“One city’s strength may not be enough to hold them back.” Mu Geshen spoke slowly, enunciating each word. “But what about the combined strength of the Seven Schools?”

“If the Seven Schools joined forces, could they defend this city?”

Wu Nie was stunned for a moment, then burst into loud laughter. “What a good idea! With the combined strength of the Seven Schools, how could there be any reason they couldn’t defeat a mere band of Ghost Soldiers and defend this little city?” She clutched her stomach, laughing so hard that she nearly cried. “But have you ever considered why the Seven Schools would agree to defend this city for you?”

Mu Geshen fell silent for a long time before answering, “The position of Tian Suanzi.”

“Oh? You were so adamant about it just a few days ago, but the moment you run into trouble, you start thinking about how good your master was.” Wu Nie raised an eyebrow. “He left that position open for you for so many years, and you refused to take it. Now a bunch of Ghost Soldiers show up, and you lose your nerve?”

“A person should know their own limitations. I’m more than capable of fighting a war, but dealing with gods and ghosts is beyond my abilities,” Mu Geshen said. “Besides, sooner or later, the Seven Schools will find out that I’ve taken on the matter of the Shanguí flower coins. I’ve also used the coins to seal the Yin-Yang Stairway. Given all this, even if I keep refusing, the Seven Schools won’t simply let the matter rest.”

“Good. At least you understand.” Wu Nie changed the subject. “Seven days ago, you forcibly sealed the Yin-Yang Stairway with the Shanguí flower coins. Fengdu was already thrown into chaos, and all Seven Schools know about it by now. When you return this time, a tough battle will be waiting for you.”

“Great Lord, please don’t stand there talking as if you have nothing to do with this.” Mu Geshen said wearily, “If we trace this matter back to its source, it was your great formation that caused all this trouble.”

“Every family has its own troubles. You have your city to defend, and this old servant has her own descendants to worry about.” Wu Nie replied coolly. “Let’s each settle our own accounts.”

“I can’t beat you anyway. Whatever you say goes.” Mu Geshen sighed. “Still, thank you for seeing me on my way.”

“It’s good that you appreciate it. We’re almost back in the human world. Before we part, this old servant has one more thing to tell you. Listen carefully and think it over.” Wu Nie set down the oar and leaned close to Mu Geshen, speaking softly. “Inheriting the position of Tian Suanzi may be unavoidable, but you need to think carefully.”

“Do the Seven Schools, throughout all the generations, truly obey the commands of the Tian Suanzi?”

Wu Nie sent Mu Geshen back to the human world. Before leaving, she tossed him a medicine bottle.

“The pills inside contain some of this old servant’s cultivation. They’ll allow you to move about normally in your daily life.”

Mu Geshen bowed. “Thank you, Great Lord.”

“No need to thank me. After all, this old servant is already dead. My constitution is different from that of the living. Take as few as possible, or they’ll damage your lifespan.” Wu Nie waved her hand. “Now get lost.”

With that, she picked up the oar and rowed away.

Mu Geshen first returned to the military camp on the outskirts of the city. The old staff officer was startled when he saw him.

“Why have you come back, sir?”

Mu Geshen was taken aback by the question. “What do you mean?”

“Didn’t you go into the city with the young master of the Medical School to provide disaster relief?” The old staff officer was just as confused, unable to make heads or tails of the conversation. “Why are you dressed like this? Are you injured?” Then he suddenly looked alarmed. “Don’t tell me the disaster victims have revolted?”

Mu Geshen turned and left at once. He hurried straight into his office, took out the daily log, and reviewed the records of the past few days from beginning to end.

On the night of October 29, unusual activity had occurred in the city. An earthquake struck in the early hours of the following morning, damaging numerous streets and buildings and leaving many people injured.

The following days were all detailed reports on disaster relief. Looking at the signatures and annotations on the last page, Mu Geshen more or less understood what had happened.

The earthquake had been caused by the Ghost Soldiers entering the Yin-Yang Stairway. As for the person who had handled military affairs in his place, it should have been Song Wentong.

The Mo School had techniques for disguising appearances. His Second Brother could imitate his handwriting well enough to pass for him. Back when they were studying at the studio, they had often used this trick to take each other’s place, helping one another escape punishment by kneeling or skipping classes. Although it was difficult to fool the Master of Ginkgo Studio, deceiving ordinary people was no problem.

Mu Geshen breathed a sigh of relief. Song Wentong wasn’t skilled at commanding troops, so to avoid causing trouble for him, he had barely handled any military affairs over the past few days. He had mainly been occupied with disaster relief in the city.

Mu Geshen flipped through the accumulated documents, selected a few urgent matters, and signed off on them. Then he changed his clothes and hurried into the city without stopping. His immediate priority was to switch places with the other man as soon as possible. Otherwise, having two Mu Geshens walking around the streets in broad daylight would be like seeing a ghost, and would cause yet another mess.

