What If Nezha Never Met Ao Bing: The Lone Path Against Heaven

What kind of story would unfold if Nezha from Nezha: Demon Child Conquers the Sea had never met Ao Bing and the others? The bricks of Chentang Pass glowed dark red in the twilight. Li Jing climbed the city wall with one hand on the sword at his waist, his armor brushing the bluestone steps and scattering sparks. He stared at the crimson clouds roiling across the horizon, his Adam’s apple bobbing as his right eyelid twitched.

“Commander!” Deputy General Wang Hu hurried over, his iron boots crushing fresh icicles between the bluestone cracks. “The Liu family’s daughter-in-law in the east of the city gave birth to a two-headed baby last night. This morning, the patrol found three shed snake-demon skins in the western market, and...”

Li Jing raised a hand to stop the report. His palm scraped against the battlements, and his iron bracer screeched against the green bricks. Far out at sea, an eerie blue phosphorescence appeared. A bolt of purple lightning split the sky where it met the red clouds, making the bronze bells on the tower ring in unison. He remembered the jade slip that had arrived from Mount Qianyuan three days earlier. The four vermilion-written characters “The Mandate is at hand,” penned by Perfected Taiyi, had grown so hot inside its pouch that he could barely hold it.

“Back to the residence.” As Li Jing turned, his cape billowed, revealing fire-warding patterns embroidered on its lining. Twelve talismans shimmered along its hem, a reward he had received years ago for helping the leader of Yuxu Palace quell the rebellion of the Nine Li. Now the talismans were growing faintly hot, as if warning him of something.