Appear Again

The little fox seemed to have collapsed from overexertion, its human form disappearing as it transformed back into an ordinary-looking fox. To be safe, we placed a yellow Taoist talisman inside the cage in case it tried to escape during the night.

We lifted the cage back into place, not realizing we'd essentially acquired a fox demon tonight. Whether this was good or bad remained to be seen, and I wasn't sure what Stella planned to do with it later.

Previously, I'd been somewhat indifferent, but after witnessing the little fox's abilities, I found it quite fascinating. Killing it now would feel like a waste.

"This little fox looks so ordinary and small," Stella muttered. "How could it have become a spirit? Did it have some extraordinary encounter?"

She had a point. The fox appeared completely normal - small and unremarkable. Typically, animals need centuries of cultivation to achieve demonic human forms. Usually only ancient foxes manage it, unless they're special breeds like white foxes, which are different.

Stella said she couldn't decide its fate herself - she'd need to consult her master. Truthfully, she'd never killed a demon before.

Checking the time, I saw it was already late. Harper refused to go home. In her current state, her parents would surely berate her severely. Besides, with the three-tailed fox situation unresolved, she'd die within seven days anyway. She'd rather her parents never found her than have them witness her death.

Now Harper finally showed regret. She admitted she shouldn't have taken such extreme measures over the voices, nearly causing disaster for herself and others.

Stella hugged her comfortingly. I suggested, "If you don't want to go back, stay here tonight. Stein and Antonio can give up their room for you."

Stein: "......"

Antonio: "......"

Despite their obvious reluctance, they were gentlemen hosting ladies - they couldn't very well make them sleep on the floor. Plus, I was the boss.

Under my stern gaze, they grudgingly complied, preparing to bed down on the floor. Stella and Harper thanked them before heading upstairs.

I followed shortly after. Returning to my room, I flipped the light switch and froze.

There, lying quietly atop my bed covers, was the ghost flag.

Impossible. I'd never picked up that ghost flag. How could it be in my room? The strangeness of it chilled me.

Earlier at the bar, I'd followed the old man resembling Peng Zu outside and stepped on the ghost flag. I'd deliberately left it there because it seemed too ominous to bring home. Yet here it was.

What the hell was going on? Did Antonio pick it up and put it in my room?

That seemed even more unlikely. I immediately dismissed the idea - if either of them had picked it up, they would have told me. They wouldn't have secretly placed it in my room.

What was happening? Just looking at the ghost flag gave me chills.

I slowly approached it, then couldn't resist touching it a few times. Nothing unusual happened. Upon closer inspection, I found nothing remarkable, but it was definitely the same flag I'd seen at the bar.

Why would the ghost flag from the bar appear in my room? Was the damn thing haunted?

I took out the human skin for comparison and discovered the tattooed ghost flag matched perfectly with the one in my hand. Did this mean the ghost flag was the same one from Peng Zu's era?

Who had sent it to me? And why? Thinking about that old man at the bar gave me an uneasy feeling. He couldn't actually be Peng Zu, could he?

Moreover, my father seemed to know about him. Things were getting stranger and more complicated, like being trapped in fog I couldn't escape. The more I tried to make sense of it, the more confused I became, with no answers in sight.

And who should I trust - my grandfather or my father? It was an impossible choice.

After a long exhale and thirty minutes of deliberation, I decided not to trust anyone for now. I would rescue my grandfather first, then confront him directly. Even if he turned out to be the villain my father claimed, at least I'd have repaid twenty years of his care.

I gathered the ghost flag and human skin together, placing them carefully aside as I stretched and walked to the window.

I wanted to gaze into the distance to rest my eyes, but instead I saw an old man standing below, looking up at me with a knowing smile.

"It's him! That old man from the bar who looked like Peng Zu!"

I pushed the window open and shouted, "Who are you? Did you give me this ghost flag?"

The old man remained silent, still smiling. His clear eyes seemed to see right through me, as if he could read my every thought.

"Who the hell are you? Why are you here? What do you want?" When he didn't respond, I pressed further.

Still no answer. Then a black fog rolled in, gradually enveloping the old man's body until it seemed to consume him completely. When only his head remained visible, I saw countless hands emerge from the fog, dragging him inside.

At the last moment, I saw the old man's mouth move. Though no sound came out, I could clearly read the words he formed.

"Come and get me!"

Those were the four words the old man had said.

I rushed downstairs in one breath, but by then there was nothing beneath the window - no black mist, not even a single footprint on the ground.

What the fuck was going on? Who the hell was that old man? Was he really Peng Zu?

Come to me?

Where would I find him? How could I possibly locate him?

I slumped back down, exhausted. Too much had happened tonight for my mind to process. I collapsed onto the bed and fell asleep.

But it wasn't restful sleep. I drifted in and out of consciousness, dreaming first of my grandfather and father fighting - killing each other in the same instant.

Then I dreamed of Peng Zu approaching me with an army of headless ghost soldiers. I couldn't move my body as he came near. He handed me the ghost flag before disappearing. When I took it, the headless soldiers began following me as we slowly marched into a mountain.

Inside the mountain were countless heads and corpses. A familiar scene flashed before my eyes - and then I woke up.

When I opened my eyes, sunlight was streaming onto my bed. I grabbed my phone to check the time: twelve noon. I hadn't realized I'd slept so late.

I had just gotten up when Stein burst into my room. "What's wrong?" I asked. "Why the hurry?"

"It's not me who's in a hurry," Stein said. "It's Daphne - and her situation is a hundred thousand times more urgent."