The flames spread in an instant. Only then did Chai Shuxin notice that the sky above Fengdu was actually filled with lanterns, all connected to one another by golden chains.
“The tail feathers shed when the Vermilion Bird first completed its transformation should be enough to burn for three days and three nights.” Mu Geshen looked quite pleased. “Such a magnificent sight is rare. Come on, let’s find somewhere to drink.”
Ninety-three thousand and seventy-two Jinwu Lanterns illuminated the entire city, filling it with brilliant, flowing colors. In an instant, the whole city of Fengdu erupted into chaos, with cries of astonishment rising one after another.
Song Wentong struck with his saber, knocking Wu Nie back. He exclaimed in shock, “The golden guards keep no curfew?! What is Fourth Brother doing?”
Wu Nie narrowed his eyes and gazed into the sky.
“It’s been a long time since our family has seen a night of Jinwu Lanterns.”
As he spoke, he cast Song Wentong a flirtatious glance.
“I’m in a good mood today, little boy. Let’s part ways here.”
“Wait!” Song Wentong called out and tried to pursue him, but the other party had already disappeared without a trace.
Mu Geshen bought several jars of wine, dragged Chai Shuxin up to the roof of a tall building, and lay down on the eaves to watch the lanterns.
Mu Geshen knocked off the seal on a wine jar and took a large gulp.
“Born in the Dead of Winter, you seem to have something you want to ask me. You’ve been holding it in all this time. There’s no one else around now, so go ahead.”
Chai Shuxin held his wine jar and took a sip.
“You did it on purpose.”
Mu Geshen immediately spat out his wine and choked so violently that it sounded as though the heavens were falling.
“No way! You could even figure that out?”
Chai Shuxin glanced at him indifferently, his expression blank.
“All right, all right. Born in the Dead of Winter, you really are… worthy of being the Spirit Pivot Child.” Mu Geshen shook his head helplessly. “Come on, tell me. What exactly have you figured out?”
“We didn’t accidentally wander into Cheng Xi Guan. You deliberately led us there.” Chai Shuxin asked, “Why?”
Mu Geshen took a large gulp of wine and sighed.
“For Third Brother.”
Song Wentong pounded on the main gate.
“Anyone from the Wu family here?!”
This was a large residence in Fengdu, with imposing gates and grounds that covered two entire streets.
The vermilion-red main gate creaked open, and a young attendant in blue robes came out. He bowed to Song Wentong.
“Greetings, Mohist. May I ask what brings you here?”
“Where’s Third Brother? Tell him to come out!”
“Reporting to the Mohist, our family head is not here.”
“Not here?” Song Wentong frowned. “Where did he go?”
“Reporting to the Mohist, there is a joyous occasion in Fengdu today. As Wuchangzi, our family head went to offer his congratulations. He left at midnight.” The attendant bowed and gestured toward the entrance. “We have prepared some tea in the residence. Would the Mohist care to come inside and wait?”
“A joyous occasion in Fengdu?” Song Wentong did not enter. Instead, he asked, “Whose joyous occasion?”
“Reporting to the Mohist, the King of Hell is marrying off his daughter.”
“The King of Hell is marrying off his daughter, and all the ghosts have come to offer their congratulations.”
Mu Geshen gazed at the distant lantern lights.
“As Wuchangzi, Third Brother deals with the Kings of Hell more often than most. Even if he can’t build a friendly relationship with them, he absolutely must not make enemies of them. Born in the Dead of Winter, as the head of the Yao family, you should understand this principle.”
“I do.” Chai Shuxin nodded. “And?”
“The King of Hell once visited the Wu residence and specifically requested a wedding gift.” Mu Geshen said, “He wanted Third Brother to ask the Mohist, the Second Brother, to personally forge a phoenix crown.”
Chai Shuxin looked puzzled.
“What’s so difficult about that?”
“The difficulty is that the King of Hell wants a phoenix crown. If he’d asked for some other precious treasure or exquisite artifact, having Second Brother personally make it wouldn’t have been impossible.” Mu Geshen sighed. “But Second Brother has only ever made one phoenix crown in his entire life. It was for his mother’s wedding.”
“This isn’t exactly a secret among the Seven Schools of Thought. You should have heard about the romance between the previous Mohist and the famous courtesan. Back then, the Mohist wore a wedding dress when he went to the Naihe Bridge. The phoenix crown he wore was made by Second Brother. Ever since then, Second Brother swore that he would never make another wedding accessory in his life.”
Chai Shuxin thought for a moment before saying, “If that’s the case, then simply explain the whole story and the reasons behind it. The King of Hell shouldn’t be an unreasonable person.”
