The next morning, they interrogated the vampire—his name was Eric—in a small room at the Chengdu SPU office. The room was bare, with a metal table and two chairs, and a single window covered with bars. Eric sat in one chair, his hands tied to the arms, his red eyes glaring at them. His arm was still bandaged from Ye's sword cut, and black blood stained the gauze.
"Who's sending the packages?" Ye said, leaning forward across the table. His voice was calm, but his hand rested on his peachwood sword, a silent threat.
Eric laughed, a cold, hollow sound that echoed in the room. "You'll never find him. He's too smart. And when the zombie king escapes, you'll all die. Chengdu will burn, and Xuanqing Mountain will fall."
Dao Feng slammed his fist on the table, making the cups rattle. "Tell us. Now. Or I'll use Xuanqing's Soul-Burning Spell on you. It makes your bones feel like they're on fire, and it doesn't stop until your soul dissolves. You'll beg for death."
Eric's smile faded. He'd heard of Xuanqing's spells—everyone in the spirit world had. He shifted in his chair, his bravado fading. "Fine. His name is Zhou Lin. He's a Taoist—left Xuanqing decades ago. Got exiled for trying to steal the zombie king's seal. He wants the king's power. To take over the mountain. To become a god."
Ye's jaw tightened. "Zhou Lin. Master mentioned him. Said he was greedy, power-hungry. Tried to steal the whisk once, too."
Rui leaned in, her notebook open. "Where is he? Where's the zombie king's seal?"
Eric grinned, his fangs glinting. "The seal is in Black Tiger Tomb—an old Ming Dynasty tomb outside Chengdu. It's hidden in the woods, off the highway. Zhou's there now. Waiting for the full moon—when the seal is weakest. He's got the last vial of zombie king energy. When the moon is full, he'll break the seal and pour the energy into himself. He'll become the new zombie king."
They left the room, Li Na following them. "I'll have my team monitor the tomb," she said. "We'll set up a perimeter. But we can't go in until you're ready—Zhou's got traps, and we don't know what else."
Dao Feng stood in the hallway, his back to them. His shoulders were tense, and his hands clenched into fists. "I was there. When Zhou Lin tried to steal the seal. I was 18, and Master sent me to help guard it. Zhou tricked me—said he wanted to show me a 'secret passage' to the tomb. I followed him, and he locked me in a cave. By the time I got out, he'd already taken a fragment of the seal. That's how the zombies escaped. My mistake. My fault."
Ye walked over, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You were a kid, Dao Feng. Zhou Lin manipulated you. This isn't your fault. We're gonna fix it—together."
Rui nodded. "We'll stop Zhou. We'll re-seal the zombie king. And we'll make sure this never happens again."
They drove to Black Tiger Tomb an hour later. The tomb was hidden in a dense forest, its stone entrance half-buried in vines. Carvings of tigers and warriors covered the stone, their faces weathered by time. Ye cut the vines with his sword, and they stepped inside, their flashlights cutting through the darkness.
The tomb's interior was a narrow tunnel, its walls covered in murals—scenes of the Ming Dynasty general who'd been buried there, fighting off bandits. The air was cold, and Rui's peachwood talisman glowed bright blue. The whispers were loud now, angry and hungry. Free me… blood… power…
At the end of the tunnel was a large, circular chamber. In the center, a stone altar stood, and on top of it was a wooden box—the zombie king's seal. The box was cracked, and black smoke seeped out, curling toward the ceiling.
"The seal is weak," Ye said, his voice serious. "Zhou's already been here. He's loosened it."
Suddenly, the ground shook. A figure rose from the smoke—tall, wearing ancient armor, his skin gray and rotting. The zombie king. His eyes glowed red, and he roared, a sound that shook the chamber.
"Finally," he said, his voice deep and guttural. "I've been waiting for someone to free me."
Zhou Lin appeared beside him, a smile on his face. He was wearing a gray Hanfu, and a vial of black liquid—zombie king energy—hung around his neck. "Shaoyang. Dao Feng. Long time no see. You couldn't stop me decades ago, and you can't stop me now."
Dao Feng stepped forward, his hands shaking. "I'm sorry. For letting you escape. For letting you hurt people. This ends today."
Zhou laughed. "You think an apology will fix it? You're weak, Dao Feng. Always have been. Always will be."
The zombie king lunged at Ye, who dodged, swinging his sword. The blade cut the king's chest, but he didn't bleed—his body was too far gone, too corrupted by Yin energy. Rui held up her cross, sending a burst of light at the king. He hissed, stepping back. "Medium energy. Interesting. I'll enjoy feeding on you."
Dao Feng ran at Zhou, tackling him to the ground. The vial of zombie king energy fell from Zhou's neck, rolling across the floor. "Shaoyang! The seal—use your blood! Only Xuanqing inner disciple blood can re-seal him!"
Ye nodded, pulling his sword from its sheath. He cut his palm, blood welling up. He pressed his hand to the wooden box, and a burst of golden light exploded from the seal. The zombie king screamed, his body beginning to dissolve.
Zhou pushed Dao Feng off, reaching for the vial. "No! You can't stop me!"
Rui sent a burst of medium energy at Zhou, knocking him to the ground. Ye ran forward, slamming his sword into the zombie king's chest. The king screamed, his body dissolving into black smoke.
Li Na ran into the chamber, handcuffs in hand. She arrested Zhou, who was still yelling about "taking over Xuanqing."
Dao Feng stood, brushing dust from his clothes. He looked at the seal, which had closed, its cracks gone. A weight lifted from his shoulders, and he smiled. "I finally made it right. I finally fixed my mistake."
Ye clapped him on the back. "You're family, Dao Feng. Family doesn't blame each other. We fix things together."
Rui smiled, taking Ye's hand. "That's what we do. Together."
They walked out of the tomb, the sun shining brightly overhead. The forest was quiet, and the air smelled like pine and fresh earth. Li Na drove them back to Chengdu, and that night, they ate at a hot pot restaurant—spicy beef, lotus roots, tofu, and green vegetables, all simmering in a bubbling broth.
Dao Feng told stories of his time on Xuanqing Mountain, and Ye teased him about the time he'd tried to ride a goat and fallen into a stream. Rui laughed, her heart warm. For the first time in weeks, there was no danger, no fear—just family.
As they walked back to their hotel, Ye took Rui's hand. "Tomorrow, we'll head back to New York. Master said he'll send someone to guard the seal. And then… we'll take that trip to Xuanqing. Watch the sunrise."
Rui smiled, leaning her head on his shoulder. "I can't wait."
The night was quiet, and the stars were bright. Rui knew their adventures weren't over—but with Ye by her side, she was ready for whatever came next.