Fang Hua laughed. The sound echoed eerily off the tall stone walls. She waved her hand. “Oh no, no. I appreciate the way you’ve treated me… that is, my other half. I’ve advanced to fifth realm since you acquired me. How could I complain? No. I simply hoped… you could illuminate me on your plan, sending me to the hands of that life cultivator.”

Hui dropped into a kowtow. “Elder Sister, please hear me out! I swear I had good intentions!” Argh! Elder Sister doesn’t know the backstory. It doesn’t matter if it’s Jin Xian, who barely had a thought beyond her own hunger, but to Fang Hua, doesn’t it appear that I led her to the wolves and abandoned her helpless and pathetic before their hungry jaws?

Relaxing on her throne, Fang Hua gestured lazily. “Continue.”

“I… I’m attempting to bring down All-Heavens Sect from within. I wanted to bring as many people as possible… obviously, because the more people who enter All-Heavens, the more strength I have within the Sect! I brought along Jin Xian, and when it came time to choose the final trial, I… I unfortunately lost track of her.

“When I found her again, she had already entered the life qi trial alongside me. I quickly tried to enhance your brain function… ah, and successfully, I might add, in order for you to be able to pass the trial, but before I could help you pass it… you suddenly vanished! I was looking for you all over. I managed to trace your death qi to here, and then… I had to get a Senior drunk, and break through a barrier, and go through uncountable hardships to meet back up with you! But now… I’m so glad to see Elder Sister doing so well,” Hui finished.

“Hmm.” Fang Hua glanced at Tie Dingzi.

“He didn’t attempt to attack any of the ghouls,” Tie Dingzi reported.

“As if he would. Do you know who you’re talking about? Xiao Hui, the cultivation world’s greatest coward,” Fang Hua declared, slapping her throne’s arm.

“Elder Sister! I wouldn’t dare claim the spot of greatest coward,” Hui said, shaking his head.

“What would you claim to be, second? Then who would take first?” Fang Hua asked. She shook her head at Hui.

Tie Dingzi looked at Fang Hua, faintly confused. “Should I… attack?”

Fang Hua waved her hand. “No, no. He’s telling the truth. In any case, I can see a little of what happens to Jin Xian, and on top of that, everything that he claimed to happen, these things… are all things that make sense once you understand Xiao Hui.”

Tie Dingzi licked his lips with a long, purple tongue that didn’t seem to fit in his mouth, then backed away. “As you wish.”

“Fang Hua… how did you become the Matriarch of the ghouls?” Hui asked, carefully rising to his feet.

She laughed. “Fifth-stage death cultivators are as rare as a qilin horn. Besides, this valley is very carefully calibrated to allow death cultivators to easily reach fourth stage, but no further. All Heavens clearly doesn’t want to accidentally create a death cultivator that could actually cause trouble for them. After all, death cultivators are like sword cultivators. We can fight above our level. Someone like me… a fifth stage death cultivator? I could cause trouble for a sixth-stage cultivator. Maybe even seventh stage, if they weren’t a life qi cultivator.”

Ah. Jin Xian never seemed that powerful, but then… she was basically just a powerful ghoul, not a true death cultivator. With Fang Hua’s mind, she’s a whole different and much more powerful beast.

Actually, come to think of it… didn’t I just gain a powerful group of allies? Hui clutched his hands and approached Fang Hua. “Elder Sister… how do you feel about All-Heavens Sect?”

Behind Hui, Tie Dingzi clenched his hands. His knuckles cracked audibly.

Hui jolted. He raised his hands. “I’m—I’m no fan! No, no! I’m working to take down the Sect!”

Fang Hua laughed lightly. “No need to worry. I’m still a demonic cultivator at my core. I’ll leap at any chance to take down a righteous sect… let alone the righteous sect, All-Heavens.”

“So when I attack the sect…” Hui asked, rubbing his hands together.

Fang Hua nodded, just once, a smirk crawling across her face.

Hui stepped forward. “Elder Sister, are you safe here? All-Heavens won’t kill you at a whim?”

