Hui followed the reaper at a short distance, keeping an eye on her boots just in case. I won’t be stepped on again. I won’t allow it!

The reaper glanced back. “What are you standing back there for?”

“Ah? Don’t worry about it, don’t worry about it, Elder Sister!” Hui said, waving his hand with a smile. He watched her feet nervously.

The reaper sighed. “It was a momentary slip. There’s no need to be so worried.”

“No, no, no. I’ll follow you. You’re my senior, no? I should stand behind you. It’s only proper,” Hui said, nodding. And I’m out of the range of those sinister feet! You can’t stand on me when I’m behind you!

Another sigh. She shook her head and walked on, footsteps tapping across the bare stone wasteland.

“You know, the void space in Fen Long’s realm looked a lot like this,” Hui commented, looking around. Stone and wind and nothing. No Fei Hu, though… ah, it’s too bad. I miss that strange tiger creature.

“Fen Long shouldn’t exist,” the reaper said sharply.

“Eh?” Hui asked. Does the reaper hate Fen Long? But why? Aside from his habit of sealing people, I don’t think he’s ever mentioned the reaper… nor does he play dead, or anything like that!

“The Heavens are in disorder. Sometimes… things slip through,” she muttered.

Hui tilted his head. “Is he like me, then?” The reaper knows about me, right? Well… how could the Underworld not?

She waved her hand. “Less troublesome than you. In a word, he’s an Immortal from another realm that slipped into this one. Him and that Chen Wuya both. Originally, the Heavens should have expelled them—would have, if they were functioning. But instead… they slipped through.”

“Do they have their memories, then? From when they were Immortals,” Hui asked.

“Do they have their memories,” the reaper scoffed. “What don’t they remember?”

“What does that mean?” Hui said, frowning.

“It’s not worth concerning yourself with. When it comes to those two, there’s nothing we can do. Not with the way the world is, not now,” the reaper said, waving her hand.

Hui opened his mouth.

The reaper shot him a look, her eyes narrowing.

Ah! I’d better not say anything. I feel like the reaper will step on me again if I dare continue! Hui thought, shutting his mouth.

They came up on the court. Zhu Diyu rested his head on one hand, bored, his eyes half closed. The Yellow Springs welled up at his feet, forming a huge, deep pool off to the side of the court. Skeletal koi swam peacefully, occasionally mouthing at the air with their bony mouths. The water poured down and wound through the stone floor, eventually feeding the Sanzu River. As the two approached, he looked up, then gestured them over, dismissing court with the wave of his hand.

Hui followed the reaper up to stand before him, gazing up at Zhu Diyu. She cupped her fists and saluted, and he quickly followed suit.

Yawning, Zhu Diyu sat upright. “So, Weiheng Hui, how do you find being a reaper?”

“Small cultivator is blessed to have received the great one’s attention. I—”

“I’ve heard enough meaningless flattery to drown the Yellow Springs. My ears grow numb to its saccharine tones,” Zhu Diyu said, not bothering to suppress his yawn.

Hui cleared his throat. Quick and concise, got it! “I’m settling in. It’s taken some adjustment, but Elder Sister Reaper has been a great help.”

Zhu Diyu changed his gaze to the reaper.

“He still plays dead on reflex half the time, but I think we can break the habit in another century,” the reaper reported.

“As it should be. Weiheng Hui, you are at the fifth stage, and yet you lack a Dao,” Zhu Diyu stated.

“I…” Hui frowned. I feel like that’s not true, somehow, and yet… it’s not as if I know what my Dao is.

But then, every time I get close, Elder Sister interrupts me. If she didn’t keep interrupting me, maybe I could find my Dao again!

“I… do,” he admitted at last. Zhu Diyu wants me to not have a Dao, so I’ll lack one for now. Admitting it to him means nothing. I won’t stop my efforts to recall my Dao! It’s not as if Elder Sister has been subtle in blocking my attempts. For some reason, the Underworld objects to my Dao.

Hmm, I feel like that’s a hint in itself…

Zhu Diyu waved his sleeve. A manual materialized in midair and floated down before Hui. He held his hands out and accepted it.

