Hui sped through the forest. The two strongest of the life qi cultivators chased after him, both in the third stage. One, the same as him, had cultivation of the low third stage, while the other emanated an aura of mid-third stage. The stronger of the two surged ahead, then waited for the weaker of the two to catch up to him and matched his pace rather than chase ahead.

Clearly, they’re taking me seriously! Are death cultivators that scary? Ah, if only I was a… no, no, no, it’s good I’m not! I just need to find a moment to stop and explain myself—

“…strange fluctuations,” a familiar voice stated.

Cold ran down Hui’s spine. Hui immediately clamped down on his qi and circulated his death qi. His speed dropped, and the life qi cultivators started to catch up to him. He bit his lip, glancing left and right.

“Get him!” one of the life qi cultivators shouted. He slammed his hand forward, and a golden palm strike soared after Hui.

Hui tensed, preparing to soak the blow.

“Oh? What’s this?”

A slash of black ink soared past Hui’s shoulder. It impacted the palm strike, and the golden palm shattered. The black ink rushed onward, bearing down on the life qi cultivators. They threw themselves out of the way and barely dodged. The black ink smashed into a tree and destroyed it, sending splinters flying everywhere. The two cultivators fell to the ground, floored by the weight of the blow.

Hui took a deep breath. Keeping his face stiff, he looked slowly up at the cultivator before him.

Erlan perched on his brush, a second brush held in his hand. On the ground beside him, Gu Tian clutched his flute, and another two cultivators in black, one male, one female, pushed through the trees to stand beside them.

The two life qi cultivators quaked, then turned on their heels and fled. Erlan chuckled, watching them go, then turned his eyes to Hui.

Hui swallowed. He stood there stiffly, circulating his death qi, pretending to be just another ghoul.

Erlan landed and walked over, reaching for Hui’s face.

What would a ghoul do in this situation? Er—argh! I—dammit! Hui opened his mouth and bit at Erlan’s hand.

Erlan chuckled. “Oh?”

Hui froze mid-bite, mouth still open wide. His heart prickled, hairs standing up on the back of his neck. Something in the way Erlan said that one syllable warned him that he wouldn’t have a jaw anymore if he finished.

“You’re a death cultivator, aren’t you? Don’t be afraid. We aren’t here to hurt you. The contrary, oh yes, to the contrary.” He patted Hui’s cheek with a warm smile.

A shiver traveled up and down Hui’s spine. Nothing Erlan has done so far is as terrifying as what he just did.

“A death cultivator is a precious thing to… the more enlightened of us. Those of us who don’t box ourselves in by conventions and rules. Come back with us. Or would you rather stay here and get exorcised?” Erlan tilted his head.

Caught between a rock and a hard place, Hui wavered. I could try to reveal myself and talk it out with the life qi cultivators… but they haven’t stopped for a single second to allow me to reveal myself or talk! Even if I came out as a human, they’d probably just call me a demonic cultivator and attack me, at this rate! Besides, now I risk enraging Erlan and the demonic cultivators if I reveal myself.

But on the other hand—on the other hand, going back to a demonic sect is—!

“There he is!”

Hui whirled. The man from the Bai Clan banquet, Gui Delun, rushed at him atop a sword, black hair swirling nobly on the wind. A strict face turned a blank expression toward Hui. Golden light glittered all around him, clinging to his body in a thin aura.

Erlan clicked his tongue and strode forward. “Rushing to your death? Gu Tian, take the death cultivator back to the sect while we deal with these fools.”

Gu Tian cupped his hands to Erlan’s back and nodded at Hui. Slapping a bag of holding, he produced a slender, silvery shuttle no bigger than a forearm and about as wide as a palm. It glowed at the rear end with the cold blue light of spirit stones. “Hurry. I can’t guarantee your safety if Gui Delun starts to use his more powerful attacks.”

That’s right, life qi eradicates death qi, my precious death qi! If I stick around here and get seriously hit, isn’t there a chance they’ll wipe out my whole second dantian?

Actually… what happens then? If my soul’s cultivation collapses, I…

…was I in a much bigger crisis than I thought this whole time, to be so low on death qi? Li Xiang, this small cultivator has taken your words to heart! I’ll studiously gather death qi and build my soul’s cultivation back up to match my body’s once more!

Hui glanced back at Gui Delun, then took a deep breath and followed Gu Tian onto the shuttle. It’s no big deal. I walked out of my sect, what’s to say I can’t escape the demonic sect? It’s not as if they’ll be holding me prisoner.

With a jolt, the shuttle zoomed away. Wind battered his body. Hui flailed his hands, almost falling backward. A wild reach caught Gu Tian’s waist, and he held on for dear life. Desperately, he wanted to circulate his qi to push away the wind and hold himself on the shuttle, but with so little death qi, he couldn’t possibly circulate his qi and mask it at the same time. I’ve barely got enough death qi to qualify as a mid-level Qi Gathering disciple right now! Ah, how this poor cultivator has fallen!

Gu Tian glanced back. “Hold on.”

“Hold on?” Hui asked.

The shuttle sped up.

Tears squeezed out of Hui’s eyes as his face distorted in the wind. He squinted and turned his head away, and out of the corner of his eye, caught sight of a golden arrow rushing at them. Hui whirled, eyes wide. The arrow rushed at them, far faster than the shuttle. Within the space of a breath, it was close enough to reach.

