Chapter 2 My Name is A Chan, the Chan of Entanglement…

Chapter 2: My name is A Chan, the "Chan" of "Entwined Longing"...

Under the gaze of those feral eyes, Ji Chan’s strength ebbed. Her face pressed to the ground, her voice barely a whisper: "Are… are you going to eat me?"

Only heavy breathing echoed from the darkness; those terrifying beastly eyes remained unchanged.

"Then come eat me. It’s better than just dying here…" she murmured intermittently, "I’m just a little afraid of the pain."

In the suffocating silence, she suddenly heard a soft, alluring female voice: "I don’t eat humans."

The voice undoubtedly belonged to the owner of the beastly eyes hidden in the dark.

"You… you’re a demon?"

Only legendary demons could speak human words and take human form.

"Yes."

"Why… why did you come to the capital? If discovered, you’ll die." Ji Chan curled on the ground, the fear of impending death seemingly fading significantly with the presence of this demon.

"I came to seek recognition."

Ji Chan vaguely recalled from the supernatural tales she’d read that if a demon successfully gained recognition from a human, it could transform into human form.

"So you want to become human. You can… seek recognition from me."

"Why? I’m a demon. Aren’t you afraid?" The beautiful voice carried a hint of puzzlement.

Ji Chan’s lifeless eyes watched the falling snowflakes: "What’s there to fear about demons?"

The most terrifying things were humans, and the human heart.

The voice in the dark paused, then suddenly asked: "Do I resemble a human?"

"Yes, you are more human than humans themselves."

With these words, Ji Chan expended her last strength. Yet nothing happened in the darkness.

She heard a sigh: "Pity. All eight of my tails are severed. I can’t become human now."

The matter of seeking recognition could not be spoken aloud. She only told this dying woman because she wanted someone to talk to before death. For her, seeking recognition was merely an obsession.

"How…?" Ji Chan felt an inexplicable surge of frustration. She could do nothing, not even help someone before dying.

"I’m dying too," the voice said.

Having fled thousands of miles to Great Xia’s capital, she found no means of survival here. Forcing her way into the city only meant waiting for death, never expecting to have a human companion at the end.

In the darkness unseen by Ji Chan, a tailless fox demon, covered in deep, bone-exposing wounds, lay quietly. Her body was shattered beyond repair, unable to hold on any longer.

Snow fell on her, quickly stained red by her blood.

"Perhaps dying together here is what you humans call destiny."

Ji Chan seemed infected by the fleeting warmth in those words, her lips twitching involuntarily.

Yes, having company in death could indeed be called destiny.

"Why… are your eight tails severed?"

"Because I trusted the untrustworthy. And you?"

"Perhaps… my father didn’t want me alive."

Human and demon fell silent again—betrayed by those one trusts, betrayed by one’s closest kin, both equally tragic.

After just one sentence, Ji Chan coughed up blood, her vision fading.

She knew death neared, yet she couldn’t accept dying so helplessly, so unable to do anything.

Suddenly, she remembered the supernatural tales she’d read: "I heard… I heard that spirits can possess humans, living on in their bodies. Is it true?"

"It is true, but difficult. The Heavens forbid such evil."

"What if… it’s voluntary?" Ji Chan’s voice suddenly grew urgent. "If I give you my body, can you live?"

"...Perhaps." Came the eventual reply after a long silence.

Ji Chan managed a faint smile: "Good. I leave this body to you. After I die, live on in my stead."

"Why?" The voice held profound bewilderment.

"You said we are fated. We can’t both die here. Someone must live—I hope that person is you. If… if you can live, can you avenge my mother and me?"

"...Yes." If she truly possessed the human before her, perhaps she could indeed survive, as the other had said.

As a fox born with eight tails, her spirit was powerful. After entering a frail human body, her residual power could repair the host’s physical form.

She didn’t know what agreeing to this would entail, but who would choose death if they could live?

Hearing her answer, Ji Chan wanted to smile, but her face had already stiffened.

She said: "My name is Ji Chan, 'Ji' as in seasons, 'Chan' as in the moon’s beauty. My mother named me. I loved it. Now, I lend it to you."

"Good. After I avenge you, I will return your name."

"Thank you… And you, what is your name?"

"I am A Chan, the 'Chan' of 'entwined longing.' I have no surname."

"A Chan…"

Ji Chan softly uttered the name, then fell silent forever.

The moment Ji Chan’s last breath dissipated, the luminous eyes in the darkness suddenly dimmed. A cerulean light detached from the fox demon’s ravaged body and surged into Ji Chan’s.

A muffled thunderclap sounded out of nowhere, followed by an incessant rumble.

As A Chan had said, possession violated celestial law, especially in this capital, a place where human order flourished. For a demon to become human was not tolerated by the Heavenly Dao.

Had Ji Chan not willingly offered her body, perhaps A Chan would have perished under the heavenly thunder the instant she attempted possession.

Upon entering Ji Chan’s body, weakness and excruciating pain instantly overwhelmed her consciousness. The incessant roar of thunder in her ears felt as if it would tear her soul apart at any moment.

