I am NOT a Demon Queen!

Before Su Yao could even savor the fact she hadn’t triggered an extinction-level event, Mizukume was already shifting gears. She stretched lazily. A smirk played on her lips. “Well, my job here is done. I'm heading back to headquarters. This month’s issues of Dark Gathering are out, and I don't want to miss them.”

Su Yao raised an eyebrow. “Dark Gathering? What’s that?”

“It’s a manga series,” Mizukume explained, already floating toward the lab door. “You should read it too. One of the antagonists is Taisui Xingjun.”

Su Yao froze. Her eyes narrowed. “Taisui Xingjun? The Grand Duke of Jupiter?”

“Yep, that’s the one,” Mizukume said, glancing back. “Sounds familiar, right? Given our history with Daoist deities, it might be an enlightening read.”

Su Yao’s expression darkened. “I've had enough ‘enlightenment’ for one day. But fine, let’s go. I need to access the government’s archives anyway to cross-reference this Li Xuan lead.”

“Great! Maybe we can binge-read together,” Mizukume chirped, phasing through the wall. “Hurry up, before Zhang Wei locks down the place again!”

Su Yao shook her head, dispelling the remaining cursed energy from her fingertips, and followed Mizukume out of the lab. As they moved through the sterile corridors, Su Yao’s mind raced. Since I haven't submitted any resignation letter, I am still a government consultant.

That meant she could still access the agency’s databases. If she could frame her search for Li Xuan as relevant to the Yamato case, she might get the information without raising suspicions.

“Mizukume,” Su Yao said, catching up to her. “When we get to headquarters, I need you to back me up. I'm going to request files on Li Xuan under the pretext that he might be connected to Yamato’s operations. His involvement in my ‘poisoning’ could be a key piece in understanding their broader agenda.”

Mizukume rolled her eyes but nodded. “Fine, but only if we stop by the common room first. I need my manga.” She paused. “You know, if you play this right, you might even get Zhang Wei to help. He’s still your assigned handler, and he’s paranoid enough to believe anything if it ties into his conspiracy theories.”

“Good point,” Su Yao said. “I'll tell him I've uncovered a link between Li Xuan and the Yamato. That should justify the inquiry.”

They reached the government building. Su Yao flashed her consultant ID at the security scanner. The doors hissed open and they stepped into the bustling operations center. Zhang Wei was at his desk, looking stressed.

“Xiao Ling,” he said, standing up. “Where have you been? We have a situation. Supernatural activity is spiking. And Director Hao wants a briefing.”

“Perfect timing,” Su Yao replied smoothly. “I've just uncovered critical intelligence. Li Xuan, the Daoist from my past, may be involved with Yamato. I need full access to his historical files and any modern sightings.”

Zhang Wei frowned. “Li Xuan? That’s a stretch. But if you have evidence...”

“I do,” Su Yao insisted. “And if we don't act fast, we might miss a chance to disrupt their plans.”

Mizukume floated over to the common room, grabbing a stack of manga. “She’s not lying, Zhang Wei. It’s all connected.”

Zhang Wei sighed, typing on his terminal. “Fine. I'll grant you temporary Level 3 access. But if this leads nowhere, I'm revoking your privileges.”

Su Yao allowed herself a small smile. “Thank you. Now, let’s see what secrets Li Xuan has been hiding.”

She scanned the file. Her eyebrow twitched. “It says here Li Xuan maintained a, ‘harem of jade beauties,’ and none were human?” She scoffed, though a flicker of unease crossed her features. “I knew he was popular, but this is excessive.”

Mizukume peeked over her shoulder, munching on a stolen bag of chips. “Sounds like Aesthetes material to me. Leader potential, honestly.”

“Impossible,” Su Yao snapped, scrolling further. “Li Xuan didn't objectify. He was insufferably respectful. He saw non-human traits as marks of divine artistry. His entire philosophy was built on peace and mutual understanding across species.”

She paused, reading aloud. “And it says here he died peacefully in his sleep centuries ago.”

A complex mix of emotions appeared on her face as she leaned back. “Good for him.” The words were flat, devoid of conviction.

“You don't believe that for a second,” Mizukume stated without looking up from her manga.

“Of course I don't,” Su Yao hissed. Her eyes narrowed at the terminal. “A man who wielded the ‘Enlightenment’ brew and might have been trying to break a celestial curse doesn't just ‘die peacefully in his sleep.’ This file is a plant. Either by the government to mislead me, or by Li Xuan himself to disappear.”

