The fox demon's golden eyes fluttered open, pupils narrowing into vertical slits as they focused on Rui. His confused expression instantly shifted to one of pure joy and adoration.
"My demoness!" he gasped, stars practically shining in his eyes as he tried to sit up.
"My divine princess! My eternal flame! It's really you!" He clutched his chest dramatically, like her very presence had stopped his heart.
Rui blinked a few times, tilting her head in confusion as she stared at the fox demon's overly affectionate face.
She glanced at Jin, who looked just as confused, then at the strange man lying before them.
"I'm sorry, but… do I know you?" Rui asked, taking a careful step back.
The fox demon gasped loudly, covering his mouth in shock. He jumped to his feet with flawless grace, his nine tails fanning like a shining sunset.
"You don't remember me? How tragic!" He placed the back of his hand on his forehead in an overly dramatic pose.
"I am Zou, Prince of the Nine-Tailed Fox Demon Clan and—" he dropped to one knee with flair,
"—founder and eternal president of Princess Xiao Rui's Official Fan Club!"
Jin's mouth dropped open. "Fan… club?"
Zou grinned with pride as he knelt before Rui, his tails swaying behind him. A jeweled fan appeared in his hand, which he fluttered dramatically near his face.
"How many members are in this fan club?" Rui asked, her curiosity winning over her confusion.
"Just me!" Zou declared cheerfully. "I'm the founder, president, treasurer, and only devoted member. It's all about quality, not quantity, my shining princess!"
Instead of finding it pathetic, Rui's lips curled into a pleased smile—a slight, warm feeling stirred in her chest.
Even in exile, stripped of her royal privileges and tumbling between trials, her reputation preceded her.
Of course it had. She knew she was iconic.
"Well, I'm flattered," she said, flipping her midnight hair over one shoulder.
"It is always nice to meet a… fan."
"A fan?" Zou looked shocked and a little hurt.
"I'm your biggest fan!"
Zou stood gracefully, his tails puffing out proudly. He placed a hand over his heart and gave a dreamy sigh.
"Our first meeting was a divine fate," he said, his eyes softening with memory.
"It was at the Thousand Lantern Banquet, three hundred years ago."
Jin glanced sideways at Rui, but she seemed completely caught up in the fox demon's tale.
"You were dancing with a very annoying Celestial," Zou went on, his nose scrunching in disgust.
"Then the music changed to the Whirling Demon Waltz, and you spun away from him and—" he clutched his chest, lowering his voice to a reverent whisper,
"—stepped right on my foot with your perfect, delicate heel."
Rui's eyebrows shot up. "I… stepped on you?"
"The pain was exquisite!" Zou exclaimed, eyes shining.
"You looked down at me with your brilliant blue eyes and said,
'Watch where you're standing, fox.'"
He shivered with joy. "I've been devoted to you ever since."
Kee Kee, who had been quiet this whole time, suddenly scurried up Rui's robes to sit on her shoulder.
He bared his tiny, sharp teeth at Zou.
"This creep smells like trouble and cheap perfume," the small demon beast growled.
Zou gasped, pressing his fan against his chest.
"Is that the legendary Kee Kee? You are smaller and angrier than I imagined!" He reached out to touch the small beast.
Kee Kee snapped at his fingers. "Touch me and lose a finger, fox-face."
"So fierce! So loyal!" Zou gushed, completely unfazed. "A perfect companion for our lovely princess."
Rui tapped her chin, both amused and suspicious. While she enjoyed praise, this fox's obsession felt too much.
"This is all very... touching, Zou. But what exactly are you doing here in the Mortal Realm?
"Shouldn't you be attending to your princely fox duties or whatever it is you do?"
Zou's golden eyes widened, his fan snapping shut with a decisive click.
"When I heard whispers that our radiant princess was sent to undertake the Infernal Trials, I simply couldn't stay away!
"What kind of devoted subject would I be if I didn't offer assistance?"
"So you followed me," Rui clarified, eyebrow arching.
"I prefer the term devotedly pursued," Zou corrected with a flick of his wrist.
"Although I must admit, this realm hasn't been kind to me. My powers… have been acting up."
Jin stepped forward, frowning. "Hold on. Are you saying you're the creature terrorizing the village?"
Zou pressed his fan against his chest in theatrical offense.
"Terrorizing? Me? Such ugly accusations!" He sighed dramatically.
"I may have created a few harmless illusions to amuse myself and possibly sent a few villagers screaming into the night."
