A hand closed around his shoulder seconds later. “Elder brother!”

Hui turned, brows already furrowed. Who would call me elder brother?

A cute girl with wavy short hair stared back at him, big doe-like eyes wide. Though she was almost his age, she stared up at him from almost a foot shorter, tiny and dainty in all proportions. She wore short robes that expanded at the knee, accentuating her cute charm points and slender, though short, legs. “Eh? You aren’t elder brother!”

“My apologies. Please, allow this small cultivator to act as your guide. Where is your elder brother?” Though he couldn’t see through her cultivation, he felt no pressure from her, either, not even the cold-but-welcoming aura Bai Xue gave off. She’s probably a third stage cultivator, like me.

She blinked. “Aren’t you an Azure Fang cultivator?”

“Not at all. This small cultivator belongs to Starbound Sect,” Hui said, cupping his hands.

“Ah! But you’re wearing blue. Starbound Sect cultivators are only allowed to wear white,” she said.

“This small cultivator is an inheriting disciple. I can wear whatever I please,” Hui asserted.

“An inheriting disciple? A-ah! Su Caiyi apologizes for wasting senior’s time!” She hurriedly cupped her hands and backed away, only to stumble into a cultivator behind her. He turned and scowled, and Su Caiyi trembled.

“No, no, this small cultivator is no one amazing. My name is—” Hui hesitated. If I tell her my daoist name, she’ll probably run off. “—they call me Xiao Hui.”

“Xiao Hui… I’ve never heard of you,” Su Caiyi said hesitantly.

“See? I’m no one famous. Allow this small cultivator to assist you. What does your elder brother look like?”

Su Caiyi blinked and wiped her face, pretending not to dry her eyes. “He’s tall, like you, and his hair…” She gestured at Hui’s ponytail. “But less handsome. Ah, some people call him fierce. We joined the sect at the same time, and I get nervous when he’s not around.”

“Ah, I understand,” Hui said, understanding nothing. Nervous when someone’s not around? How odd. “Then, should I stand in for your elder brother until we find him?”

A second later, he kicked himself. She looks small and vulnerable, but she’s a third stage cultivator! She could easily be several times your age, and likely strong enough to thrash you in a fight! Stop underestimating cultivators, Hui!

To his surprise, however, Su Caiyi blinked up at him and offered him a small hand. “Please?”

Hui took it gracefully and led her through the crowd. As he walked, he searched for another ponytailed boy like him, about his height, but fierce. Plenty of Azure Fang disciples fit the description, but Su Caiyi shook her head at all of them. “Not him, not him.”

“Elder sister, are you sure your brother came with you to the tournament?” Hui asked, exhausted.

She nodded. “I’m sure, I’m sure! Ah, Su Caiyi is fine.”

Hui nodded. He craned his neck again, searching the crowd once more. “Then, maybe we should get a bite to eat while we wait for him to—”

“Take your filthy paws off my Su Caiyi!”

Something powerful barreled into Hui’s waist, and he went flying, Su Caiyi’s hand yanked from his. He landed and rolled to a halt in the square. All eyes turned to him.

Confused, Hui blinked. I… eh? He laid limp on the ground, not sure whether to play dead or not. I’m not bleeding, or seriously injured, but that was a surprise attack at the third stage, at least!

A huge blue wolf padded over to him, panting.

Mind made up, Hui immediately killed his qi and played dead.

“You’re the one who stole my Caiyi? I’ll eat you,” the wolf growled. Fierce pressure emanated from the wolf, fourth stage, if not stronger. Hui let himself get crushed into the tiles, unwilling to fight back.

Su Caiyi! False advertisement, false advertisement! What part of this wolf looks like me? Where’s the ponytail? I understand calling him fierce, though!

“Elder brother, stop, stop! He was helping me find you!” Su Caiyi protested, running up. Her head barely came to the wolf’s shoulder, and her tiny hand vanished into its thick fur.

The wolf turned its head and looked at Caiyi. Three silvery horns shone in the sun, and then it turned back to Hui. “He smelled of snakes and evil. I did right to vanquish him.”

“You—you killed him? Su Yan! He did nothing wrong!” Su Caiyi ran from the wolf’s side and gathered Hui into her lap, petting his hair back from his face. Her face crumpled, and tears fell onto Hui’s face.

This isn’t bad. If I could get a lap pillow and have a beauty cry over me every time I pretend to die—ptui! No, no, no. I’m a righteous cultivator, virtuous and upstanding, with strong morals! How can I leave a maiden in distress like this?

