Ya Ai sighed. She shook her head. “It’s a stabilization technique. If I don’t do it every day, my condition deteriorates more rapidly. I know it looks… unconventional, but it’s entirely pure.”

Hui nodded. Qi sharing isn’t anything unusual. The world’s conventions are the only thing making it weird. Everyone should be more open-minded, like Bai Xue.

…Well, maybe not that open-minded.

Ji Taiyu coughed. “Of course, of course. How could we mistake you for… doing, er, something else. A stabilization technique, naturally.”

“Master, I need to be stabilized,” Bao Huli murmured in his ear.

Li Xiang’s eyes snapped over. “She’s not telling the truth.”

Hui put his face in his hand. Li Xiang and the damned fox demon who thinks she’s pulling one over the world… I should’ve seen this problem coming. “Li Xiang, it’s fine. It’s… it’s fine.”

Li Xiang looked at him. “It is not fine. That woman has said a great many untrue things. I don’t appreciate it.”

“This… Li Xiang, one should not step thoughtlessly into the particulars of another person’s love, no?” Hui tried.

“Love doesn’t require lying,” Li Xiang stated, her brow furrowed.

Hui took a deep breath. I tried, Ji Taiyu. “That is, that Senior and his Disciple have a very unique situation, and we shouldn’t poke our noses into it.”

“A Master and Disciple relationship? But that’s taboo,” Li Xiang said, taken aback.

“Some people like that,” Hui said, shrugging.

Ying Lin nodded. “Yes, yes. It’s quite wonderful. Master and disciple, emperor and servant, righteous and demonic, fated lovers, reincarnations, age gaps, mysterious backgrounds, all kinds of taboos and secrets are a requirement! Can it even be considered a romance if there isn’t at least one taboo?”

Hui frowned. Where is this disciple of mine getting her morals so twisted? Gu Tian, I thought I told you to teach her how to read, not how to read trashy romance!

Gu Tian stared back at Hui from Ying Lin’s hip. I can’t control what your disciple chooses to read. Instead, praise me for teaching her so quickly instead!

“Wonderful?” Li Xiang muttered, putting a hand on her chin.

“In any case, we should leave Ji Taiyu and Bao Huli to their own devices,” Hui concluded, straightening up.

“And keep your filthy hands off Master!” Bao Huli insisted firmly.

“Bao Huli!” Ji Taiyu said, frowning.

“Master, Bao Huli misspoke. Please forgive Disciple. I won’t make such a mistake again,” Bao Huli said, immediately turning adorable and pathetic eyes to him.

Ji Taiyu tried to keep his expression firm, but in the end, he looked away. To the wall, he muttered, “Don’t let it happen again.”

“She did not misspeak,” Li Xiang grumbled under her breath. She crossed her arms and turned away, elegant as ever but simultaneously frustrated.

Hui cleared his throat and turned back to Ya Ai. Somehow, the conversation got off-track, but we originally came here to talk to her. “Ya Ai, a piece of our evidence is coming here tonight. When he arrives, we’ll bring him to see you. Do you agree?”

“Evidence? What is this, Ya Ai?” the sect elder asked.

Ya Ai sighed. She climbed to her feet and stood out of his lap. “You are dismissed, Hong Haotai.”

“Ya Ai…” the sect elder said, standing hesitantly.

She frowned at him. “Dismissed.”

Hong Liyu hesitated another moment, then bowed and swept out of the room, his long white hair trailing after him. The door slammed behind him.

Immediately, Hui cast the sound-deadening technique. Just because he’s outside doesn’t mean he can’t hear! He turned back to Ya Ai with a smile. “This man, Lu Xubo, holds a deep grudge against Chen Xigui. He can tell it better himself, but you should be able to decide whether you still want to marry this man afterwards.”

Ya Ai scoffed. “From one man’s testimony? What if he lies?”

“He won’t,” Li Xiang replied bluntly.

Hui smiled again, introducing Li Xiang with a gesture. “My Elder Sister here cultivates a strange technique. A side effect of that technique is that she can tell truth from lies. If he tells a lie, she’ll tell us.”

“What if she lies?” Ya Ai asked.

“I can’t,” Li Xiang replied firmly.

Ya Ai narrowed her eyes.

“Elder Sister Ya Ai, since you doubt Li Xiang, why don’t we do a test instead? Try telling a lie and a truth. Li Xiang will tell you which is true and which is false,” Hui suggested.

Ya Ai frowned, but crossed her arms and sat up. “I’m twenty-three.”

“Lie,” Li Xiang replied.

“Then how old am I?” Ya Ai challenged her, tilting her head in a way that didn’t suit the elderly woman she appeared to be.

