With the advancement of human civilization, something called the "Metropolis" began to appear on Earth. In those places, towers scraped the sky, roads twisted like labyrinths, and even in the deepest night, daylight reigned supreme. All manner of humans resided there, surviving by the city, and in turn, becoming the very engine of its operation. Yet, perhaps humanity never considered how much natural environment was devastated, how many other creatures lost their homes, unable to see the familiar stars when they looked up, for every skyscraper they raised, every overpass they laid, every light they kept burning through the night. People likely never cared where these displaced beings would go, but life is incredibly tenacious. To survive, they forced themselves to adapt to the new environment, to adapt to humans, to adapt to this very city. Humans might never discover that they share this city not just with stray dogs, cats, sparrows, or insects, but also with "beings" clever enough to use human appearances to conceal themselves among people. Whether driven by goodwill or malice, they dwell within this city—for survival, for predation, for evolution... The city is vast; any kind of creature could be found here...

The southern district of Shinnan Road was the most vibrant nightlife hub in Lixin City. As midnight approached, its fervor seemed only to be beginning. All sorts of people, under the kaleidoscope of neon lights, vented, enjoyed life, and passed the time.

Xue Tong ran desperately, dashing past shopfronts before cutting from the main road into a side alley. The moment she entered this dimly lit lane, the bustle of the night market behind her faded instantly, as if she had stepped into another world. Xue Tong glanced back; the two men were still closing in relentlessly. Gritting her teeth, she kept running forward.

A car pulled up beside Xue Tong, and the passenger door on the far side opened silently.

"Miss, please get in."

"A taxi?" Xue Tong looked with surprise at the red Santana. Perhaps the driver had mistaken the gesture of her tossing her hair for a signal to hail a ride, and so he drove straight to her. The two men behind her had already caught up. Xue Tong didn't have time to consider why this taxi hadn't been picking up fares in the busy district up ahead but instead drove into this deserted alley. She bent down and slid into the car.

The two pursuers cursed crudely, beating against the car windows. One of them even kicked the door.

"Where to, miss?"

The driver’s voice was as calm as if nothing was happening.

"S, S University."

This driver was probably used to students from prestigious universities frequenting such nightlife spots, Xue Tong thought. Anyone seeing a woman like her running from such a place with two men in pursuit would surely jump to the same conclusions, wouldn't they? "Actually, those two men were just..." She felt a need to explain.

But the driver paid no attention to her words.

Xue Tong turned her head to examine the driver—the car lacked the partition screen common in regular taxis, allowing her a clear view of him. However, seeing clearly made little difference; the driver was the sort whose appearance was utterly commonplace, possessing zero presence. Even if she met him ninety-nine times, Xue Tong wouldn't guarantee recognizing him on the hundredth encounter.

Sometimes she met chatty drivers; sometimes drivers who liked music; sometimes drivers who listened to the news on the radio. And then there were drivers like this one, who neither played music nor spoke, driving in utter silence.

Watching the scenery outside the window become progressively sparser, Xue Tong suddenly had an absurd thought: a taxi late at night, a silent driver, a lone female passenger, a road leading toward the outskirts...

The car stopped abruptly. Xue Tong whipped her head around to stare at the driver.

"We're here!"

"Ah," Xue Tong looked ahead. The main gate of S University was just a dozen steps away.

"That will be thirty yuan."

Xue Tong pulled out several bills, handing them over without counting.

The moment she jumped out, the car sped away. Xue Tong checked her watch, then looked at the massive clock hanging above the school gate—a clock more precise than the sun—and muttered to herself, "Ten minutes. Thirty kilometers from Shinnan Road to here, and cutting through the busiest district..."

"Did you hear? It's her."

"What? Her? Someone would pay for her looks?"

"What are you talking about?"

"That person... Shinnan Road... cheap tramp..."

"Heh, really or not..."

"..."

The whispered gossip behind her, whether intentional or not, reached Xue Tong’s ears. She curled her lip in disdain and headed towards the communal washroom, carrying her toiletries.

"Tong," Zhang Qian walked up to walk beside Xue Tong, despite also hearing the rumors. "Do you have class this morning?"

"Yes, Professor Sun's lecture."

"Me too. Let's go together then."

Zhang Qian looked at Xue Tong: medium build, neither fat nor thin, average-looking, dressed plainly. Zhang Qian had only remembered her name after a year in the same class. Zhang Qian couldn't believe her appearance would warrant engaging in those kinds of activities. But Xue Tong had indeed been coming back late for several consecutive nights. Where had she been going?

"Hey, look, another one!" The excitement in the voice of the boy holding the newspaper was barely suppressed.

Xue Tong, sitting next to him, took the paper from his hand. Printed in bold, colored letters across the headline was: "Serial Murderer Strikes Again; Parolee Becomes Sixth Victim."

Looking at the headline, Xue Tong felt that perhaps this newspaper, like the boy, was excited by the news. In this city, only such stories could jolt people's numbed nerves.