“No. Or rather, it’s unlikely. They’ve been cultivating ghouls here for ages. Tie Dingzi was kindly telling me all about it. He used to rule the ghouls,” Fang Hua explained.

Hui turned. Tie Dingzi used to…? He edged subtly away from Tie Dingzi. Er, Elder Brother doesn’t hold a grudge against me for bringing Fang Hua here, does he?

Tie Dingzi caught Hui’s eye. He snorted coldly, eyes cold. “I respect the strong. And only the strong.”

Hui tilted his head. Is Elder Brother saying he doesn’t respect me? Ah, that’s fine, though. I don’t need Elder Brother’s respect. As long as Fang Hua remains in control of Elder Brother, he can disrespect me all day.

And if he actually tries to fight… I’m pretty good at using life qi. I wouldn’t claim to be an expert, but he’s only a fourth-stage death cultivator. I have a stage on him, and life qi. He isn’t much of a threat, ultimately. And there’s always death faking.

“Ah, well, it’s good to see that Elder Sister is doing well,” Hui said. He bowed shortly. “If you’re in no trouble, then I ought to take my leave. I got a Senior drunk to come here, as I explained earlier, and… er, I’m a bit worried he might wake up.”

Fang Hua waved her hand dismissively.

Hui turned away, then hesitated. He turned back around. Gesturing, he summoned a lotus beast.

Tie Dingzi jumped away, letting out a dangerous hiss. He narrowed his eyes at Hui, hands curling into claws.

Oh—whoops. I forgot. Lotus beasts have powerful life qi inside them. Naturally, it seems threatening to pull one out in front of ghouls! Quickly, Hui waved his hands. “No, no, Elder Brother. This—this lotus clone is a messenger. I want a way to be able to contact you and communicate without having to get a certain Senior drunk every time.”

Fang Hua nodded. She waved at Tie Dingzi. “There’s no need to be on guard. Those beasts are harmless. Aside from a powerful life force, there isn’t much they can do to us.”

Tie Dingzi lowered his hands, but he remained on guard, his shoulders stiffened and eyes narrowed at the lotus beast.

The lotus beast turned around and shivered. It frowned at Hui.

“It’s necessary. Please bear with it, Elder Sibling,” Hui said gently. He lowered his hand onto the lotus beast’s head and operated Mount Mu’s inheritance technique, just for a moment. A golden tree image appeared above the lotus beast’s head, and he suddenly felt a connection to the lotus beast. Unlike his clones’ nodes, he could reach out through it, but the lotus beast couldn’t reach out to him without great effort. Likewise, he couldn’t pass items through the lotus beast.

Hui released his hold on the lotus beast. “I’ll check in once a week through this beast. If you need me to step in, contact me through the beast, but bear in mind that it is difficult for the beast to reach out to me. Emergencies only.”

Fang Hua nodded. She rolled out her shoulders luxuriously. “I understand. We’ll be ready to make a move on your signal. Until then… I’ll enjoy this wonderful aura All-Heavens has cultivated for us.”

“Does it feel good for you, Elder Sister? It’s icy cold to me,” Hui asked curiously.

Fang Hua let out a deep sigh. “For us dead cultivators… it feels like being in a hot springs.”

“Ah,” Hui said, nodding. He turned and took to the air again. “I’ll let you out when the time comes. Remember, you can always contact me in an emergency.”

Fang Hua nodded.

Hui hopped onto Moonlight Cutter and flew away. He used a mote of life qi to escape. The barrier closed behind him.

Outside the barrier, Hui turned back, quietly removing the ghoulskin and storing it away again. The disciples continued their idyllic practice, the illusion so strong that he found himself doubting what he’d just seen moments ago.

I wonder… has this peak always been ghoul storage? Or was it once… what it appears to be? A bustling peak, that some kind of tragedy happened to?

He paused one more second, then shook his head. No, no. I have to hurry back. I need to get back before Senior wakes up, so I have a solid alibi if he notices anything is wrong!