“Hisss….”

Hui looked up. Zhubi loomed over him, a concerned expression on his face. Hui lit up. “Zhubi, the thorns, pull them out!”

Zhubi tilted his head. He dipped his head and tapped his upturned nose against Hui’s skin, but without his fangs, he couldn’t break through.

Zhubi’s fangs! Hui nodded. “Zhubi, bite me! Use your normal venom. Then, at least, I might… survive a little longer…”

Obediently, Zhubi reared back and bit. Hui’s rioting qi slowed, but didn’t stop rioting. With his qi calming, he could focus more on the pain of the Vampiric Thorns as they bit into his innermost body and qi organs. Hui chuckled, in so much pain that he couldn’t think straight.

Maybe Bao Huli will come back with Ying Lin and Ji Taiyu! Maybe—

Yeah, no chance. I’m well and truly fucked.

Hui heaved a breath and shuddered, curling up as his body rioted. His hair came undone from its ponytail and splayed over him, turning him into a total mess. Fuck. Fuck. A thousand flying fucks.

At… at least I died saving Zhubi?

Dying sucks! I don’t want to die, I don’t!

If only…

Zhubi slithered around behind Hui. Hui limply reached after him. Don’t go. Zhubi, don’t abandon me. I’m dying for you. Can’t someone stay to comfort me as I die?

Strange qi fluctuations emanated from behind him. A moment later, small, cool hands patted at his body. They found a thorn, then dug into his flesh, grabbed, and pulled. Hui screamed as the thorn pulled at his insides, and the hands stopped.

“No, no, keep going, keep going! Ignore me! Benefactor, please,” he panted desperately.

The hands hesitated another moment, then started moving again. One by one, they plucked the thorns out of Hui’s body. Each one tore its way out of his flesh, taking chunks of his green innards with them. Hui bit his lip until he bit through, but refused to scream, afraid his benefactor might stop again.

In the end, the pain proved too much. His vision blackened at the edges, and he began to pass out. A flying form atop a sword rushed at him, but he couldn’t muster the strength to climb back to his feet.

Dammit. Ah, well. Zhubi is safe, and Jin Xian is in the area. If they don’t kill her, she should fight until she has her fill… until her second death, that is. I’ll… be fine. Even if they kill me, my core should survive, now that there aren’t any thorns attacking it.

Black.

--

“Master! Master, wake up!”

Hui startled awake. Ying Lin knelt beside him, patting his face gently with one hand. He shoved himself upright. I didn’t get captured? Wait, Ying Lin! “Ying Lin, it’s dangerous, there’s—”

“Song Weilai and her underlings? Bao Huli and Zhubi cleaned up the scraps while you were out.” She turned, then held out a bag of holding and Song Weilai’s hammer to Hui. “Here. Song Weilai’s belongings.”

“Ah, thank you,” Hui said, accepting them. He paused, then looked over Ying Lin again. “Ying Lin, did you…”

“I broke through! I’m third realm now,” Ying Lin replied, proud of herself. “And… Ji Taiyu and I were practicing, until Bao Huli came to get us. I learned the first forms of Ji Taiyu’s sword art!”

“Congratulations!” Hui said, earnestly proud of her. Wow! An honest-to-goodness sword cultivator, right in front of me. Swords are far too dangerous for me, but what a wonderful disciple! Once she grows a bit stronger, she can fight on the frontlines, while I support from the backlines!

Eh, wait. Third stage already? How long ago was she second stage? Wait, how long ago did I introduce her to cultivation…? Could it be, is Ying Lin a talent to surpass even Master?

“Bao Huli came to get you?” he asked, choosing to focus on the present rather than drown himself in speculative sorrows.

Ying Lin paused awkwardly. “Er… she came running in to check on Ji Taiyu, then settled in when she saw he was well. I had to question her to learn that you were in danger…”

Hui glanced over at Bao Huli. She stood in the distance, her back to Hui. Thinking no one was watching her, she licked at her hand, as if she was a beast cleaning her paw.

Damn that traitorous fox spirit! Oh well, I can’t say I don’t understand. If it meant putting her beloved third-stage Master in danger… I wouldn’t want to go back, either, if I had Ying Lin in tow. Hui sighed and waved his hand. He sat up, only to lurch to a halt as pain bit through him. His qi surged every which way, still in disarray, and he spat up a mouthful of blood as the hidden injuries from the Vampiric Thorns acted up.

