The journey back to Solstice Creek was much livelier than their earlier trip into the forest.
Zou strolled ahead proudly, his nine tails hidden under a glamour that made him look like a tall, handsome man in fancy robes.
Rui walked next to Jin, who kept looking suspiciously at their new companion.
"Stop glaring," Rui whispered. "You're going to make the villagers think something's wrong."
"Something is wrong," Jin muttered. "We're bringing a fox demon into their village."
Kee Kee, sitting on Rui's shoulder, snorted. "Better than dragging him back to your temple. Can you imagine Elder Sun's face?"
As they stepped out of the trees, villagers began to gather. A hush fell over the crowd, followed by murmurs as they spotted the well-dressed, glowing stranger.
"Demon!" one man shouted, raising a pitchfork.
But several young women gasped—not in fear, but admiration.
"He's so handsome," one girl whispered.
"Like a prince from the capital," another sighed.
Zou smiled and opened his jeweled fan with a graceful flick.
Jin stepped forward quickly. "Villagers of Solstice Creek, please listen. There has been a misunderstanding."
He gestured toward Zou, who bowed with theatrical flair.
"This man is responsible for what happened to your livestock, but it wasn't an attack. It was..." Jin struggled to find the right words.
"A prank," Rui supplied, stepping forward. "A poorly conceived one, but not malicious. The danger has passed."
"A prank?" the village headman repeated incredulously. "Our cows were killed!"
"And I've come to make it up to you," Zou said smoothly.
He raised his arms dramatically. "A simple apology won't do. Let me give you something better—a celebration!"
With a flick of his jeweled fan, golden light swirled through the village square. A magnificent stage materialized, with shimmering curtains and ornate lanterns floating in midair.
"What is he doing?" Jin turned to Rui.
"No idea," she replied with a shrug. "Best to let it play out."
The fox demon leapt onto the stage with impossible grace and sang a ballad about regret and forgiveness. His voice was strange but lovely, echoing across the square.
The village men looked bored. The women, however, moved closer with dreamy expressions.
"He says he's sorry," Kee Kee called from Rui's shoulder.
"But what he truly means is 'look at how pretty and talented I am while I avoid actual responsibility.'"
Zou glared at the minor demon before waving his fan again. A long table of glowing desserts appeared.
"Please, enjoy my humble offerings," Zou said with a bow.
The villagers hesitated. A brave child grabbed a pastry, bit it, and spat it out.
"Yuck! What is that?"
Rui was already on her third dessert, her eyes closed in bliss. "These are divine!"
"They taste like fox magic and vanity," Kee Kee announced. "Only demons can stomach them."
Jin rubbed his temples. "This isn't helping."
As night fell, Zou opened his fan again. "And now—the finale!"
The sky erupted with dazzling fireworks—bright lights flashed, all created from pure illusion magic.
Several elderly villagers cried out alarmingly, covering their ears and rushing indoors.
Jin groaned. "This is the worst apology ever."
Rui licked frosting from her fingers. "Well, at least it's entertaining."
As the fireworks display faded, the villagers stood in uncomfortable silence.
Jin stepped forward, addressing Zou with barely contained frustration.
"What about the livestock? You promised to fix that."
"Ah, yes!" Zou said, closing his fan. "I almost forgot about the main event!"
The fox demon walked toward the edge of the village, where empty pens stood as silent reminders of the losses.
Villagers followed at a cautious distance, muttering suspiciously.
"Watch closely, mortals!" Zou announced, his voice carrying dramatic flair.
"Witness the resurrection of your precious beasts!"
He traced complex patterns in the air with his jeweled fan. Orange light spiraled from his fingertips, forming intricate characters that pulsed with otherworldly energy.
The ground beneath the empty pens began to glow with eerie light.
"Is he... summoning them from the underworld?" Jin whispered to Rui, aghast.
Rui nodded, looking impressed. "The souls of animals are not as complicated to summon, but it is still an impressive feat."
Zou ended the spell and gave a dramatic bow.
Smoke rose from the earth. Shadowy forms materialized within the fog—first skeletal, then fleshy, until fully formed cows stood blinking in confusion.
The villagers gasped. Their cows were back, seemingly whole and healthy.
Until one cow opened its mouth.
"What a dreadful experience," it said in a refined, aristocratic voice.
Several villagers screamed. Jin's jaw dropped.
"Minor side effect," Zou said with a dismissive wave. "That one may have absorbed a noble soul."