In the span of just over ten days, six cases of murder and dismemberment had occurred in Lixin City. Although described as murder and dismemberment, only a very small part of the victims was ever found: just a head. First, a sanitation worker found one head in a pile of trash, then a second, then a third. Up to today, six victims had been discovered. The common traits across this series of crimes were: all victims were male, all killings occurred after midnight, and the cause of death was decapitation by a sharp object. Furthermore, when two of the heads were found in the early morning, the blood had not yet coagulated. However, the victims came from various backgrounds—office workers, university students, street hoodlums—with no commonality in age, profession, or appearance. A major unsolved point complicated the case:

"Six bodies, even chopped up they would fill several large sacks, right? But the police have turned the city inside out like sifting flour, not even finding mince meat. He discarded the heads carelessly; is he scared the bodies will be found and hidden?" Students discussed the case during the break before class.

"Could it be a criminal organization dealing in human organs?" one student suggested.

Another shook his head. "I think the killer's continuous acts mean he's a psychopath. Maybe he has a fetish for collecting corpses, displaying them in his home, staring at them every day..."

"Ah..." His description made a girl shriek. Everyone laughed along boisterously.

Xue Tong looked down at the paper, muttering, "The bodies... were eaten..." As she looked closer at the victim photos published in the paper, they became increasingly familiar. "Isn't that one of the two men chasing me last night?" For some reason, Xue Tong thought again of the taxi that brought her back, the silent driver, and the thirty-kilometer journey that took only ten minutes...

"What did that driver look like again? Why can't I remember?" The professor had started the lecture, and the classroom finally fell silent. Xue Tong rested her chin on her hand, gazing out the window. "I'll go to Shinnan Road again tonight."

Xue Tong ambled around Shinnan Road several times, her eyes fixed on the taxis speeding past. "I remember the license plate was something like 00544. Yes, 00544..." she mumbled, suddenly leaning against a lamppost and bursting into laughter. "00544, 'Touch me and see,' hahahaha, what kind of number is that! Hahahaha, it kills me! Touch me and see... Hahaha!" Ignoring the people around her who looked at her like she was crazy, Xue Tong laughed until she bent double, enjoying a truly satisfying laugh after so long. "Touch me and see. Interesting. I'll just try it!" She narrowed her eyes slightly.

A taxi slowly approached. "00544!" Xue Tong quickly raised her hand to hail it.

"Please get in." It was the same driver, his voice utterly devoid of emotion.

"Where to, miss?"

"Chengxin Chicken Farm in the Eastern Suburbs."

On the street corner of Shinnan Road, a girl in a long dress stood where Xue Tong had been moments before, gazing at the departing taxi with a bewildered expression. The innocent thoughtfulness in her beautiful face attracted several men, and finally, two young men came forward to strike up a conversation. The girl had initially intended to follow Xue Tong and the taxi, but looking at the men before her, she ultimately changed her mind.

Chengxin Chicken Farm was located where the city met the countryside, surrounded by cornfields ready for harvest. The car traveled down a small road with no streetlights; through the window, one could only see the nearly human-height corn stalks on either side and the pitch-black night sky.

"Stop, this is it."

The destination was still quite far off, but Xue Tong asked the driver to halt.

The driver said nothing. Not only did he stop the car, but he also turned off all the headlights, cut the engine, and turned to face Xue Tong.

The two stared at each other in the darkness. Xue Tong asked, "You... are not human, are you?"

Xue Tong suddenly clamped her hands around the driver's neck. "It's all because of you bastards that I haven't eaten properly in half a month! Even if you aren't human, I have no choice now!" Saying that, she bit down hard on the driver's throat.

"Even if you wanted to eat me, I have no flesh and blood for you to consume," the driver's voice remained as calm as ever. "So, you are a 'Dirt Wolf' * (1). It's all because of you, you creature who only knows how to eat, that I've been caused so much trouble."

Xue Tong felt her teeth fail to tear through skin or flesh; there was no warm, wet blood flowing into her mouth. With a hard yank, the driver's head rolled off his neck onto the ground. Before Xue Tong could reach out again, the severed head and body, still rolling on the ground, vanished completely. "Ptooey, ptooey, I bit something disgusting!" Xue Tong spat, pulled the car door open, and stepped out.

She was no longer the young female university student, but a creature with hair reaching the ground, sharp claws sprouting from her hands, and eyes the color of fire—a Dirt Wolf.

A hand suddenly shot out from the shadow of the car and gripped its ankle. The Dirt Wolf was caught off guard and flung out, landing heavily in the cornfield. The Dirt Wolf scrambled up from the corn stalks it had crushed, staring at the opponent emerging from the shadows: it was no longer the young driver but a shadowy human silhouette, only a pair of pale blue-white eyes moving, fixed intently on the Dirt Wolf.

"So, a low-grade Shadow Wraith. Ptooey, ptooey, this kind of chīmèi wǎngliǎng is inedible." The Dirt Wolf brandished its claws. "It's remarkable that something as low-level as you can cultivate a human form, but unfortunately, I must now destroy your practice."

The Shadow Wraith ducked beneath a swipe from the Dirt Wolf's claw and instantly vanished back into the darkness. The Dirt Wolf watched the surrounding shadows warily, unsure where the Wraith, which could merge with shadows, would reappear.

The Shadow Wraith leaped out from the Dirt Wolf's shadow. The Dirt Wolf agilely sprang onto the roof of the taxi. The Wraith tried to pursue but found it could not move its body. It looked down and saw that one of its feet was inexplicably stuck in the ground, utterly unable to pull free.

