Recap
Anping murmured: “What about you?”
“Those things outside need to be cleared away. This Three Realms Displacement is very unstable. I have to prevent anything from escaping out again.” Mu Gesheng walked out, “When the noodles are cooked, leave a bite for me. I will be back later.”. Then, he closed the door.
Anping was still a little worried. Just when he wanted to chase him out, he found that the door was locked from outside. Then he realized a problem. He had a jade pendant in his mouth. How does one swallow the noodles without swallowing it as well?
And he was in the women’s restroom.
___
Anping struggled to eat half a bowl of instant noodles. When he raised his head again, he found that the space around him had silently changed.
The decoration in the room changed to an antique style. He was surrounded by screens* on all sides, with a small square table* in the middle and a lantern* above his head. The air was filled with a somewhat sweet smell, like the fragrance of plum blossoms.
*(
something like this? Source: pinterest)
*(
source: Baidu)
*(
source: zhihu site)
Before leaving, Mu Gesheng said that he will be able to go back after eating the noodles. However, Anping was sure that the scene in front of him was definitely not something from the world he came from. He was unsure and inevitably started to panic again, wondering if there was an accident in the process? Was it because he ate the noodles before they were cooked thoroughly? Or was it because he did not add in enough ingredients?
It was quiet everywhere, and the Anping debated for a while, feeling that Mu Gesheng would most likely not trick him. After all, he hasn’t paid yet.
Then what is in front of him might be a normal phenomenon. This might be some kind of transfer station. Perhaps he just needed to go through any doors he opens.
Anping stood there for a moment and realized that the transfer station was probably not fully automatic and had no in-situ teleportation function. He still had to do it himself if he wanted to get out. So he pushed the screen out a little further and found that there was actually a corridor outside, with red candles shining brightly and long flower windows on both sides.*
*(
source: bbs.zhulong site)
This scene had a haunted atmosphere. As soon as Anping saw this, his scalp exploded, he subconsciously wanted to turn around and run away. However, there was no other way out and there was only one way to escape. He gritted his teeth and took a deep breath in, he stood on tiptoes in the corridor and ran over with a single breath, running and jumping all the way, like a grasshopper with hot feet.
There was a door at the end of the corridor. Anping didn’t dare to stop, otherwise he will stop for a long time, so he just ran in through the door at once.
After nine years of compulsory education, it was rare for him to be so rash. However, before he could applaud his efforts, he was stunned. Anping stared at the scene in the room with wide eyes, he felt choked up and let out a strange scream.
There are flowers and candles on the table, red curtains draped over the bed*- this is actually a wedding room!
*(
source: zixun.jia site)
With his eyes filled with red, his heart shook violently. It wasn’t that he had a vivid imagination, it was just that there were so many ghost stories with themes revolving around haunted wedding rooms. Not only that, this wedding room was still in an antique style, full of joyous colors, shrouded by a ghostly atmosphere. It is haunting no matter how anyone looks at it.
He made a decisive choice and was about to step back, but he stumbled on the threshold. He fell flat on the ground and directly hit the altar next to the door. Bottles and cans smashed to the ground. Anping fell so hard that stars appeared in front of his eyes, and he thought it was game over. Please don’t let a female ghost appear in front of me right now, he thought.
He lay on the ground like a sitting duck, he barely lifted his eyelids and looked around- he saw the curtain in the distance flutter open, the gold-embroidered fabric were stacked in layers, all the way up, and disappeared into the bright red veil.
Only then did Anping realize that there was someone else sitting in the room. Judging from the dress, there was no doubt that it was the bride.
Just great. My worst fears are realized. I’m over.
Running in fear all the way here, his red eyes gradually became hazy. Anping couldn’t catch his breath, rolled his eyes, and finally fainted.
When Anping opened his eyes, it was already bright outside.
“You finally woke up. You can really sleep.” Mu Gesheng’s voice drifted by, “How do you feel?”
Anping sat up in confusion, and it took him a long time to come back to his senses, “Are we… back?”
“You’re back. You’re in the real yang world* now. Really.” Mu Gesheng sat on the table in front of him and handed him the steaming enamel jar. “It’s already eight o’clock in the morning.”
