The infirmary stank of burned herbs and sweat. Erhu's screams had subsided into whimpers, his body strapped to a cot with spiritwood restraints. The black veins around his eyes pulsed like living things.
Mei stood in the doorway, the Azurefang core heavy in her hands. It hummed softly, reacting to the shadows writhing beneath Erhu's skin.
Granny Hua wiped her brow with a bloody rag. "Three more hosts collapsed. Whatever's inside them, it's digging deeper."
Zhang Wei examined Erhu's thrashing form. "Can we force the shadows out?"
"Not without tearing their minds apart." The old alchemist nodded to Mei. "But *she* might convince them to leave willingly."
The core in Mei's hands grew warmer. Frostbite's voice slithered up from her subconscious:
*"The Abbot never intended to reclaim his shadows. He wanted them to find new hosts all along."*
Mei's cursed veins flared in response. She stepped forward, pressing the core against Erhu's chest. The effect was immediate—his back arched off the cot as the shadow within him *screamed*, a sound like grinding metal.
Black smoke poured from his mouth and nose, coalescing above him into a vaguely humanoid shape. The shadow hovered for a moment, then plunged into the Azurefang core with a sound like a sigh.
Erhu gasped awake, his eyes clearing. "W-what...?"
Xiao Ling whooped. "It worked!"
But Mei barely heard him. The core vibrated violently in her grip, its runes flashing crimson. Frostbite's laughter echoed through her skull as the other possessed disciples began convulsing in their cots.
*"You've made a wonderful vessel, little sister."*
---
**System Alert:**
**Azurefang Core Integration:** 12%
**Shadow Transfer Protocol:** Active
**Warning:** Core corruption detected (Foreign influence: 89%)
---
Zhang Wei grabbed Mei's shoulders. "What's happening?"
"The shadows... they're not going back to the Abbot." She met his gaze, her own eyes flooding with black. "They're going *into the core*."
The realization hit them simultaneously. This had been the Abbot's plan all along—to infest the ancient artifact with his stolen shadows.
Granny Hua snatched the core away, sealing it in her cauldron with a burst of steam. "We need to purge it. Now."
---
The ritual required three things:
1. **The Blood of the Cursed** (Mei's blackened veins)
2. **A Sacrifice of Flame** (Jiang Chao's purest fire)
3. **A Memory Worth Forgetting** (Volunteer required)
Xiao Ling didn't hesitate. "Take one of mine! I've got plenty to spare."
Mei gripped his hand. "You don't know what you're offering."
The boy grinned, though it didn't reach his eyes. "Sure I do. That time I wet myself during the bandit attack? Perfect deletion material."
The ritual circle flared to life as Mei's blood dripped onto the sealed cauldron. Jiang Chao channeled white-hot flames through his palms while Xiao Ling held the unstable core directly, his face contorting as the shadow magic sought its payment.
A scream built in Mei's throat—but it was Xiao Ling who cried out first. His body went rigid as the shadows siphoned something intangible from him. When it was over, he collapsed, his breathing shallow but steady.
The core, now clear as polished glass, pulsed once and fell silent.
---
**Dawn brought grim accounting:**
- **Successful Shadow Extractions:** 9/12
- **Failed Cases:** 3 disciples comatose (Shadows too deeply entrenched)
- **Xiao Ling's Condition:** Stable but missing memories (Gaps in personal history)
- **Azurefang Core:** Purified (Control protocols restored)
Zhang Wei studied the sleeping Xiao Ling. "What did it take from him?"
Mei examined the boy's aura. "Not skills or knowledge. Just... childhood moments. The quiet ones that shape who you become."
A commotion outside interrupted them. Luo Yan burst in, dragging a bound prisoner—a Black Viper scout, barely older than Erhu.
"Found this rat sniffing around our walls."
The scout spat blood. "Lady Bai sends a message. The Abbot has betrayed you all."
Mei's stomach dropped. "Explain."
"He never wanted shadows returned. He wanted them *changed* by your experiences." The scout's grin was feral. "Now they carry your memories, your fears... your weaknesses."
Zhang Wei's fist clenched. "Where is she?"
"Gone to the Obsidian Monastery. To give the Abbot his *upgraded* weapons." The scout laughed. "You played right into their hands."
---
**Strategic Options:**
1. **Pursue Lady Bai Immediately** (Risk: Ambush)
2. **Awaken Azurefang Guardian** (Risk: Unstable control)
3. **Seek New Allies** (Wandering cultivators? Rival sects?)
The decision weighed heavily as Mei studied the purified core. Within its depths, something new stirred—not a shadow, but an echo of the guardian's original purpose.
*Protect. Serve. Remember.*
Xiao Ling groaned awake, rubbing his temples. "Why do I feel like I forgot something important?"
Mei exchanged glances with Zhang Wei. The path forward was clear.
"Gather everyone," he ordered. "We march within the hour."