Liao Zhen’s disappearance

At the sound of footsteps in the hallway, Ao Huli went rigid. But before he could retreat to the closet again, Liao Zhen's hand found his, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"Hey," Liao Zhen whispered, offering a surprisingly warm smile despite having just learned his soul was in peril.  "Let's just take this one step at a time. But first let's not get caught."

Ao Huli stared at him, completely thrown by this display of optimism in the face of what was essentially a death sentence. The mortal's calm acceptance made no sense - where was the fear, the anger, the despair that should accompany such news?

Before he could voice these thoughts, Liao Zhen was already pulling him toward the door. "Come on," he whispered, "we need to get out of here."

"But- your parents-" Ao Huli protested in an urgent whisper as Liao Zhen led him through the darkened apartment.

"Ehh, I'll apologize to them later," Liao Zhen replied with a casual shrug, carefully guiding them past his parents' bedroom door. "We've definitely got bigger things to worry about right now."

He said this so matter-of-factly, as if discussing a missing homework assignment rather than his own mortality, that Ao Huli found himself momentarily speechless. They crept through the kitchen, Liao Zhen expertly avoiding the creaky floorboards while Ao Huli tried his best to move with divine grace despite his growing bewilderment.

"This is highly improper," Ao Huli whispered as they reached the front door. "You could be severely punished-"

"Then I'll be grounded," Liao Zhen whispered back, already working on the door lock. "Better grounded than soulless, right?"

He flashed another smile at Ao Huli, and once again the divine being was struck by the strange courage of this mortal who could joke in the face of such dire circumstances.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Once they made it to the street, Liao Zhen turned to Ao Huli. "Okay, is there anything we know we can do right now, any first step we can take?"

Ao Huli paused, realizing he didn't have a clear answer. His celestial education had covered many things, but this specific situation was unprecedented. After a moment of thought, he said, "I... may know someone who can help. Ling, the ghost who assisted me earlier. He seems to have a wide knowledge of the ghostly realm and its workings."

Liao Zhen perked up at this. "A ghost? Cool! Scary, but cool. So, where do we find him?"

Ao Huli's brow furrowed. "That's the problem. I don't know where he is. He tends to appear and disappear as he pleases."

Liao Zhen's shoulders slumped. "So, what, we just wander around the city hoping to bump into him?"

Ao Huli paused, his brow furrowed in thought. Suddenly, his eyes widened. "He told me to meet him at a safe house near the Moonlit Lotus tea house if I needed assistance."

"The Moonlit Lotus?" Liao Zhen asked. "Where's that?"

After Ao Huli described the location, Liao Zhen pulled a small rectangular device from his pocket. His fingers moved across its glowing surface with practiced ease, and suddenly an image appeared - a map of the city streets, complete with a glowing line showing their route.

Ao Huli found himself staring, mesmerized by the casual display of technology. He had seen these devices throughout the day, but watching one in use up close was different. The way information appeared at Liao Zhen's command, the maps that shifted and moved under his touch - it was like watching a form of mortal magic he hadn't known existed.

Liao Zhen glanced up, catching Ao Huli's fascinated expression. A smile tugged at his lips. "You've never seen a smartphone before?"

Ao Huli quickly tried to compose himself, straightening his robes with as much dignity as he could muster. "I am... unfamiliar with current mortal technology," he admitted stiffly.

"Really?" Liao Zhen's eyes lit up with that familiar scholarly interest. "But you must have seen them around today, right? Everyone has phones now." He held out the device, showing Ao Huli the screen. "Look, it can show us exactly how to get to the tea house, even tell us which buses are running at this hour."

"Buses?" Ao Huli asked, his brow furrowing in confusion.

"You know, public transportation?" Liao Zhen paused, studying Ao Huli's blank expression. "The big vehicles that- never mind."

Liao Zhen studied his phone for a moment longer. "We can take the 27 bus, then transfer to the 42. It'll be faster than walking." He glanced at Ao Huli's distinctive appearance. "Here, let me..."

He tugged his jacket more securely over Ao Huli's head, trying to hide the horns and red-tipped ears. The divine being endured this indignity with rigid posture, though his magenta eyes betrayed his discomfort.