"Did you think I was named 'Dirt Wolf' for nothing? The earth can grasp everything, even if you are just a shadow!" As it spoke, the Dirt Wolf swung its hands, and dirt and stones shot up from the ground like arrows, assaulting the Shadow Wraith. Before the rocks could hit, the Wraith vanished again. Then, it reappeared bit by bit from the tiny shadows between the dirt and stones, gradually coalescing. It dared not touch the ground again, floating in mid-air to face the Dirt Wolf.

"Wait a moment," the Dirt Wolf recalled something. "Shadows don't need to eat, right? Were those people who only had their heads left not eaten by you?"

"...Weren't they eaten by you?"

"..."

The Dirt Wolf suddenly sat down heavily on the car roof, spreading its hands. "What the heck? Turns out I got the wrong person. Wasted half the night for nothing."

The Shadow Wraith descended, asking with suspicion, "It really wasn't you?"

The Dirt Wolf sat cross-legged on the roof. "What benefit would I get from lying to you? Besides, do I look like the picky type who leaves a head behind for humans to find?"

The Shadow Wraith landed on the ground and slowly reformed into its human appearance. "So you're looking for that guy too?"

Speaking of "that guy," the Dirt Wolf was filled with rage. "Of course! Do you know how much trouble it caused me? Shinnan Road used to be such a fantastic hunting ground; so many targets to choose from! Because of its meddling, human police and such flooded the area, and I can't feed there at all anymore. It's one thing for it to trespass on my territory and eat people, but it also broke the rules and made the whole city stir! Tell me, how can you not teach such a creature a lesson!" It paused, then asked, "You're looking for it too? Why? You wouldn't be doing it for food, would you..."

The Shadow Wraith replied, "Because it caused me massive trouble: one of the people it ate was a taxi driver I had hired to drive for me during the day; I only come out at night myself. Now that he’s dead, the human police are investigating everyone around him. They found out the driver had embezzled a significant amount of my fares, and since I have no 'alibi' for being out driving at night, I've been listed as a suspect. Neither of us likes drawing human attention; such things are incredibly annoying. If it doesn't stop causing chaos, my life is going to be ruined."

"Then we have a common goal," the Dirt Wolf jumped down from the roof. "Want to cooperate with me? Teach that rule-breaking creature a lesson." Saying this, she reverted to Xue Tong’s appearance and extended her hand to the Shadow Wraith. "My name is Xue Tong now."

The Shadow Wraith shook her hand. "Zhou Ying."

"Zhou Ying! Hahahaha..." Xue Tong burst out laughing. "You're a Shadow Wraith, and your name is Zhou Ying—Surrounded by Shadows?! And your license plate is 'Touch me and see'... Hahahaha, I didn't realize you had such a sense of humor!"

Zhou Ying looked at her with the typical expression humans reserve for mad people.

Seeing that Zhou Ying didn't react as expected, Xue Tong stopped laughing after a moment, finding it tiresome. She waved a hand, preparing to leave. She had only taken a few steps when Zhou Ying suddenly called out, "Wait a minute."

Xue Tong turned back, arms crossed. "You haven't paid me my fare yet."

"What?"

"Forty yuan. Thank you."

Xue Tong's eyes widened. "You're... not that petty, are you?"

"I didn't even charge you for the empty return trip."

Xue Tong reluctantly pulled out her wallet, muttering, "Driving a taxi was just for show; you actually use it to earn money? We have plenty of ways to get money from human society!"

"Humans earn money through work. My job is driving a taxi."

"You're not human."

"That's why I must learn to be human."

Xue Tong frowned. "We are longer-lived and stronger than humans; why should we learn to be like them?" She stuffed a hundred-yuan bill into his hand and waved dismissively. "Don't worry about the change!"

Zhou Ying still produced fifty-five yuan in change, saying, "For a low-level Liangmei like me to achieve Enlightenment, I must first become human. There is no other path."

"What?"

"No other path."

"The sentence before that!"

Zhou Ying asked, "What exactly are you trying to say?"

"Did you just say you want to 'achieve Enlightenment'? Did I hear that correctly?"

"Yes."

"'Achieve Enlightenment'! Hahahaha!" Xue Tong roared with laughter, almost rolling on the ground in hysterics. She leaned right over the hood of the car, slapping the metal as she laughed. "I haven't heard that phrase in centuries! There are still people aiming for 'Enlightenment'! Heavens, you are hilarious! Hahahaha... I can't take it! You are simply... simply... Hahahaha..."

Zhou Ying watched her repeatedly slap the car hood, his brow furrowing with genuine distress. "Isn't the purpose of survival for us demons to complete our cultivation and achieve Enlightenment?"

"Hey, hey, stop saying 'us, us.' You're the only lunatic around here with that idea now. Me, or any of the others, we never heard anyone thinking that way!" Xue Tong managed to suppress her laughter, wiped the tears away, and stood up straight. "Perhaps in the past: when I was young, my kind were busy absorbing essence from the sun and moon, supplementing and cultivating, all for the sake of achieving Enlightenment one day. But that's ancient history, centuries old now. Now that human civilization is so advanced, with bustling metropolises everywhere, our lives have become so much easier. Who bothers cultivating Enlightenment anymore?

For example, if I ate a person before, no matter how cleanly I disposed of everything, that person's disappearance would cause panic and gossip in their village or town. It's different now. In a metropolis this size, one person missing, ten missing, even a hundred missing, won't raise suspicion. As long as we are clean with our actions, we can feast freely. Before, trying to blend in required a mountain of lies because people would incessantly question your origins, your past, and so on. Now, it's different. Just hand over a few legally valid forms, and you are a respectable person. As long as you stand there in a human form, no one cares what lies beneath the skin.

