Yellow petals blanketed the boat’s deck and rained down from the sky. Cultivators ran around, kicking up petals left and right. Lu Xubo glared imposingly down from on high. Petals poured out of his blade like water. A thick floral scent choked the air.

Li Xiang raised her sleeve to cover her nose. Her nose wrinkled slightly in disgust. “I can’t stand the smell of these flowers.”

Ah! Is that why she was so fastidious about them in her house? Hui wondered. He shook his head at Lu Xubo. Elder Brother, it seems your love was doomed from the start.

Lu Xubo glared at him. “You thief! Give her back.”

Hui bowed. “Actually, would Elder Brother mind coming down? We have something we’d like to speak with you about.”

“Ha! As if I’d step foot on such a shoddy vessel,” Lu Xubo laughed, crossing his arms.

“Lu Xubo, come down,” Li Xiang ordered.

Like a star from the heavens, Lu Xubo plummeted from the sky. He landed on his knee at her foot, reaching for her pale hand. “Of course, Li Xiang.”

Li Xiang casually tucked her hands behind her, giving him nothing to grab.

Struck dumb, Lu Xubo stared at her. His eyes watered, but a second later, his expression firmed up once more. “Naturally. My hands are dirty, how could I dare touch you? Let me cleanse them.” His body thrummed, and all the dirt and yellow petals fell off of it, leaving him pristine once more.

Hui’s eyes lit up. Elder Brother! Can you teach me that technique? I only know a version that removes all my clothes, not one that cleanses them!

Li Xiang nudged Hui. Jolted back to reality, Hui let out a little cough. He gestured at Ya Ai. “Elder Brother, this Elder Sister here is Chen Xigui’s beloved. She’s willing to hear us out about Chen Xigui. Could you share what happened to you with her?”

Lu Xubo paused, startled. His expression twisted, and he hesitated. After a moment, he nodded, slowly. “I will.”

It must be something truly painful for him to react that way, Hui thought, shaking his head internally. He turned to the others, casting a meaningful glance around the other cultivators on the ship’s deck. “Should we head back to Ya Ai’s quarters? There’s no need to expose his trauma before the ears of all.”

The sect elder scowled, but Ya Ai nodded. “I agree.”

Ji Taiyu raised his hand. “Could I listen in, as well? I’m curious about this Chen Xigui.”

Uncertain, Li Xiang looked at Hui. Hui nodded. He leaned in to Li Xiang and whispered, “He’s a righteous cultivator, an upright and moral man. And that Bao Huli who follows him around is a fifth stage fox demon. If he’s on our side, she’ll come as well, and we’ll gain the benefits of both a third-stage sword cultivator and a fifth-stage demon fox.”

Li Xiang nodded. She raised her head and met Ji Taiyu’s eyes. “You can come as well.”

Ji Taiyu smiled. “Many thanks.”

Having gathered Lu Xubo, the group returned to Ya Ai’s quarters. Again, Hui lifted his hand to exclude the sect elder.

This time, Ya Ai raised a hand to stop him. “Let Hong Haitao listen in. Ultimately, I will have to convince him one way or another. It will be easier if he hears the same things I do.”

Hui glanced at the sect elder. He looks like an old fox. Not trustworthy at all. “Are you sure? If he lets news of our plan escape…”

Hong Haitao scowled back at him. This kid’s a slippery one. I don’t like the way he’s been excluding me. I’ll have to caution Ya Ai against him!

“I am sure. Please,” Ya Ai insisted.

Hui pressed his lips together. At last, he glanced at Li Xiang, who nodded in return. He breathed out. I can rely on Li Xiang to test him after the fact. I’ll quiz him and see if he plans to run off and alert Chen Xigui. If Li Xiang says he plans on it, then we’ll have to restrain him.

He cast the sound-deadening technique, but included the sect elder in its loop this time. He turned to Lu Xubo. “Go ahead. What happened between you and Chen Xigui?”

Lu Xubo took a deep breath. He glanced at the floor, then clenched his fists. “Chen Xigui stole my girlfriend!”

Eh. Hui stared at Lu Xubo with dead eyes. I guess it was too much to hope for, that this hopeless guy would have a tragic, touching story… Ah well, time to find some different evidence. “Li Xiang, you have that whole multicolor squad, right?”

Li Xiang nodded. “Should I call someone else?”

Lu Xubo scowled. “What? What’s wrong with holding a grudge over Chen Xigui stealing my girlfriend?”

