Slamming the door shut, Rui ran to the window. She’d been out on the ledge earlier, studying the wet rocky cliffs below for footholds. But it was dark now, and the waves were crashing loudly, as if a storm was coming. Could she make the climb down?
The front door blew off its hinges and landed in the living room with a crash.
Ox-Head boomed, “Halt, soul! You are trespassing in the realm of the dead. By law you shall be apprehended and brought to Youdu for judgment.”
“Can’t you just expel me to the mortal realm?” Rui said, inching closer to the hidden door cut into the windowpane.
“That’s not how it works, I’m afraid,” Ox-Head practically shouted, as if his vocal cords had been naturally dialed up to a high volume.
“Even if you’re not dead yet, you will be soon,” his long-limbed compatriot added unhelpfully. “All trespassers will be automatically enrolled in our system. That’s the rule.”
“It’s a shitty rule,” Rui told him, deciding that the dangerous cliffs were her backup plan. She switched up her breathing pattern.
Horse-Face shrugged. “It’s not so bad here. Most souls get used to it, and if you’re good, you can take the ez-pass and fast-track your reincarnation cycle.”
Stomping closer, Ox-Head said, “Best that you come quietly without a fight, little soul.”
“I don’t think so.” Rui raised her hands and channeled.
Yangqi coalesced in her veins. On her next exhale, she felt a throbbing sensation in her forearms. Two crimson blades extended from her wrists, the same way she’d seenZizi’sspiritual weapon appear in the mortal realm. If this was how the essence of her weapons manifested here, then why would Zizi—Focus.
“Stay back,” she commanded, brandishing her swords.
Ox-Head snorted derisively. “Little girl with big swords. How scary.”
Neither Guardian seemed concerned that she was armed. Snickering, Horse-Face nudged his comrade. “Let’s give her five seconds.”
“Three, max,” Ox-Head said.
What were they talking about? The answer came in the form of a sudden squeeze in her chest. A numbing chill spread through her veins. The crimson glow of her blades spluttered like a fuse short-circuiting.
“Wha—what’s happening?” Rui gasped.
The Guardians seemed to grow like hulking shadows, their shapes distorting, more beast than man. Ox-Head’s eyes were blazing red, and horns sprouted out of his head. “Not very bright, is she?” He winked. “What’s going to happen when you use up all your yangqi, little soul?”
Rui tried to concentrate on his question, but her world had started to spin. What would happen if she used up—
I’ll die.
She stopped channeling immediately. Her swords vanished. But the damage was done. Her body was ice, and she choked for air. With her last ounce of strength, she shoved her shoulder into the glass.
Wind rushed in. It was pitch-black outside.
An earsplitting voice thundered, “No one gets away from the Guardians of Hell!”
She screamed and plunged into the abyss.
37
Zizi
Zizi had forgotten about the tea party. Or rather, he remembered suggesting something in a noncommittal, hand-wavey sort of way back in the cavern. Certainly nothing that warranted his pesky siblings swooping in on the Fourth Court without advance notice. He hadn’t arranged anything or sent out formal invitations. Yet except for Ten, who was still stuck in his Court, the whole lot had shown up unannounced, dressed to the nines and expecting a lavish feast.
The kitchens had not prepared any pastries or cakes, but the Fourth Court’s pantry was well-stocked with an assortment of tea leaves from the mortal realm. Zizi was one to work smart, not hard, and he simply turned the party into a competitive tea tasting event to distract from the lack of buttery goodness. Between the fight that broke out with Three and Nine over whether the jade dew tea had a hint of seaweed or not, and the spiders Seven threw into Two’s cup because the crone had won two rounds of a taste test against her, he felt like his pivot was a success. He was the perfect host on the surface. Gracious, witty, and ever-present.
Inside, he was a mess.
Knowing that Rui had the means for safe passage back to the mortal realm helped, but first, she had to get to Naihe Bridge undetected. He’d let himself get distracted earlier instead of sticking to the plan of sending her back to her world immediately. But at least his chambers were sealed and Nikai was on guard.