Li Xiang shook her head. “I can’t discover truths, only discern them.”

Ya Ai snorted. She shook her head. “I’m twenty-nine.”

Li Xiang nodded. “True.”

“I like persimmons.”

“True.”

“Elder Hong Haotai annoys me because he smells like satsuma.”

“False.”

“He annoys me because he’s a stinky old man who smells like old man.”

“True.”

The two went back and forth for another dozen questions before Ya Ai finally inclined her head. “I believe you. At the very least, you are able to discern lies. Whether you are able to tell them is another matter, but for now, I’ll listen to you.”

Li Xiang nodded back. “This is acceptable.”

Hui stepped forward. With a gentle smile, he said, “Good, good. If I’ve guessed correctly, our guest should be arriving any moment now. Ya Ai, would you follow us to the deck?”

“Master, you look very sleazy when you smile like that,” Ying Lin whispered.

“Ying Lin,” Hui muttered, giving her a disapproving look. Now isn’t the time, okay?

“Like a snake oil salesman,” Li Xiang agreed.

Hui jolted. If Li Xiang agrees, it must be true! Oh no, oh no! How did my pure and honest smile turn into something sleazy? I’m a good, righteous cultivator! I don’t deserve this fate!

Ya Ai laughed into her sleeve. “The three of you are very close, aren’t you?”

Ying Lin nodded enthusiastically. She pushed Hui and Li Xiang in front of her. “Especially these two!”

“Ying Lin!” Hui protested, but at the same time, allowed himself to be pushed. He glanced at Li Xiang out of the corner of his eye. I know now isn’t the time, but, but, but, does she, is she nervous the same as I am?

Li Xiang looked at Ya Ai and nodded simply. “We are close.”

What does that mean? What does that mean, Elder Sister? As former sectmates, or, can this small cultivator dream? As something more? Hui snuck glances at Li Xiang’s face, but her usual poker face didn’t change in the least.

A bit of disappointment reared its head. Hui’s head drooped. Ah, yeah. I guess… it’s too much to hope for that the sect’s idol would think that way about me…

Watching her Master, Ying Lin let out a heavy sigh. Making this disciple do all the hard work… you’d better repay me later! She turned to Li Xiang and put on a coy expression. “Close… like lovers?”

Hui jolted. He turned to Ying Lin to admonish her, but as he turned, he caught a faint blush on Li Xiang’s cheek. His heart jumped. Could it be? After all, after everything, she—

Bao Huli tutted. “If you like him, then jump him. It’s that simple.”

Annoyed, Hui cut a look at the fox demon. It isn’t that simple for all of us, damn it! You and Bai Xue…

Beside Bao Huli, Ji Taiyu blushed furiously. “Bao Huli, mind your tongue!”

“What? It works,” Bao Huli said, crossing her arms.

A heavy thump rang out, and the boat jumped. It listed to the side, throwing everyone with it. Ying Lin started to fall toward Hui, but grabbed onto Li Xiang’s sleeve and thrust her into Hui’s arms instead. As she hit the wall, she winked at Hui. Thank me later!

Hui caught Li Xiang, giving Ying Lin a look at the same time. You disciple…

But wait, Li Xiang couldn’t be moved by Ying Lin if she didn’t want to. Does that mean what I think it means? He looked down at Li Xiang in his arms, hopeful.

Li Xiang stared back at him, her expression ever unchanging. “Thank you.”

“Ah… no problem, no problem,” Hui said, releasing her.

Ying Lin clicked her tongue. Just letting go after all my hard work? At least have a lingering embrace, or something! This Master of mine… looks like it’s going to be harder than I thought.

A powerful and familiar voice rang through the ship. “Release Li Xiang… ahem, Li Xixi to me, and I swear I’ll spare your lives!”

“Ya Ai, it seems our evidence has arrived. Shall we?” Hui asked, flipping his hand to release the sound-deadening technique.

Ya Ai laughed. “That voice… so your arrival on our ship was a plot of yours?”

Hui coughed into his hand. “Er… never mind that.”

She chuckled. “I suppose I can’t be too surprised. It seems you targeted me from the beginning.”

“That… rather than you, it was Chen Xigui we were after,” Hui admitted.

Li Xiang nodded approvingly.

“Then why approach me?” Ya Ai asked patiently, as one who already knew the answer.

“We weren’t comfortable letting an innocent woman die,” Hui said.

Ya Ai smiled. “There. That’s enough for me to listen to your request.”

The boat rocked again. “Li Xiang!” Lu Xubo shouted.

“Let’s go, before he destroys the boat,” Hui muttered. He ran for the stairs, and the others followed, the sect elder gathering Ya Ai up in his arms so she could keep up.