The closer the dawn crawled, the louder the night screamed.
Yún Xi was silent again---
not with peace, but with the kind of silence that hides a wound. As Língxiāo crossed its border, even the spirits seemed to kneel or flee. The smile on his lips was faint and divine, but his eyes whispered the truth: he had come not to heal, but to judge.
The scream felt like it could shatter glass. Outside, the couple swallowed hard.
"Don't worry… it must be the mò screaming through her tongue," the man whispered, trying to calm his trembling wife.
She nodded slowly, her face pale.
Behind her, a little boy peeked from her back and looked toward the closed room, still frightened.
"Shīzūn isn't a bad guy, right? He'll heal Shījiě…?"
The man smiled faintly at his son, kneeling down.
"He isn't a bad man. He'll drive the mò away. We just have to believe in him."
The boy nodded softly, clutching his mother's sleeve tighter.
Inside, Língxiāo's voice cut through the tense air.
"A mountain mò has possessed her… and lived inside her for years. It hasn't left—even after several exorcists tried to drive it away."
The mò inside the girl groaned, hissing in anger and panic. It was bound by Língxiāo's golden qì, and his own demon, Mò Qīn, coiled loosely around his neck.
"That girl is quite beautiful… and old enough," Mò Qīn murmured, his voice low. "I think that mò was drawn to her beauty."
Língxiāo smiled faintly, thoughtful.
"A beautiful girl went to the mountains alone, got possessed by a mò… The question is—why would she go there by herself? I doubt it was an accident. Someone must have sent it… for personal reasons."
"RELEASE ME, YOU FREAK! OR I'LL KILL THE GIRL!" the demon screamed.
Língxiāo chuckled, his smile darkening.
"You won't," he said softly. "You can't. So don't waste my time. Leave her body---talk to me directly. Tell me your problem, and I'll free you properly."
"YOU'RE NOBODY TO ORDER ME! I WON'T LET HER GO! SHE'S MINE!" the demon howled again.
With a flick of his hand, Língxiāo's golden qì lifted the possessed body into the air before dropping it roughly onto the bed.
"If you won't let go… then I'm forced to."
He uncorked a bottle of holy water and poured it over the girl's chest. Her body convulsed, smoke rising from her skin.
"AAH! STOP! STOP THROWING THAT SHIT!"
Mò Qīn laughed, voice echoing like a crow's cry. "Haha! Look at him, crying like a baby already! My Dàozǔ is the best."
Língxiāo took out a golden amulet with a crimson gem at its center. He pressed it against his forehead, eyes closed, his long hair floating in the sacred current.
The amulet began to glow---red within gold. The demon's eyes widened in terror.
"I warned you," Língxiāo whispered, smile never fading, "but you didn't believe me."
He slammed the amulet onto the girl's chest.
A crimson fog exploded from her mouth, screaming as it broke free. The air turned heavy and cold.
"Mò Qīn," Língxiāo said, voice calm. "Heal the girl's wounds."
The door burst open as the demon fled into the sky. Língxiāo followed swiftly.
"Língxiāo-kun has driven it away!" the man shouted in relief.
"My daughter---she's saved!" the woman cried, tears streaming.
But the girl ran out in panic, seeing Mò Qīn slithering nearby.
"Mā! This mò is going to eat me!"
Mò Qīn froze, offended. "So cruel… I helped her, yet she doesn't even thank me."
The family screamed in terror.
"AHHH! SHÈN HAVE MERCY!"
Mò Qīn groaned, crawling away. "Humans… they scream for no reason. I'm going back to my Dàozǔ."
Meanwhile, Língxiāo was already battling the escaping demon.
The creature lunged, but he moved like wind---each claw swipe passing just shy of his face or throat.
In one swift motion, he caught it by his golden qì and slammed it to the ground, cracks spreading beneath it.
"You didn't believe me," he said softly again, eyes now glowing completely gold.
"Now tell me---where did you come from? Why her? How do you know each other?"
The pressure of his qì made the demon writhe.
"Yún Xi! I'm from Yún Xi! Now let me go!" it shrieked.
Língxiāo froze. The name struck a hidden chord.
Yún Xi… too familiar.
He suspected someone had sent this demon---someone from that cursed place.
Before he could continue, a small spiritual lantern floated toward him---a message.
He traced a cross in the air; golden light flashed, purifying the spirit's cry. Then he drew out a mirror-shaped lantern, Jìng Róu, sealing the demon's soul within.
He placed the mirror gently back into his robe and turned to the family bowing before him.
"Thank you very much, Língxiāo kumsun!" they cried.
He smiled softly, his nod graceful. "My pleasure."
His mind, however, was already elsewhere.
"Yeah, yeah, my pleasure too, humans," Mò Qīn muttered from around his neck.
Língxiāo stepped outside, raised his palm, and the spiritual lantern in his hand transformed into a glowing scroll. He read silently:
Respected Língxiāo kumsun,
We are the people of Yún Xi. You may already know our cursed history.
The cruelty of the Red-Robe Guǐ has become unbearable.
For years we tried, but every exorcist who came only brought more death.
We live now as if in hell. We cannot light lanterns, we cannot wear red, even during marriage.
We know many have died trying---
but we believe in you.
Please come. Even the guî of Yún Xi would welcome you with honor.
