had known it would come to this, he would have sold the Mu estate to bring back a batch of arms. Now, with the country embroiled in conflict and transportation blocked, even money could only watch helplessly from afar.

Although Commander Mu raised his son like a dog, the troops he left behind were equipped with the best weapons in the country. There were only twenty-six cannons nationwide, making it hard to imagine what the front lines would be like. In the end, it was the veterans who came up with an idea: since the standard rifle had a short range, they had to focus on increasing its lethality—by grinding the bullet heads on stones until they were blunt, creating a rough surface that would tumble inside the body upon impact, often causing severe injuries.

After studying a whole bunch abroad, coming home to ask for money and getting none, asking for grain and getting none, Mu Gesheng felt his four years overseas were completely wasted. It would have been better to follow his father to war or, at worst, go into business to make money—anything was better than just standing around helplessly.

Instead, the old staff officer looked at him and chuckled, “The young master has grown quite a bit.”

“Don’t tease me,” Mu Gesheng said. “When my father comes back and gets me a wife, I’ll be a father too—no longer a kid.” After a long day of work, he hurriedly grabbed a few bites of cold rice. “Besides, with the current situation, who has the leisure to be a young master?”

The old adjutant left the telegram book on the table and smiled before leaving, "The young master is right."

The adjutant was a veteran brought up by Commander Mu, having practically watched Mu Ge grow up. He dared not contradict the old man, so he bowed his head and ate hastily, nearly choking. He rummaged through the drawers for the thermos, muttering, "Damn, whose young master eats like this?"

Just as he found the thermos, it was empty. Mu Ge had no choice but to fetch water himself and stopped by the communications room to make a call. "Hello? Aunt Zhao, is the second young master there?"

Song Wentong happened to be at Guanshan Yue and answered the phone, "What's up?"

“I’ll bring you food tomorrow, your old man…” Mu Gesheng hadn’t finished speaking when a deafening explosion suddenly rang out in the distance, cutting off the call abruptly, leaving only a busy signal.

The entire military camp was alarmed. Mu Gesheng dropped his water bottle and dashed to the rooftop. The outskirts of the city sat on high ground, and from the rooftop, he could overlook half the city. He had clearly heard that the commotion came from within the city.

Mu Gesheng sprinted upstairs. In the distance, smoke billowed, the cold wind howled, and visibility was limited. He had the orderly who followed him fetch a telescope, pulled out a few coins, and arranged them according to the locations of the smoke in the city. Finally, staring at the pattern formed by the coins, his expression changed.

“What’s the date today?” he asked the orderly beside him.

The orderly saw his serious expression and immediately said, "October 29th."

October 29th was exactly the 20th day of the ninth lunar month. Mu Gesheng took off running, hurriedly leaving behind the order, "Send a small team to assist, the rest stay put and stand by. No one is allowed to enter the city without my command."

Though Mu Gesheng forbade others from acting rashly, he led by example and charged into the city. He ran all the way to Wu's residence, didn’t even knock on the door, and climbed right in, just as Wu Zixu was walking out.

“You came just in time,” Wu Zixu grabbed him firmly. “The phone line is down; I was about to head to the outskirts to find you.”

Mu Gesheng noticed the tobacco pipe he was holding. "The recent disturbances in the city—could they be related to Fengdu?"

"The shadow soldiers have emerged from the gate," Wu Zixu said succinctly. "The kings of the underworld can no longer hold them back. Lord Tai Sui and the elders at home have already rushed over. I'll tell you what you need to know—make sure you remember it..."

"I've always wanted to ask," Mu Gesheng interrupted, "What exactly is the gate that the shadow soldiers have come out of?"

"The West City Gate," Wu Zixu explained. "When the shadow soldiers emerge, it's as if ten thousand ghosts press upon the city—these shadow soldiers are suppressed in the Abyssal Realm, balancing the resentful spirits and fierce ghosts inside the gate. But in times of great chaos, when hatred surges, this balance is broken. The Abyssal Realm can no longer contain them. Once the shadow soldiers break through the West City Gate, devastation within Fengdu is inevitable."

Mu Gesheng grabbed him with a backhand. "You're going too?"

"You're from the Mu family, and I'm from the Yin-Yang clan." Wu Zixu looked at him and smiled. "Same here. Fourth Brother, do you have anything else to say?"

"How confident are you?"

"It's hard to say."

"...Come back alive."

"Of course." Wu Zixu patted his shoulder. "This is your old home. After death, the soul returns here. Even if truly separated by life and death, it will surely come back to find you."

After seeing Wu Zixu off, Mu Gesheng took out a coin to cast a divination, pinpointed the most critical spot in the city, and hurried there. At the fork in the road, a huge pit had collapsed, bottomless and filled with chilling winds. He immediately recognized it as the place where the fifth brother got lost years ago—the Yin-Yang Staircase, connecting the realms of the living and the dead.

Apart from the Yin-Yang practitioners, only great powers can open the Yin-Yang Staircase. Back then, it was opened personally by Grand Duke Wu Nie, the Tai Sui. Now it has appeared on its own, indicating a massive disturbance in the earth’s energy veins. The situation within Fengdu City is far more complicated than a mere trifle.

