Running through the forest, Hui quickly flipped through the ducks’ vision again. Still nothing?

A vague sense of discontentment, slowness, and the need to conceal themselves came back to him. Hui sighed, understanding. Right. They have to hide themselves in Starbound Sect, or else I might get kicked out for cultivating death qi. I’m doing it righteously, but Lan Taijian would never understand, to say nothing of the Sect Master. I should be thankful that the ducks thought to hide themselves!

He sped up toward his Master’s peak. By leaps and bounds, he left Starbound Peak behind and quickly ascended the mountain. Weiheng Wu’s hut appeared atop the hill, as simple and pristine as he remembered it. The well sat alongside it. Hui slowed to a halt before the well and closed his eyes, reaching a hand over it. His brows furrowed. I still don’t sense anything strange about this water.

Shrugging, he pulled up a bucket. Water sloshed within, clean and clear but otherwise unremarkable. He held his hand over it and sent a probe of qi inside. Still nothing. It’s just water.

Hui hesitated, looking at the water. Maybe… it can only be sensed when the water is drunk? I haven’t drunk any of the water since before I was in Qi Gathering. I’ve used it to make paper, but I haven’t drunk it. Maybe that’s the key.

Moving to the hut, Hui filled a jug with water, then put it in his storage ring. A little water remained at the bottom of the bucket after the jug filled. He lifted the bucket and dumped the last of the water into his mouth.

Hui settled into a lotus pose and circulated his qi evenly. Focusing internally, he turned all his energy inside of him, watching the flow of his own qi. He frowned. Is it circulating a little more smoothly? I can’t tell. If there is an effect, it’s a subtle one.

Oh, well. I guess the kids were duped about that. That, and the whole ‘Xiao Hui is the true villain’ nonsense. He sighed and shook his head.

A flash of forest passed before his eyes. Grass, littered with charred bones. A group of disciples crouching over a fire. Hui looked up. The ducks! They’ve found something! He set the bucket down on the edge of the well and charged down the peak.

At the base of his Master’s peak, Hui paused. Half the problem is those damn rumors. I bet these duck-eating idiots have a big hand in spreading them, but one way or another, I don’t want to charge in and stop them, only for new rumors to appear. I can hear it now: ‘Ah, did you hear, Xiao Hui ate a whole fleet of ducks and blamed it on those righteous fellow disciples?’ No, no, no! I need to fight back.

But how?

Hui bit his lip, then suddenly nodded to himself. He jogged up Starbound Peak, pausing at the common areas for a moment. If I were Li Xiang…

Long black hair. Swirling white robes. A silver blade danced through the air. Every swing sliced an invisible enemy, every movement immaculate. Hui crouched at the side of the practice field to watch, hugging his legs and watching her with shining eyes. Rather than an immortal, he looked a bit like a child, squatting to watch a martial artist perform at the roadside. Beautiful…

Tossing her hair, Li Xiang caught sight of him at last. She pulled up alongside him, gliding over the ground like a celestial maiden. Tilting her head, she asked, “Xiao Hui, where are you going in such a rush?”

“Someone’s been eating the Sect Master’s ducks. I think I’ve caught the culprit red-handed,” Hui said, rising. He dusted off his robes and managed to hide his goofy smile with some effort.

“It isn’t you?” Li Xiang asked, furrowing her brows.

Hui glanced at her, then shook his head simply. She doesn’t mean anything by it. Li Xiang is a blunt and straightforward person. It’s not strange for her to suspect me after I ate the first one, and she doesn’t mean anything by it. “Not me.”

Li Xiang’s eyes flashed. “We must bring them to justice.”

Hui nodded. “Thank you, Elder Sister!”

He took off, leading the way away from the practice field and toward the forest where the Sect Master’s ducks and the Duck Protection Society waited. At the edge of the field, he hesitated, then dropped the supposedly-spiritual water and dashed away from the Duck Protection Society’s haunting grounds and instead sprinted toward where the ducks had reported seeing the Starbound Sect disciples eating roast duck. “This way, Li Xiang.”

Li Xiang followed him unquestioningly, the light of justice shining in her eyes.

The forest closed in around them. Overhead, the canopy grew darker, and underneath, thick leaf mould crunched. Compared to Mysterious Heavenly Forest Sect’s forest, though, it didn’t even qualify to be called a forest. Hui ran through it as surefooted as though he’d spent his whole life there, leaping from knotted root to tree trunk to pass as quietly as possible.

A shiver passed over Hui. He glanced down at himself and turned his hands over, not sure what had happened. That felt like the boundary to a spell, but…

Li Xiang pointed up. “Smoke.”

Hui followed her finger. Smoke rose over the forest, slowly dissipating on the wind. By the time it reached the spell boundary they’d just crossed, little remained of the smoke but a faint scent of woodfire.

He reached out to the ducks, who confirmed it. His eyes flashed. “Those are our culprits. Li Xiang, be ready!”

Nodding, Li Xiang drew her sword. Hui hesitated, then threw a hand up in front of her. Li Xiang stopped abruptly and gave Hui a look.

“Elder Sister… wait here. Be ready to come out on my signal.”

Li Xiang looked at Hui. “Are you sure?”

Hui nodded. Looking at the clearing, he sucked a deep breath. “This time… I think it’s best if I… I jump in… alone!”

“I can come with you. There’s no need to push yourself,” Li Xiang offered.

Hui shook his head. He put on a heroic face and turned to Li Xiang. “Elder Sister, I couldn’t possibly ask you to step out first! Where would my pride as a man go? My heroic aura?”

Li Xiang frowned at him, lost. “Your… what?”

Elder Sister! There’s some things you can’t say, even if they’re true! Hui nodded and stepped out into the clearing, leaving Li Xiang behind. She ducked behind a tree and watched him go, waiting.

Four disciples sat around a fire, their backs to him, chomping on fresh roast duck. The savory scent of meat filled the air, enough to make Hui’s mouth water. With some effort, he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, then let out a stern snort. The disciples jumped, startled.

“Well, well, well, what do we have here? Disciples, eating the Sect Master’s beloved ducks?” Hui asked, looking down on the other disciples, his hands tucked neatly behind his back.