The return home from All-Heavens was full of rejoicing and jubilation. That night, when Starbound Sect settled in its home peaks once more, all the disciples gathered for a great feast atop Starbound Peak. Red lanterns danced overhead, floating on the wind. Far above them, colorful displays of magical techniques lit up the sky. An enormous dragon unwound itself between the stars, while a phoenix in all red winged from cloud to cloud.

At a remote spit of land sticking out from the side of Starbound Peak, Hui stood alone, watching the sky. He put a hand to his stomach at the sight of the phoenix. I should have asked Chen Wuya to handle those flames. Or rather… no. Not yet. I might need them soon.

He turned, gazing out at the land instead. Far, far away, the speck of light that formed All-Heavens Sect stood out against the dark land. Fen Long and Chen Wuya are handling things over there. All-Heavens is weakened, but not too significantly. The battle didn’t last long. Hopefully, they still maintain the majority of their manpower, what with the other three regional sects… though even being sieged likely makes All-Heavens a target for the other large sects.

Ultimately, it wasn’t as important to me that I squash All-Heavens so much as remind the sect where its place is: protecting the smaller sects, not oppressing them. We, that is, Starbound Sect cannot be the same regional power that All-Heavens is, and if the Southern Sect Conference lacks a regional power, doubtless the other regional powers will overrun us in a heartbeat. Given my current condition, I can’t keep Starbound Sect safe, or even assist All-Heavens. I’m—

His vision trembled. For a moment, the world turned black and white. The reaper stood before him, likewise gazing out at the land. Feeling his eyes on her, she turned. Her hand reached for her sword.

Color leaped back into Hui’s world. The reaper vanished. Hui staggered back, then rubbed his forehead. It’s almost time.

“Weiheng Hui.”

He turned.

Li Xiang approached him quietly, still wearing her battlegarb. Despite the fierce battle, the hem remained clean, not a splatter of blood on the fabric. Like a fairy maiden of myth, she strode toward him with steps that glid over the ground, her hair caught ever so gently by the wind.

Hui smiled. “Li Xiang.”

Stopping beside him, she gazed out at the land as well. “What we have done changes everything.”

“Yes,” Hui agreed.

“It doesn’t matter if the battle was quickly won. All-Heavens has failed to suppress the sects under it. In the eyes of the larger sects, that is weakness enough.”

Hui bowed his head. I was afraid of that, and yet… I hoped…

“We face battles ahead… but not you,” she said softly.

Hui looked up sharply. “Li Xiang?”

She looked at him with eyes that drilled him to the core. “Did you think I could not notice? Your cultivation is fragile. Your energy is ephemeral. This state is not solid, nor is it a true advancement. You are not seventh-realm, but the husk of a man who is desperately projecting strength he no longer has.”

Sighing, Hui nodded. “It is as Elder Sister says.”

Li Xiang stood there silently. Her face betrayed no emotions, but her silence spoke more than words ever could have.

“Ah, I’ve made my peace—”

“There is so much left to do. How can you abandon us now?” she asked sharply.

Hui swallowed. “That… I…”

Li Xiang put up a hand. “It isn’t very fair of me, is it? You’ve given everything to bring this sect back. To accuse you… and yet. Could you not have laid more of the burden on me?”

“No,” Hui said.

As if stung, Li Xiang jerked back. “Why not?”

He bowed his head and rubbed the back of his neck. “Because I’m a coward.”

“Explain,” Li Xiang demanded.

Hui took a deep breath. How to put this? “I… don’t want to see anyone else hurt. If someone must be injured, then let it be me. What scares me more than anything else, is that someone else might have to bear the burden of the decisions I’ve made.” He looked Li Xiang in the eyes. “Someone I love.”

She snorted and shook her head. “But I still bear the burden of your decisions. No matter what, we all do. So what is this, then? Running off in a spate of cowardice rather than dealing with the consequences?”

“No, I would never. It’s just… at the moment, I… couldn’t see another way forward,” Hui said, looking at his hands. “So much of me is already lost. What remains is a mere fragment. Since I’m already broken, I might as well shatter rather than watch someone else get hurt for the sake of my desires.”

“You believe that,” Li Xiang said quietly.

“I do,” Hui said, nodding.

She put her hand on his. Slowly, he opened his hand and took hers. “I said, after the battle, we could bree—”

“Ah! Yes, I remember,” Hui said, cutting her off. Please, Elder Sister. We’re having a moment. Let’s not bring breeding into it!

