January 20, 2015.
Beijing, Dongcheng District.
7:15 p.m.
The hospital room was quiet.
Wang Li lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, trying to process the fact that she was currently sharing a room with a self-proclaimed demon princess from another world who had apparently carried her to the hospital in human form and was now out buying congee.
The heart monitor beeped steadily.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
She counted the beats.
It was something to focus on other than the impossible.
One minute passed.
Then two.
Then the door opened.
The girl walked in carrying a plastic bag and a bottle of water.
"Congee," she announced, dropping the bag on the bedside table. "Plain, because I don't know what you like. Also the hospital cafeteria is terrible. I had to walk six blocks to find a decent place. You owe me."
She sat down in the chair, pulled out a container of congee, and handed it to Wang Li with the air of someone bestowing a great favor.
"Eat."
Wang Li stared at the container.
Then at the girl.
"I have questions," she said.
The girl sighed dramatically.
"Of course you do. Fine. Ask. But if it's something stupid, I'm going back to my book."
She pulled out her novel and flipped it open with practiced ease.
THE NAME QUESTION
"What's your name?"
The girl didn't look up from her book.
"Don't have one."
Wang Li blinked.
"What?"
"I said I don't have one. Not yet anyway." The girl turned a page. "Daddy says I can't have a name until I turn eighteen. Says it'll be 'more interesting that way' or something."
Wang Li stared at her.
"That's... ridiculous."
"Tell me about it." The girl's golden eyes flicked up briefly. "He's a huge weeb. Thinks naming conventions should be 'dramatic' and 'meaningful.' He's probably waiting for me to do something impressive so he can give me a name based on that."
She rolled her eyes.
"Meanwhile, for the past fifteen years, everyone just calls me 'Hey You' or 'Princess' or 'That Child.' It's so annoying."
THE BRAG
Wang Li opened her mouth to ask another question.
She didn't get the chance.
"Speaking of my dad," the girl continued, suddenly animated, "since you're clearly new to all this supernatural stuff, let me give you some context."
She closed her book and sat up straighter.
Her golden eyes gleamed with what could only be described as pride.
"My dad is the current Demon Lord. Eighth generation, but before you get confused about the numbering, the first through fourth generations are basically just legends now. The fifth generation is where things get interesting."
She held up her hand and began counting on her fingers.
"The Fifth Generation Demon Lord was the Great Demon Lord. You've probably never heard of him because you're a human and humans are ignorant, but in the demon world, he's basically a god."
She paused.
"Actually, not basically. He is a god. Like, literally. He's the only demon lord in existence who ever became friends with the Creator God. The Creator God actually passed on the Will of Protection to him. Angels can't even say his name without putting 'Lord' in front of it."
Wang Li blinked.
"I... see."
"No, you don't," the girl said bluntly. "But you will. Because the Great Demon Lord is not just some historical figure. He's real. And he's the reason my bloodline is so awesome."
She leaned forward.
"They say he split heaven and earth with a single swing of his sword. The energy from that swing was so powerful that it created the first sea monsters. Every ocean in every world has creatures born from that moment. Can you imagine?"
Wang Li tried to imagine.
She failed.
"Wow," she said weakly.
"Right?" The girl grinned. "And get this—he's described as looking like something that came out of heaven, not hell. Androgynous. Beautiful. Golden eyes. Silver-blue hair."
She pointed at herself.
"Sound familiar?"
THE CLONE
Wang Li stared at the girl's silver-blue hair and golden eyes.
"Are you... saying you're his descendant?"
The girl's grin faltered slightly.
"Well... sort of. Not biologically, I guess. The Great Demon Lord didn't have kids the normal way. He created clones based on his own image—perfect copies, but able to live their own lives."
She shrugged.
"Or at least, that's what the legends say. The real reason was probably that he wanted to escape his servants. They were always trying to punish him for being lazy and playing in dungeons instead of doing his duties."
Wang Li frowned.
"Punish him? I thought he was the most powerful demon lord."
"Oh, he was." The girl nodded sagely. "That's what makes it funny. He could have destroyed them all with a thought, but instead he made clones to do his paperwork so he could sneak off and play."
She shook her head, a fond smile on her face.
"Honestly, that's so relatable. I respect it."
THE PROGENY
"So," Wang Li said slowly, "your father is... descended from these clones?"
"Spiritually, yeah." The girl leaned back in her chair. "The clones could procreate normally. Their descendants are the demon nobility. My dad is from that line—eighth generation Demon Lord, directly inheriting the Great Demon Lord's image."
She touched her hair.
"The silver-blue hair and golden eyes are the mark of the Great Demon Lord's bloodline. Only the strongest demons can manifest them. So when I say my bloodline is awesome, I'm not exaggerating."
She paused.
"Well, technically I'm only half-demon. My mom is something else. She's... complicated. Let's not talk about her."
Wang Li raised an eyebrow.
"Why not?"
"Because she's terrifying and I try not to think about her too much." The girl shivered slightly. "She's the one who scolds Daddy when he tries to escape paperwork. Imagine being scary enough to scold a Demon Lord."
