Chapter 16

Mu Gesheng didn’t hold Zhu Yinxiao again; instead, he tied a rope around his neck and started walking the chicken.

“Don’t look at me like that in the dead of winter,” Mu Gesheng waved his hand. “Right now, Old Five is our talisman. As long as he leads the way, no matter what demons or monsters come, he’ll eat them all up, guaranteeing we get through safely. No matter if it’s the Abyss, it’s just a lavish feast.”

Though blunt, there was truth in Mu Gesheng’s words. As they moved forward, every ghost and spirit they encountered was devoured cleanly by Zhu Yinxiao in a few bites. Chai Shuxin frowned as he watched him gulp down the food and said, “We should find a quiet place to travel. If this goes on, Xing Suzi might get sick.”

“No problem, Fifth Brother can eat a lot. Ever since the study added his food expenses, Third Brother has been calculating the accounts until he’s almost gone bald prematurely,” Mu Gesheng said, shaking the rope. “Fifth Brother, don’t just pick the ghosts with the biggest grudges to eat; those with smaller grudges will bite and spit you out. Kids need a balanced diet of meat and vegetables.”

“The ghosts here are heavy with yin energy. Although they can replenish spiritual power, they are filthy and impure. Xingxiuzi is too young to eat much,” Chai Suxin stopped him and picked up Zhu Yinxiao. “We should find the exit as soon as possible and leave this place.”

Mu Gesheng immediately said, “San Jiutian, put him down.”

Chai Suxin remained unmoved. “Xingxiuzi is still very young. Children are not toys.”

“Put it down, quickly put it down.” Mu Gesheng grabbed Zhu Yinxiao, “Old Five really seems to have eaten too much, he looks like he’s about to vomit.”

Chai Shuxin didn’t understand the habits of the Vermilion Bird, but this generation of star children seemed unusually gluttonous, making one wonder if Zhu Yinxiao was mixed blood, perhaps with a pixiu somewhere among his ancestors.

“San Jiutian, stand back.” Mu Gesheng held Zhu Yinxiao, patting his back to help with digestion, “I don’t know how the Vermilion Bird’s digestive system works, God only knows what Old Five might throw up.”

Chai Shuxin couldn’t bear it any longer; Mu Gesheng’s hands were so strong it felt like he might crush Zhu Yinxiao. “You’re too rough.” Saying this, he pressed on the child’s spine, tapping several acupoints. A rumbling came from the boy’s throat, then with a “wah,” he vomited it all out.

Mu Gesheng pinched his nose, about to speak, but then noticed that what Zhu Yinxiao vomited was not food residue, but a pigeon egg-sized object, glossy and smooth, resembling jade in texture.

Mu Gesheng was stunned. "Old Five has a stomach stone?" He looked at Chai Shuxin. "Sanjiutian, take a look and tell me what kind of symptom this is—" but found the other frozen in place, his eyes showing a hint of shock.

"What’s wrong?" Mu Gesheng, seeing this expression on him for the first time, suddenly grew anxious. "No way, Old Five is okay, right? Could it be that he ate too much and is about to die?"

Chai Shuxin picked up the white jade-like stone from the ground and, after a long pause, finally said, "This thing is called Baiyu Ye."

“White jade stuck?”

“Ancient texts record that in prehistoric times, a divine bird once swallowed jade and died, the white jade lodged in its throat. After a thousand years of nurturing, it became a miraculous elixir capable of curing myriad ailments.” Chai Shuxin said in disbelief, “This medicine is incredibly rare. I have scoured all pharmacological classics, and only Penglai once possessed such a remedy, which was used up over a century ago... How is that possible...”

“Anything is possible.” Mu Gesheng patted Chai Shuxin’s shoulder. “This only proves one thing: your pharmaceutical family has been given a counterfeit book.”

Perhaps due to shock, Chai Shuxin remained silent for a long time. Mu Gesheng crouched down and met Zhu Yinxiao’s gaze. “How do you feel? Any better?”

Zhu Yinxiao nodded, then shook his head, babbling incoherently. Mu Gesheng picked him up. "It's all Second Brother spoiling you... Wait, Fifth Brother, why are you losing feathers?"

