Chapter 18

Although Chai Suxin left in a fury, he still carried the food box up the mountain the next day.

Mu Gesheng and his group had already returned to the Ginkgo Study. The three of them knelt in a row by the waterside pavilion, each with bruised and battered faces.

The day before, Song Wentong and Wu Nie hadn’t had their fill of fighting, so they roamed the city wielding their blood-stained blades, looking for trouble. Wu Zixu hurriedly finished his wedding banquet, grabbed Mu Gesheng, and rushed to stop them. In an instant, the entire Fengdu knew that the troublemakers from the Ginkgo Study were causing chaos again, nearly disturbing the Ten Kings of Hell. In the end, the master of the Ginkgo Study personally came down to Fengdu to find them and led the group of misfits back.

The bruises on the three of them weren’t from Tian Suanzi’s blows, but from scratching and clawing at each other.

“Just because it’s the Winter Solstice and I told you to come down the mountain for some dumplings, doesn’t mean you should wipe out the entire underworld,” the master of the Ginkgo Study said leisurely, holding Zhu Yinxiao without a trace of anger. “Now, tell me, who was it that did the Jinwu Night Ban?”

Wu Zixu looked at Song Wentong, Song Wentong looked at Mu Gesheng, and Mu Gesheng had no one to look at, so he simply pointed at Zhu Yinxiao and pushed the blame onto him: “Number Five did it.”

The fifth child still couldn’t speak, babbling incoherently.

“The one I’m asking about is the instigator,” the Master of Ginkgo Zhai retorted. “Could it be that Yin Xiao climbed into the city’s great cauldron all by himself?”

Mu Gesheng blinked. “Not impossible.” Before he could finish, Song Wentong kicked him.

Wu Zixu saw that Mu Gesheng’s lie was falling apart, so he knelt down and leaned forward, saying, “Sir, I am the mastermind behind this matter. I beg you to punish me.”

“Oh? No need for punishment yet, first confess.” The master of the Ginkgo Studio smiled, “You are the mastermind, who is the accomplice? How was the crime committed? What was the motive?”

Wu Zixu gritted his teeth and told the story of the King of Hell’s daughter’s marriage, but omitted the part about the phoenix coronet, only saying that they couldn’t find a suitable wedding gift, and finally thought of the Jinwu Night Watch. He bowed deeply and said, “I acted recklessly.”

“No rush. Yesterday’s Jinwu Night Watch was ignited using Vermilion Bird feathers as fuel. Now tell me, who told you this method?”

Wu Zixu said, “…It was Uncle Wu Nie.”

Song Wen Tong was taken aback, then immediately snapped, “So you deliberately sent that woman to fight me?”

“Don’t rush.” The Ginkgo Hermit waved his hand. “So it was the Grand Duke who told you the method. Then it must have been the Grand Duke who made the move? Stripping Yin Xiao completely bare?”

Wu Zixu shivered, determined to pull Mu Gesheng out no matter what. “...Yes.”

“I see.” The Ginkgo Hermit nodded and explained, “So Zixu was the mastermind, luring Yin Xiao into Fengdu, then using the Grand Duke and Wen Tong to provoke a fight. Taking advantage of the chaos to lead Yin Xiao away, then seizing the chance to snatch someone from Gesheng, plucking feathers from the plumage, and finally setting the Jinwu Lantern ablaze.”

“Good-for-nothing!” Song Wentong shouted, pointing at Mu Gesheng’s nose. “You can’t even keep a chicken under control!”

“Right back at you.” Mu Gesheng retorted confidently. “You couldn’t beat her either. If she wanted to pluck Lao Wu’s feathers, how could I stop her?”

“You’re surprisingly well-behaved this time.” The Master of Ginkgo Abbey looked at Mu Gesheng with a half-smile. “Quite a step back, to actually be outwitted by Zixu.”

“Not at all.” Mu Gesheng laughed it off. “I’m just causing less trouble—aren’t I helping my master by easing his worries?”

The Master of the Ginkgo Studio gave him a meaningful glance, then said, "Although Zi Xu was the mastermind, he did not act out of personal bias but considered the Yin-Yang School’s interests, which is understandable."

"As for Wen Tong, acting without discerning the full cause and effect is reckless. For a mere junior to draw swords against the Grand Duke is disrespectful—you are the one who should be punished most severely this time. Go to the incense hall and kneel for three days, you are forbidden to leave the mountain for a month, and must lick the red blade and seal the sword for half a year."

"Yes." Song Wen Tong kowtowed and accepted the punishment.

"Very well." The Master of the Ginkgo Studio looked at the remaining two and said slowly, "Wen Tong has been deceived. As for you two, who will confess?"