--- The People of Yún Xi
Silence followed as Língxiāo finished reading.
"Those same people…?" Mò Qīn muttered. "I can't believe it."
Língxiāo waved his hand, and the scroll dissolved into golden mist.
"You don't believe me that it's Yún Xi?" he asked with that faint, knowing smile.
"Why wouldn't I, Dàozǔ? But let's not go there… they're crueller than the guî or mò we seal!" Mò Qīn hissed, gripping tighter around Língxiāo's shoulders.
But Língxiāo only smiled, stepping onto a large wooden wheel as his chosen ride. Golden light flared beneath his feet.
"Not everyone there is the same. They need me," he said softly.
"Dàozǔ! You'll get killed!"
"Then I'll die. Better than living like a scared insect." His tone was calm, almost gentle. His long brown hair whipped behind him as the wheel rose into the air.
Mò Qīn groaned, tail slapping its own face.
"You're impossible, Dàozǔ! You don't care about your life---or even me?"
Língxiāo's smile turned faintly sad. "I thought you'd be happier if I died. You'd finally be free."
"How could you say that?! I hate you so much!" Mò Qīn snapped.
"I know."
"Not like that!"
"I know that too."
Their voices blended with the wind as they arrived before the dark gates of Yún Xi.
The sky beyond was different---black and white standing side by side.
The wind was bone-cold, the world drained of color. Only Língxiāo glowed faintly warm, a figure of gold against the void.
A sharp gust whipped his robe and hair violently, but his calm never wavered.
"This place looks more like a nest of all kind of guî and mò than a village," Mò Qīn muttered.
"Hmph. Let's go inside," Língxiāo whispered, a faint smile curving his lips.
From somewhere deep within the shadows, something was watching him---tracking his every step.
A voice, inhuman..yet not hissed something..
Only one word was clear :
"Beautiful…"
Língxiāo paused. He thought he'd imagined it.
"I think I heard something," Mò Qīn murmured. "Did that guî just say beautiful? To what?"
"Not sure yet," Língxiāo said softly. "Let's move.."
He removed his bamboo hat and tossed it over a tree branch at the border. Then, with a fluid spin and a silent landing, his robe shimmered---gold fading into red.
Now he wore a wedding robe, a glowing lantern in hand.
He looked like a divine groom walking willingly into sin.
When his foot touched Yún Xi soil, the wind stopped. The world stilled.
He glanced around. Houses shut tight, no lamps burning.
"Anyone here?" he called softly.
Nothing. Only breathless silence.
He felt a presence nearby. With a flick, he drew a talisman in gold---Yuè Shì, the Moon Vow---
and threw it toward the shadow behind an abandoned cattle house.
Something dodged it just in time.
"Smart," Mò Qīn muttered.
"Yes---smarter than you," Língxiāo replied with a faint dark smile.
Mò Qīn huffed. "You always find elegant ways to insult me, then smile as if it's a blessing."
"You know I can't stop my smile," he murmured. "It's my luck…like a curse."
Then, suddenly, footsteps approached from behind.
He turned sharply, Jìng Róu drawn---only to stop midway.
A young man stood there, eyes squeezed shut from fear.
"L-Língxiāo kumsun… it's us…" the man stammered. His gaze trembled as it met the exorcist in his red wedding robe, lantern glowing faintly in hand.
Curiously, the Red-Robe Guǐ did not appear---perhaps hiding, or perhaps wary of Língxiāo's aura.
"Oh… did I scare you, young lantern?" Língxiāo asked softly, his tone warm again.
"Thank you for answering our request," the man said, bowing deeply.
"My pleasure. I'm honored by your trust in me---that's already enough reason to come."
The man straightened nervously. "Please allow me to guide you to Clan Yún Yànzī, Língxiāo kumsun."
He nodded and followed.
As they walked, Língxiāo's smile dimmed. His eyes wandered over the trees, the houses, the faintly glowing lamps that fought to stay lit.
Everything felt… familiar. Too familiar.
"Dàozǔ?" Mò Qīn whispered.
"Nothing," Língxiāo replied. "Just analyzing the environment." He smiled wider, a silent : I'm fine.
They arrived at the Clan Yún Yànzī mansion---black walls under a crimson roof, like stone trapped in molten lava.
Inside, the hall was full of people whose faces brightened at Língxiāo's arrival.
"Língxiāo kumsun came for our rescue!" they cried.
He bowed gently, the smile never leaving his lips. But deep within, something twisted.
At the throne sat Chóng Fēi, fourth son of Clan Chóng Féng.
He looked the opposite of Língxiāo---no warmth, nor any kind of smile, only cold calculation.
He rolled his gray eyes, pushing back long black hair, sizing Língxiāo up and down.
Língxiāo bowed lightly. "Thank you for inviting me---and trusting me, Fēi kumsun."
Fēi smirked faintly. "Raise your head. Nice to meet you too. You're quite famous as the Smiling Exorcist, aren't you?"
He paused, eyes narrowing. "Let's see if that smile can burn the guǐ---or if you'll burn in it instead."
The air thinned.
Língxiāo straightened slowly, his smile calm but edged.
"As you say, Fēi kumsun. All you have to do is trust me. Língxiāo only lights lanterns of justice and peace for the spirits---he doesn't burn flesh."
He added softly, "Nor cut it."