The Hidden Fang Squad's headquarters felt less like a base and more like a home after the temple mission, though Li Wei wasn't sure if that was comforting or unsettling. The main room buzzed with quiet activity: Sun Hao's fingers tapped rhythmically on his laptop, his invisible shield humming faintly; Chen Mu sat cross-legged on the floor, sketching in his notebook with a focus that seemed almost meditative; and Zhao Yanying sharpened a pair of daggers at the table, her movements precise and impatient, her dark eyes flicking up occasionally to glare at nothing in particular.
Mei Xuan stood at a small stove in the corner, stirring a pot of noodle soup that filled the room with the warm scent of ginger and scallions. Her sleeveless vest clung to her frame, the glowing tattoos on her arms shimmering as she moved—a spear on her bicep, a whip curling around her shoulder. She hummed softly, a tune Li Wei didn't recognize, her hips swaying slightly as she tasted the broth with a spoon. The sight was oddly domestic for someone who'd whipped a demon's head off hours ago.
"You're staring, kid," Zhao Yanying said without looking up, her voice sharp as the blade she honed.
Li Wei's face heated, and he busied himself adjusting his gloves. "I'm not staring. I'm… thinking."
"Sure." Zhao smirked, twirling a dagger between her fingers. "Think less about Mei's cooking and more about not dying next time."
Mei Xuan laughed, low and husky, not turning around. "Leave him alone, Yanying. He's earned a break after punching a demon into next week." She ladled soup into bowls, her tattoos catching the light as she moved. "Besides, you're just jealous because I didn't save you any last time."
Zhao snorted, but her lips twitched into a reluctant smile. "Your soup's overrated anyway."
Li Wei watched the exchange, a strange warmth settling in his chest. For a moment, the weight of Longyuan's voice and the temple's crimson shard faded. This—bickering over soup, the scratch of Chen Mu's pencil, the hum of Sun Hao's laptop—felt almost normal. Almost like a family.
Huang rolled into the room, his wheelchair creaking slightly. "Enough chatter," he said, though his tone lacked its usual edge. "Mei, report."
Mei Xuan set a bowl in front of him, her smile fading into something more serious. "I went out this morning. Solo run to check a lead Sun Hao flagged in the temple district." She glanced at Li Wei, her eyes sharp but not unkind. "Found traces of demonic energy near the old serpent shrine. Same vibe as the shard we destroyed last night."
Li Wei frowned. "You went alone? Isn't that… dangerous?"
Mei Xuan's lips curved, a hint of defiance in her gaze. "I've been doing this longer than you've been breathing, kid. My tattoos and I can handle a recon mission." She tapped the dagger tattoo on her forearm, and it flared briefly, as if agreeing.
Huang's expression tightened. "What'd you find?"
"Residual energy, but no demons. Yet." Mei Xuan leaned against the table, crossing her arms. "The shrine's carvings were… active. Glowing faintly, like they were reacting to something. I sketched them." She pulled out her sketchpad, flipping to a page of intricate serpent designs, their eyes drawn with eerie precision. "If the temples are waking up, like Longyuan said, we're on a clock."
She's right, Longyuan rumbled in Li Wei's mind, its voice like distant thunder. The gate stirs. The shard was a key, but not the only one.
Li Wei shifted uncomfortably, aware of Chen Mu's eyes flicking toward him. "Longyuan says the shard was a key. There might be more."
Zhao Yanying's dagger paused mid-twirl. "Great. More creepy floating bones. Just what we need."
Sun Hao looked up from his laptop, his shield flickering. "I've got something else. The city's hero council is planning a public event tomorrow—some kind of unity rally in the central square. Lei Feng's headlining it."
Huang's eyes narrowed. "A rally? Now?"
"Perfect cover," Mei Xuan said, her voice low. "He saves the day, gets the crowd cheering, while demons slip through the cracks."
Zhao Yanying slammed her dagger into the table, making Li Wei jump. "Then we crash it. Catch him in the act."
Huang shook his head. "Too public. We need proof first, or we're just terrorists in the eyes of the city." He turned to Mei Xuan. "You're sure about the shrine?"
"As sure as I am about this soup," she said, sliding a bowl toward Li Wei. "Eat. You'll need the strength."
Li Wei took the bowl, the warmth seeping into his hands. He hesitated, then took a sip. The broth was rich, savory, with a kick of spice that made his eyes water. "This is… really good."
Mei Xuan winked, her tattoos glinting. "Told you. Art's not my only talent."
