Li Muzha stepped forward, greeting the group and thanking them for agreeing to hold the meeting in his office. He bowed deeply and saluted, greeting them with the regal formality expected from the son of late Emperor Ji Ling. Hei Wu also acknowledged the group, stepping forward with silent steps, his black and gray robes flowing like shadows. The General of the Underworld gave a curt nod, his expression as stoic as ever. Erlang Shen gave quick greetings, then shot Sun Wukong a look, half amused, half annoyed.

Sun Wukong huffed, rubbing her forehead where Erlang Shen had flicked her, before squaring her shoulders and regaining her usual posture. She turned to all three men with a small, mischievous smirk and gave a slight bow, her red robes swishing elegantly. 

“Gentlemen,” she said with a slight bow. “Always a pleasure.”

Ao Jia included his head, his eyes still holding their calm despite the earlier encounter. “It’s been far too long.” Ao Jia addressed the group while saying this, but held his gaze at Sun Wukong.

Li Muzha gestured to the large table in the center of the room, leading the group to sit down. Erlang Shen moved to the head of the table, setting his laptop in front of him. The room darkened slightly as he activated the device, and in a moment, high-tech projections appeared in mid-air, glowing faintly above the table. The images displayed a map of Midnight City, marked with ten red dots scattered across various parts of the urban sprawl. The projections flickered briefly before settling into clarity, casting soft light across the faces of those around the table.

“It’s been quite some time since we’ve all been together in one room,” Erlang Shen began, his tone carrying the weight of both authority and familiarity. “Too long, really. But given recent events, it seems our paths were destined to cross again.”

He gestured at the map hovering above the table, the red dots pulsating softly like tiny warning beacons. “What’s happening in Midnight City cannot be ignored. Each of these locations,” he pointed to the red dots, “has reported supernatural disturbances within the past twenty-four hours.”

Erlang Shen tapped a key, and the map zoomed in on one of the red dots. "These are the ten locations where the demons have appeared," he said, switching to a series of projection windows showing the demons in question. Each was a low-level demon, the kind that rarely ever left their hiding places in the spiritual plane, let alone appeared in the mortal realm. The images shifted smoothly from one to the next, each demon more mundane than the last.

"These creatures are not the kind that would normally surface," Erlang continued. "Low-level, insignificant. They have never shown themselves in the mortal realm before, and they're certainly not known for aggression. These types are usually content hiding away, avoiding detection from any celestial presence."

Ao Jia, seated at the corner of the table, frowned slightly. "What could be pushing them to do so now?"

Erlang Shen shook his head. "That’s the question. Not only are they appearing in Midnight City, but they’ve also been increasingly aggressive. The last two attacks involved physical contact with humans."

He pressed another key, and the images switched to show the aftermath of the most recent attack: a street scene, with debris scattered and a shaken human who had narrowly escaped harm. Hēi Wú leaned forward slightly, his sharp gaze focused on the projection. "Do you think these demons are being manipulated or driven by an outside force?"

Sun Wukong, seated next to Erlang Shen, nodded thoughtfully. "That’s what I was thinking. Something’s wrong here. While I was patrolling the city, I ran into a mortal who… well, shouldn’t have been able to see anything, yet he claims he saw a red aura surrounding the demons."

Li Muzha raised an eyebrow. "A mortal with no spiritual energy?"

Sun Wukong shrugged. "No spiritual energy, no divine powers. Just your everyday human. But this guy said he saw a red glow circling the demons that no one else could see, not even me. And trust me, I’ve tried." She leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms, clearly frustrated by the lack of progress.

Erlang Shen tapped a few keys again, pulling up images of the demons from different angles—still, none of them displayed any visible aura. "This is what we’re seeing," he said, the projections shifting from one demon to the next. "There’s no red aura visible here, either in our recordings or through our usual channels. Nothing out of the ordinary."

Ao Jia’s expression remained calm, though his eyes narrowed slightly. "Could this mortal have some hidden ability we’re unaware of?"

