As they flew, Hui looked at the disciple. “So how did these cultivators become injured?”

The disciple licked his lips. “It’s natural with a sect this size to have a few injuries along the way. There’s always those who fail to cultivate their chosen technique and fall along the way. In addition… our sect is an exorcist sect. There’s a great number of cultivators who become injured or tainted by the dark energies of the undead, and unfortunately, they cannot all be healed.”

Tainted by the dark energies of the undead? Sounds like we can benefit in more than one way from this, Hui thought to himself, nodding as he flew along. “Not even with life qi?”

“Ah… sometimes the taint is too deep, and cannot be expunged,” the disciple explained nervously. “Or their cultivation or bodies are too damaged by the darkness to recover.”

Well, that makes sense. If I couldn’t also manipulate death qi, there would be a great many times where I found myself backed into a wall. Luckily, being able to manipulate death and life qi, I can handle pretty much any situation with life and death qi. In fact, if they are infected with death qi, that’s the best option for me! That’s far easier than what I did to heal Fan Hulian, that woman from Liu Guang’s test who turned out to be a Starbound Sect disciple.

I imagine they won’t all be easy to heal, but with every disciple I heal, not only do I get more forge monkeys… ahem, assistants, but Healer also elevates his name! It’s a win-win scenario… win-win-win, if you consider the forge monkey—assistants, who are getting healed for free. And four wins if I consider that I’ll not only gain disciples, but also gain extra forging done as a result of all this!

Hmm, if they don’t know forging, they can learn! There’s all sorts of manuals. I’ll kindly guide them to the library to figure out what forging technique fits them best!

But first, to find, heal, and recruit them!

The disciple pointed down, and Hui turned to look. Far below, a pair of chains descended from the floating peaks to suspend an upside-down peak cloaked in thick clouds. Barely visible through the thick clouds, Hui made out a wide pavilion, drab and worn. “There it is. The Clouded Pavilion.”

Hui nodded. “Thank you. Shall we?”

The disciple gulped. He edged away from the pavilion, as much as he could perched atop Hui’s treasure. “Er, could, could I go back? I… I don’t want to be taken to the pavilion. No one returns from the pavilion.”

Hui frowned at him. “I’ll keep you safe.” There’s really nothing to be frightened of. It’s just a pavilion of wounded cultivators, and I can control death qi.

“Even… even so,” the disciple said weakly.

“Master! He’s only second-realm. Let’s send him back,” Ying Lin said, drawing out Gu Tian’s sword. She tossed it toward the disciple. “Here. That sword can fly itself. If you tell it where you want to go, it can take you there.”

Gu Tian blinked. She has such faith, but I’ve been kept in a bag for a while. I don’t know where I am. How am I supposed to take him somewhere?

Like Master, like disciple! What’s wrong with this line of cultivators?

The disciple looked at Gu Tian, then cupped his hands to Ying Lin. “Thank you, Peak Lord!” He hopped atop Gu Tian. “Take me back to the peak.”

And I’m asking you, where is that? Gu Tian replied silently, frustrated.

As the two Peak Lords dropped down, the disciple looked down at the sword. “Back to the peak, please.”

Gu Tian rolled his eyes. Back to where? Be more specific.

The disciple jumped. “Eh! You’re a sword spirit?”

You can hear me? Gu Tian asked, shocked.

“Yes, of course I can! Is this it? Have I discovered an ancient relic? Does my ascent to power start now?” the disciple murmured to himself.

Gu Tian shook himself. Who are you calling an ancient relic, now?

The disciple wobbled on top of Gu Tian, eyes wide in fear. The Clouded Pavilion loomed large in his eyes, welcoming him down. Hurriedly, he knelt down, clutching onto Gu Tian’s hilt with both hands. “Many apologies, sword spirit ancestor! Please forgive me!”

Sword spirit ancestor? I like the sound of that, Gu Tian said, relenting. He stopped shaking and looked at the disciple. So where is this peak of yours?

Shaking his head, Hui descended toward the inverted peak below, Ying Lin close on his heels. He glanced at her, then nodded. “Ying Lin, although I have faith that I can protect you and myself, please stay close by my side. If things get dangerous, I’m the only one of the two of us who can handle… ‘dark energy.’”

“Yes!” Ying Lin replied, nodding once.

The low clouds cloaked them. They passed through into a dimly lit flatlands. The shadows of the other peaks clung to the inverted peak, and the low clouds filtered what light remained, leaving the entire place in shadow. Lit in gray, the pavilion appeared haunted, almost eerie.

A thick silence hung over the pavilion. A few cultivators lurked around, barely shadows against the gray. As if all the life and color had been sucked out of them, they wore drab robes, and even their skin turned pale in the thin light. One or two raised their heads to peer up at Hui and Ying Lin, but most ignored them.

