Waving goodbye to the Su siblings, Hui tucked his hands behind his back and hummed to himself. Ah, I’ve done a good deed today. Even if I had to help out a siscon to do it. See, this Hui is a righteous cultivator after all.

Actually… how are those two siblings? If Su Yan is a wolf who’s cultivated a human form… no, he could be a human who cultivated a wolf form. But why? Usually cultivation doesn’t go that way. Besides, is it even possible to cultivate the form of a spirit beast?

Hmm, if you can cultivate a spirit beast form for yourself, isn’t that a great way to make money? Sell your own fur, or claw clippings…

Ahem! Anyways! I’ll have to ask later. It’s always possible that Su Caiyi is a wolf spirit beast as well, I suppose, though she didn’t give off the same violent, wild aura as Su Yan.

“Hui, is that you? What are you doing out of that cave?” a familiar voice asked.

Hui turned. An unfamiliar girl frowned at him, her hair streaked with orange and turquoise, the skin of her hands and around her eyes stained purple. After a second, he saw past the strange colors and blinked. “Xixing? Is that you?”

“Who else? Wait, did you get stronger? Congrats, Hui!” She slapped him on the back.

“I’ve been busy lately outside the sect. Eh, wait. Elder sister, how are you here? Don’t you need to be an inheriting disciple to cross the barriers?” Don’t tell me…

She rolled her eyes at him. “I asked for an escort. Like us ordinary cultivators do.”

“Oh.” Hui paused a moment, then remembered. “Oh! I almost brought a unique pill back for elder sister, but unfortunately, this snake ate it,” Hui replied, shaking his head in disappointment.

Xixing’s eyes widened. She reached out for Zhubi, who immediately rolled over and played dead.

Hui flinched back, protective of his friend. “Elder sister, don’t hurt him!”

“I’ve never hurt him!”

“You milked him!”

Xixing rolled her eyes. “It didn’t hurt. Did it, Zhubi?”

Zhubi twitched slightly to more fully expose his belly, and stuck his tongue out, still dead.

She sighed and turned to Hui. “Let me examine him. I might be able to figure out the pill’s composition from what little remains.”

Hui frowned. “Elder sister, I don’t want to…” Wait. She can examine the remnants of the pill… isn’t that the same as knowing what it did to Zhubi? “Senior Xixing, if you knew what kind of pill it was, could you figure out the effects?”

“Eh? Of course! What do you take me for?” She narrowed her eyes.

“Then, if you tell me what it did to Zhubi, I’ll let you examine him to find out what kind of pill it was.”

Zhubi stiffened around his neck, unwilling. Hui’s heart remained firm. Zhubi, it’s for your own good!

Xixing nodded, eyes flashing. “Deal, deal!”

Yet again, the feeling that he’d struck the deal too quickly and ended up on the short end of the stick hit Hui. Even so, he uncoiled Zhubi from his neck and held the snake out to Xixing. “Then, if elder sister would.”

Xixing took Zhubi delicately in her hands. Where she stood, she closed her eyes and dropped into a lotus pose. Hui glanced around them, then stood behind Xixing, acting as her protector. “Excuse me, elder brother, watch your step… ah! Senior, your leopard… Elder sister, fairy maiden, please…”

Xixing opened her eyes and jumped back to a stand. “It’s a lotus-based pill.”

“Elder sister is exceedingly wise,” Hui complimented her. He held his hands out for Zhubi.

“You already knew that, didn’t you,” she replied, narrowing her eyes at him. She handed Zhubi back. In a flash, the snake slithered up Hui’s arm and settled back in his favorite spot around Hui’s neck.

“Senior, are you doubting me?” he asked, giving her his most innocent look.

She shook her head. “Aside from that, the pill was full of qi. It almost felt more like a natural treasure than a pill, very pure and unprocessed. Is he comfortable?”

“Er, sometimes he twists, like something’s bothering him,” Hui admitted.

“He’s probably struggling to process the wild qi in the pill. If you give him time, he’ll absorb it, or if you don’t want to wait, I have a pill right here that will speed the process. It costs fifty gold, though,” Xixing said, holding up a vial of golden, oil-like liquid.

“Deal,” Hui said confidently. Gold? Who cares! Spirit stones are what I need.

She narrowed her eyes at him again, but handed it over anyways in exchange for the gold.

Hui took the vial and tilted it back and forth. “What is this?”

“Soybean oil. Should lubricate the passages and help the lump… pass through,” Xixing replied smugly.