Chen Mu scribbled something in his notebook and held it up: Better than Zhao's cooking.
Zhao threw a cloth at him, but her laugh broke the tension. "Keep talking, mute. I'll poison your next meal."
For a moment, they ate in silence, the clink of spoons and the hum of the city outside filling the space. Li Wei felt Longyuan's presence, coiled and watchful, but he pushed it aside. He wasn't ready to think about gates or demons or Lei Feng's schemes. Not yet.
That night, the squad gathered for a briefing. Huang spread a map of the temple district across the table, marking the serpent shrine Mei Xuan had scouted. "If there are more shards, they'll be in places like this—old sites tied to the gate's sealing. We need to find them before Lei Feng does."
Mei Xuan nodded, her fingers tracing the whip tattoo on her shoulder. "I can take another solo run tomorrow. Hit the other shrines, see if they're active."
"No," Huang said sharply. "You're not going alone again. We move as a team."
Mei Xuan's eyes flashed, but she didn't argue. Instead, she turned to Li Wei. "You're with me and Zhao tomorrow. Chen Mu and Sun Hao will cover the tech and perimeter."
Li Wei's stomach dropped. "Me? I barely know what I'm doing."
Zhao Yanying grinned, her daggers glinting as she sheathed them. "That's why you're with us, rookie. Time to learn how to stab something properly."
Chen Mu gave Li Wei a nod, his expression unreadable but not unkind. Sun Hao just shrugged, already back to his laptop.
Huang tapped the map. "We hit the shrines at dawn. If Lei Feng's moving, we need to be faster. Get some rest."
Dawn came too soon. The temple district was shrouded in mist, the air heavy with the scent of moss and old stone. Li Wei walked between Mei Xuan and Zhao Yanying, their steps silent but purposeful. Zhao's daggers were strapped to her thighs, her posture tense, ready to strike. Mei Xuan moved with a fluid grace, her tattoos glowing faintly under her sleeveless jacket, a bow already shimmering in her hand.
The first shrine was smaller than the last, its roof sagging, its walls covered in vines. A faint hum emanated from within, like the pulse of a distant heart.
"Feel that?" Mei Xuan whispered, her voice low and intense. "It's awake."
Zhao Yanying drew her daggers, her eyes scanning the shadows. "Let's make this quick."
They stepped inside, and the hum grew louder. At the shrine's center, another shard floated above a cracked altar, its crimson glow pulsing like a heartbeat. But this time, something else waited—a demon, taller and broader than the others, its body a mass of writhing smoke and bone. Its six eyes locked onto them, and it let out a hiss that rattled the walls.
"Now!" Mei Xuan shouted, her whip tattoo flaring as it snapped into her hand. She lashed out, the glowing cord wrapping around the demon's arm, pulling it off balance.
Zhao moved like a shadow, her daggers flashing as she sliced into the demon's side. "Li Wei, don't just stand there!"
Li Wei's heart pounded, the bracelet burning against his wrist. Call me, Longyuan urged. He clenched his fist, gold light surging through him. He charged, his punch slamming into the demon's chest, sending it staggering.
But the shard pulsed, and the demon roared, its wounds knitting back together. Mei Xuan cursed, summoning a spear from her thigh tattoo and driving it into the demon's leg. "The shard's healing it! Break it!"
Zhao ducked a swipe from the demon's claws, her daggers carving arcs through the air. "Easier said than done!"
Li Wei dove for the altar, the demon's claws grazing his back. Pain flared, but Longyuan's power dulled it. He slammed his hands onto the shard, gold light erupting. The vision came again—a burning gate, eyes staring, a voice whispering promises of power. He gritted his teeth and pushed harder, the shard cracking under his grip.
The demon screamed as the shard shattered, its body collapsing into ash. The shrine fell silent, the hum gone.
Mei Xuan panted, her spear dissolving back into her skin. "Nice work, kid. You're getting the hang of this."
Zhao sheathed her daggers, her expression grudgingly impressed. "Not bad. But your form's terrible."
Li Wei managed a shaky laugh, his back stinging. "I'll… work on it."
As they left the shrine, Mei Xuan's hand brushed his shoulder, her touch brief but warm. "You did good. Keep up, and I might let you draw one of my tattoos someday."
Li Wei's face burned, but before he could respond, Zhao snorted. "Focus, rookie. We've got more shrines to hit."
In the distance, the city's skyline glowed with the first light of morning, but Li Wei felt the weight of Longyuan's words: The gate stirs. And somewhere, Lei Feng was waiting, his plans unfolding like a storm on the horizon.