Chapter 5

The bureau was quiet.
For once, no arguments. No chaos.
Just the soft sound of water.
Zhou Yi Chen stood by the pond, dressed in loose night robes, the fabric light against his skin. His hair, untied, fell over his shoulders, catching the faint glow of moonlight.
For a moment—
He looked nothing like a demon hunter.
Just… someone distant. Untouchable.
Like a star reflected on water.
“…You look ethereal.”
The voice came from behind him.
Zhou Yi Chen stiffened instantly.
He turned—
And there he was.
Zhao Yuanzhou.
Leaning casually against a pillar, like he had always been there.
Zhou Yi Chen’s expression hardened immediately.
“Why are you here?”
He instinctively pulled his robe closer, clearly annoyed.
Zhao Yuanzhou’s gaze lingered—not disrespectful… but far too aware.
“I couldn’t sleep,” he said lightly.
A pause.
“So I came to admire the view.”
Zhou Yi Chen’s eye twitched.
“…Go admire something else.”
Zhao Yuanzhou chuckled and stepped closer.
“The pond is nice,” he admitted.
Then, softer—
“But not as much as you.”
Zhou Yi Chen stared at him.
Flat.
Unimpressed.
“…Do you ever stop talking?”
“No.”
Zhao Yuanzhou stopped beside him now, close enough that their shoulders almost brushed.
Zhou Yi Chen immediately shifted away.
“Stand properly.”
“I am standing properly.”
“You’re too close.”
Zhao Yuanzhou tilted his head.
“And yet you haven’t moved far enough.”
Zhou Yi Chen inhaled sharply.
“…You—”
Before he could finish—
Zhao Yuanzhou leaned slightly closer.
“Relax,” he murmured. “If I wanted to do something, you wouldn’t have time to react.”
Zhou Yi Chen turned sharply, glaring.
“Try it.”
Zhao Yuanzhou smiled.
“I might.”
A beat.
Then—
Zhou Yi Chen reached for his sword.
Zhao Yuanzhou sighed.
“There it is.”
“You’re insufferable,” Zhou Yi Chen snapped.
“And you’re beautiful,” Zhao Yuanzhou replied instantly.
Silence.
Zhou Yi Chen froze for half a second.
Then turned away sharply.
“…You’re blind.”
“Not at all,” Zhao Yuanzhou said softly.
His gaze lingered—gentler now.
“I see you very clearly.”
Zhou Yi Chen didn’t respond.
But his grip on his sleeve tightened slightly.
The night air shifted.
The pond rippled.
For once—Neither of them moved away.

✨✨✨✨❄️❄️❄️

The night air shifted.
Just as Zhou Yi Chen was about to speak—
A soft, hollow sound echoed.
Tak… tak… tak…
Both of them froze.
Zhao Yuanzhou’s expression changed instantly.
“…That sound.”
Zhou Yi Chen turned sharply. “What is it?”
The sound came again.
A rattle drum.
Slow.
Mocking.
They turned—
And saw him.
A man stood at the edge of the pond, half-hidden in shadow.
His smile was wrong.
Familiar.
Dangerous.
“…Li Lun,” Zhao Yuanzhou said quietly.
Zhou Yi Chen’s grip on his sword tightened.
“You know him?”
Li Lun stepped forward, spinning the rattle drum lazily in his hand.
“Well, well…” he drawled. “What a touching scene.”
His eyes slid toward Zhou Yi Chen.
Then back to Zhao Yuanzhou.
“Zhao Yuanzhou,” he said softly, almost fondly. “Still pretending to be human?”
Zhou Yi Chen stepped in front of Zhao Yuanzhou instinctively.
“State your business.”
Li Lun laughed.
“Oh?” he tilted his head. “The leader of the Bing Yi clan protecting a demon?”
His smile widened.
“Do you even know what he is?”
Zhou Yi Chen didn’t move.
Li Lun lifted the drum.
And shook it.
Tak—tak—tak—
The sound echoed unnaturally.
The air distorted.
Zhao Yuanzhou’s body tensed.
“Don’t—” he started.
Too late.
A surge of power rippled outward.
For a split second—
Something else appeared behind him.
A shadow.
Ancient.
Monstrous.
Beautiful.
Not human.
Li Lun’s voice dropped into a whisper.
“Look closely, little hunter.”
His eyes gleamed.
“This is his true form.”
Zhou Yi Chen’s breath hitched—
Just for a moment.
But he didn’t step back.
Not even an inch.
Li Lun’s smile faltered slightly.
“…Interesting.”
Then his gaze hardened.
“Zhao Yuanzhou,” he said, voice colder now. “You betrayed me.”
A pause.
“Your own brother.”
The air grew heavy.
Zhao Yuanzhou’s eyes darkened.
“We were never brothers,” he replied flatly.
Li Lun laughed again.
“Still lying.”
Then—
He moved.
Fast.
Too fast.
Zhou Yi Chen reacted instantly, blade flashing.
Steel met shadow.
The clash sent a shockwave through the courtyard.
Li Lun’s attack twisted unnaturally, like smoke—
But Zhou Yi Chen didn’t retreat.
“You talk too much,” Zhou Yi Chen snapped, striking again.
Li Lun smirked.
“And you protect him too much.”
The words hit harder than the attack.
Before Zhou Yi Chen could respond—
Zhao Yuanzhou stepped in.
A flick of his sleeve—
Powder scattered into the air.
Li Lun’s expression changed.
“…Tch.”
The powder ignited faintly, forming a barrier.
Li Lun stepped back, his form flickering.
“This isn’t over,” he said softly.
His gaze lingered on Zhao Yuanzhou.
Then on Zhou Yi Chen.
“…I’ll take him from you.”
And he vanished.
Scene: Aftermath
Silence returned.
Heavy.
Zhou Yi Chen lowered his sword slowly.
“…What was that?”
Zhao Yuanzhou didn’t answer immediately.
Instead—
His gaze dropped.
To Zhou Yi Chen’s hand.
A thin cut.
Barely noticeable.
But still there.
Without a word, Zhao Yuanzhou reached for him.
Zhou Yi Chen stiffened.
“Don’t—”
Too late.
Zhao Yuanzhou’s fingers closed gently around his wrist.
Warm.
Steady.
“Hold still,” he murmured.
A faint glow spread from his touch.
The wound disappeared.
Like it had never existed.
Zhou Yi Chen froze.
“…You—”
The words caught.
For a moment, neither of them moved.
Too close.
Too quiet.
Then—
Footsteps.
Voices.
The others arrived.
Zhou Yi Chen pulled his hand back immediately.
“…Li Lun was here,” he said, tone returning to normal—cold, controlled.
Wen Xiao’s expression changed. “Li Lun?”
Zhao Yuanzhou nodded slightly.
“A Huai demon,” he explained. “He can possess others… move between bodies.”
Bai Jiu paled. “That’s terrifying.”
Pei Sijing frowned. “And you know him?”
Zhao Yuanzhou’s gaze darkened slightly.
“…We have history.”
A pause.
“I joined the Demon Investigation Bureau,” he added calmly, “to stop him.”
The group fell silent.
Before anyone could ask more—
A soldier rushed in.
“Report!”
Everyone turned.
“General Wu Yan has been murdered!”
Shock rippled through the room.
“And—”
The soldier hesitated.
“…Chongwu Camp is accusing the Demon Investigation Bureau.”
Silence.
Then—
Zhou Yi Chen’s eyes hardened.
“…Of course they are.”
Zhao Yuanzhou sighed softly.
“Well,” he murmured, glancing at Zhou Yi Chen.
“It seems things just got more interesting.”
Zhou Yi Chen shot him a look.
“This isn’t a game.”
Zhao Yuanzhou smiled faintly.
“I know.”
His gaze lingered—just a second too long.
“That’s why I’m here.”