“Born in the Dead of Winter, you aren’t familiar with Third Brother, and you don’t know how difficult things are for the Yin-Yang School in Fengdu.” Mu Geshen shook his head with a bitter smile. “Ever since the Seven Schools of Thought came into existence, the Yin-Yang School has been responsible for matters concerning ghosts and souls. They’ve dealt with the Underworld for over a thousand years. To put it nicely, the two sides cooperate with each other. To put it bluntly, each governs its own affairs.”
“The Seven Schools of Thought often interfere in the affairs of the Underworld to achieve their own goals, causing no end of trouble for the Office of Yin Laws. Although the Heavenly Calculator determines the Mandate of Heaven, and all living beings must submit to that mandate, the truth is that the Heavenly Calculator is also mortal. The Underworld may not say anything openly, but that doesn’t mean they necessarily accept his authority.”
Chai Shuxin understood quickly.
“So the King of Hell is deliberately making things difficult for him?”
“Exactly. It’s impossible for Second Brother to make the phoenix crown, and Third Brother hasn’t even told him about this request. If Second Brother found out, he’d tear down the Hall of the Kings of Hell. In recent years, the world has also been thrown into chaos, and the Seven Schools of Thought will only have more dealings with the Underworld. He might feel better after making a huge scene, but it would only create even more trouble in the future.”
“So, to resolve this matter properly, you need a better congratulatory gift, one even more impressive than a phoenix crown personally crafted by the Mohist.” Chai Shuxin picked up where he left off. “And you chose ‘The Golden Guards Keep No Curfew.’”
“That’s right.” Mu Geshen took a gulp of wine and laughed. “Fengdu hasn’t lit the Jinwu Lanterns for nearly three hundred years. The Zhu family are descendants of the gods. They’re not someone an ordinary King of Hell can summon at will. The lanterns filling the sky tonight surpass even ten miles of bridal finery in the human world.”
The Vermilion Bird carries the lanterns; the golden guards keep no curfew. Spring comes to the Yellow Springs, and the King of Hell takes a bride.
“I understand what you mean now.” Chai Shuxin looked at the distant, bustling spectacle. “But what does this have to do with entering Cheng Xi Guan?”
“To light the Jinwu Lanterns, something belonging to the Vermilion Bird must be used as the catalyst. I couldn’t possibly bleed Fifth Brother or tear out his bones and muscles. The miscellaneous feathers covering his body are the best fuel.” Mu Geshen explained, “But as you said, transformation requires nourishment from spiritual energy. The amount of spiritual energy needed for the Vermilion Bird to transform is even more extraordinary. Cheng Xi Guan, where ten thousand ghosts run rampant, is the best place to obtain it.”
“Were Tai Sui and Wu Nie in league with you?”
“What do you mean, ‘in league’? It’s not as though we’re forming a faction for some private gain.” Mu Geshen waved his hand and stopped hiding anything. “Lord Wu Nie is Third Brother’s ancestor. There’s no way she’d sit idly by and do nothing about this. I asked her to open a Yin-Yang Stairway near Guanshanyue and trick Fifth Brother into falling through to Fengdu. Then, taking advantage of Lord Wu Nie fighting Second Brother, we used the Red-Licking Saber to break the barrier at Cheng Xi Guan. You already know everything that happened after that.”
There was a long silence.
The two sat facing each other without a word, surrounded by countless brilliant lanterns.
Music from flutes and strings sounded in the distance as the wedding procession passed along the long street. Beside the dazzling trees of lights and silver flowers, the bride’s rosy beauty seemed even more radiant.
“You really are behaving recklessly.” Chai Shuxin finally spoke, his voice cold. “Entering the Land of Avici is no trivial matter. If anything had gone wrong—”
“Nothing would go wrong.” Mu Geshen interrupted him. “I calculated it. This journey would be dangerous but ultimately harmless. Otherwise, I would never have dragged you into it…”
“In other words, if this journey had been dangerous, you would have gone alone?”
“Third Brother is my brother.” Mu Geshen didn’t look at his expression. He simply drank his wine and continued, “Back then, Second Brother and I caused a huge commotion in Fengdu and were far too reckless. According to the law, we should have been sent to the Office of Yin Laws to receive punishment with the rod. It was Third Brother who pulled strings behind the scenes, and with Lord Wu Nie speaking on our behalf, we managed to escape disaster.”
“Don’t try to deceive me.” Chai Shuxin exposed him directly. “The first time I met you, you were carried back from Fengdu, covered in blood. That wasn’t escaping disaster. You were on the verge of death.”
“Third Brother carried me back. At the time, Master personally punished me and ordered me to go to the Office of Yin Laws to receive my sentence. Originally, there was very little chance I would come out alive.” Mu Geshen sighed. “Third Brother worked his connections and pleaded on my behalf. He even went to the Yao family several times to ask for you. That’s how I managed to get my life back.”
