I stared at the group of thugs surrounding us and gulped nervously. I found a couple of them eyeing me, wary expressions on their faces when I suddenly realised.

I was slightly higher in cultivation than them, wasn't I? Not that it would change anything. I couldn’t fight to save my life.

“Got a friend to come around eh Su Lin? Never took you for the type to mingle with the sect disciples,” the group leader, Zou, spoke, taking out his dagger and spinning it around in his hands. His lackeys followed behind him as they drew out their own.

What was up with this whole group and their hidden daggers? First Su Lin, now those guys, should I be carrying one too?

“This ain’t got nothing to do with ya Zou. Piss off,” Su Lin barked, but I could feel the tension in his shoulders. There were two of us. Or one and a tagalong, and five of them, an unfair fight if it came down to it.

“Should’ve thought that before ya stole those spirit stones, and cut off the supply of pills,” Zou growled back as his Qi flared.

I eyed Su Lin. From what I could tell from this conversation, and what I’d gathered on Su Lin, these were his former spirit herb smuggling companions, that or some other kind of shady stuff. Finding a new source of earning money must’ve had Su Lin jump trains. This was all speculation though, so I could be way off.

“Should’ve thought about being stabbed in the back when you threw me to the side Zou,” Su Lin retorted and I saw the frown on Zou’s face deepen.

I really didn’t feel like going deeper into this event. I could practically see how it’d play out. Zou shouts you dare? And charges us, and then we fight, and somehow beat him, and he runs away, then the big evil guy behind him sends some cultivators after us, and that’s it for two random nobody’s whose death would go unnoticed by most.

I grit my teeth and decided to try to bluff my way through this.

“I don’t know what your trouble is with one another. Neither will I participate in it, or interfere. I’m an unconcerned party,” I said out loud, infusing as much courage and calmness as I could into my voice, pausing for effect.

“But. Su Lin has some things I need. And I’d prefer, if this conflict could be sorted at a later date,” I breathed out, staring at the tense lackeys. Zou’s eyes swivelled to me, and I noticed the deep yellow pupils in his eyes. I felt his Qi flare, a slimy feel to it.

I didn’t like this guy.

“A righteous fella are we? Ya want me to let this thieving rat run away? Again? Hah!” the man laughed, as his lackeys followed in quieter chuckles.

“Think again, big fella. Ya may be stronger, but there’s a fair few more of us here. Let’s see who’s fists talk more eh?” Zou aside and I let out a muffled sigh.

Time for trick number two.

I flooded my pathways with Qi, using Lu Jie’s memories to guide my path. One of the benefits of being stuck at the peak of the Third realm for so long had been that Lu Jie had gained good control of his Qi.

Cultivators would often have to deal with a growing amount of Qi, leading to an imbalance in Qi usage. But Lu Jie’s Qi had been static for months, allowing him to know just how much each of his techniques needed. It did not make up for his lacking Qi, or strength, but it did help him last longer.

I sensed a slight Mist rising around me, as I spoke once again, infusing my voice with Qi. A slight pulse to my pack had the Qi from my spirit herbs merging with my own, and pouring out in a torrential storm.

“You really don’t want to do this. Let us both walk away.” I said, and I could see Zou’s lackeys taking a step back. A Third realm’s Qi had to be difficult to bear for those below me. And I was cheating with my pills.

I could see the hesitation on his face, as he reconsidered his actions. I tensed, keeping my Qi up, but I began to struggle. I was essentially draining my Qi away, to create an illusion of strength that I didn’t possess. I wouldn’t last too long.

“Grab Su Lin,” Zou muttered and I cut off my Qi, digging through my pocket as I hurriedly put a Qi Gathering pill in my mouth. A grimace covered my face, as I prepared myself for a nasty fight. Here's hoping Lu Jie memories were enough for me to get out of here.

I let Qi flood my pathways, it was strange, but also familiar. Lu Jie’s memories played in my mind, hours upon hours of work that he’d poured into achieving advancing his cultivation. All those hours, now flashed through my mind as mist began to billow from my sleeves.

My god, I was turning into a Cultivation protagonist.

I felt a stir of Qi near my pouch as Labby woke up. I could sense his confusion as his head poked out of the pouch. Anger rose in his mind as he spotted the thugs as Labby jumped out, his fur crackling with lightning, shooting it towards the thugs.

It… wasn’t very effective. I was about to rush ahead, to grab Labby from killing himself, when Qi exploded in front of me. Thunder, unlike anything I’d sensed erupted from where Labby had stood, forming a storm as it mixed with my mist. A powerful force descended all around me, and I heard groans of pain come from up ahead.

