Chapter 14

Chai Shuxin naturally wouldn’t involve himself in their fight. With his sleeves tucked, he bowed slightly to Song Wentong and said calmly, "He just mentioned that the location of Xingxuzi can be determined using coins. There’s no need to rush, Mozi."

His tone was unhurried yet struck the right note. Song Wentong’s expression softened slightly as he pointed his blade at Mu Gesheng. "Stop being a damn coward and hurry up with the divination!"

"You weren’t this eager when I went missing." Mu Gesheng rolled his eyes skyward before stepping out of the Chai residence. He walked all the way to the main intersection, pulling out a coin and flipping it repeatedly as he wandered and paused. Though Song Wentong had seen Mu Gesheng perform divinations before, he’d never witnessed such a method. Suspicious, he asked, "What the hell kind of divination is this?"

"To find where Lao Wu is." Mu Gesheng gave him a look that said 'why ask when you already know', "Follow the coin—heads turn left, tails go right."

The three arrived at a crossroads. Mu Gesheng flicked the coin into the air, but after several flips midair, it landed standing upright—neither heads nor tails, neither left nor right. Seeing this, Chai Shuxin asked, "What does this mean?"

"This is the place." Mu Gesheng picked up the coin, arranged a divination spread with a wave of his hand, and swiftly calculated with his fingers. After a moment, he said, "There's good news and bad news. Which do you want to hear first?"

Song Wentong had no patience for his antics and immediately said, "The good news."

"The good news is, Old Five is right here." Mu Gesheng pointed at the concrete road beneath their feet.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Song Wentong scanned the surroundings, "There's not even a single chicken feather here!"

"The bad news is," Mu Gesheng ignored him and continued, "Old Five isn't here."

Song Wentong looked ready to draw his blade and slash Mu Gesheng, but Chai Shuxin raised a hand to stop him, pondering, "You mean the Star Child is present in this space, but not in the mortal realm?"

"Excellent." Mu Gesheng clapped his hands. "Truly worthy of the coldest days of winter."

Since they weren't in the world of the living, there remained only one possibility.

Song Wentong paused mid-motion. "Did Lao Wu run off to Fengdu?"

Fengdu—capital of the ghost kingdom, seat of the underworld courts, where the six paths of reincarnation converge.

The Ten Yama Kings guard the city, assisted by the Ten Underworld Marshals and the Four Judges of the Dead—the ultimate destination of all karma.

At the same time, it was also something of a home base for the Yin-Yang School.

"Did Third Brother take him away?"

"No." Mu Gesheng shook his head. "Today is the fifteenth—the earth's veins are unstable, and cracks easily form between yin and yang. Fifth Brother is originally a child of the stars, and the Vermilion Bird has the ability to traverse the three realms. He probably stumbled into one by accident." He then looked at Song Wentong. "Second Brother, it's up to you."

Although the Mohist School didn't possess the Yin-Yang School's half-spirit physique that allowed free movement between realms, they excelled in forging artifacts. The Scarlet Licker blade in Song Wentong's hand was an ancient divine weapon—a single slash could cleave apart yin and yang.

Mu Gesheng flung out four coins to determine the direction, and Song Wentong leaped up, driving his blade into the intersection of the four lines. In an instant, a gust of wind arose, forming a whirlpool. Song Wentong twisted his blade, and the wind surged downward, cracking the ground open to reveal a flight of stairs.

Song Wentong sheathed his blade and walked straight down.

"Come to think of it, it's been three or four years since I last went down." Mu Gesheng peered down, then tugged at Chai Shuxin's sleeve. "Come on, Sanjiutian, let me take you on a night tour of Fengdu."

The stairs descended endlessly, shrouded in thick, damp mist.

"The Yin-Yang Ladder is very long; for ordinary people, it would take about a day and night to traverse."

The trio had been walking for quite some time. Song Wentong led the way ahead, pulling out three small lanterns from somewhere. They ignited spontaneously in the wind and floated above each of their heads. "These are Celestial Lanterns," Mu Gesheng explained. "They can conceal the yang energy of the living."

Since the time of the previous Mozi, the Mo family's conduct had become increasingly unrestrained, and Song Wentong disdained hiding his identity in Fengdu. However, as the Ling Shuzi of the Medicine Family, Chai Shuxin's healing arts could revive the dead and forcibly extend lifespans, causing many unresolved disputes in the underworld. The relationship between the two sides was awkward. Moreover, since their purpose here was to find someone, it was better to keep a low profile.

Chai Shuxin understood the underlying intention. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Song Wentong was clearly in a foul mood. "That bastard Lao Wu, always making people feel suffocated."

