вЂњThe Li family has no one lingering in Diyu.вЂќ ShiShi grunted. Or weвЂ™ve done something to deserve getting out of this place.вЂќ When we get closer to blue, that means our time is coming up. Behavior in Diyu is closely monitored, just as it was in the real world. вЂњRed means you have a long time to serve. вЂњThe bandit ghosts were red,вЂќ Mulan remembered. Those bound for Heaven usually donвЂ™t stick around the lower parts of Diyu.вЂќ вЂњOnce you turn blue, it means youвЂ™re either going to be reincarnated or youвЂ™re bound for Heaven. His aura was green, almost blue-like the eye of a peacock feather. Most of the ghosts sheвЂ™d seen had been either yellow or red. They were nearly the same shade of blue, Mulan noted. вЂњOur colors.вЂќ Ren compared his ghostly aura to ShangвЂ™s. вЂњYou wonвЂ™t have to,вЂќ Ren said matter-of-factly. вЂњIвЂ™m guessing you havenвЂ™t mastered your unearthly talents yet.вЂќ вЂњThe longer youвЂ™ve been here, the better you are at it.вЂќ Ren tilted his head at Shang. Most of them get lazy after a thousand years.вЂќ вЂњThe stairs are for the demons,вЂќ Ren explained. ShiShi climbed them five at a time, keeping pace with MulanвЂ™s ancestors, who had no trouble floating up and up. When there were stairs, they were narrow and rough. Wafts of wood fire and cinnamon, and sometimes dead fish Mulan also heard shouts and screams from far away. Mulan pushed aside her doubts and focused on her surroundings.

Still, for a monk, his pockets jangled rather noisily. She thought it fair not to do the same of him. She would have asked, but Ren was the only one of her ancestors who hadnвЂ™t questioned her identity. What kind of shortcomings? Mulan wondered. вЂњBut IвЂ™m bound for Heaven soon, as you can see by my aura.вЂќ вЂњI had a fewвЂ¦shortcomings,вЂќ Ren admitted. вЂњIвЂ™d think a monk shouldnвЂ™t be here at all.вЂќ вЂњWould you care to explain why you are a veteran of Diyu?вЂќ ShiShi grumbled. And the demons wonвЂ™t think to look for you here-only veterans of Diyu know all the shortcuts.вЂќ вЂњIt isnвЂ™t the most scenic route,вЂќ said Ren, вЂњbut itвЂ™s fast. вЂњThis isnвЂ™t very promising,вЂќ the lion muttered, throwing a glance about the caveвЂ™s interior. Beneath them was an infinite tunnel of darkness. It was then Mulan noticed the pathway beneath her was floating. Shang followed, then ShiShi-who landed so wide he almost fell off the brick path. Often, the path forked into a maze of winding, serpentine lanes, so Mulan reminded herself to be grateful Ren knew the way. Taking her place behind Ren, Mulan followed the thin brick path as it wound up and up the cave. She tried searching for any sign of the vermilion gates at the very top of the hive, but her eyes couldnвЂ™t see so far. Mulan saw demons laboring over a stone furnace in one, and a village of ghosts in another. Most were bleak, rocky, cavernous rooms, but others held forests and stone deserts and tempestuous thunderstorms. It was like looking up an endless well, except each stone was a different chamber. Inside the hill was another hive much like the one sheвЂ™d seen from the bridge when sheвЂ™d first entered the gates. ThatвЂ™s as high as weвЂ™re allowed to go anyway.вЂќД«efore he could protest, she slipped into the hill, her foot landing on a narrow brick path. вЂњItвЂ™s a portal thatвЂ™ll take you to the ninety-seventh level. With one tug, Ren parted them, revealing a door under the grass. Underneath the teeth of two of the bronze medallions were rings-door handles. Ren poked at the hill with his cane, and Mulan saw multiple demon-head medallions appear, speckling the dry grass with red, glowing eyes.

It was lower than the others, and freckled with white and yellow dandelions across the grass. MulanвЂ™s ancestors halted before the last hill. More than you trust me.Д«ecause, if she was honest with herself, how could Shang trust her if he didnвЂ™t even know her real name? вЂњYou should trust them,вЂќ Mulan said, hoping he wouldnвЂ™t catch how her voice faltered at the end. вЂњI donвЂ™t mean to offend your ancestors,вЂќ Shang added, misreading her silence. How could she tell him her ancestors had a good reason not to want to help? Because they were right-she wasnвЂ™t who she said she was.

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