At the bus stop, they sat on the metal bench beneath the flickering streetlight. Despite Liao Zhen's efforts with the jacket, other waiting passengers kept stealing curious glances at Ao Huli. His ethereal presence was impossible to completely disguise, drawing attention even in the dim light.

A group of teenagers nearby started whispering and pointing, making Ao Huli tense further. Before he could say anything, Liao Zhen's hand came to rest on the back of his head, gently but firmly guiding it down to rest against his chest.

"Pretend to be asleep," Liao Zhen whispered, his breath stirring the hair near Ao Huli's ear. 

Ao Huli went completely still, caught between mortification at this position and the realization that he had no better solution. He could feel Liao Zhen's heartbeat through his thin t-shirt, steady and calm despite the strangeness of their situation.

"My father would be horrified if he could see me now," Ao Huli muttered against Liao Zhen's chest.

Liao Zhen just chuckled softly, his chest vibrating with the sound, and kept his hand protectively on Ao Huli's head as they waited for the bus.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Ao Huli remained perfectly still against Liao Zhen's chest, his face burning with embarrassment at this undignified position. But as the minutes passed, he found his tension slowly melting away. The steady rhythm of Liao Zhen's heartbeat filled his sensitive ears, somehow drowning out the chaos of the city around them. His red-tipped ears twitched slightly with each beat, falling into sync with the soothing pattern.

Despite his best efforts to maintain his usual alertness, Ao Huli felt his consciousness beginning to drift. The events of the day - his fall from the portal, the chase through the city, the emotional confrontations - had taken more of a toll than he'd realized. His divine energy felt depleted, and Liao Zhen's warmth was unexpectedly comforting.

"Hey," Liao Zhen's whisper stirred the hair near his ear, "I just realized I never asked your name."

"Ao Huli..." he murmured, already half-asleep, his usual careful guard completely lowered.

As consciousness slipped away entirely, his divine senses picked up something strange. Liao Zhen's heartbeat, which had been so steady and strong, began to slow. The rhythm that had lulled him to sleep was changing, becoming fainter, more distant...

But before he could process what this might mean, sleep claimed him completely.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

After an undetermined amount of time, consciousness slowly returned to Ao Huli, his mind still fuzzy with sleep at first . The first thing he registered was the cold metal of the bench against his cheek, where Liao Zhen's warmth had been before. He blinked, taking in the empty bus stop with growing confusion.

"Liao Zhen?" he murmured groggily, pushing himself up from his undignified slouch.

As his mind cleared, irritation flared in his chest. Had the mortal simply left him here, sleeping on a public bench like some common vagrant? After everything he'd done to try to help him?

But then a darker thought crept in, dousing his anger with cold dread.

He stood quickly, scanning the area with increasingly frantic movements. His red-tipped ears twitched, straining to catch any sound that might indicate where Liao Zhen had gone. But there was nothing - just the distant rumble of the city and the hollow echo of his own rapid breathing.

"Liao Zhen?" he called out, his voice carrying a note of panic he couldn't quite suppress. The street was deserted, the flickering streetlight casting long shadows across the empty sidewalk. Even the other waiting passengers from earlier were gone.

The soul-light pulsed weakly against his chest, its warmth notably dimmer than before. Ao Huli pressed a hand against it, his mind racing as he remembered the strange slowing of Liao Zhen's heartbeat just before he'd fallen asleep.

"No, no, no," he muttered, his perfect poise crumbling as the implications began to sink in. He had fallen asleep - he, a divine being, had dozed off while guarding a mortal with an unstable soul. 

He needed to check Liao Zhen's apartment, make sure he had made it home safely. Perhaps there was a simple explanation for all of this.

"Looking for the mortal?"

The voice slithered out of the shadows, carrying that same otherworldly resonance that had haunted him in the alley. Ao Huli went rigid, his red-tipped ears flattening against his head as he turned toward the sound.

The Jian materialized from the darkness, its form rippling with malevolent red energy. Its crimson eyes fixed on Ao Huli with predatory interest.

"What did you do to him?" Ao Huli demanded.

The Jian's mouth curved into a cruel smile, red energy writhing around its form like living smoke.

"Do?" it purred, moving closer with fluid grace. "I haven't done anything…"

The Jian circled Ao Huli slowly, its form leaving trails of red energy in the air. "The mortal doesn't matter to me," it said, its voice carrying an echo of ancient malice. "What matters is what you carry."