Wang Li tried to imagine.
She failed again.
"I see," she said.
"No, you don't. But that's okay. You're human. Your brain has limits."
THE QUESTION
Wang Li set down the congee.
She had been avoiding the most important question.
But she couldn't avoid it forever.
"Can you help me?"
The girl looked up from her book.
"Help you with what?"
"The thing that's following me. The one wearing my face. Can you help me defeat it?"
The girl was quiet for a moment.
Then she burst out laughing.
Not a polite laugh.
A full, dramatic, definitely not human laugh that echoed off the hospital walls and made the heart monitor spike.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
Wang Li felt her face flush.
"I'm serious."
"Oh, I know." The girl wiped a tear from her eye. "That's what makes it funny."
She leaned back in her chair, still grinning.
"Can I help you defeat a spirit that's been cultivating for thousands of years? A being that's probably in Spirit Transformation stage or higher? A creature that can wear faces like clothing and move through the mortal world without anyone noticing?"
She paused.
"Me? A fifteen-year-old half-demon princess who came to Earth to read web novels?"
She tilted her head.
"What do you think, human?"
THE SILENCE
Wang Li's heart sank.
Of course.
What had she expected?
The girl was just a teenager—a powerful teenager, maybe, but still a teenager. She had no reason to risk her life for a stranger.
"I understand," Wang Li said quietly. "I shouldn't have asked."
She looked away.
"Thank you for helping me earlier. I won't bother you anymore."
The girl was quiet.
Too quiet.
Wang Li looked back.
The girl was staring at her with an expression that was hard to read—annoyance? Frustration? Something else?
"Hey," she said.
Wang Li blinked.
"What?"
"You're doing that thing."
"What thing?"
"The 'I'm a burden, I should suffer alone' thing." The girl made a face. "It's annoying. Stop it."
Wang Li frowned.
"I wasn't—"
"You were. I can see it on your face." The girl crossed her arms. "And honestly? It makes me not want to help you. Not because I can't, but because you're being pathetic about it."
THE TSUNDERE
Wang Li felt a flare of anger.
"I'm not being pathetic. I'm being realistic. You're a child. I shouldn't be asking you to fight my battles."
The girl's golden eyes flashed.
"Who are you calling a child?"
"You're fifteen."
"So? I could still destroy you with a thought."
"That's not the point."
"Then what is the point?"
"The point is—"
Wang Li stopped.
She took a breath.
"The point is that I'm scared. And I don't know what to do. And I thought—" she swallowed— "I thought maybe, for once, someone could help me."
The words hung in the air.
The girl stared at her for a long moment.
Then she sighed.
"Fine."
Wang Li blinked.
"What?"
"Fine. I'll help you." The girl picked up her book again. "But only because you looked so pathetic just now. And because I'm bored. And because that thing wearing your face is probably going to cause problems for everyone if someone doesn't stop it."
She turned a page.
"But I have conditions."
THE CONDITIONS
Wang Li sat up straighter.
"What conditions?"
The girl held up one finger.
"One: you feed me. Proper food. Not hospital food. I want hot pot, dumplings, noodles—everything. I came to Earth for the novels, but the food is a close second."
She held up a second finger.
"Two: you teach me about human medicine. I'm curious. Plus, knowing how human bodies work might be useful."
She held up a third finger.
"Three: you never, ever call me 'Hey You.' If you need to call me something, call me—" she paused, thinking— "call me 'Princess.' That's not a name, it's a title, so Daddy can't complain."
She lowered her hand.
"Those are my conditions. Take it or leave it."
Wang Li stared at her.
"That's... surprisingly reasonable."
The girl shrugged.
"I'm not a monster. I'm just picky."
She stood and stretched.
"Anyway, I'm going back to the alley to find my cat form. The doctors here are nosy. I'll come back tomorrow."
She walked to the door.
"Oh, and human?"
Wang Li looked up.
"Get some rest. You look terrible. And not in a 'hot mess' way—in a 'about to die' way."
She grinned.
"I need you alive if you're going to feed me."
THE DOOR CLOSED
Wang Li sat in the silence.
The congee was growing cold on the bedside table.
Her mind was spinning.
Demon princess.
Great Demon Lord.
Clones and bloodlines and world-splitting swords.
It was too much.
It was all too much.
And yet...
She felt something she hadn't felt in days.
Hope.
Small and fragile, but real.
She wasn't alone.
THE LATE NIGHT
At 11:47 p.m., her phone buzzed.
A message from the Impostor:
"Making new friends, Doctor? How sweet. But do you really think a child can save you?"
Wang Li stared at the screen.
Her hands were trembling.
But she didn't delete the message.
She typed a reply:
"She's not a child. She's a princess."
She hit send.
A moment later, the reply came:
"A princess? How quaint. I once killed an empire. Do you think a title impresses me?"
Wang Li's blood ran cold.
She didn't respond.
The Impostor sent one more message:
"Sleep well, my love. Tomorrow, I visit your mother."
The screen went dark.
Wang Li lay in the hospital bed.
The heart monitor beeped steadily.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
But inside, her heart was racing.