Yun Xiaoyan was a master spy in her previous life, breaking into some of the most secure places in the world and stealing information or anything valuable. She was highly conscious of her environment at all times—trained to notice every detail, every shadow, every sound that didn't belong.
So how could she have not noticed someone else in the room?
"Where are you?" Her voice came sharp, eyes scanning every corner. "Come out now."
Kid, stop trying to find me. I'm closer to you than you think.
The voice echoed directly inside her head, clear and amused.
Yun Xiaoyan stopped looking around, confusion settling in.
"Where?"
Here.
"Here?" Yun Xiaoyan's brow furrowed. "Where exactly?"
I'm inside you, Yun Xiaoyan.
"Inside me?" Her voice rose slightly, alarm creeping in. "What the hell is going on?"
According to the previous Yun Xiaoyan's memories, there was no such thing. No voice. No presence. Nothing remotely like this.
The memories showed a simple, tragic life. Yun Xiaoyan had been orphaned at a young age. Her father—the eldest son of the Blazing Phoenix Sect—and her mother were murdered when Yun Xiaoyan was just a month old. Assassinated under mysterious circumstances that were never properly investigated.
Her grandfather, the leader of the Blazing Phoenix Sect, had taken her in out of respect for his dead son. He provided just her basic needs—food, shelter, a room—but nothing more. No warmth. No affection. No training.
The Blazing Phoenix Sect had no room for failures.
And Yun Xiaoyan, with her complete lack of cultivation talent, was the definition of failure.
"Explain yourself," Yun Xiaoyan demanded, voice hardening. "What are you?"
Relax, kid. It was thanks to you I am finally able to speak.
The voice sounded almost pleased.
I thought it was over for both of us the moment you jumped into that pond.
Yun Xiaoyan still wasn't sure what was going on, but she was certain now—the voice was resonating from inside her. Not from the room. Not from some hidden corner. From within her own body.
Waking up in a different world was one thing.
Now a voice was in her head.
"What are you really?" she asked carefully. "Human?"
The voice let out a low laugh, deep and rumbling.
Human? No one has called me that in a long time.
A pause.
*They had a better name for me. Demon.*
"Demon?" Yun Xiaoyan's face tightened, eyes narrowing. "Why are you inside me?"
Relax, kid. We can both help each other here.
The voice shifted, becoming more serious.
*Help me, and I'll help break the seals binding your powers.*
"Seals?" Yun Xiaoyan repeated slowly.
She wasn't sure what to make of this. Nothing this thing said made sense. Seals? Powers? None of it aligned with the memories she'd absorbed.
It's okay to doubt my words, the voice continued smoothly. But you can check it out for yourself. Sit down and concentrate. Try looking into your own body.
Yun Xiaoyan hesitated, doubt flickering across her face.
Could something that called itself a demon be trusted?
Probably not.
But curiosity won out.
She did as the voice instructed, folding her legs beneath her on the bed. She closed her eyes, focusing inward with the meditation technique that surfaced instinctively from the borrowed memories.
When she opened her eyes—or what felt like opening them—she found herself standing somewhere else entirely.
A vast plain of water stretched endlessly in every direction. The sky above was blank, colorless. The water beneath her feet was perfectly still, mirror-smooth.
The weird thing was she wasn't sinking.
She stood on the surface as if it were solid ground.
Yun Xiaoyan's face filled with excitement, wonder breaking through her usual control. Reading about these things in novels was one thing. Actually experiencing it was something else entirely.
You're this excited over this?
The voice echoed through the empty world, amused and slightly mocking.
What did I expect from a brat anyway.
Demon or not, this thing was starting to get on her nerves.
"And what exactly do you want me to see here?" she asked, irritation clear.
Look ahead of you.
Yun Xiaoyan tilted her head forward, following the instruction.
Her breath caught.
Upfront, she saw it clearly now.
Nine seals.
Massive, intricate formations of light and shadow, each one distinct. They held together a ginormous gate—towering, ancient, covered in symbols she didn't recognize. The gate pulsed faintly with suppressed power, each seal binding it shut with chains of energy.
"What is this?" Yun Xiaoyan's voice echoed across the plain, bouncing back at her. "Hey, demon. What am I looking at?"
These are the seals holding back your powers.
The voice came calm and certain.
Help me return to the mortal realm, and I'll help break all your seals. Give you back the powers you were always meant to have.
Yun Xiaoyan remained silent for a long moment, staring at the massive gate.
Then a wide grin spread slowly across her face.
"And why would I trust the word of a demon?" Her voice came sharp, challenging. "I still don't know what these seals are, or how exactly you got inside my body."
For now, that is all I can tell you. You're still too weak. Knowing too much might harm you.
Anyone in their right mind wouldn't even think of arguing with something that proclaimed itself a demon, let alone if that demon was inside their body.
But Yun Xiaoyan had never been particularly conventional.
She opened her eyes. The water world vanished instantly. She was back in the room, sitting on the bed.
"Oh, how convenient," she said dryly. "I should just take your word for it?"
She crossed her arms.
"Let's say I help you. How am I sure you won't kill me afterward?"
Because killing you is the same as killing myself.
The answer came instantly, without hesitation.
If you die, I also cease to exist.
As a spy, Yun Xiaoyan never made a move without first setting up contingency plans for herself. Insurance. Leverage. Something to fall back on if things went wrong.
If this thing needed her help, she needed some kind of assurance.
"Killing you means killing myself," the voice repeated, as if reading her thoughts. "Kid, we're in this together. Don't you want to get back at all those who looked down on you?"
A smile curved slowly across Yun Xiaoyan's face.
Of course, she didn't fully trust the voice. Not even close.
But at least she now had some useful information.
Leverage.
"If I die, you die, right?" she said aloud, testing the words. "This is good. For now."
She stood up from the bed, stretching her sore limbs.
"Okay, demon." Her voice came firm, decisive. "You have yourself a deal."