Ao Huli pressed a hand protectively over the soul-light. "You want his soul to wither."

"Very good," the Jian's smile widened unnaturally. "A ghost king born of a naturally withered soul - do you have any idea how powerful such a being would be? How long we've waited for this opportunity?"

"You would condemn him to that fate?" Ao Huli's asked, "Turn him into a monster just to further your own ambitions?"

The Jian laughed, the sound like breaking glass. "Monster? You celestial beings are all the same - so quick to judge what you don't understand."

It moved closer, its crimson eyes boring into Ao Huli. "All I need to do is separate you from that soul you carry until it fades away."

"His life is not yours to take and do with as you please," Ao Huli snarled.

The Jian's form rippled with dark amusement. "Then let's see how well you can protect it." 

Its body suddenly burst apart into that same writhing black sludge from before, multiple hands emerging from the mass as it lunged for Ao Huli. He barely managed to dodge, his celestial robes whipping around him as he leapt backward.

This time, Ao Huli didn't run. He couldn't - not with Liao Zhen missing and his soul in danger. Instead, he gathered his divine energy, preparing to fight. But the prolonged exposure to the mortal realm had weakened him more than he'd realized. His power flickered uncertainly, like a candle flame in a strong wind.

The Jian sensed his weakness and pressed its advantage. The black mass surged forward, its many hands grasping at Ao Huli's robes, trying to reach the soul-light he carried. Each touch left smears of darkness that seemed to burn with cold.

"Give it to me," the Jian's voice echoed from everywhere and nowhere. "You're too weak to protect it anyway. You couldn't even stay awake to guard him - what makes you think you can save him now?"

The taunt struck home, but instead of weakening his resolve, it fueled his determination. Ao Huli broke free from the grasping hands and ran, not in fear this time, but with purpose. He needed to find Liao Zhen, and he couldn't do that while fighting this creature.

Behind him, the Jian's laughter echoed off the buildings as it gave chase, its mass flowing over walls and around corners in pursuit.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Scaling a building's fire escape, Ao Huli leapt from rooftop to rooftop, his celestial robes billowing behind him, he could hear the Jian's liquid form slithering in pursuit. His movements weren't as graceful as they should have been - exhaustion and the drain of the mortal realm were taking their toll

Just as he gathered himself to jump across another gap, he felt it - an ice-cold grip around his ankle. His heart lurched as the Jian yanked him downward, throwing him off balance and sending him plummeting into the dark alley below.

Time seemed to slow as he fell. With pure instinct, Ao Huli curled his body around the soul-light, protecting it with his own form. His red-tipped ears flattened against his head as the ground rushed up to meet him.

"Ao Qing always made this look so easy," he muttered through gritted teeth, thinking of his twin's natural feline grace. Then he hit the ground hard, the impact driving the air from his lungs.

Pain shot through his body as he rolled across the pavement, his divine constitution the only thing preventing serious injury. He came to a stop against a pile of discarded boxes.

Above him, the Jian's laughter echoed off the alley walls as it began to ooze down the building's side toward him.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Ao Huli staggered to his feet, ready to run again, when suddenly a hand shot out from nowhere and yanked him sideways. His body was spun around a corner and pulled through a doorway, his back colliding with someone's chest. Before he could cry out, a hand clamped firmly over his mouth.

"Shh," a voice breathed against his ear, barely audible.

Ao Huli went rigid, his heart pounding as he heard the Jian's liquid form slither past their hiding place. The hand over his mouth was cold but nothing like the Jian's chilling touch. Still, that didn't stop his instincts from screaming at him to break free.

The person behind him held perfectly still, their breath tickling Ao Huli's red-tipped ear as they waited. Seconds stretched into eternity as the sound of the Jian's movements grew fainter, finally fading into the distance.

Still, the hand remained over his mouth, the stranger's chest rising and falling steadily against his back as they waited to ensure the danger had truly passed.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Ao Huli spun around the moment he was released, divine energy crackling at his fingertips despite his exhaustion. But he froze mid-motion when he saw Ling standing there, hands raised in a placating gesture.

"Easy there, cat spirit," Ling said with that familiar casual grin, though his eyes were serious. "Is that any way to thank your rescuer?"

