“We mean none of you any harm,” Hui pledged.

Li Xiang muttered something under her breath. Hui glanced at her. A little longer, just a little longer!

In any case, that shouldn’t have triggered her, right? I don’t mean her harm right now, but I might mean her harm, depending on her answers. Is that conditional too close to a lie for her?

Or maybe it’s just that I’ve asked her to not reveal lies for too long, and her ability is acting up because it’s all pent up? I can’t force Li Xiang to stay like this for much longer!

As they walked, they passed by a strange room with metal walls. Hui paused and glanced inside. “What is this?”

“Pay no mind,” the sect elder admonished him sternly.

“A forge, for spirit weapons,” Ji Taiyu explained.

Oh? How interesting. I’d like to test my hand at that! Forging spirit items can’t be that much different from creating talismans, right? It’s simply imbuing qi into an item, but the item is a weapon instead of paper. Hui glanced at Ji Taiyu. “Would Elder Brother mind if I used it?”

“Naturally, you can feel free! It’s going to waste as it is,” Ji Taiyu said, smiling.

Bao Huli nodded. “Yes, yes. Make lots of noise. That way, Bao Huli and Master can—”

Hui coughed loudly. Is this fox demon pent up or something? Bao Huli, mind yourself!

Concerned, Ji Taiyu turned back, reaching into his robes. “As I thought, you really must take these pills.”

“No, no. I merely… er, merely choked on my own spit. Yes, yes. It’s nothing,” Hui said.

“Ah, I understand,” Ji Taiyu said, putting the pills back away.

Ying Lin eyed him up. Can cultivators choke on their own spit? Let alone fifth stage cultivators!

“Why are you two following us?” the sect elder asked.

“Am I not allowed to wander my own ship?” Ji Taiyu asked.

The sect elder harrumphed. “Are you afraid I might harm them? There’s nothing a third-stage like you could do to prevent me from doing so, if I wished. I clearly do not wish to harm them. Be at ease.”

Li Xiang’s brow twitched again.

He intends to harm— argh, with as hair-trigger as her ability is being, that could merely mean sect elder means to harm us if we attack this Ya Ai. It isn’t useful at all! Hui sighed, shaking his head.

“I’m merely wandering my ship,” Ji Taiyu defended himself.

The sect elder flipped his sleeve and turned away, a disapproving expression on his face.

Another door opened to a broad wooden-floored room with training dummies against the far wall. Ying Lin gasped. “A training room? Can I use it?”

“Of course,” Ji Taiyu replied.

Li Xiang looked up at that as well, curious. She silently surveyed the room and nodded to herself.

Another room opened up to a pill refinery, cauldron and all. Hui glanced at it and turned away, then glanced back. Hmm, although I can’t make pills, I might be able to refine Jin Xian inside. At the very least, I should see if I can do something about this frightening bloodthirstiness of hers.

“Naturally, you can use it as well,” Ji Taiyu said, before Hui even asked.

Hui cupped his hands to Ji Taiyu. “Many thanks.”

“Allowing these mysterious strangers to wander your ship—” the sect elder protested.

“But… I allow the same to you?” Ji Taiyu asked, quirking a brow.

The sect elder opened his mouth, then shut it.

Hui nodded. I understand the sect elder’s hesitation. Ji Taiyu is a trusting idiot—ahem, righteous cultivator, after all. If it wasn’t us, he might be in danger.

It must be his luck that he hasn’t died so far!

Bao Huli followed along silently, occasionally shooting displeased looks at Ying Lin and Li Xiang. Hui subtly moved between her and the girls to block her line of sight. Ying Lin’s in danger again, right after we got away from that stupid couple. Li Xiang can probably beat Bao Huli, but I don’t want to find out!

Ahead, the sect elder drew to a stop. He pointed at a door. “Ya Ai awaits you.”

Hui bowed. “Many thanks to elder.” Turning to Ji Taiyu, he bowed again. “Could I ask that Elder Brother waits outside?”

Ji Taiyu nodded. “I understand. Please, go ahead.”

The man harrumphed and reluctantly stepped aside. Hui glanced at Li Xiang and Ying Lin, then threw the door open. The sect elder followed him in, not as easily dissuaded as Ji Taiyu.

A largely empty chamber awaited him. At the far end, a small figure sat atop a large pillow. As wrinkled as a prune, she sunk into a crumpled pile of fine robes. Compared to the rest of her companions, her robes were fine and clean, not a spot of dirt nor a single snag in them. She lifted her head slowly, peering out at them with surprisingly bright eyes. A wrinkled hand beckoned. “Come here. I want to see you clearly.”

Hui approached her. As he drew close, a familiar aura surrounded him. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, circulating it experimentally.

