Phoenix Mountain loomed against the night sky.
The old temple sat at the peak—abandoned for decades, its roof caved in and its walls crumbling. Locals avoided it. They said ghosts lived there.
They weren't wrong.
Jiang Yue climbed the stone steps alone. Feng Yichen waited at the base of the mountain with a tactical team, ready to move at her signal.
Her ghost sight revealed the spirits watching from the shadows. They weren't hostile. Just curious. Waiting to see what would happen.
She reached the temple gates at exactly midnight.
A woman stood in the courtyard.
She was older—perhaps fifty—with silver-streaked hair and sharp features. She wore traditional robes that seemed out of place in the modern era. Her eyes held the weight of someone who had seen too much.
"Jiang Yue." The woman smiled slightly. "You look like your mother."
Jiang Yue stopped cold.
"You knew my mother?"
"I knew her very well. We worked together, once." The woman gestured to a stone bench. "Sit. We have much to discuss."
"I'll stand."
"Suspicious. Good." The woman sat down herself. "My name is Madam Zhou. I lead an organization called the Veil Keepers. We've existed for over a thousand years, protecting humanity from supernatural threats."
"Like the Bureau?"
"The Bureau is our public face. A government agency that handles minor incidents." Madam Zhou's voice hardened. "The Veil Keepers handle the things too dangerous for any government to know about."
"Why am I here?"
"Because your mother was one of us. And her death—like yours—was not an accident."
---
Jiang Yue's world tilted.
Her mother had died when she was seven. A sudden illness, the doctors said. One day healthy, the next day gone. Her father never recovered from the grief.
"My mother died of sickness."
"Your mother was murdered." Madam Zhou's voice was flat. "Poisoned by agents of the Obsidian Circle—a cult dedicated to freeing the Devourer. The same cult the Lin family serves."
The connection clicked in Jiang Yue's mind.
"The Lin family killed my mother?"
"Not directly. But they're part of the same organization." Madam Zhou pulled out a photograph. "This was taken twenty years ago."
The image showed a young woman in Veil Keeper robes. She was beautiful, with kind eyes and a gentle smile.
Jiang Yue's breath caught.
"Mom..."
"Jiang Mei was one of our best agents. She discovered the Obsidian Circle's plan to wake the Devourer. She found evidence. Names. Locations." Madam Zhou's expression darkened. "Before she could share it, they killed her."
"And the evidence?"
"Hidden. She told no one where—not even me. She only said that her daughter would find it when the time was right."
Jiang Yue's head spun.
Her mother had been a supernatural agent. Had fought monsters and cults. Had died protecting secrets that could save the world.
And she had left those secrets for her daughter to find.
"Why didn't you contact me before? Why wait until now?"
"Because we didn't know you existed." Madam Zhou sighed. "Jiang Mei hid her pregnancy from everyone. She knew the Obsidian Circle would target any children she had. After she died, your father changed your names and moved to another city."
"He was protecting me."
"Yes. And it worked—for twenty years." Madam Zhou leaned forward. "But then Lin Haoran found you. The Obsidian Circle realized who you were. And they decided to finish what they started."
---
Everything suddenly made sense.
Lin Haoran targeting her wasn't just about money. The Lin family served the Obsidian Circle. They had been ordered to eliminate the last of Jiang Mei's bloodline.
Her marriage. Her murder. All of it was planned by people she had never even met.
"Xu Meilin," Jiang Yue said. "Where does she fit in?"
"A useful tool. Nothing more." Madam Zhou waved dismissively. "The Circle planted her in your life years ago. She was tasked with getting close to you, earning your trust, and eventually helping to eliminate you."
"She's been my friend since we were teenagers."
"She's been your handler since you were teenagers. Every secret you told her went straight to the Circle. Every vulnerable moment was catalogued and exploited."
Jiang Yue felt sick.
Fifteen years. Fifteen years of friendship, and all of it was a lie.
"Where is she now?"
"Bangkok, as I told you. But she won't stay there long. The Circle is evacuating its assets. They know you're hunting them."
"I need to find her."
"You will. But first, you need your mother's evidence." Madam Zhou stood. "The Obsidian Circle has infiltrated governments, corporations, law enforcement agencies across the world. Without that evidence, you can't expose them. Without exposure, you can't destroy them."
"Do you know where it is?"
"I have a theory." Madam Zhou pulled out another photograph. "Your childhood home. The one your father sold after your mother died. Jiang Mei spent months renovating that house before you were born. I believe she hid something there."