Ao Huli quickly composed himself, smoothing his disheveled robes with as much dignity as he could muster. "Where have you been?" he demanded, though his relief at seeing a familiar face made the words come out less sharp than intended.

"Around," Ling replied casually, lowering his hands. "Though I've got to say, you're making quite a name for yourself. First the business with Mei Hou and Yin Shao, now you've got a Jian on your tail?" He let out a low whistle. "You're really not making this whole 'keeping a low profile' thing easy, are you?"

Before Ao Huli could respond, Ling spoke up again. "So, where is the mortal you were looking for? Did you find him?"

"Yes…but I…I lost him." Ao Huli grudgingly admitted.

"Lost him?" Ling's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "How'd that happen?"

"We were searching for you, actually," Ao Huli said, straightening his robes again in a nervous gesture. ""I fell asleep, and when I woke up..."

"Look, I need your help." He began instead, "The soul... it won't reunite with his body. Something is preventing it."

A strange expression crossed Ling's face - something almost like guilt - but it vanished so quickly Ao Huli wasn't sure he'd seen it at all. Instead, Ling's usual playful smirk returned as he pressed a hand to his chest in an exaggerated gesture.

"Aw, you were looking for little old me?" Ling teased, his voice light. "I'm flattered. Here I thought you celestial types were too good to ask ghosts for help."

"This is serious," Ao Huli said stiffly, refusing to be drawn into Ling's casual banter. "Liao Zhen is missing, and his soul-"

"Liao Zhen?" Ling interrupted, his playful demeanor slipping for just a moment. "That's his name?"

"Yes," Ao Huli confirmed, watching Ling carefully. "Why? Is that significant?"

"Nah, just wondering what kind of name that was," Ling said with a shrug, but something in his tone rang false.

"But… finding him won't do much good right now," Ling continued, leaning against the wall with calculated casualness. "We need to figure out why his soul won't go back in first."

"But he could be in danger-" Ao Huli protested.

"Actually, he's probably safer than you are right now," Ling cut him off. "That Jian? It needs Liao Zhen alive until his soul withers completely. Can't have a ghost king with a proper death, after all." He spoke the words lightly, but his eyes were serious. "You, on the other hand, carrying that soul around? You're the one it wants to get rid of."

Ao Huli's hand pressed against the soul-light hidden in his robes. "You seem to know a great deal about this situation," he said carefully, studying Ling's face.

"I know a lot about a lot of things," Ling replied with a dismissive wave.

But there was something in his tone, a hint of evasion that made Ao Huli's red-tipped ears twitch with suspicion. Before he could press further, Ling pushed off from the wall.

"Look, what matters now is figuring out why that soul won't reconnect. Did anything unusual happen when you tried to put it back?"​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

"It was as if there was some kind of barrier," Ao Huli explained, remembering the strange resistance. "Like two magnets pushing against each other."

Ling's brow furrowed. "A barrier?" He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "That's... interesting. Usually souls are desperate to reunite with their bodies. For something to be actively preventing it..." He trailed off, that strange expression crossing his face again.

"What aren't you telling me?" Ao Huli demanded, his patience wearing thin. The events of the night - losing Liao Zhen, being chased by the Jian, his growing exhaustion - had stripped away much of his usual careful restraint.

"Me? Not telling you something?" Ling pressed a hand to his chest in mock offense. "I'm an open book, cat spirit."

"Stop that," Ao Huli snapped. "Stop deflecting with humor. You know something about why this is happening, don't you?"

Ling's playful demeanor faltered slightly. He glanced around the empty building, as if checking for eavesdroppers, before stepping closer to Ao Huli.

"Look," he said, his voice unusually serious, "there aren't many things that can prevent a soul from returning to its body. In fact, I can only think of one..."

But before he could finish, a crash echoed from outside, followed by the familiar sound of the Jian's liquid form moving closer.

"Time to go," Ling said, all traces of his earlier seriousness vanishing as he grabbed Ao Huli's arm. "That thing's persistent, I'll give it that."

They ran deeper into the abandoned building, their footsteps echoing off bare walls. Ao Huli noticed that despite Ling's seemingly casual attitude, the ghost moved with purpose, as if he knew exactly where he was going.

The soul-light pulsed weakly against Ao Huli's chest. He could feel it drawing on his spiritual energy, each pulse requiring more effort to maintain. The strain was beginning to wear on him, making his steps less sure, his movements less graceful.

