Hui stopped dead. “Eh.”

She stepped forward and took his hand. “A death cultivator like yourself, with unprecedented intelligence at such a low realm? If I refined your corpse, I wonder… to what heights could you soar? Please, I’m begging you, Xie Hao. Let me refine your corpse! It’ll be beneficial to both of us!”

“I…” Hui hesitated. Forgive me, I’m not depraved!

She saw the look on his face and shook her head, blushing deeper. “What are you thinking of? Not like that! It’s not dual cultivation. Corpse cultivation, corpse cultivation! It’s essential for any necromancer. Nothing like dual cultivation! Much closer to pill cultivation or alchemy.

“It probably won’t… er, feel good for you. I’ve never cultivated a conscious corpse before, so I don’t know. It might hurt, but it’ll provide unprecedented benefits. Think of it like… body cultivation through pills for normal cultivators. You’ll be submerged in a fluid, and…”

Hui’s eyes glazed over as she continued to speak. I can’t possibly let her refine my corpse! After all, this small cultivator is no corpse! These techniques are almost certainly toxic to living beings. I’d die!

But… what can I say to excuse myself? She has a good point! It’d be beneficial to both of us, if I really were a death cultivator! I can’t think of a single reason for a real death cultivator to refuse her. “I…”

Seeing his hesitation, Fa Chuyou furrowed her brows. She reached into her robes and drew out a jade slip, pressing it into his hands. “I understand. It’s a difficult decision. During the refinement process, you’ll be completely at my whim, unable to fight back. But Xie Hao, I hope you can trust me. I truly bear no ill will, nor hidden goals. I only want to see if it’s possible to apply corpse refinement techniques to a death cultivator.

“If you decide to give me the honor of refining your corpse, please use that jade slip to contact me!”

Hui closed his hand around the slip. The warmth of Fa Chuyou’s skin faded slowly against the cold fingertips of his ghoul skin-covered hand. Ambiguously, he said, “I’ll think about it.”

She nodded, beaming. “Please feel free to reach out to me at any time. I’ll come, no matter the time of day or night.”

Hui bowed stiffly.

Fa Chuyou nodded again, then skipped off, giddy with the mere prospect of refining his body. Hui sighed at her back and put the slip away in his robes. I wish it were so easy…

Beside him, Chang Bolin let out a groan.

“Wishing she asked you instead?” Hui asked. He shook his head, then looked at Chang Bolin. He’s not the man he was. I wonder if it’s because of his drop in intelligence, or if there’s something else at play?

Numbly, Chang Bolin staggered after Fa Chuyou. Hui let him go, then turned and jogged back to his vertebra. For now, I need to think. What’s my plan? How do I progress from here?

Ducking into the bone cave, he drew out the objects he’d acquired recently. The jade slip from Fa Chuyou first. A quick examination confirmed that it was a messaging slip, just as she’d said; if he put a message inside, it would seek her out.

Second, the jade slip from the sect. He sent his mental energy inside, and he nodded. A basic demonic cultivation technique! It’s not useful for me… I don’t need a demonic technique that might drive me insane or cause a qi deviation in the end, when I already have my technique. But in the future, I might be able to use this to barter with someone. It won’t be worth much, but spirit stones are spirit stones.

At last, he pulled out the red gem he’d found in the center of the illusion matrix. Carefully, he sent a strand of qi inside.

Howling filled his mind. Cold rushed through him, followed by rage. Words piled on top of words, all rushing into Hui’s mind at once, forcing their way through him.

Forcibly, Hui retracted his qi. He dropped the gem and jumped back, staring at it.

Those… are they… discarnate souls?

Souls forced off the path of reincarnation and captured in that stone! Souls without strong desires to remain on this earth, souls that lacked the will to become ghouls or ghosts! These souls wanted to reincarnate, but couldn’t! Trapped, they go insane, losing their will, losing any force, and become discarnate souls! Is it… because of this gem?

Sweat rolled down Hui’s back. Panting, he wiped his face, eyes wide. If I failed to break out of the array… would my soul be inside that gem right now?

Scary! Too scary!

Staring at the stone, Hui’s chest slowly stopped heaving. His breathing settled, and he sat, then carefully collected the gemstone. A plan took form in his mind, a way to refine his ghoul skin without Fa Chuyou discovering his true nature.

Hui swallowed and gripped the stone tight. It’s a gamble, but—! But a chance like this doesn’t come by every day! If I can refine my ghoulskin, how strong can it become? If it becomes harder and stronger, it can become a true armor, another layer between me and death. And I can use it to excuse a sudden jump in my cultivation strength, if I’m ever forced to reveal my true cultivation. This is a chance to get stronger, and more importantly, to protect this small cultivator’s neck! Now that I have a chance, I have to take it!

He took off the ghoul skin and set it before him. The red gem he put next to the ghoul skin. Drawing out the jade slip, he sent a message to Fa Chuyou. Come to Vertebra 108 at midnight. Then, drawing a deep breath, he assumed the lotus position and began to circulate his death qi.

I have more life qi than death qi. I won’t fall out of my body. But if I try hard enough…

The world faded. Hui hovered over his body, brows furrowed. From outside it, he guided his dantian and life qi, circulating both. They spun, slowly, leaving his abandoned body barely alive.

Hui twisted his lips thoughtfully. To call it alive might be a stretch. It’s more like… in stasis. In a state neither dead nor alive, where it cannot die nor decay, but neither truly alive.

“You again?”

Hui grinned up at the reaper woman. “We meet again, senior!”

She scowled. “None of that. I thought Zhu Diyu taught you a lesson. I see now—”

“Elder sister! I recently came across a magical item where as soon as I saw it, I knew it was fated to enter Elder sister’s hands. Please, would you do me the honor of taking a look?” Hui gestured at the red gem on the ground.

She’s from the underworld, where these souls should be. I bet she’d love to have so many lost souls handed directly to her.

If not… if not, I’ll have to try something else!

The reaper’s brows furrowed. She descended and knelt by the gem, frowning.

All at once, her eyes widened. “Is this…”

Hui tilted his head, still smiling.

She flicked her sleeve, gathering up the gem. “Is this an attempt to bribe me? Hell’s officials have no tolerance for bribery.”

“Of course, of course. Elder sister is an honorable official. I wouldn’t dream of bribing you. You simply stopped by my cave and stumbled across the gem.”

Her frown deepened. “Return to your body, now!”

“Elder sister, I…”

“If you aren’t in your body by the time I get back, I’ll be forced to report you again!” With that, the reaper retreated, taking the gem with her.

Hui’s eyes widened. He bowed to the reaper’s back. I understand! I don’t have long, but I’ve bought myself time!

Hmm… the next time I find discarnate souls, I should exchange them with the reaper as well. I have no use for them, but she seems to like them. The better my relationship with the reaper, the better my chances of not getting reaped!

Then, next is… He turned toward the ghoul skin.