Mu Gesheng shook him gently, and a cascade of colorful feathers fell to the ground. "Sanjiutian, look at this—what's going on? Is Fifth Brother about to fully transform?"

Chai Shuxin came to his senses and looked at the feathers scattered everywhere. "Perhaps his spiritual energy is sufficiently nourished; transforming at this moment wouldn't be surprising."

Suddenly featherless, Zhu Yinxiao seemed quite uncomfortable, like a young bride stripped of her clothes. He wriggled in Mu Gesheng's arms, covering his backside shyly.

Mu Gesheng laughed: "Now you’re embarrassed, huh? Don’t cover up. The first day you came to Yinxing Study, I already plucked the hair from your butt to make shuttlecocks. What’s a grown man like you ashamed of?"

As he spoke, he shoved the feathers Zhu Yinxiao had dropped into Chai Shuxin’s hands, picking up every single one from the ground. "Fifth brother, don’t hide anymore. At worst, you can keep Third brother company drinking sesame paste—good for curing early baldness in young men."

Zhu Yinxiao had dropped so many feathers they were almost bundled together. Mu Gesheng held them in his hand. "Let’s keep moving. We’re not far from the city gate now. The priority is to get out of here as soon as possible."

Chai Shuxin took off his outer robe and wrapped Zhu Yinxiao in it. Just as he was about to speak, the sound of wooden clappers suddenly came from afar.

As the two walked along, their eyes met nothing but blue ghost flames. Yet at this moment, a thick fog rolled in from afar, and wherever it touched, the ghost flames all turned red. A rustling wind arose, mingled with low, indistinct whispers, and from deep within the fog came the sound of horse hooves.

Mu Gesheng immediately covered Zhu Yinxiao’s mouth, tossing two mountain ghost coins into their small sky lanterns, lowering his voice: “Stand still and don’t move. No matter what you see, don’t make a sound.”

Chai Suxin clearly sensed the change around them; the distant wails and shrieks of ghosts had vanished, the air grew heavy and damp, and the clatter of hooves drew nearer—something was emerging from the depths of the thick fog.

The sound of hooves surged like a tide, white-clad figures filling the sky—

Chai Suxin was at a loss to describe the scene before him; it resembled an endless army stretching as far as the eye could see. The riders wore helmets that obscured their faces, a breastplate covering their chests, and white sleeves draped over their forearms. The thunderous sound of iron hooves shook the ground, yet the clanging of wooden clappers remained distinctly audible. Ghostly flames surged with the wind, painting the landscape a vivid crimson.

The two stood amidst the countless troops and horses; the iron hooves thundered past them, yet the riders paid no heed to their presence. The air was biting cold yet scorching hot, the flames blazing fiercely, and the chilling wind howling ominously. Zhu Yinxiao felt so uncomfortable he wanted to curl up, but Mu Gesheng held him firmly in place.

The roar of the pounding hooves was deafening, the clappers striking rhythmically, when suddenly a sacrificial chant rose from the earth.

Soul, return home; long have you suffered calamity and sorrow.

Soul, return, leave behind the pleasures of the lord.

Soul, return, Chen Zhong beats the drum.

Soul, return, my lord shall not descend into this gloomy realm.

No one knew how much time had passed before the clanging of the wooden clappers abruptly ceased. The entire army instantly vanished into thin air, and the half-sleeved white robes transformed into a sky filled with paper money, nearly engulfing the two of them.

Mu Gesheng held Zhu Yinxiao, grabbed Chai Suxin, and the two of them took off running. After sprinting for a long time, they finally escaped the area where the paper money fluttered. Mu Gesheng caught his breath and, before Chai Suxin could speak, said, "It's the Yin Soldiers breaking out."

"Yin Soldiers breaking out?"

"Yin Soldiers breaking out, tens of thousands of ghosts pressing in—this is the most terrifying thing in the Abyssal Realm. Here, vengeful spirits abound, killing each other endlessly. Once a ghost accumulates too much killing karma, it transforms into a Yin Soldier. Yin Soldiers usually lie dormant deep within the Abyssal Realm. Only when the number of ghosts here becomes too great do the Yin Soldiers awaken and break out, cleansing everything in their path. Then the Abyss becomes empty again, waiting for the next batch of exiles to enter, and the cycle repeats."