Wu Zixu broke out in a cold sweat like a waterfall.

“I’ll do it, I’ll do it.” Mu Gesheng rubbed his nose, then recounted the whole story of the King of Hell marrying off his daughter: “Back then, Third Brother was really in a bind, so he came to rope me in. We planned to ask Uncle Wu Nie, and then together we schemed to trap Second Brother.”

“I see.” The Master of Ginkgo Zhai said, “So it wasn’t the Grand Duke who plucked Zhu Yu’s feathers, but you?”

“Yes and no.” Mu Gesheng nodded, “Fifth Brother’s Zhu Yu wasn’t plucked—it fell out on its own. At the time, the Grand Duke took Fifth Brother to the Ghost Market’s Hundred Shows, fed him something unknown. After the fight with Second Brother, I took Fifth Brother to tour Fengdu, and before long, his feathers started falling out.”

“It’s a pill from the Wu family,” Wu Zixu quickly explained. “Master told me it’s a special pill to nourish spiritual power, which can help the Vermilion Bird take form without harming the body.”

“Well, the plan is thorough,” the Ginkgo Studio Master nodded. “It seems Zixu dragged Mu Gesheng into this as the mastermind. He shall be punished—no leaving the mountain for a month, no irregular hours, and no managing the Wu family affairs. He must attend classes at the studio honestly and not be absent.”

“Yes, sir.” Wu Zixu bowed deeply, accepted the punishment, and left.

Only the master and apprentice remained in the waterside pavilion. The Ginkgo Studio Master turned his wheelchair to face Mu Gesheng and said slowly, “Enough. Zixu has fooled us all; it’s time to tell the truth.”

Mu Gesheng laughed heartily and said, "You can't fool Master."

"Zi Xu is easy to deceive, but I still understand. The transformation of the Vermilion Bird is no simple feat; it’s not something a few pills can achieve. Now, tell me, what exactly did you do?"

Only then did Mu Gesheng tell the truth, recounting everything about the West City Gate incident. When he finished, he said, "Master, don’t tell Lao San. He’s very cautious, and if he finds out I went into the West City Gate for this, I’m afraid he’ll lose all his hair."

"Was the idea to enter the West City Gate suggested by Tai Sui?"

"That's not it, it was my own idea," Mu Gesheng scratched his head. "I know that Zhuque's transformation requires a large amount of spiritual power. After thinking it over, only the West City Gate is suitable. Grandfather Tai Sui just helped me hold off the second one casually; I wouldn't dare trouble her otherwise."

"Was it Shuxin who accompanied you into the West City Gate?"

"Yes, but Sanjiutian was purely dragged in by me, just to help fight. He's such a proper person; doing this kind of bad thing, I had to forcibly recruit him," Mu Gesheng said. "Please don't punish him."

"Spirit Master isn't a student who entered through the study room, so I can't really punish him either," the Ginkgo Abbot shook his head. "You're quite the schemer, causing all this commotion and having to come up with several versions, each one fooling everyone completely."

"Not at all," Mu Gesheng laughed, "I still can't fool Master."

"Although you meant well, punishment is still necessary," the Ginkgo Abbot shook his head and handed Zhu Yinxiao forward. "Since Wen Tong has been kneeling in the incense hall these past few days, you’ll be punished by helping him take care of Yinxiao. Taking care of a child is no game—mind your manners."

"Got it," Mu Gesheng said cheerfully, taking Zhu Yinxiao and humming a little tune as he walked away.

"Alright, that one’s fooled too," the Ginkgo Abbot sighed and said, "Come out now."

A figure turned around behind the waterside pavilion—it was none other than Chai Shuxin.

“If I don’t live long, it’ll be because of those little bastards causing trouble, each one more troublesome than the last.” The Ginkgo Abbot pinched the bridge of his nose. “Learned it? To fool someone like Ge Sheng, you have to do it like this—layer upon layer of traps. Only when he’s caught in them will he believe you.”

Chai Shuxin whispered, “He thinks you don’t know about Bai Yuye’s matter.”

“Yes, I roughly understand why he didn’t want me to know.” The Ginkgo Abbot turned his wheelchair toward the water’s edge and sighed, “This time he really went too far. If it weren’t for the Mountain Ghost spending money to protect him, I’m afraid it would have been a tragedy—white-haired sending off black-haired.”

Chai Shuxin bowed deeply.

“I’m not blaming you. Bai Yu’s choking on this medicine—Ge Sheng had thought of finding it a few years ago, originally to cure my leg. But although Bai Yu can cure myriad ailments, it’s not suitable for my condition,” the master of the Ginkgo Studio smiled. “However, it should be just right for Miss Chai. Chronic old illnesses don’t heal in a day; it requires patience and gradual nurturing.”

