However, it’s still good to know what I just learned! Hui looked at her. “Can you come running that fast any time Bai Xingxue uses the charm?”

Bai Xue shook her head. “Only when I’m close. I still haven’t learned spatial techniques… I am only sixth realm, after all. Most cultivators can’t comprehend the secrets of spatial techniques until eighth realm.”

“And Li Xiang…” Hui asked.

Bai Xue shook her head. “She’s closer to eighth realm, but she’s much further from Starbound Sect than me. As you said, we cannot count on myself and Li Xiang to keep an eye on our children.”

Hui nodded. “Then I’ll continue teaching them to run away. While I’m at it, should I pass on a disguise technique?”

“Do you have one suitable for their realm?” Bai Xue asked, curious.

“Mmm… My primary disguise technique is suitable for third realm and up… mostly fourth realm and up,” Hui confessed.

“If they manage to hit fourth realm in a few short weeks, we won’t have to worry nearly as much,” Bai Xue chuckled.

“That’s true, that’s true,” Hui allowed. Right. If they progress that far in cultivation, I have many fewer worries! That would be ideal, but unless they’re Ying-Lin- or Master-level geniuses, it’s unlikely. After all, they’re the children of the geniuses Bai Xue and Li Xiang, but I’m the one who supplied the other half of their genetics. I can’t make any assumptions about their talent. Although I hope they are much more, naturally, I can’t assume that they’re any better than ‘above average,’ like myself.

Well, then again, they appear to have inherited some of their mothers’ skills. Bai Xingxue can already use ice techniques, at least, and Li Weiqi already has a form of weapon qi, even if he’s imbued it into Go stones at the moment. Ah, so I can consider them at least as talented as ‘once in a hundred years’-level geniuses like Bai Xue and Li Xiang! Good, good.

“They’re talented children, aren’t they,” Hui murmured.

“Yes,” Bai Xue agreed.

But they’re still far from powerful. I can’t be too cautious. Hui dusted off his robes and nodded. “Bai Xue, what are you so busy with?”

“Hmm? Well, you aren’t the only one who’s become aware of the other cardinal sects. Now that All-Heavens is less powerful, we need to shore up our strength. I believe the Bai Clan should be a part of that. Only by ingraining ourselves into the foundation of the next cardinal sect can we ensure the safety of our clan,” Bai Xue stated.

“Oh,” Hui said. That sounds very important!

Bai Xue waved her hand. “I’m merely continuing my mother’s policies, nothing exciting. It’s hard to disagree with the concept of strengthening our clan through our bonds with other sects. And what could be better than growing our influence with the cardinal sect? Especially after the original All-Heavens Sect, under Gui Delun, turned against our Bai Clan. We can’t risk that happening again.”

Hui nodded. “What Elder Sister says is indeed quite reasonable!”

Bai Xue glanced up, then gave Hui a blinding smile. “I ran off from the middle of a meeting to come here, but since Bai Xingxue isn’t in danger, there’s no need to stay. Besides, my attendants are going to kill me if I stay too long.”

“Of course, of course,” Hui said, stepping back to allow her to fly off.

Bai Xue closed the distance. She put a finger on his chin and tilted his head up a little. A mischievous smile spread across her lips. “Don’t be too disappointed.”

Hui’s mouth went dry. He stared into Bai Xue’s eyes, suddenly lost. “E…elder Sister…”

Grinning, Bai Xue flicked his forehead and released him. As she flew off, she called, “I don’t kiss dead men. Hurry up and come back to life!”

Hui put his hands over his forehead. “Bai Xue!” Teasing me like that… argh!

Glancing down, he sighed. I think I’ve done enough for today. I should head back before Elder Sister Reaper realizes I’m missing. He carefully lifted Zhubi away and set the snake on the branch beside him. “Zhubi, I’m heading back now. You watch over my children, okay?”

Zhubi nodded.

Settling his body into a crux in the tree’s branches, Hui assumed a meditative pose and retracted his energy back into the seed, turning his body back into a core. The seed core dropped down, plopping into the nook. Zhubi wiggled over and gave it a sniff, then settled in to watch over the forest, draping his body to catch the sun.

