Hui wobbled atop his sword, both arms spread wide. He bit his lip in concentration. His feet slid back and forth, the sword sliding up and down with his weight. Sometimes the tip started to fly up, sometimes the handle. He narrowed his eyes and balanced for a moment, only for the sword to suddenly flip the next second. It dumped him off and zoomed into the air. Hui covered his head and ran for it, simultaneously activating his crystallization technique. The sword flashed back to the earth where he’d been, tip-first, impaling itself halfway to the hilt in the dirt.

“Have I offended you somehow, Senior? Is this small cultivator in the wrong? What did I do, that you refuse to support me properly?” Hui demanded, shivering in frustration. He dropped to his knees and kowtowed to the sword. “Senior! Forgive this small cultivator and let me quietly ride you, okay?”

“Oh my. I don’t even know where to start,” a familiar voice laughed.

Hui sat bolt upright, freezing. He looked up, slowly.

Bai Xue hovered over him in male form, dark hair blowing gently on the breeze, one foot planted firmly on a fan. He raised his eyebrows at Hui, a small smile playing at his lips, not quite coy but somewhat filthy instead.

“How did you get inside the peak’s defenses?” Hui asked. I never would have done that in front of Bai Xue! Even if there was a chance of that lascivious furnace seeing me, I wouldn’t have come close to saying any of that! I thought he’d have to ring the bell, like an ordinary visitor!

Bai Xue held up a jade slip. “Your Master sent this along with the message. It lets me by the defenses. Actually, it’s quite a sophisticated magic he’s imbued in this slip. If it isn’t me, even if someone holds the slip, it won’t let them in.”

Master! Is this some sort of punishment? Why did you give Bai Xue such a dangerous item? Bai Xue, of all people. What if they sneak into my hut while I’m sleeping?

“Eh? Don’t look so distressed, Xiao Hui. It’s a one-time-use item. Your Master was very thorough in creating it.” Bai Xue sighed, flipping the slip over in his hand. As he flipped it, the slip dissolved to ash. “Although I would have liked an all-hours, all-access pass…”

Hui marshalled himself. Taking a deep breath, he climbed to his feet, grabbed his sword, and neatly sheathed it. Running his hands over his ponytail to smooth it, he smiled at Bai Xue. “Elder Brother, did you receive my message?”

“I did. I’ve brought some barrier talismans for you to investigate. My father was quite excited about this… he designed our Grand Barrier Formation’s talismans, so you could consider barrier talismans a hobby of his. Actually, he wanted me to give these talismans as a gift, with no recompense expected, as long as you return any refinements you make in the talisman’s design back to him.” Bai Xue flicked his sleeve, summoning a handful of talismans.

Hui smiled and nodded, holding out his hand for the talismans. “Of course!”

Bai Xue held them back, out of Hui’s reach. He smirked playfully, eyes glittering. “But you know, Hui, I’m a fourth-stage expert. Nearly at the level of a Peak Lord. I don’t simply come at anyone’s beck and call. My courier services are quite expensive.”

Hui narrowed his eyes. “Bai Xue, what do you want?”

“The same thing I asked for originally. A favor,” Bai Xue replied, grinning widely.

“We already agreed to it, Elder Brother. There’s no need to extort me a second time,” Hui said, sighing. It’s not as if someone giving the loan sharks a free pizza meant I could expect not to pay for a slice. Isn’t it that way in this world, too?

Bai Xue smiled broadly. “Xiao Hui! I knew you were a good person.” He dropped out of the sky and landed beside Hui, grabbing the initiative to pet Hui’s hair before Hui could escape. Halfway in, he frowned. “Hui… are you wearing a disguise?”

“Eh? Ah.” Hui pinched his collar and drew his arm away from him, shedding the snakeskin of himself in ordinary Starbound Sect robes. “I forgot, Elder Brother.”

“Ah, there it is. Hui’s silky hair.” Bai Xue reached out again.

Hui held still. “Elder Brother, this will count as a favor, is that okay?”

Bai Xue froze mid-reach. He scowled. “When did my Xiao Hui get so assertive?”

“I don’t like owing debts, Elder Brother,” Hui said, almost apologetically.

Hesitating, Bai Xue looked at him. “I’ll pay for headpats with a favor, then!”

“Only one session of headpats. One session is one favor,” Hui said.

Bai Xue grit his teeth. “Argh! Hui, why? Back when I had no favors, I could headpat Xiao Hui all I liked, but now…”

“It’s simple business, Elder Brother,” Hui said, bowing slightly.

Sighing, Bai Xue retracted his hand. He looked around, then nodded at Hui. “Were you practicing swordflight?”

Hui nodded. “I’m not much of a sword cultivator, so sword-riding is… escaping me.”