Pretend this is you, Junior Brother. Raise your voice and infuse it with Qi.

I heard a familiar girl’s voice speak in my head, but I had no time to give that any thought. I took the opportunity, as I channelled the best impression of an arrogant young master that I could.

“You dare Zou?! You should’ve heard my warnings before taking such a foolish step. If your life is not precious to you, then I will gladly take it from you,” I shouted out loud, dying a little bit inside.

Thankfully, another burst of lightning spread all around Me, extending to Labby as I heard him squeaking angrily. I wondered if he thought this was coming from him.

“But I am merciful even now. Walk away, and I will pretend this slight never happened Zou. But think twice before you try to approach Su Lin or me again. Because I will be remembering this. Now scram!” I shouted, as Qi bellowed from my voice. I was afraid my voice would crack but a powerful thunder strike crackled as stone erupted and even I recoiled in fear of being hit by the demonstration.

I could hear screams and curses being shouted as Zou and his lackeys began to run away. I felt my heart thundering in my chest, from the encounter, as relief flooded me. That had been close.

Squeak!

I heard Labby, as I felt immense satisfaction and pride come from him, and chuckled at his antics.

I shook my head, as I cut off the Qi filling my pathways, the mist receding slowly but surely. Another thing I’d overlooked, this mist and its formation would be interesting to look into later. I shook my head, bringing it back to the voice of the girl I’d heard.

I recognised the voice, from an encounter a few weeks ago. The question was, what such a person was doing in this alleyway in the middle of nowhere, and possibly alone.

My gaze caught Su Lin staring my way in surprise, his eyes wide, and I just realised how the display from earlier had looked like. I stared back at Su Lin, thinking of how to explain when a large bird flew over my head, its feather cracking with thunder and my eyes caught the girl standing a bit further away.

Damn it, the crazy girl from my first meet up with Su Lin had found us. Though… Why was her face so red?

***

Yan Yun wished she had a hole she could bury herself in. Her face refused to lose its flush as she stared at Lu Jie and his lover, who both stared dumbfoundedly at her. Her mind played the image of their lips meeting each other as her cheeks turned scarlet with renewed vigour.

She wasn’t a deviant! She was just… passionate about her hobby.

Yan Yun should pretend this is a gathering for the young noble lords. Treat them as Yan Yun treats her potential suitors.

Leiyu spoke in her mind, as her spirit companion flew overhead, sending little sparks towards the rat that kept squeaking in protest. Yan Yun was momentarily surprised to find lightning Qi within the rat, but she put that off her mind, coughing once as she began to speak.

“I’d ask what you two are doing outside the sect, getting involved with thugs, but it's shameful to do so in my position, so I’ll be pretending I never saw… anything,” Yan Yun said, breaking at the last word for a moment before she refocused. These were young lords of unknown origins eyeing her for her beauty as their minds thought of all depraved thoughts. Not starstruck lovers kept apart by the world, for their love was forbidden and untenable so they hid in alleys and outside the sight of the word, longing for each other-

Yan Yun needs to stop her delusions!

Leiyu shouted in her mind, and she paused, nodding. Thankfully, the two didn’t seem to have noticed, too busy gawking at her with a blank expression.

“So… you were the one who was behind all the lightning, and all the Qi?” the other boy spoke up, his eyes drifting towards Lu Jie.

“Yes. I’d seen two sect disciples in trouble and couldn’t stay my hand. It would’ve been troublesome to be found out here though, so forgive your senior sister for the act,” Yan Yun said. She was doing this! She was talking to them! She pushed the quiet giggle that began to worm its way out.

“How did you do that… the speaking in my mind thing?” Lu Jie asked, staring at her, and Yan Yun looked at the boy in surprise.

Like this. It’s called sending. A simple technique, I’m surprised you haven’t used it to talk to your spirit yet. It even broke through to the first realm after all.

She spoke in his mind, sending with her Qi, and she saw increasing surprise reflected on the boy’s face.

The little one asks the Young Mistress to allow her to talk to her great master. Leiyu spoke to her, and she saw the Rat squeaking in excitement.

Yan Yun felt slightly conflicted. She still didn’t like rats, but she could sense the little spirit’s burning desire.

“Your spirit wishes to talk to you, Lu Jie. She has a lot to say,” Yan Yun said as she felt Lu Jie’s Qi flaring.

“She?”