With a thump, Hui landed back in his body in the Underworld. He glanced around. Got back before Elder Sister this time! Nice.

He stood and stretched, walking out of his quarters. I suppose I should take in the Underworld for a while. Get to know the places and people, and look around for where they lock the prisoners. I want to find Han Qin’s beloved, the fourth of the Four Evils, and I mean… the prisoners sound pretty interesting, all around. I wonder who else is locked up?

Ah! Not that I’m stupid enough to free them, or even spend too long around them! I just want to take a peek. Maybe ask Chen Wuya about them. Knowledge is power, and comprehension trumps all! As long as they can teach me something, they’re worth talking to.

Setting off, Hui wandered the village. There wasn’t much to see. Aside from the dormitories and a few dining facilities, the space was empty. No sign of life stood out anywhere. Even the clerks drifting around seemed on the verge of fading away into the cycle of reincarnation.

What was Elder Sister going on about? There’s nothing to see here. And no one seems excited, either! Am I supposed to fall in love with this place? What’s there to fall in love with?

“You.”

Hui turned. “Elder Sister!”

The reaper looked him up and down, then nodded. “You’re ready. It’s time for your first solo reaping.”

“Eh?” Hui asked. Elder Sister hasn’t even taught me the secret to returning to the mortal realm!

As if reading his thoughts, the reaper nodded. “That’s right. You haven’t learned how to reach the surface yet, have you?”

“No,” Hui lied innocently. You haven’t taught me, anyways. So that means I haven’t learned how to reach the mortal realm as a reaper! So I’m not fully lying.

Eh, I feel like Li Xiang would still detect that one, though.

Come to think of it, can Li Weiqi detect lies? He can certainly tell them, which implies he can’t detect them, since Li Xiang’s detecting lies came with being unable to tell them. In the first place, Li Xiang could only detect lies because her soul was technically a sword spirit’s, so it wouldn’t make too much sense if Li Weiqi could, I guess, but it’s not like I, who know some science, understands how souls work in combination with genetics…

Anyways.

The reaper stepped forward and raised her hand. “Empty your mind. I’m going to impart the technique to you.”

“Ah? Okay,” Hui said, nodding. He closed his eyes and entered a meditative-like state.

Cold fingertips pressed against his forehead. A bit of qi passed from her to him, taking shape in his mind. Sensations slid past each other. Forward and backward motion. Tectonic plates pushed against one another, forced along by incomprehensible forces. Black and white. Real and unreal. He felt the world twist. Driven on by the technique, he stepped forward.

Something grasped him mid-step. A strange, foreign power distorted the direction of his technique. Hui immediately played dead. The power passed over him, but his direction had already been distorted. Hui frowned. I don’t know where I am, or even really where I’m going. So… maybe it’s fine?

He felt himself begin to plunge. A cold, dark abyss opened beneath him, and though he existed in a world of strange and incomprehensible sensations at that moment, he knew instantly that entering there meant true death. He jumped to life, finishing his step forward.

When he opened his eyes, he stood in the mortal realm. Hui furrowed his brows, slowly taking in his location. Bruised purple clouds threatened rain, but at the moment, the sky held back its fury. I’m… somewhere in the Eastern Alliance?

Eh, wait. Elder Sister! Who am I here to reap? Am I supposed to figure it out on my own? But… but there’s no one around…

“She’s finally let you out of her sight,” a cold voice chuckled. Two clammy hands wound around Hui’s neck, and Si Wang drew him back gently but firmly. “Come. I have much to show you, child.”

“Elder Brother, do I have to?” Hui asked, squirming slightly. I don’t want to! I don’t want to! Can I opt out of listening to your insane manifesto and go back to living my ordinary reapery unlife?

“Yes,” Si Wang hissed.

Damn. Hui sighed. It was worth a try.

Back in the Underworld, the reaper frowned. He wasn’t supposed to vanish as soon as he circulated it. I didn’t even tell him his mission yet, or where to go… nor do I know where he went.

Haaa. Do I have to wait for him to come back down before I set out on my own work? I’m going to have to work late again today…