What is the point of cultivating Enlightenment? Isn't it just to become stronger, to secure a better life? In the human world now, there are very few professions like Spirit Masters left; there’s almost no one who can subdue us. And I personally feel that living this life—occasionally eating a person to satisfy an appetite, and otherwise enjoying all the entertainment and comfort humans have invented—is already excellent. Most of the others think the same way I do; they feel this life is quite good. Why bother laboring for a thousand years in cultivation just to achieve some Enlightenment? Even if one achieves Enlightenment, so what? Becoming a god, a demon, or an immortal, so what? Would life necessarily be better than this? Our time isn't infinite; we should enjoy the moment. Out of ten thousand who try to achieve Enlightenment, perhaps not even one succeeds. I advise you not to torture yourself. If you don't like eating people, next time I'll introduce you to some other fun things to do. Don't waste your energy on that."

Xue Tong finished speaking, waved her hand at him, and vanished into the soil, departing.

Zhou Ying watched her disappear and, for the first time, began to consider why he himself sought to "achieve Enlightenment."

It had originally been the lowest class of Shadow Demon, a Chi Mei Wang Liang among demons being already the lowest caste, possessing little intelligence or magical power. The Shadow Demon (Ying Mei) was the lowest among the low; they didn't even possess a fixed form, being merely wisps of shadow. Drifting aimlessly through space, sometimes condensing, sometimes dispersing, they lacked even the capacity for thought. For Zhou Ying to possess independent thought, and for it to cultivate into a "Demon" (Yao) was already an anomaly bordering on the miraculous.

It took two hundred years to become a "Demon," and another hundred years to become "Zhou Ying." Zhou Ying came to this city to learn how to be a "human," because he instinctively knew that for a Yao to achieve ultimate success, it must first learn "how to be a person."

Why achieve ultimate success?

This was originally the only goal Zhou Ying knew. But since other demons didn't pursue this path, why should he? If a demon doesn't cultivate for success, what else is there to do? Eat humans? Indulge? What is the point of all that?

Zhou Ying tapped his head with his hand.

He knew he was incompetent. Although he finally possessed his own body and thoughts, he hadn't learned how to be human, nor had he even mastered how to be a Yao.

"Still haven't found it!" Xue Tong sighed deeply, leaning exhaustedly against Zhou Ying's car.

The two of them had been cooperating to find the demon responsible for the continuous killings for two days. Every day there had been a new victim, yet Zhou Ying and Xue Tong had found absolutely no clues.

Xue Tong groaned, "Originally it was one person every other day, now it's one person a day, and it leaves a head every time. If it keeps this up, I’ll surely starve to death."

Zhou Ying seemed to recall something and asked seriously, "If you don't eat humans and eat other things, can you fill yourself up? Will you starve to death?"

"Human food is delicious; I can be satisfied eating anything. I was joking earlier about starving if I didn't eat people. It’s just that humans are tasty, and for a while now I've just been craving a satisfying bite. Why are you asking this?"

"How often do you usually eat a human?"

"Depends on my mood. Sometimes I go years without eating; at other times, I eat one every ten days or so—depending on whether I meet someone I fancy eating. Aren't you a vegetarian? Why ask these things?"

"Are other human-eating demons the same as you?"

"Didn't I say we're all pretty much the same! What exactly are you trying to ask? Do you want to learn how to eat people? I can teach you!"

Zhou Ying gazed at her and asked, "Then why does that thing eat every day?"

"Right! How did I not think of that? Why is it eating people so frequently? It can’t be that hungry, right? Unless…" She and Zhou Ying looked at each other, speaking in unison: "It's treating humans as its staple food!"

"How many demons treat humans as their staple food?"

"Generally, none, unless they are intentionally being wild and willful." Xue Tong punched the car roof. "Is it insane! If it continues like this, even the stupidest humans will notice something is wrong. And with it eating so brazenly, it might attract humans with spiritual power or meddlesome Immortals (Xian) or Spirits (Ling). All the demons in this city will suffer because of it!"

"But we clearly know it’s in this area, and it still comes out to eat people every day, yet we can't find it. Why do you think that is?"

"Because... because its rank is higher than ours... It’s not a Yao; it might be a Jing or a Ling. It’s more powerful than us, so it can hide its demonic aura from us. Maybe it's watching us right now, looking for it every day, and finds it quite amusing." As Xue Tong spoke, she couldn't help but shiver.

Zhou Ying's face also turned pale: "Should we keep looking then?"

"Maybe before we find it, we'll become its food instead," Xue Tong sighed. "What do you think?"

Zhou Ying said, "Didn't I say it already? Even if it wants to eat me, I don't have the flesh and blood to offer. Plus, I have a 'talisman' I can rely on. I feel... if we don't find it, I won't feel safe living in this city. I still want to find it! What about you?"

"Right, if we don't find it, this city won't feel safe to live in! Let's look!" She shrugged. "At worst, if we can't beat it, we'll just flee to another city. Let's not think about that now! Anyway, I can't let you fight alone." She opened the car door and sat beside Zhou Ying. "Take me back to school first. I'm too tired to walk a single step today—I’ll pay for the ride."

Zhou Ying looked at her, started the engine, and said, "No charge today. It's on me."