"Yet you still treat him like your own son," Mu Gesheng teased. "Later, have Lao Wu recognize a godmother at Guanshanyue, and you'll get a huge bargain for free."

"Will you die if you shut up for once?"

Chai Shuxin was caught between them, listening to their back-and-forth bickering, and began to understand Wu Zixu's daily predicament. Just as the two were about to come to blows, the sound of water suddenly echoed from afar.

It wasn't the sound of dripping water, nor the babbling of a brook, but the slow and vast flow of a great river.

The endless stairs abruptly ended as the trio stepped onto level ground. Mu Gesheng pointed into the distance, "That's the River of Forgetfulness."

The long river flowed gently, with ghostly lanterns drifting on its waters and shadowy figures moving about.

Noticing Chai Shuxin's gaze, Mu Gesheng asked, "Is this your first time in Fengdu, Sanjiutian?"

"Yes."

"Usually, when going for reincarnation, one follows the course of the River of Forgetfulness." Mu Gesheng raised his hand and pointed ahead, "Up front is the Gate of Ghosts, also the city gate of Fengdu. The River of Forgetfulness flows through the city, with the Ten Courts of Hell arranged in sequence along its path. Ordinary people entering Fengdu follow the river from start to finish, undergoing trials in order, and finally drink Meng Po's soup before the Tenth Court, cross the Naihe Bridge, receive the final judgment, and enter the cycle of reincarnation."

"Fengdu is a vast city. Apart from the Ten Courts of Hell along its central axis, other areas resemble towns in the living world, inhabited by ghosts, deities, and officials, along with those who died unjustly before their time and wandering ghost immortals. Though the night here is endless, it remains extraordinarily lively."

Song Wentong suddenly paused, as if just remembering something, "Today is the fifteenth."

"That's right, we actually forgot about this." Mu Gesheng also realized, "The Zi hour has already passed, it should be the sixteenth now."

Chai Shuxin looked at the two of them, "What happened?"

"Nothing much, just happened to catch a big event." Mu Gesheng laughed, "At the end of the fifteenth and the beginning of the sixteenth, a hundred ghosts emerge from the Forgetful River—we've caught the Forgetful River Ghost Market."

The Forgetful River has several tributaries within Fengdu City, one of which flows through Sansheng Lane and the Yin Law Bureau, making it one of the most bustling areas in Fengdu. On the first and fifteenth days of the lunar month, ghost markets open, but the markets aren't set up along the riverbanks—instead, clusters of boats gather, and the market takes place right on the waters of the Forgetful River.

The three of them walked onto the dock, where Mu Gesheng rented a boat and tossed the oar to Song Wentong. He fiddled with a mountain ghost coin in his hand, saying, "Set sail, row forward."

The sound of oars faded into the distance, and the river was crowded with boats, bow to stern, bustling with unusual liveliness. Each boat had a lotus lantern hanging at its prow.

"Ghost market lotus lanterns—each light signifies a different trade," Mu Gesheng explained. "Red lanterns deal in wealth; gold can buy anything here. White lanterns trade in underworld goods, payable only with spirit money or incense offerings. The green lanterns are the most unusual—they demand life years or cultivation in exchange." He then signaled Song Wentong to stop the boat and bought a mask from a small vessel adorned with a red lantern—a fox with upturned eyes.

Mu Gesheng put on the mask and grinned at Chai Shuxin like a painted skin, asking, "Do you want one?"

"No need." Chai Shuxin said, "Why wear a mask?"

"Because he has too many enemies here." Song Wentong snorted, "When Old Four first entered Fengdu, it happened to be during a ghost market. This guy started gambling and nearly won half the market, offending almost half of Fengdu in the process. He ended up being hunted throughout the city, and there are still stories about him in Fengdu's teahouses."

"Why?" Though Chai Shuxin stayed away from gambling, he knew that winners and losers should accept their fate. Being chased just for winning too much seemed downright bullying.

"Because he's from the Tian Sect," Song Wentong said. "The Mountain Ghost's coins never fail—he could win with his eyes closed."

"Don't just focus on mocking me, you're part of this too." Mu Gesheng bought a bowl of something unidentifiable, eating as he spoke, "Back when I was the banker, the collateral I put up was the Crimson Licking Blade."

Chai Shuxin stared at the bowl in Mu Gesheng's hand, its eerie green glow unsettling, "...What is this?"

"Longevity Soup—made with Meng Po's soup as the base, mixed with green lotus seeds from the River of Forgetfulness." Mu Gesheng slurped it down noisily, "But this is a shady shop. Despite what the sign says, it's really just boiled lotus seeds in plain water, and pretty sweet at that. Hey, Lao Er, take a turn—I want to get some jelly from Granny Ghost's stall."

"Dream on. Hurry up and find where Lao Wu is."