"Not likely," Sun Wukong said with a shake of her head. "We checked. He’s as ordinary as they come—no special lineage, no divine markers. Just a lawyer in Midnight City who volunteers at a children’s orphanage in his free time. But if he can see something we can’t, there’s got to be more to this."

As she spoke, her gaze flicked briefly over to Ao Jia. For a split second, she considered bringing up the fact that Ao Bing had seemingly befriended this mortal, but she held her tongue.

No need to complicate things even more at this time.

Whatever Ao Bing’s role was going to be in all of this, Sun Wukong wasn’t ready to dive into that conversation just yet. She glanced away quickly, refocusing on the matter at hand. For now, the mortal Yi Zichen needed to be brought into the fold, and she’d handle the rest when the time came.

Li Muzha leaned forward, studying the images intently. "Have you managed to capture any one of these demons?"

Erlang Shen’s mouth tightened. "That’s another problem. Every time we try to apprehend one, something—or someone—intervenes. The demons are destroyed before we can even get them back to the CIA for testing. No traces, no bodies left behind."

Sun Wukong grunted in agreement. "The last one I tried to grab? Poof. Gone. Like it never existed in the first place. And whatever’s behind this is making damn sure we don’t get our hands on any of them."

Hēi Wú, who had been silently observing, finally spoke. "Someone is ensuring these demons are not only able to enter the mortal realm undetected but also preventing us from extracting any useful information."

Ao Jia nodded in agreement, his tone contemplative. "The red aura the mortal described—it could be some form of enchantment or cloaking device."

Erlang Shen paused for a moment, tapping his fingers thoughtfully on the edge of the table. "Has anyone ever heard of a red aura being used to control demons before?" he asked, his voice carrying an edge of uncertainty. "If this kind of enchantment or manipulation existed in the past, it would have been documented. But there’s no record in any of the archives, and trust me, I’ve scoured them."

A brief silence settled over the room as each of them exchanged glances, the weight of the question sinking in. It wasn’t often that something could stump them—between the lot of them, they had lived through more wars, plagues, and Celestial uprisings than they cared to count. 

Ao Jia was the first to respond, his tone calm but perplexed. "I’ve seen magic used to bind demons, to suppress their natural instincts, but nothing that manifests as a visible aura like this. Especially not something that only certain mortals can see. It’s highly unusual."

Hēi Wú added, "There are forces in this world we have not encountered in our lifetimes. Despite our ages, there are still hidden pockets of power that go unnoticed until they emerge. This red aura could be something ancient."

Ao Jia folded his arms, his expression grim. "Then we need to find the source of this manipulation, fast. If these low-level demons are being driven into aggression, it’s only a matter of time before something far more dangerous is unleashed."

Erlang Shen switched the projections back to the map of Midnight City, now showing the pattern of attacks in glowing red dots. 

"We need to find out who’s orchestrating this and, more importantly, what their endgame is," Erlang Shen said, his voice firm. "It seems to me that these demons are just the start."

Hēi Wú nodded. "Agreed. Whoever is behind this is violating the natural order. That cannot be allowed to continue. I will alert the Underworld of this development and see what intel I can come up with on our end."

Ao Jia, his expression calm but his eyes sharp, added, "I’ll have my people search the oceans for any signs of ancient disturbances. If this power has been lying dormant, the tides may reveal its source."

Li Muzha straightened, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. "I’ll put the Central Plains Army on alert. If more demons appear, we need to be prepared to act swiftly. I’ll also send scouts to investigate any celestial disturbances that may have gone unnoticed."

Erlang Shen nodded, his gaze flicking between the projections and his allies. "We’ll need to coordinate closely. I’ll continue monitoring the city for any signs of new activity, and I’ll dig deeper into the archives—there’s bound to be some record, even if it’s buried or forgotten."

Author’s Note:  The "Central Plains" (中原, Zhōngyuán) is a really important place in Chinese history and mythology. It's often seen as the heart of Chinese civilization, not just as a physical region but as a symbol of culture, balance, and unity. For the Li family, the rulers of the Heavenly Kingdom, the Central Plains symbolize their duty to maintain order and protect the mortal realm.