"Hey, Zhou Ying, what is this 'talisman' you mentioned? Can I see it?"

"It's not here now."

"Don't be stingy. You don't carry your 'talisman' with you? Let me see it."

"Don't distract me while I'm driving."

"Where is it? I'll look myself..."

"Xue Tong..."

"..."

The red Santana drove past, and a pair of eyes stared after it, filled with mocking amusement.

"How about this one?"

"Too fat! Eating it would lead to weight gain."

"What about that one?"

"Too skinny; it’ll give me a toothache."

"The one that's neither fat nor thin?"

"Too ugly. Not eating it."

"...You've been choosing for three hours. Are there no people on the street worth eating?"

"If I'm going to eat so rarely, how can I eat something that doesn't look appetizing!"

Zhou Ying and Xue Tong sat in the car, picking and choosing among the passersby.

They figured that since "that guy" was eating people in such a blatant manner, it must consider this area its personal domain, looking down on everything. If any other demon were hunting here, this arrogant creature certainly wouldn't tolerate it. Therefore, they decided Xue Tong should go out and eat someone here to see if they could provoke the creature into seeking them out. But Xue Tong insisted that food must be appealing in appearance, flavor, and smell, and after picking over targets for half the night, she still hadn't chosen one.

A commotion broke out down the street. Zhou Ying nudged the car forward slightly and saw a group of drunken men tearing and beating a woman. Soon, the woman's top was ripped off, and she curled up on the ground weeping, her upper body bare. One of the men grabbed her hair and forcibly kissed her mouth, then slapped her down. He snatched her handbag and, humming a vulgar tune, the group moved forward. Passersby and onlookers alike made way for them.

The woman sat weeping in the middle of the road, yet no one went to help her up.

This city, this street, was like this: indifferent, cruel, ruled by the law of the jungle. Not only had the humans living here grown accustomed to it, but even the demons in the city had long been used to such sights.

"I want to eat him," Xue Tong pointed at the man.

"He's drunk. Will he taste good?" Zhou Ying commented.

"I like liqueur chocolates. So what? Is that not allowed?"

A flicker of understanding crossed Zhou Ying's eyes, and he quietly followed the group of men.

In the pitch-black cornfield, the Earth Wolf (Di Lang) threw its prey onto the ground. Before taking a bite, it looked around to ensure no third party was nearby, then confidently severed the prey's throat and began to savor it slowly.

A dark cloud drifted over, completely obscuring the already dim crescent moon.

A black shadow leaped out of the field and pounced on the Earth Wolf. The Earth Wolf was ready; before the attacker's teeth could sink in, it rolled sideways.

"You finally showed up," the Earth Wolf licked the minor wound on the back of its hand, staring at the other party. "You disruptive creature, causing so much trouble for others, without even a word of apology."

The one who attacked the Earth Wolf was a human girl. "She" retracted claws as sharp as blades, licking a drop of the Earth Wolf's blood from her fingertips. She gazed at the Earth Wolf with an expression of seduction bordering on the dreamlike. She said nothing.

The Earth Wolf stood up and spoke solemnly, "I don't object if you want to live in this city, but please take note in the future: don't transform into an overly beautiful human, and don't be too picky when eating. At the very least, you must find a way to dispose of the remains. Even for us, if we want to live in a human city, there are rules we must adhere to. The most important one is: no matter what, try not to draw human attention."

"Is transforming into a beautiful form easier for attracting 'food'?" the "girl" asked in a soft, melodious voice. "And I have no intention of living in a human city. To me, this is merely a food storage warehouse. Whether humans notice me or not, I don't care. Do you care about the thoughts of your 'food,' Earth Wolf?"

The Earth Wolf looked at "her" coldly. "To me, this city isn't just a place with lots of food. This is my home. I enjoy its comfort, and I enjoy the pleasure and entertainment that human civilization provides. Your actions are already affecting my life. If you insist on continuing like this, then I can only ask you to leave this city."

"The food here is delicious; I have no intention of leaving now," the "girl" said flirtatiously. "Of course, I will leave someday, but definitely not now."

"Now. You must leave—but you can choose to leave alive or leave as a corpse."

"Heh heh, Earth Wolf, you are just a Yao, yet you boast before me, a being of higher rank. You must have thought about the consequences, haven't you?"

"Since you won't listen to good advice, then die!"

As the Earth Wolf finished speaking, the "corpse" lying near the "girl's" feet suddenly jumped up and embraced her from behind, its hands digging into her shoulders. The Earth Wolf seized the opportunity and lunged forward, aiming its jaws at her throat. The "girl" violently twisted her neck, and the Earth Wolf only managed to bite her shoulder. With a sharp howl from the girl, the "corpse" behind her suddenly lunged forward, shoving the Earth Wolf away. Two blinding beams of white light flashed like lightning, and the "corpse" that had been shielding the Earth Wolf and the "girl" instantly dissolved into countless fragments, scattering around the "girl."

The Earth Wolf looked at the "girl's" current state: her body was still human-like, but she had long mane growing from her back, hooves for feet, and tiger claws for hands. Her ten fingers were like ten curved, razor-sharp sickles, glinting faintly in the weak starlight. These claws could easily slice through rock. The humans she had eaten over the past few days had their heads severed by these very claws. Her head was that of a dragon, with protruding fangs, and eyes the size of eggs emitting a faint blue glow.

