Li Wei trudged back to his cramped Beijing apartment after a late-night study session, his backpack sagging with textbooks and the weight of the shrine mission. The golden bracelet on his wrist felt heavier, pulsing faintly as Longyuan's presence stirred. He collapsed onto his narrow bed, the city's hum filtering through the window. His phone buzzed with a reminder: Lit seminar, 9:00 a.m. He groaned, knowing sleep would be a luxury with demons and essays looming.
A faint shimmer caught his eye, and the air in the room shifted. Gold light coiled, forming a figure—a young man, about 19, with sharp features, golden eyes, and hair that shimmered like scales under moonlight. Longyuan, in human form, leaned against the wall, smirking. "You look like a drowned rat, Wei."
Li Wei jolted upright. "What the—since when can you do that?"
Longyuan twirled a strand of hair, his grin playful. "Since you spilled your blood on that shard. It woke more of me." His tone shifted, eyes narrowing. "But don't get comfortable. The gate's stirring, and spirits don't play games."
Li Wei rubbed his temples. "Great. Now I've got a dragon roommate."
Longyuan chuckled, flopping onto the bed's edge. "Roommate? I'm your shadow, not your landlord. Get some rest. You'll need it for that rally tomorrow."
Li Wei wanted to argue, but exhaustion won. He drifted off, Longyuan's human form fading into gold mist, his voice a whisper: The gate sees you now.
Morning brought the squad's usual chaos at HQ. Zhao Yanying was absent, her daggers neatly arranged on the table—a sign she'd already left for her morning routine. "She's at the dojo," Mei Xuan said, stirring a pot of congee, her tattoos glowing faintly under a sleeveless top—a dagger on her forearm, a whip curling across her collarbone. Her hair was loose, framing her face with an effortless allure as she ladled breakfast. "Teaches knife-fighting to kids when she's not here. Says it keeps her sharp."
Li Wei raised an eyebrow, grabbing a bowl. "Kids? Zhao?"
Mei Xuan smirked, her voice husky. "Hard to believe, right? She's got a soft spot for strays. Don't tell her I said that."
Chen Mu sat by his bonsai, trimming leaves with delicate care, his broad frame a quiet contrast to the six-armed hulk he became in battle. He scribbled in his notebook: Zhao's good with them. Tough but fair. He glanced at Li Wei, offering a rare, faint smile.
Sun Hao yawned over his laptop, his shield humming as he typed. "I'm stuck fixing a client's shopping cart glitch today. Boring, but it pays for the gear we need." He nodded toward a pile of tech—cameras, comms, a drone. "Rally's tonight. I've got feeds hacked for surveillance."
Huang rolled in, his thermos steaming with tea. "Clinic was quick today. Burns are stable." He tapped his cane, eyes sharp. "Mei, how'd your solo scout go last night?"
Mei Xuan set her congee down, her tattoos flaring briefly. "Rally site's a circus—barricades, cameras, hero council guards everywhere. Lei Feng's got the square locked down, but I spotted gaps in their patrols. Something's off, though. The air felt… heavy, like the shrines."
Li Wei's stomach twisted, Longyuan's human form flickering in his mind. "Another shard?"
"Maybe," Mei Xuan said, her eyes narrowing. "Or something worse."
Zhao burst through the door, sweat-soaked from the dojo, her gym bag slung over her shoulder. "What'd I miss?" she asked, grabbing a bowl of congee and dropping into a chair. Her tank top showed fresh bruises from sparring, but her eyes were bright, energized.
"Rally prep," Huang said. "You're with Mei and Li Wei tonight. We infiltrate the square, find what Lei Feng's hiding."
Zhao grinned, twirling a dagger from her bag. "Finally, something fun."
Li Wei barely made it through his literature seminar, his notes a mess of half-formed thoughts about Lu Xun and flashes of the shrine's crimson shard. Longyuan's human form appeared briefly in the lecture hall's corner, leaning against a wall with a teasing grin. "Focus, Wei. Your professor's glaring." Li Wei gritted his teeth, ignoring the dragon as he scribbled, his essay still a disaster.