In the dead of night, the residents were awakened by the commotion, and the streets quickly filled with people, their voices rising and falling in a chaotic chorus.

Mu Gesheng flicked out a Mountain Ghost coin, suppressing the surrounding dark energy, then plucked a string of red lanterns from the eaves of a nearby shop, arranging them in a circle around the pit. "Everyone, quiet down!" Mu Gesheng called out. "The ground has collapsed due to years of neglect. Please, everyone, take a detour! It’s late and dark—neighbors, go home and get some rest! Repairs will be made tomorrow."

The urgent task was to disperse the crowd. Once the Yin-Yang ladder was opened, who knew what might emerge? The situation was already chaotic enough; if any more supernatural things appeared, the whole city might lose its mind.

“Officer,” an old woman leaning on a cane asked, “are we going to war?”

"Did a cannon just fire in here?"

"Aren't they fighting in the south? Did the battle reach here so quickly?"

Mu Gesheng was momentarily stunned but found it a reasonable point, and went on, "Things haven't been peaceful lately. Everyone should disperse! Gathering together only makes us easier targets! The city guards will ensure everyone's safety!"

"Who are you?" Someone noticed Mu Gesheng and saw the military uniform he wore. "A soldier? Can you really hold the city?"

Mu Gesheng was speechless. Under the watchful eyes of everyone, he couldn’t say much and had to respond, “Sister, please go back and rest for now. There will be an announcement in the city tomorrow, and we’ll definitely give you an explanation.”

“What explanation? Since July, you officials have been giving excuses nonstop!” The woman’s brow furrowed sharply. “If you’ve got the guts, go fight the war! What’s the point of spouting official jargon here!”

“Exactly, exactly! We haven’t won a single battle since the war started! You soldiers are all useless!”

“A bunch of cowards who only act tough among themselves!”

“Every day you demand our grain and taxes; the country is being ruined by pests like you!”

The crowd was stirred up, like a single stone causing a thousand waves. The recent times were oppressive; everyone was on edge, afraid that a single misstep would mean death in the chaos of war. Mu Gesheng knew he had hit a nerve. No matter what nonsense these people were spouting, they were clearly venting their anger on him. He was used to shamelessness; it didn’t matter if they cursed him until their tongues were raw. But now that the Yin-Yang Ladder was open and these people had gathered, sooner or later it would attract trouble. When that time came, countless eyes and mouths would be watching, and if one or two unlucky souls died violently, who knew how the rumors would spread.

“Th-that…” someone spoke timidly, a young woman, “This brother here is the son of Commander Mu; he will help us. Everyone, please calm down…”

“Oh, my.” The woman yanked her braid sharply. “Little girl, you see someone handsome and start speaking up for him? Have you lost your conscience to the dogs?”

"Commander Mu's son? That little tyrant from back then?"

"Didn't he go abroad to study? He hasn't come back even after the death of the Ginkgo Abbot. What is he doing here now?"

"Traitor to his master and ancestors, a fake foreign devil!"

Mu Gesheng couldn't stand it any longer. He rolled up his sleeves, ready to curse them out. Throwing a tantrum? Who isn't a woman these days?

Just as he took a deep breath and was about to speak, someone suddenly grabbed his hand and whispered, "Don’t curse, I’ll handle this."

Mu Gesheng felt a lump stuck in his throat, anger flashing as he turned around, "How did you know I was about to curse?"

Chai Shuxin raised an eyebrow, looking at him with a face that plainly said, Isn’t that obvious?

The other person, who had arrived unnoticed, pushed Mu Gesheng behind him and spoke in a calm, steady tone: "The winter night is cold, and medicinal herbs are scarce in the city. Everyone should consider going home to avoid the chill and not catch a cold."

Bowing slightly, he said, "As for today's matter, the city will not stand idly by. First thing tomorrow morning, we will give you all an explanation."

"The explanation has been given," Muge Sheng muttered beside him, "Long neglected, a sudden collapse."

Chai Shuxin glanced back at him.

Muge Sheng made a gesture as if zipping his mouth shut.

Chai Suxin had been practicing medicine in the city for years and had a good reputation. Once he spoke, no one dared to argue further, and they slowly dispersed. He walked up to Mu Gesheng, "You entered the city alone?"

"We sent a rescue team, but it was too dangerous here, so I didn’t call them in." Mu Gesheng glanced at the hole in the ground. "This is the Yin-Yang Ladder."

"I remember."

"There’s something down there," Mu Gesheng said. "I’ve temporarily used the Mountain Ghost Flower to seal it, but that’s not a permanent solution. Someone has to go down and close the Yin-Yang Ladder."

“Don’t come.” Mu Gesheng saw the expression on Chai Shuxin’s face and knew what he was about to say. “You haven’t been to Fengdu enough times, you lack experience. Where’s the second brother? Tell him to come over.”

“Half of Guanshan Yue has collapsed, Mozi is over there rescuing people.”

“Guanshan Yue collapsed too?” Mu Gesheng frowned. “Alright, I’ll go down. You watch from above and don’t let anyone else get close.” Saying that, he leapt down into the underground.

Chai Shuxin was about to stop him, but a hand reached out—only to grasp at empty air.