"Yu’e Yu! (2)" The Earth Wolf took a deep breath. "It seems we’ve stirred up big trouble! Zhou Ying, are you alright?"

The "corpse" that had been shredded by the Yu’e Yu’s claws had turned into countless dark shadows. Piece by piece, they seemed to struggle as they wriggled, finally merging into a human shape that sat up—if he hadn't reacted in time, the one shredded would have been the Earth Wolf, which lacked regenerative abilities. "I'm fine. Are you hurt?"

"It's going to get 'bad' soon; it's a Yu’e Yu!" The Earth Wolf stared nervously at the enemy, sweat beginning to seep through its skin. "Perhaps we were a bit overconfident!"

The Yu’e Yu was originally a Celestial Deity, murdered by his colleague, the deity Er Fu, and his subordinate, Wei Mou. His resentful corpse transformed into the monster with a dragon's head and tiger's claws. This monster, the Yu’e Yu, had completely lost the temperament of its divine self, becoming savage and tyrannical, sustaining itself by eating humans, and gradually forming a lineage of demonic creatures. Although these monsters were a type of Jing guai, they originated from the corpse of a Celestial Deity. Thus, a portion of divine power lingered within them, making their strength among Jing, Yao, Gui, Guai arguably one of the strongest categories.

This Yu’e Yu standing before them didn't take opponents like the Earth Wolf or the Shadow Demon seriously at all.

The Earth Wolf swept its paws, and the ground cracked open, transforming all the soil and rock into weapons that shot toward the Yu’e Yu. The Yu’e Yu didn't even move, merely waved its hands, shattering everything to pieces. Emerging from the shadows cast by these fragments, the Shadow Demon flashed forth, wielding a long blade condensed from shadow, and stabbed the Yu’e Yu in the chest. The Yu’e Yu chuckled, leaning into the blade. The Shadow Blade couldn't even pierce its skin. The Yu’e Yu raised a claw and sent the Shadow Demon flying into the field.

That swipe from the Yu’e Yu carried immense magical force. The Shadow Demon knelt on the ground; the gap in its shoulder could not heal for a time.

The Earth Wolf lifted a large stone, crushing it down toward the Yu’e Yu. It took advantage of the creature looking up to smash the stone, diving underground to emerge directly beneath its opponent, grabbing its ankle and yanking hard toward the earth. The Yu’e Yu’s legs, from the lower part of the calf down, became stuck in the ground, unable to move. The Earth Wolf’s claws reached out from below, five sharp digits plunging into the creature's thigh. The Yu’e Yu let out a low hum of pain and kicked out forcefully. The ground immediately formed a large crater; not only were masses of dirt kicked away, but the Earth Wolf was also thrown out from underground. It rolled on the ground clutching its left paw—the one it had used to scratch the Yu’e Yu—before managing to crawl up. However, its left hand had been kicked and broken by the Yu’e Yu’s stomp.

"Am I really going to die by its hands today?" For the first time in hundreds of years of life, the Earth Wolf harbored such a feeling of despair.

"You are a very brave Earth Wolf," the Yu’e Yu's voice sounded like that of a human infant, sweet and innocent. "I will break my habit of only eating humans for your sake—although you don't look very tasty." It walked toward the Earth Wolf.

The Yu’e Yu took a few steps, then suddenly found it couldn't move. Upon closer inspection, it realized the dense shadows of the corn stalks around it had turned solid, like a cage trapping its movements. "Shadow Demon!" it ground out the name through clenched teeth. Because its own shadow had suddenly leaped up, brandishing its sharp claws and lunging at it.

While shadows might not possess the same power as physical bodies, they are indestructible and cannot be killed. While struggling with its own shadow, the Yu’e Yu also had to fend off the Earth Wolf, which was attacking again, and its temper began to fray. It roared fiercely, and its body suddenly swelled. Countless jets of water shot from its mouth. Both the Earth Wolf and the Shadow Demon were hit and fell to the ground at its feet.

The Earth Wolf was pierced through the abdomen by a stream of water, bleeding profusely, and collapsed weakly on the ground.

For the Shadow Demon, manipulating the shadows of living creatures was inherently more exhausting than other tasks, let alone the shadow of a powerful spirit like the Yu’e Yu. It had exhausted its energy, and having been struck by the water jet, its own image was fading rapidly, allowing one to see things behind it.

The Yu’e Yu no longer possessed its previous composure. Its body was crisscrossed with bloody gashes inflicted by the Earth Wolf's claws, and its ear was torn by the Shadow Demon, dripping blood onto the ground. It looked at its two opponents, its voice trembling slightly, whether from excitement or rage: "You, you actually managed to force me to this point, you low-class creatures!" It raised its foot to stomp down on the Shadow Demon.

"Ah!" The Earth Wolf cried out, watching helplessly as the Shadow Demon dissipated under its foot, struggling to reform. Another stomp, it scattered again, and reformed with greater difficulty the next time. The Shadow Demon's regeneration became more arduous with each attempt, and its condensed form grew fainter and fainter.

"Damn it! Don't touch it!" The Earth Wolf lunged forward fiercely, using its last ounce of strength to wrap around the Yu’e Yu’s arms, dragging it away from the Shadow Demon. "Zhou Ying, run quickly!"

"Earth Wolf..."

"Run!"

The Yu’e Yu's claws plunged into the Earth Wolf's shoulder and back, but it didn't let go, holding the creature fast.

