Page 88 of Between Ghosts and Gods

“Wait! Stop! Don’t drink that!”

A sharp cry pierced through the noise.

Arun.

“Don’t drink it! It’s been spiked with the elixir!”

Arun was running through the courtyard, waving his hands in the air.

Kasu jumped as the first scream pierced the air. One of the visiting guardian gods dropped his cup and fell to his knees, clutching his throat. His eyes turned black as they rolled to the back of his head and smoke began to pour from his skin. With a sickening crack, his limbs popped from their sockets and began to transform into something jagged and thorny. It reminded Kasu of when Hanyu began to turn feral. Only this time there was no Lady Camellia around to restore order.

Person after person began screaming. Kasu whirled around to see several heavenly attendants writhing on the ground, their legs kicking out at odd angles, their fingers red from clawing at their own necks. Red cups littered the ground.

Red cups… Kasu remembered the attendants handing them out. Red for the guests. Blue for Shusa’s household.

“What is the meaning of this, General Shusa?” The Celestial Empress had not taken a sip yet. She held her cup aloft and slowly tipped its contents onto the ground in front of her.

Kasu took a sharp step back only to bump into something large and solid. She whirled around, coming face to face with a grim-looking General Shusa.

“What did you do?” Her voice trembled despite herself.

The general smiled.

Chapter Forty-Four Kasu

One by ONE, more gods began to transform. Kasu stared in horror at the scene unfolding before her. Guests writhed on the ground as their bones broke and new, oily limbs sprouted from their flesh. Others seemed to be burning from within: smoke erupted from every orifice, their skin blistering and cracking before Kasu’s very eyes.

“General Shusa, perhaps you would like to explain yourself.” The Celestial Empress was as calm as a frozen ocean, despite the screams around her.

The general drew himself up to his full height. “Obviously these ghosts have tampered with the wine! I thought they were different from the usual wicked lot that run around the under-realm, but I suppose there’s no fighting their foul nature.”

It was such a brazen lie that Kasu could not help but gawk, and yet a few of the gods who had not touched their cups began to jeer at her, spurred on by General Shusa’s servants. The crowd was turning into a mob, spurred on by the possibility of violence.

In the middle of the throng of gods and servants, the Celestial Empress stood – unperturbed by the chaos around her. Kasu could tell from her indifferent gaze that she did not buy General Shusa’s story for a second. For a moment, Kasu’s hopes lifted.

“I see. Then these ghosts must be punished,” the Empress said.

“What?” A gasp escaped Kasu’s lips.

“You can’t believe that! I was trying to save you! I did save you!” Arun pushed the others out of the way as he struggled towards the stage.

Of course she didn’t believe it. With growing indignation, Kasu realized what was happening. The Celestial Empress was no fool – she was thinking several steps ahead. If such a scandal were to leak to the rest of the heavens or, worse, the other realms, the faith people had in the gods and the reputation the heavens held would all come crumbling down.

“The heavens are infallible. The actions of the gods are righteous. We cannot allow an event like this to shake us.”

“We won’t tell anyone, then!” The words burned Kasu even as they left her mouth. “You can punish General Shusa in secret, and we won’t tell a soul what happened here!”

Whether this was acceptable or not, the Empress gave no indication. She took a purposeful stride towards the stage.

“General Shusa will indeed have to be disciplined too. This is partially his fault for letting ghosts into the heavens.” The Celestial Empress’s smile was as sharp as a blade.

“Partially? It’s entirely his fault!” Kasu yelled, though she knew that this was merely the angle the Empress was choosing to play for the rest of the heavens. General Shusa would not escape the consequences of his actions, but the story of his betrayal would be kept a secret.

“Wait, Your Holiness!” General Shusa stepped back. Kasu barely had time to shout as she felt his arm snake around her neck, choking her.

“Kasu!” Arun grabbed a small serrated knife from one of the tables.

“What are you trying to do, Shusa?” the Celestial Empress sneered. “Do you think I care what happens to some measly ghost?”