“I could teach you how to ride a sword. Everyone I’ve taught says I’m a great teacher,” Bai Xue said, nodding sagely.

Hui frowned. “With what sword? Don’t you ride a fan?”

Bai Xue nodded. A small smile quirked his lips, somehow licentious.

“Bai Xue…” Hui said, narrowing his eyes.

“It’d be a favor,” Bai Xue said, wiggling his eyebrows.

“It would be all your favors,” Hui grumbled.

Bai Xue put a hand to his chest. “Xiao Hui! I mean, it would cost you a favor. I’m not going to teach you sword-riding for free.”

“Absolutely not,” Hui replied.

Bai Xue scowled. He shook his head, as if Hui was pushing him to the limit. “You drive a hard bargain, Xiao Hui. I’ll teach you for free.”

“Absolutely not,” Hui repeated.

“Weren’t you just struggling with sword riding? I’m here to help. Why are you refusing my aid?” Bai Xue said, hurt.

“Swap to your female form first, and then I’ll accept,” Hui said warily. If he’s in his female form, she can’t…

“Eh, really?” Bai Xue said, his eyes glimmering.

“Elder Brother, my apologies. I take that back,” Hui said, as horrible images suddenly poured into his head.

“Xiao Hui, aren’t you a man of your word? You can’t simply take your word back so easily,” Bai Xue teased him.

“Bai Xue!” Hui steamed, crossing his arms.

Bai Xue laughed. He shook his head. “I’m only joking. Hui, when it comes to swordflight… it’s actually very simple. Knowing you, I bet you’re overthinking it. Climb on your sword and let your qi flow. Flight should follow naturally.”

“It can’t be that easy,” Hui muttered.

“Have you ever tried it?” Bai Xue asked.

Hui frowned. It’s not like I haven’t tried swordflight, but the only times I really tried hopping on it and going, I was already in the air and panicking. There was nothing natural about it. No ‘letting it flow.’ I was always aggressively doing something to survive. Maybe… I should give it a try.

He paused, then nodded at Bai Xue. “Thank you, Elder Brother.”

“I think that’s worth a head pet,” Bai Xue said, grinning. He leaped at Hui and scrubbed his head before Hui could get a word in edgewise.

Hui shoved Bai Xue away and backed up, frowning.

Bai Xue sighed. All of a sudden, his face turned serious. “Xiao Hui, if you want, I can put in a good word with my clan. Starbound Sect is—”

Hui shook his head. He looked down at his hands, then back up at Bai Xue. “I appreciate it, Elder Brother, but… I can’t. This is my sect, in the end. Sis Mei, and Li Xiang, and Xixing, I can’t just abandon them all.”

“They can come join my hare—ahem. I’ll put in a word for them as well,” Bai Xue said.

Hui shook his head. “It’s somewhat my fault that we’re in this situation. I… realize that it’s not, truly, that no matter what, things would have played out the same, and yet… the sect hasn’t always treated me perfectly, but it’s treated me well enough. If I hadn’t been picked up by Starbound Sect, I never would have stepped foot on the path of cultivation, or met you or Li Xiang or Sis Mei, or anyone else. I can’t just abandon the sect.”

Bai Xue sighed. “If you didn’t feel that way, you wouldn’t be worth taking to my clan. Hui… even if you ultimately need to escape, even if Starbound Sect is destroyed or declared a demonic sect, you’ll always have a place at my side.”

Hui nodded. “Of course, Elder Brother. At the end of the day, the most important thing is to stay alive! I’ll fight for the sect, but I don’t intend to die for it. I’ll do whatever it takes to keep my friends alive, but…”

“What a Hui-like thing to say,” Bai Xue said, laughing. “Ah, I’d point out that you could leave with your friends and keep them safe that way, but… it’s Li Xiang, isn’t it? She won’t leave.”

Hui shook his head. “And… I don’t think it would be right to ask her, either. It’s her decision, not mine.”

“No, I agree. A cultivator like Li Xiang is a rare beast indeed. Treat her preciously, Hui. And if you can, keep her alive,” Bai Xue said.

Hui nodded fiercely.

Bai Xue sighed. He stretched, then stepped onto a fan. “Xiao Hui… remember. No matter how the rest of the cultivation world sees you, I’ll always be on your side.”

Hui bowed. There was nothing more he needed to say.

Bai Xue hovered there for a few moments, looking at Hui. At last, he turned and vanished into the sky in a beam of black-and-white light. Only when he was gone did Hui stand. He, too, sighed. I wish there could be another option. But it seems Starbound Sect only has one future. As long as I want to stand beside Li Xiang, I, too, share that future.

I’ll be there. I’ll be at her side. No matter what, I won’t let Li Xiang die.