Hong Haitao and Ya Ai exchanged a look. Silent communication passed between them. Hong Haitao’s frown deepened, but Ya Ai shook her head. Hong Haitao lowered his eyes first.

Ya Ai straightened up. “We will believe you. In any case, I have no desire to fight a large group of third- and fourth-stage cultivators. Although Hong Haitao is not convinced, we are both convinced that your side is the stronger side, as long as you have a method to deal with City Lord Chen Xigui.” Her eyes flicked toward Hui.

Hui smiled thinly. Did she somehow pick up on my being higher-stage despite repressing my cultivation? Well… I did directly intervene with her qi in my attempt to heal her. It’s not surprising that she was able to reverse that enough to sense that I’m a higher-realm cultivator than I appear.

Although, Elder Sister, when it comes to dealing with Chen Xigui… it’s not me I’d count on! Hui thought, glancing at Li Xiang.

Come to think of it, we have to handle both Chen Xigui—admittedly weakened—and Wang Xiu, who isn’t exactly an outstanding talent, but is still a fifth-stage cultivator herself. At least two… and then there’s Luo Qingge’s men. Although Luo Qingge and his men are here to investigate the City Lord, I doubt they’ll stand by while we kill the City Lord.

Everyone had better not be relying on this one Hui to take out all the fifth-stage cultivators! Although… He raised a hand to the snake at his neck. Well, I do have two fifth-stage companions to back me up. And likewise, it’s not as if Luo Qingge will be standing next to Chen Xigui in his mansion as he receives his beloved.

That’s right. The objective is not to proc all the fifth-stage cultivators in the city. That’s why we’re sneaking in with Ya Ai, after all. We can handle the two fifth-stage cultivators, and maybe a third or fourth, if Chen Xigui has another guard or two. However, outright attacking the town is not an option.

Obviously. If it was, Li Xiang would have already done it, with her straightforward way of thinking.

He nodded. But now that Ya Ai is on our side, we can go ahead and sneak into Chen Xigui’s manor without attacking the entire city. The only question is… how are the rest of her seven-colored squad going to get here? Or… are we going it alone?

I guess I don’t really mind, but they seemed to want to take Chen Xigui on themselves…

“Naturally, we have a method to deal with the City Lord, especially in his weakened state,” Li Xiang replied, nodding.

Hui looked at her. You do? Or are you referring to me? Don’t be ambiguous! This Hui needs to know, okay?

Li Xiang glanced at Hui and shook her head. She tapped her chest lightly.

Eh, Li Xiang? Well… Chen Xigui is weakened, and she can fight toe-to-toe with fifth stages at full power. That’s… actually pretty reasonable.

Then, considering that Li Xiang can handily take on Chen Xigui or Wang Xiu, we have her, myself, Zhubi, and Jin Xian… four cultivators who can handle fifth-stage cultivators. As long as we don’t make too much noise taking out Chen Xigui, we won’t likely face more than four fifth-stages at once. We’re in a good situation.

And then, once we take out Chen Xigui…

Once we take out Chen Xigui, what then?

Hui looked at Li Xiang. I need to talk to her about our future—ahem, the sect’s future. About reviving the sect and… and defeating All-Heavens Sect. I can’t revive the sect alone. For one, I’m no good at gathering people, not the way Li Xiang is. She’s already gathered her band of vigilantes. They’ll be invaluable if we can get them to agree to take on All-Heavens Sect with us. In the same time, though, what did I do? I’ve been focused on bringing back the sect, but even so, the only person following me is Ying Lin. Even Ji Taiyu wouldn’t pledge to fight at my side.

I didn’t realize it at first. I was only focused on finding Li Xiang. But without Li Xiang… I don’t think I could take on All-Heavens Sect. I could try, but it might take hundreds of years. Enough time for my clones to outnumber the stars in the heavens, perhaps. Far longer than the ten years I have. In that time, though, Li Xiang could gather enough people to seriously face off against All-Heavens Sect. Without Li Xiang… my plan isn’t doomed to failure, but it becomes much more difficult.