Chai Shuxin responded, “Your kindness is deeply appreciated, sir. I will remember your advice.”

“Enough. Miss Chai’s serious illness is on the mend, and you’ve also resolved a knot in your heart. Spend these next few days living the life of a young person. I’ve kept the others confined in the study, and you should stay here for a while as well. As descendants of the Seven Families of the Scholars, youth is a rare treasure.”

"Yes."

"So, although you studied together as classmates, you didn't spend much time with each other," the Master of the Ginkgo Studio said, looking at Chai Shuxin with interest. "What are your thoughts on them?"

Chai Shuxin pondered for a moment, then slowly replied, "Mo Zisong is straightforward and sincere, a man of temperament, brave and capable; Wuchengzi Wu Zixu is thoughtful and deliberate, gentle yet upright; these two are the heads of their families, both young and promising, and deeply loyal and righteous."

"That's quite insightful," the Master of the Ginkgo Studio laughed upon hearing this. "As for the other three, you, Juansheng, have only met them a few times and are rather unfamiliar. Yin Xiao is too young to judge properly. As for the last one, Ge Sheng, not only is it hard for you to make a clear judgment, but even I find my disciple difficult to pin down."

“At first, the student indeed found Mu Gesheng difficult to get along with, feeling they were not on the same path,” said Chai Suxin. “But time reveals a person’s heart. Recently, having spent more time together and experienced much, though I hesitate to judge hastily, there is one thing the student can say.”

"Go ahead."

Chai Suxin straightened up and looked at the Master of the Ginkgo Hall. “A heart as pure as a child’s.”

Knows the ways of the world yet remains unworldly, having weathered the storms but still utterly innocent.

With the wind whispering through the corridor, Tian Suanzi smiled faintly.

“Good.”

Looking over everyone in the Ginkgo Study, Chai Shuxin’s hands were always busy healing the world, Song Wentong wielded a blade that never lost a battle, Wu Zixu’s voice could turn the world upside down. Only Mu Gesheng was out of sync, idling away his days without ambition or effort; if one were to judge, he’d probably just be called a “scoundrel.”

But a scoundrel youth is hardly anything serious—just a bit of reckless wildness, nothing more than a “young lad.”

Time is always generous in extending credit to youth.

A boy’s appearance is meant to be drunk and lying in the spring light.

Chai Shuxin stepped out of the corridor and came to the front courtyard of the study. The sunlight was like water, warm and pouring in.

“Dead of winter!” Mu Gesheng, holding Zhu Yinxiao, ran excitedly from the other side of the yard, shouting to him from afar, “I knew you’d come! I saw a premium hotpot in the little kitchen—is that what you brought?”

“Mm.”

"Great." Mu Gesheng beamed with excitement, "Just right, the second brother was punished to kneel today and missed his meal. Let's take the pot to the incense hall and eat there, make him drool, hahaha..."

Zhu Yinxiao seemed to really like Chai Shuxin, reaching out for him to hold. Chai Shuxin took him into his arms and smiled softly.

"Okay."

Mu Gesheng was stunned for a moment, then said, "I didn't see it wrong... you just smiled?"

Chai Suxin said nothing, carrying Zhu Yinxiao forward. Mu Gesheng, shocked but regaining composure, persistently teased him all the way, "Did you just smile? Did you? Don’t stay silent—you're so handsome in the dead of winter, smile once more, let’s see?"

Wu Zixu poked his head out from the study, "Brother Chai rarely smiles, Fourth Brother, just let him be."

Song Wentong was about to punish with a kneeling penalty but snorted coldly at the remark, "Third Brother, don’t even think about it. He’s the best at turning insults back on you; give him an inch and he’ll take a mile."

"That’s true," Wu Zixu smiled helplessly. "But speaking of which, since Brother Chai has smiled, melting the ice and snow, it’s about time to change the nickname 'Dead of Winter.' Fourth Brother, what do you think?"

"Not at all, my name has a great origin," Mu Gesheng said, walking behind Chai Shuxin with his hands behind his back, raising his voice: "That day, under the lamp, when I first met the young master of the Yao family, I felt an icy jade-like appearance, eyes filled with frost and snow."

He spoke with a smile, using the deeply emotional and winding tone of a traditional ballad, keenly noticing the person in front of him blushing at the ear.

"Cold in face but warm in heart, like a red plum blossom in bloom."

"Thus the name Sanjiutian." —

Author's note:

Knowing the ways of the world yet remaining unworldly, experienced in smoothness yet utterly innocent — Guiguzi