“Nothing, Elder Brother. It’s just… the tragedy level is a bit…” Hui half-grinned, half-bared his teeth. Who’s going to hate Chen Xigui from a story like that?

“What do you mean? He ripped her out of my arms and stole her away, then executed her in front of the entire town. Is that not tragic enough?” Lu Xubo snarled, angry.

Hui’s eyes widened. He bowed apologetically. “Please excuse me, Elder Brother. I deeply apologize. This pathetic cultivator misunderstood. Continue, please continue.”

Argh, if only he’d phrased it better, I wouldn’t have—mmm. In this case, I can only blame myself. I shouldn’t have spoken so soon, but allowed him to keep speaking!

Lu Xubo took a deep breath. He looked at the group before him and shook his head. “That man is a monster. He thinks only of himself and his own pleasure. When he sees a girl he fancies, he takes her, whether she’s a betrothed, a beloved, a concubine or a wife. He spares no one, and no one can stop him. He’s smart enough to not provoke those above him, and with the threat of All-Heavens Sect looming with every move he makes, how could any of the families in his city dare disobey when he asks for something?

“After all, we all remember how All-Heavens treats sects and clans it dislikes. Look at Starbound Sect, for example. As if they were truly harboring some ancient demonic relic!” He scoffed, glancing at Li Xiang for approval.

Li Xiang stared dead ahead, emotionless.

Hui glanced aside. Er… I’m sorry, but we were actually harboring an ancient demonic relic… Not that it makes what All-Heavens did correct! But… well, in others’ eyes…

Anyways, best not to correct Elder Brother. If Li Xiang doesn’t find it necessary to correct him, neither do I!

Although, come to think of it, was Li Xiang still there when the soul array was revealed? I know Lan Taijian teleported her away relatively early…

Either way, there’s no need for this small cultivator to speak up.

“In the case of my girlfriend, I… we did nothing. We were part of a moderately sized clan and lived in the city, never acting up or stepping out of line. The two of us grew up together, as childhood friends. Everything was peaceful. Until the day Chen Xigui came to visit.

“Everyone was nervous, but I was too young to understand why. I was only second stage back then… a child, a teen, carefree and far too weak. The dinner went fine… until Fei Sanbei came out to greet me. He took one glimpse at her in that gown, and… there was no stopping him.

“I begged. I begged my parents, I begged the elders. I got down on my knees and offered Chen Xigui anything, if only I could have her back. Even… even after he laid his hands on her. No matter what, as long as she could live, I thought, I thought it would be fine.”

Lu Xubo stared at his hands. They trembled, and he clenched them shut. His eyes shut.

“Chen Xigui… he couldn’t allow that. For anyone else to have her, for her to live on… he couldn’t allow it. When he was done with her, he made up charges and publicly executed her. In the town square. In front of everyone. Allowing her no dignity, going so far as to hang her bones up until they dried and not permitting a proper burial. In the end, even I don’t know what he did with her body.”

Lu Xubo looked up, his yellow eyes flashing. Petals swirled around him, unconsciously slicing into the walls and floor as he sat there. “That man cannot be allowed to live. Even if it kills me, I will take his head. I’m not so weak anymore. Now that I have strength, I’ll absolutely use it to execute him!”

He glanced at Li Xiang and blushed, his conviction suddenly fading. “I vowed that I’d never again love someone weak enough to lose to that perverted City Lord…” His eyes lingered on Li Xiang.

Shoo! Back off! We don’t need any petals around here, Hui thought, narrowing his eyes at Lu Xubo.

“What was her name?” Ya Ai asked gently.

Lu Xubo lowered his eyes again, long lashes hiding his eyes. “Dong Mingyue.”

Hong Haitao leaned forward. “Dong Mingyue…”

“Do you recall her?” Ya Ai asked quietly.

“Executed for stealing a valuable pill from the City Lord,” Hong Haitao replied.

Lu Xubo scoffed. “The Dong family is renowned for its pill refiners. If she wanted a pill, she could have asked anyone in her family.”

“That… is true,” Hong Haitao allowed, though slowly.

Ya Ai turned to Li Xiang.

“Everything he said, he believes to be true,” Li Xiang replied calmly.

Ya Ai leaned toward Hong Haitao. The two exchanged a look, and quickly fell into silent conference.

Hui held his breath, waiting. Please believe him! I don’t care if he’s telling the truth or not, but I need you to believe him! If not… argh, I don’t want to think about ‘if not!’ It involves far too much violence! I don’t like violence, okay? Let’s choose peace, everyone! Believe Lu Xubo!