A month later, Rui was sitting at her desk in the SPU office, flipping through a case file about a haunted bookstore, when her phone rang. It was Ye, his voice excited.
"Rui! You'll never guess who's here. Master's in New York! He's at the airport with Dao Feng. We're picking you up—be ready in ten minutes!"
Rui hung up, her heart racing. She'd heard so much about Qingyunzi—Ye's master, the wise old Taoist who'd raised him and Dao Feng—but she'd never met him. She grabbed her bag, threw on her blazer, and ran out of the office, waving goodbye to Mike.
Ye was waiting for her outside, leaning against his bike. He was wearing a gray Hanfu, and his eyes were bright. "He's really excited to meet you," he said, handing her a helmet. "Said he wants to 'assess the FBI agent who stole my disciple's heart.'"
Rui blushed, putting on the helmet. "He said that?"
Ye laughed, helping her onto the bike. "Maybe. Or maybe I made it up. You'll find out."
They drove to JFK Airport, and when they arrived, Dao Feng was standing by the baggage claim, talking to an older man with a long white beard, wearing a white Hanfu. That had to be Qingyunzi.
"Master," Ye said, walking over. "This is Rui Lengyu. Rui, this is Master Qingyunzi."
Qingyunzi smiled, bowing slightly. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Rui. Shaoyang has told me so many stories—about your runes, your medium powers, how you saved Dao Feng from the Yin Nest."
Rui bowed back, feeling nervous. "The pleasure's mine, Master. Thank you for letting me be part of your family."
Qingyunzi laughed. "Family? You've been part of it since you helped Shaoyang find Dao Feng. Now, let's go to Lao Guo's. I'm hungry, and I hear his soup is better than mine."
They drove to Chinatown, Qingyunzi sitting in the back of Rui's SUV. He talked about Xuanqing Mountain—its pine forests, its vegetable gardens, the way the sunrise painted the peaks pink. He told stories of Ye as a kid: how he'd snuck out to watch movies in the nearby town, how he'd cried when his first peachwood sword broke, how he'd once tried to feed a stray monkey ginseng (and gotten scolded for it).
Lao Guo's funeral parlor was warm and cozy, the smell of soup filling the air. Lao Guo hugged Qingyunzi, then set a pot of chicken and ginseng soup on the table. They ate together, talking and laughing, and for a moment, Rui forgot about spirits and cases and danger.
After dinner, Qingyunzi's smile faded. He pulled out a scroll, unrolling it on the table. It was a map of Sichuan, marked with a red X. "There's trouble," he said, his voice serious. "The zombie king's energy is still loose. A group of vampire remnants in western Sichuan has found it. They want to use it to create a new king—one stronger than the last. And they have Zhou Lin's old notes—how to break the seal, how to control the energy."
Ye's jaw tightened. "We need to go. Stop them before they create a new king."
Qingyunzi nodded. "I was hoping you'd say that. The energy is concentrated in the Black Tiger Tomb—same place we sealed the old king. We need to go there, destroy the energy, and make sure it never falls into the wrong hands."
Rui looked at Ye, her eyes determined. "I'm coming with you. You need a medium, and you need someone to keep you from getting into trouble."
Qingyunzi smiled. "Good. We'll need all the help we can get. We leave tomorrow at dawn."
They spent the night preparing: Ye sharpened his peachwood sword and made more Four-Blood Exorcism Pills; Rui carved new rune chips and refilled her holy water bottles; Dao Feng cleaned the Xuanqing Whisk; Qingyunzi drew new talismans, his hands steady.
Before bed, Ye walked Rui to her apartment. They stood outside her door, the night quiet. "Are you scared?" he asked, his voice soft.
Rui shook her head, taking his hand. "No. I have you, Master, Dao Feng. We'll be fine."
Ye leaned in, kissing her. "I love you, Rui. More than anything."
"I love you too, Ye," she said, her heart warm.
He pulled out a small box, opening it. Inside was a silver necklace with a peachwood pendant—carved with a Tai Chi symbol. "It's from Xuanqing Mountain," he said, putting it around her neck. "Made from the same peach tree as my sword. It'll protect you. Always."
Rui touched the pendant, smiling. "I'll never take it off."
The next morning, they boarded a plane to Chengdu. Qingyunzi slept for most of the flight, his head resting on his hand. Ye and Rui sat together, holding hands, watching the clouds pass. Dao Feng flipped through a book of Taoist spells, his face serious.
When they landed, Li Na was waiting for them. She handed Qingyunzi a folder. "The vampire remnants are in the Black Tiger Tomb. They've set up a camp outside—my team counted at least ten of them."
Qingyunzi nodded, closing the folder. "Good. Let's go. We have work to do."
They drove to the tomb, the sun setting as they arrived. The vampires were outside, their cloaks flapping in the wind. Their leader— a tall man with red eyes—stepped forward. "Qingyunzi. We've been waiting for you. Hand over the whisk, and we'll let you live."
Qingyunzi laughed. "You think we'd give you the whisk? You'd use it to destroy the world. We're here to stop you."
The vampires charged, their fangs bared. Ye swung his sword, cutting through the first one's chest. Rui threw a handful of rune chips, which exploded in a shower of blue light. Dao Feng swung the Xuanqing Whisk, wrapping a vampire in silver light. Qingyunzi raised his hands, chanting, and a burst of golden light shot out, hitting three vampires at once.
The fight was over in minutes. The vampires lay on the ground, dissolving into smoke. Qingyunzi walked to the tomb's entrance, pushing the door open. "The energy is inside," he said. "We need to destroy it—now."
They stepped inside, the air thick with Yin energy. The main chamber was the same as before, but this time, a black cloud hovered above the altar— the zombie king's remaining energy.
"Together," Qingyunzi said.
Ye held the whisk, Dao Feng stood beside him, Rui raised her hands. Qingyunzi began to chant, and the whisk glowed silver. Rui sent blue light toward the cloud, and Dao Feng added his energy. The cloud screamed, shrinking smaller and smaller, until it vanished.
"It's over," Dao Feng said, his voice relieved.
They walked out of the tomb, the sun rising as they emerged. The hills were bathed in golden light, and the air smelled like pine and fresh earth. Qingyunzi clapped Ye and Rui on the back.
"Well done," he said, smiling. "You've saved Sichuan. Saved the world."
Rui looked at Ye, who was smiling at her. They'd done it—together.
And they knew their adventures were only just beginning.