Sect Master Lan glowered at Hui. He gazed over the neat regiment of ducks and crossed his arms. “What have you done to my duck?”

Nothing! I’ve just helped Fatty grow! I’ve generated more Fatties! What’s wrong with that? Ah, if not for me, he’d just be dead, you know? Hui cried internally. Externally, he prostrated silently before the Sect Master, unwilling to speak, lest he misspeak.

“Did you eat these ducks?” Sect Master Lan asked.

Hui swallowed. “I did not.”

Li Xiang nodded. “He’s telling the truth.”

Sect Master Lan snorted. He glared at Hui. “You…”

Golden light burst overhead, casting the sky in gold. A group of figures appeared overhead, hovering over the sect.

Sect Master Lan looked up, distracted. After a moment, he flew up on his sword, zooming toward the figures.

Lan Taijian scowled at Hui, then flew after his father without another word.

Hui dared to sit up. He looked around, then frowned after the two cultivators surnamed Lan. “Where are they going? Who are those people up above?”

“Want to see?” Li Xiang offered. She hopped atop her sword and gestured for him to join.

Hui climbed to his feet and beamed, climbing up after her. “Of course!”

Almost as an afterthought, he turned to the ducks and gestured. They trembled, caught in place by the Sect Master’s spell. Black burned around them, chasing along invisible threads, and then they leaped free. The ducks spiraled into a vortex as they rushed into Hui’s dantian.

“How did you end up with so many soul copies of the Sect Master’s duck?” Li Xiang asked, tilting her head. Her pink enamel pin glittered in the sunlight.

Hui coughed. “It’s a long story.”

Li Xiang glanced up. “Summarize.”

Quickly, he told her about what had happened in the Bai clan, then explained everything that had happened since. He left out that the ducks were made of death qi, obscured some of the finer points of his time in the Black Asp Sect, and left out that they were stored in the second dantian in his soul, but covered most of the history of the death qi ducks otherwise.

Li Xiang frowned. “Interesting. I’ve never heard of any cultivation technique like it. Or… is it a magical ability?”

Hui opened his mouth, then hesitated. He frowned. I use it as an attack, but I do cultivate more death ducks. The more death ducks I gather, the more powerful I become, and likewise, the more death qi I gather, the more ducks appear. Originally, they were part of a demonic cultivator’s trial array, but since then, they’ve evolved too much to call them a magical technique and be done with it. In summary, it’s not wrong to call the ducks a magical technique, but neither is it wrong to call them a cultivation technique!

He shook his head. “I’m… not sure.”

Li Xiang laughed quietly. Shaking her head, she flew up after the Sect Master.

As they flew into the sky, the figures became more distinct. About ten cultivators stood atop swords above their sect. At their head stood Gui Delun, expression as stern as ever.

Hui frowned. Wait. Wasn’t he investigating Mysterious Heavenly Forest Sect? It’s only been a few days. Even if he said he would also investigate Starbound Sect, what’s he doing over here already?

“Greetings, Sect Master Lan.” Gui Delun inclined his head.

“What brings you to Starbound Sect?” Sect Master Lan replied, tucking his hands behind his back. He frowned at Gui Delun.

“I came to propose an exchange. These disciples for ten of your own.” Gui Delun swept his eyes over the sect. His gaze paused on Li Xiang and Hui.

Hui hunkered down behind Li Xiang. No need to take note of this small cultivator! I’m not worth exchanging!

Sect Master Lan frowned. He flicked his sleeve.

In the distance, Wang Zhong landed outside the sect. His three friends stared at him, still wide-eyed. “Wang Zhong… did we… get expelled?”

Wang Zhong ducked his head. “We made a mistake. Stepped too far. From now on, we’re rogue cultivators.”

“That Sect Master’s too stingy. It’s just a few ducks—”

Suddenly, a hand appeared in the sky. Before any of them could react, it swooped down and gathered them up. Wang Zhong trembled in terror. Did the Sect Master decide to kill us, after all?

Sect Master Lan glanced at the four cultivators as they returned. “On short notice, I could only gather this many, but please accept these cultivators. By the end of the week, I’ll gather the rest of the exchange members.”

The four cultivators stared around with wide eyes, completely lost. Wang Zhong blinked, startled. Does… this mean we’re back in the sect?

Gui Delun glanced at the four cultivators, then back at Sect Master Lan. He pointed toward Hui and Li Xiang. “I’ll take those two, as well.”