"The soul is weakening faster than before," he said, his voice tight with concern. "I don't know how much longer I can sustain it."

Something flickered across Ling's face - a brief spasm of discomfort that he quickly masked with his usual grin. "Yeah, that's the tricky thing about souls," he said, his casual tone sounding slightly forced. "They're pretty high-maintenance. Always needing spiritual energy to keep from withering."

They burst through a door onto the roof. The city sprawled out before them, a maze of lights and shadows. Ao Huli stumbled slightly, the constant drain on his spiritual energy making him dizzy.

"You're not looking so good," Ling observed, catching his arm to steady him. For a ghost, his touch felt surprisingly substantial.

"I'll manage," Ao Huli said stiffly, though the effort of maintaining the soul-light was becoming increasingly difficult. Each pulse seemed to draw more energy than the last.

Ling watched him with an odd intensity, his usual playful demeanor slipping for just a moment. He opened his mouth as if to say something, then closed it again, turning away with an uncharacteristic hesitation.

The soul-light flickered dangerously, its glow dimming. Ao Huli pressed both hands against it, pouring more of his spiritual energy into maintaining its stability. The effort left him gasping.

"We need to find Liao Zhen," he insisted between breaths. "The longer the soul remains separated, the more energy it requires to sustain."

"Not yet," Ling said, his voice carrying an edge of... was that desperation? "Trust me, looking for him now would be a waste of time. We need to-"

The door to the roof burst open, black sludge pouring through. The Jian's many hands reached for them as its crimson eyes gleamed with malevolent purpose.

"Out of time," Ling muttered, moving to stand between Ao Huli and the advancing Jian. "Think you've got enough energy left for one more run?"

Ao Huli straightened, gathering what remained of his spiritual energy. The soul-light pulsed against his chest, demanding more.  "I'll have to," he said grimly.

The Jian surged forward, its liquid form spreading across the roof like spilled ink. As Ao Huli prepared to flee once more, he couldn't help but notice how Ling's form seemed to waver slightly, becoming less distinct around the edges - almost as if he too were growing weaker.

But before he could dwell on this observation, the chase began anew, and all other thoughts were lost to the desperate need to protect the fading soul-light.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

They raced across the rooftop, the Jian's liquid form pursuing relentlessly. Ao Huli's steps were becoming less sure, each pulse of the soul-light draining more of his remaining spiritual energy.

"This way!" Ling called out, gesturing toward a gap between buildings. "There's a safe house just-"

The soul-light pulsed again, weaker than ever. Ao Huli stumbled, nearly falling as he poured more energy into maintaining it. The drain was becoming overwhelming, like trying to fill a bottomless well.

"Not much further," Ling said,"Just hold on a little longer."

Behind them, the Jian's laughter echoed off the buildings. "You can't maintain it forever!" the creature called out. "The soul will wither, one way or another!"

Ao Huli's foot caught on an uneven section of roof, sending him sprawling. The impact knocked what little breath he had left from his lungs. As he struggled to rise, he felt the soul-light flicker dangerously.

"No," he gasped, pressing his hands against it. "Please, just a little more..."

He pushed every bit of spiritual energy he could spare into the fading light, but it was like trying to catch smoke with his bare hands. The soul's hunger seemed infinite, consuming his energy faster than he could provide it.

Ling appeared at his side, his form wavering more noticeably now. "Come on," he said urgently, trying to help Ao Huli up. But his hands passed partially through Ao Huli's arm, as if he were losing his ability to maintain physical form. "We can't stop here."

The Jian's liquid mass crept closer, its crimson eyes gleaming with triumph. "Can you feel it?" it taunted. "The soul is almost ready. Soon, a new ghost king will rise..."

Ao Huli forced himself to his feet, swaying with exhaustion. The soul-light's pulses were growing erratic, each one weaker than the last. He didn't know how much longer he could maintain it.

"Ling," he said, his voice barely above a whisper, "I don't think I can..."

"You need to get to the safe house," Ling said, his voice carrying an odd echo. "Fourth door with the red lantern, remember?"

"I won't leave you to face this creature alone," Ao Huli protested, though each word cost him precious energy.

"Always so noble," Ling muttered. Then, without warning, he planted his hands against Ao Huli's chest and shoved.