Although he had been mentally prepared, the state of the city still shocked Mu Geshen. He made his way toward the epicenter of the earthquake. More than half the streets and buildings had collapsed, leaving ruins everywhere. Porridge tents had been set up along the roadside, with long lines of people waiting behind them, many accompanied by their entire families.

In just seven days, the city had become almost unrecognizable.

Song Wentong had established a disaster relief zone. In addition to serving porridge every day, it provided shelter for those who had lost their homes, so they would not have to sleep on the streets. However, aftershocks had not yet ceased, and everyone remained on edge. Many people didn’t even dare return home, afraid they might be the next to be crushed to death. The main streets were shrouded in gloom. A cold wind swept through, and the sunlight felt bitterly cold.

As Mu Geshen walked down the street, he felt the flower coin in his sleeve tremble faintly. It was resonating.

He had forcibly sealed the Yin-Yang Stairway with the Shanguí flower coins, but the rampaging Ghost Soldiers trapped inside were constantly battering the seal. He could feel the suppression growing weaker and weaker.

It wouldn’t hold for much longer. Mu Geshen knew that this was no long-term solution.

Each Shanguí flower coin contained an immense power, but how much of it its bearer could unleash depended on their own abilities. Now, with his injuries still severe, he was barely holding on by sheer force of will. Although he had used a single flower coin to seal the Yin-Yang Stairway, he could only bring out less than thirty percent of its power.

Wu Nie’s estimate had been correct. There were no more than fifteen days before the Ghost Soldiers broke through the seal.

At the end of the street, a funeral procession was approaching. Incense, candles, and paper horses accompanied the mournful sound of the suona, while paper spirit money drifted through the air.

Mu Geshen was knocked off balance by a beggar who bumped into him.

“What a year of great calamities!” the beggar cried. With disheveled hair and bare feet, he wandered away in a daze.

A blind fortune-teller sat by the roadside. The collision with the madman had brought Mu Geshen to a stop right in front of his stall. Hearing the commotion, the blind man raised his head and revealed a gaunt smile.

“A great battle is about to begin. Would you like me to tell your fortune and help you stay alive?”

“Please, have mercy!” A wounded man with a crippled leg crawled toward him. “Give me some money!”

A disheveled woman sat by the roadside, her expression numb as she held the bowl of porridge she had been given. Suddenly, she burst into loud sobs.

Madmen, blind men, cripples, fools—the long street was filled with every kind of human misery. The suona horns blared deafeningly, and everyone seemed to have gone mad.

Mu Gesheng could no longer bear to watch. He hurriedly put down a few copper coins and turned to leave.

The old military adviser had said that Song Wentong and Chai Shuxin had entered the city together. Mu Gesheng searched around but could not find them, so he headed to the Chai residence first.

The Chai residence occupied a vast area in a secluded part of the city. The last time Mu Gesheng had visited this place was many years ago, when he had been a young man seeking plum blossoms in the snow. Now, everything had changed beyond recognition.

He knocked on the side door. The young medicine apprentice who opened it was taken aback.

“Didn’t you just leave?”

Mu Gesheng figured he was referring to Song Wentong, who had disguised himself as Mu Gesheng. Since he couldn’t directly ask where his own lookalike had gone, he said, “I just remembered something. I forgot to mention it to Third… ahem, Spirit Pivot Master. Is he at the residence?”

“I see.” The medicine apprentice bowed. “The family head hasn’t left yet. Please follow me.”

The apprentice led Mu Gesheng all the way to the main hall. It was filled with the sound of heated voices. The apprentice bowed and said, “I should have invited you to have some tea, but you left earlier. The family head and the elders are still arguing endlessly. I’ve been working at the residence for many years, but I’ve never seen such a situation. I took the liberty of asking you to come here and help mediate.”

Mu Gesheng was momentarily stunned. He had no idea what was happening inside, so he could only go along with it. “It’s no trouble.”

“Please wait a moment,” the apprentice said. “I’ll go announce your arrival.”

Mu Gesheng waited outside the hall, vaguely making out the conversation within. It seemed the Medicine Family was locked in a heated dispute over the allocation of medicinal supplies.

“I absolutely refuse to agree!” someone shouted, his tone impassioned. “Sending seventy percent of the medicinal supplies to the front lines and leaving the remaining thirty percent for disaster relief in the city? You ignorant brat! The Medicine Family has accumulated its wealth over a hundred years. Are you trying to drain us completely?!”

“Even this vast empire has already been drained,” came Chai Shuxin’s voice. “The great edifice is on the verge of collapse. No one can afford to stand idly by.”

“All things in this world eventually divide after remaining united for long enough. Dynastic changes are nothing unusual! As one of the Masters, you actually concern yourself with the gains and losses of a single city or territory. How shortsighted!”

“If the skin is gone, where will the hair grow? If we cannot defend even one city, how can we defend our homeland?”

