Li Wei's legs felt like they might give out as he followed Huang and Chen Mu back to the van. The air outside the mill was crisp, but it did nothing to clear the metallic tang of blood that clung to his senses—or the echo of Longyuan's voice in his mind. Now they will smell you from farther away. The words looped, heavy with a warning he didn't fully understand but felt in his bones.
Chen Mu walked ahead, his six arms now retracted, his hoodie sleeves pulled down as if nothing had happened. The silence between them was louder than the fight had been. Li Wei glanced at the boy's back, wondering how someone so quiet could become so monstrous in battle. He wanted to ask, but Chen Mu's hunched shoulders and the faint tremble in his hands as he adjusted his harness said enough for now.
Huang paused by the van, leaning on his cane as he lit another cigarette. The ember glowed briefly, casting sharp shadows across his weathered face. "Get in," he said, exhaling smoke. "We're not done."
Li Wei blinked, his body still buzzing from the surge of Longyuan's power. "Not done? We just fought… whatever those things were."
Huang's eyes flicked to him, unamused. "You think demons take breaks? Mei Xuan's got a lead on something bigger. Move."
Li Wei climbed into the van, his new black jacket sticking to his sweat-damp skin. Chen Mu slid into the seat across from him again, pulling out a small notebook and scribbling something with a pencil stub. He didn't look up.
The drive back to the Hidden Fang Squad's headquarters was tense, the city's neon lights smearing past the windows like streaks of wet paint. Li Wei's fingers kept brushing the golden bracelet, its warmth pulsing faintly, as if Longyuan were watching. You're awake now, boy, the dragon's voice rumbled, softer this time. No more hiding.
Back at HQ, the main room smelled of ink and burnt coffee. Mei Xuan stood at a cluttered table, her long hair spilling from its loose bun as she leaned over a sketchpad. Her tactical jacket was unzipped, revealing a black tank top that hugged her curves and exposed the glowing tattoos snaking up her arms—a dagger on her forearm, a coiled whip across her collarbone, and the faint outline of a bow shimmering along her wrist. She looked up as they entered, her lips curving into a smile that was equal parts warmth and mischief. "You boys look like you've seen a ghost. Or two."
"Demons," Li Wei muttered, dropping into a chair. "Two of them."
Mei Xuan raised an eyebrow, her gaze lingering on him a moment longer than necessary. "And you're still standing. Not bad for a rookie." She tapped her pencil against her lips, the motion drawing attention to the faint glow of her tattoos. "Huang, you didn't tell me he'd punch a demon through a loom."
Huang snorted, easing himself into his wheelchair. "Kid's got instincts. Sloppy, but useful."
Li Wei flushed, unsure if that was praise or criticism. "It wasn't me. It was… Longyuan."
Mei Xuan's smile faded slightly, her eyes narrowing as she glanced at the bracelet. "That dragon's going to be trouble. I can feel it." She turned back to her sketchpad, her fingers moving swiftly to sketch a jagged shape—a claw, maybe, or a fractured piece of armor. "But we've got bigger problems."
Chen Mu set his notebook on the table, sliding it toward Mei Xuan. She glanced at the page, where he'd written in precise, blocky characters: More coming. Smelled them.
Li Wei's stomach twisted. "More? As in more demons?"
Mei Xuan nodded, her expression grim. "That's what I was working on while you two were playing hero. Sun Hao's been digging through surveillance feeds from the industrial district." She gestured to the corner, where Sun Hao sat hunched over a laptop, his fingers flying across the keyboard. The faint hum of his invisible shield flickered around him, distorting the air like heatwaves.
"Found something?" Huang asked, his voice sharp.
Sun Hao didn't look up. "Yeah. The mill wasn't a random hit. Cameras caught three more shadows moving toward the city center last night. Same vibe as the ones you fought—humanoid, but… wrong. They're converging on the old temple district."
Li Wei frowned. "Temple district? Why there?"
Mei Xuan's pencil paused, and she exchanged a glance with Huang. "That's what we're trying to figure out," she said, her tone careful. "The temples are old—older than the city. Some say they're tied to the original sealing of the demon gate."
They are, Longyuan's voice hissed in Li Wei's mind, unbidden. And they're waking up.
Li Wei stiffened, hoping no one noticed. "So… what's the plan?"
Huang stubbed out his cigarette. "We go to the temple district. Tonight. If those things are moving, we need to know why—and what they're after."
