Back in Bai Xue’s quarters, she yawned and stretched. “I imagine Mother will throw a feast tonight, so shall I show you around the clan? If there’s anything in particular you want to see, I can accommodate that too.”

Hui thought to himself, then sat up, touching the complex talisman he’d found in the secret realm. “Do—do you have any talisman makers? I recently discovered a small talent in the area… if I could have a moment of someone’s time, I…”

“Sure! Good idea, taking advantage of your temporary position as my fiancé to loot the clan’s knowledge,” Bai Xue said, giving him a thumbs-up.

“No, I—” Hui protested weakly. It’s… not entirely untrue. I might as well benefit from her scheming. But it’s not like I asked to get picked as her fake fiancé, okay?

She laughed. “I’m joking, joking. But really, how does your sect treat inheriting disciples? You’d think you’d never received guidance once in your life.”

“My situation is… unique,” Hui replied, grimacing. Our sect’s main peak is ruled by someone who hates me—though he hasn’t fully chased me out—and my master is an absentee! This small disciple has to take his guidance where he can get it, okay?

“I’d like to trade pointers with some of your sect’s experts,” Li Xiang said.

Bai Xue nodded, putting on a wise expression. “Plenty of our experts would love to exchange pointers with a beauty like you.”

Hui elbowed her.

“Of course, of course. The training grounds are just around the corner. It’s never difficult to find a sparring partner,” Bai Xue said seriously, straightening up. She brushed down her robes and straightened her hems. “I’ll drop you by on the way.”

“Thank you,” Hui said, dipping in a short bow.

Bai Xue leading the way, the three of them strode out of the complex and back onto the grounds. As she’d predicted, a few black-and-white robed cultivators stood on the training grounds, moving through forms. A pair of men sparred. At Bai Xue’s approach, they jumped apart and bowed.

“Young Master, can we help you today?” one of the men greeted her.

She nodded, giving Li Xiang a pat on the shoulder. “This guest of mine wants to exchange pointers, does anyone dare take her on?”

“Bai Xue, there’s no need to provoke them,” Li Xiang said, laughing lightly. She stepped forward and cupped her hands at the men. “Li Xiang of Starbound Peak, third stage sword cultivator. I’ll be in your care.”

“Starbound Peak? Ah, I remember that monster Lan Taijian. He’s a Peak Lord now, isn’t he?” one of the men asked.

Li Xiang nodded. “Yes!”

He gestured her on, a glint in his eye. “Let’s see what Lan Taijian’s little disciples can do!”

Grinning, Li Xiang drew her sword.

Bai Xue smiled and moved on. “Let’s leave them to it.”

Hui nodded, glancing over his shoulder at Li Xiang just once. She’s a competent swordsman. She can hold her own.

Li Xiang and the man bowed to each other. In a flash, they darted at one another. Swords clashed. They exchanged a flurry of blows, too fast for Hui’s eyes, then separated again, slowly circling one another.

Sword cultivators are so cool! Too bad I only know rudimentary swordplay from the outer sect. I can defend myself in a fight, but I wouldn’t want to throw myself into a clash like that!

“Enjoying the show?” Bai Xue asked, chuckling.

Hui jumped. Abruptly, he realized he’d come to a standstill. He jogged to catch up with Bai Xue. “Ah! Sorry.”

“We’re in no rush,” she said graciously, patting his head.

Hui ducked away from her hand. “Xue…”

“Aren’t we going to be husband and wife? You should let me act a little affectionate,” she teased.

He frowned at her, hands over his precious hair.

She laughed and shook her head, leading the way across her clan.

Near a wall, facing away from a gate, an open-air pavilion stood. Silks draped from its beams drifted on the wind. Writing desks stood amidst the skills. At one, slightly off to the side, a young man copied calligraphy.

Bai Xue scanned the scene, then sighed. “Mmm, it looks like no one’s around. You wait here, I’ll see if I can find one of the talisman-makers. The clan doesn’t have many, but there should be a few… I think some of the side families have talisman-makers as well.”

“Even this is enough. I can copy some talismans while I wait,” Hui said gratefully.

“I’ll look around. You wait here,” Bai Xue said decisively. She shuffled off, red rope dragging after her.

Hui strode up to the pavilion. Deep in his copying, the young man didn’t look up at his approach. He settled at one of the desks and lifted the brush. Following the now-familiar formula, he copied the wind talisman again.

Eh? It feels… wrong. He lifted the talisman and sent a wisp of qi inside. The talisman responded faintly, only the barest brush of qi inside it. Hui frowned. What went wrong?

“You’re using the wrong ink,” a man said gently. A pot of reddish ink appeared on his desk, barely clinking against the wood. Worn, ink-stained hands lifted away.

Hui glanced up. A middle-aged man with streaks of white at his temples smiled back at him. “Interested in talismans? You don’t often see hot-blooded young cultivators so excited for a dry, slow-paced art.”

