Capturing My Demon King Costar

Tan Liansi curses as soon as she sees the location marker. "He's trying to draw you into a trap, so you won't say anything about Xin Hulei's disappearance."

The sudden disappearance of one of the country's most famous actors is bound to generate several shockwaves. Not to mention that the timing, so soon after the reveal of the murders at the hotel, is nothing if not suspicious.

Gao Wu wants to avoid all that.

It's at once alarming and reassuring. Xin Hulei must be alright, for Gao Wu to be trying to salvage the situation.

Most likely he thinks that Yao Shen has no idea about Xin Hulei's true nature, and will just try to convince him that he's evil -- if what he said about his family being exorcists is true.

"We need to go there, right now," Tan Liansi says.

She grabs hold of Yao Shen's hoodie, in preparation to taking him with her towards the location Gao Wu sent.

Yao Shen slaps her hand away.

"Don't be so hasty, we can't rush into this."

She shoots him an annoyed glare and makes another grab towards him.

"Gao Wu doesn't know you're with me!" Yao Shen says, trying to get her to calm down. "Let's use that to our advantage. If I show up right away he'll know something is up."

The location Gao Wu sent is halfway across the city, and while public transport in Beijing is remarkable it hasn't achieved light-speed yet.

"You want us to catch the metro to rescue my ge?" she hisses, her dark eyes flashing.

Yao Shen isn't happy about it either, but he doesn't see an alternative. Except, "He doesn't know about you, so you can go there and as a lookout and keep me informed." He runs his fingers through his messy hair. "I catch the metro."

Tan Liansi isn't any happier about that solution, but at least it keeps her from protesting. Yao Shen chalks it up as win.

---

During the metro ride, and the three changes he needs to make to reach the address Gao Wu sent him, Yao Shen reminds himself this is the quickest mode of transportation in the city, and that while ride-hailing might seem like the fastest option -- it's not, and he'll only end up stuck in traffic that way.

It doesn't help that Liansi's messages aren't reassuring.

[Liansi: I'm here, it looks like a Daoist temple]

[Liansi: There's a courtyard out front, but I can only go in so far before anyone sees me.]

[Little Menace: Have you seen any signs of either of them?]

[Liansi: I just see a lot of bamboo, and all kinds of greenery! This is pointless. I either go in and risk exposing myself or I stay hidden and don't find anything useful]

[Little Menace: stay put, you're our secret weapon. Gao Wu can't find about you now]

After that Tan Liansi sends him a string of curses and aggressive emojis that Yao Shen doesn't bother trying to reply to.

---

Finally, he arrives at the location. Just like Tan Liansi said, it's a Daoist Temple, with large, tiered red gates leading up to an overgrown courtyard that hides the pavilions from view.

The outside wall and the imposing gates look as if they've seen better days. The whole thing gives off an air of disrepair.

Yao Shen sends the same message to both Tan Liansi and Gao Wu.

[Little Menace: I'm here]

[Cute didi: Just come on in through the courtyard]

[Liansi: I don't like your plan, if more than half hour passes without me hearing from you I'm coming in]

[Little Menace: deal]

Yao Shen makes his way through the courtyard with some trepidation. This might all be part of Gao Wu's plan. Maybe he's going to sneak up on him as soon as he gets deep enough into the temple complex.

Eventually the courtyard gives way to an ample gravel path leading up to a simple two-floor temple. Its front doors are wide open so that worshippers can walk right up to the altar.

Yao Shen recognises the statues as the Goddess Guanyin, although he has no idea in what sense she's being worshipped here.

Gao Wu is waiting for him on the landing. He's wearing casual clothes, and a smile that widens when he sees Yao Shen.

"I'm glad gege is here."

His kind smile just makes Yao Shen grow more agitated. "I'm not," he says, his tone curt. "Where is Hulei?"

Gao Wu waves towards the inside of the temple. "I'll explain everything."

Reluctantly, Yao Shen follows after him.

