Question

While mourning an imperial consort, a man writes a poem about how these things appear like the “dark folds of a mourner’s dress” in a chapter named for a “rack” or “wreath” of these things. These material things partly title a novel in which a Buddhist disciple marries eight reincarnated fairies before waking from a dream. (-5[1])These things partly name a “missing” section that may have encouraged readers to “flee the world” in favor of monastic life, per the study Seeds in the Heart. They aren’t bell crickets, but (*) Arthur Waley’s translation (10[1])omits that chapter named for these things, after which the “transition” and “Uji” chapters depict (10[1])Niou and Kaoru’s feud. These things title an oddly-formatted chapter in an eleventh-century novel that likely signifies the hero’s death. For 10 points, name (10[1])these things into which the hero is implied to “vanish” in a blank chapter from The Tale of Genji. ■END■

ANSWER: clouds [or kumo; accept Usogumo; accept “Vanished into the Clouds” or Kumogakure; accept Nine Cloud Dream or The Cloud Dream of the Nine or Kuunmong; accept “A Wreath of Cloud” or “A Rack of Clouds”]
<Literature - World Literature - Long Fiction>
= Average correct buzz position

Back to tossups

Buzzes

PlayerTeamOpponentBuzz PositionValue
Will AlstonWalston et. al.NJ TRANSit (and anwen i guess)55-5
Emmett Lauriejeff mcneil #1 morningside heights fan clubCope is the thing with feathers9110
Eshan Pantjust one more half-dot bro12 Litres of Green Tea10610
Hazel Depreist-SullivanNJ TRANSit (and anwen i guess)Walston et. al.13010

Summary

2024 ARGOS @ Stanford02/22/2025Y3100%67%0%80.00
2024 ARGOS @ McMaster11/17/2024Y5100%0%20%116.60
2024 ARGOS @ Chicago11/23/2024Y6100%0%17%108.83
2024 ARGOS @ Columbia11/23/2024Y3100%0%33%109.00
2024 ARGOS @ Christ's College12/14/2024Y3100%33%0%91.33