"That idiot Xun… he'll pay. I'm telling Mom," Xinyin muttered in her head. Her lips were tight, and brow pulled down. She wasn't even blinking much. Mu Chen, quiet in her arms, just stared at her, thumb halfway in his mouth.
They made it to the market. It was noisy—people shouting prices, carts creaking, someone yelling about fish that were probably already dead an hour ago. Xinyin didn't stop for any of it. She kept walking straight towards Meiyin stall, head low. Mu Chen's weight was starting to burn her arms.
They reached Meiyin's stall. She was busy, like always. Talking to three people at once while weighing onions and checking coins.
"Hey, Xinyin. What are you doing here? And with the baby? Hasn't your father come back yet?" Meiyin glanced up but kept working.
"Mom... Mom, you won't believe what Xun just did."
"What now?"
"He—he was holding the knife over Mu Chen. I swear. Like he was about to… I don't know what the hell got into him." She said with her fist clenched tight.
Meiyin froze mid-weigh. Her hands slowly lowered the sack of beans, and her eyes rising. "What?"
"I'm serious. He was about to cut Mu Chen's head off."
That was it. Meiyin didn't ask anything else. She dropped everything—money, vegetables, even a half-tied bag of carrots—and started packing up fast. Her hands shook, and she wasn't saying a word, but you could feel a rage building inside her.
"Mom?" Xinyin called out, trying to catch up. "What are you doing?"
"I'm going to deal with that boy," Meiyin said, her voice was flat, and not loud. But it hit harder than a shout.
She grabbed Mu Chen from Xinyin, threw her sack over her shoulder, and sprinted off. Her feet moved like she didn't care who or what was in the way.
A customer—Feng, the noodle seller—called out as they passed. "Meiyin? Why're you closing up already?"
"Later, Feng. I've got something to handle."
They made it home in minutes, or maybe it just felt fast because no one was talking.
Then Meiyin raised her foot and kicked the door hard, and open.
Xinyin flinched. She'd never seen her mom like this before. Not this mad, she felt a twinge of guilt for snitching, but she was still too scared of what Xun almost did.
"XUN!" Meiyin's voice ripped through the house. "XUN, COME OUT RIGHT NOW!"
She barged in—and stopped. Her whole body froze.
Xinyin stepped in behind her and saw it too.
Xun's dead body, on the floor, and his head—wasn't on it.
Meiyin didn't speak, she didn't scream at first. She just stood there, and her arms dropped, as her eyes went wide and blank like her soul left for a second.
Then she dropped to her knees, her fingers touched the blood, and he stared at them, shaking.
"No," she whispered. "No. No, this isn't… this isn't happening."
Xinyin couldn't breathe. She didn't want to walk closer, but her legs moved anyway. She stopped just past the doorway, staring. Her stomach twisted. Her mouth was open, but no sound came out.
"Xinyin,Tell me this is a dream.Tell me. Please…" Meiyin said, her voice cracking apart
She gently put Mu Chen down and pulled Xun's body into her arms. Not all the way—just enough to hold his shoulders. She hugged what was left, her face crumpling like it couldn't carry the weight of her grief.
Her sobs came fast, loud, wet and ugly. Her veins popped out on her face. She wasn't trying to be quiet, but, She was breaking.
"Who did this to my boy? WHO?!"
Xinyin still hadn't moved. Her knees gave out at the gate and she fell, hands to the floor. The tears came finally and she still couldn't speak.
The door open again and Li Shen walked in, smiling, carrying a basket full of meat. "You won't believe what I caught today—"
He stopped and his smile dropped.
He saw them on the floor. Meiyin, Xinyin, the baby. And then—Xun.
The basket dropped.
He backed up, hitting the wall with his elbow. "What the hell… what the—"
His hand slammed the wall. "No… no, no. What happened?!"
His face twisted, but he didn't cry. His eyes were red. You could tell he wanted to, but he just stood there, fists shaking.
Mu Chen started to cry again. That soft, high baby whine that made everything feel worse.
Xinyin wiped her face with the back of her hand and picked him up slowly, holding him tight to her chest.
Li Shen's jaw clenched. His whole body tensed like he was ready to punch something—anything. Then he muttered under his breath.
"If I find who did this…" His voice was hoarse, shaking. "I swear they'll pay."
Li Shen stepped toward them slow, his boots made no sound on the dirt floor. He didn't say anything Just looked at Xun's body. His face was tight, and jaw clenched. Sweat rolled down his cheek even though the air was cold.
Then he bent down, eyes still fixed on his son dead body.
"Xinyin, take the kid out." He said, not looking at her.
She didn't ask why, just nodded and picked up Mu Chen in her arms, and left the room without a word.
Li Shen sat beside Meiyin and pulled her close. She leaned into him, still shaking, but the worst of her crying had passed. Her cheeks were stained, eyes red, and voice gone.
"We bury him now, and Wednesday... we leave this house." Li Shen muttered, eyes locked on the body.
Meiyin gave a small nod. That was all she could manage now.
They didn't move, they just sat there, staring. The room felt heavy with no wind and no sound, just that awful stillness.
---
Kunming, Yunnan Province. Two days later.
A man stood near the edge of the city, hood up, face hidden by the shadow of his coat collar. His hands were buried in his pockets, but his fingers twitched now and then. Like he was restless, or holding something back.
"A demon," he whispered, barely loud enough for himself to hear. "A demon's here. I can feel it."
He looked up, but only slightly. The city stretched wide ahead of him. Lights flickered in the distance, buildings pressed against each other.
"Where are you...?This world's too damn big. A thousand years, and still nothing." he murmured.
His fingers curled tight in his coat. "I made a promise. I swore I'd find you before they do. I'm not letting them take you first."
---
Back in the village.
They'd buried Xun under the old tree behind the house. Meiyin stood beside the grave, arms wrapped around herself. Her lips were pressed tight. Her body trembled, but she didn't fall apart again. She'd already done that.
Xinyin was farther back, holding Mu Chen close. She stared at the dirt mound, her eyes were glassy.
Li Shen didn't cry, he just stood there with his arms crossed, lips drawn into a hard line. His voice was cold.
"They'll pay. Whoever did this... I'll make 'em pay."
And the a terrible wind blew fast and sharp.
Before anyone moved, before anyone saw, Mu Chen was gone.
Xinyin blinked. Her arms were empty and her eyes darted around wildly. She opened her mouth but no sound came out.
"Hahaha... are you looking for me?"
A man stood at the edge of the trees, which was Hèi an. His coat flapped behind him, and in his arms was Mu Chen.