"Yin Soldiers are extremely malevolent and deadly ghosts, formed by devouring countless spirits. The thousand-handed, thousand-eyed ghost we saw earlier became that way after consuming a thousand ghosts, but it’s still far from being a Yin Soldier." Mu Gesheng sighed, "Luckily, I used the Mountain Ghost Flower to hide us within the shadows of the sky lantern. If we were killed by a Yin Soldier, we’d be reduced to ashes instantly, unable to even enter the Six Realms of Reincarnation."

Chai Suxin listened to him ramble on, then asked, "Since the Yin soldiers are so fierce and evil, what if they rebel?"

"Did you see the protective mirrors on their chests? Those are used to suppress them. As long as the mirrors are there, the Yin soldiers have no consciousness of their own and only obey the orders of the gong-beater. The gong-beaters have been carefully selected by the underworld for generations, their cultivation no less than that of Yama himself."

"Let's go quickly. The Yin soldiers just crossed the border; there won't be anything in the Abyssal Land right now," Chai Suxin said, hoisting Zhu Yinxiao onto his back. "Besides, whenever the Yin soldiers leave the pass, the West Gate of the city opens for a moment. If we hurry, we can still make it."

The two dashed all the way, finally arriving just as the city gate was about to close. Mu Gesheng grabbed Zhu Yinxiao and threw him forward, then kicked Chai Suxin, sending both of them out first. He then twisted his body and leapt through the narrow gap between the two doors. Immediately, the city gate slammed shut with a rumble, raising a cloud of blue smoke, and once again stood silent and imposing.

Mu Gesheng plunged headfirst into the nearby Wangchuan River, letting himself drift with the current. "Let's all take a break; I almost lost half my life there."

Outside the western city gate, there was a moat with a dock by the riverbank. Chai Shu carried Zhu Yinxiao in his arms and untied a small boat. "Want to get on?"

Mu Gesheng raised a hand. "You pull me."

Chai Suxin lifted the oar and hoisted the person up, who collapsed wetly onto the boat. "How do we get there?"

"Row against the current, following where the blue lotuses bloom. In about an hour, we'll reach Fengdu's main city." Mu Gesheng wrung the water from his hair. "Oh, right, it's the coldest time of the year. Let me tell you something."

"Go ahead."

"Don't tell the second brother and the others about what just happened."

"Why not?"

"Ah, just promise me, okay?"

"..." Chai Suxin was silent for a moment, then said, "Alright."

The water rippled gently, green lotuses floated, a bundle of firewood propelled the boat, and Mu Gesheng sat at the bow, pulling his hair out of Zhu Yinxiao’s mouth. “Old Five, be quiet, I’ll tell you a story.”

As expected, Zhu Yinxiao stopped fussing and was lifted into his arms, blinking up at Mu Gesheng.

“It is said that in this world, there are countless non-human beings—monsters, demons, spirits, and gods of various kinds. Fengdu, as the capital of the ghost realm, is naturally the home of myriad ghosts. Ghosts carry heavy yin energy, and Fengdu is built deep underground in the netherworld, where the city is shrouded in eternal gloom, never seeing the light of day. Therefore, the Ten Kings of the Underworld ordered Meng Po to plant green lotuses in the River of Forgetfulness, using the lotus hearts as lamps—both to guide the souls of the dead and to illuminate Fengdu.”

“This continued for thousands of years until the Tang Dynasty, when the fourth generation Star Child passed away and came to Fengdu to be reincarnated. This Star Child, born in the flourishing Tang era, loved wine and poetry and was elegant and talented. Seeing the city engulfed in eternal night without stars or moon, he couldn’t help but exclaim how dull it was. So he took a vermilion long bone from his body and crafted 93,072 Golden Guard lamps, hanging them over Fengdu to light up the dark underworld.”

"That night, Fengdu was brightly lit, as if it were daylight on earth. Xingxiuzi sang and drank atop the city walls, jokingly calling it the 'Golden Guard's Unforbidden Night.'"

