At the top of his Master’s peak, Hui looked around, staring into the sky at Mount Mu above. “Master!”

No response. His voice echoed up Mount Mu’s root system and over its bark. He frowned. If I could fly... argh! Is it time to learn?

He drew out his sword and held it parallel to the ground, frowning at it. “Pass qi into my sword… hover it… above the ground…”

Hui slowly fed qi into the sword. He felt the shape of it, the way the qi filled up the metal. It began to vibrate in his hand, taking on a life of its own.

He took a deep breath and loosened his hold. The sword juggled in his hand. The tip dipped down, toward the ground. Hui narrowed his eyes and balanced the qi flow. The sword’s tip raised back up, growing even with the butt of the sword. Slowly, he released his hold on the sword.

The black sword hovered in front of him, wobbling slightly in the air as if it bobbed in a lazy river. Hui reached out and pressed down on the sword. It gave about half a meter, then held his weight. He pushed harder. It dropped again, then held. Now, it hung at about waist height. The qi flow it cost to support his weight remained sustainable. He took a deep breath. Now for the true test… climbing on top of it.

“You called?”

Startled, Hui lost control of the sword. Without him supplying qi, the sword dropped to the ground, and he fell after it, his whole weight propped on the sword. He thudded to the ground, barely keeping the sword flat under him.

His Master stood over him, hands clasped before him in his sleeves, brows faintly furrowed in confusion.

Hui clambered upright, quickly sheathing his sword. He laughed nervously. “Haha, just… a bit of practice…”

“Are you struggling to fly on your sword? I suppose I haven’t taught you the proper method,” Weiheng Wu mused, lifting a hand to rub his chin. He paused, then looked at Hui. “Though of course, if you had proper comprehension, you would understand how to fly on a sword as soon as you looked at one.”

Hui bowed, cupping his hands to his Master. “Er… small disciple acknowledges that his comprehension is lacking. Please, Master, could you assist this poor disciple in his lackluster comprehension?”

Weiheng Wu scoffed. He flicked his sleeve, summoning his sword from its sheath. The sword swooped out the same way it had so many times before and hovered at ankle-height, ready for Weiheng Wu to board. He looked at Hui. “Do you understand?”

Hui let out a weak laugh and scratched the back of his head. Master, if that was enough, I wouldn’t be struggling right now!

Letting out a hearty sigh, Weiheng Wu gestured for Hui to put his hand on the hovering sword. As he gestured, the sword hovered up to waist-height. Hui glanced at his Master, then put his hand on the sword. The sword bobbed under his hand.

Hui glanced at his Master, then sent a bit of qi into the sword. A will rushed up to meet him, offering a warm, if wordless, greeting.

Hui yanked his hand back, startled. He looked at his Master again. “It’s… alive?”

“If you cultivate a sword spirit, the sword spirit will fly for you,” his Master intoned, voice emanating a great wisdom.

How very like Master! Rather than learn a sword-flying technique, he simply cultivated himself a sword spirit! I don’t even know how he accomplished that, as a non-sword-cultivator, but it’s simply impossible for this little Hui. Hui bowed. “Master is indeed wise.”

“If you don’t comprehend it, you can simply say so,” Weiheng Wu replied coldly, retracting his sword.

Master! Give this poor disciple some face! Hui cleared his throat. “Master, this small disciple has a request, will you hear it?”

Weiheng Wu inclined his head.

“Master, do you have a way to contact the Bai Clan? I have a message I need to pass along,” Hui requested.

His Master reached into his sleeve and passed a jade slip to Hui.

Hui pressed it to his forehead, imprinting a message into the jade. He held it out to Weiheng Wu, who tucked it back in his sleeve. Hui looked at him, then shrugged. I guess he’ll take it later. I’ll ask again la—

“Bai Xue is on his way,” Weiheng Wu said.

“Eh?” Hui replied.

“I sent the message, like you asked,” Weiheng Wu said.

“How? Er, that is, if Master wouldn’t mind, could you please explain to this small disciple…”

Weiheng Wu frowned at him. “I sent it.”

Hui looked at him, then nodded slowly. Is it so elementary to Master that he doesn’t even understand how to break it down for me? Ah, Master, I’m sorry I’m not a genius like you!

“Wait. Bai Xue is…?” Hui asked.

“Coming,” Weiheng Wu replied.

Hui blinked, repressing his thoughts furiously. Master, when I hear that word and Bai Xue, I can’t help but, er… add a certain context…

“That’s what he replied,” Weiheng Wu said, nodding.

Bai Xue! Phrasing, dammit! Hui took a deep breath. “Understood.” In the meantime, I’ll practice some cultivation. Might as well.

“Ah, you should. With your comprehension…” Weiheng Wu shook his head. He gestured, and his sword appeared and lifted him into the sky.

Hui watched his Master go, pursing his lips. You were reading my thoughts? Er… since when? Master! You can’t just read someone’s thoughts, okay? Privacy! Haven’t you ever heard of privacy?

He frowned, then looked at his sword. It did belong to Gu Tian before me, and it is this odd black color. Maybe it has a secret or two. “Er, Senior, you wouldn’t happen to be gaining sentience, would you? You’ve existed for a long time… do you feel like becoming a sword spirit?”

His sword laid still at his hip, completely insentient.

Hui licked his lips, then sighed. “Yeah, I didn’t think so.” I don’t know how Master managed to cultivate a sword spirit, but I’m not half the genius he is. I suppose I’ll just have to learn how to fly on a sword the old-fashioned way.

Once again, Hui drew his sword. He set it out before him and sent it hovering, slowly solidifying his control over the flight. Ah, dammit. Too bad there’s no sword-flying cheat. It’d be wonderful if this was a world that has flying swords, but unfortunately, there’s just shuttles. And shuttles operate on spirit stones! This small cultivator is deep in debt. I can’t afford a shuttle, let alone afford to power one!

I guess I really do have no other option than to figure out swordflight.