Ya Ai cleared her throat, startling Hui out of his thoughts. “If we’re all in agreement, then please disguise yourselves and prepare. This won’t work if Chen Xigui immediately recognizes you.”

“Ah, Elder Sister, I’ve already disguised us… the three of us,” Hui said, gesturing at himself, Li Xiang, and Ying Lin. But I still need to disguise Lu Xubo! He raised his hand, beckoning. “Lu Xubo, come here.”

Lu Xubo gave him an uncertain look. “What are you going to do to me?”

“Hui is going to disguise you,” Li Xiang replied.

Lu Xubo hesitated. He looked at Li Xiang, and his expression softened, but when he turned back to Hui, disgust flashed across his face again. “Flies…”

Eh? Flies? No, no, Elder Brother, that’s you! You’re the flies on Li Xiang! Hui cleared his throat. “Come, come. I’ll make you look wonderful.”

Lu Xubo drew back. He turned to Li Xiang. “You want me to allow this degenerate to—”

“Do you want to kill Chen Xigui?” Li Xiang asked, her eyes pools of clear water.

Flicking his eyes at Hui, Lu Xubo hesitated again. “Of course I do, but…”

“If you do, then take his disguise. If not, leave,” Li Xiang said simply.

Lu Xubo looked at Hui again, then grit his teeth and moved forward. “I’m relying on Junior Brother!”

“Naturally, Elder Brother.” Hui grinned. He hovered his hand over Lu Xubo’s head and cast the snakeskin technique. A wrinkly old elder appeared where Lu Xubo had stood, with long hair and a thin beard.

Lu Xubo raised his hands and scowled. “No one asked you to make me hideous!”

Hui opened his mouth, but Li Xiang spoke first. “Lu Xubo, is that really the tone to take with your Senior?”

“Eh? Senior?” Lu Xubo asked, flabbergasted.

Li Xiang nodded. “This man is stronger than myself, in realm… and in many other ways.”

“Stronger than—” Lu Xubo shot Hui a disbelieving look.

Shaking his head, Hui waved his hands desperately. “Not me, not me, Elder Sister! You’re too kind, too kind. I’m merely a small cultivator, nothing but dust.”

“Lu Xubo, who do you trust? Me, or him?” Li Xiang asked.

“Naturally, Li Xiang cannot… cannot… speak untruth…” Lu Xubo said, stuttering over his own words. The truth of what he’d said hit him, and he slowly turned to Hui, disbelief written all over his face. “He… he can’t be… but Li Xiang said, but…”

Li Xiang nodded. “Then it’s settled. You’ll address Hui with respect from now on.”

Fretting, Hui shook his head. “Elder Sister, there’s no need, really—”

Li Xiang looked up at him, her eyes flashing. “Weiheng Hui.”

“Yes!” Hui said, sitting upright.

“If you won’t treat yourself with respect, that’s your business. But you will not keep me from treating you with respect. Understood?”

“Understood!” Hui barked, barely resisting the urge to pop a salute.

Lu Xubo stared at Hui, brows still furrowed. Under his breath, he muttered, “That man must have deceived Li Xiang somehow. I have to expose him…”

Er, but I really am higher realm than Li Xiang? Stronger is a totally different argument, but… at the very least, I’m confident in being a bonafide fifth-realm cultivator, Hui thought, frowning at Lu Xubo.

After a second, he smiled to himself. Wonderful, wonderful! So I really appear so weak that he struggles to believe I’m anywhere near as strong as Li Xiang? Excellent! It’s easier to play dead if people underestimate my strength.

Of course, I should continue to diligently research new ways to fake my own death. Even if people underestimate me, that’s no reason to become negligent in my pursuit of death faking! Hui nodded to himself, clenching his fist.

Lu Xubo stared at him disbelievingly. No way this slime has more strength than Li Xiang—than me! I won’t allow it. After Chen Xigui, I’ll test his strength and prove who’s stronger once and for all!