She looked him in the eye. “The rest of the sect is busy.”

“Ah, yes. Ah. Ah!” Hui stumbled back, startled. “Right now?”

“You don’t have much longer,” Li Xiang said, businesslike.

Hui nodded. “That’s true.”

“And I want to bear your child,” she said.

“If you say that, then—that’s also true,” Hui agreed.

“I’ll give that Xingxue a playmate,” she said, half-laughing.

Hui snorted. “I think Bai Xue has that handled. They’ll have a whole litter due in no time, with that harem of theirs.”

“Mmm.” Li Xiang lowered her eyelids. The light of the magical displays overhead colored her pale skin.

Hui leaned in. Her lips loomed large in his vision, soft and plump.

Li Xiang looked up, slamming her forehead on his chin.

Hui cried out and fell backward. “Elder Sister!”

“What are you waiting for? Let’s go!” She led the way down the hill, deeper into the sect.

“Where are we going?” Hui asked.

“My quarters,” Li Xiang said flatly.

“Eh? Not mine?” Hui asked.

She frowned at him. “Your quarters are a hut.”

“And a well,” Hui defended himself.

She shook her head. Without another word, she led the way onward.

--

Cool wind blew, sending Hui’s loosely-clasped robes flying. He faced the night, his arms crossed. Perfect. That was perfect. Better than I could have ever dreamed of—

“Xiao Hui,” an icy voice whispered in his ear.

Hui screamed and fell backward.

Li Xiang leaped up, her underrobes barely held closed at the hip. She caught Hui and brandished her sword at the night. “Who dares?”

Fang Hua stepped out of the night. She put her hands up. “It’s only me.”

Li Xiang narrowed her eyes, still wary. “A death cultivator?”

“Fang Hua, quickly, tell her you mean no harm!” Hui shouted, scrambling back to his feet.

“I mean no harm,” she parroted.

Li Xiang didn’t lower her sword.

Hui squinted at Fang Hua.

She rolled her eyes. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

At that, Li Xiang lowered her sword. “Who are you?”

“I’m a friend of Xiao Hui’s,” Fang Hua said. “I came to say my farewells.”

“You’re leaving?” Hui asked. No! My overpowered death cultivator add!

Fang Hua nodded. “We death cultivators don’t belong in a righteous sect, let alone a life qi sect. I’ll lead them to found our own sect.”

“Ah… that’s…” Hui frowned. Is that good or bad? A sect of death cultivators, isn’t that what all righteous cultivators should fear?

“We won’t harm anyone who doesn’t seek to harm us,” Fang Hua said. A hungry grin spread over her face.

Oh dear. Well… I guess… at the very least, this new demonic sect shouldn’t have a grudge against me? Still uncertain, Hui hesitated a moment.

Fang Hua turned. “That’s all.”

“Wait!” Hui called.

Fang Hua looked over her shoulder.

Hui turned around and ran into the room. He came out with a small gold disc and offered it to Fang Hua.

Fang Hua recoiled. “Life qi?”

“No, it’s—well, yes,” Hui said. He looked at the disc. “I’ve sealed Liu Guang inside here. There are death cultivators among your underlings whose lives were ruined by this man. Do what you wish with him, but I ask that if you find any other cultivators sealed in this space… please see to it that they are healed, to the best of your ability.”

“Aren’t you a healer?” Fang Hua asked.

Hui glanced at the floor. He offered the disc again. “Please.”

Fang Hua backed away. “Is that a gift or a burden? I don’t see the benefit to me.”

Hui bowed silently, still holding it out.

Soft, cold hands gripped the disc. “Thank you,” Song Aiguo said softly.

Sharply, Hui looked up. He met Song Aiguo’s cataract-covered white eyes. She gave him a small smile.

“I’m so sorry. I will always regret that I couldn’t—”

Song Aiguo shook her head. “It isn’t your fault. Before we met you, we were already doomed. With this, you have given us hope, and if not hope, then at least revenge.”

Hui bowed again, silently. The wind blew. When he stood, the death cultivators had vanished again, and the cool grew less extreme.

Li Xiang stared up at the sky. In the distance, the celebrations continued. “Shall we continue?”

Hui hesitated. He looked at her. “There’s… a few things I have to finish, first.”

Li Xiang nodded. “Hurry up and come back.”

Hui nodded. He grabbed his robes and took off into the night.