At the bottom of Cauldron Peak, Hui bent over and caught his breath. Cauldron Peak is scary. The girls there are nothing like elder sister Mei! He straightened up, then glanced around. No one around. Better hoof it home.

Wait. I never got her to tell me how to turn on a pill furnace! Hui looked back up the peak, then shook his head. I’ll get the materials first. Two birds, one trip up and down the peaks.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa! Watch out!” a girl shouted.

Hui looked around, then stared up. A wobbly fairy maiden barely maintained her perch on her sword. As he watched, her sword flew right, she swung left, and she tipped up and toppled off the sword entirely.

Instinctively, Hui jumped and reached out. She plunged into his arms. The weight thumped down on him, but he held on easily. He touched down and smiled at her. “Good afternoon.”

“Duck!” she shouted.

Her sword whistled past Hui, clipping his ear on the way past. It thudded into a tree across the path from him and thrummed with force.

Hui’s smile went stiff. Why are all the women I meet so dangerous?

“Oh no, I’m so sorry!” The girl jumped out of his arms and ran over to her sword, yanking it out of the tree.

“It’s fine, I wasn’t hurt,” Hui said.

She bent over her sword, petting it. “I’m sorry, so sorry! I didn’t know he’d try to catch me!”

Hui froze. She… was talking to her sword?

The fairy maiden turned around and bowed at him. “I’m sorry for nearly running into you. My name is Li Xiang.”

He nodded and started to introduce himself. “Wei—Well met,” he finished instead. What if she’s from Starbound Peak? I can’t introduce myself properly.

A thought came to him. Jolting, he put a hand to his chest, over the embroidery on his robe. Li Xiang. Shit, don’t tell me… this Li Xiang?

She bowed again. “Thank you for catching me.”

“No, no, I seem to have gotten in elder sister’s way. I apologize,” Hui replied, bowing instead.

“Oh! I’m sorry about that. My sword gets so picky about these things.” Li Xiang waved it away with a laugh.

“Your… sword?” Hui asked.

She nodded, silky hair swishing around her. “He can be such a brat.”

He glanced at her sword, then at her, then nodded. “As elder sister says.”

“Ah! I didn’t explain, did I? I practice the One Sword One Will technique! My sword and I… will eventually become one. But in the intermediate stages, my sword becomes a spirit sword and grows a personality of his own.”

“Oh,” Hui said. Speaking of cultivation techniques, I need to find a manual, myself. I can’t keep practicing at the Foundation Building stage without a manual, or I might ruin my chances of ever getting further.

Besides, I’m already outside. What’s one more trip? “Elder sister, I was just looking for the library. Do you know where the sect stores manuals?”

She nodded, smiling brightly. She turned and bounced off, gesturing him on. “This way!”

A pink-and-gold lily-shaped pin bounced along with her steps, pulling back the hair from her temples. His eyes locked onto it, enamel and metal glittering in the sun. It suits her well.

“So, elder sister, where were you going in such a hurry?” he asked.

“Oh, nowhere, nowhere. I was practicing flying. Most people can’t do it until the fourth stage, you know.” She spun around on her toe to face him and walked backward, tipping her head to think it over. Her hair fell cutely across her face.

“Oh? So you’re…” he prompted.

“Almost fourth stage!” she said cheerfully, then furrowed her brows. “Ah, but I’m not the fastest ever to fly on a saber. That’s that bad guy, Weiheng Wu.”

“Bad guy?” Hui asked.

“Master hates him! So he must be a bad man,” she said with conviction.

“H-huh?” Hui asked. He glanced around, searching for an escape.

“I heard he got a disciple recently. Ah, and a waste of resources who can’t even cultivate, at that! If I ever meet that disciple, I’ll cut him right in two!”

“Is… is that so?” Hui forced a smile.

She smiled back. “Oh, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to frighten you. Don’t worry, I’m a friend of justice! I would never hurt you. You jumped to save a stranger you didn’t even know! You’re a good person, for sure.”

Is it just me, or is this girl missing a few marbles? Hui nodded along, not wanting to interrupt her thoughts.

