“We were hoping that … that you and Ah Li could reconcile and … restore your father’s memories together,” Nai Nai said softly.
“I don’t know if a reconciliation is even possible,” I admitted, “but I’m going to do my best.”
“Can you find your brother, Falun? Find him and … bring him back to us?”
Of course I wanted that. But what if I found Alex and he didn’t want anything to do with me, or Ba, or any of our family? What if he no longer cared about finding our mother or restoring Ba’s memory?
“What about—my mother?” I asked. I looked around at the spirits. There was no sign of the kind-eyed, brown-haired woman. My heart sank in disappointment. In the Chamber of Mirrors, my mother—or rather, the version of her in the mirror—had said I could find her in the Underworld. But where?
“Ah.” Nai Nai’s forehead creased. “Let’s discuss that later. More urgent matters are at hand.”
I thought finding the mom I’d never known was pretty urgent. Before I could point that out, Ashley shouted, “Wait! Jinyu.”
Really? She was going to guilt-trip me at a time like this? “Look, we know how much you worship the guy—”
“Ashley.” Meng Po’s assistant, who’d been lying on the ground, sat up. Then they did something strange. They reached up and pulled the hood off their head, revealing tangled, wild black hair, deep-set black eyes, and a prominent jaw.
I’d seen his face up close in real life only one time, but I’d seen pictures of him at the New Order many times since. There was no mistaking the identity of Meng Po’s assistant.
“Jinyu,” Jordan breathed.
“Hey, guys,” Jinyu said, raising a hand casually, like he was just passing some old friends on the street. “It’s been a while. I’m sort of dead now.” Although he said it in a flippant way, his voice cracked on the word “now,” and he cast his gaze toward the ground. But a moment later, Jinyu raised his head and revealed a sunny smile, as though nothing was wrong. “Oh, and I think that old hag Meng Po was controlling my mind, which was mildly annoying. But I’m good now. Probably. What’s new with you guys?”
Ashley cried out and rushed at Jinyu, arms open wide. I expected her to tackle him in the biggest, tightest hug. Instead, she pummeled the poor guy with her fists.
“Hey!” Jordan rushed forward, but Jinyu held up a hand. Jordan stopped in his tracks.
“Oh, this is entertaining. Why didn’t I bring my popcorn?” Nai Nai lamented. “Or sunflower seeds?”
“You idiot.” Ashley sobbed as she punched Jinyu with each syllable. I’d never seen the girl cry. Something about it was relieving and deeply disturbing at the same time. “You complete, utter, total doofus. You—”
“Are you done?” Jinyu groaned. “Nice to see you, too, Ashley.” He flashed a smile that looked more sad than happy to me. It was as though he were gazing upon the fond memory of something long since passed.
“I can’t believe you sacrificed your life to save some strange g-girl,” Ashley spluttered. “Actually, wait, I can, you noble, stupid—” She finally stopped punching Jinyu and instead collapsed against him. He pulled her in for an awkward hug. I stifled a laugh. Given the wary expression on his face and the way Jinyu lightly patted her, you’d think he was subduing a plague-infested hedgehog.
“Don’t tell me you’re gonna punch me, too,” Jinyu said to Jordan.
“Tempted to,” Jordan admitted. “You can treat me to a bubble tea, and we’ll call it even. If there’s even bubble tea in the Underworld.”
Jinyu gave him an odd look. “Of course there’s bubble tea in the Underworld. And it’s good bubble tea, too.” He laughed and shook his head, muttering, “No bubble tea. Ha. As if any soul could survive in a place like that.”
“This is a very touching reunion,” Hongyi interrupted. “Believe me, I’m utterly moved. But there is a rather urgent matter at hand to take care of. You punks still have to deal with that powerful weapon, don’t you?” He tilted his head toward the Monkey King’s shining golden cudgel.
“What now?” I faced my ancestors. Forget Alex and Ba’s memory—first, I had to make sure we made it out of Diyu alive. “How can we bring the Ruyi Jingu Bang back with us to King Yama and then to the human world?”
Nai Nai stepped toward the glowing staff, cupping her chin with one hand and squinting at the weapon. “The Ruyi Jingu Bang is more than just a weapon,” she said. “It has amassed enough good karma that it’s well on its way to reincarnating as a human in its next life. If you take this weapon back to the human world, you’ll interrupt a sacred process. The Ruyi Jingu Bang might not be able to reincarnate for hundreds more years.”
“Nai Nai, we need the Ruyi Jingu Bang right now,” I protested.
Ren stepped forward. “The world needs it if we want to try to stop a war.”
My grandmother shook her head. “I’m afraid war is on its way already, warriors. One weapon—powerful though it may be—won’t be able to stop that.”
“What?” Ashley’s sword clattered out of her hand and onto the ground. She seemed to have forgotten that she was in the middle of being mad at Jinyu, too.
“What do you mean, war is on its way already?” Jordan demanded.
“We’re too late?” Ren added quietly.
Cixi stepped up beside Nai Nai. “Rumors travel quickly down here in the Underworld. Spirits grow restless with nothing better to do than wait in line or be trapped in their eternal torment all day.”
Nai Nai nodded. “We believe that as soon as the Hungry Ghost Festival ends in three days, Heaven will make its first move against the humans and demons.”
Ominous silence fell in the room.
“Three days? Only five days had passed when we arrived here in Diyu,” I protested. “We should have nine days left!”
“Time moves differently down here, child,” Nai Nai explained.
I exchanged horrified looks with Ren, Ashley, and Jordan.
“There’s no way we can stop this war in time,” Jordan moaned. “Can’t be done. Not in three days.”
“Better get a move on, then, shouldn’t you, sonny?” said Hongyi. He floated upside down as he crossed his arms over his chest.
The Ruyi Jingu Bang seemed to taunt me with how close it was. I wanted to scream in frustration. How could we do the impossible?
“There is one way for you to take the Ruyi Jingu Bang with you,” Nai Nai said softly.
“Name it,” I said without hesitating. “I’ll do anything.”
My grandmother gave me a wry smile. “I had a feeling you’d say that. You’re so like your father.” Her eyes flickered to the staff. “Everything in Diyu operates on an equal exchange. To remove one soul from the Underworld, you must be prepared to tether another soul to it.”
I didn’t like the sound of that. “You mean … one of us has to stay behind?”
Nai Nai nodded.
“Forever?” Jordan squeaked.
“Not forever. Just until the original object is returned here. Once the exchange is complete, the person’s soul will separate from their body. The soul will join us in the Underworld, while the body will continue to age as usual, until they are either rescued or … die.”