Though they were able to sleep in the early morning, before the first crow, they remained alert to any movement.
The first to awaken was XiMei. She sat up, glancing around, and noticed Wenli's wide-open eyes staring into the dark.
"You didn't sleep?" she asked softly.
"Only a tiny bit," came LuPeng's voice instead.
"You're awake too?" Wenli asked, startled, quickly sitting upright.
"Guess the incident took our sleep," LuPeng muttered as he rose and stretched slowly.
"I was really thinking of ways to face the demon. But that's just a hypothesis, not a theory," Wenli added thoughtfully.
The two looked at her, clearly confused.
She sighed and explained, "I mean, I'm not sure if my plan will work. It's a possibility—not certainty."
"Me too," XiMei said with a frown. "My magic isn't strong enough compared to what's out there. And against a demon? I'm not sure it will even scratch."
"Listen," LuPeng said firmly, rubbing his eyes. "We don't have time to wallow in thoughts like this. Let's bait ourselves first, observe the enemy's weak points, and escape if we must. Then we can return, better prepared."
If not for the innate calmness LuPeng carried, Wenli would've mocked him. She found it foolish to jump into the unknown like that. Master Wu had warned her never to rush in unprepared. She had also promised Hualia to come back unscathed. She couldn't afford to break that promise. Her master would likely kill her before Hualia could overwhelm her with tearful worry.
Suddenly, Wenli recalled something XiMei had said.
"Magic? You know magic? That would be great," she said, sitting up straighter. Her voice quivered slightly with a glint of hope. "It always works in the movies and novels I read, but I'm not sure how reliable it is in real danger."
XiMei blinked. "What are you getting at?"
"Can you do something for me?" Wenli asked, locking eyes with her.
"Is it letting me go fight the demon alone?" XiMei teased, although the fear still lingered in her voice.
Wenli opened her mouth, hesitated, then closed it again. She wasn't that kind of person. Even if people had risked themselves for her before, she would rather run than push someone to die in her place.
"You said you could perform magic, right? Can you perform empathy on someone not here?"
"That's not just some trick. Empathy is complex. But... I might be able to trace her by her name. I can't guarantee if she's alive or dead."
Wenli exhaled with relief. A faint smile curled her lips.
XiMei tilted her head. "Are you okay? You're smiling like you just got your first kiss from the man of your dreams. We're supposed to be on edge here."
Wenli didn't answer the jab, instead murmuring, "That's okay then. We'll go with it."
LuPeng observed her silently, watching the sparks of strategy flicker in her eyes.
"To find her location is better than nothing, I suppose," he finally said.
"That's why I call you Teacher. You'd make a fine lecturer—uh, scholar. That's what I meant," Wenli said with a smirk.
"Ah!" XiMei clapped suddenly, startling both. "I get it now, elder sister! Finding her might help us bait the demon! Clever!"
"Tst, tst. You have such a good master, yet you lack basic reasoning," LuPeng teased.
XiMei pouted, but she brushed it off. She had work to do.
She would deal with that handsome man's sarcasm later. For now, it was demon-hunting time.
"They said her name was Mo Xue. I'll start with that," XiMei said. Her voice lowered, becoming firm and ritualistic.
She formed seals with her hands, touched her forehead, and chanted the name: "Mo Xue. Mo Xue. Mo Xue."
The air around them thickened.
For minutes that dragged like hours, nothing happened. Then XiMei opened her eyes, visibly tired.
"Anything?" LuPeng asked, stepping forward.
"She... she... she's..."
"Don't start scaring us now. What is it?" Wenli urged, her voice tightening.
"She's at Dai Zu village," XiMei finally breathed. "In a deserted part... even Dean Liu would flinch at that place."
Wenli stood up so quickly she nearly knocked over the teacups. Her heart thudded in her ears.
"That's... harrowing," she said, tasting metal in her mouth.
"Dai Zu village..." LuPeng exhaled slowly. He straightened, steadying his voice.
"Tonight, we become the bait," he declared.
They left for the village, finding an inn just outside the deserted zone. It was close enough to act quickly, but far enough to stay safe.
Night came like a curse. Too fast. Too eager.
Wenli sat cross-legged on the cold earth, cloaked in a flowing robe, the pink silk blending with moonlight. She meditated beneath the hovering talisman Master Wu had given her. Its flame glowed, brighter than any modern torch.
She waited.
And waited.
Still, nothing.
Doubt crept into her mind. Had the villagers lied? Were they too afraid to say they'd been cursed or marked? Were they deluded?
She wondered why she has to be the one confronting whatever she was going to confront.
Maybe it was because she was one that many had stared at the previous night. Or maybe not.
But as she sat there, something crossed her mind.
"For the sacrifices, I'm willing to take risks."
Just as she was about to rise, giving up, she heard it.
Rustling leaves.
More birds chirping.
But there were no trees. No leaves. No birds. And it was midnight.
She gripped the hem of her robe, heart beating like a war drum.
From the silence came dragging footsteps.
Slow. Heavy.
Each step sent a jolt through her core.
Then, the footsteps stopped.
"What do we have here?" a smooth, lyrical voice asked.
Wenli flinched.
"A girl? Did you sacrifice yourself to me, little flower?"
She kept her eyes shut. "I had no choice. I just want to know what you want from that innocent village."
"Innocent?" the voice mocked. A low, hollow chuckle followed.
"Why don't you open your eyes?"
"I prefer them closed," she said evenly.
"Then I'll leave. Back to my tub of souls."
"Wait!" she said. "I'll open them."
Reluctantly, she opened her eyes—and instantly regretted it.
It wasn't a man.
It wasn't human.
A dense, gory mist floated in front of her. Red. Viscous. Cloud-like. Shifting, undulating like a living nightmare.
If auras were visible, this one would haunt her for years.
The mist moved closer, as if studying her. Her heartbeat thudded harder.
It loomed, as though trying to undress her with its sick presence.
Instead of shrieking, Wenli scoffed. "Pervert. Trying to scare a woman with fog tricks? Didn't they teach you manners in demon school?"
Silence.
Even the mist seemed shocked.
She almost laughed.
"Thanks, Master Wu," she muttered.
Suddenly, everything made sense. The strange birdsong. The non-existent trees. The spectral mist.
"Ah. No wonder it was possible," she said, dusting off her robe and rising to her feet.
She now stood fully, eyes firm, breath steady.
She would no longer run.
She was ready to face whatever nightmare came next.