Li Xiang spun around and smiled at him. “Are you new? I don’t think I’ve seen you before.”

“Ah, yes. I… just got selected the other day, in fact,” he said.

“Hmm? But master didn’t accept any new disciples at the last selection.”

Hui smiled. “No, no, I was accepted by one of the others.”

“But… you don’t look like you’re from Cauldron Peak. Butterfly Pavilion Peak only accepts female disciples, and you don’t have dirt under your fingernails like you work in the gardens, either.”

“This small disciple was accepted by someone whose name isn’t worth mentioning in elder sister’s presence. Please don’t bother yourself over it.”

“Aww, that just makes me more curious!” She stomped cutely.

Hui smiled mysteriously.

“Oh! I forgot. What’s your name?”

“Xiao Hui,” Hui replied.

She tipped her head, then smiled. “Cute, too cute.”

You’re the one who’s cute. He shook his head, smiling back despite himself.

Li Xiang turned and led him up a peak, glancing back from time to time as she walked. “Why did you decide to become a cultivator?”

“It seemed better than the alternative,” he said, shrugging.

“You mean, mortal life? Mortal life isn’t so bad. Mmm, I don’t think I’m suited to getting married off young, though.”

“What about you?” Hui asked.

“To be a hero who flies in the sky, who stands up for justice and defeats evil!” she declared, punching the air. Her sword clattered in its hilt, agreeing with her.

Hui laughed aloud.

“Go on! Everyone laughs,” Li Xiang said lightly, still smiling.

“No, I think it’s beautiful,” Hui said earnestly, laughter gone. In this corrupted land, where cultivators kill each other out of jealousy and even fifth-stage masters squabble meaninglessly to unseat each other from their peaks, there’s still someone who believes in justice.

She blinked at him. “You… really mean it?”

“Huh? Of course I do,” Hui said.

“Mmm! I’m very good at telling when people are lying. Mostly, people tell me that it’s very nice, but they don’t mean it. But you did!”

Hui laughed lightly, but a chill ran down his back. Did I lie? Have I said anything suspicious yet? No, no, I think I’ve dodged all her questions.

He breathed out. Don’t scare me like that! This poor disciple is fragile, okay?

“Here we are!” Li Xiang announced, pointing at a nine-tier pagoda directly ahead of them.

Hui looked around. They stood in a broad, sunny square. Stately buildings stood all around them. Fellow sect members hurried past, dressed in neat white robes. In the near distance, cultivators lined up in a field executed the same sword practice in perfect sync.

He blinked. “Wait, Starbound Peak?”

“That’s where the sect keeps its cultivation manuals, right? Where did you think we were going, silly?”

“Er… haha, no, of course, Starbound Peak! Where else would I go?” I need to pay more attention to the inner sect. If I spend all my time in the outer sect or up the peak, I’ll only look like a fool. If Lin Taijian decided to wreak revenge on me now, I’d only have myself to blame for entering his peak willingly!

He cast a surreptitious glance at the skies. When Lin Taijian didn’t immediately descend to kill him, he nodded to himself. I can’t leave now or Li Xiang will get suspicious. Best to stick it out, but tread lightly. Get in, get out, go home.

Hui nodded to Li Xiang. “Thank you for showing me the way, elder sister.”

She laughed. “You’re welcome! It was nice to meet you, Xiao Hui.”

“Nice to meet you as well, Li Xiang.”

Li Xiang turned and walked away. The second she turned away, Hui felt hostile gazes on him from all directions. Nervous, he rubbed the back of his neck and snuck glances back. Do they recognize me? Don’t tell me, is this poor little disciple just too handsome?

“What gives him the right to talk to Li Xiang?”

“Don’t touch our idol. I’ll kill you.”

“Filth. Don’t sully our precious Li Xiang with your filthy eyes.”

Hui shivered again. Even worse!

The crowd edged closer, murderous intent in their eyes. Hui sped up his pace. Closer and closer, hands sliding toward weapons. Abandoning his casual demeanor, Hui dashed for the library pagoda. The mob charged after him.

Li Xiang, you’re more dangerous than you know!