Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 65856 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 329(@200wpm)___ 263(@250wpm)___ 220(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 65856 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 329(@200wpm)___ 263(@250wpm)___ 220(@300wpm)
3 Jiejie – older sister (opposite of meimei)
4 Baozi – steamed bun that contains a meat, vegetable, or meat and vegetable filling
5 Huli jing – fox spirit, a mischievous spirit that can be an omen of good luck or bad luck. It is believed to be able to change into male or female human form and seduce humans. Different from a nine-tailed fox (jiuweihu in Mandarin or kitsune in Japanese or gumiho in Korean – just depends on whether you’re a donghua, anime, or K-drama watcher. 😊).
Chapter 1
Zhang Xiao Dan
October 22, 2023
Zhang Manor, Connecticut
Xiao Dan stepped outside through the door off the kitchen and strolled through the rear garden. The sun had set a couple of hours earlier and the stars were twinkling overhead in a clear sky. The night air had become crisp and cool. Summer was long gone, and autumn blanketed the region. Each morning now woke to a thin white frost covering all the grass and edging the few flowers that remained. The nights were silent except for the occasional hoot of an owl or a fox scream. Leaves had changed to shades of bright yellow, orange, and red.
Following the winding stone path, Xiao Dan wandered over the small, curved bridge into the thicket of trees at the rear of the property. Just as he was about to turn toward the house, he caught a flash of movement out of the corner of his eye.
A smile grew on his lips. This couldn’t be Leo. He’d heard the cat’s voice echoing down the hall as he’d played with Erik.
Another flash to the left caught his eye. This one looked like the fluff of that multi-tailed fiend.
“Huli, what nonsense are you up to now?” Xiao Dan called out.
But the huli jing didn’t come bouncing up to him. There was a blur of color as he darted from one tree to another, circling Xiao Dan.
“If you’re not in the mood to help me pack…” Xiao Dan left the rest unsaid as he turned to the house.
This time, the fox stepped out from behind the tree, coming between Xiao Dan and the building.
Xiao Dan’s smile tumbled from his lips and his heart sped up.
That was not Huli.
The fox facing him now was mostly white, with touches of orange on its chest and tails. Its eyes glowed a startling red, and its stance was both curious and aggressive.
How had the huli jing—no, jiuweihu—gotten onto their property without them knowing it? All the protective spells they’d put in place against intruders were still there.
“You’re not Huli,” Xiao Dan said sharply. “Who are you? What have you done to Huli?”
The fox blinked slowly at him, its nine tails spread out behind it like a peacock’s feathers raised in a great fan. Without a word, the creature shifted into a tall, slender woman dressed in a form-fitting white gown that shimmered in the moonlight. Her black hair cascaded down her back in an inky waterfall to her waist. She blinked, and her red eyes became a sparkling violet. Everything about her held a flawless perfection that was captivating and unsettling. Nothing about her felt real.
“Who are you?” Xiao Dan repeated.
The fox spirit took a step closer.
“Where is Huli? What have you done to him?”
Xiao Dan’s heart hammered, and he balled his hands into tight fists. Where the hell was Huli? If this creature had harmed even one of his tails, Xiao Dan would skin her and turn her pelt into slippers.
“There’s no need to worry about Huli any longer,” she answered in a low, warm voice. “He’s the one who promised me your soul.”
“What?”
“And now I’ve come to collect.”
Xiao Dan retreated a step, his brain locking up at her cryptic words. None of this made any sense. The only way he was getting to the root of this mystery was by talking to Huli and this creature was not his huli jing.
“Who are you?”
“You may call me Min.”1
“What have you done with Huli?”
“I haven’t done anything to Huli other than fulfill my half of the bargain. I have come to collect my payment. That would be you. Or more specifically, your soul.”
Xiao Dan stood his ground, refusing to be unnerved by the magical creature. If she were telling the truth and Huli had struck some deal with her, he needed to have a talk with a certain fox spirit, but his bigger concern was for Huli’s safety.
“You can’t have my soul. Leave here. You’re not welcome,” Xiao Dan bit out.
“I don’t think that matters.”
Min lunged at him, moving far faster than he’d expected. He dodged her outstretched hand. Her long nails were sharp points like claws, and they nearly raked across his face. He continued to block and sidestep each of her strikes while attempting to get to the house. He needed some kind of weapon, even if it was nothing more than a staff.