Hui popped a pill as he stepped off the arena square. A group of panicked-looking Mysterious Heavenly Forest cultivators darted to the ice block that contained Ding Bo, hurriedly chipping at the ice. “Inheriting disciple!”

Hui’s ears perked up. He whipped around. Is this how they treat an inheriting disciple in Mysterious Heavenly Forest Sect? How unfair!

The ice shivered, then shattered. Ding Bo jumped up, shaking ice out of his hair and robes. He turned to Hui and bowed formally. His wooden face had a pinched expression to it, reluctant. “If we fought again, it would not be your victory.”

“This small cultivator is not bold enough to dare challenge the mighty you to a second battle,” Hui said, with a short bow. Ah, you think you’re stronger than me? Ah, you think you’re the most powerful? Who cares? Not this Hui. This small disciple isn’t going to fight anyone he doesn’t have to.

Ding Bo’s lips trembled, words trying to escape. All at once, he turned on his heel, flicking his hair over his shoulder. His grip tightened on the wooden sword’s hilt.

The other Mysterious Heavenly Forest Sect cultivators hurried after him, fretting and bobbing around him, checking him for injuries and offering pills. Ding Bo ignored them all.

Hui watched the little procession go, tucking his hands behind his head. What a weird guy.

He checked the back of his hand, but the silver mark became a circle once more, his next opponent not yet decided. Hui wandered back to the stands, shifting his stock of talismans back into his storage ring. I need to make more of the ice ones, I blew them all on that last attack. More of all of them, in general.

Combining talismans is powerful. It isn’t as powerful as making a higher-realm talisman, but it can push them from the beginning of the third stage to mid- or late- third stage. For an early third-stage cultivator like me, that can make the difference between victory and death.

Hui glanced back at the rapidly-melting ice in the arena. That wasn’t a particularly heart-rending victory. I need to work harder!

White robes rustled. A few of the Starbound Sect cultivators stood and ran at him.

Startled, Hui tensed and jumped back. I walked into the stands without thinking, after I showed my face! I’m going to die—

A hand clapped his shoulder. Hui killed his qi and started to slump. Nothing else I can do! I’ve already been caught!

“Those were all talismans? When did you get so rich?”

“That Ding Bo doesn’t look like much, but he’s a scary guy. That was an exciting fight!”

“Did you see the Mysterious Heavenly Forest’s Sect Master’s face? Ding Bo is his favorite up-and-coming disciple, don’t you know? You’re a brave man!”

“Maybe you aren’t such a bad guy. I’ll allow you to look at Li Xiang… once or twice.”

“Hey, could you make some talismans for me?”

Halfway through falling, Hui circulated his qi and caught himself. He looked around, wide-eyed. Other cultivators clustered close, excited. Bright eyes stared up at him. Not a single whit of killing intent pointed in his direction.

Eh? They don’t want to kill me?

Is this… is this what being in the Inner Sect usually feels like?

An image flashed through his head. A classroom. Sitting in the corner, head down, afraid to make eye contact. A cluster of boys drawing in around him, vicious smiles on their faces. Curling up at home the next day, bruised and battered, one decision in his heart: I’ll never go to school again.

But now… He turned again, taking it in. No anger glittered in their eyes. No vicious thoughts sat behind their smiles. They don’t want to hurt me. Not this time. Not now.

Hui managed a nervous smile, one that grew wider, becoming something real. He scratched the back of his head and laughed. “Ah… thanks.”

“Congrats, Hui! I knew you could do it!” Li Xiang said, hugging him from behind.

Instantly, the warmth around him chilled to icy cold. A shiver crawled up Hui’s spine. All the bright, shining eyes turned hard. He tensed. Li Xiang! I’m about to get murdered because of you! Ahh, why did you have to come up and—

He paused. No one’s attacking me. Slowly, he took in the other cultivators around him. They glared at him, jealousy and murder in their eyes, but no one lifted a finger against him.

Hui’s eyes lit up. Li Xiang let go and looked at him, her head tilted. “What is it?”

“Nothing, nothing.” Hui waved his hand, but internally, he smirked. That’s right. As long as Li Xiang’s here with me, who would dare attack this small cultivator? Do you want to look bad in your idol’s eyes, ah? Attack the one she’s talking to? You wouldn’t dare! Haha, watch on in envy as I monopolize your idol!