*(world of the living)
Anping took it blankly, “Is it the second day now?”
“That’s right, boss, you’re really brave, you slept through the entire night.”
“I had a very strange dream.” Anping still hadn’t recovered, holding the enamel jar and taking a sip, “What is this? It tastes pretty good.”
“Brown sugar water with osmanthus; nourishes qi and blood, and is only for women.”
“…Thank you very much.” Anping choked for a moment and returned to the topic, “I dreamed that I was in a room, an ancient wedding room, and there was a bride sitting on the bed.”
“Anping’er, are you going to share the scene of your spring dream with me?” Mu Gesheng raised his eyebrows, “What bride, how did it feel?”
Anping almost choked on a mouthful of water, “It’s not a spring dream! It’s almost like a ghost movie scene! I was almost scared to death. It couldn’t be the Three Realms Displacement you mentioned, where some dirty things got onto me, right?”
“If you want to know, you can.” Mu Gesheng smiled and said, “Add more money.”
“Can’t you provide after-sales service?” Anping was exhausted, “How much does it cost?”
“Talking about money hurts feelings, just help me do my homework this time.” Mu Gesheng turned on his mobile phone, “But don’t worry, it’s very common for ordinary people to have strange dreams after coming out of the Three Realms Displacement. It’s not a problem. It will be alright in a few days.”
Anping was slightly relieved, thought for a moment, and took out the key chain that Mu Gesheng gave him from his pocket, “What to do with these dolls? Do you want to cast a spell to draw out the soul of the class representative from them?”
“It’s not drawing out the soul, it’s summoning the soul.” Mu Gesheng took the key chain, “My after-sales service is very good, just leave it to me. The class representative will wake up in a few days.”
“Great. Finally, my efforts were not in vain.” Anping breathed a sigh of relief, “By the way, you said at the time that the class representative was in trouble because of her inner turmoil, but do you know what the class representative’s inner turmoil is? “
Mu Gesheng glanced at him, “You want to know?”
Anping quickly waved his hand, “I’m sorry, I don’t know the rules of your profession, if it’s not convenient, you can ignore me.”
“You’ve misunderstood me.” Mu Gesheng took out another handful of coins, “I can tell you. But you have to add money.”
Anping: “…”
“Don’t cry, little boss, you have no money? You can get a discount.”
“I don’t think it’s good to inquire about other people’s affairs. The class representative might not want me to know.” Anping scratched his head, “But now that it has come to this, it seems that knowing the truth is not too much. After all, we are classmates, and we usually have a good relationship with each other.”
“So?”
“How should I put it? I think the class representative was very upset about this, but she still looked like nothing had happened. I think…” Anping was a little conflicted, “Maybe someone should take the initiative to help her, she may not want to, but it’s already so serious, someone should give her a hand.”
“The more I talk, the weirder it sounds.” Anping waved his hand, “I think a lot, so don’t laugh at me.”
“I see.” Mu Gesheng smiled and handed the phone to Anping, “After-sales service, you’re welcome.”
Anping was a little surprised when he took the phone and found that it was actually the case file of a class representative. His eyes stayed on a line of texts, “This…where did you get this from?”
“After three years of staying back, I am still familiar with flipping through files.” Mu Gesheng said: “Before her first year of high school, she took a year off from school, or should I say: delayed her enrollment for a year.”
“She was sent to a center to get rid of her internet addiction; because of online dating.”
Anping was speechless.
“Those things we saw in the Three Realms Displacement’s rooms may be memories of the year she dropped out of school.” Mu Gesheng took the cell phone from Anping’s hand, “I searched it up while you were asleep, and she was indeed there. It’s not a nice place, so it’s not surprising that it attracts Three Realms Displacement.”
“…Can the class representative be saved?”
“She can wake up and her body can recover.” Mu Gesheng said: “The rest is not my responsibility.”
“Whose responsibility is it then?”
“Her, her parents, or someone else. In short, these are human affairs. I’m just a tryhard who failed and had to be retained, so how can I have a say?”
“I think the class representative’s parents treat her very well.” Anping didn’t know what to say, “But this kind of thing…well, I don’t know, who do you think is right and who is in the wrong?”