---

Gao Wu leads him deep into the guts of the temple, and then down a flight of stairs that Yao Shen is sure isn't standard in most other temples.

At the end of the stairs there's a dank, dark room, covered wall to wall in protection talismans. Some are so old the paper is already falling apart, peeking through the layers of more recent additions. The whole room smells of gunpowder and sulphur.

The atmosphere is oppressive and claustrophobic. Yao Shen feels dizzy.

There's a small cell in the corner of the room. Three unconscious figures with dark cloth bags over their heads are sitting on the floor with their legs stretched out in front of them and hands bound above their heads, attached to hooks on the stone wall.

"What the fuck have you done?" Yao Shen asks, his eyes glued to the three figures.

He only unclenches his jaw when he notices the shallow movements of their chests with each breath -- hardly reassuring but better than the alternative.

Gao Wu tries to clap him amicably on the shoulder but Yao Shen slaps his hand away with a glare. 

Gao Wu raises his palms up, showing he means no harm. "I know this must be hard, but I swear that Xin Hulei isn't who gege thinks he is."

"Who the fuck is your gege? Stop calling me that," Yao Shen roars, his nostrils flaring with barely restrained fury.

Gao Wu steps back a few paces, his hands still raised. "Xin Hulei is a demon, and so are those two next to him," Gao Wu says, raising his chin towards the cell. "I know the existence of demons must-"

Yao Shen cuts him off. "I know all that."

Gao Wu goes very still. "What?"

Yao Shen meets his eyes with a vicious glare. "I know full well that Xin Hulei is a demon. And 'those two' are called Heimao and Jincan."

Gao Wu's hands drop to his sides, his eyes wide and incredulous. "Then...are you..."

He shakes his head. "No, I'm a human." More or less, but it's not like Gao Wu deserves a full rundown of the story at the moment. "I've always known that Hulei was a demon."

It's clear that Gao Wu is at a loss for words. He keeps looking from between Xin Hulei and Yao Shen, trying to understand what's going on.

"Are you...an exorcist too?"

Yao Shen snorts. He has come full circle hasn't he? From the first time he heard Si Wang's voice in the back of his mind, filling it with lies, until now.

"No, but someone once tried to tell me that the world was better off without demons, too." He narrows his eyes at Gao Wu. "It only took getting to know Hulei to know he was wrong."

Gao Wu's expression grows darker, and his confusion morphs into aggression. This time, it's Yao Shen who moves away from him.

"Demons are vicious creatures, they cause death and destruction wherever they go. That's something my family has known since our inception."

His eyes drift towards the only empty space in the wall, where an old painting depicted a woman in Daoist robes teaching a young disciple hangs. She has a horsetail whisk in her hand, the same that Gao Wu now slowly picks up from a table.

"That's my ancestor. The Great Master, she's took my first grandfather as her disciple and taught him everything she knew." His features grow sombre. "Demons destroyed her sect, killing dozens. She dedicated the rest of her life to ensuring no one would ever be hurt like that."

Yao Shen goes very quiet. Something about Gao Wu's words tickles something at the back of his mind. Perhaps it's a coincidence, perhaps...

Gao Wu approaches him slowly with the horsetail whisk in hand. "I don't know what he was told gege, but it's important to be careful with the promises demons make. They are silvertongues, they can convince a person they are tamer than a lamb."

"That's what makes them so dangerous," Gao Wu says, his eyes narrowed in conviction. "My ancestor's writings have survived until now. She talks all about how demons make sweet promises only so they can control and use humans." 

He shakes his head with a sad sigh. "She lived all her life in guilt, because she believed their lies and therefore didn't prevent her sect's destruction." He shoots an accusing look at Yao Shen. "Can you even imagine what it must have been like? For her to carry such a burden her entire life?"

"Yes."

Both Yao Shen and Gao Wu turn around in the direction of the voice.

Tan Liansi is standing at the foot of the stairs, her eyes filled with bitter tears. "I know all about it."