After class, he grabbed a coffee from a campus cart, the bitter taste grounding him. He texted his classmate, promising to share notes later, and headed back to HQ, the bracelet warm against his wrist. Longyuan's voice was quiet, but its weight lingered: The rally is a mask. Be ready.
Dusk settled over the city as the squad approached the central square, the rally site buzzing with crowds and neon lights. Banners with Lei Feng's face—smiling, heroic—hung from lampposts, his lightning-imbued aura a public beacon. The air was thick with anticipation and something darker, a hum like the shrines.
Mei Xuan led the way, her tattoos hidden under a sleek jacket, her movements fluid as she slipped through the crowd. "Stay close," she whispered, her bow tattoo shimmering faintly. "I scouted a weak point near the stage. We'll slip in there."
Zhao followed, her daggers strapped under a loose coat, her eyes scanning for threats. "If Lei Feng's here, I'm cutting that smug smile off his face."
Li Wei's heart raced, the bracelet pulsing. Longyuan materialized beside him, invisible to others, his human form blending into the crowd. "Look at them," the dragon said, his tone playful but edged with steel. "Worshipping a traitor. Pathetic." His gold eyes darkened. "The gate's energy is here. Find it."
They reached the stage's edge, a barricaded area guarded by hero council soldiers. Mei Xuan nodded to Zhao, who slipped into the shadows, her dojo-honed agility making her a ghost. She returned moments later, whispering, "Guards are distracted. Move."
They ducked under a barricade, entering a restricted area behind the stage. The hum grew louder, and Li Wei's bracelet burned. A small altar stood in a corner, hidden by crates—a blackened shard floating above it, pulsing crimson.
"Another lock," Mei Xuan hissed, her whip tattoo flaring as she summoned it. "Li Wei, you know what to do."
Before he could move, Longyuan's human form stepped forward, his playful grin gone. "Careful," he said, voice deadly serious. "This one's tied to a spirit. Stronger than the demons."
As if on cue, the air split with a roar. A creature emerged—not a demon, but a spirit, its form a writhing mass of smoke and lightning, its eyes burning with malice. It lunged, and Zhao reacted, her daggers flashing as she sliced its arm, dodging a bolt of energy.
Mei Xuan snapped her whip, binding the spirit's legs, but it broke free, its lightning scorching the ground. "Li Wei, now!"
Li Wei dove for the shard, smearing blood from his reopened shoulder wound. Longyuan's power surged, gold light flooding his vision. The spirit screamed, its form destabilizing as he slammed his fist into the shard. The vision came—burning gate, endless eyes—but this time, a figure stood in the flames: Lei Feng, holding Mo Jian, smiling.
The shard shattered, and the spirit dissolved, leaving the air still. Zhao panted, her coat singed. "What the hell was that?"
Mei Xuan's spear dissolved back into her thigh tattoo, her face grim. "A guardian spirit. Lei Feng's locking the shards with them now."
Longyuan's human form reappeared, his expression grave. "He's binding the gate's power to himself. Each lock strengthens Mo Jian." He glanced at Li Wei, a flicker of his playful grin returning. "You're not bad at this, Wei. Keep up."
Li Wei's legs shook, blood dripping down his arm. "This is getting out of hand."
Mei Xuan grabbed his shoulder, her touch steady. "You did good, kid. Let's get out before the guards notice."
Back at HQ, the squad debriefed, the rally's cheers echoing faintly through the city. Huang's cane tapped the floor. "A spirit lock? Lei Feng's escalating."
Zhao leaned back, cleaning her daggers. "He's got the whole city eating out of his hand. We need to hit him where it hurts."
Mei Xuan sketched the spirit's form, her tattoos glowing. "I'll scout the next shrine tomorrow. Solo, before the rally's fallout spreads."
Huang nodded reluctantly. "Be quick."
Li Wei sank into a chair, his essay deadline looming as heavily as the gate. Longyuan's human form lounged nearby, invisible to the others, tossing a coin with a smirk. "College tomorrow, Wei. Don't flunk out before we crush Lei Feng."
Li Wei glared at him, but the dragon's serious undertone lingered: the gate was waking, and his blood was the key.