The bee wobbled. I… something… ?

In the clearing before him, Zui Jiu clenched her fist tight. She looked up at the sky, the last rays of light fading away. Qiu Zuanwu followed her gaze. Horror coiled around him, but nameless, formless.

I… have I forgotten…?

Zui Jiu looked down at her fist. Slowly, she uncoiled her fingers. Curious, Qiu Zuanwu buzzed upward, climbing to get a better look.

Anxious, the nanny bee followed him, buzzing close around him.

A black iron nail sat in Zui Jiu’s palm. Completely ordinary, it emanated no pressure nor vile demonic energy. It could have come from any mortal construction site, except for its utter blackness. The nail seemed to absorb the light. Even its blemishes and the rust spots on its side were pitch, as if the black could not be corrupted.

A shiver passed through Qiu Zuanwu. “No!”

He buzzed through the air, hurtling forward at top speed. His wings blurred. A tiny, yellow-and-black body blasted at the black nail.

Zui Jiu closed her hand around it. She frowned and batted at him.

A rush of air swooshed toward him. He darted upward, over the strike, and zoomed down at Zui Jiu’s wrist. “Release it! Drop it, now! Zui Jiu, don’t do this!”

His stinger plunged into her wrist.

“Ow.” Zui Jiu swatted him.

His tiny body crumpled. The light faded from his eyes. As he fell to earth, the other bee fell with him, emanating concern.

Qiu Xuanwu stared at Zui Jiu, at her huge body, so much taller than him, so much larger, now. She lifted the nail and looked at it closely.

“No…!”

--

Zui Jiu stared at him, so close their faces almost touched. Her blade flashed toward his chest in a silvery arc, like a wave of liquor thrown in the air. Chen Wuya threw himself backward. His shoulders slammed into a tree, and the blade bit into his chest. He laughed once, dryly, but there was no time for anything else. Zui Jiu was upon him.

She slashed again, viciously. Chen Wuya struck upward with the butt of his sword, deflecting her slash upward, then sidestepped, getting away from the tree. She chased after him, launching attack after attack. He parried, backing away into the clearing. At last, he jumped back, putting some space between them.

That black nail… this battle won’t end until I remove it! But…where did she put it?

Zui Jiu jumped into the air, slicing down at his head with a two-handed strike. He raised his sword and blocked. Her eyes shone with a dark light, and she pushed again, harder. Chen Wuya’s sword broke in two. Wide-eyed, he watched Zui Jiu’s blade fall.

“Chen Wuya!”

White robes fluttered on the night air. Long black hair shimmered. Moonlight reflected off Fen Long’s eyes, blazing with fierce anger. He dropped out of the sky and slashed Zui Jiu’s back open, sword rattling down the thick plates of skin.

Zui Jiu flinched. Seeing an opening, Chen Wuya’s eyes glittered. He turned his body to the side. Her sword slammed into the earth as he struck upward, using her own force to cut through the blackened plates on her shoulder. Bright red blood flew into the air.

Throwing back her head, Zui Jiu screamed. Force rushed out from her body, throwing Chen Wuya back. He tumbled, clutching tightly to his broken sword. Behind her, Fen Long jumped back, a wary expression on his face.

He glanced at Chen Wuya. “This… is this an elder demon?”

“She’s dangerous. Don’t let your guard down,” Chen Wuya replied shortly, narrowing his eyes. Ah, pretending you don’t recognize Zui Jiu? You—

On second thought, Kai Bailong wouldn’t recognize Zui Jiu. I sealed the gods before he ascended, and he didn’t stick around long after he released them from my seal. A minor god like Zui Jiu probably didn’t make any impression on him whatsoever.

Zui Jiu trembled. Hundreds of black spines pushed out from between the cracks in her skin.

Chen Wuya’s eyes widened. “Fen Long, watch out!”

The spines burst into the air, blasting out at them. Chen Wuya knelt, desperately blocking the spines with his broken sword. One slammed into the edge of his sword, knocking another piece out. The next zoomed past, breaking through in the space where his sword should have been.

