The sky was a heavy, dull gray as Li Hua and Mei left Yaojin Village behind. Clouds pressed down like the weight of old memories, smothering the light and painting the hills in fading tones of silver and ash. Even the birds seemed wary, their usual melodies replaced with quiet, uncertain chirps. It was as if the world itself was holding its breath.
Li Hua walked with his hands tucked lazily into his sleeves, his wide-brimmed straw hat casting a shadow over his face. His sword tapped softly against his back with each step, a quiet rhythm in the silence. At a glance, he looked relaxed—maybe even lazy—but Mei knew that behind that easy stride were senses sharp as blades and a mind always quietly watching.
"You've been awfully quiet since we left the village," Mei said after a while.
Li Hua took a slow breath, then let it out through his nose. "That thing in the well showed me something I wasn't ready to see again. Memories better left buried."
Mei didn't press him. She just nodded. "Same. It showed me someone I lost."
There was a long pause. Li Hua tilted his head, not quite looking at her.
"I guess we've all got ghosts," he muttered.
They continued in silence, their steps soft on the dirt road that curved through the quiet hills. Ancient trees arched overhead, their branches bare and skeletal despite the season. Time had forgotten this path. Here and there, stone shrines crumbled beneath ivy, their carved deities long weathered into obscurity. The land felt old, and not in the peaceful way—more like something waiting to wake up.
"So," Li Hua said eventually, his voice breaking the stillness. "What's next on our merry little scavenger hunt?"
Mei pulled a worn map from her inner robe, unfolding it carefully. Red ink marked their path with tiny dots and symbols. One marked Yaojin Village. Another, further east, was sketched beside a crude drawing of a temple nestled in mountain foothills.
"There's a ruined temple near the base of the eastern mountains," she said. "According to the ancient records, the second seal fragment should be hidden there."
Li Hua squinted at the map, frowning. "Another temple. Let me guess—it's cursed, haunted, possibly booby-trapped to hell?"
"Most likely," Mei replied without looking up.
Li Hua groaned. "Great. I miss the days when the worst I had to worry about was how much rice wine to drink before noon."
"You still drink too much."
"Yeah, but now I do it for stress relief."
By midday, they reached a small stream winding lazily through a shallow ravine. Li Hua dipped his straw hat in the water and dumped it over his head, shaking out the chill. He stared at his reflection for a moment, watching ripples distort the image.
"Do you really believe this seal stuff will work?" he asked suddenly.
Mei looked over, her expression thoughtful. "If we find all the fragments before the others do, and restore the full barrier, there's a chance we can stop whatever's coming."
"But you're not sure."
"No," she admitted. "But it's better than waiting around for the world to end."
Li Hua cracked a half-smile. "Alright then, General Mei. Lead the way."
They pressed on. The trees thinned as they climbed the foothills, and by late afternoon, the temple came into view—a jagged silhouette perched on a ridge. Time had not been kind to it. The roof had collapsed in places, and moss-covered stones lay scattered around the crumbling entrance. Crows perched along the broken towers, watching silently as if waiting.
Just as they reached the path up to the ruin, a figure stepped out from the trees.
He wore clean but unadorned gray robes, and his stance was unnaturally still—too composed, too calm. His pale face bore sharp angles, and his dark eyes locked onto Li Hua with unsettling focus.
"Taoist Li Hua," the stranger said.
Li Hua stopped, tilting his head slightly. "That's me. You got a name, or do you prefer the whole mysterious-and-creepy thing?"
"My name doesn't matter. I'm here to delay you."
Mei stepped forward, frowning. "Sent by who?"
Instead of answering, the man raised his hand. A talisman ignited in a flare of red light, floating above him. The air shimmered, and figures emerged from the trees—men and women, their movements stiff, their eyes glassy. Their flesh was pale, limbs moving as if pulled by invisible strings.
"Spirit-bound puppets," Mei said grimly. "Dead bodies controlled by captured souls."
Li Hua sighed and unslung his sword, its polished surface catching the fading light. "Honestly, is it too much to ask for one villain who wants to settle things over a cup of tea?"
The stranger didn't respond. With a snap of his fingers, the puppets lunged.