Touching down, Hui put away his treasure and frowned up at the sky. This cloudy ceiling… don’t they know that sunlight is required for good health? Hui shuffled through his recently-collected treasures and pulled out an oversized fan painted on one side with swirling winds, and the other with pouring rain. One wave summons the winds, and another summons the rains! Although right now, I only want to summon the wind. He waved it at the sky, and a wind suddenly whooshed past, dispelling the clouds.

The cultivators outside startled and ran for the pavilion, fleeing the sun. Only one remained outside. A wizened old man with a twisted arm, he raised a hood and shook his head at Hui.

Hui walked over to him, looking around as he walked. Precious little existed on the stone surface of the inverted peak, save for some rubble and a few slabs of stone. “Senior, why did everyone run?”

The old man smiled. He pointed a withered finger upward. “We’re all infected by darkness. Those infected with darkness fear the sun.”

Eh? But Jin Xian… well, before I refined her and evolved her into jiangshi, I suppose… she didn’t like the sun. She didn’t like heat or light in general, though, not just sun. Hui raised a hand to his chin, thinking for a moment, then shrugged. Well, whatever.

He nodded up at the sky. “I’ve brought healing. We can save you all.”

Chuckling, the old man shook his head at Hui. “I’ve heard that many a time, and yet here I remain. Leave this old man to run out the last of his life in peace. Save your healing for those who still have hope.”

Hui nodded. “Once I save the others, then will you accept my… our healing?”

The old man quirked an eyebrow. “Such confidence.”

“Such confidence, such confidence! Ah, Sec… Xing Huang, I hope you haven’t oversold my paltry skills,” Healer said, descending from the sky. What with that heart-demon of yours!

Ah, shut up about my heart-demon. I don’t want to hear it anymore, Hui responded. He smiled at Healer. “Xie Hao, I have complete and total faith in you.”

“Elder Brother is too kind,” Healer responded. If you don’t want to hear it anymore, then stop letting your heart demon out!

You’d better watch out, or I’ll let my heart demon out on you! Sectgoer responded, narrowing his eyes.

The two of them glared at one another.

Ying Lin stepped between them. “Masters, shouldn’t you go see the patients?”

“Ah, right. Senior, could you bring me to the afflicted?” Healer asked.

The old man turned to Healer and quirked a brow. “But what do you want in return?”

“Me? Nothing, nothing,” Healer said.

Ying Lin narrowed her eyes at Healer. “Master, your ‘nothing’ is…”

“No, no. I truly want nothing this time. This is… I’m repaying a favor I owe Xing Huang,” Healer said, gesturing at Sectgoer.

“Ah, that’s right. We’ll heal anyone who wants to come and work at my forge,” Sectgoer declared loudly, eyeing the pavilion.

“Hmm. Is that all you want, though?” the old man asked, eyeing the two of them with strangely piercing eyes.

Healer squirmed. “Naturally… what else could I want but to repay a debt?”

Sectgoer nodded. “Yes, yes. I want them to work on my forge.” It is absolutely the truth. Forge monkeys, here I come!

Eyeing them for another moment, the old man nodded. “Follow me.”

He led the way into the pavilion. Shadows clung to every corner, and heavy drapes blocked the few windows. Cultivators skulked off as they entered, melting into the dark. Some wore bandages or bore skin with black marks. Others hid limbs under heavy robes.

A young man at about fourth realm lounged against the back wall of the entry room, his arms crossed and one leg bent up against the wall. His cultivation wavered strangely, not quite in sync. Sometimes, it seemed almost fifth realm, while at times, it dipped to third. He looked down his nose at the Huis as they approached and laughed derisively. “Another healer, come to fix us all? Come, come. Let’s see you try.”

The old man stood to the side, watching the Huis from the corner of his eye.

Healer nodded. “Indeed, Elder Brother. Please, come here.”

The young man uncrossed his arms. He flicked his hand, summoning a cane, and limped over. The leg that had been held up dangled uselessly, missing from the mid-calf.

Can we fix that? Sectgoer asked, raising his eyebrows.

With my body-reforging technique, I can fix anything! Er… but only lotus beasts have survived it, so far, Healer returned.

Ah.

No, no. I can do it! It’s just a matter of limiting the scope of the body-reforging. It worked on Fan Hulian… er, an Elder Sister of mine. I haven’t tried it on a missing limb, but I’m sure it could work.

…Could?

… Anyways, shut up. It’ll probably work, Healer insisted.

Uh huh, Sectgoer said.

Healer approached the young man. “Elder Brother, may I see your stump?” There are limb-regrowing techniques. For Elder Brother to still lack a limb, he must either have a horrible master, be too poor to afford healing… or have some hidden injury preventing him from being healed!

The young man scoffed. Still, he drew back his robes and pulled up his trousers leg. “There.”

Bare bone protruded from black flesh. Black marks streaked up from the stump, tracing along his veins and vanishing into his trousers. A putrid stench and the stuffiness of stagnant qi filled the air.

“Ah,” Healer said. He looked at the young man. “Elder Brother, would you like to sit down? This might take some time.”