"Huo’er, now!" The Shadow Demon shouted, throwing something toward the immobilized Yu’e Yu. "Hurry up!"

The Earth Wolf watched the small object, a tiny spark of fire flying toward them. "Just a lit match," it thought, but as soon as the thought formed, a bright light suddenly burst from the small flame of the match, forcing the Earth Wolf to close its eyes tightly. It smelled the odor of burning flesh.

The Shadow Demon rushed over and hugged the Earth Wolf, pulling it clear of the Yu’e Yu.

The Earth Wolf looked up at the sky in disbelief: "What is that...?"

"My 'talisman.'"

"Heavens! That is... that's a Bi Fang! (3)"

Flying in the air was a bird the size of an eagle. It resembled the divine creature "Phoenix," but it only had one claw. Moreover, its entire body and every feather were composed of raging flames. The flames on it now burned so fiercely that they illuminated everything around them, making the creature itself look golden yellow.

Bi Fang, the spirit beast of Fire.

Ling (Spirit) is the most unique category in the classification of Gods (Shen), Devils (Mo), Immortals (Xian), Spirits (Ling), Essences (Jing), Demons (Yao), Ghosts (Gui), Monsters (Guai), Fiends (Ba), Shadows (Mei), Ghosts (Wang), and Shadows (Liang). Their magical power is innate, not acquired through cultivation, but they cannot advance in rank or achieve ultimate success. These Ling beings, whose power is second only to Shen, Mo, and Xian, generally reside in a place called "Kunlun." Only Shen, Mo, and Xian can summon them to serve them. It was unknown why the Shadow Demon had a Bi Fang by its side, and why it would obey the commands of a Shadow Demon, which was of a much lower rank than a Ling.

Compared to other spirit beasts—such as Ying Long, Da Feng, Fei Lian, You Guang—the fire-attributed Bi Fang held greater deterrent power over lower-ranked demons because "fire" has historically been used to expel demons. The Earth Wolf and the others felt a fear upon seeing the Bi Fang that was even harder to conceal than when they saw the Yu’e Yu. However, it could tell this Bi Fang was still a juvenile. A mature, adult Bi Fang should be the size of a Phoenix, and a single strike from an adult Bi Fang could probably cook a Yu’e Yu through. But now, the Yu’e Yu was still flailing its claws in the air, attempting to knock the Bi Fang down.

"Huo’er, watch out for its water jets!"

The Bi Fang struck by surprise, burning out the Yu’e Yu’s eyes, but afterward, the Yu’e Yu wildly swung its claws and attacked with spells in all directions, preventing the Bi Fang from getting close again. After circling the enemy several times, the Bi Fang grew anxious, attempting to dive in a few times, only to have a few feathers knocked off. These feathers turned to flame the moment they left its body, scorching patches of grass.

The Shadow Demon knew this young Bi Fang was insufficient to fight the Yu’e Yu alone, so it leaped up to help.

Blinded and in pain and rage, the Yu’e Yu’s claw swipes became increasingly disorganized. Most of its attacks were neutralized by the Bi Fang. Finally, its body was entangled by the Shadow Demon, and the Earth Wolf lunged forward, biting off its throat in one go.

The Yu’e Yu staggered and collapsed onto the ground. After a few spasms in its limbs, it finally lay still.

The Earth Wolf and the Shadow Demon exchanged a look, then both collapsed onto the ground, too exhausted to move.

The Bi Fang descended from the sky and landed on the Shadow Demon’s shoulder, nestling its head affectionately into its arms. The Earth Wolf hastily scrambled a few feet away, pointing at the Bi Fang: "Hey, don't let that thing come near me!"

The Shadow Demon stroked the Bi Fang's feathers and shot the Earth Wolf a look: "Huo’er is still a child, what are you afraid of? Besides, it saved us!"

"Exactly, exactly!" The Bi Fang poked its head out from under its arm and chirped, "Ungrateful!"

The Earth Wolf grimaced. In any case, it dared not approach a Bi Fang, regardless of whether it was a child or not. It walked over to the Yu’e Yu’s corpse and nudged it with its foot. "Ask that Bi Fang to burn it, will you? So humans don't discover it and make a fuss."

"Aren't you hungry? Just eat it all up," the Shadow Demon felt that setting a large fire would attract too much unwanted attention.

The Earth-Wolf suddenly whipped its head around to look at it: "We male Earth-Wolves do not eat females! Not even females of our own kind!"

"Ah!" Shadow-Phantom’s eyes widened instantly, "But, Xue Tong is a female, isn't she?"

"'Xue Tong'? That was merely a form adopted for the convenience of the hunt! Look at my true form," the Earth-Wolf scrutinized itself up and down, "Do I look like a female in any way? Don't tell me... Shadow-Phantom, you can't actually distinguish between male and female, can you?"

"Human men and women are very easy to tell apart."

"You only recognize humans? Then it truly is hopeless!"

"We Chi Mei have no gender to begin with!" Shadow-Phantom exclaimed, frustrated and angry.

"So you've always assumed I was female? Hahahaha, I am female! Hahahaha! I can't stop!" The Earth-Wolf burst into unrestrained laughter, yet simultaneously grimaced in pain as its wound twinged. Its expression was utterly comical—half mirth, half agony. It finally managed to stifle the laughter, waving a dismissive hand. "But it’s fine, I suppose I'll have to teach you. I can also teach you how to live comfortably, how to enjoy the inventions of humanity. Do you know how to get online? I recently discovered an online multiplayer game; I can teach you. We can team up and fight, and hear the 'bang, bang' of the guns..."