Ying Lin jumped, panicked. “Master! Master, we need more pills!”

“Right here, right here.” Ji Taiyu rushed over. Before Hui could demur or refuse, Ji Taiyu shoved pills into his mouth.

Hui swallowed. A warm feeling pooled in his stomach, and he gingerly circulated his qi to absorb it, mindful of the damage that had been done to his passages this time.

Ji Taiyu knelt beside Hui, putting a hand on his shoulder. “I’d say you have no hope, but… that body of yours is startlingly resilient. You’ve already healed more than I thought possible.”

“Mm, I know,” Hui agreed. Lotus beasts are no joke! Speaking of which, I wonder what happened to Bai Jingwen? I left her on Unrivaled Peak, under Mount Mu… did she overcome the inheritance, or give in to it?

Actually… I wonder if I can connect our clone network to her? Her technique should have the same foundation, after all!

In the moment of his distraction, his qi lurched, and he nearly lost control of it again. Hui quickly focused inside of him again. Plans for later. Once I’m out of this current crisis.

Somewhat taken aback by Hui’s response, Ji Taiyu cleared his throat, then backed up a step. “We’ll act as Dao Protectors for you. Focus on healing, for now.”

“Small cultivator appreciates it,” Hui said. He turned his head and felt his hair drape across his back. Moving quickly, he found a cord and tied it back into its usual ponytail once more. “What about the spirit beasts?”

“We’ve set them free,” Ji Taiyu said, nodding.

Zhubi let out an enthusiastic hiss of agreement.

“Many thanks,” Hui said. After all, I don’t know how Song Weilai came across those beasts. If she killed other cultivators... or captured fellow Daoists, then... in any case, I can’t in good conscience keep them. It’s better to set them free.

Speaking of Song Weilai... He squinted at Ji Taiyu. "Er, Elder Brother, I just wanted to confirm something."

"Go ahead," Ji Taiyu said, nodding.

"Er... could Elder Brother... possibly, perhaps... pick up valuable spirit beasts and spirit vegetation fairly often?" Hui asked.

Ji Taiyu shrugged. "I don't know what you mean by 'fairly often.' Spirit beasts and vegetation are more common in this area than they are in the fringe lands, far from All-Heavens Sect. However... I usually have something to sell Song Weilai, whenever I run into her."

"And how often do you run into her...?" Hui asked.

"Hmm... yearly? Sometimes twice a year," Ji Taiyu said, putting a hand on his chin.

Ah! If he finds beasts and vegetation that often, no wonder she was able to fund her roughs to reach fifth-stage cultivation. After all, who knows how many decades or centuries Song Weilai has been 'friends' with Ji Taiyu. Maybe it's as he says, and rare beasts are more common in this area... but his luck must be influencing his expectations! After all, even with all my clones, I've only come across one spirit beast, and it's not easy to handle, either. If I had that kind of luck... Hui shook his head and sighed, wistful.

“I had no idea I was travelling with a wanted man,” Ji Taiyu continued, tone neutral.

Hui froze. The qi inside him lurched to a halt as well, and he spat up an involuntary mouthful of blood. He swallowed back what he could, but it had already left his mouth. Fuck! I can’t spit up any more blood. I’m already withered up. At this rate, Vampiric Thorns or no, I’m going to end up as a dried vine and blow away on the wind!

Besides, it’s no surprise. I used up my snakeskin technique and didn’t cast a new one. I’m the only one at blame here.

“No, no. Be at ease. Everyone out here has their own circumstances. Besides,” Ji Taiyu mused, looking into the distance, “I doubt I could stop you if I wanted to.”

Hui turned, gazing in the same direction as him. Jin Xian crouched over a pair of bodies, desperately stuffing herself on something bloody. He looked away just as quickly. Jin Xian… Er, Elder Sister, we aren’t demonic cultivators, right?

A moment later, Hui cleared his throat. “I don’t want to fight you, either.”

Ji Tiayu snorted. He strode off nobly into the distance, his hands clasped behind him.

“So this is what your real face looks like, Master. It’s not bad,” Ying Lin said, gazing at him.