“Elder sister,” Hui complained, frowning at her. Surely it isn’t worth fifty gold?

She rolled her eyes. “Of course, of course, I forgot you’re not a pill cultivator. It’s spiritual cooking oil from a thousand-year soybean plant. It aids in digestion of qi as well as… well, ordinary digestion.”

“Thank you, elder sister.” Hui offered the vial to Zhubi. Zhubi lifted his head and sniffed, examining the liquid in the vial. At Hui’s encouragement, he tipped back his head and drank the oil.

“Glad to help. If you’re ever in need of pills, I could use more of that snake’s venom. It’s a powerful qi-inhibitor. Useful for all kinds of poisons… and medicines,” Xixing replied, tacking the last word on as an afterthought.

“I’ll… keep it in mind,” Hui promised. Elder sister Xixing, keep your evil intentions to yourself!

She nodded at his hand. “You’re entering the tournament?”

Hui nodded. “I’m hoping to…” Wait. I probably shouldn’t openly admit that Master broke me out of cultivation-jail and we’re trying to redeem my standing through my performance in the tournament. “…show my strength and rise to the top of the martial world!” he ad-libbed.

Xixing frowned. She stepped close and grabbed his chin, then felt his forehead. “He doesn’t have a fever… Is this a human-skin mask, then?” Xixing rubbed at his chin, feeling for a seam.

“Elder sister, elder sister, it’s me, it’s me,” Hui insisted, pulling away. That’s what the heroes always say in my favorite novels back home. Why isn’t it believable for me? What, is there something wrong with Xiao Hui showing his strength?

…Eh, even when I say it, it does sound a little off…

Xixing shook her head at him and sighed. “This elder sister will believe in you. It’s better than knowing whatever’s running through your head right now.”

“Mmm, probably true,” Hui muttered.

“Watch out!” Li Xiang shouted from above them.

Hui grabbed Xixing and jumped to the side. Seconds later, Li Xiang plunged sword-first into the cobbles where they’d been standing seconds ago. She peered under her sword, then beamed at them. “Hui! I was looking for you!”

“A sword cultivator. Eschewing the true route of pill cultivation. Ugh, the only thing worse is a talisman-maker, because they almost cultivate pills,” Xixing muttered under her breath.

Stabbed in the heart, Hui turned to Xixing, startled by the surprise attack. Elder sister, what grudge do you hold against me?

“Hui, do you have a moment?” Li Xiang asked, tipping her head cutely. The pink enamel pin shone in her hair.

“Of course, of course. Xixing, many thanks.” He bowed to Xixing.

Xixing nodded back and bobbed off, vanishing into the crowd.

Hui turned to Li Xiang. “Then, you—”

“Come with me.” She grabbed him by the waist, and they rocketed into the sky atop her sword.

It’s my first kidnapping, elder sister, please be gentle, Hui thought, then shook his head. No, no, this world isn’t like that! She just wants to talk, just wants to talk.

A second later, terror struck. Wait, we’re leaving the plaza! Can master still suppress my aura?

No, hold on! I can do it myself, can’t I? Hui circulated his death qi and suppressed his original system. The qi circulating naturally around him quieted, until it only circulated inside him.

Li Xiang glanced back at him, furrowing her brows.

“Just practicing, elder sister, just practicing,” Hui excused himself.

“That’s not true.”

“It’s probably best if you believe that,” Hui replied evenly. Best if I don’t involve Li Xiang in this mess. Besides, I don’t want to explain the half-truth we told her earlier, when Master first broke me out.

She paused, then nodded. “Understood.”

They hurtled down into the woods outside the plaza, down to a secluded clearing a distance behind the cafeteria. Hui glanced around, but they were alone. I’ve never seen this clearing before. Well, I suppose a Starbound Peak disciple would know the peak better than little me.

In the clearing, Li Xiang separated from Hui. She glanced at her feet, quiet. Hui waited patiently, eyes on the sky, too nervous to worry about Li Xiang. I don’t see the Sect Master yet, or Lan Taijian. Seems like my ploy worked.

“Hui…” Li Xiang started, then stopped again. She licked her lips, nervous.

Li Xiang is nervous? Wait, wait, is this the long-awaited confession scene? For the first time in my life—could I be so lucky?

Speaking of lucky, good thing I suppressed my qi. If Starbound Peak disciples sensed me and Li Xiang alone in a secluded clearing… hmm, even getting kidnapped by her is risky. I’ll have to watch my back the next few days.