"Thank you, but I still need to cultivate. I'm afraid I can't afford to be distracted by such things."

"Cultivate? You haven't given up on achieving enlightenment yet!"

"I've thought this through seriously this time. Before, I never truly considered why I was striving so desperately in my practice. But since everyone is different: you enjoy the human lifestyle, you love living comfortably, and you fight formidable opponents like the Ya Yu just to protect that life. The Ya Yu only wants to devour humans without restraint, ignoring all rules. As for me? I like neither of your paths."

"I am different from you both. You were born with everything: thought, form, magical power... so you can choose whatever life you desire. I am merely the lowest class of Shadow-Phantom, born from the murky yin energy of the swamp. Originally, I had no form, no consciousness, nothing. If I hadn't cultivated and evolved, I would have dissolved into utter nothingness long ago. Now that I can choose the life I want, I still feel an overwhelming urge to discover the absolute limit of what a Shadow-Phantom like me can achieve. I don't know if I'm making myself clear. It's not that I must reach the final state of enlightenment; I just need to know: what can I, a Shadow-Phantom who strives, become? How far can I go?"

"You will achieve enlightenment!" the Earth-Wolf declared. "Because you are so diligent and persistent, and because I, the clever Earth-Wolf, will not compete with you, you certainly have a chance!"

Shadow-Phantom let out a soft laugh and asked, "Is that so?"

"Progress, progress!" the Earth-Wolf shouted loudly. "You're smiling now! In all the time I've known you, this is the first time I’ve seen you smile. You’re becoming more and more like a human! A huge improvement!"

Shadow-Phantom’s smile froze on its face; it wasn't sure what expression to adopt.

"But not enough! Let me teach you how to really laugh." The Earth-Wolf then planted a foot firmly on the corpse of the Ya Yu, pointing at the body and proclaiming loudly, "You reckless fool, daring to oppose me! Do you know my might now? I am the number one Earth-Wolf under heaven, hahahaha! Hahahahaha..." It erupted into a wild, arrogant laugh.

Shadow-Phantom watched it, first pressing its lips together tightly, and then finally being unable to contain itself, it laughed too.

"Hahahaha..."

A young man on the street corner drew the majority of the attention from the passing women. This tall, slender man with impeccably handsome features was fully aware of his striking appearance, smiling nonchalantly. A taxi pulled over to the curb before he even raised his hand, and the young man slipped into the back seat.

"Where to, sir?"

"The XX Hotel. I have a date with a 'female'!" the young man said, preening slightly while looking into the car's rearview mirror.

Zhou Ying shot him a sidelong glance. "Didn't we agree that while living among humans, we should try to keep our appearance from drawing unnecessary attention?"

"That applies when I'm hunting prey for consumption. My goal isn't eating right now—well, it is for 'eating,' just not the kind that ends up in the stomach!"

Zhou Ying shook his head and offered a faint smile.

"Oh, by the way, my current human name is 'Liu Di.' Remember that."

"Liu Di?"

"You get to be called 'Zhou Ying,' why shouldn't I be called 'Liu Di'?"

"Whatever you wish."

Liu Di took a deep breath, wrinkled his nose, and asked, "What is that smell in your car? It's horrible!"

"That would be the weasels I just dealt with, I suppose?"

"Weasels?"

"Mm-hmm, I took them to KFC."

"Weasels going to KFC! Hahaha..." Liu Di looked out at the bustling street and sighed, "When a city gets this big, you truly do find every kind of creature living here..."

Note: 1. Earth-Wolf: From Shi Zi: There is a dog in the earth, named Earth-Wolf. The Earth-Wolf is a monster that lives in the soil, much like a fish lives in water. Its appearance resembles a dog, but like other monsters, it can attain a human form after reaching a certain stage of cultivation.

2. Ya Yu: From Shan Hai Jing, The Classic of Mountains and Seas, Inner North: Er Fu's servant was named Wei; Wei and Er Fu slew the Ya Yu. From Shan Hai Jing, The Classic of Mountains and Seas, Inner West: The Ya Yu has a dragon's head and dwells in the marsh water... Its cry resembles an infant's, and it devours humans. In ancient mythology, there was only one Ya Yu, and because it ravaged the world, it was killed by Hou Yi in the story of the Ten Suns. In the narrative of Urban Legends of Monsters, it is portrayed as a species—a concept conceived by the author for this novel; please do not dwell on this inconsistency.

3. Bi Fang: From Fa Yuan Zhu Lin, Second Volume: The essence of fire is named Bi Fang, shaped like a bird... From Shan Hai Jing, The Classic of Mountains and Seas, West Mountain Three: There is a bird there, shaped like a crane, marked with red patterns, blue body, and a white beak; it is called Bi Fang, and it calls its own name. Bi Fang is a fire spirit. Legend holds that when the Yellow Emperor convened all the gods and spirits of the world at Mount Tai in the West, he rode in a treasured chariot pulled by six flood dragons, driven for him by the Bi Fang. Since the Bi Fang was qualified to drive the Yellow Emperor's chariot and command six flood dragons, it is clearly a spiritual beast of immense power.