“That year, we caused such a huge disturbance in Fengdu that Master was furious. After I finished serving my punishment, he ordered me to climb back up the Yin-Yang Stairway by myself. Second Brother had also been punished and couldn’t look after me. Third Brother wasn’t even as tall as I was back then, but he stubbornly carried me all the way home.”
As though remembering something, Mu Geshen suddenly smiled.
“That silly fool was afraid I’d fall asleep, so he cried and sang all the way back. After we got home, he was hoarse for an entire month.”
“So you went to such lengths for him?”
Mu Geshen raised his cup toward Chai Shuxin with a smile.
“We’re brothers.”
Chai Shuxin abruptly stood up and stared at him in silence for a moment before turning to leave.
Mu Geshen knocked open another jar of wine and drank as he spoke.
“He doesn’t seem particularly willing to be my brother.”
“This is the first time I’ve ever seen the Spirit Pivot Child lose his composure like that.” Wu Nie jumped onto the roof eaves. “I’m afraid you’ve angered him quite badly.”
“I couldn’t hide it from him.” Mu Geshen shrugged. “He just used Third Brother as a roundabout way to criticize me. It was obvious he’d figured everything out.”
“This generation’s Spirit Pivot Child is clear-minded and thoughtful. You aren’t necessarily any cleverer than he is, and the scheme you put together was rather crude.” Wu Nie opened a jar of wine herself. “When you came to find me back then, I understood exactly what you were planning as soon as you mentioned the White Jade Throat-Clog. You handed him the medicine so openly. Only a fool wouldn’t have seen through it.”
Mu Geshen had gone to all this trouble not only to light the Jinwu Lanterns, but also to find the White Jade Throat-Clog, a medicine capable of curing every illness. Naturally, it could also cure Chai Rendong’s condition.
At first, he had suspected that Chai Shuxin was being held in check by some powerful noble in Beiping. Later, after making inquiries around the docks, he learned that it was because the other party controlled a certain medicinal ingredient that could alleviate Chai Rendong’s illness, and had used it to make all sorts of demands.
Mu Geshen searched through the entire study of the Master of Ginkgo Study and finally found a record of the White Jade Throat-Clog. Then he cast a divination and calculated that his opportunity lay with Wu Nie.
“Not at all, not at all. In the end, I still couldn’t hide it from you, Lord Wu.” Mu Geshen laughed heartily. “The scheme may have been crude, but it accomplished three things at once. It solved Third Brother’s problem, found the medicine, and helped Fifth Brother pass through the stage of transformation. Whether Born in the Dead of Winter is happy about it or not doesn’t matter. As long as it can help Sister Chai recover, that’s enough.”
“I never expected you to go out of your way to help the Chai family’s young lady. Her illness has remained incurable for so many years. The White Jade Throat-Clog isn’t an ordinary medicinal ingredient. The Yao family has searched for it for years without success.”
“That’s only because you were looking in the wrong place. I only had to make a quick calculation to know you had something here.” Mu Geshen grinned. “Who could have known that even a young Vermilion Bird could produce a White Jade Throat-Clog? I doubt there’s anyone else in heaven or on earth as knowledgeable as you, Lord Wu.”
“Stop trying to call me old in such a roundabout way.” Wu Nie raised an eyebrow. “When you came to find me back then, I wanted to ask you something. You’re such a good-for-nothing, always slacking off and hiding from work. What made you suddenly feel like helping someone this time? Did he pay you?”
Mu Geshen scratched his head.
“Not really.”
“Then why? You’ve only known him for a few months, and he doesn’t even want to be your brother.”
“Ah, Born in the Dead of Winter has a sharp tongue but a soft heart.” Mu Geshen held his wine jar and fell into thought. “As for why… I can’t really say. Maybe it’s because he’s good-looking?”
“I don’t believe a word you say.”
“Then perhaps it’s because Sister Chai is such a good cook.” Mu Geshen thought for a moment. “The people of the Yao family have always been particular about caring for their hands. But Sister Chai neither paints her nails nor protects her hands, all because her chronic illness has made it impossible for her to practice medicine. Yet I heard Master say that back then, the eldest young lady of the Chai family had extraordinary talent and unsurpassed medical skills.”
“Hands like hers shouldn’t be used only to prepare meals.”
“You and your master do nothing but gossip and shoot the breeze all day. There isn’t a single bit of old news about the Seven Schools of Thought over the past thousand years that you two don’t know.” Wu Nie shook her head repeatedly as she stood up and set down her wine jar. “I’m leaving. Give my regards to the Heavenly Calculator, and tell him to try to live as long as possible.”
“Safe travels, Lord Wu.” Mu Geshen stood to see her off. “Next time, come find me for a game of mahjong.”
“Don’t bother. I have no interest in playing cards with poor people.”