“Back in Bai clan. When you told Bai Xue you were saving yourself, rather than accept her offer. I knew you were lying, but I still… it still made me happy. I don’t understand. Why would that be?” She turned delicate eyes to him, long lashes fluttering.

Hui’s heart thudded in his chest. For a moment, he almost forgot to mask his qi. Eh! No way, could it be? “Li Xiang, that… is it… because I turned down Bai Xue? Did that make you happy?”

She nodded, her brows furrowing. “I don’t understand. I like you, and I like Bai Xue. I should be happy for two of my friends to be happy together, but instead, I felt this tight sensation in my chest…”

“Is it jealousy?” Hui asked, his heart soaring. Li Xiang felt jealous over me? Ah, does it mean, could it be?

“Jealousy?” Li Xiang drew back sharply, as if he’d slapped her.

“What’s wrong?” Hui asked, moving closer. He reached out to her, confused.

She flinched away. “No, no, no! I can’t!”

“Wh—what?” Hui asked.

“Jealousy leads people astray. It’s the first step to the wrong path, that’s what Master said. To think, without realizing it, I began to harbor the seeds of demonic cultivation in my heart!”

Hui nodded slowly, his face blank. Er, elder sister, you do realize that this small cultivator has done much more than harbor the seeds of demonic cultivation…

No, no! I haven’t! I’m an upright, righteous cultivator! It just happens that I have a small talent for death qi—but that doesn’t make me a demonic cultivator! This small cultivator has to mind himself. If I start thinking like that, I’ll stray from the righteous path in no time!

Li Xiang stepped close and clasped Hui’s hands in hers. “Thank you for illuminating me, Hui! I’ll meditate on my failings until I remove jealousy from my heart. One must have a pure heart to cultivate the One with the Sword art, after all!”

“Not at all, not at all,” Hui said bitterly. Li Xiang, I don’t mind if you’re a little jealous over me…

Wait. But if she removes the jealousy from her heart, and the only thing that kept her from being okay with me and Bai Xue hooking up was jealousy…

Hui slapped himself in the face.

“Eh! Hui, what is it?” Li Xiang asked, concerned.

“A small inner heart demon, Li Xiang. Please don’t worry over this small cultivator. I’ll conquer this inner demon in no time,” Hui said, smiling gently at her.

“We all face our own demons. If there’s anything I can do to help you with yours…” Li Xiang offered.

“Focus on your own inner tribulation, Li Xiang. Once you overcome that, my perfect hare—my inner demon will dissipate as well.”

“Really? How mysterious,” Li Xiang pondered. She nodded once. “Then, I’ll see you in the tournament!”

“Elder sister has also entered? I’ll cheer for you!” Hui said.

“If we face each other, I’ll honor you by fighting with all my strength!” Li Xiang promised, heartfelt.

Hui froze. “F…face each other?”

Li Xiang nodded. “We’re both third stage cultivators, yes?”

Hui felt a gulf open up before his toes. He stared across a bottomless void at Li Xiang, his stomach falling out of his body. Weakly, he protested, “Er… but you’re late stage…”

“As long as we’re within the same stage, there’s a chance of facing each other,” she replied happily.

But elder sister, you’re a sword cultivator and I’m… I can barely stand up to normal combat, let alone a sword cultivator! My sword skills are only on par with the outer sect, and I bet you could take on a dozen outer sect disciples at once, even if you were stripped of all your cultivation!

Hui felt his life flash before his eyes, the inevitability of his defeat laid bare before him. I’ve only just hit third stage, how am I supposed to fight late-third-stage cultivators? So much for my plan to rend hearts… ah, my glorious future of parading about like Master, with all the cultivators afraid to fight me…

No! Hui, don’t give up yet! You can do this! Even if they’re stronger than you, rend their hearts! Even if they could beat you with their pinky finger, wear down their mental state until they beg for defeat! Think! Hui, you’ve survived until now. It might be hard, but you can survive into the future as well!

“Ah, but for the first few fights, it’s unlikely. They’ll match us with opponents near our cultivation level until it gets down to the last few fights,” Li Xiang said, tapping her chin thoughtfully.

“Oh?” Hui revived from the depths of despair. Ah, okay, okay. So as long as I rend hearts early, I can bow out before I have to fight someone too high above my cultivation level. Don’t lose heart, Hui!

Li Xiang cupped her hands at him. “Then, until the tournament!”

He cupped his hands back. “Until the tournament.”

Stepping atop her sword, Li Xiang blasted into the sky.