"You attacked their cows!" Jin said sharply.
Zou winced.
"Attacking is such an ugly word. I may have... frolicked a little too enthusiastically."
He sniffed indignantly. "That cow started it, I'll have you know."
"They were dead, Zou," Jin pointed out flatly.
The fox demon smiled and waved his fan like it was not a big deal.
Jin turned to Rui, disbelief written across his face. "He's completely insane."
"He's a fox demon," she replied with a shrug. "Insanity comes standard with the package. Like the tails and the dramatics."
Zou beamed, taking this as a compliment. "You know me so well, my princess!"
Rui studied the fox demon with newfound interest. A creature this devoted might prove helpful, especially given her current predicament.
"Tell me, Zou, do you know anything about the Infernal Trials?" she asked, smoothing her robes.
"Specifically, the Trial of Wrath?"
Zou's smile faded a little, his fan pausing mid-flutter.
"Alas, my glorious princess, the details of the Infernal Trials are kept secret even from most nobility."
He tapped his closed fan against his chin thoughtfully. "Though I have heard rumors..."
"What kind of rumors?" Rui asked quickly.
"The Beast of Wrath—the creature tied to the second trial—has been missing for quite some time."
Zou's golden eyes flickered toward Jin briefly before returning to Rui.
Jin shifted uncomfortably, his prayer beads clicking softly against one another.
"Missing?" Rui echoed, frowning. "How am I supposed to complete the trial if the beast is missing?"
Zou's tails swished with excitement as he stepped closer to Rui, lowering his voice to a conspiratorial whisper.
"This is the perfect chance to prove my undying devotion!" He clasped his hands together.
"Allow me to accompany you on your noble quest to locate this missing beast!"
"Absolutely not!" Jin said quickly.
Zou gave him a bored look. "I wasn't talking to you, monk."
"We're not dragging a fox demon back to the temple," Jin said, crossing his arms. "You've done enough damage to the villagers."
"Damage? I just gave their boring lives a little flair!" Zou protested, flicking his fan open dramatically.
"Besides, I possess knowledge of the demon realm that could prove invaluable to our princess."
Jin stepped forward with determination.
"We don't need your help. The princess and I are doing perfectly well on our own."
"Don't forget me!" sneered Kee Kee
"Are you, though?" Zou's golden eyes gleamed with amusement.
"We were making progress until you showed up pretending to be a monster," Jin countered.
"I wasn't pretending. I am a monster," Zou said proudly.
"Then go back to where you came from," Jin muttered.
"I will follow where my princess goes," Zou said with a graceful shrug.
Jin sighed, rubbing his temples. "What will we tell the villagers and the temple elders?"
Rui folded her arms, smiling slightly. "You can tell them that the threat is gone. Which, technically, it has."
He turned back to Zou, her tone light but sharp.
"You know, Zou, if you truly wish to join us, there's something you need to do first," she said in a deceptive, casual tone.
Zou's ears perked.
"Anything for you, my radiant princess! Shall I compose poetry about your magnificence? Gather rare treasures? Vanquish an enemy?"
"Apologize to the villagers," Rui said calmly. "And fix the mess you made."
Zou froze, his fan stopping mid-air. "Apologize?"
"Yes. Tell them you are sorry for scaring them and for killing their cows. Then make necessary amends."
Zou fidgeted, clearly uncomfortable. "Apologies… aren't my thing."
"Then I guess ignoring obsessed fanboys is my new thing," Rui said casually, turning her back to him.
Kee Kee laughed from her shoulder. "She's gonna pretend you don't exist, fox-face.
"Trust me, I've seen it. Coldest shoulder in all the realms."
Zou gasped, one hand flying dramatically to his chest. "You wouldn't!"
Rui looked at her nails, pretending not to hear him. "Did you hear something, Jin?"
"Princess!" Zou cried, dropping to his knees.
"Not the silent treatment! Anything but that!"
"It's the least you could do," Jin added, barely hiding a smirk. "You scared those people half to death."
Zou looked between them, looking truly torn. Then, finally, he let out a long, dramatic sigh.
"Very well. For you, my princess, I shall humble myself before these mortals." He stood tall again.
"I shall apologize and restore the livestock."
"You can do that?" Jin asked, surprised.
"Of course!" Zou sniffed. "They're not dead-dead. Just mostly dead. There's a difference."
Kee Kee rolled his tiny eyes. "Great, now we've got a necromancer fox. Exactly what we needed."