But ultimately, the thunder only boomed in the sky, never striking down.

In the imperial city, atop the Celestial Observatory Tower, the officials of the Astronomical Bureau, who were observing celestial phenomena and divining the year’s fortune for the Great Xia Dynasty, instantly blanched at the sound of thunder.

The Director immediately handed the celestial compass to a flustered deputy, instructing: "Quickly take this celestial compass to the Commander of the Bright Mirror Bureau. Tell him a great demon has entered the city, disturbing the heavens."

"Yes, my lord." The deputy, clutching the celestial compass with both hands, hurried away.

The Bright Mirror Bureau was established by the founding emperor of Great Xia and led by his own brother, King Ming.

For a thousand years since the founding of Great Xia, the Bright Mirror Bureau has been passed down through generations, with each Chief hailing from the imperial family, bearing the title of King Ming.

The deputy stumbled to the Bright Mirror Bureau headquarters, announced his name, and requested to see the Commander, only to hear the duty guard hesitantly say: "Tonight, His Majesty is hosting a grand banquet for his ministers in the imperial city, and the Commander has gone to attend."

The deputy’s heart sank. The great demon mentioned by the Director was likely at least of the Fourth Realm.

Among the world’s cultivators, the Fifth Realm is supreme. King Ming, the Chief of the Bright Mirror Bureau, is of the Fifth Realm, while the Commander is currently at the peak of the Fourth Realm. With King Ming absent, only the Commander was the most reliable choice.

Tonight was a day when the dynasty’s celestial fortune converged. If the disturbance grew too large and alarmed His Majesty, no one would escape blame.

"What should we do then? Besides the Commander, which other high-ranking official is present?"

The duty guard replied: "Commander Bai is still in the office."

"Which Commander Bai?"

The Bright Mirror Bureau had four Commanders, each suppressing strange disturbances across the Nine Provinces, all possessing formidable cultivation. If one of them was present, it might just suffice.

"Lord Bai Xiuming."

Hearing it was this Commander, the deputy’s heart finally settled, and he quickly said: "Lord Bai is actually here? Please inform him immediately."

As the duty guard hurried off, the deputy wondered—*why wasn’t Lord Bai attending the Lantern Festival Palace banquet with King Ming tonight?*

"Bai" was the imperial surname, and this young Commander Bai was naturally from the imperial clan. There were even rumors that he had been raised by King Ming and might one day inherit King Ming’s title.

Five years ago, when Bai Xiuming was directly appointed as Commander, many initially opposed it. But after he single-handedly slew a rampaging Fourth Realm black dragon by the Wei River, those dissenting voices finally vanished.

Lord Bai had previously been stationed in Youzhou. By now, it was time for his rotation duty.

These thoughts flashed through the deputy’s mind. It wasn’t long before the duty guard returned: "My lord, please follow me."

He led the deputy toward the main hall of the Bright Mirror Bureau.

Before they could approach, a figure slowly emerged from the hall. The man looked unusually young and strikingly handsome, with eyes like peach blossoms that naturally carried a hint of gentle warmth, easily giving the impression of a mild-mannered person.

He wore a golden crown and a black cloak draped over his shoulders, with only glimpses of the scarlet official robes beneath visible as he moved.

The deputy dared not stare. As soon as Bai Xiuming appeared, he immediately bowed deeply. "Lord Bai, this humble official is a deputy from the Astronomical Bureau, sent by the Director to report that a powerful demon has entered the city, disturbing the heavens."

"Location."

The deputy presented the celestial compass with both hands. "The Director instructed me to deliver this to you, my lord."

Bai Xiuming took the somewhat worn celestial compass, his ring tapping lightly against the wooden surface.

He lowered his gaze to the compass, where three needles—black, white, and red—were aligned. The red needle had shifted, pointing toward the location of the invading demon.

"Mobilize the men," Bai Xiuming ordered.

Several voices immediately responded from the shadows: "Yes."

The deputy was startled, glancing around but unable to see where the voices came from.

In mere moments, dozens of Bright Mirror Bureau guards stood at the ready.

Before mounting the dragon-blood horse brought by his subordinates, Bai Xiuming instructed someone to escort the deputy back safely.

The Bright Mirror Bureau’s dragon-blood horses galloped straight through the Heavenly Street, with commoners swiftly making way. None dared to follow and investigate.

With the speed of the dragon-blood horses, it took less than a quarter of an hour to reach the demon’s location.

Over a dozen horses halted at Anping District. The group dismounted and silently infiltrated the district, while Bai Xiuming strode toward the direction indicated by the needle.

The inky-black alley could not obstruct a cultivator’s vision. With a single glance, Bai Xiuming saw the scene within.

A human and a demon lay together. The demon was lifeless, but the person curled beside it seemed alive, a bloodied arrow lying by their hand.

After mending her shattered heart with her demon qi, A Chan was still weak. Humans were more fragile than she’d imagined, especially ordinary ones like Ji Chan, who could not cultivate.

She lacked the strength to rise, only able to press against her true form for warmth.

Suddenly, she heard measured footsteps—someone was approaching.