Hui sat under the spring, busily cultivating. Fresh, pure qi poured into him, while old, stagnant qi poured out. He breathed slowly and evenly. An intoxicating, exuberant emotion rose inside him, something he’d never felt before. Is this like a runner’s high, but for cultivation? It feels so good. No wonder everyone wants to continue cultivating.

It reminds me of that time I was forced to drink by my father. He wanted me to understand… but how was I supposed to understand? Dad…

Mood ruined, Hui sighed and opened his eyes. Dammit, those old memories still haunt me. Can’t I even enjoy this blissful state without a reminder of my shitty first life?

He yawned and settled down. Zhubi, is everything still fine?

No reply. Hui’s brows furrowed. He looked around again, peering through the thick mist. Did the mist get thicker? Why is it so hard to see?

He glanced beside him. Ji Taiyu sat quietly, continuing to cultivate. Am I worried for no reason?

Wait. Where did those rough cultivators go? Hui leaned out of the waterfall and peered around.

The second he left the pounding water and the thick fresh scent of clean water, an overly-sweet, sickly floral smell assaulted his nose. Hui choked and lifted a hand to cover his nose, only to find his arm bare. He wore no robe to cover his mouth with.

Dammit! I can’t even… Hui’s thoughts trailed off. He slumped slightly, eyes glazing over.

A distant, sharp cry forced him awake. Hui jolted upright. He balled his hand into a fist, piercing his palm with his nails. The fake skin stretched and tore, revealing greenish flesh beneath. Barely able to force himself to maintain lucidity, Hui waved his hand. “Jin Xian!”

The jiangshi crawled out of the pond to hover by his side, her body limp and loose like a hanged corpse. Hui gestured weakly, pointing toward the cry. “Go…”

Jin Xian hissed and flew off, her eyes glinting with a hungry light.

Hui retracted his head back into the waterfall, letting the cold water cleanse the scent down to a manageable level. Shit. They’re using a poison able to even effect the mind of a fifth stage cultivator… I hope Ying Lin is alright!

And Zhubi… Zhubi! It’s Song Weilai, a spirit beast dealer! She’s after my spirit beast! I can’t let her have Zhubi!

Eh, wait. The spider’s venom didn’t affect me, but the plant’s poison does…?

No, no, it makes sense! Naturally, a carnivore’s venom is only effective on meat. Carnivores don’t care about plants. Plants, on the other hand, engage in chemical battles all the time. It can be said that a plant’s primary weapon is to release chemical attacks against other plants. Therefore, plant poisons affect me, but venoms won’t.

Hui pointed at his clothes and made a grabbing gesture, calling them over.

His qi fizzled out before it left his body, suppressed to nothing by the icy stream pouring over his head.

Hui scowled. Either I have a clear enough head to cast spells, but no ability to send qi, or I have the ability to send qi, and a head too messy to conjure a spell.

Ha! Is this the best you can do?

Hui tried to contact the node, but like his external qi, the stream suppressed it too much for him to reach it. As expected. But it’s still no obstacle.

Hui flipped his hand over. A leaf grew from the underside of his arm, and he plucked it. Moving quickly, he inscribed a simple telekinetic spell onto the talisman, then held his breath and leaned out of the water once more. Outside of the water, the thick pollen immediately began to infiltrate his body through his pores, but Hui had a single clear moment of thought—enough to push qi into the talisman and point it at his clothes.

The talisman activated. Hui’s clothes trembled, then lifted off the stone and flew over to Hui. Hui caught them and quickly dressed, paying no attention as the water soaked into his robes. Lifting the robes over his mouth and nose, he gazed over in the direction where Zhubi had slithered off to and took a deep breath, then leaped out from under the waterfall and flew toward the other pond.

The instant he left the waterfall, the thick floral poison clung to him once more. His water-soaked robes did more to resist it than his bare skin had, but it still slowly sunk into him. His mind blurred as he flew, and he drooped out of the sky, sagging toward land. Hui leaned against a bamboo pole and rested, trying to gather his thoughts. I was going to… Ying Lin, and Zhubi… I…

Come on, Hui. Get yourself together! Hui slapped his cheeks and shook his head. Biting his lip, he pressed onward, toward the other pond. Greenish blood ran down his chin and between the cracks in his fingers as he forced himself to stay awake.

Through the bamboo forest. He emerged on the other side to find a second waterfall, and Ying Lin sitting under it, unmolested. Bao Huli and Zhubi both had vanished.

Ying Lin is safe, Hui realized, and nearly collapsed in relief from that. The next second, he shook his head and scowled. Stay awake! Zhubi, focus on Zhubi!

Dammit, were they trying to pick up Bao Huli, and captured Zhubi as a bonus? Damned filthy dogs. Give me back my snake! Do whatever you want with that lovestruck fox demon, but how dare you lay a hand on my Zhubi! Hui snarled silently.

At the same time, a voice in the back of his head whispered, If they took Bao Huli and Zhubi, even if they kept them intoxicated with this poison, they must have been convinced of their ability to hold two fifth-stage spirit beasts captive. Like I suspected, they were suppressing their cultivation. Most, if not all of them, are fifth stage or better. Can I face five fifth-stage cultivators alone?

Not alone. I have Jin Xian.

Two versus five. The math isn’t working out. How… how…

Hui reached out to the node, but stopped halfway. We clones cannot travel along our own nodes. We are the endpoints, and we can pass materials between us, but we cannot change places. Even when Healer re-merged, he simply sent his consciousness, soul, and cultivation into the system, and his body remained as a husk where he’d left it, until he emerged from the node again.

Dammit! How, how…!

He looked over his shoulder at Ji Taiyu, but shook his head. Ji Taiyu and Ying Lin are too weak. If they’ve decided to ignore them and not bother them, I’ll go along with that decision. Better to leave the potential hostages out of the fight.

Hui grew a leaf and quickly wrote a message for Ying Lin, placing it at her feet before he ran on. I don’t want her to worry if she wakes up. I’ll tell her Zhubi, Bao Huli and I went to practice, and for her and Ji Taiyu to practice while they wait for our return. The last thing I want is for her to come after me and walk into a dangerous fight.

As he turned to leave, he caught sight of Gu Tian’s hilt poking out from under the waterfall. Reaching out to Gu Tian, Hui silently said, Gu Tian, protect Ying Lin.

Instantly, Gu Tian retorted, And read the note for her? Ying Lin can’t read.

Ah! Elder Brother is so thoughtful. Then, I’m counting on you, Hui said.

Gu Tian sighed deeply. I don’t suppose I should teach her to read while I’m at it?

Indeed, Elder Brother’s magnanimity can reach the heavens. Gu Tian, I appreciate your help! Hui replied shamelessly.

Gu Tian sat silently for a time. After a long moment, he sighed. To himself, he thought, I suppose I had to do harder work in Black Asp Sect. It’s just teaching a kid to read. How hard can that be?

Unaware of Gu Tian’s inner struggles, Hui turned his gaze ahead and raced away from the ponds. The further he got from them, the less the flower’s pollen clouded his mind. I can’t strike openly with the odds like this, but on the other hand, once I recapture Zhubi and Bao Huli, it becomes four on five. Those are much better odds than two on five. Therefore, my goal is to distract Song Weilai and her fellow scum while I break Zhubi and Bao Huli out of wherever they’ve been put!

Distantly, he sensed Zhubi’s qi, along with the dark aura of Jin Xian. They haven’t gotten far yet. Zhubi, wait for me!