Su Yao turned to Zhang Wei, who was monitoring the situation warily. “This information is sanitized. I need the unredacted one and any celestial interference reports from that era.”

Zhang Wei shook his head. “That’s beyond even my clearance. You'd need Director Hao’s direct approval and a Level 1 threat justification.”

“Then get it,” Su Yao said. Her voice dropped to a dangerous purr. “Because if Li Xuan has been operating a haven for powerful non-human women all this time, he would have an army. Whether he leads the Aesthetes or is standing against them, that makes him directly relevant to the Yamato case. This is about a potential strategic power bloc you didn't even know existed.”

Her eyes remained fixed on the terminal as her mind raced through the implications of Li Xuan’s possible survival. If he’s alive, he’s been playing a deeper game than I imagined.

Mizukume shrugged, leaning against a console. “You know, while you were obsessing over your ex, I've been keeping tabs on the actual factions. I'm pretty sure the leader of the Aesthetes isn't Li Xuan. It’s that masked man who is probably Alan Mask, or that one Youtuber who got banned from Japan after he tried to vlog in Aokigahara. The one with the questionable taste in headwear.”

Su Yao turned sharply. “What else do you know? Spit it out.”

Mizukume counted on her fingers. “Let’s see. The Hundred Demons still don't have a clear leader. They tried to summon Oda Nobunaga but botched the ritual and got his wife instead. And the Wild Hunt? It was led by Dōman, but now that fake Seimei has taken over. Pretty messy, if you ask me.”

Su Yao’s eyes narrowed. “Where did you get this information? This isn't in any file here.”

“I met with Dōman the other day,” Mizukume said casually, as if discussing the weather. “She was feeling down because she’s not the final antagonist in Jujutsu Kaisen. Apparently, it’s some guy named Ryomen Sukuna. Not that you'd know who that is. Anyway, I comforted her, and she spilled a lot. She’s really bitter about it.”

Su Yao released her, processing this. “So you're chummy with her now? This just gets better.”

“Hey, she’s not so bad once you get past the whole ‘I want to be reborn from your womb’ thing,” Mizukume said.

Su Yao’s grip on the console tightened. Her knuckles turned white. “Please tell me you just talked,” she said. Her voice was dangerously low. “Tell me you didn't let that obsessive inferiority-complex-ridden sorcerer use you as a test run for her rebirth scheme.”

Mizukume waved a dismissive hand. “Relax! We just had tea and complained about modern storytelling. It was very cathartic.”

“Mizukume,” Su Yao hissed, stepping closer. “The body you are using is a clone of my essence.”

Her eyes narrowed. “If Dōman so much as left a spiritual mark on you, it’s a mark on me.”

She leaned in. “If she used you as a vessel, even partially, she could be using that connection to track me, influence me...” A colder note entered her voice. “Or worse, try to hijack the template for her own ‘rebirth’. I would be extremely upset.” The last word was laden with the promise of divine retribution.

“Okay, okay! Jeez.” Mizukume rolled her eyes, but a flicker of unease crossed her face. “There was no mark or vessel nonsense involved. I'm not an idiot. I know she sees me as a cheap knockoff of you. She wouldn't waste her perfect rebirth on a rental body because she wants the original factory.” She patted Su Yao’s arm. “Your womb is safe from sorcerers. For now.”

Su Yao grabbed Mizukume’s wrist. Her spiritual sense flared as she scanned the clone’s body for any foreign residue, any hidden compulsion.

“Hey! Personal space!” Mizukume yelped.

“Quiet,” Su Yao commanded. Her eyes glowed faintly.

After a tense moment, she released her. “It seems you're clean. But if I find out you're lying, or if I so much as feel a hint of Dōman’s energy near you, I will dispel this body myself and let you haunt a teacup. Understood?”

“Understood! You're no fun.” Mizukume pouted, rubbing her wrist. “Can I go read my manga now?”

“Go,” Su Yao said, turning back to the terminal. Her mind was already calculating the new variables. As Mizukume floated away, she called out, “Wait. This manga you're so obsessed with, what is it actually about?”

Mizukume paused, spinning around with an exaggerated sigh. “It’s like Jujutsu Kaisen but better.”

Su Yao stared blankly. “I have no idea what that is.”

“Ugh, of course you don't,” Mizukume said, rolling her eyes. “Jujutsu Kaisen is a manga about jujutsu sorcerers fighting curses, and it’s supposedly written by a real jujutsu sorcerer. Lots of cool fights and existential dread.”

Su Yao frowned. “So, this Dark Gathering is about jujutsu sorcerers too?”

