Peak Lord sat lazily at the end of the line, resting his back against Bai Xue. She breathed slowly, her body shifting against his. The sun shone down overhead, illuminating a beautiful meadow full of flowers. A heady perfume hung on the air, tempting them to run within.

As they watched, a rabbit entered the meadow. It hopped along, then lifted up on its rear feet to nibble a flower. Instantly, the meadow came to life. It swirled in a raucous blast of colors as the whole meadow collapsed in on the rabbit, binding it tight with vines and petals. When it was all over, the rabbit laid there, bound into a little rabbit package. Its nose and toes trembled, but nothing else could move.

“I like that technique. I should learn it,” Hui muttered to himself, holding out his hand. A lotus bloomed in his palm, delicate and white.

“And who’s going to charge blindly into a field of lotuses blooming in the middle of a desert or mountainside? Or are you going to create a pond, too?” Bai Xue joked, shaking her head.

“Well… it’s good to have a binding technique,” Hui returned. The lotus grew a little longer, extending thick tendrils from its base. The tendrils wound around his fingers, gripping him tight.

Bai Xue watched it over her shoulder. She snorted. “Lewd.”

Hui looked over his shoulder at her. The two locked eyes, Bai Xue’s squinted slightly in mirth. Hui narrowed his. “Is everything lewd to you?”

“It could be,” Bai Xue said. She put a finger under his chin and tilted his head up, leaning in.

Hui caught a breath. “In… in line, Elder Sister…?”

Bai Xue turned away, releasing him. “Where are the rest of your clones? I’m dying to meet them. All at once, if possible.”

Hui sighed. “Once we enter the sect, we’ll all meet up to coordinate our next move.”

“And naturally, I’ll be there,” Bai Xue said, nodding.

“It’s dangerous, Elder Sister. I can’t—”

“Hmm, you can,” Bai Xue replied.

Peak Lord sighed. He shook his head and turned, gazing off the peak into the distance.

“You’re still thinking about it?” Bai Xue asked quietly.

“I see it in my dreams. I think about it every empty moment. I can’t stop. It’s… everything to me.” Peak Lord clenched his fists. “I know the other clones don’t see it. They don’t feel this… this… whatever it is. Compulsion.”

Bai Xue smoothed his hair back gently, playing the long end of his ponytail between her fingers. “Don’t worry. It isn’t a qi deviation. Your qi is as smooth as ever. Whatever it is… it’s simply something you’re fated to do.”

“But… what if it is? I’m split into five. It used to be more than five, but now they’re missing. And the more that go missing, the stronger it becomes,” Hui muttered. He dug a hand into the ground, his fingers working the earth into a sort of clay.

Bai Xue looked him in the eye. “Hui, what you’ve done… it’s already considered incredible. If there were no side effects to splitting your soul this many times at fifth stage, this would be considered a miraculous, heavenly technique. The side effects you’ve described… the different personalities, the dreams you have… for what you’ve done, it can be considered a fantastic technique with almost no downsides, even with the inter-clone divergence at this level. After all, you haven’t decided to kill yourself yet, nor have you split into factions. Those are the usual dangers with clone techniques like this one, where each clone gains autonomy.”

Hui waved his hand. “That has more to do with our personality than the technique itself, Elder Sister.”

“That’s why I haven’t asked you to teach me the technique yet,” Bai Xue returned, laughing lightly. “Even so. Personality divergence is a side effect of this technique. You admitted that yourself. And you still haven’t decided to fight yourself, not even with one of you monopolizing me. There are clone-technique experts who have declared this kind of technique impossible.”

Hui tilted his head. “What would you do to yourself, if you had a clone technique?” I never pegged Bai Xue as the self-hating type. Would there really be danger to having a clone technique with clone autonomy, like I have?

Bai Xue raised a single eyebrow.

“My apologies, Elder Sister. It was a thoughtless question,” Hui said, blushing. Right. It is Bai Xue. And if I could change into the opposite gender… I mean… it’s not as if I’m champing at the bit to meet the other clones, but… well…

Anyways!

Ahead of them, the red-robed cultivator gestured on the next cultivator in line. The line slowly dwindled.

Bai Xue sighed aloud.

“What is it, Elder Sister?” Hui asked.

She shook her head. “I’m trying to think of which techniques to use. I don’t want it to be too obvious that I’m… well, who I am.”

“Mmm, that’s true,” Hui agreed, nodding. If the heir of the Bai Clan suddenly decides to join All-Heavens… they’d rightfully be a bit suspicious. He put a hand on his chin. “If you only use ice techniques, it should be fine, right?”