Another cow began to rise off the ground, its hooves kicking helplessly as it floated in the air.
"And that one seems to have retained some ethereal properties," Zou added.
A third cow snorted, eyes glowing red, and suddenly charged at Kee Kee.
"What the—" Kee Kee yelled, leaping away.
The demonic cow chased him around the village, knocking over stalls.
"That particular beast may have picked up some... grudges in the afterlife," Zou explained, watching the chaos with obvious amusement.
"Happens to the best of us."
Rui watched as the chaos unfolded.
The talking cow was now lecturing a farmer on proper bovine care while the floating one had gotten caught in a tree.
Kee Kee was still being chased by the demonic cow, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake.
She caught Zou's eye and shook her head firmly. "This isn't working."
Zou blinked. "What do you mean? I've brought back the cows, provided entertainment, and given them desserts! What more could these simple mortals want?"
"What they want is a real apology," Rui said, arms crossed.
She pointed to an elderly farmer standing apart from the crowd.
His weathered face was etched with worry as he watched the supernatural cattle.
"This farmer's cow was the first to die. Go apologize to him—and mean it."
Zou's confident smile faltered. "You can't be serious."
"I am. No illusions, no fancy words. Just... be honest."
Jin nodded in agreement. "A true apology requires humility."
Zou looked between them. His glamour flickered briefly, showing a glimpse of his fox form. He sighed, closed his fan, and walked to the old man.
"Mortal—" Zou began, but caught a warning glare from Rui.
He cleared his throat. "I... I apologize for taking your cow. It was... wrong of me."
The words seemed to pain him physically, but something in his expression shifted as he continued.
Zou continued, his usual dramatic flair absent. "I'm... sorry."
Silence fell over the square as they witnessed something few had seen—a demon humbling himself before a human.
The old man looked at him, then nodded. "Apology accepted."
Immediately, the strange effects on the cows vanished. The floating cow dropped softly to the ground. The talking one fell silent. The red-eyed cow stopped chasing Kee Kee and wandered off.
Children started to gather around Zou.
"Are you really a demon?" a small girl asked, tugging at his sleeve.
Zou's composure returned, though his smile seemed more genuine than before. "Indeed, I am, little mortal."
"Can you do more magic?" another child asked.
With a wave of his fan, Zou conjured a swarm of luminescent butterflies.
They danced around the children, landing on their fingers and noses, bringing delighted giggles.
As the village children chased luminescent butterflies through the square, their laughter filling the evening air, Jin and Rui stepped away from the crowd.
"I still don't trust him," Jin said, watching Zou perform more tricks for his growing audience.
"But I must admit, I didn't expect him to actually apologize."
"People can surprise you," Rui said, leaning against a tree. "Even demons."
Jin frowned. "He seems really... attached to you."
"Do I smell jealousy?" Rui's eyes sparkled with mischief.
"What? No!" Jin responded too quickly, his ears turning pink. "I'm simply concerned about his intentions. As your... temporary guardian."
"My guardian?" Rui laughed. "Is that what we're calling it now?"
Before Jin could answer, a commotion broke out. They hurried back to find Zou swaying, his glamour flickering. His face was pale.
"Too much... magic," he gasped. His golden eyes were wide with alarm
Zou's human form vanished with a soft pop and a cloud of orange smoke.
A small orange fox with nine fluffy tails sat in his place, looking utterly mortified.
Kee Kee rolled to the ground and burst out laughing.
"Look at the mighty fox prince now! You're adorable! Can I pet you?"
The fox growled—a tiny, high-pitched sound that made Kee Kee laugh harder.
"What happened to him?" Jin asked, staring at the transformed demon.
"Overexertion," Rui explained.
"The mortal realm doesn't support demonic powers like the underworld does. All that showing off drained him completely."
Village leader Lee stepped up. "He needs rest. He should stay here until he recovers."
Zou yipped frantically
"He doesn't want to be left behind," Jin guessed.
Rui knelt beside the fox. "We need to return to the temple. You'll be safer here until you recover your strength."
Zou's ears drooped. He nuzzled Rui's hand, then sat up with all the dignity a small fox could manage.
He yipped several times in what seemed like a formal speech.
"He says he'll find you once he's back to normal," Kee Kee translated, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes.
"Also something flowery about destiny and devotion."
Jin, Rui, and Kee Kee return to the Hidden Lotus Temple, leaving behind a village filled with normal cows, glowing butterflies, and one sulking fox demon.