and she realized she probably sounded very rude. She sighed. “No,” she said again, “it’s the least I could do.”
“Then the least I can do is tell you that demons are looking for you,” replied the fox, grooming her tail. “They were here just minutes ago searching for intruders.”
Mulan froze. “Demons? Here?”
The fox nodded. “When they saw me, they decided to have some fun and trap me under the boulder. If not for you, who knows how long I would have been here, languishing among these singing trees.”
“Did they find anyone?” Mulan asked urgently.
“Not yet. You look lost, soldier.”
Mulan swallowed the hard lump in her throat. She didn’t trust creatures of Diyu, and this fox—no matter how innocent sounding—was no different. Besides, she needed to hurry, in case the demons found Shang and ShiShi. “I’m not, thank you.”
She quickened her pace and headed for the tunnel, but the fox followed. “If you’re trying to reach the hundredth level, this isn’t the correct tunnel. You need to be in the leftmost tunnel.”
Mulan slowed. That was what Ren had told her. Maybe the fox wasn’t trying to lead her astray. “Isn’t this it?”
“No, but I can show you the way,” the fox said helpfully. “It isn’t far.”
The fox scampered back into the forest. After some hesitation, Mulan followed, but she kept her sword in her hand just in case.
The fox was right. There was another tunnel back in the forest. There was a grove hidden behind a large willow tree. And this one had a medallion of King Yama’s frowning face floating in the middle of the entrance.
She’d never been so relieved to see anyone frown at her.
“Thank you,” Mulan said, breathing hard. “If not for you, I would have missed this.”
“Of course. It’s my pleasure. Where are you going?”
Mulan hesitated. Her grandmother had always told her to beware of foxes. In all the tales she’d heard as a child, they were full of tricks and up to no good. Her instincts told her to be careful, but her emotions were high and her defenses were low. “I’m trying to get to the gates.”
“I can come with you, if you like.” The fox smiled at Mulan, her jade-green eyes still unblinking. “You shouldn’t go alone, soldier. Not when you look so glum. What is the matter?”
“Nothing you can help me with.”
“Well, at least let me guide you through the tunnel. It can be quite a maze, and there are certain chambers within you’ll want to avoid.”
“Thank you,” Mulan said, “but I can manage.”
“I have to go this way anyway,” the fox insisted. “How about I take you as far as I need to go?”
There was no arguing. The fox scurried off into the dark tunnels ahead, and Mulan had no choice but to follow.
The tunnel’s steps were high and uneven; Mulan lost count of how many times she nearly tripped. Sometimes the ceilings were low, and other times they were so high she wondered where they could possibly be walking under. All this forced her to be alert, which she decided was a good thing, if only because it kept her mind off Shang.
Rocks, pebbles, and leaves littered the ground. She could see little else. The shadows here were dense, and the darkness was the excuse she gave herself every time she took a careless step. Deep down, she knew her heart was elsewhere.
“We’re almost there,” the fox said. “Just a bit more.”
Mulan followed without a word. If she inhaled deeply enough, she caught a hint of ash in the wind, as if from something burning far, far away. She remembered the blazing fires she’d seen in the chambers they’d passed with her ancestors and wondered whether she’d be sent to one someday for lying about who she was.
If I am, it’d be worth it. Mulan clenched her fists. Even if I could go back and change everything, I wouldn’t. I’d still have gone to war for Baba.
“Why so sad?” The fox’s green eyes gleamed in the darkness. “You’re so close to defeating King Yama and reaching the exit. Yet you almost look like you’d rather stay here forever.”
Mulan snapped out of her thoughts. “You know about my deal with King Yama?”
“The demons mentioned it when they were looking for you.” The fox’s pointy ears perked. “They mentioned a spirit and a lion, too. Why aren’t you with them?”
Instead of answering, Mulan pressed her palm against the tunnel’s granite walls. The stone was even colder inside the tunnel. Touching it sent a