✨✨❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

Zhou Yi Chen slammed his hand onto the table.
“This is ridiculous!” he snapped. “General Wu Yan was clearly killed by a demon—and yet the blame falls on us?!”
Fan Xing’s expression was grim.
“Chongwu Camp is pushing hard,” he said. “If not for the Prime Minister… we would already be under arrest.”
Wen Xiao crossed her arms. “So what did he manage?”
“A one-day reprieve.”
Silence.
Heavy.
“One day?” Bai Jiu squeaked. “That’s not even enough to—”
“To survive?” Pei Sijing finished coldly. “No. It isn’t.”
Zhou Yi Chen exhaled sharply, forcing himself to calm down.
“Then we solve it,” he said. “Before they bury us with it.”
A quiet voice cut through the tension—
“We can.”
All eyes turned.
Zhao Yuanzhou stood there, completely at ease.
Zhou Yi Chen frowned. “…You sound very confident.”
Zhao Yuanzhou smiled slightly.
“I told you, didn’t I? I know this kind of demon.”
He stepped closer.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
“And after we win…” he added, voice dropping just enough—
Zhou Yi Chen narrowed his eyes.
“…What?”
Zhao Yuanzhou met his gaze.
“You have to promise me one thing.”
Zhou Yi Chen crossed his arms.
“What.”
A pause.
Zhao Yuanzhou’s smile deepened.
“Go on a date with me.”
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Then—
“WHAT?!”
Zhou Yi Chen’s voice echoed through the entire hall.
Bai Jiu blinked, confused. “A… what’s a date—”
Wen Xiao immediately clapped both hands over his ears.
“Nothing!” she said quickly. “You heard nothing.”
Pei Sijing turned away, clearly refusing to be involved.
Zhou Yi Chen looked like he was about to explode.
“…Are you out of your mind?”
Zhao Yuanzhou tilted his head.
“I’m serious.”
“You’re insane,” Zhou Yi Chen snapped. “We’re about to die and you’re talking about—about—”
“A date,” Zhao Yuanzhou repeated helpfully.
Zhou Yi Chen pointed at him.
“Focus on the case!”
“I am,” Zhao Yuanzhou said calmly. “This is my condition.”
Zhou Yi Chen stared at him like he was the biggest problem in the entire investigation.
“…No.”
Zhao Yuanzhou sighed softly.
“That’s unfortunate.”
Wen Xiao peeked between her fingers.
“…You could just say yes and not die.”
Zhou Yi Chen shot her a look.
“You stay out of this.”
Bai Jiu muffled under her hands: “Mmmph—!”
“See?” Wen Xiao said. “Even the child agrees.”
“I do not—!” Zhou Yi Chen stopped himself, dragging a hand down his face.
“…We’re wasting time.”
His expression hardened again.
“If we fail this case by tomorrow,” he said coldly, “this entire bureau is finished.”
The mood shifted instantly.
Serious again.
Dangerous.
Wen Xiao slowly lowered her hands from Bai Jiu’s ears.
“…Then we don’t fail.”
Zhou Yi Chen nodded once.
“We can’t wait for the wedding anymore.”
He looked toward the door.
“We start with the Qi family.”
Zhao Yuanzhou watched him quietly.
“The bride who received the Water Ghost’s proposal…” he murmured.
Zhou Yi Chen turned.
“That’s our target.”
A pause.
Then, under his breath—
“…And after this is over—”
Zhao Yuanzhou’s eyes flickered with interest.
Zhou Yi Chen didn’t look at him.
“Don’t bring that up again.”
Zhao Yuanzhou smiled.
Slow.
Certain.
“We’ll see.”