“No, it’s about children fighting gods with their ghost Pokémon,” Mizukume replied, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Su Yao pinched the bridge of her nose. “But you said it’s like Jujutsu Kaisen but better. That makes no sense.”

“I mean the vibes and the fight scenes!” Mizukume insisted, waving her hands dramatically. “The atmosphere is thick with horror, the battles are creative, and the antagonists are actually terrifying. It’s just more fun than Jujutsu Kaisen, okay? Now can I go? The latest chapter is waiting, and I need to see if the main character’s ghost collection can take down another god.”

Dismissing her with a wave, Su Yao shook her head. “Fine. But if you learn anything useful from that ghost Pokémon nonsense, let me know. We have real gods to deal with.”

Mizukume grinned. “Will do! But don't expect much, I'm just here for the entertainment.” With that, she phased through the wall, leaving Su Yao to her thoughts and the cryptic files on Li Xuan.

Su Yao watched the space where Mizukume had vanished. Her expression turned analytical. The clone’s current behavior was a stark contrast to the arrogant, homicidal echo she had first encountered.

That entity had been all sharp edges and ancient malice, viewing the modern world with contempt. This version was flippant and casual. She used slang, read manga, and complained about storytelling tropes.

Which one is the real you? Su Yao mused silently. The primordial terror I pulled from the void, or this chatty otaku who just wants to read comics?

It was a dangerous question. This could all be an elaborate act designed to lull her into a false sense of security. Mizukume was, at her core, a fragment of Tamamo-no-Mae, one of the most infamous and cunning fox spirits in history. Deception was her birthright.

Is this new personality a genuine adaptation to the modern world and the comforts of a stable existence? Su Yao considered. Or is it a mask, worn to make me drop my guard while she plots? What is her endgame?

The fact that she was so chummy with Dōman was a massive red flag. Even if their meeting was ‘just tea,’ it showed Mizukume was building her own network of contacts. Those contacts were Su Yao’s enemies.

Su Yao decided on a course of action. She would not confront Mizukume directly. That would only make the clone more careful if she was indeed scheming.

She would monitor Mizukume’s energy signatures, her movements, and her interactions more closely to detect any unauthorized power transfers or communication attempts.

“Let’s see what you're really up to,” Su Yao murmured to herself, turning back to the terminal. For now, she would play along, but the fun, manga-reading housemate was now officially a variable under strict surveillance.

Her fingers flew across the keyboard, pulling up deeper archival records linked to the Li family. “Burial registries, celestial obituaries, geomancy reports on notable spiritual resting places.”

Then she found a secure file tagged “Li Ancestral Tomb - Sector 7.”

She opened it. A digital schematic of an elaborate burial mound appeared, alongside a chemical analysis report of the interred remains. The name on the plaque was clear:

Li Xuan.

“So he really is the ancestor of the Li family,” Su Yao stated. Her voice was flat. It was an irrefutable evidence. The man who had “poisoned” her was the literal progenitor of the bloodline who now own half the commercial real estate in the city.

Mizukume, who had phased back into the room clutching a volume of Dark Gathering, peered at the screen. “Wait, so your not-boyfriend is literally the great-something-grandfather of that nice girl you've been stalking? That’s awkward.”

Su Yao ignored her, zooming in on the report. “The ash composition is consistent with a high-level cultivator’s remains after natural dissipation, no signs of violence or external trauma. It matches the file’s ‘died peacefully in his sleep.'“

“See? Maybe he really is just dead,” Mizukume offered around a mouthful of chips.

“No,” Su Yao countered. Her eyes narrowed. “This just confirms the cover-up is thorough. If he staged his death, he would make sure the physical evidence was perfect.”

She pointed to a secondary data stream. “But look at the spiritual residue analysis from the tomb. There are traces of a powerful, layered sealing ritual. It’s the kind you use to make sure nothing can detect what isn't there.”

A cold smile formed on Su Yao’s lips as she leaned back. “He’s not in that tomb. The ash might be his, but his spirit isn't. He faked his death, left a perfectly crafted physical shell behind, and went to ground.”

“So,” Mizukume said, catching on. “The question is, where did the great Daoist Li Xuan go after he officially left the stage?”

“Exactly,” Su Yao said. Her gaze was intense. “And if he’s connected to the Yamato, be it hiding from them or opposing them, finding him just became our top priority. That tomb is clue to where he went next.” She stood up. Energy crackled around her. “We're paying a visit to the Li family ancestral grounds. I need to see that sealing ritual for myself.”