Is this the expert Xue found? Just in time. “Ah, I am. I found some talismans in a secret realm, and realized how valuable they were,” Hui said. He drew out a copy of his wind talisman and showed it to the man.

The man took the talisman, turning it over in his hands. “This ink… your blood?”

“It’s all I had at the time,” Hui explained himself.

The man nodded. He handed the talisman back. “Blood was the original ink of choice for talismans, but cinnabar ink will do as well.”

“But not ordinary ink?” Hui guessed, setting down his brush to draw a new one.

“No,” the man replied, chuckling. He settled at a table beside Hui.

“Xiao Hui,” Hui introduced himself on instinct.

“Bai Luoren,” the man replied.

Hui dipped his fresh brush in the cinnabar ink and drew. This time, qi poured into the talisman, taking the shape of the Boulder-Cutting Wind. He finished the talisman and breathed out, circulating his qi to recover it. That feels much better.

“May I?” Bai Luoren asked.

Hui nodded and handed over the talisman.

Bai Luoren inspected it. “A third-stage wind attack at mid-second-stage strength. I’ve never seen this formulation before. It was in a secret realm?”

“Yes, in the hands of the man who invented it… and died with it,” Hui replied. Ah, so I can use it even at the third stage. A valuable talisman formula indeed!

“Died with a talisman? Without the chance to use it? I wonder…” Bai Luoren murmured to himself.

Hui fell silent as well. Gu Tian’s neck bones were crushed to powder. A fellow cultivator killed him, not a ghoul. Talismans are usable with only the barest scrap of qi, and activate almost instantly. If he didn’t get the chance to use his talismans, then either the attack killed him so quickly he had no chance, or…

Or… he was taken out by an ally.

Hui shivered, staring at the talisman. He patted his sword, suddenly concerned. Gu Tian, do you have a grudge yet on this earth? As thanks for your guidance, this small cultivator shall help you fulfill it, to the best of his abilities!

“Interesting, most interesting. It’s a unique formulation, one that simplifies some strokes—if it didn’t, a second-stage cultivator such as yourself would never be able to create this talisman.”

“There was another talisman in the secret realm,” Hui said, reaching into his robes.

Bai Luoren put a hand on his arm, stopping him. “Showing me your talisman is the same as sharing the formula with me. Are you sure you want to hand over all your secrets?”

“Senior has already guided me. Consider it this small disciple’s repayment,” Hui replied smoothly. Senior, this small cultivator can’t comprehend this talisman. It’s useless to me, and it’s stressing me out to have such a delicate scrap of paper on me, ready to fall apart in the slightest wind and destroy the talisman formula forever! Even if you steal it, I’d rather you take it than the world loses it forever!

Bai Luoren accepted the delicate paper with care. He scanned it quickly, eyes darting over the formula. “This… is a fourth-stage barrier spell. Like the other formula, it was simplified, though this time only such that it could be drawn at the third-stage realm. I’m afraid you won’t be able to draw it until you break through to the next stage.”

“A barrier?” Hui said thoughtfully. Barriers! I could use a defensive spell. It’d be nice to cast a barrier over my body while this little disciple plays dead. Then I’d have no worries about getting beaten up after death!

Ahem! I mean, I’d be able to protect myself, and end up in fewer situations where I’d have to play dead!

“If you don’t mind, I could copy this talisman for you, if you would be willing to give me the original copy in return,” Bai Luoren offered.

“Of course,” Hui agreed, nodding happily. I’ll still have the formula, and it’ll be on sturdier paper. You can keep the original, it’s no good for me!

Bai Luoren lifted his brush. He closed his eyes and took a breath, then applied brush to paper. His hands darted across the talismans. One, two, three copies came to life under his brush in mere moments.

That skill—this man has to be a fourth stage cultivator at least! Maybe even fifth stage? Hui wondered, wide-eyed.

Bai Luoren handed over the copies. Hui accepted them with a bow. “Senior is too gracious!”

“Not at all. Today, you’ve gifted me two unique formulations. This… is too little to repay you.” Bai Luoren lifted his brush, then scribbled quickly. He handed over the fresh talisman to Hui.

“This is?” Hui asked, looking over it.

“Take a look,” Bai Luoren invited him.

“Then, I won’t stand on ceremony.” Hui closed his eyes and sent qi into the talisman.

Fire rushed up to greet him. A powerful fire spell dwelled in the talisman. At once, two images played out in his head. In his mind’s eye, he saw Bai Luoren gesture, holding his palm out. Fire rushed from his palm, forming the shape of a tiger’s maw, then bit down on a distant target. Brilliant orange-and-yellow fire raged over the target. In seconds, the target crumbled, ash.

At the same time, he felt as Bai Luoren fed his qi into the talisman. Each stroke alive with qi, the spell formed under his brush. This time, he paid close attention to the way Bai Luoren fed in qi, the strokes he made, which part contained which part of the spell.