Mei Xuan closed her sketchpad with a snap, standing with a fluid grace that made her tattoos catch the light. "I'm coming this time," she said, her voice low and resolute. "If this is tied to the gate, we can't afford to sit back."
Huang's jaw tightened, but he nodded. "Fine. But you stay sharp, Mei. No heroics."
She flashed a grin, her eyes glinting with defiance. "Heroics are your thing, old man. I'm just here to draw blood."
Hours later, under a moonless sky, the squad moved through the temple district's narrow streets. The air was thick with the scent of incense and damp stone, the ancient temples looming like silent sentinels. Their rooftops curved like dragon spines, tiles cracked from centuries of neglect. Li Wei's breath caught as he passed a statue of a coiled serpent, its eyes glinting with inlaid jade.
Careful, Longyuan whispered. This place remembers me.
Mei Xuan walked beside him, her tactical boots silent against the cobblestones. Her jacket was gone now, replaced by a sleeveless vest that left her tattooed arms bare. The ink glowed faintly, pulsing in time with her steps. "Nervous, kid?" she asked, her voice a low purr.
Li Wei swallowed, trying not to stare at the way her tattoos seemed to shift under the streetlights. "Just… trying to keep up."
She chuckled, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "You'll get there. Just don't punch anything unless I say so."
Chen Mu, ahead of them, raised a hand, signaling a stop. He pointed to a temple at the end of the street, its doors ajar, a faint red glow spilling from within. Sun Hao, trailing behind, whispered, "That's not normal. No power grid runs to these ruins."
Huang's cane tapped softly as he moved closer. "Mei, check it out. Li Wei, stay with her. Chen Mu, cover the perimeter. Sun Hao, eyes on the feeds."
Mei Xuan nodded, her fingers brushing the dagger tattoo on her forearm. With a flicker of light, the ink peeled free, solidifying into a sleek, glowing blade in her hand. She twirled it once, her movements fluid and precise, then glanced at Li Wei. "Ready to see how it's done?"
Li Wei's pulse raced, but he nodded, gripping the bracelet. "Yeah. Let's go."
They crept toward the temple, the red glow growing brighter. The air grew heavier, pressing against Li Wei's chest like a warning. Inside, the temple's interior was a cavern of shadows, its walls etched with faded murals of dragons and warriors. At the center, a stone altar pulsed with crimson light, and above it floated a jagged, blackened shard—like a piece of broken bone or armor, suspended in midair.
Mei Xuan froze, her dagger hand tightening. "That's not good," she whispered.
Before Li Wei could ask why, the shard pulsed, and the air split with a guttural roar. Shadows coalesced around the altar, forming three demons—taller than the ones at the mill, their bodies wreathed in smoke, their eyes burning like coals.
Mei Xuan moved first, her whip tattoo flaring as it unraveled into her other hand. She lashed out, the glowing cord snapping around one demon's neck, yanking it to the ground. "Li Wei, now!"
His body reacted before his mind could catch up. The bracelet burned, and Longyuan's power surged, gold light flooding his vision. He lunged, his fist connecting with the second demon's chest, sending it crashing into the altar. The impact cracked the stone, but the shard above pulsed brighter, and the third demon charged.
Mei Xuan spun, her bow tattoo glowing as she summoned an arrow and fired it in one fluid motion. The arrow pierced the demon's shoulder, pinning it to the wall, but it thrashed, tearing free.
"They're stronger here!" she shouted, her voice sharp but steady. "Something's powering them!"
Li Wei's head pounded as Longyuan's voice roared, The shard! Destroy it!
He dove for the altar, dodging a claw that grazed his shoulder. Blood seeped through his jacket, but he ignored it, slamming both hands onto the shard. Gold light erupted, and for a moment, he saw it—a vision of a gate, vast and burning, with thousands of eyes staring back.
The shard shattered, and the demons screamed, their forms dissolving into smoke. The temple fell silent, save for Li Wei's ragged breathing and the drip of his blood onto the floor.
Mei Xuan grabbed his arm, her grip firm but gentle. "You okay, kid?"
He nodded, though his vision swam. "What… what was that thing?"
She didn't answer immediately, her eyes fixed on the altar's remains. "Something that shouldn't be here," she said finally. "And I'm betting Lei Feng knows why."
As they stumbled out of the temple, Huang and the others waiting outside, Li Wei felt Longyuan's presence coil tighter in his mind. You've stirred the nest now, the dragon said. Be ready.
Li Wei didn't respond. He didn't need to. The weight of the night—the blood, the demons, the shard—told him everything. This was only the beginning.