“It’s one of my assets,” Hui replied seriously.

Ying Lin looked at him, taken aback, then laughed. “I never know when you’re being humble or bragging.”

“Eh…” Hui said, shrugging. What’s the point in refusing the truth? I need to have a realistic view of where I stand in order to know how to act in this world!

Zhubi wound over his leg and looked up at him, beady dark eyes asking a silent question.

Hui lifted a hand to stroke the snake and smiled gently. “You’re the one who saved me, aren’t you? Thank you, Zhubi. Even though you didn’t want to manifest.”

Zhubi turned away, slightly embarrassed. He shook his head.

Ying Lin gasped. “Zhubi manifested? Wait… what does that mean?”

“It means he assumed human form, at last,” Hui said, still petting the snake.

Zhubi wiggled, hiding his face with his tail.

“Are you embarrassed? There’s no need. I’ll like you, no matter what you look like,” Hui promised again.

Zhubi hesitated. He flicked his tongue at Hui, uncertain.

Why’s he so hesitant? Is his form embarrassing or something? Ha, maybe he’s ancient in appearance, like a sect elder? Or huge and beefy, a super masculine man? Hui smiled at the thought. A tiny snake becoming a huge, beefy guy… But no, I remember small hands pulling out the thorns. Then… could it be? Has Zhubi been a girl snake this whole time? Is that why he’s so shy about it?

Hui smiled again. “No matter what gender, or how old you are, you’re still Zhubi to me.”

Zhubi hesitated one last moment, then shook himself all over. His scales fell away, and his body changed, growing limbs and long, long white hair. He barely reached waist height before stopping, his head about even to Hui’s as he sat to recover, and his long white hair draped over the floor. A soft, chubby face with pudgy cheeks stared at Hui with big, round, gemlike eyes, the faintest hints of eyebrows visible in white on his pale skin. Short limbs and small hands and feet finished out the look. A glistening white robe in a scale pattern wrapped Zhubi’s small body.

The transformation ended, and a small boy of about seven blinked, looking at Hui. He reached out and patted Hui’s hands with his pudgy little hands, tipping his round face.

Ying Lin’s eyes got huge, and she bit back a squeal. Hui smiled, softening at the sight. How cute. My tiny snake has become a tiny boy!

Zhubi tipped his head again, still blinking at Hui.

“Good boy, good boy. You’ve manifested so well,” Hui said, patting Zhubi’s head. Zhubi’s silky hair felt almost as soft as his scales under his hand.

Zhubi looked at him, then smiled and sat down beside Hui, leaning against him like he would in snake form. Despite his human body, his skin remained cool to the touch, and he huddled up for warmth. Seems like he still retains some of his snake attributes, even in human form, Hui thought to himself.

“Can he talk?” Ying Lin asked.

Zhubi looked at her, then opened his mouth to reveal an array of sharp snake’s fangs and a forked tongue.

“I guess not,” she said, frowning.

Hui furrowed his brows. Eh? Zhubi should be able to completely manifest, mouth and all, and speak at will. This clumsy manifestation… did something go wrong?

Besides, wasn’t he already several hundred years old when I met him? Even if I accelerated his cultivation some, it wasn’t by so much that he should still be a child. It’s true that spirit beasts can manifest into any form they like, but…

Unless… Zhubi is a spirit beast that develops extremely slowly, and even a few hundred years isn’t enough for him to reach adulthood.

A moment later, Hui ridiculed himself. Zhubi is a spirit snake! What ‘develops extremely slowly?’ Spirit snakes should grow like any other spirit beast. And isn’t he capable of transforming into a snake hundreds of meters long?

But at the same time, he’s embarrassed of this form. This isn’t his taste. It’s truly as if he isn’t ready to transform yet.

Then… could it truly be…? And if that’s the case, when one thinks of snakes, then…

Sensing Hui’s concern, Zhubi gazed up at him, his little brow furrowed.

Hui sighed and smiled, stroking Zhubi’s hair instead. Zhubi closed his eyes and leaned into it, the same way he would as a snake. There’s no point worrying about it. Zhubi seems healthy. When I resurrect the sect, though, I’ll take him to see Xixing! Better safe than sorry, and she seems the most knowledgeable about spirit beasts.

Ah, she really should just give in and become a veterinarian already…