Jiang Yue studied the image. A modest house with a garden. Memories flickered—distant, faded by time.
"The house was demolished five years ago. A shopping mall stands there now."
"The house, yes. But your mother was clever. She wouldn't hide something important in a structure that could be destroyed." Madam Zhou smiled slightly. "What's beneath a shopping mall?"
"The foundation. Underground parking."
"And beneath that?"
Jiang Yue's eyes widened.
"The original basement. They would have filled it with concrete, but the space still exists."
"Exactly. Whatever your mother hid, it's still there. Waiting for you."
---
They talked for another hour.
Madam Zhou explained the structure of the Obsidian Circle. Its leaders. Its goals. Its connection to the Devourer.
The cult believed the Devourer was a god. When it woke, it would consume the current world and create a new one—with its faithful servants as rulers.
"They're insane," Jiang Yue said.
"They're believers. That makes them far more dangerous." Madam Zhou handed her a card. "My contact information. When you find your mother's evidence, call me. The Veil Keepers will help you end this."
"Why should I trust you?"
"You shouldn't. Not completely." Madam Zhou met her eyes. "But your mother did. And she was rarely wrong about people."
She turned and walked into the shadows of the temple.
By the time Jiang Yue blinked, she was gone.
---
Feng Yichen was pacing at the base of the mountain.
"Two hours!" He grabbed her shoulders. "You were up there for two hours! I almost sent the team in six times!"
"I'm fine."
"You're not fine. You look like you've seen a ghost." He paused. "I mean, more than usual."
Despite everything, Jiang Yue almost laughed.
"My mother was a supernatural agent. She was murdered by the same cult the Lin family serves. And she left evidence hidden somewhere that could expose the entire organization."
Feng Yichen stared at her.
"That's... a lot."
"There's more. Xu Meilin was planted in my life when we were teenagers. Our entire friendship was an operation to monitor and eventually eliminate me."
"I really want to hug you right now, but I'm also afraid you might stab me."
"I won't stab you." She leaned into him, suddenly exhausted. "Not tonight, anyway."
He wrapped his arms around her. Warm. Solid. Real.
For a moment, she let herself feel safe.
"What's the next move?" he asked.
"We find my mother's evidence. There's a shopping mall built on my old house. The original basement should still be there, sealed under concrete."
"Breaking into a shopping mall's foundation. That's a new one." He pulled back and looked at her. "When do we go?"
"Tonight. Before the Circle realizes what we're after."
---
The Sunshine Plaza Mall closed at 10 PM.
By midnight, Jiang Yue and Feng Yichen were in the underground parking structure, searching for access to the original foundation.
"According to building records, the old basement was filled with concrete and sealed," Feng Yichen said, studying his tablet. "But there's a maintenance tunnel that runs along the edge. If we can access that—"
"Found it."
Jiang Yue stood before a rusted metal door marked "NO ENTRY - AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY."
She kicked it open.
The tunnel beyond was dark and narrow. Water dripped from pipes above. The air smelled of mold and forgotten things.
They walked for ten minutes before reaching a wall of concrete.
"This is it," Feng Yichen said. "The old basement is on the other side."
"Stand back."
Jiang Yue pressed her hands against the concrete. She didn't know if this would work, but something told her to try.
She called on her connection to the Boundary. The power that let her see ghosts. The energy that linked her to the space between life and death.
The concrete began to crack.
Lines spread from her palms like spiderwebs. The wall groaned. Pieces crumbled away.
When she stepped back, there was a hole large enough to crawl through.
Feng Yichen stared. "Since when can you do that?"
"Since right now, apparently." She was just as surprised as him. "My powers are growing."
"That's either very good or very bad."
"Probably both."
---
The old basement was frozen in time.
Dust covered everything. Furniture sat where it had been left twenty years ago. Children's toys. Family photographs. The remnants of a life interrupted by tragedy.
Jiang Yue picked up a photo frame.
Her mother smiled back at her—young, beautiful, alive. Holding a baby in her arms.
Holding her.
"Mom," she whispered. "What did you hide for me?"
Her ghost sight activated.
And her mother appeared.
---
Jiang Mei's spirit stood in the corner of the basement.
She looked exactly like the photographs—gentle eyes, warm smile, an aura of peace that filled the room.
**"My beautiful girl."** Her voice was soft as summer wind. **"You've finally come."**
Jiang Yue couldn't speak. Tears streamed down her face.