Hui opened his eyes. Drawing his brush, he drew a paper close. His brush danced across the paper, feverish.

Curious, Bai Luoren leaned in, watching him draw.

Hui finished, then set it aside and pulled another paper in. The simplified steps… maybe it’s because I learned from the simplified talismans first, but it seems so clear to me! If I shorten this stroke, add one here, and this, turn two strokes into one…

Hui let out a sigh and sat back, pushing the talisman away from him. “There!”

Bai Luoren leaned in. “This—a simplified version of Tiger’s Burning Maw?”

Hui laughed, giddy from exhaustion. “Mmm, see? If we simplify the tiger-shape formulation here, then it keeps all the power despite having fewer strokes to imbue qi. It won’t look as good but—”

“Incredible. You’ve taught me something today,” Bai Luoren breathed. He pushed another piece of paper in front of Hui. “Could you copy that formula again, for me?”

“Ah, I…” Hui wobbled in place, qi depleted. I’m not sure I could stand right now, let alone copy it again!

Bai Luoren reached into his robes and drew out a vial of dark blue pills. “Here, qi-rejuvenation pills. Take one.”

Hui gulped one down. Immediately, qi shimmered in his dantian, rushing out from the pill. It gushed forth, a veritable waterfall. Possessed with energy, he grabbed another slip of paper and lifted his brush again. While the qi poured into him, he copied the flame spell once, twice, four times.

“Interesting, very interesting. I’ll keep this, if you don’t mind?” Bai Luoren said, picking up one of the copies.

Hui nodded, exhausted, and waved a hand. I have plenty of qi now, but this small disciple’s mental energy is drained.

Bai Luoren hesitated. “If I showed you another talisman…”

“I’m sorry, senior, but I don’t think I could,” Hui said. He pressed the heel of his hand to his forehead as a headache pounded through his skull. Exhausted, he leaned against the desk. I’ve been a forced-overtime wage slave before, but please, not in this life too, okay?

“Ah, right. Another time, then. I’ll be watching you, Weiheng Hui. You’re more than your master’s disciple.” Bai Luoren rose. He gave Hui a short bow, then strode off, robes fluttering.

Dozing off, Hui stared at his talismans. A wind pulled at the corner of one. He jumped back to life and stacked them, then slid them into his robes with the rest. It’s getting packed in there. I need to find some kind of spatial treasure, stat!

Eh, wait. How did he know my daoist name?

“Hui!” Bai Xue called, leading a woman behind her. At the pavilion’s stairs, Xue hopped rather than try navigating them with her bound ankles. “I’ve brought an expert.”

“Eh? Then who was…” Hui stared after the middle-aged man.

Bai Xue followed his gaze, then stared, startled. “Father?”

“Father?” Hui repeated numbly. He blinked. Er, was that a test? Did I pass?

Wait, wait, I don’t care if I pass! I’m not actually marrying Xue!

“I can’t possibly compare to Bai Luoren when it comes to talismans,” the woman behind her said, pausing at the foot of the pavilion.

“Sorry to have brought you for nothing. Please, be on your way,” Xue said.

The woman bowed and left.

“I… I thought he was the expert you sent,” Hui said, numb from shock.

Bai Xue laughed and shook her head. Turning to look at Hui, she asked, “What were you two talking about? Father looked to be in a good mood.”

“Ah… talismans. I exchanged a few formulae I found for one of his own,” Hui said, giving her a glimpse of his simplified Tiger’s Burning Maw talisman.

She blinked at it. “Hmm, interesting.”

She doesn’t notice anything odd about it? Good. Someone who isn’t an expert at talisman-making can’t comprehend one at a glance. This way, I don’t have to worry too much about protecting my formulae. As I suspected, Bai Luoren is the oddity.

Then again, how much of an expert is he, that he doesn’t even need to insert qi to fully comprehend a talisman?

Hui nodded, smiling. “I feel it was truly a fortuitous encounter.”

“Good, good. It’s good to get along with one’s in-laws,” Xue said, nodding sagely.

Hui narrowed his eyes at her.

She laughed and rubbed his hair. “Aww, so cute! As I’ve always said, Hui is a true genius, a genius.”

“Stop it,” Hui complained. He ducked out of her reach, and the world wobbled around him. Lunging, he caught himself on the edge of the desk and barely avoided plopping onto the floor face-first.

“Should fiancé rest before the feast tonight?” Xue suggested.

“If I don’t, I’ll fall asleep in the soup,” Hui replied. He pushed himself up slowly. Despite the qi rejuvenation pill, his insides felt hollow, empty and exhausted, and his head throbbed with every step.

“To my bedroom?” Xue suggested, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

“It wouldn’t do to share a room before the wedding. What would people say? Imagine the rumors,” Hui declined honorably. Xue, I’m already exhausted. Are you planning to suck away every last drop of my energy, you evil furnace?

Xue laughed at her own joke. “I’ve had rooms prepared for you and Li Xiang. This way, this way.”