The next morning, they woke to the sound of roosters crowing. Rui stretched, sitting up in the guest room's wooden bed. The room was small, with a window overlooking the mountain's pine forests. She could smell congee and incense from the kitchen, and she smiled—this was the first time in months she'd woken up without the weight of a case on her shoulders.
She got dressed, pulling on a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt, then walked to the kitchen. Ye was there, helping Xiao Li stir a pot of congee. Dao Feng and Qingyunzi sat at the table, drinking tea.
"Good morning," Rui said, sitting down.
Ye handed her a bowl of congee. "Morning. Sleep well?"
"Better than I have in a long time," Rui said, taking a bite. It was warm, with a hint of ginger. "This is great, Xiao Li."
Xiao Li grinned. "Thank you, Agent Rui. I practice every day."
After breakfast, Qingyunzi called them into the main temple. His face was serious, his hands clasped behind his back. "Zhou Lin has been spotted in Chengdu. He's with a group of vampire remnants—Western spirits, feed on blood. They're looking for the Xuanqing Whisk. They think it can help them control the zombie king."
Dao Feng's jaw tightened. "Vampire remnants? How did they find us?"
"Zhou Lin told them," Qingyunzi said. "He's making alliances—spirits, ex-disciples, anyone who wants power. They're heading to a warehouse on the edge of Chengdu. We need to stop them before they get the whisk."
Ye pulled out his peachwood sword, checking its blade. "We'll go. Rui, you bring your runes and holy water. Dao Feng, you keep the whisk safe. I'll handle Zhou Lin."
Rui nodded, grabbing her bag. "Mike sent me a text last night—SPU has a contact in Chengdu. Li Na, she's a local agent. She can help with the warehouse's layout."
They drove to Chengdu in Qingyunzi's car, a old black sedan. The city was bustling—bikes weaved through traffic, vendors sold spicy hot pot from street carts, and the sound of Chinese opera drifted from a nearby temple. Li Na was waiting for them at a coffee shop downtown, a woman in her 30s with short black hair and a serious face.
"Agent Rui," she said, shaking her hand. "Mike told me about you. And you must be Ye Shaoyang and Dao Feng. I have the warehouse's layout—old, abandoned, used to store textiles. Zhou Lin and the vampires are inside, according to my sources." She handed Ye a map, marked with red X's. "Entrance here, main chamber here. They've got guards—vampire remnants, armed with knives."
Ye studied the map, his finger tracing the main chamber. "We go in through the back entrance. Dao Feng, you stay outside with Li Na—keep the whisk safe. Rui and I will go in, find Zhou Lin, and stop him."
Dao Feng frowned. "I can help—"
"No," Ye said, cutting him off. "You're still recovering. And we need someone to protect the whisk. If Zhou Lin gets it, we're done."
Dao Feng sighed, but he nodded. "Fine. But be careful. Zhou Lin's a good fighter—he studied under Master too."
They drove to the warehouse, a large, gray building on the edge of the city. Li Na parked the car a block away, and they got out, their supplies ready. Ye slung his canvas bag over his shoulder, Rui tucked her rune chips into her pocket, and Dao Feng held the Xuanqing Whisk, his eyes alert.
"Back entrance is around the corner," Li Na said, pointing. "I'll stay here with Dao Feng. If you need help, call."
Ye and Rui nodded, then walked around the block. The back entrance was a metal door, rusted and padlocked. Ye pulled out a small picklock—something he'd learned from Lao Guo—and knelt, working on the lock. It clicked open after a minute.
"Ready?" he whispered.
Rui nodded, her hand resting on her Glock. "Ready."
They pushed the door open, stepping into a dark hallway. The air smelled like dust and rot. Ye pulled out his flashlight, and they walked forward, their steps quiet. The hallway opened into a large chamber, filled with old textile machines and crates. In the center of the room, Zhou Lin stood, surrounded by five vampire remnants—tall, pale, their fangs glinting in the dim light.
"Shaoyang," Zhou Lin said, turning. He was a tall man, with a scar across his cheek, wearing a black suit. "I've been waiting for you. And you brought the FBI agent—how cute."
Ye swung his sword, pointing it at Zhou Lin. "Give up, Zhou Lin. You'll never get the whisk. And you'll never control the zombie king."
Zhou Lin laughed. "We'll see. My vampires are hungry. They'll take the whisk from Dao Feng, and then we'll break the seal. The zombie king will be mine, and Xuanqing Mountain will fall."
The vampires lunged, their fangs bared. Rui threw a handful of rune chips, which exploded in a shower of blue light. The vampires hissed, stepping back—runes were made of oak, which repelled Western spirits.
Ye ran at Zhou Lin, his sword swinging. Zhou Lin pulled out a dagger, parrying the attack. The blade clashed with the peachwood sword, and Ye stumbled back. "You've gotten better," Zhou Lin said, grinning. "But not good enough."
Rui ran to Ye's side, throwing a holy water bottle at a vampire. The water hit its chest, and it screamed, dissolving into black smoke. "Ye! Behind you!"
Ye ducked, and Zhou Lin's dagger missed his head by inches. Ye swung his sword, cutting Zhou Lin's arm. Blood oozed out, red—not black, like a spirit's. "You're still human," Ye said, surprised. "I thought you'd turned into a spirit."
Zhou Lin sneered. "I'm better than a spirit. I have power—power you'll never understand." He lunged, and Ye dodged, swinging his sword again. This time, the blade cut Zhou Lin's chest, and he fell to his knees.
The remaining vampires roared, charging at Rui. She pulled out her Glock, shooting one in the chest. The bullet didn't kill it, but it slowed it down. She threw a rune chip at another, and it exploded, turning the vampire to smoke.
Ye knelt beside Zhou Lin, his sword pressed to his neck. "It's over. Tell your vampires to stop."
Zhou Lin laughed, blood trickling from his mouth. "They won't stop. They're mine. And even if you kill me, there are more. More ex-disciples, more spirits. You'll never win."
A vampire lunged at Ye from behind. Rui threw a holy water bottle at it, hitting it in the back. It screamed, dissolving. "Ye! We need to go! More vampires are coming!"
Ye nodded, standing. He kicked Zhou Lin's dagger away, then ran to Rui. "Let's go!"
They ran back through the hallway, out the back door. Dao Feng and Li Na were waiting, their faces worried. "Did you get him?" Dao Feng asked.
Ye shook his head. "He's down, but not dead. And there are more vampires. We need to leave—now."
They climbed into the car, and Li Na drove away. As they pulled away from the warehouse, Rui looked in the rearview mirror—vampires were pouring out of the building, their fangs glinting.
"They'll be back," Ye said, his voice serious. "Zhou Lin won't give up."
Rui nodded, touching her jade pendant. "But we're ready. We have the whisk, we have each other. We'll stop them."
Ye took her hand, squeezing it. "Together."
As they drove back to Xuanqing Mountain, the sun began to set—painting the sky orange and pink. Rui thought about Zhou Lin, about the vampires, about the zombie king. The danger was far from over. But she wasn't scared.
She had Ye. She had a partner.
And together, they could face anything.