“Dammit,” Gu Tian muttered, narrowing his eyes. He pulled a jade out of his robes.

Before he could, Hui threw a barrier talisman. The arrow smashed against the barrier, and with a pop, the barrier burst. Weakened a hair, the arrow continued to rush at them. Hui threw another talisman, and another, each one weakening the arrow a little more until at last it slammed into a barrier and shattered, breaking the barrier in the same blow.

“Where’d you find so many talismans?” Gu Tian asked, amazed.

Hui licked his lips nervously, then regretted it as the slimy texture of the ghoul skin met his tongue. “Uh, I uh… f… found them?”

Gu Tian snorted. “What are you nervous for? If you killed another cultivator for them, say it. If you took them off a corpse, say it. No one cares.”

“Eh,” Hui said. Oh, right. It is a demonic sect…

“There’s something… familiar about that barrier, though. I almost… could you throw one out again?” Gu Tian asked.

Hui clutched the ghoul-skin’s ragged robes closed and glared at Gu Tian. “You want my treasure?”

“A third-tier barrier talisman is no treasure—ah, never mind. To a Qi Gathering cultivator, I suppose it is. It’s idle curiosity.” Gu Tian waved his hand, putting the matter behind them.

“Are you… third realm?” Hui asked, putting false amazement into his voice.

Gu Tian scowled. “No.”

“Oh,” Hui said. No, he’s telling the truth. His cultivation base is still in the second realm. But if that’s the case, why wouldn’t he see a third-stage barrier as a treasure? It would be extremely valuable to a second-realm cultivator, as well.

Though come to think of it, this is one of the talismans I found on the body named Gu Tian. It’s not as if two people can’t have the same name, but… such a coincidence, can it really only be a coincidence?

Hui cleared his throat. “You are… Gu Tian?”

“Yes. And you?”

Hui froze, paralyzed. Gu Tian and Erlan have met me. I can’t use my name. A fake name. A fake name! What do I go by? “This… small ghoul is called… Xie… Hao.”

“Xie Hao?”

Hui nodded. “Gu Tian, do you know a talisman expert?”

“You’re interested in talismans? Mmm… Try asking Master Erlan, he might know.”

Silently, Hui furrowed his brows. He doesn’t know a talisman expert? He can’t possibly be the same Gu Tian, then, since Gu Tian’s talismans were modified from their original formulas—or at least, that’s what Bai Laoren told me, back in Bai Clan when he helped me out with the talismans. For him to own modified talismans, he’d either know an expert or consider himself one, or both, but he certainly wouldn’t be clueless.

Well, I suppose it’s possible he stole them from someone else, but the evidence does seem to suggest that these two Gu Tians I’ve encountered, one dead, one alive, are different people.

Abruptly, Gu Tian laughed. “I, once…”

Hui’s ears perked. He tilted his head. “You?”

“No, it’s nothing.” Gu Tian shook his head. Almost imperceptibly, his shoulders slumped.

Hmm… maybe things aren’t that simple, after all. Gu Tian, the kid in that illusion… today has been full of mysteries. Hui put a hand on his chin, thoughtful.

“You’re chatty, for a death cultivator.”

“E-eh?” Hui said, startled. Did I make a mistake? Does he know I’m not actually undead?

“All the other death cultivators stomp around with their mouths shut and glare at people. Sometimes I wonder if they’re doing it to hide that they’re rotting in the head…” Gu Tian glanced over his shoulder at Hui and laughed. “I probably shouldn’t say that around you.”

Hui nodded silently, his mouth shut. He tried a glare.

“It’s a bit too late for that, don’t you think? It’s fine if you’re different. We aren’t like those orthodox sects. No one minds if you’re a little weird,” Gu Tian chuckled.

“O-oh,” Hui said. Okay. He doesn’t suspect me. Quietly, he let out a relieved sigh.

A second later, he frowned. “Not like orthodox sects… did you… come from a righteous sect?”

“Hmm? Oh. I suppose I gave it away. Yes, once. I’d go back if I could, but… that’s been impossible for a long time now.” Gu Tian let out a low sigh.

Ah! Could I talk him into taking me back? Hui opened his mouth.

Wait, wait, wait, Hui! Think! Use your brain! What if this is a trap? He’s a demonic cultivator. He’s already caught me being weird for a death cultivator, what if he’s trying to trick me into asking him to take me back and give myself away?

“Is it fine to tell me that?” Hui asked, putting on a haughty air as if he’d tattle on Gu Tian. Aha, I’ll use your tactics against you!

“Master Erlan already knows. It doesn’t matter.” Gu Tian fell silent, thoughtful.

Maybe… he was being serious? Then isn’t this my chance? Even if it isn’t, he’s only a second-stage cultivator! If he isn’t being serious, can’t I take him down? Hui opened his mouth. “Gu Tian, what if—”

“Ah, there’s the sect, just ahead,” Gu Tian said, pointing.

Hui slammed his mouth shut. It was a trap! If we were that close all along, if I’d revealed myself—this small cultivator would be dead! I knew it, I knew it was fishy!

“What were you saying?” Gu Tian asked.

“Nothing, nothing,” Hui replied, shaking his head insistently.

Gu Tian laughed. “You’re so strange.”