“How do I know? I don’t even know which is right or wrong among the four options ABCD on the simulation paper.” Mu Gesheng shrugged, “You can’t judge without knowing the cause and effect. It’s easier to follow what others say but sometimes it’s the hardest to remain silent.”
“Yeah, it was me who didn’t think.” Anping sighed, “Forget it, I’ll think about it myself.”
“There are too many things that we can’t figure out. Take your time.” Mu Gesheng thought for a while, “I can’t say who is right and who is wrong, but the class representative is innocent. Maybe it can be said that she was young and ignorant, but for a teenager, it’s not a mistake to fall in love.”
“Of course you will be punished if you make a mistake, but this is not punishment, this is murder.” Mu Gesheng commented, “Never mind.”
“Then, do you think her parents are at fault?”
“I told you I don’t know.” Mu Gesheng said helplessly, “Anping’er, why are you so stubborn?”
Anping stared at him without saying a word.
“Okay, fine.” Mu Gesheng sighed, “Do you know why the class representative was still able to be rescued?” He answered the question before Anping could speak, “Never mind. You definitely don’t know.”
“Because of the bowl of sauerkraut beef noodles. The bowl of noodles eaten by the class representative left a trail, so we were able to go in and rescue her, and we escaped.”
“I just checked, it was the class representative’s birthday.”
“You said that the bowl of noodles was given by her mother. It should be longevity noodles made by herself.”
“The class representative was deeply troubled by what her parents did, and was saved by her mother’s bowl of noodles.”
Mu Gesheng tossed the coin around his hand, and there was a loud clatter, “Born and nurtured, nurtured to be killed, killed to be saved, which one is right and which one is wrong? To do pointless things in the name of concern, should it be forgiven? Should it not be forgiven? Too many transactions are happening everywhere at the same time, there’s too many messy accounts to settle*. Otherwise, there would be no evil ghosts in Fengdu Ghost City running rampant, full of resentment. The underworld judge decides their fates with just one stroke. But only you can choose to accept the verdict or not.”
*(idiom: 一笔笔皆是乱账，这世间算不清楚的东西太多了; this is what he says, is anyone has a better way to translate this, do let me know.)
“You won’t be able to understand this, Anping’er. There’s no point asking me. Only the person involved can resolve this.” Mu Gesheng rubbed Anping’s head, “You’d be better off concentrating on resolving my homework.”
“So you’re saying you don’t want me to help her?”
“Why are you so stupid?” Mu Gesheng said helplessly, “I’m saying, you don’t have to think about it so much. It’s hard to tell what’s right, what’s wrong in many matters. If you want to do it, just do it. If you make a mistake, you’ll take the blame. Have you become stupid because of studying? Oh, why do you act like a mother-in-law?”
The first few sentences were still in order, but Anping choked at the last sentence, coughing violently, “I’m really sorry.”
“No worries. It’s rare for a top student to ask me questions. Is there anything you don’t understand?”
Anping hesitated, “Can you tell me what you do for a living?”
“Repeating the year and waiting to die.” Mu Gesheng waved his hand and said, “Part-time fortune teller, discounts for repeat customers.”
“Fine.” Anping was used to this man’s shenanigans, “Anyway, thank you this time. I’ll deliver your homework to you again when I get the chance.”
“Alright.” Mu Gesheng smiled and said, “Remember to bring your student card, tickets are half price.”
The two separated at the school gate. The sun was not bright in the morning, but Mu Gesheng still squinted looking at the sky, borrowed an umbrella from the guard room, and walked back to Chengxi Street while picking up shade. Chengxi Street is an old neighborhood, and an old man has already set up a chess stall on the street. Mu Gesheng stood at the side and watched for a while, motivating him to win the match, before walking into a store, “Is there anyone here?”
This is a hot pot restaurant with a large interior and antique decoration. It’s rare for a hotpot restaurant to open so early in the morning, no one responded on the second floor.
However, Mu Gesheng didn’t appear unfazed at all. He went into the back kitchen to get a big pot, placed it on a large table full of dishes, and brewed Biluochun* in the enamel jar. He turned on the pot and boiled it, and the steam came up.
