I looked at Cang Tongkai and Xuan, and asked, "The first ones who knew my identity were you two. What exactly happened while I was unconscious?"

  Cang Tongkai shakes his head resolutely. "We didn't tell anyone. We don't know about your... mixed-up group!"

  Before he could finish, he was punched by Gu Wuming, who twisted his ear and growled, "Little cat yaokai, everyone here is your elder; watch your mouth!"

  Ku Yue fpped its wings, shaking a bright red envelope from the void. The festive color was almost blinding. It said calmly, "We received this."

  Jiu Jue and Gu Wuming also silently pulled out identical items.

  I took the envelope, a sense of unease rising within me, and opened it. Inside, it was a wedding invitation.

  "Why would it be a wedding invitation?" I murmured, flipping open the paper that exuded a sweet fragrance. I read line by line the words engraved on the red paper.

  I didn't pay attention to the rest, as my gaze was locked on one gring line—

  Groom: Ao ChiBride: Sha LuoSincerely

  My mind went bnk instantly.

  I′m getting married? And I didn′t even know it myself?

  Of course, that wasn′t even the most important part. The truly shocking detail was who I was "married off to"—Ao Chi!

  That name alone, at this moment, was enough for emotions to completely override reason.

  The invitation clearly stated the wedding's time and location:

  Tomorrow night, at midnight, at the foot of Fulong Mountain, East Sea Vil.

  At the very bottom, there was a smaller note:

  "Guests are kindly requested to arrive the day before the wedding at noon at XX Street No. 179, `Sound of Twilight', XX City.Receptionists: Cang Tongkai & Xuan."

  "I swear, we're just as baffled as you are," said Cang Tongkai. "You were the one forced into a wedding, and Xuan and I were somehow roped into being the receptionists. At noon, these guys all showed up at `Sound of Twillight′, asking question after question. It wasn′t until we pieced together everyone′s stories that we realized—someone′s messing with all of us.”

  The development of events was increasingly beyond anything I could have anticipated.

  Unbidden, my thoughts turned to the day I drew that Devil card.

  Perhaps the yaokai that had remained unseen all this time was indeed closing in—not just on us, but on the entire world we inhabited.

  I looked out at the darkening sky, and once again, I saw that illusion-like scene: those gray-bck surges of darkness, thicker and more menacing than before, cwing ferociously as they devoured the remnants of light—yet still unsatisfied, their greed boundless.

  The sudden heaviness in my chest made it hard to breathe, and the invitation in my hand crumpled tightly under my grip.

  “This sky... it looks disturbingly ominous,” murmured Ku Yue, who fluttered back from the window after staring at the encroaching darkness. “I can′t shake the eerie feeling that we might not see the sun rise tomorrow.”

  It wasn′t just him—everyone seemed to feel it. Even I, stripped of my powers and reduced to a mere "mortal," couldn′t ignore the unease permeating the air. For these experienced beings, the sensation must have been even more acute.

  After a pause, Ku Yue added, “I just returned from `Endless′. I didn′t find anything obviously wrong. Those strange occurrences tied to the shop seem completely dormant during the day. I didn′t see her either—just Pang Zi and Shou Zi fighting over food as usual. And as for that sughter st night? There′s not a single trace of it left by daylight.”

  The room fell silent as everyone exchanged uneasy gnces, the atmosphere growing heavier with every second.

  “Can I find somewhere to hide for a while? Your world is… way too chaotic!” The puppet Zhang Daxia, who had been huddled in a corner listening in silence, cautiously moved closer with a miserable expression.

  Right, I hadn′t even asked about Zhang Daxia′s origins. Back when I was struggling to make ends meet, I tried my luck looking for someone to help with making cotton candy. To my surprise, I hadn′t walked two streets before I saw Zhang Daxia selling cotton candy on the side of the road. At the time, he still appeared human—or at least I thought so. What convinced me was the sign at his feet that read "Seeking Part-Time Work."

  It was like fate. We hit it off immediately, and the best part? He asked for very little pay—something I could easily afford.

  Back then, his arrival felt like a miracle, a lifesaving grace for someone in my situation.

  I was so thrilled that I never stopped to think how Zhang Daxia′s appearance was almost too coincidental.

  I grabbed Zhang Daxia firmly and demanded, "Be honest with me—was your appearance a coincidence or deliberate? Speak up! Or should I have them take you apart and use you as firewood?"

  At these words, everyone raised their eyebrows, and Jiu Jue even let out a snort of ughter, giving me a thumbs-up. "Tsk tsk, now that′s more like you."

  "I-I-I… I don't know…" Zhang Daxia stammered even more, his dark wooden face almost sweating. "I was sleeping in the ground… someone dragged me out, turned me into a human… told me to pretend to be a cotton candy vendor and wait for you to find me… to take care of your daily needs…"

  It was indeed a premeditated plot!

  "Who sent you?" I grabbed Zhang Daxia's shoulders and shook him vigorously.

  "I really don't know!" Zhang Daxia pleaded, almost in tears. "Please spare me… I just know he's way stronger than me… his spiritual power… so strong… he was invisible… said if I didn′t obey, he′d tear me apart for firewood…"

  He stretched out his stiff wooden hand and pressed his stomach. A small hidden compartment opened at his ribcage, and he nervously took out a pearl about the size of a pigeon egg. Handing it to me with trembling hands, he stammered, "Th-this was the benefit he gave me… I don't dare keep it anymore… it's all yours! Just let me go… while it′s still daytime… I′m scared!"

  Jiu Jue took the pearl to examine it and remarked, "Isn′t this a thousand-year-old pearl from the East Sea? Priceless treasure."

  The East Sea? I smmed the table. Ao Chi, that guy must be nearby!

  However, Jiu Jue and the others all stated that they couldn't sense any presence reted to the East Sea Dragon Cn or any powerful energy nearby.

  Could it be that my intuition is wrong?

  "Go on." I released Zhang Daxia, and he hurriedly scrambled out of the `Sound of Twilight' shop.

  Standing up, I spped the crumpled wedding invitation onto the table and looked up, saying, "How can I miss such an important wedding?"