Wang Lee whirls around, bolting toward the other monks—only to freeze as he realizes: None of them stir.

  Their breathing is deep and even. Unnaturally so.

  Behind him, the fox demon chuckles—a sound like dry leaves scraping against stone. "No one is going to help you, kiddo," he murmurs with mocking sweetness, "They're all asleep. Permanently.

  Wang Lee moves—a flash of small limbs and panic as he bolts toward the temple gates. The fox demon's laugh follows him, low and guttural.

  "Run all you want," it calls after him, "The village is asleep too."*

  And it's true—the streets are eerily empty, not a single light in any window. Only Wang Lee's ragged breathing cuts through the night air as he sprints for his life.

  Wang Lee is fast—small, light, and fueled by sheer terror. The fox demon gives chase with a snarl of frustration as Wang Lee vaults over fences, scrambles up trees like a squirrel on fire.

  "Little rat!" the demon shrieks from behind him, "I'll skin you alive for this—"

  But Wang Lee isn't stopping. Not when the forest looms ahead—dark and thick enough to swallow them both whole.

  The foxes run through the forest—the one chasing, the other fleeing. They move through tree trunks, between tree limbs, across streams. They fly past thickets, slide under branches, vault over log-falls.

  Wang Lee's heart hammers against his chest. His muscles burn with adrenaline. But the demon's cold laughter rings close behind. It never falters, never loses ground. It just chases the boy like an unstoppable force of nature. And it's gaining.

  Wang Lee skids to a halt on a tree branch, panting hard. Everything blurs and swims as he staggers to catch his breath... And then, he sees the weirdest thing he's ever seen.

  The temple—and the forest itself—is starting to... morph. No, not morph... melt. The trees seem to shiver like illusions, the ground rippling with darkness.

  The fox—still chasing after him—stops too. It's staring at him now with new interest, head tilted to one side.

  Wang Lee stumbles into the half-collapsed temple, his chest heaving. The fox demon skids to a halt just behind him—its golden eyes burning with fury.

  "You think you can hide in here?" it snarls.

  But then Wang Lee's smirk comes back—sharp and knowing. His hands move in a blur of dark cultivation energy as an intricate array flares to life beneath his feet. A cage of swirling black runes locks around the fox demon like chains forged from shadow itself.

  Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

  The fan on the ground? It pulses once... twice... then slams open, sucking the writhing creature inside with a sound like ripping silk.

  Wang Lee sways on his feet as the array vanishes—exhausted down to his bones. But that's the least of his problems. Because the demon, still struggling inside the closed fan, is fighting like a rabid animal.

  Its cold energy seeps into Wang Lee through the fan—through the dark cultivation array. It floods through his limbs, racing up his spine. A bitter cold settles in his stomach like frozen claws.

  The demon's voice splits through Wang Lee's skull—sharp, furious, and laced with disbelief. "What did you do?! Now you're me! I'm inside you!"

  A shudder wracks the boy's small frame as the fox spirit coils tighter around his ribs. Its next words are a snarl of pure outrage: "You kid! How does a ten-year-old know dark cultivation?!"

  As the demon rages inside him, Wang Lee ignores it. His eyes are glued to the intricate tattoo on his stomach—a black fox, its tail coiling all the way up to his back like a trail of ink.

  Dark energy hums through the design, pulsing in time with the demon's struggles. Wang Lee lets out a shuddering breath, and whispers:

  "How did that... get there?"

  Wang Lee tears his gaze away from the tattoo, his eyes flicking to the sky. The moon sits low in the night, a pale disk of silver in the inky black. There's a chill in the air.

  He hesitates a moment, fingers curling around the fan in his hand. The demon squirms within, its energy coiling around the walls of the trap.

  "It's very late. I should go home," he mutters, his face set in determination.

  It's late at night. The full moon casts an eerie light over the tiny room, pooling across the rough floorboards.

  Wang Lee creeps inside, careful not to wake his mother. He lowers himself beside the makeshift bed of blankets they share, his body coiled tight like a spring.

  He closes his eyes with a sigh, waiting for sleep to take him... but it isn't coming.

  The fox's voice echoes in his head, a sharp, mocking whisper. "That's why I hate kids—they're annoying."

  Wang Lee's eyes snap open. He lies still, heart pounding. He can hear it—the demon's voice in his head. It feels so close it's like a breath in his ear.

  Wang Lee lies there frozen, the demon's voice echoing through his skull. He swallows hard, but manages to force out: "What's your name?"

  The fox just laughs—a low, cold sound that makes him shiver. "I won't tell you." It pauses. A beat of silence. "Soon, I'll be free again."

  Wang Lee bites his lip, thinking. Yinzi... shadow. The name seems to fit. But then the fox snaps: "My name is Wumei!!!"

  The boy frowns, surprised. He repeats the syllables softly under his breath. "Wumei, mean Powerful and Glamorous, I am."

  "Where did you learn this dark cultivation?" it demands, voice sharp as shattered glass. "In such a young age?!"

  Wang Lee swallows hard before answering: "My father... gave me all his dark energy. Then he died."

  A beat of silence follows. For once... Yinzi has nothing to say back.

  Yinzi lets out a slow breath as the conversation ends. "Dark cultivation numbs human emotions... hm?"

  It sounds thoughtful—almost curious. Yinzi falls silent, as if pondering this newfound knowledge

  (Back in present)

  Yinzi follows the scent of spoiled crops and finds a four-eyed demon destroying the villagers' fields. The creature doesn't seem to notice the fox yet, too busy tearing apart rice grains and fruit.

  Yinzi's mouth salivates at the sight. It licks its lips. "Food... it's been a long time."

  Yinzi pounces suddenly, its claws gleaming in the dark. The demon shrieks as it gets knocked to the ground, trying to retaliate—but it's no match for Yinzi's speed.

  The two creatures become a dark blur of teeth and fur, claws slashing wildly. The crops around them get crushed underfoot

  Yinzi tears out a piece of the demon's skin and watches as black energy streams from it—dark as tar and burning with malice.

  Yinzi's eyes blaze with sudden hunger as the energy flows into its body. It lets out a low, satisfied growl—the sound of a hunter finally getting its fill of prey.

  (Next morning)

  The villagers stumble upon the fields to discover something strange: every one of the crops, which had been destroyed the night before, is perfect. Not a single leaf is bent out of place. It's like... like nothing had happened at all.

  When Wang Lee appears, he simply smirks a bit and says: "You all did good work. So I decided to not destroy your crops."

  Liang takes a step forward, eyes wide with something like hope. "Can I come with you?"

  Wang Lee pauses—just for a second. Then he flicks the boy's forehead lightly. "Next time," he mutters, "If we ever meet again."*

  The kid's father yanks him back by the collar before Liang can protest, but not fast enough to hide the boy's disappointed pout

  The villagers watch as Wang Lee turns and begins walking away, his leg healed completely in one night. None of it makes any sense... but they're not going to question their luck, even if it seems suspicious.

  As Wang Lee leaves, the entire village—even the grumpy elders—falls to their knees in bow. Their eyes never leave his back until he finally fades from sight in the distance.