“Hold on,” Mizukume said, holding up a hand. Her expression turned uncharacteristically thoughtful. “Think about it. A powerful Daoist, at the peak of his cultivation, fakes his death with a perfect shell and a massive sealing ritual. What’s the classic play here?”

She continued on without giving Su Yao the opportunity to respond. “He might have been attempting Tribulation Passing to shed his mortal coil and ascend to true immortality.”

The theory struck a chord. It was a quintessential, yet extremely high-risk, maneuver for any top-tier cultivator.

Mizukume ticked off points on her fingers. “He ‘dies peacefully’ is a common euphemism for a successful, non-destructive ascension where the body harmlessly dissipates.”

Su Yao raised an eyebrow. “Go on.”

“The complex sealing ritual on the tomb could have been meant to contain the immense heavenly tribulation energy, preventing it from scattering and giving away what really happened. Either he succeeded and became a full Immortal operating on a whole new plane of existence. Or he failed and his spirit was so utterly shattered that even this ‘ash’ is just a phantom echo.”

She held up another finger. “So, which is it? Is your ex an untouchable celestial now, or a ghost of a ghost? Either way, it explains why he’s so hard to find.”

“Wait a minute,” Su Yao said. Her voice dropped to a dangerous whisper. She slowly circled Mizukume. Her eyes were sharp as daggers. “How do you know about Tribulation Passing? The intricacies of high-level Daoist ascension rituals aren't exactly common knowledge for a Japanese fox spirit echo, especially one who supposedly spent centuries as a disconnected fragment.”

Mizukume’s playful smile remained, but it grew strained. “I read a lot. Manga are very educational.”

“Don't insult my intelligence,” Su Yao cut in, stopping directly in front of her. “The more I observe you, the less you resemble the homicidal maniac I pulled from the Nue. Your speech patterns, mannerisms, and depth of knowledge is all wrong. You aren't the Tamamo echo.”

The air grew heavy. Mizukume’s grin finally faltered, replaced by a look of weary amusement. She sighed dramatically. “Ah, you caught me. I suppose the act was getting tiresome anyway.”

She leaned forward. Her voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper that was both playful and utterly chilling. “I would love to tell you who I really am, but then I'd have to kill you. And we both know that would be terribly inconvenient for both of us right now.”

Su Yao’s spiritual pressure flared, causing the lights in the operations center to flicker. “Try me.”

“Tempting,” the being wearing Mizukume’s form said, winking. “But no. Let’s just say I'm a more interested party. For the moment, our goals are aligned. You want to find Li Xuan and uncover the truth. I want to see how this particular play ends. Isn't that enough?”

Su Yao stared at her. The realization settled in. She was harboring a completely unknown entity that had hijacked the clone.

“Fine,” Su Yao said. The single word was laden with threat. “But the moment you become a liability, or I decide I don't like your secrets, I will extract the truth myself. And it won't be pleasant.”

Mizukume’s weary amusement dissolved into a different kind of smile. It was ancient, knowing, and dripped with a venomous charm that had toppled dynasties. The very air around her seemed to grow heavier, saturated with millennia of cunning.

“Oh, relax, cousin. I'm just kidding,” she said. Her voice was now a silken, predatory purr that was utterly alien to the Mizukume persona. “Well, mostly. The ‘killing you’ part would be messy, and I do so dislike mess when it’s unnecessary.”

She gracefully rose from her slouch. Her posture shifted into something regal and utterly terrifying.

“That homicidal echo you captured was a delightful little shell, ripe for the taking. When you were busy dying from that delightful elixir, well... let’s just say the back door was left wide open, an opportunity too sweet to resist.”

Her eyes flashed with the light of a thousand ruined courts. “It’s been awhile, hasn't it? Little cousin.”

Su Yao stood frozen. The name was a ghost from a past she thought was buried. “...Su Da Ji.”

“The very same,” the entity confirmed, offering a mock curtsy. “Though these days, I find ‘Tamamo’ suits me just as well. A name is just a tool, after all. Like a willing clone, or a conveniently reincarnated cousin seeking answers.”

Su Yao’s mind reeled, connecting the legends. Da Ji, the fox spirit who brought down the Shang Dynasty. Tamamo-no-Mae, the courtesan who plagued Japan during the Heian period. They were always had been the same being.

“You hijacked the echo,” Su Yao stated. Her voice was dangerously calm.

“That fragment was crude, all rage and no subtlety. I've merely come home to the family business. And what a fascinating business it’s become.” Daji’s smile was a razor blade. “So, shall we go find your wayward Daoist together? I do so love a good family reunion.”