Hui twitched, then blinked, slowly releasing his hold on his death qi. From the brink of death, he stammered, “S…sis Caiyi?”

Su Caiyi’s face brightened, while the wolf’s turned murderous. “Xiao Hui! It’s me, it’s me! You came back to life?”

“Ah, sis nurtured me back to the land of the living,” Hui moaned, too weak to crawl out of her lap.

She rested a hand on his head. “It’s alright, it’s alright. Take your time.”

The wolf scoffed. “He’s scamming you. Release him this instant.”

Su Caiyi scowled at the wolf. “Shut up! What do you know, elder brother, attacking the only one kind enough to help me in my time of need?”

“That’s right, that’s right,” Hui mumbled, unable to resist the urge to tease the wolf.

And then the world went monotone.

Hui blinked, startled, and looked around. Eh? Is this some kind of technique?

But no, I don’t… feel anyone else’s qi. He reached out with his qi, searching, only to find he had none.

No. Not none. I only have… death qi?

Confused, Hui turned to his hands. White and transparent, he could see through to the other side.

His eyes widened in shock. Eh? Did I die for real?

With a gasp, he woke up in Su Caiyi’s lap for the second time.

“Xiao Hui! He’s badly injured, brother, look, you snarled and he died again! We need to take him to the healers for immediate medical attention!”

“Not so. I can smell him. He’s fine,” the wolf grumbled, but even it looked a bit confused.

Hui sat up abruptly and stared at his hands. Flesh. Bone. He flexed them, then drew on his qi. There, as always. And death qi, as well. All as it should be.

“What was that?” he muttered aloud.

“Turn back! Turn back, before you scare him to death again,” Su Caiyi demanded.

“Fine, fine,” the wolf grumbled. It shook its head, its fur shivered, and a fierce-looking man about Hui’s age in blue robes, hair pulled back into a wild mane of a ponytail, climbed to his feet beside them. “But he shouldn’t enter the tournament, if he’s really that fragile!”

“Xiao Hui, many apologies from myself and my brother, Su Yan,” Su Caiyi declared, climbing to her feet so she could bow to him.

“No need, no need. This small cultivator came out of it fine,” Hui assured her, jumping upright himself. Still, a needle of doubt wormed its way through his heart. What was that? Something happened to me, and I couldn’t control it. It felt almost like playing dead, but…

“Here, please, take these pills. They’re effective on wounds up to the fifth stage,” Su Caiyi said, passing a bottle to him. “Please take one, before you collapse again.”

“Ah? This small cultivator thanks you for the gift,” Hui replied, taking the bottle. Rather than take one, he tucked them into his robes. Better to use them later, when I actually have an injury.

Su Yan scowled. “He wasn’t injured. He didn’t take a pill, even.”

Su Caiyi smacked her brother on the arm. The blow couldn’t have hurt, but he winced anyways. “He’s probably too shy to take one in front of you, with you judging him all the time! Apologize to Xiao Hui already!”

Su Yan lowered his head half an inch. “…Sorry,” he muttered.

“My apologies as well, elder brother. I should have made it more clear that I was no threat to your sister.” How? Hui mocked internally. This disciple can’t apologize to make up for your siscon habits, elder brother!

Though… is elder brother a cultivator who can become a wolf, or a wolf who can become a cultivator? Is fourth stage the barrier spirit beasts must step over to take on a human form in this world? If so… Hui pet Zhubi’s head gently, thoughtful. Hmm… I wouldn’t mind having someone to talk to. Though I prefer Zhubi as he is. He’s much easier to travel with like this.

Zhubi slithered around his neck happily.

He seems better now, but I did want to get him checked on, and I still do. When I have a moment, I’ll take him to Xixing, Hui decided promptly.

“I hope this doesn’t sour your feelings toward us,” Su Caiyi said, drawing his attention back to the scene before him.

“No, no,” Hui assured her, smiling. He reached out toward her head, then stopped himself. Dangerous! Hanging around Bai Xue has rubbed off on me! I can’t go around petting the heads of wild cultivators, I’ll get my hand bitten off!

Over Su Caiyi’s head, Su Yan narrowed his eyes at Hui.

Hui laughed and ducked, tucking a lost strand of hair behind Su Caiyi’s ear instead. “Then, please enjoy the tournament.”

Su Caiyi blinked at him, then nodded. “Yes!”

Su Yan lifted a lip in disgust and harrumphed, turning away.