“This is a manual that covers the sixth through eighth stages. Although the final stages are obscured, I’m sure you can come to comprehend them on your own,” Zhu Diyu grumbled.

“Many thanks! Small cultivator is undeserving of your graciousness,” Hui said, bowing.

“Is Mamian bullying you?” Zhu Diyu asked.

Hui frowned. Mamian… Ah! “No, no. Elder Sister is…” He hesitated and cut his eyes at the reaper. Hold on. She stepped on me. Does that count as bullying?

“What?” the reaper asked.

“She… that is, Elder Sister did once… ste—”

The reaper elbowed Hui in the gut. All the air left his body, and his words cut off.

“Ste…?” Zhu Diyu asked.

Hui straightened with effort, his entire body crumpled around her elbow blow. Elder Sister… you’re an ancient cultivator with power far greater than mine. Is it too much to request that you hold back? He coughed a little bit of blood, but managed to choke it back. “Ste… stee… steeped me some tea! It was very kind of her.”

“Oh,” Zhu Diyu said. His brows furrowed faintly. Has the reaper ever steeped tea for me? She must be fond of this Weiheng Hui. Is this the fabled “closeness that slowly grows between working colleagues?

He nodded slightly to himself. She deserves a reward after all her hard work. I can overlook this relationship, just this once. Zhu Diyu smiled. “Good, good.”

Hui licked his lips. Why do I somehow feel like that meant a lot more to Zhu Diyu than it did to me…?

Zhu Diyu stood. “That is all.”

Hui, the reaper, and everyone else bowed as Zhu Diyu strode off. One of the clerks jumped up and chased after him with a stack of documents, unwilling to let him escape so easily.

Hui patted the manual thoughtfully, watching from the corner of his eye as Zhu Diyu strode off. Zhu Diyu gives me a manual, the reaper keeps interrupting my practice… it’s almost as if they strongly dislike my Dao. If I didn’t know better, I’d almost think they were trying to suppress this small, harmless cultivator’s Dao!

But there’s no need to do that. No need, no need at all! I’m just a small cultivator. No one special. My Dao, too, must also be a small, un-special Dao. Suppressing it is going much too far for one as lowly as me, let alone suppression from ones such as the Lord of the Underworld and the singular reaper!

I wonder… it might be easier to condense my Dao when I sneak out to the mortal realm. Then, even if Elder Sister tries to distract me, I at least have the buffer of a whole realm between me and her.

The reaper glanced at Hui. “You aren’t thinking something useless, are you?”

Hui bowed. “Small cultivator would never do something so wasteful.”

Cocking a brow, the reaper looked him over. Never? All you do is think about useless things!

Hui sneezed. He glanced around and wiped his nose. Weird. I shouldn’t be sneezing at this realm! And especially not with this body.

The reaper cleared her throat. “You are free to go now. I’ll fetch you when we are once again needed for reaping.”

“Yes,” Hui said, bowing. Good. I need to continue with my seed-dropping. The Eastern region is huge! If I want to visit the Southern Sect Conference, I’ll need anchor seeds much closer than my initial starting point, if I don’t want to fly for a few days to get there every time I want to visit! And I don’t know how large the Eastern Region is. I could have ages yet to go! Months!

She gave him a look. “I wouldn’t go too far, if I were you.”

“Go far? What do you mean? I’m earnestly meditating in my quarters,” Hui said, putting on a puzzled expression.

“Mmm…” the reaper said, narrowing her eyes. “My foot feels a bit itchy.”

“Elder Sister should get that looked at. Itchy feet can be a symptom of foot fungus. It’s quite a serious condition,” Hui said, bowing.

The reaper drew her sword.

Hui toppled over backward, instantly dead.

She scowled, sheathing her sword once more. “It’s so unsatisfying.”

“Eh? I’m so sorry I failed to satisfy Elder Sister…” Hui’s eyes widened. He coughed a few times, trying to override his own words. Fuck! What did I just say? Thank goodness Bai Xue is still alive. I’d never live that down.

“Hmph,” the reaper grumbled. She turned on her heel and marched off.