A few days after Ao Bing’s last visit with Ao Qin, he and Sun Wukong and strolled along the beach, their feet sinking into the cool sand with each step. The sun was setting, and seagulls cried above, their silhouettes darting against the fading light. A gentle breeze rustled through the tall grasses that lined the dunes.

“So, any leads?” Ao Bing asked.

Sun Wukong shook her head. “Nothing concrete yet. We’ve been tracking the activity, but so far, they haven’t led us to anything significant.” 

Ao Bing nodded. “And the demons? Any more sightings?”

Sun Wukong sighed heavily. “Five more incidents since the last one. Same pattern—non-violent demons suddenly becoming aggressive, attacking mortals without any apparent reason. It’s like something’s provoking them.”

“They all have to be connected, right?”

Sun Wukong’s brow furrowed. “If there’s something affecting these demons, some kind of external influence, we should be able to sense it. The fact that we can’t makes me think there’s something—or someone—deliberately masking it.”

Ao Bing’s gaze drifted to the horizon, where the sun was dipping lower, casting long shadows across the sand. “But why go through all that trouble with low-level demons?”

Sun Wukong shrugged, a grim look on her face. “I’ve got a strange feeling that there’s something bigger going on.”

Not wanting to continue overanalyzing the situation any more than she had been over the last few days, she turned the conversation towards Ao Qin and how the family has been handling their Uncle’s condition. Ao Bing solemnly explained Ao Qin’s declining health. Ao Jia and Ao Yi were able to take some time off and join him at Ao Qin’s residence over the last few days.

Sun Wukong nodded, her gaze softening with concern. “It’s good the three of you are there with him. I’m sure it’s bringing him some comfort.”

Ao Bing’s eyes flickered as he noticed the subtle flush on Sun Wukong’s cheeks at the mere mention of Crown Prince Ao Jia. Unable to help himself, he seized the opportunity.

“There’s this bar by my uncle’s house that we go to after we all visit him. You should come the next time we go.”

Sun Wukong shot Ao Bing a sideways glance, but couldn’t hide her cheeks flushing a deeper shade of red. She tried to hide it by looking out toward the ocean. “I wouldn’t want to impose,” she said, trying to sound nonchalant.

“I’m sure the Crown Prince wouldn’t mind the imposition.”

Sun Wukong stopped in her tracks, and glared directly at Ao Bing. He flashed her an innocent grin while she rolled her eyes.

They continued their stroll along the beach, their conversation weaving seamlessly between lighthearted banter and deeper topics- the kind of fluid exchange that only happens between old friends. As they walked, the night sky gradually blanketed the coast, and Ao Bing’s thoughts drifted back to the night at the rooftop bar. Caught up in his family's affairs, he hadn’t given much thought to Yi Zichen until now, being back on the shores of the Midnight City bay. 

How had that man been able to see him that night? And more importantly, why did he seem completely unfazed by what he witnessed, as if watching Celestial Officials chase down two rampaging demons was just another ordinary night?

Just then, both Ao Bing and Sun Wukong sensed a sudden shift in the air—a demonic presence nearby..

Their eyes met, and without a word, they sprinted down the beach, their feet barely touching the sand as they moved. The sensation of the demonic presence grew stronger, a pulse of malevolence that seemed to resonate with the waves crashing around them. They reached a small shopping center nestled just beyond the dunes. The scene that greeted them was alarming: a demon was materializing in the center of the square, its grotesque form taking shape like a shadow being drawn from the darkness. Its body was twisted and distorted, with jagged, protruding limbs and skin that was a mottled mix of ashen gray and deep black. It’s maw, filled with jagged, uneven teeth, opened and closed as if savoring the chaos it was about to unleash. It was preparing to attack the unsuspecting humans who remained blissfully unaware of the impending danger, going about their business as if nothing was amiss.

Ao Bing didn’t hesitate. With a swift motion, he called for his swords, the twin blades appearing in his hands with a shimmer of blue light. But before he could advance, Sun Wukong’s voice cut through the air. 

“Don’t kill it! We need to subdue it and take it back to Erlang Shen!”

Pausing for a moment, Ao Bing lowered his swords, nodding in understanding. He stepped forward, his eyes narrowing with focus, and began to move his hands in a fluid, graceful motion. As a Dragon Prince of the Eastern Sea, the ocean was his ally, a living extension of the power the Ao family held. The air around him seemed to hum with energy as he summoned a barrier of water from the sea. The waves responded to his command, rising unnaturally high, twisting and coiling like serpents under his control.

With a flick of his wrist, Ao Bing directed the swirling water toward the demon. The barrier rushed forward, a massive surge that roared across the square like a tidal wave. It crashed into the demon with a force that sent it stumbling back, its grotesque form momentarily engulfed by the churning water. The demon screeched in fury, but the water held it back—a shimmering, undulating wall that prevented it from advancing towards the humans who were still unaware of the danger.

 Sun Wukong was right behind him, her staff appearing in her hand. She moved with the grace and precision of a warrior, her body a blur as she positioned herself between the demon and the nearest humans. In one fluid motion, she leaped into the air, her staff extending and glowing with a brilliant golden light as she swung it over her head. With a swift, calculated arc, she aimed directly at the demon’s head, her intent clear: subdue it with a precise, incapacitating strike. 

Just as her staff was about to make contact, a sudden, unseen force slammed into the demon from behind. There was a burst of dark energy, and the demon let out a horrific, guttural scream. The demon began to convulse, flickering wildly as if caught in a violent storm. In an instant, its body disintegrated, breaking apart into a cloud of ash and shadow. The remains were caught by the wind, spiraling upward in a dark, swirling vortex until disappearing entirely, leaving nothing but a faint, eerie echo into the air.

“What the—” Sun Wukong exclaimed, her eyes widening in shock. She landed lightly on her feet, her staff still poised in a defensive stance. Her head whipped around, scanning the area, her senses heightened, searching for any sign of who or what had intervened. The square was eerily quiet now, the humans still oblivious, their activities uninterrupted as if nothing had happened. Yet, there was a lingering tension in the air, a feeling of something—or someone—having been there just moments ago.

Her eyes darted across the rooftops, the shadows, and the alleys, looking for any flicker of movement, any hint of a presence. But there was nothing. No figure lurking in the shadows, no residual energy to suggest the source of the attack. The air was still, save for the gentle breeze that had carried away the demon's ashes. Sun Wukong’s brow furrowed, a mixture of frustration and curiosity crossing her face. Whatever had intervened had done so swiftly and with precision, leaving no trace behind.

She turned to Ao Bing, who was also scanning the surroundings, his expression as bewildered as hers. “Did you see anything?” she asked, her voice low and tense.

Ao Bing shook his head, eyes still fixed on the spot where the demon had been. “No,” he replied, his tone cautious. “Whatever it was, it was fast.”

Sun Wukong frowned, her grip tightening around her staff. “Whoever did this didn’t want us taking that demon back,” she muttered. 

At that moment, a man appeared from around a corner.

Ao Bing recognized him instantly—the wavy light brown hair and big, expressive eyes were unmistakable. 

It was Yi Zichen.