Chai Suxin listened intently and couldn’t help but ask, “And then?”

“Xingxiuzi sang through 1,100 poems of Taibai, drank 1,100 cups of the elixir of life, and then departed gracefully. Since then, the lights within Fengdu have burned bright, only fading away after a hundred years.”

“That is true elegance.”

Mu Gesheng laughed as he spoke, "That one was the most unruly and unrestrained among the star-born children of all generations, with the shortest lifespan—only two hundred and eighty-nine years. Then, he forged the Golden Guard Lantern with his flesh, ignited the fire with his soul, sang his poems and drank his wine, and finally, his soul scattered and vanished, never to enter reincarnation or be reborn again."

The small boat drifted forward slowly, Chai Suxin asked, "Where did you hear this story from?"

"From Master," Mu Gesheng propped his head up. "At first, he only said one sentence: 'Beyond the Great Tang, there is nothing else.' Later, I roughly understood, flipping through the history books, and indeed, in every dynasty thereafter, none were worthy of him."

Chai Suxin looked at the person in Mu Gesheng’s arms, only to find that Zhu Yinxiao had already fallen asleep.

“Don’t worry, if Old Five dared to do something like that, we’d definitely break his legs,” Mu Gesheng stretched lazily. “But since then, Fengdu has rarely lit the Jinwu lantern. After all, it consumes a lot of fuel, and the Zhu family only sends someone to light it when something major happens.”

As they chatted along the way, the green lotuses on the water grew more and more lush. Before they knew it, they had arrived at Fengdu’s main city. The river suddenly became crowded, and the small boat could hardly move forward. The two got off the boat, only to find the shore even noisier—a chaotic scene of people and horses thrown into disarray.

Mu Gesheng looked up just in time to dodge a flying table, his eyes sharp. “This is the case hall of the Reward and Punishment Department—who dares to overturn the judge’s desk?”

Chai Shuxin looked at the people not far away. “It’s the Grand Duke and Mozi.”

“I almost forgot those two were still fighting.” Mu Gesheng slapped his forehead. “Do you want to watch the show?”

“If this keeps up, the trouble will only get worse.” Chai Suxin said, “Go find Wuchangzi and ask him to come break it up.”

“One’s a brother, the other an ancestor—you’re asking for trouble with the third brother.” Mu Gesheng watched the chaotic fight in the distance, clicking his tongue and shaking his head. “Let’s go. Those two great gods are about to clash, and I don’t want to get knocked flying by a single strike again.”

Saying that, he turned and walked away. Chai Suxin asked, “Are you just going to let it happen?”

“That’s not quite the case.” Mu Gesheng hurried along, winding through the streets until they reached a city gate. “Come on, let’s go up the city tower.”

Chai Shuxin recognized the place: Fengdu’s main city gate, the Gate of Ghosts.

A little ghost stepped forward to block them, but Mu Gesheng brushed it aside with a few swift moves. The two of them climbed the city tower as easily as slicing through melons and vegetables. “What are you doing?” Chai Shuxin stopped at the stairs, shooing away the little ghost, watching Mu Gesheng ascend to a platform where a large bronze cauldron stood. Then he pulled out a bundle of colorful items from his pocket—it was Zhu Yinxiao’s vermilion feathers.

“Just stirring up some excitement—if the noise down below can’t be stopped, then we’ll use an even bigger commotion to calm the place.” Mu Gesheng said as he tossed the vermilion feathers into the cauldron, bit his finger, and let his blood drip inside. In an instant, flames shot up to the sky, spreading far and wide.

"For nearly three hundred years, Fengdu has known no daylight." Mu Gesheng jumped down from the platform, raising his eyebrows with a smile at Chai Shuxin, "Mozi battles the Grand Duke of Time, such a grand spectacle—it’s time to shed some light."

"The Golden Guards do not forbid the night, the jade water clock does not urge haste."—

Author's note:

"Soul, come, soul, come" — Sacrificial Song — Qu Yuan, "Summoning the Soul"

The Golden Guards do not forbid the night, the jade water clock does not urge haste — Tang Poem "The Night of the Fifteenth of the First Lunar Month"