The fake Bai Xue, Mo Gonglu, settled in beside Ying Min with a laugh. One of the other girls hurried over, snatching a wine jug from a passing servant, and offered to pour him some wine. He grabbed her waist and pulled her in on his other side.

Fu Liyu watched, her face pinched from envy. Hui shook his head. Don’t pine for that fool, whether he’s disguised or not! He’s a total scum, grabbing women like that. Bai Xue would never act so uncouth!

He hurried over to the real Bai Xue’s side. Crouching slightly behind her, he gave her a small smile. Her body emanated a second-stage aura, and for a second, Hui’s heart caught, afraid she’d been forced into reverting her cultivation again, but a second later, he realized the aura emanated from the veil over her face rather than her body itself. Phew. It’s part of her disguise, not an issue with her body. “Elder Sister, I noticed you call for this small servant from across the room—”

Looping an arm up, Bai Xue caught him by the hip and pulled him down beside her, grinning. “Oh my, Xiao Hui. I never would have expected a renegade cultivator wanted by all the righteous sects like you to get caught by this fake’s poor lure! Tsk tsk, good thing I came to see who dares besmirch Bai Xue’s good name.”

I take it back. Bai Xue is a scum, after all! Hui sighed, shaking his head. All around, the other servants murmured behind their sleeves, staring at him and Ying Lin. He frowned at Bai Xue. “Elder Sister, this is terrible for my disguise.”

“Eh, whatever. Once I reveal myself, they won’t think anything of it,” Bai Xue replied. She gestured for another cup and filled it with a fine wine that tickled Hui’s nose, nudging it toward Hui. “There must be a reason why such an infamous man graces us with his attendance at a tiny event like this.”

“Elder Sister, I’m… I’m not infamous, surely,” Hui said. No one would call a nobody like me infamous. I barely accomplished anything!

“What do you mean? You made an absolute joke of All-Heavens Sect, turning their neat sect extermination into a wild goose chase. All-Heavens Sect declared you dead, but I know Xiao Hui. I didn’t believe it for a second,” Bai Xue chuckled.

“Xiao… Hui?” Ying Lin wondered aloud.

“Eh? Xiao Hui, who’s this?” Bai Xue asked, noticing Ying Lin for the first time.

“Ying Lin. She’s… she’s a talent I discovered in this clan. Bai Xue, would you mind taking her on?” Hui asked. Considering my situation, putting her in Bai Clan is much better than keeping Ying Lin at my side. After all, she’d have to constantly live on the run, never able to show her true face, and…

“Xiao Hui, are you fine with that? Giving me such a young beauty?” Bai Xue asked, craning her neck to get a better look at Ying Lin. She licked her lips. “Hmm… a bit on the crude side, but I can see the potential. In a hundred years or so, she’ll be a stunner.”

“I’m not going with any old lecher,” Ying Lin declared, scowling at Bai Xue. She narrowed her eyes at Hui and shook her head, disappointed in him.

“Ooh, and sassy. I like it,” Bai Xue said, entranced.

Hui frowned. Never mind, never mind! It was a bad idea, I admit it! Giving her to Bai Xue… I might as well throw her to the tigers! He cleared his throat. “It was a joke, Elder Sister.”

Bai Xue chuckled. She shook her head at Hui. “A rough jade should still be treated like a jade, not pawned off on the first cultivator you see.”

“But… I truly don’t have any resources for her. Magical techniques, cultivation methods…”

“I’m sure I could borrow a common manual or two from the clan library. That being said, Xiao Hui, my father wants to know: have you made any progress on those talismans?”

“Oh! Oh, let me…” Hui dug in his robes, then remembered he didn’t have his storage ring. He hesitated, but ultimately decided against calling out to the tree node. Although I trust Bai Xue, the fewer people who know about my aces in the hole, the better. After all, if Bai Xue never knows, the All-Heavens Sect can’t pressure it out of her. Instead, he quickly grew a few leaves and scribbled the talismans on them. “Your father should understand when he sees them. Er, and I was wondering… if you had any more…”

“Any more talisman formulas? Usually I’d have to say no, but father is quite taken with his pen-pal. Still, I’ll warn you that we don’t have much more for you. From here on out, any talismans would be considered clan secrets or ultimate techniques,” Bai Xue cautioned. She handed over a single talisman, and Hui quickly palmed it.

Out of talismans, even with… well, no. I understand. Bai Xue’s father likely has a great library of talismans, but the Bai Clan has only a few fifth stage cultivators, and only one sixth stage. Although half of their power is in politics, without raw strength to back them up, they’re a paper tiger. If they give me all their formulae, they’ll have given away all the secrets of one of their most powerful cultivators.

I can’t continue to rely on them. From here on out, I have to rely on my own cultivation… and, well, I wouldn’t say no to a secret realm or two…

Hui nodded. He bowed shortly to Bai Xue. “Please give your father my thanks.”

“Of course, of course.” Bai Xue gave Hui a look.

Hui frowned. I don’t like that. “What?”

“I don’t play courier for free. You owe me another favor,” Bai Xue laughed.

Hui grit his teeth. “Elder Sister!”