"Mom... you're..."
**"Dead, yes. But I've been waiting for you. Watching you grow. Wishing I could protect you."** Jiang Mei's ghost drifted closer. **"I'm so sorry, Yue'er. I'm sorry I couldn't be there. I'm sorry my past brought you so much pain."**
"It's not your fault."
**"It is. I made enemies. I didn't hide you well enough. And because of me, you suffered."** Jiang Mei reached out as if to touch her daughter's face. **"But you're so strong now. Stronger than I ever was."**
Feng Yichen stepped back, giving them privacy.
"The evidence," Jiang Yue managed. "Madam Zhou said you hid something. Something that could destroy the Obsidian Circle."
**"Yes. I hid it where only you could find it."** Jiang Mei smiled. **"Do you remember the lullaby I used to sing?"**
A melody surfaced from deep in Jiang Yue's memory. A song about the moon and stars. About a mother's love that never dies.
"I remember."
**"The third line. Those are the coordinates."** Jiang Mei began to fade. **"The evidence is buried there. Names, locations, rituals—everything you need to expose them."**
"Wait! Don't go!"
**"I have to, my love. I've held on for twenty years, waiting for this moment. Now I can finally rest."** Jiang Mei's form grew translucent. **"I'm so proud of you, Yue'er. Whatever happens next, know that I love you. I always have. I always will."**
"I love you too, Mom."
**"Destroy them. For me. For yourself. For everyone they've hurt."** Jiang Mei smiled one last time. **"And live, my daughter. Live a full and happy life. That's all I ever wanted for you."**
Then she was gone.
---
Jiang Yue stood in the empty basement, tears falling silently.
She had so many questions. So many things she wanted to say. Twenty years of loss condensed into one brief conversation.
But she had what she needed.
The coordinates hidden in a lullaby. Evidence that could destroy the Obsidian Circle.
"Are you okay?" Feng Yichen asked gently.
"No." She wiped her eyes. "But I will be."
She hummed the lullaby under her breath. The third line contained numbers—latitude and longitude, hidden in the rhythm and melody.
"I know where the evidence is."
"Where?"
"An old temple in the mountains. About three hours from here." She headed for the hole in the wall. "Let's go."
---
They drove through the night.
Jiang Yue sat in silence, processing everything she had learned. Her mother's secret life. Her murder by the Obsidian Circle. The evidence waiting to be discovered.
And underneath it all, one burning question:
Who in the Circle had ordered her death?
Lin Zhengting was a servant, not a leader. Someone above him had targeted the Jiang family. Someone with the power to orchestrate decades of manipulation.
She would find them.
And she would make them pay.
---
Dawn broke as they reached the mountain temple.
It was ancient—far older than the one on Phoenix Mountain. Stone walls covered in moss. Statues of forgotten gods guarding the entrance. An atmosphere of power that made the air hum.
"Your mother knew how to pick hiding spots," Feng Yichen muttered.
They entered.
The main hall was empty. Dust and cobwebs everywhere. But Jiang Yue's ghost sight showed her something else.
Symbols. Carved into the floor. Invisible to normal eyes.
She followed them to a hidden chamber behind the altar.
Inside was a metal box, sealed with supernatural locks that glowed faintly in the darkness.
Jiang Yue pressed her hand against the seal.
It recognized her blood. Her heritage. Her right to access what lay within.
The locks clicked open.
Inside was a leather journal filled with her mother's handwriting. Names. Dates. Rituals. Photographs of cult leaders and their crimes.
And one name appeared again and again, circled and underlined:
CHAIRMAN WU ZHENYI - LEADER OF THE OBSIDIAN CIRCLE
Jiang Yue stared at the name.
Wu Zhenyi. She knew that name. Everyone did.
He was one of the wealthiest men in the country. A philanthropist. A respected business leader. A man who donated millions to charity and appeared on magazine covers.
And apparently, the leader of a cult trying to wake an ancient horror.
"Got you," she whispered.
END OF CHAPTER 9
Next Chapter Preview:
Armed with her mother's evidence, Jiang Yue prepares to expose Wu Zhenyi and the Obsidian Circle. But the cult leader is no ordinary enemy—he has powers beyond anything she's faced. As Jiang Yue hunts Xu Meilin in Bangkok for the final piece of the puzzle, she discovers that her former friend is pregnant with Lin Haoran's child. The confrontation forces an impossible choice: vengeance or mercy.