Chapter 8: The Nine Masks

"What are you doing?"

Inside the temple, Shendu seemed to catch a glimpse of Zoran's underlying intent.

"As the one who has put in the most effort, isn't it only right that the first portal be given to me?" Zoran chuckled softly.

Shendu's eyes flickered, his lips curling into a smile. "You are right."

He was no fool; he guessed Zoran's plan instantly. After Shendu's own demise, there was only one vacant Demon Portal available. It was an unbreakable law of the universe that one portal could only allow one demon to pass through at a time.

In other words, only one demon could return through Shendu's gateway.

Zoran had claimed the first opportunity for himself. By leveraging his head start as a spirit in the mortal realm, he had snatched away the chance that originally belonged to Po Kong.

Shendu understood this perfectly. Without a doubt, it was a blatant betrayal, after all, this wasn't what Zoran had promised the other siblings back in the Netherworld.

But what did that matter to him, a fallen dragon? Since ancient times, they had each ruled their own domains; there was no true affection between demons. Was he really going to oppose Zoran for the sake of some hollow "sibling bond"?

Don't make him laugh. It was enough of a miracle that he wasn't looking for a way to backstab Zoran himself. That was simply Shendu's style.

"That is wonderful news, my brother! I was thinking the exact same thing. Opportunity only favors the demon who is prepared!" Shendu praised.

Zoran shot him a look that was half-smile, half-knowing. He understood Shendu's thoughts completely. In a way, he perhaps knew Shendu better than Shendu knew himself.

As the two demons conversed, the four "professionals" of the Dark Hand rubbed their heads and slowly sat up. Jackie had escaped, but they were awake now. Talk about perfect timing.

"Jade!" Chow adjusted his glasses, shocked to find Zoran standing before Shendu.

"Don't worry, Boss! We're here to save you!" Finn shouted, seeing an opening to show off.

"Looks like your Uncle Jackie ditched you," Ratso chuckled dumbly.

The group lunged toward Zoran, eager to claim the credit for "rescuing" the girl. They charged with arms outstretched, but before they could get close, they suddenly felt themselves lift off the ground.

"My body!" Hak Foo flailed in mid-air, his limbs moving uncontrollably.

"Back off!" Shendu roared at them. "You idiots, haven't you realized it yet?"

Floating in the air, the four looked at Zoran with confusion. "Boss, what are you talking about? It's just Jade!"

"Is it?" Zoran lowered his voice, letting out a deep, resonant chuckle. "How about now?"

As the words left his mouth, he was enveloped in violet-black Demon Chi. In the eyes of the Dark Hand, the small, young girl suddenly seemed to tower over them, growing impossibly tall. A soul-shaking wave of dark energy poured out, filling the entire temple.

He retracted his gravitational pull, and the four tumbled to the ground.

"A demon... a demon!!" Chow crawled backward, trembling with terror.

"Uh, Boss, so this is your brother? Why does he look exactly like Jade?" Ratso asked.

"Stupid! Because he is possessing her body!" Shendu was beyond exhausted with these morons.

"I see. Well, someone's going to be crying about this," Hak Foo grumbled, the image of Jackie Chan flashing in his mind.

…

"Uncle, there has to be a way! Jade has been possessed by a demon, we have to hurry!"

Back at the antique shop, Jackie was pacing in frantic circles. He never expected that Jade, whom he had been trying so hard to protect, had been possessed right under his nose without him noticing a thing.

"Do not worry. Uncle is thinking of a way."

Uncle's face was equally grim, but his years of experience allowed him to remain centered. The shop was thick with the scent of burning herbs; he had already set up an altar, using magic to gauge the situation.

"First, we must discover which demon has smuggled themselves out of the Netherworld."

His voice grew rhythmic and ethereal, then suddenly spiked in volume.

"Aiya! Uncle knows! It is Tso Lan, the Moon Demon!" he cried out.

"But Uncle, how did Tso Lan get to Earth without a Demon Portal?" Tohru asked.

"Stupid!" Uncle rapped him on the head. "He must have taken a shortcut..."

He then turned serious. "Two ancient demons appearing together can only mean one thing: they intend to release the others to plague the world. That is why Shendu stole the Pan'ku Box."

"But they still have Jade," Jackie added.

"To get Jade back, we must defeat the Moon Demon."

"But we don't know where they're going next!"

"Demons are selfish, remember? When Jade was here, she spent the whole day reading books. That is not like her. It was Tso Lan; he already knows how to use the Pan'ku Box."

"So... Tso Lan likes to read?" Jackie asked, completely lost.

Uncle hit Jackie's head in frustration. "Demons are selfish! They want to return through the portals, but there is only one portal available at a time. Tso Lan will want to be the first one through! Therefore, the first demon we face will be Tso Lan!"

One had to admit, the old man was sharp; Uncle's deduction had hit Zoran's plan right on the head.

"Tohru! The Immortal who defeated Tso Lan was He Xiangu. Her symbol is the Lotus Flower. Go and prepare the ingredients! Uncle must cast the demon back!"

He looked grave, the shadow of a Grand Archmage flickering across his features. In the face of crisis, he remained as steady as a rock.

"But where do we find them?" Jackie asked, rubbing his head.

Uncle looked up at the ceiling, a firm light in his clouded eyes.

"The Demon Portals open on the demons' ancient domains. In the old times, Tso Lan ruled the Moon. We are going to outer space!"

…

A Space Center.

"The Apollo rocket is scheduled for launch tomorrow at 8:00 AM. This time, we have invited several philanthropists to experience the magic of space travel!"

Before the cameras, a uniformed official was introducing the flight plan. Behind him, Valmont stood in a well-tailored suit, looking incredibly aristocratic.

"Shendu, if we spent this money on ourselves, we could live like kings for the rest of our lives," Valmont complained miserably from within.

Not long ago, they had returned to the States and robbed yet another vault. Shendu had then "invested" all the cash into the space agency to secure a trip to the moon. It broke Valmont's heart to see the money go.

"Valmont, your vision is too narrow. You fail to understand that wealth is temporary; what we are about to witness is a much greater legacy," Shendu's raspy voice chided.

Meanwhile, at the world's most secure location, Section 13, another crisis was brewing.

"Captain Black, we found these across various sites in Japan."

A staff member handed a tablet to the Captain, showing photos taken by field agents.

"This? A mask?" Captain Black asked. In the photo, the mask looked exquisite and ornate, resembling an Oni.

He paced with his hands behind his back. "But we don't have time for this right now. There are more pressing matters at hand."

"Regardless, bring this mask back to Section 13!"

"Understood, Captain. But... there isn't just one mask. There are nine!"