“You’re letting your emotions cloud your judgment! You’re sacrificing the greater good for something trivial!”

“Sorry to interrupt.” The medicine apprentice’s voice cut in. “Young Master Mu of the Mu family has come to see the family head.”

“Perfect timing! Let him in. We’ll settle this matter once and for all today!”

Those few sentences made Mu Gesheng’s heart sink. When the medicine apprentice came out to report his arrival, he quickly seized the opportunity to ask, “Are they still arguing in there?”

“Yes. These past few days, you’ve been busy with the family head handling disaster relief, using up a great deal of the Medicine Family’s resources. The elders are furious,” the apprentice explained. “This is a serious matter, and I don’t dare say too much. Please go in quickly.”

Mu Gesheng didn’t understand. “The Medicine Family has such an enormous reserve of resources. Surely a little disaster relief shouldn’t have come to this?”

“You’ve said that countless times over the past few days,” the apprentice sighed. “Once or twice, of course, it’s nothing. But when it accumulates day after day… Never mind. Please go in. Everyone is waiting for you.”

Mu Gesheng wanted to ask more, but someone had already pushed him inside.

There were many people in the main hall. When Chai Shuxin saw him enter, he gave him a meaningful look from across the room. Mu Gesheng immediately understood: they had mistaken him for Song Wentong.

However, the elders in the hall still addressed him as Young Master Mu. It seemed his second brother had secretly disguised himself as Mu Gesheng. Given all the recent uncertainties and unexpected developments, this arrangement was indeed the safer option.

Someone stood up and said, “Young Master Mu, the scouts dispatched by the Seven Families have just sent back word. They have confirmed that the Yin-Yang Ladder was indeed sealed by the Mountain Ghost Coins. Since you have already accepted the Mountain Ghost Coins, you should fulfill your responsibilities as the Heavenly Diviner.”

Mu Gesheng thought to himself, Just my luck. Of all the things I feared, this is exactly what happened.

Yet his expression remained unchanged. “I have no intention of involving myself in the affairs of the Seven Families.”

“What if this matter concerns more than just the Seven Families?”

Mu Gesheng’s gaze darkened. “What exactly are you trying to say?”

“To request a divination.”

It was Chai Shuxin who spoke this time.

“We ask the Heavenly Diviner to use the Mountain Ghost Coins to cast a hexagram and determine the fate of this city.”

You’re certainly not one to mince words with Second Brother, Mu Gesheng thought.

“The fate of a city? What do you mean?”

“Since things have come to this, we shall speak frankly.” An elderly man seated among them spoke up. “The Heavenly Diviner has visited our Chai family several days in a row. Both sides understand the purpose behind these visits. The Heavenly Diviner bears the responsibility of defending the city, and now, with the calamity of the Yin Soldiers upon us, you naturally wish to borrow the strength of the Seven Families to turn the tide.”

“Please, don’t.” Mu Gesheng waved his hand. “You keep calling me the Heavenly Diviner. I’m not worthy of that title.”

“Now that the Mountain Ghost Coins have acknowledged you as their master, you have already inherited the position of Heavenly Diviner. Such is the will of Heaven. Simply denying it with words will not make it go away.” The old man spoke slowly. “The Seven Families have always obeyed the Heavenly Diviner’s command without exception. If you wish to borrow their strength, it is not impossible. However, there is one condition.”

Mu Gesheng hadn’t expected them to lay everything out so bluntly. Although surprised, he followed the old man’s lead.

“What condition?”

“Just as the family head said earlier, we request a divination.” The old man continued, “Calculate whether the city you are responsible for defending can withstand the coming disaster.”

“If it can be defended, the Seven Families will certainly lend you all their strength. If it cannot, the Seven Families will withdraw within three days.”

The old man’s voice echoed through the main hall.

“Whether we stay or leave shall be determined entirely by the hexagram.”

A few brief sentences had struck like a thunderclap.

He recalled the words Wu Nie had left him before departing:

“Do the Seven Families, generation after generation, truly obey the commands of the Masters?”

The Heavenly Diviner calculated Heaven’s will, and beneath Heaven’s will, the Seven Families obeyed without exception.

But what the Seven Families truly obeyed was the hexagram revealed by the Mountain Ghost Coins, not the Heavenly Diviner himself.

The mandate of Heaven’s calculations, and the mandate of the Heavenly Diviner—just a hair’s breadth of difference, yet worlds apart.

What exactly do these people take the Heavenly Diviner for? Mu Gesheng wondered. A mere mouthpiece for conveying Heaven’s will?

“This matter is of great importance,” the old man continued. “Please think carefully before deciding.”

“How about this?” Mu Gesheng said slowly. “I’ll just throw away the Mountain Ghost Coins. The Seven Families can disband right here and now. From this point onward, we’ll each rely on our own abilities. How does that sound?”

“How dare you!” someone sprang to his feet in fury and shouted, “You insolent brat!”