And then… Li Xiang will… Flowers flooded his mind, and he let out a low giggle.

Li Xiang glanced from Lu Xubo to Hui. She shook her head. “You’re both strange.”

“Eh? Li Xiang…”

“Elder Sister!”

Ya Ai clapped her hands. “This meeting is adjourned.”

Everyone rose. As they left, Hui leaned toward Li Xiang. Silently, he reached his mental energy toward her. Will Elder Sister come with me?

Li Xiang glanced at him. She considered for a moment, then nodded.

Waiting until Ying Lin was thoroughly distracted by watching Ji Taiyu and Bao Huli flirt, Hui peeled off from the group, and Li Xiang followed. Hui wandered through the ship, looping its insides until he was sure no one followed them. When he was sure they were clear, he looped them back around and led the way into the forging room. No one has any reason to come in here. We should be alone. Almost on instinct, Hui cast the sound-deadening technique.

“So? What did you want to speak of?” Li Xiang asked, settling against the wall.

Hui looked at her. “Li Xiang, I know you mourn the sect as I do.”

Li Xiang nodded. “I lost a great many friends that day, along with my Master.”

Your master can stay dead, as far as I’m concerned! Ah, but I’m going to bring him back, anyways. I’m not sure I could exclude souls if I wanted. …if his soul isn’t too melted down in the first place. I remember it was badly damaged before I put everyone into the ghost flag.

“Starbound Sect and All-Heavens Sect cannot exist under the same sky. Although I can revive the sect, to revive it in a world where All-Heavens exists is meaningless. It will only end in inevitable destruction,” Hui said.

“What do you propose? I won’t give up,” Li Xiang cautioned him, crossing her arms.

Hui took a deep breath. “Are you willing to challenge All-Heavens Sect alongside me? Either before or shortly after we bring back the sect, we’ll have to take on All-Heavens. They won’t stand idly by while I revive our Elder Brothers and Sisters. Will you stand at my side?”

“Yes,” Li Xiang said, not hesitating a moment.

“I—eh?”

Li Xiang nodded. “I agree. I’ve already realized the same long ago. Whatever it takes, we must destroy All-Heavens Sect.”

Hui stared. All at once, he deflated, wiping his forehead. A weight came off his shoulders. “I… thank you.”

Li Xiang tilted her head. “For what?”

“For being Li Xiang,” Hui replied. For being purehearted and straightforward. For not conniving or worrying about your own safety or any of the thousand other concerns that could get in our way. It’s not that there aren’t concerns, or that anyone would be wrong for putting themselves before the revival of the sect. After all, I’m literally asking her to risk her life. But because it’s Li Xiang, she doesn’t need to hesitate. She doesn’t need to consider any of that. If she decides to do something, then she’ll do it. Like an arrow shot from a bow, flying straight to its conclusion.

It's my job to think of the rest. To clear the path for that arrow!

Li Xiang frowned at him. She tilted her head. “Is that all?”

“Ah… no. This, too.” Hui closed his hand and opened it, revealing the baby-fist sized pill he’d acquired seemingly so long ago. “This is a pill that can assist fifth-stage ascension. I want you to hav—”

Li Xiang raised her hand. “No.”

Hui tilted his head. “Why not?”

“I don’t want to take any shortcuts, even ones that the world at large doesn’t see as shortcuts. My path is one I forge myself, with my own might. If my sword isn’t strong enough to lead me past the fifth-stage bottleneck, then I will not ascend until it’s strong enough,” Li Xiang stated simply.

Hui’s knees trembled as he suddenly felt the urge to drop to his knees and kowtow to Li Xiang. A true-blue sword cultivator in the flesh! A pure and straightforward, righteous, hardcore sword cultivator! Of course you wouldn’t want help. Of course you’d refuse my pills. How dare I ask? Truly, she’s a walking treasure. I must protect her!

“Forgive me for offering, Elder Sister,” Hui said smoothly, putting the pill back away. He raised his hand to cancel the spell.

