“Let’s begin.”

“Not here. In my manor. Somewhere that’s safer, for both of us,” Chen Xigui replied.

Ya Ai stiffened. “Could you not do anything to me within your manor? I prefer to stay here, for my own safety.”

“Do you fear your future husband?” Chen Xigui said, hurt. He tutted and shook his head.

Ya Ai glanced at Hui. She took a deep breath. “In that case…”

Lu Xubo half-rose. Across from him, Li Xiang stiffened. Her hand dropped to her sword.

Hui put a hand out, forcing Lu Xubo down. Let’s try one more tactic, Elder Brother. He bowed low, pressing his forehead to the ground. “Please permit this lowly servant to speak!”

Chen Xigui turned. An expression of disgust flashed over his face.

Hui snorted internally. Ha. This is why I act weak. When he saw me as a threat, he treated me equally, but the second he sees me as lesser, this is how he treats me? Truly, this is the clearest way to discover someone’s true self.

“Permitted,” Ya Ai said, before Chen Xigui could take control.

Hui nodded. “In that case, Junio… Elder Brother City Lord, please allow us servants to come along. Although it may be no difference to you, please understand that our Ya Ai is a tender young woman, who has her own fears and concerns. Although our might is nothing compared to the glorious and luminescent City Lord, it would reassure our Ya Ai to have us by her side, especially on the eve of her one and only wedding.”

Chen Xigui harrumphed. “You’ll have servants in my manor.”

“That may be, but… please. These servants are precious to me,” Ya Ai argued.

Chen Xigui swept his eyes over the group, a dismissive glint in his gaze. He passed over the rest of them without hesitating a moment, only pausing for a breath on Lu Xubo, who sat there tensed, his face coiled up and stiff. Under his breath, he muttered, “A bunch of fourth-stage trash…” Louder, he pointed at Lu Xubo. “You there. Why are you so tense?”

Lu Xubo opened his mouth, but his lip twitched too hard for him to speak. He shut it again.

Hui coughed, quickly stepping in. “Junior Bro… Elder Brother City Lord, this Elder Brother is afflicted by hemorrhoids. Sitting like this brings him great pain. Elder Brother, have the pills worn off? Quick, take another…” He reached into his robes and yanked a random pill out of storage, and held out a toxic-looking purple pill to Lu Xubo. A dark purple fume wafted off it, coiling around Hui’s hand.

Er, I must have grabbed one of Song Weilai’s pills. I’ve really got to organize my pills better…

Lu Xubo cast the pill a numb look and reached out for it, his hand shaking from the tension.

Hoooooly shit, no. No, Elder Brother! I know you’re stunned, but use your eyes! This pill is the wrong medicine, clearly the wrong medicine. Hui sighed internally. As Lu Xubo’s hand touched his, he subtly closed his fingers around the pill and sent it back into storage instead of handing it over.

Lu Xubo frowned. He retracted his empty hand and slowly began to open it.

Hui stuffed his hand into his mouth instead. “Swallow, swallow. There you go. Does it feel better?”

Lu Xubo stared at him blankly.

“That’s good. Ah, many apologies that City Lord had to see such a shameful thing,” Hui apologized, ducking his head again.

Chen Xigui blinked, then rubbed his eyes. After a moment, he shook his head. “Bring your servants if you must. For now, let us proceed to the manor with haste. I’m eager to discover if we can indeed cure one another.”

“Of course,” Ya Ai replied. She stood from the low shelf and walked slowly toward him, her floaty robe swirling around wrinkled limbs. Li Xiang offered her a hand for support, and she wobbled along, her old joints creaking.

I guess the treatment I gave her wore off, Hui thought. His nose wrinkled. I hope Chen Xigui’s qi can cure her. Otherwise, we put ourselves in far too much danger for nothing!

Ah, it would have been so much better if she could have kept him in the ship, but I suppose that’s too much to hope for.

The group made their way to the deck, where a platoon of Chen Xigui’s servants and guards waited for them. Hui glanced around, sweeping his consciousness over them to gauge their cultivation levels. Mostly third and fourth, one or two at fifth… huh, that one feels very familiar. He narrowed his eyes, focusing on the distant servant.

A bitter Wang Xiu scowled at the horizon, her razor-like blade strapped to her back and her bare arms crossed.

Wang Xiu! Careful, Hui, be careful! Hui gulped and checked his cultivation again. Good, my aura’s disguised.