“Those two are inheriting disciples of our Peak Lords. It would be difficult for the sect to part with them,” Sect Master Lan returned icily.

“I have brought inheriting disciples amongst the members of the exchange,” Gui Delun replied.

“Unlike your great and illustrious sect, our Starbound Sect only has five peaks and five inheritors,” Sect Master Lan replied.

Hui frowned. Does Gui Delun have the upper hand to the point he can openly demand particular disciples, even inheriting disciples? But… Sect Master Lan hasn’t simply ignored him, nor has he directly refuted him. Instead, he’s used polite language and indirect refusals to fight Gui Delun.

No… it isn’t Gui Delun himself. Instead… Gui Delun’s sect, the All-Heavens Sect, is simply that powerful!

“That disciple cultivates life qi. He would benefit greatly from cultivating in All-Heavens Sect.” Gui Delun reached out toward Hui. Hui’s body lifted off Li Xiang’s sword and began to fly toward him. Li Xiang reached after him, and he grabbed her hand, but their grasps couldn’t fight against the power of Gui Delun’s grasp. Their hands parted, and Hui flew toward Gui Delun. He tried to shed his skin to wriggle free, but Gui Delun’s strength suppressed his cultivation base. Play dead? No... he wouldn’t stop, and I’d just be giving up my trump card! Swap with a ghoul? And give up that I’m also a death qi cultivator? Absolutely not! I could probably poison this grasp with death qi, but… not in front of the exorcist sect that almost killed me for wearing a ghoul-skin! They have no concept of the truly righteous, but instead allow themselves to be misguided by the surface appearance of things!

A cold snort rang out. Hui’s body froze in midair, then flew the opposite direction. Weiheng Wu reached out and caught him by the belt, dangling him from the waist.

Gui Delun narrowed his eyes at him. “How presumptuous of you.”

“You presume to kidnap my disciple,” Weiheng Wu replied, arching a single brow.

Hui kicked his way out of Weiheng Wu’s grasp and blasted qi at the ground for a moment to reposition himself on his Master’s sword, rather than dangling. He hid behind Weiheng Wu and frowned at Gui Delun, his heart pounding. I almost got dragged off to a terrifyingly powerful sect! Who knows what horrible tortures would have awaited me there? Without Master there, who would keep me safe?

“Then… at least her,” Gui Delun said, lifting his hand to gesture again.

Lan Taijian reached for his sword. Atop her sword, Li Xiang’s eyes glinted with dangerous light.

“Gui Delun, did I get to pick the members of your exchange? Will you give me no face?” Sect Master Lan asked imperiously.

Gui Delun paused. He lowered his hand and tucked it behind his back. As if nothing had happened at all, he nodded at Sect Master Lan. “I will remain to help educate your cultivators. If you wish, you may send one of your Peak Lords to All-Heavens Sect to help further the comprehension of our cultivators, as well.”

Hui raised his eyebrows. So he’s here to educate us, but we can further their comprehension? Ha! What a joke. You might as well openly call it re-education, Gui Delun!

Hmm… I think it’s time for this small disciple to find some more meritorious service to do for the sect. Preferably far away from the sect and Gui Delun’s ‘education!’

He raised a hand to his chin. Come to think of it… is this his reaction to Mysterious Heavenly Forest Sect? Attacking Starbound Sect instead of Mysterious Heavenly Forest Sect? No, that doesn’t seem right. After all, Mysterious Heavenly Forest acted on their own, without anything to do with Starbound Sect. I think it’s wrong to infer that Mysterious Heavenly Forest Sect isn’t being punished, due to us also being punished.

Rather… it might be proper to assume that all the lesser sects from All-Heaven Sect’s perspective—Azure Fang, Silk Heart, Starbound, and Mysterious Heavenly Forest Sect, the members of the Southern Sect Conference—are being reigned in! Mysterious Heavenly Forest Sect’s attack is merely the excuse to restrict all of the Southern Sect Conference’s members.

But why? This… He twisted his lips, frowning. What does All-Heavens Sect gain from restricting the lesser sects? Or… are there outside factors influencing them to make this decision now?

Ah, dammit, I don’t know enough about All-Heavens Sect! I need to get out! Learn more about this world!

Hui glanced over at Gui Delun. Feeling Hui’s eyes on him, Gui Delun turned, a stern expression on his face that only turned sterner as their eyes locked. Hui swallowed. …and get away from Gui Delun’s reeducation! Somehow, this small cultivator… feels like he’s first on the chopping block!