“And there’s a third reason we don’t unite to attack sects,” Jin Mo said once I handed the jade slip back to Lao Hu. “Simply put, they’re stronger than us. Even though we may all be quasi-immortals, they’ve been raised with the best techniques, the best guidance, the best resources, something we rogue cultivators can’t afford. If I had to make an estimate, every sect quasi-immortal can face off against two rogue ones. Of course, there are exceptions.”

That … might be a problem. I honestly hadn’t considered it. Lucia easily beat her way through rogue and sect cultivators alike; I assumed their strengths were equal. “Are you one of those exceptions?”

Jin Mo chuckled. “Back when I was still a saint, I had the experience of meeting Old Bai—that previous child’s grandfather—while sneaking into a tempering realm. Even back then, he was able to defeat ten of us rogue cultivators by himself. If anyone is the exception, it’s him. The disparity shouldn’t be as drastic…, but I predict he can take on the six of us by himself.”

Fuck. I made a mistake. I made a big mistake. “Don’t you think that’s something you should’ve disclosed before I fired the anti-Lucia cannon?”

Jin Mo shrugged. “You said you were just here for a little chat. You didn’t prepare any trump cards that can defeat a quasi-immortal?”

“If I could make something like that, do you think I would need you?” I had this thought that I could call upon the immortal from Pill Valley to save me if things went drastically wrong, but it turns out immortals can’t move around that easily. So, when he guaranteed he’d prevent the Holy Beasts Sect’s immortals from attacking me, he was just spewing out empty words. They wouldn’t have attacked me in the first place! He swindled me. However, now’s not the time to worry about that. “There’s three other quasi-immortals in this sect. How strong are they compared to the Old Bai you were talking about?”

“There’s Old Hei, Old Hong, and Old Lan. Old Bai was frequently called the hero of the generation, most likely to become the next immortal. The other three are comparatively weaker, but when compared to us, even the weakest one, Old Hei, can fight three of us and win. It’ll take four of us to fight him, and even then, we won’t win. It’ll be a draw at best.”

This mistake was a lot bigger than I thought…. I never thought I’d say it, but I really wish Lucia were with me right now. How many quasi-immortals can she defeat? I wouldn’t be surprised if it were an absurd number like ten or twenty. It’s possible I’m overestimating her due to trauma, and she could be only as strong as a rogue quasi-immortal. If that’s the case, then I’ll have to face off with someone as strong as six Lucia’s. It’s a relief Lucia subdued a quasi-immortal phoenix though; it means she’s stronger than an average one. Well, either way, I know what to do now. “We’re retreating. Everybody, get back on board!”

People stopped what they were doing and teleported onto the boat. This is why I had them stay within a five-mile radius, so we could retreat at any time. …Why aren’t we retreating? “Start the damn boat!”

“It, it’s not moving, Master!”

A booming laughter rang out, and an aged voice followed. “Leaving so soon? Where would my hospitality be if I didn’t invite you for some tea? Come, stay for a while. Why are you in such a rush to leave?”

A person dressed in bright blue robes appeared on the boat’s bow. His was youthful, but his long hair was white and silver. Jin Mo and Chen Tao stepped in front of me, leaving me a very narrow view of the man from between their arms. “Old Lan,” Jin Mo said. “You haven’t changed since I last saw you three thousand years ago.”

Old Lan raised an eyebrow. “Who are you again? I don’t remember the names of those weaker than me.” Jin Mo and Chen Tao clenched their hands, but a moment later, Old Lan burst out into laughter. “Grim Reaper Jin Mo, Corpse Lord Chen Tao, Bandit God Wu Gao, City Slayer Ouyang Gu, Devil Worshipper Ye Yu, and last but not least, Cannibal King Chi Fan. While it’s true I might not remember the names of those weaker than me, I certainly remember the names of those whom I can turn in for a sizeable bounty. I’ve recently accepted a new disciple; your heads would be a perfect gift for him.”

“That’s funny,” a sharp, feminine voice said. A woman dressed in red appeared on top of the boat’s mast. “I’ve also accepted a disciple recently, and she’ll appreciate their heads a lot more than yours would. How about you let me have them?”

The rest of the quasi-immortals I hired formed a circle around me with their backs facing inwards. If I hadn’t known their collective strength was weaker than those two quasi-immortals’, I might’ve felt reassured. And then a third voice appeared, ruining the escape plan I was forming. “Perhaps three hundred years ago, I might only have been able to deal with three of you, but it’s different now.” A man in black robes teleported right in front of Jin Mo with a smile on his face. He was bald and covered in scars. His skin was loose and saggy, clearly showing off his age. “The six of you together won’t be able to harm even a single one of my fingers.”

Jin Mo cleared his throat and took a step back. “Master, if you have any contingency plans, now’s the time to use them.”

“But the last quasi-immortal hasn’t shown himself yet,” Chen Tao whispered before I could respond. “Wait until he appears first.”

“Old Bai won’t be coming,” Old Lan said. “To deal with the likes of you, either one of us alone is enough. But now I’m curious. Who are you, and why do these six call you master? I wasn’t aware the moon race had someone like you in their younger generation.”