…But what about Ying Lin? Li Xiang?

He held his breath, but Wang Xiu continued to scowl into the distance. He let out a sigh. She isn’t examining us. She isn’t interested. It’s as if she wants to run into the wastelands and demand a rematch…

Ah, that’s probably the case. As long as we don’t do anything to draw her attention, she probably won’t pay us any mind. If anything, giving her the information that “Weiheng Hui” and “Li Xiang” are running around the wastelands was a stroke of genius! She’ll be training her attention outward, not inward at us, right here beside her!

That’s all well and good, but it won’t last forever. Eventually, she’ll bother to sweep her consciousness over us. We’ll have to attack Chen Xigui as soon as possible.

Chen Xigui mounted his sword, and Hui’s party did as well. Li Xiang took Ya Ai into her arms and carried her, and the two flew together atop Li Xiang’s sword. They zipped toward a familiar manor. This time, however, instead of entering from a back door at ground level, they flew toward a grand staircase that led up to gold-encrusted double doors and a broad pavilion-like space on the outside of the manor. A gentle, sweet fragrance filled the air, and the sound of exquisite music floated on the breeze, emanating from everywhere and nowhere.

“How do you like it, my beloved? Your new home,” Chen Xigui said, turning backward to smile at Ya Ai.

Ya Ai smiled back. “It’s wonderful, beloved. More than I ever dreamed of.”

He laughed. “Only the best for you.”

Hui turned away, bored. He surveyed the manor’s exterior, mentally noting the exits. Aside from the main doors, I know there’s the rear door with the darkness within. There’s plenty of windows along the front side of the manor. In the rear, I don’t remember any windows. Out the sides… hmm, those look like windows. Externally, I’m not sensing any serious magical defenses, but then, he likely let them down to allow Ya Ai in. The manor has a powerful aura, so it likely has some sort of barrier or defensive array built into it.

Chen Xigui paused at the manor door to dismount his sword. He offered his hand to Ya Ai. Li Xiang flew up beside him and transferred Ya Ai over to Chen Xigui. Ya Ai took his hand, and Chen Xigui gently took hers. The two walked into the manor together, Ya Ai’s lightweight pink robes floating around her.

A surge of magic emanated from either side of the door as he entered. Shimmering walls of force sped toward the center, striving to close off the entrance. Hui’s eyes widened. A barrier! He reached out and snagged Ying Lin, then rushed for the door. Li Xiang sped forward, transforming into a sword light as she passed him by. Left behind, Lu Xubo stared, then blasted forward in a rush of yellow petals.

Hui burst through the barrier a breath before it closed. Lu Xubo slammed into the barrier and bounced back. He rubbed his face, then slammed his fist into the barrier. “Let me in!”

Chen Xigui turned back, surprised. “You made it in?”

“Beloved, didn’t you agree to let my servants in?” Ya Ai asked, putting a hand on his forearm.

Chen Xigui’s nose wrinkled. “Did I?”

Hui raised his eyebrows and tucked his hands behind him. “Junior Brother City Lord, we are Ya Ai’s most trusted servants. Are you going to refuse Ya Ai to bring even a single memory of home into her new house?”

Chen Xigui harrumphed. “It was a mistake, merely a mistake. Are you servants going to make a fuss over every little thing.” He waved a finger, and the barrier opened up again. Lu Xubo hurried inside, and the barrier closed behind him again.

Him closing the barrier bodes poorly for Ya Ai. We should be prepared to subdue him so she can cure herself. Hui exchanged a glance with Li Xiang, who nodded. She rested a hand on her sword.

As they walked along the hallway, a group of cultivators in Chen Xigui’s guards robes joined them. Wang Xiu mixed in, casting side-eyed glances at the four of them.

Hui swept his awareness through the guards. Aside from Wang Xiu, there’s no fifth-stages here. Mostly fourth and third stages. Makes sense, since he has to suppress or control them somehow, and he doesn’t seem like the inspiring leadership type.

Wang Xiu and Chen Xigui. Li Xiang can take Wang Xiu. Me and Zhubi and maybe Jin Xian will take on Chen Xigui. Since we might need to repress him to allow Ya Ai to heal, I’m better suited for that task, but afterward, I may have to rely on the other fifth-stage cultivators I raised to destroy him.

Hui glanced at Li Xiang and nodded. The second he lets his guard down and begins the healing process is the moment we strike!