"At Granny Ghost's jelly stand."

Muge's jelly stand was set up on a large boat, bustling with numerous stalls and brightly lit. The boat also featured acrobatic performances—a girl with twin buns twisted her waist and balanced on twelve stacked tables while juggling two flower balls. With her white-powdered face and crimson lips, it was impossible to tell if she was human or ghost. A lively crowd had gathered around, cheering, though none could be distinguished as human or ghost either—just a chorus of applause.

Muge held a bowl of jelly but hadn’t even taken a bite before Song Wentong grabbed him by the collar and yanked him out of the crowd, sounding like he was about to explode: "All you ever think about is eating—I’ve looked everywhere! Where the hell is Lao Wu?"

"Rare to see your eyes fail you for once." Muge pointed. "He’s right over there."

The two looked where Mu Gesheng was pointing—a large table laden with dishes stood not far away, where a feather duster was devouring the food with gusto. The thing had a human-like form covered in chicken feathers, its head crowned with a riot of colorful plumage, eating as if it were sweeping through a storm of leftovers. Beside the table hung a signboard, boldly displaying eight large characters: "The Hungry Ghost of Hundred Shows Dining."

No wonder Song Wentong hadn’t recognized it at first. Zhu Yinxiao hadn’t fully transformed yet, barely taking on the shape of a young child but still covered in patchy feathers—hard to tell whether it was a human draped in chicken feathers or a chicken draped in human skin. Likely mistaken for some deformed creature, it had been rounded up and tossed among a crowd of demons and monsters, standing out like a bizarrely styled filler in the ensemble.

Chai Shuxin: "..."

A dignified Star Child reduced to begging for food at a ghost market, and even under the guise of a hungry ghost—what a glorious way to uphold one’s dignity.

"He must be starving, having missed dinner." Mu Gesheng watched with amusement: "Not a bad place to be kidnapped, Old Five—meals included."

"Working for them after being sold? Who could be that foolish?" Song Wentong fumed. "At home he’s pickier than the heavens, and this slop tastes better than my cooking?"

The two were missing the point entirely. Chai Shuxin had no choice but to intervene: "Everyone, our priority is to retrieve Xingxuzi. This matter requires—" Before he could finish, a fierce gale erupted, howling through the marketplace. Half the performance stalls were overturned in an instant. When the dust settled, Song Wentong stood amid the wreckage, blade in hand, holding Zhu Yinxiao—who was still clutching a chicken leg in his teeth.

"...discretion." Chai Shuxin finished his sentence belatedly.

The crowd erupted instantly, "Who is this guy? Daring to cause trouble at the Ghost Market?"

"Can't tell his origins... is he alive or dead?"

"His face is prettier than a woman's—that skin would fetch a fine price..."

"Old Second never knew the meaning of restraint. Back when we stormed Fengdu, we could've waited for Third to negotiate a solution, but this lunatic just had to draw his blade and cut down half the city's ghost officers." Mu Gesheng finished his cold noodles and wiped his mouth. "No time to idle—get ready for a fight."

"You're going to fight?"

"Disrupting the Ghost Market will definitely escalate things, but they kidnapped Lao Wu first, so we're not in the wrong for throwing punches..." Just as Mu Gesheng rolled up his sleeves, the crowd parted, and the girl who had been bending backward to play with the ball earlier stepped forward. "Whose child are you, daring to challenge us on our own turf?"

Mu Gesheng immediately changed his expression, pulling Chai Shuxin back a step. "Let's go, we're not fighting this one."

Chai Shuxin had only taken off half of his glove. "Why?"

"Lord Jupiter, beauty brings calamity. I don't know this girl, but there's only one person in Fengdu who dares call themselves Jupiter—Lord Wu Nie." Mu Gesheng shook his head repeatedly: "Can't afford to offend, can't afford to offend. If I fight her and go back, master would scold me to death."

"Is this lady an old acquaintance of the master?"

"Not exactly an old acquaintance—she's several hundred years older than master." Mu Gesheng explained: "Her surname is Wu, named Wu Nie, from the Yin-Yang family. She settled in Fengdu over nine hundred years ago and is now one of the most senior elders of the Wu clan. Also the great-great-great-grandmother of Lao San's grandaunt's... damn it I lost count, anyway she's Lao San's ancestor eighteen generations removed. Mustn't offend." As Mu Gesheng moved forward to intervene, Wu Nie stopped before Song Wentong. Just as she was about to speak, Zhu Yinxiao suddenly bent over and vomited all over her.

Thus transforming this absolutely-must-not-be-offended Lord Jupiter into a stench-filled spittoon.

Damn it, can't save him now.

Mu Gesheng grabbed Chai Shuxin by the arm and bolted.