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They are my students, yes. I cannot bear to see them lose their lives here, so I beg you two, lend me your aid...

...The Old Tianshi is still guarding the mountain pass. I'm afraid I cannot protect them all on my own.

I shall do my best to hold back the rebellious geists. Yun Qingping, help Mr. Pu in guiding everyone away.

Surely you don't mean to do it alone, Deputy Minister Lin—

It's long past the Garden's closing hours. Why are there still so many tourists here?

Mr. Yi?

You still remember me? And here I was, worried you would forget me, what with you running circles about my garden.

No need for further chatter. You are all lovers of things, which makes us kindred spirits.

You two help this elderly gentleman see everyone out. I can deal with things here myself.

I know you proxies have extraordinary abilities, Mr. Yi, but these are extraordinary times.

I ask that you take care.

No need to worry. If I cannot subdue even these apparitions, then I'm not fit to be the master of the Garden of Grotesqueries.

If I may, by the way, a request for my humble... record-keeping friend?

Though you have come from afar, I regret to say I have no time to be a proper host. If you ever have some spare time in the future, I ask that you come again.

But if fate is against us, and you are the last visitors to my Garden... I would like you to preserve its sights with your brush and ink.

...I shall do my utmost.

Please, stay safe, sir.

(Smiles and nods)

My my, this shaking is far too strong, as well as this... resentment?

Even though only a fraction of this millennium of hatred and rage has spilled out here, it still has such strength. I dare not imagine what exactly Wang is confronting down there...

But even having come to this point, It is still not yet awake, which means... our designs with the Garden are still in effect.

It is a shame though. I fear the structures within the Tomb are almost completely destroyed... I suppose I shall have to put a bit more effort into suppressing It, then.

...You really know how to cause quite the stir, Wang.

*sigh*... These geists are, in the end, formed from your fury.

I have no desire to entertain such vulgar creations, nor am I interested in collecting them... All I can say is that they will be a little hard to handle.

The proxy looks up towards the once-peaceful town at the foot of the mountain, now devastated and in ruins.

Even a layabout has times when he is angered... I cannot forgive such destruction.

Now, how much of this account shall be considered yours, Wang—

I shall make it whole for him. Reluctantly, I might add.

Ji?

...Wang chased me away, so with nowhere else to go, I came to help you.

Hahahaha... Seriously?

It does not really matter.

I suppose I shall owe you a great deal if you were to help me with this big mess today...

Since when have you been concerned about what you owe me?

Why, I would never. It is simply because you are so magnanimous, our third eldest brother, that you find it embarrassing to settle accounts with your younger siblings.

Hmph...

Shall I help you suppress Sui, or help you look after Mangshan Town?

First, we deal with the geists and protect the town. We will still have time to suppress It. There are two of us, after all. With enough speed, neither issue needs to wait.

Rather greedy of you, no?

Hardly the first time you have seen my greed.

True. If I had not dropped by today, all those exotic plants, fine woods and strange stones you so painstakingly gathered would be ruined, which would be quite the pity.

...Well, I need only come and ask you for more later.

Teal and pink flames join the spreading golden threads, searing away the murky black geists.

What a pain. We just got here, and all these things popped out of nowhere. There's no end to them either, they just keep coming like <i>misua</i> that's been soaking for too long...

Best hide somewhere behind me, Grand Tutor. I'm not too good at fighting, nearly whacked you a few times there.

It's a half-baked plan, but all I can do is—

Still talking about food, kid?

I've added a little something to your pot of half-baked, swollen <i>misua</i>, no need to thank me!

Let's see... Sisters number one and two, the kiddo, who else? No big deal if Eight-o doesn't show up. What about Ji? I've got a little something for him too...

Forget it. Heed me, Dark Devastator!

Quantum Firecracker, Quantum Launcher, Quantum Rumbler, Quantum Cannon, lock onto thirty meters around the kid, and—

Fire at will! Fire everything!

Fire!

FIRE!

SHUT UP ALREADY!

What the hell even is this stupid Dark Devastator thing?!

Shu and I only agreed to help you because you promised you wouldn't make these weird things again!

Made it pretty much the same way as the Twelve Pagodas and Five Cities. This is war, after all, and all's fair in it! That weiqi failure loves saying shit like that.

Who exactly are you declaring war on by aiming that stuff at me?!

Get her under control, Shu!

This really isn't what you promised earlier. Once this is all over, don't forget to make an apology.

Heheh, sorry, sorry...

These firecrackers really do remind me of Dahuang, though...

They are subdued during the Shennong festival, but when the New Year arrives, the firecrackers they light up might be even fiercer than the ones Nian just used...

Right? A family reunion should be more lively—

If you had fired that barrage earlier, it would have fallen at Yu's feet.

Take a break and let Dusk play with it. She's been waiting for a while now.

Me? I don't want to touch that thing—

So should I continue?

Give it to me.

If I let you keep firing that stuff, you're going to burst everyone's eardrums!

Shu! And Nian, and Dusk! You're finally here!

Long time no see, kiddo. Dinner ready yet?

We aren't done with work yet, Nian. How could you only be thinking of Yu's cooking?

One's not gonna affect the other!

Oh, right, we never did give them a heads-up that we'd be meeting here. Hey, Grand Tutor, it should be fine, right?

Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures.

If you are able to resolve this geist crisis together, then that shall be an act of great merit.

I always knew you weren't the dried-up stick in the mud you look like!

Say, Grand Tutor, do you think our business with Yan has been a good one?

Perhaps it would not only be considered business in Yan's eyes.

Making a friend is far more important than doing business.

Hah, those're some wise words. Next time those old fogeys from the Ministry of Works come to pester me, I can throw them in their face.

Everyone who should be here is here. Let's take a headcount of the ones who aren't here yet...

Whoa, is this Yan's New Year celebration?

This is just like how Master said they celebrate it. Lanterns, banners, and screaming firecrackers... Though I don't see any lanterns. This is the first time I've seen this many firecrackers, though...

Alright, time to land!

Watch out, Nian! Someone just flew over my head, I think they're going to land right next to you!

Who the hell're you?

Based on your gear, I'm guessing you're...

<i>Nihao!</i> I'm Taraxacum! I'm from Sargon, and I'm an apprentice under my master, though usually I just drive the cart!

Oh, right, my master's called Fāng.

Figured it'd be Number Ten. Man, didn't expect a shy guy like him to have a cheery apprentice like you.

I'm Nian, the ninth, which means I'm his older sister.

Let's give you a quick rundown. Those two chatting over there are Shu, the sixth, and our youngest brother Yu. The one on top of the Dark Devastator splashing ink everywhere, trying to melt away the geists? That's our youngest sister, Dusk.

Ji and Yi, the seventh and eighth, are probably by that mountain over there, while our big sister Ling and second sister Jun went off to nap who-knows-where after some drinks.

Then under our feet, there's Number Two, Wang. Strictly speaking, today's party is all on him—

Wait a sec, got too into introducing the family. If you're here, where's the big one-zero?

It's not that my master didn't return, he just... err... He asked me to give you this...