“I carried that talisman for so long, you know? Just in case I met you. I didn’t even know you were alive, but I still dutifully carried that talisman… ah, I’m just too kind! Don’t you think I deserve your thanks? And a favor or two?” Bai Xue said, clicking her tongue.

It’s a single piece of paper, and I know you have a spatial treasure! Don’t act like it was some kind of thousand-pound burden! Hui raged silently, rolling his eyes.

“She’s right,” Ying Lin agreed, nodding.

Bai Xue glanced at Ying Lin and nodded. “I like this disciple of yours.”

“She isn’t—she shouldn’t become my disciple. It’s a waste of her talents,” Hui argued.

Ying Lin crossed her arms and turned away, adamantly but silently disagreeing.

“Who’s more talented than you?” Bai Xue argued.

Hui snorted. “Master.”

“Aside from Weiheng Wu, a man whom no one in a thousand years could surpass,” Bai Xue allowed. “He ascended, didn’t he?”

Hui nodded.

Bai Xue whistled. “I should’ve given him a try. Our children would have been…”

Choking on nothing, Hui grabbed Bai Xue’s arm. “Bai Xue, could you not… talk about my Master that way?”

“What? Oh—wait a second, hold on.” Bai Xue pressed her hand against his arm. He felt her qi sweep through him, and then she blinked and stared at him, startled. “Speaking of ascensions, you’re fifth stage?” Bai Xue swept her eyes up and down Hui and shook her head. “Damn. And here I still remember when you were a cute little second-stage cultivator, unable to even fly on a sword… I’ve got to focus on cultivation. It’s no fun if you beat me like this.”

“Is there a fun way to beat you, Elder Sister?” Hui asked thoughtlessly.

A slow smile crossed Bai Xue’s face.

“Never mind, never mind, Elder Sister, please, this small cultivator understands,” Hui said.

“Understands what?” Ying Lin asked brightly.

Hui shot Bai Xue a glare. Don’t you dare corrupt my disciple… er, this young lady!

Clearing his throat, he quickly changed the subject. “Elder Sister, how did you know it was me?”

Bai Xue touched her nose. “You smell of lotus pill lotuses. Specifically, like the lotus beast. It’s not unusual for cultivators to smell of lotuses, but that particular scent…” She paused, then shrugged. “That, and the way you stood there. You always scrunch up and hunch down, as if someone is about to hit you. It’s not a common trait, among cultivators. Among ordinary servants, sure, but…”

“I’ll do my best to correct my posture,” Hui promised. I can’t do anything about my scent, but as she said, plenty of cultivators put in effort to exude the perfume of lotuses and other fragrant plants. I’ll blend in enough there. But if I’m always hunching a certain way without realizing it... well, I can't let anything stand out! My disguises must be perfect!

Ying Lin cleared her throat politely. Hui glanced at her questioningly. She nodded at Bai Xue. “Master, who is this?”

Dammit, don’t call me Master…oh well, it’s better than fairy. “Oh. It’s Bai Xue,” Hui explained.

Ying Lin blinked. “Bai… who? But isn’t that…” Her gaze strayed to Mo Gonglu, the fake.

“Revealing my disguise?” Bai Xue admonished Hui, shaking her head.

Hui frowned at her. “Elder Sister, you immediately called me by my name.” Also, compared to me… I mean, you’re only wearing a veil! You haven’t even altered your makeup or usual robes! If this wasn’t a meeting of backwater clans, you’d have been revealed in a heartbeat!

“No, wait, wait. This is Bai Xue? Wait, I know. This is a beautiful maiden who shares Bai Xue’s name,” Ying Lin decided with a nod.

“No, no. I am the Bai Xue,” Bai Xue insisted.

“But… Bai Xue is a handsome sir. Unless… Sister has a hobby?” Ying Lin asked. She squinted at Bai Xue, but frowned.

“I’m a woman. Right now, anyways,” Bai Xue added with a smirk.

“Eh… eh?” Ying Lin asked, lost.

Hui took a deep breath. He turned and looked Ying Lin in the eyes. “Elder Sister, on the road of cultivation, you will see a great many things. Your comprehension will be stretched, and the world will become broader than you ever thought it could be. Even something like a woman who can also be a man will become ordinary.”

Ying Lin nodded. “I see… so you’re telling me to broaden my perspective!” She nodded again, then frowned. “But… I still don’t understand.”

“If you have a moment, we could go into the back room, and I could show you,” Bai Xue offered kindly.

Ying Lin started to dip her head, but before she could, Hui glared at Bai Xue. “Elder Sister!”

“What? Should I transform right here, in the middle of the banquet hall? Don’t take my dramatic timing from me.”

“I’m not… you—you had terrible things in your mind!” Hui insisted.

“Eh? You can read my mind?” Bai Xue asked. Instantly, her expression turned focused. All the mental energy she possessed swirled around her, so focused was she.

I absolutely do not want to know what Bai Xue is thinking up right now. Hui shook his head. “I can’t read your mind, but it doesn’t mean I can’t understand your intentions.”

Bai Xue gave him a disappointed look. “Don’t get me all excited and leave me hanging.”

Hui scowled at her. “Bai Xue!”