By 7 p.m., Ye and Rui were back in Chinatown, standing outside Lao Guo's funeral parlor. The shop was dark, the sign creaking in the wind. Lao Guo had given them a key that afternoon, saying he'd "take a vacation" to avoid Feng Xinyu's wrath.
"This is it," Ye said, unlocking the door. The parlor smelled like lilies and formaldehyde. Rows of caskets lined the walls, and a counter with incense and paper money sat at the front.
"The entrance to the bunker is behind the counter," Ye explained, walking forward. He moved a stack of paper money, revealing a metal door with a rusted lock.
Rui pulled out a lockpick from her bag—Mike had taught her how to use it—and knelt, working on the lock. It clicked open after a minute.
"Ready?" she said, looking up at Ye.
Ye nodded, drawing his peachwood sword. "Ready."
They opened the door, revealing a stone staircase leading down. The air was cold, so cold Rui's breath fogged. Ye pulled out a flashlight, and they began descending.
The staircase was narrow, the walls damp. At the bottom, they entered a tunnel—concrete, lit by flickering fluorescent lights that hummed loudly.
"This was a bomb shelter during WWII," Ye said, shining the flashlight ahead. "Feng Xinyu turned it into her Yin Nest. Feeds on the spirits of the soldiers who died here."
Rui's ears buzzed. The ghost whispers were back, louder than ever. Dao Feng… help… the Fiends are coming…
A roar echoed through the tunnel. Two Corpse Fiends stumbled from the shadows—one tall, one short, both covered in white fur, their claws glinting.
"Split up," Ye yelled. "I'll take the tall one. You take the short one!"
Rui nodded, pulling out a talisman with the Sowilo rune. She ran at the short Fiend, slamming the talisman into its chest. It screamed, blue light exploding from the rune.
The Fiend swung its claws, and Rui dodged, tripping over a loose stone. The Fiend lunged, but Ye was there first, swinging his sword into its back. The Fiend fell, dissolving into black smoke.
"Thanks," Rui said, standing.
Ye grinned. "Anytime, partner."
They continued down the tunnel, their steps echoing. The air grew thicker, the smell of rot stronger. At the end of the tunnel was a large chamber—the Yin Nest.
The room was circular, its walls covered in blood-red symbols. In the center was a pool of black liquid—the blood pool—surrounded by four stone pillars. Tied to one of the pillars was a figure—Dao Feng, his clothes torn, his face pale, but alive.
"Dao Feng!" Ye yelled, running forward.
Feng Xinyu appeared beside the pool, her white shroud flowing. She was more solid now, her face no longer hollow. Her eyes locked on Ye and Rui.
"Welcome," she said, her voice cold. "I've been waiting for you."
Dao Feng looked up, his voice weak. "Shaoyang… run… she's too strong…"
Feng Xinyu laughed. "Run? There's nowhere to run. I have Dao Feng. I have the whisk fragment. And soon, I'll have your Yin energy too."
She raised her hands, and the blood pool bubbled. Two more Corpse Fiends rose from it, their claws dripping black blood.
"Fight them," Ye said to Rui. "I'll get Dao Feng."
Rui nodded, pulling out another talisman. She ran at the Fiends, her hands glowing blue. Ye sprinted to Dao Feng, cutting the ropes that bound him with his sword.
"Are you okay?" Ye said, helping him stand.
Dao Feng nodded, wincing. "I'm fine. Just weak. She's been feeding on my energy. The whisk—do you have it?"
Ye pulled the whisk from his bag. "We found a fragment. In the upper state bunker."
Dao Feng's eyes widened. "The other fragment is in the blood pool. We need both to destroy her. Her core is in the pool—hit it with the whisk, and she'll die."
Ye nodded. He turned, looking for Rui. She was fighting the Fiends, her back against the wall. One Fiend swung its claws, and Rui dodged, but it grazed her arm, leaving a deep gash.
"Rui!" Ye yelled, running forward. He swung his sword, cutting the Fiend's head off. It dissolved into smoke. The other Fiend lunged, but Dao Feng grabbed a pipe from the ground, slamming it into its chest. It fell, dissolving.
Rui collapsed against the wall, her arm bleeding. Ye knelt beside her, tearing off his shirt and wrapping it around her arm.
"Are you okay?" he said, his voice shaking.
Rui nodded, wincing. "Just a scratch. Let's finish this."
They stood, facing Feng Xinyu. She was standing by the blood pool, her hands raised. The pool bubbled, and a black mist rose, surrounding her.
"I am unstoppable!" she screamed. "You will all die here!"
Ye grabbed the whisk, Dao Feng beside him. Rui stood behind them, her hands glowing blue.
"Now!" Ye yelled.
He and Dao Feng ran at Feng Xinyu, the whisk held high. Rui sent a burst of medium energy at her, distracting her. Ye slammed the whisk into the blood pool.
A burst of light exploded, and Feng Xinyu screamed. Her body began to dissolve, the black mist fading.
"I'll be back!" she yelled, before vanishing into the pool.
The blood pool bubbled, then went still. The symbols on the walls faded.
"It's over," Dao Feng said, collapsing onto the floor.
Ye and Rui knelt beside him. Rui smiled, looking at Ye. "We did it."
Ye grinned. "We did it, partner."
As they helped Dao Feng stand, the tunnel began to shake. "We need to get out," Dao Feng said. "The bunker's collapsing."
They ran down the tunnel, up the stairs, and out of the funeral parlor. Outside, the sun was rising, painting the sky pink.
Lao Guo ran over, his face worried. "Are you okay? Did you stop her?"
Ye nodded. "We did. And we found Dao Feng."
Dao Feng smiled, shaking Lao Guo's hand. "Good to see you, Lao Guo."
Rui looked at Ye, who was watching her. He walked over, taking her hand.
"What now?" she said.
Ye smiled. "Now? We get you to a hospital. Then, I buy you dinner. You owe me a steak, remember?"
Rui laughed. "Deal."
As they walked down Mott Street, hand in hand, Rui knew this wasn't the end. There would be more spirits, more cases. But she didn't care. She had a partner. And together, they could handle anything.