Ah, shit…

Fen Long flashed in front of him, sword whirling. The spine clattered to the side, falling away. The last of the spines slammed into the earth, and he turned with a smile. “You didn’t get hit, did you?”

“I…” Chen Wuya grumbled, standing. Before he could finish, his eyes widened. He grabbed Fen Long’s robes by the neck and yanked the young man toward him.

Fen Long fell against him, eyes wide. “Ch—Chen Wuya, you—”

Zui Jiu’s claws slashed through the space where Fen Long had stood seconds ago. The very tip of her claw cut into Fen Long’s back.

Chen Wuya threw Fen Long aside and stepped forward, releasing the third form again. Zui Jiu flinched back, but his broken sword couldn’t reach her. Her eyes narrowed, and she cackled and struck again with her claws. The sword hung forgotten in her other hand.

As she struck, Chen Wuya yanked the spine he’d recovered from the road earlier from his pack and thrust it into the center of her palm. She screamed and yanked her hand back. Before she could retreat, he pressed in close and slashed at her other hand. On reflex, she drew that hand back, as well, releasing her sword.

Chen Wuya swooped it up and leaped back, operating Pass Amidst Leaves as best he could. He landed beside Fen Long as the young man climbed to his feet.

“Do we have a plan?” Fen Long asked.

“Kill her,” Chen Wuya replied. He flicked the sword, then twisted it through the air. Light and flexible, a flowing sword that moves like alcohol. It fits Zui Jiu.

Fen Long rolled his eyes. “I was hoping for—”

“There’s a black nail in her somewhere. If we remove that, this battle should end,” Chen Wuya stated.

“Understood,” Fen Long said.

“Should be somewhere she’s blackened. Maybe… her stomach?” he suggested. She loved to drink. Maybe she drank the nail, too.

Fen Long nodded again. They leaped away from one another, darting across the clearing. Chen Wuya danced through the spines, while Fen Long leaped above them, floating gently like a snowflake.

Zui Jiu spun in place. She screamed, then rushed at Fen Long, clawing upward.

He plunged out of the air, no longer a snowflake but frozen rain, cold and brutal. His sword flashed across her stomach, opening it wide. Blood rushed out, along with red-hot stomach fluids. No nail.

Chen Wuya furrowed his brows. If not there, then…

His eyes flicked to her arm, the one he’d stung all those years ago. Clenching his teeth, he darted in. Red robes streamed after him, as if a field of autumn leaves chased only him across the battlefield.

She turned and clawed at him. He threw himself low, sliding across the field, and cut upward. Third form: Plucking Fruit!

Her hand flew, trailing blood. A black nail tumbled out of the wrist. He reached up and snatched it, examining it closely. This nail…

Fen Long exclaimed in surprise. Chen Wuya looked up, closing his hand around the nail.

Zui Jiu stumbled back. Black flaked off her, the plates of flesh cracking and breaking away. Claws fell off her fingers. The fangs vanished. Her skin returned to normal, and her eyes cleared. She looked around, blinking.

Fen Long stared, wide-eyed. “She’s… beautiful.”

“Zui Jiu! Who gave you this nail?” Chen Wuya shouted.

She turned toward him. Her brows furrowed, and then she smiled. She opened her mouth.

Her body began to dissolve. Motes of light streamed into the sky. Distracted, Zui Jiu looked around, raising her hands. The light slipped through her fingers, untouchable.

“Zui Jiu! The nail!” he shouted again.

Her eyes turned upward. She opened her hands. Her body began to lift into the sky.

Frustrated, Chen Wuya bit his lip. Dammit! Pay attention to me!

Five feet into the air, her body shuddered, then turned into a stream of silvery liquor. The liquor hung in the air, twisting, frozen mid-pour, a liquid form of moonlight, then dispersed, vanishing into the air. The only sign she’d been there at all was the sweet scent of liquor hanging on the air.