Page 82 of Between Ghosts and Gods

General Shusa and his two guards sat at one end of the unnecessarily long table. The general ate very little for a person of his size. He sipped at his tea and picked at a piece of fruit while his guards stuffed themselves with steamed buns and pork rib soup.

“I heard from General Shusa that both Lady Camellia and the Pale Lady are no more,” Orro said as he poured her a cup of freshly brewed tea.

Kasu stared at the stern-faced servant. Every time he was near, she couldn’t help but feel slightly unsettled. Despite how absolutely unremarkable he was in appearance, there was just an … aura about him that made her squirm.

“That’s right.” She smiled, trying to be polite. Some people were just weird. It wasn’t their fault.

Orro did a grand job of not rolling his eyes. “So Lord Cobalt is the only demon lord left. I’m sure that little worm is having a grand time.” Kasu had come to recognize the disdain the heavens held for all things under-realm.

“There’s still Lord Onyx.”

“Really?”

It looked like there was more the servant wished to ask, but he didn’t get the chance, as just then General Shusa cleared his throat.

With a bow, Orro retreated from the table.

“I have spoken with the Celestial Empress about the events that brought you here,” said Shusa. “Regarding the deaths of two of the four demon lords, no doubt there will be some turmoil, but it is not the heavens’ place to control what demons do. As long as they keep their evil deeds contained to Ghost City, that is.”

“In other words, as long as only the people in the under-realm suffer, it’s fine.” Arun frowned.

General Shusa lifted his teacup to his lips, but his eyes never left Arun’s face. “Those ‘people’ are demons who have committed crimes, or ghosts who have made deals with demons. They end up there through nobody’s fault but their own.”

Kasu’s cheeks burned with shame. Of course. How could she have forgotten? Being part of the under-realm was a punishment. If she had not sold her soul to Lady Camellia, she would not have ended up in Ghost City. If she had just died quietly she would not have fallen out of the cycle of souls. She had to take responsibility for her own decisions, as did all other ghosts.

“But there are ghosts that wind up in the under-realm because they suffer great misfortune. People who die in such misery they become ghosts because they can’t move on,” said Arun.

“You mean the hungry ghosts? Tell me, do you think everyone who suffers in life becomes a ghost? They might not be able to control the misfortune that strikes them, but they can control how they react to it. Whether they mire themselves in hatred or rise above it like a lotus flower is a matter of willpower. Whose fault is it, then, that they cannot move on?”

Kasu kept her head bowed. The Heavenly Principles were full of advice about how to maintain your composure when things went wrong, how to refrain from anger and hatred, but General Shusa’s judgement felt too harsh. It felt … wrong.

No, a god can’t be wrong. The Heavenly Principles can’t…

Arun stared back at the general, quietly furious.

General Shusa frowned. A moment later, he smoothed it over with a smile. “I understand your frustration, but that is just how things are. By decree of the Celestial Empress, the under-realm and the ghosts that dwell there are to be left to their own devices. And to their own suffering.”

Kasu wished she could disappear into her soup. “If I may…” She swallowed past her hesitation. “What about the elixir Lady Camellia made?”

“Of course, the elixir is too dangerous to leave alone. We will send someone to the under-realm to retrieve it and lock it up here in the heavenly vaults where it cannot fall into the wrong hands.”

“You can do that? Won’t it be dangerous to venture into the under-realm?” Kasu didn’t realize how far she was leaning over the table until she felt her hair brush against her bowl of congee.

General Shusa chuckled, flattered by her interest. “Worry not. We have a mask that we use to disguise ourselves.”

Kasu jerked back and brushed a few stray grains of rice from her hair. As she did, Arun caught her eye. She was sure they were both thinking of the aura mask. The Sage had said that he sold his masks to gods too. Kasu had not wanted to believe it at the time, but that was only because the Sage made it sound like the gods were using the mask to indulge in the pleasures of the under-realm, not for official business.

“That’s convenient.” Arun’s tone strained at the bars of politeness.

“And the reincarnation wheel?” Kasu asked.

“Is with me for the time being. Before it can be returned to the Hall of Fates, my servants will check to make sure it’s in full working order.”

“I would love to see the hall.” Kasu sighed. What a sight it must be: all those wheels turning and turning. Souls heading to their next lives.

General Shusa set down his chopsticks. “I’m afraid that’s not possible. Heroes though you may be, two of you are ghosts and the other is a curse. To let you out into the hall would cause a stir.”

The maids giggled behind their sleeves, silenced only when General Shusa looked their way.