Li Xiang caught his hand. “Is that all?”

Hui stiffened. It suddenly became hard to look her in the eye, and he looked away. Sweat broke out down his back.

Do it! Say it, you coward! Rogue shouted.

For all of us. All of us! I’ll turn evil and hunt you down if you don’t! Ahh, I can already feel the qi deviation… Mortal pledged.

Healer tutted. Mortal, mind yourself. The last thing we want is a clone war. Although, Sectgoer, I… might look the other way if you didn’t say anything, and Mortal socked you one.

You found Li Xiang? And you haven’t said anything about us for this long? Sectgoer, why? Peak Lord asked, more lost than anything.

Hui took a deep breath. Shut up! I can’t concentrate!

A quiet voice stirred in the back of his mind, one more powerful than the rest of the clones. Sectgoer… you can do this.

Even First stepped in to speak. I can’t screw this up. Hui turned to Li Xiang. He took her hand. “Li Xiang… for a long time, I’ve… I’ve seen you as more than simply an Elder Sister. To me, you’re, you’re… as important as the whole sect. Li Xiang, would you—”

She gripped his hand back. “Weiheng Hui, I can’t.”

All the air left Hui. He released her hand and stumbled back, the blow almost physical. His head bowed. “I understand.” If Li Xiang says it, there’s no point fighting it. She can’t lie, nor would she want to. If she says no, then…

What did I expect? What did you expect, Hui? I’m no one, I’m nothing. A piece of dirt on the ground, a lump in the earth. Li Xiang is a spotless white crane, flying high above. She’s everyone’s idol, not someone a low-born being like myself could ever hope to—

“I can’t right now. We’re busy. We have to revive the sect and destroy All-Heavens Sect, and everything that comes with that. There is no time for extraneous relationships. But afterward, perhaps… perhaps we could…” She reached for his hand, searching out his eyes.

Emotions flickered in Hui’s eyes, hope, despair, fear and joy. Not… not now? Isn’t that the same as a yes? Because it means not now, but later—!

Ah, hey, someone call Mortal back. Tell him he doesn’t need to break his way out of the web to go give it a try himself, Healer said.

Mortal, you idiot. Calm down. She didn’t say no, Rogue said, annoyed.

Eh? It wasn’t… how was that not a no? I’m going, I’m going! Mortal raged. It’ll be different if I do it, I know it.

She said later, not no. I don’t think anyone’s going to change that, Peak Lord pointed out.

Yes, yes, that’s right. Mortal, calm down. Someone call Chen Wuya, Mortal needs a good slapping, Healer sighed tiredly.

Mortal instantly fell still. Chen Wuya? Where?

“Hui?” Li Xiang asked, tilting her head.

Hui smacked the side of his head. Shut up! He grabbed onto her hand like it was a life rope and clung on tight. “Later. Then, once we revive the sect, we—?”

“Can give it a try. I can’t be sure we’ll be successful, but that’s precisely why we cannot take such a risk now. Reviving the sect must come first. Now is no time for distractions,” Li Xiang said, nodding.

“Right, right, distractions, yes,” Hui said, nodding. He bowed his head, pressing his forehead against her hand. “It’s not a no. Not a no…”

Li Xiang smiled and rested a hand on his head. “There’s no need to get so worked up. It’s merely breeding.”

Hui looked up. “It’s not merely—it’s everything!” Eh, is this some weird leftover thought process from when she was a sword? I guess I can’t expect a sword spirit to easily comprehend romance. Truth is easy for her, but… come to think of it, has she always struggled with human emotions? Her putting on a poker face… is that because she doesn’t know what expression to make? And she always insists on telling the truth, even in the worst situations… Hmm.

She frowned at him. “Haven’t you done it with Bai Xue already? There’s no need to get so worked up about it. It’s a very natural human process.”

“Eh… huh?” Hui asked, his face coloring. What kind of impression does Elder Sister have of me? Am I a bunny rabbit, bouncing around humping everything?