“Many of my ice techniques are secret Bai Clan techniques. Although these outsiders won’t necessarily recognize them, nor be able to replicate them, my mother would give me a lashing if she found out I used them in front of strangers, when my life wasn’t in danger—in a contest to show off techniques, at that!” Bai Xue shook her head.

“Eh? But why?” Hui asked, tilting his head.

She looked at him and smiled. “You’re so sweet and naïve sometimes, Hui. Don’t you know? Contests like these… often, the sects are hosting them half to find new cultivators, and half to scout out new techniques. Although they won’t be able to recreate the technique perfectly, knowing of its existence gives them a chance to counteract it, and—”

“And of course, the chance to steal it,” Hui murmured, closing his hand. Lotus petals squeezed out from between his fingers and fluttered to the floor. Wasn’t I watching the petal-binding technique right now, and thinking of a way to replicate it? Even the fellow participants can benefit from seeing these techniques.

Bai Xue nodded. “It’s good that you’re so quick. Ah, though I suppose our Xiao… our Hui would naturally understand that, being as you’re so talented at replicating techniques yourself!”

“Mmm, that’s true. So these people… most of them would be using flashy techniques that don’t have some kind of secret or mystery in them, or conversely, a technique that requires some inborn trait or cultivation quirk to use properly,” Hui reasoned.

Bai Xue shrugged. “Some are naïve, like yourself. Others are desperate enough to give away their secrets, if it means they can enter a large sect. And some simply don’t care, whether they believe their techniques can’t be replicated or they aren’t bothered even if a sect secret gets stolen. But yes… for the most part, they’ll use techniques they’re willing to give away.”

Hui raised a hand to his chin. In that case… which techniques should I show off? I have a few talismans I’ve learned from the treasures I earnestly obtained from grateful cultivators I’ve healed. Those are probably the safest, in that I don’t owe anyone or any sect for their creation, and in that they’re somewhat unstable and unfinished. If someone other than myself attempts them and fully succeeds, they’ll be advancing my own understanding of the talisman.

He turned to Bai Xue. “Would you like to borrow a few talismans? I have some spare formulae, if Elder Sister needs—”

Bai Xue waved him away. “No, no. I fight my own battles. In any case, I couldn’t explain the talismans’ mysteries if they asked.” She smiled. “Don’t worry, little Hui. I have techniques I can use. I simply have to be mindful of their origins.”

“Good, good,” Hui said, nodding.

“Instead, focus on gathering all your clones together,” Bai Xue muttered under her breath.

“What?” Hui asked.

Bai Xue grinned.

A gust of sweet, floral perfume swept over the two of them. A long braid dangled down, tinged in pink. Hui looked up. Bai Jingwen stood over them, her eyes narrowed.

“Ah, cousin. It’s been a while,” Bai Xue greeted her mildly.

“Bai Jingwen, don’t hold it against me. Aren’t you with Gui Yutong now?” Hui asked her, crossing his arms.

Bai Jingwen swished her braid and stomped off.

“She found someone new?” Bai Xue asked, looking at Hui.

Hui nodded. “Ah, you knew she was travelling with me for a while, right? She… went through an evolution, and when she woke up, I set her free. I expected she would run back to the Bai Clan, but…”

“She did,” Bai Xue said, nodding. “There were rumors of a ghost for a bit. I went out to see her, and she ran away. Ah, well… she’s always been a bit of a shy child.”

Hui glanced at Bai Jingwen from the corner of his eye. Shy? The lotus beast? What part of her?

“In any case, I’m glad to hear she found someone. The clan could never accept her back, so it’s best if she cuts her ties and finds someone outside the clan,” Bai Xue said lazily.

“Huh? Oh… right.” She did help betray the clan and attempt to overthrow the Matriarch. Her change of heart at the last second won’t do anything in a court of law, let alone the kind of dictatorial mindset any one particular clan will have. I don’t know the Matriarch well, but she didn’t strike me as someone forgiving.

Bai Xue stood. She brushed off her robes and offered Hui a hand. “We’re almost up. Shall we prepare?”

“Naturally, Elder Sister,” Hui replied, taking her hand. He stood. Almost casually, they circulated their qi between the two of them, using each other’s qi to augment their own. Mmm, it really… doesn’t feel like anything special, even now. I can’t understand why people get worked up about it. The real thing is… entirely different.

“Hmm, what are you thinking about, over there? Your yang spiked for a moment,” Bai Xue asked, quirking an eyebrow.

“Elder Sister,” Hui complained, shaking his head. Though even I have to admit… it is a bit invasive!