A week later, Dao Feng was released from the hospital. He moved into Lao Guo's funeral parlor, where he spent his days resting, drinking ginseng soup, and helping Lao Guo fold joss paper. Ye and Rui spent their time preparing for the trip to Xuanqing Mountain—buying plane tickets, packing supplies (talismans, peachwood swords, rune chips), and briefing Mike on New York's ongoing paranormal cases.
On the morning they were set to leave, Rui's phone rang. It was Mike, his voice urgent. "Rui, upper state. Abandoned WWII bunker. Hikers found five mummified bodies. Nails are black, blood cross carved into each forehead. Same as Chinatown."
Rui froze, her suitcase in hand. "Same cross? You sure?"
"Positive. Coroner says they were drained of blood, but no bite marks. Just… holes in their necks. Like something sharp punctured them." Mike paused. "Dao Feng said those are Corpse Fiends, right? WWII soldiers turned by Yin energy."
Rui looked at Ye, who was loading his bike with supplies. He'd heard her side of the call, and his face had hardened. "We have to go," he said, even before she could speak. "Corpse Fiends don't just kill—they multiply. If we don't stop them now, they'll spread to the city."
Dao Feng walked out of the funeral parlor, his bag slung over his shoulder. "I'm coming with you. I'm strong enough now, and I know how to fight Corpse Fiends. Master taught me."
Ye shook his head. "No. You're still recovering—"
"I'm fine," Dao Feng said, cutting him off. "And if you try to leave me here, I'll call Master and tell him you're being a stubborn idiot. He'll tan your hide."
Ye sighed, but he nodded. "Fine. But you stay behind me. No heroics."
Rui called Mike back. "We'll be there in two hours. Bring backup—Corpse Fiends are fast, and they're strong. Have the team set up a perimeter around the bunker. No civilians allowed."
The upper state bunker was two hours north of New York, a concrete shell half-buried in weeds. The sky was overcast, and a cold wind blew, carrying the smell of damp earth. Mike was waiting for them, his SUV parked by the bunker's entrance. Two SPU agents—Jake and Lisa—stood beside him, their hands resting on their guns.
"Bodies are inside, in the main chamber," Mike said, handing Ye a photo. The image was gruesome: five bodies, their skin gray and leathery, black nails curling, a blood-red cross carved into each forehead. "Coroner's on the way, but they won't go inside until we clear it."
Ye took the photo, his jaw tight. "Corpse Fiends. Turned by Yin energy during WWII. They feed on blood, and they can turn humans into Fiends if they bite them. The cross is Feng Xinyu's mark—she must have created them before she passed." He slung his canvas bag over his shoulder, pulling out his peachwood sword. "Dao Feng, you have the whisk. Use it to seal any Fiends we weaken. Rui, your runes—focus on repelling them. Mike, Jake, Lisa—stay outside. If a Fiend escapes, use holy water. It'll slow them down."
Rui pulled out her rune chips, tucking them into her blazer pocket. She checked her Glock, then touched her jade pendant—it was warm, a quiet reassurance. "Ready."
They entered the bunker, their flashlights cutting through the darkness. The air was thick with the smell of rot and iron—blood. The bunker's tunnels were narrow, their walls covered in graffiti and old military posters. Dao Feng led the way, the Xuanqing Whisk held high. Its silver bristles glowed faintly, lighting the path.
"The main chamber is this way," Dao Feng said, turning down a tunnel. "I can feel the Yin energy—thick, like syrup."
Rui's jade pendant began to glow blue, brighter with each step. The whispers started—faint, desperate, overlapping. Help… the Fiend… blood pool…
They reached the main chamber, a large, circular room with a domed ceiling. The floor was covered in a thick, dark liquid—blood, old and congealed, forming a pool that stretched to the walls. In the center of the pool stood three Corpse Fiends: tall, covered in matted white fur, their nails like black claws, their faces a mess of rotting flesh.
"Found them," Ye said, his sword raised.
The Corpse Fiends turned, their empty eyes locking on the group. They roared—loud, guttural sounds that echoed through the chamber—and lunged. Ye swung his sword, cutting through the first Fiend's arm. Black blood oozed out, smoking when it hit the ground.
"Rui! Find the lost spirits!" Ye yelled, parrying another attack. "They're here—trapped by the Fiends' energy!"
Rui closed her eyes, focusing on the whispers. They cleared, forming three distinct voices: a teenager, a young woman, a middle-aged man. In the corner… by the pipes…
She ran to the far corner, where rusted metal pipes jutted from the wall. Three faint, glowing figures huddled there—their faces terrified, their bodies translucent. "I'm getting you out," she said, her hands glowing blue with medium energy. She reached out, and the light wrapped around the spirits like a blanket. "Hold on."
The second Corpse Fiend turned, abandoning Dao Feng to charge at Rui. Dao Feng swung the whisk, its silver bristles glowing. A burst of light shot out, hitting the Fiend in the chest. It stumbled back, hissing. "Rui! Move!"
Rui ducked, and the Fiend's claws scraped the wall behind her. Ye was there a second later, swinging his sword into the Fiend's back. Black blood sprayed, and the Fiend collapsed, dissolving into black smoke.
The third Fiend lunged at Dao Feng, who dodged, swinging the whisk again. The light from the whisk wrapped around the Fiend, trapping it. "Ye! Now!" Dao Feng yelled.
Ye ran forward, his sword raised. He slammed the blade into the Fiend's chest, and it screamed—high, piercing—before dissolving into smoke.
The chamber went quiet. The blood pool stopped bubbling, and the Yin energy began to fade. Rui released the three spirits, watching as they vanished into the air—their whispers of thanks fading with them.
Ye collapsed against the wall, his chest heaving. His peachwood sword was stained with black blood, and his hoodie was torn at the shoulder. "That… was too close."
Dao Feng laughed, leaning against the opposite wall. "You're out of practice, little brother. Master would be disappointed."
Rui walked over to Ye, pulling a first-aid kit from her bag. She dabbed iodine on his shoulder wound, her fingers gentle. "You're hurt."
"It's just a scratch," Ye said, but he winced when she pressed the gauze to it.
Dao Feng raised an eyebrow. "Scratch? You're bleeding through your hoodie. Rui, you should make him rest."
Rui smiled, taping the gauze in place. "I will. After we check the rest of the bunker."
They searched the remaining tunnels, but there were no more Corpse Fiends—only old military equipment and graffiti. When they emerged from the bunker, the coroner's van had arrived. Mike walked over, his face relieved.
"All clear?" he asked.
Ye nodded, sheathing his sword. "Three Corpse Fiends. All taken care of. Spirits freed." He paused, his voice serious. "But we need to be careful. Feng Xinyu created these—there could be more. In other bunkers, other old hospitals."
Mike nodded, writing in his notebook. "I'll have the team check all WWII-era sites in New York. Thanks, guys. For saving us from another disaster."
They loaded their supplies into Ye's bike and Rui's SUV. Dao Feng climbed into Rui's car, while Ye got on his bike. Before they drove away, Ye walked over to Rui, his hand brushing hers.
"Thanks," he said, his voice soft. "For having my back."
Rui smiled. "Always. Now let's go. We have a plane to catch."
Ye grinned, climbing onto his bike. "Lead the way, partner."
As they drove toward the airport, Rui looked in the rearview mirror at Dao Feng, who was dozing. She thought about Xuanqing Mountain, about the zombie king, about Zhou Lin. The danger was far from over. But they were together—Ye, Dao Feng, and her.
And that was all that mattered.