*(Biluochun or Bi Luo Chun is a famous green tea originally grown in the Dongting mountain region near Lake Tai in Suzhou, Jiangsu, China)
What he paired with it was a mandarin duck pot, half yin and half yang, with green and clear pool on one side and blood red pool on the other. The steam in the room was getting thicker and thicker. When the pot was boiling, Mu Gesheng used his chopsticks to wave away the white smoke at the table. A figure appeared across from the mandarin duck pot. It is not known when the other party sat down and was soaking a pig’s trotter in the spicy half of the pot.
“You’re so damn annoying? What’s the point of calling me back?” The person gnawed on the pig’s trotter and slurred their words. The voice sounded like that of a teenager’s. “If you have nothing better to do, you can just die. Don’t call people out every day.”
“My dear daughter, what have you been doing lately?” Mu Gesheng smiled and hugged the enamel jar, “Collecting rent? Has the price of land in Fengdu increased recently?”
“Don’t fucking call me daughter!” the other party exploded, “Who in the hell is your daughter!”
“Okay, brat.” Mu Gesheng changed the title in a good-natured manner, “What have you been busy with recently?”
“Not a brat! And it’s none of your business!”
“Darling girl, be obedient, why are you so angry? At this age, you might be suffering from chuunibyou disease, not menopause.” Mu Gesheng took a sip of tea, “I’m not just here to treat you today. Listen to me and don’t interrupt me. Let your dad go to bed on time.”
“What the hell–” The other party looked so angry that they wanted to overturn the table. As soon as the other party stood up, Mu Gesheng said quickly, “A Three Realms Displacement showed up in No. 1 High.”
“Three Realms Displacement? Aren’t those things everywhere? They are everywhere along the Yin-Yang rift.” The other party paused, “What are you trying to say?”
“A student strayed into the Three Realms Displacement.”
The other party’s voice suddenly rose in pitch: “What?!”
“You really need to change your reaction to shocking news.” Mu Gesheng raised his hand, “Don’t panic, your wise and powerful father has already rescued the person.”
“It’s common for a Three Realms Displacement to appear, but it’s almost impossible for ordinary people to fall into it. Your father, I, checked it out. The students who entered by mistake are nothing special. They are just ordinary people.”
Mu Gesheng knocked on the enamel jar, “Other than that, there is only one other possibility, that is, the power of the Three Realms Displacement has become stronger. But the Three Realms Displacement is located between Yin and Yang and is not subject to interferences. It should be the most stable existence, but now it is not. Yet, it’s unstable now – you should know what that means.”
The youth’s voice lowered and said, “The Mountain Ghost Town is loose.”
“That thing has been around for almost a hundred years, it’s not young anymore.” Mu Gesheng said: “Relax. After you collect the rent, remember to stop by and have a look. If something went wrong, fix it. If it doesn’t work, just replace it.”
“Of course it’s easy to talk, but this isn’t about replacing the water pipes!” The other party gritted out, “Why do you say everything like it’s so easy?”
“Otherwise? Do I have to tell you to be careful with tears streaming down my cheeks?” Mu Gesheng paused when he suddenly realized, “Oh, I understand. If you want me to act coquettish, just say so.” He opened his hands and said, “Come on, my sweet darling daughter, let daddy hug you, I’ll miss you so much.”
“…” The youth stiffened, mouth opened and closed, then finally squeezed out, “Shameless!”
“Forget it if you don’t hug me. Why are you talking to your father like this?” Mu Gesheng slapped the person on the head smoothly, turned around and went downstairs, “Pack the dishes for me and send a pot to the Town God’s Temple.”
The youth wanted to avoid it but couldn’t and staggered when Mu Gesheng slap landed and said angrily: “In your dreams!”
“I ordered takeout. Your father, I, am a level six member.” Mu Gesheng’s voice came from downstairs, “Pack it or don’t. I will give you a bad review if you don’t.”
The youth seemed to have bursted a vein in anger, stood there and cursed for three minutes. Then bent down and took out a stack of packing boxes from under the table.
___
T/N: Any guesses who the youth is?
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