Li Hua moved like lightning. His sword flashed in wide arcs, cutting through the puppets with deadly precision. He weaved between them effortlessly, each step calculated, each movement efficient. Bones shattered, limbs flew, and within seconds, several puppets collapsed in heaps.
Mei stood behind him, casting sigils mid-air. Her hands moved quickly, sending bursts of searing flame and radiant energy into the fray. Every spell hit its mark, striking with surgical precision.
The stranger watched silently, unmoving, until the last puppet fell. Then he stepped forward, pulling a long black staff from his back. It radiated darkness, pulsing with a sickly glow.
"You're skilled," he said. "But let's see how you fare without your advantage."
Li Hua raised an eyebrow. "Still no tea, huh? Shame."
Their clash was immediate—sword against staff, sparks flying with each impact. The force of their strikes shook the trees, waves of energy rippling outward. The black staff absorbed each hit like it was feeding off Li Hua's strength.
"That weapon," Mei shouted from the side. "It's a Shadow Sect artifact!"
Li Hua grunted as he dodged a heavy strike. "Didn't they die out decades ago?"
"So we thought."
The stranger struck harder, pressing the attack. "We didn't die. We waited. For the seals to weaken. For our time to return."
Li Hua twisted under a swing and slammed his blade against the man's side. The stranger staggered. Mei reacted instantly, casting a blinding flash that forced him to drop the staff.
He didn't flinch. He just smiled.
"This isn't over. You're not the only ones chasing the fragments. And you're already too late."
He vanished into a swirl of ash before they could stop him.
For a moment, there was only silence.
Li Hua exhaled slowly and sheathed his sword. "You know, I'm starting to really hate mysterious guys in robes."
Mei didn't smile. "If others are hunting the fragments, we have to move faster."
"Then we're in a race," Li Hua said. "And I hate losing."
They reached the temple entrance just as the last light of day touched the broken stones. Inside, the main hall stood eerily intact. Tall pillars loomed like ancient guardians, their surfaces etched with symbols that pulsed faintly with light. At the center lay a circular seal carved into the stone floor, its design intricate and glowing faintly beneath layers of dust.
"This is it," Mei whispered. "The second fragment should be sealed beneath."
Li Hua crouched near the circle, brushing away dirt. The runes glowed brighter beneath his touch.
"Something's wrong," he said. "This place feels... angry."
A low rumble echoed through the hall. Cracks split the floor around the seal. From beneath it, black smoke hissed upward, twisting into a vortex of shadow. The ground split, and a figure rose—tall and cloaked in swirling darkness, its face hidden behind a bone-white mask.
"You dare disturb the sacred seal?" it boomed, its voice like the echo of a storm inside a cave.
Li Hua stood slowly, sword already in hand. "Yeah, yeah. We get that a lot."
The figure took a step forward, dragging the air with it like the room itself resisted its presence. The ancient stones groaned under its weight.
Then it attacked.
The fight was brutal. Li Hua ducked and spun, his blade clashing with shadowy tendrils that lashed out like whips. Mei stood at the edge of the seal, casting barrier spells and countering dark magic with bursts of holy light. Every strike from the masked guardian sent shockwaves through the hall. Dust and rubble fell from the cracked ceiling.
They were outmatched. But not outwilled.
Mei shouted, "The seal! It's reacting!"
Li Hua saw it too—the circle on the floor began to glow, pulsing like a heartbeat. As the masked figure lunged for Mei, Li Hua drove his sword deep into the center of the glyphs.
Light erupted from the seal.
The guardian shrieked, its form unraveling in a storm of smoke and light. It clawed at the air as it was sucked back into the void below, howling in rage.
And then—silence.
The room settled. The dust cleared. At the center of the broken seal, a fragment of jade glowed softly. Mei stepped forward and picked it up, cradling it like something precious.
"Two down," Li Hua said, panting. "How many more to go?"
"Four," Mei replied, her eyes still locked on the fragment. "And each one will be harder."
Li Hua sank to the floor, tossing his hat aside. "Then I'm gonna need more wine."
Mei sat beside him. For a moment, they just breathed.
Outside, the wind stirred the trees.
The race had truly begun.