Li Xiang led the way back up into the stands, and Hui walked along with her. Some of the cultivators stood in his way, forcing him to push through their shoulders. Hui ignored them, nimbly shifting around them.

At last, they reached the top of the stands. Perching on the wall at the back of the stands, her back to the sky, Li Xiang watched the matches below. Hui climbed up next to her and waited, idly watching the other fights. None of them drew his eye. A few sword cultivators clashed. A beast cultivator with a giant dog faced off against a cultivator with vines wrapped around her body. He put his chin in his hand, brows furrowed. The Mysterious Heavenly Forest Sect…

“Li Xiang, does the Mysterious Heavenly Forest Sect have bad blood with our Starbound Sect?” he asked suddenly.

She frowned, thoughtful. “Not that I can recall. Why? Did something happen?”

Hui shook his head. “Nothing, it’s nothing.” Did Sect Master Mu go after Master because he felt pressured by him, and therefore Starbound Sect? It’s true that one genius can overturn heavens and rewrite fate, and Master does seem to be such a genius, but at the same time, I’m pretty sure Master is more than happy to sit on his peak and cultivate to immortality. He doesn’t seem interested in the heavens or fate, just cultivation.

Is it my fault that we have bad blood? Because Master threw me in the secret realm? No one except Bai Xue knows that I inherited the realm, though. As far as Mysterious Heavenly Forest Sect knows, I got nothing from the realm. Besides, even if I inherited that realm, it doesn’t seem worth poisoning their relationship with Starbound Sect over. It’s one realm, and a mostly empty one, at that. If these sects are anything like the sects in my novels, they should have several small realms like that.

Even if they don’t! They shouldn’t know, it’s a bad realm, and anyways, they aren’t coming after me, they’re coming after Master. No matter how I look at it, that makes no sense.

Hui sighed heavily. He glanced at the Sect Masters’ booth. Within its shaded confines, he couldn’t pick out any of the four sects’ representatives, not from this angle. What’s going on? What are they after?

“What are you sighing for?” Li Xiang asked, tipping her head.

“I… I don’t know. I’m trying to figure it out,” Hui said. He shook his head, and the world went monochrome.

Why? Why now? After so long… His body slumped, head ducking. It wobbled, then overbalanced and fell backward, sliding headfirst into the void behind the stands. He reached for it, panicked. His soul body flew at it, but too slow.

Li Xiang lunged and caught his body. “Hui? Hui!”

A golden light shone from his dantian. He glanced down and found a golden string connecting his immaterial dantian to his original dantian. It glittered, and his soul zoomed back at his body, string reeling in. He impacted his body, and color came back into the world.

Hui drew a deep breath. He shook his head and pushed his hair out of his face. His voice felt thick. With some effort, he slurred, “I… I’m fine.”

Li Xiang peered down at him, brows furrowed in concern. “You were dead.”

He laughed and waved it away. “If I claimed to be second in playing dead, who would be first? This small disciple plays dead all the time.”

“But this wasn’t playing dead. You were dead,” she repeated firmly.

“Li Xiang, I…” Hui took a deep breath. “I might be having a small problem in my cultivation.”

Her eyes went wide. “Is it serious?”

“I don’t think I’m going to die—die forever, anyways, any time soon. And I… I have a solution. I just haven’t had time to practice yet,” he admitted.

Li Xiang put her hands on her hips. “Then go!”

“Eh?”

“Go practice! What are you waiting for? This is a matter of life and death! Your cultivation is on the line! What are you sitting around here for?” she asked, shaking her head at him.

“I—”

Li Xiang gave him a push. “Go!”

Hui got up, laughing. “I’m going, I’m going.”

“Stop laughing! Take it seriously,” she said indignantly, frowning at him.

At that, Hui sobered. He lowered his head and rubbed the back of his neck. “As elder sister says. You’re right.”

I’ve been taking this issue too lightly. In my mind, these cultivation issues are diverged from reality, because my whole first life, there was no such thing. But now, these issues are as real as any other threat. My little life is on the line! Qi deviations are as much of a problem as if I was getting beaten to death, except playing dead won’t stop qi deviations.

He took a deep breath, then cupped his hands to Li Xiang. “Thank you for your guidance, elder sister.”

Li Xiang nodded. “Go, go. What are you waiting for?”