Sectgoer, where did you find rot qi? Mortal asked, curious.

Rot qi? Ah, so that’s what it is, Hui realized. He opened his eyes and looked at the wrinkled husk before him. She stared back at him, quietly watching. He approached, quietly kneeling before her. He held out his hand palm-up. “May I?”

“Do you know of Chen Xigui’s crimes?” Li Xiang asked abruptly.

“Yes, but I have no option,” Ya Ai replied. “Despite the way I look, I’m only some two decades old. I’ve barely reached second stage, and my lifespan expires at such a rate that I’m unlikely to hit third before I die. To pair with a criminal or die… In the end, I’m a selfish woman.”

She lifted a bony hand and hesitated, then placed it in Hui’s. “If there was another way, I would never find myself seeking out such a man.”

Hui sent his qi into Ya Ai, carefully keeping it separate from hers. Her qi emanated a strong aura of rot, not quite rot qi itself, but close. Deeper in, her dantian rotated at an accelerated pace, burning away her life force. Experimentally, Hui sent a bit of life qi into her dantian. Her dantian trembled, as if excited, then spun even faster, instantly devouring the life qi. A thick aura of rot emanated from it, thicker than before. As the life qi faded, her dantian returned to its normal fast pace, and the strong aura of rot faded away.

A unique constitution that transforms life qi into rot qi. What a horrible situation! It’s not as if there’s no hope for her, and I’m sure she could become quite powerful if she managed to conquer it, but… I have no idea how to solve this as I am.

Li Xiang looked at Hui. He opened his eyes and met Ya Ai’s, then shook his head. “I’m sorry. I cannot cure you.”

Ya Ai laughed, only to break into coughing half way. She waved her hand. “I didn’t expect it. There’s no need to apologize.”

“Maybe… wait.” Hui flicked his fingers, summoning a death duck. He pointed out, pointing his fingertips at her collarbone. The death duck flew out and hungrily began to gobble up the rot qi. A second death duck poked its head out of his dantian, then another, and all at once, the death ducks surged into Ya Ai, swooping through her to devour her rot qi.

Ya Ai cried out, startled, and slumped forward.

The sect elder burst into the room. “Ya Ai!”

Li Xiang drew her sword. “No further.”

Ya Ai raised her hand. The sect elder hesitated, hand a hair’s breadth from his sword. Slowly, she straightened up. Although she remained wrinkled and elderly, her body no longer emanated a fierce aura of rot. She clenched her hands, flexing her fingers. “You… I haven’t felt this good in ages.”

Hui gestured, calling back the death ducks. They swirled back into his dantian, fat and happy. I’ll send a few to First, later. “I can temporarily relieve the symptoms, but I’m afraid I’m still unable to cure you. Without Chen Xigui…”

Ya Ai sighed. “So there’s no solution, except Chen Xigui.”

“Ya Ai… I take it you’re something like a sect princess?” Hui guessed.

Ya Ai nodded. “I’m the sole daughter of the Patriarch of White Earth Sect. Although we’re a small sect, we can at least be considered in the same league of other small sects, like the Bai Clan, for example.”

Hui drew a talisman on the ground beside them with his plant-blood, isolating them from the sect elder so he couldn’t hear them. He extended the talisman’s range wide enough so Li Xiang and Ying Lin could hear.

Ya Ai watched him, curious, then looked up expectantly.

Hui took a deep breath. “We represent a group who wishes to see Chen Xigui dead. However, we don’t want to consign you to death, as well. Will you cooperate with us?”

“If I say no?” Ya Ai asked.

“You aren’t afraid of death,” Li Xiang stated.

Ya Ai laughed. She shook her head. “I’m terrified of it. But to choose between rotting away slowly and going out in a final glorious battle… I won’t turn you down.”

“If you say no…” Hui took a deep breath. He glanced at Li Xiang, then back at Ya Ai. “I won’t hurt you. That… is your choice. However, neither will I hold back the next time we meet. If you stand in my way, I won’t hesitate.”

There was a long silence. Ya Ai held up her wrinkled, trembling hands. Slowly, she closed them. “I don’t want to kill my savior, and return kindness with ingratitude. But neither do I consider myself powerless to judge the man who can heal me. If it’s true, if Chen Xigui is a heartless dog who devours women for fun, then… I’ll cooperate.”

Her eyes flashed. “I’m not a fool, though. I’ve heard rumors of his crimes, but seen no proof. I need proof, if you want me to believe you.”

Hui bowed. “For now, keep it quiet, Elder Sister. I’ll bring you proof before tomorrow morning. Until then, will you allow us to intrude on your ship?”

Ya Ai inclined her head. “Though I think you should ask Ji Taiyu, not me.”

Hui nodded. He stood, erasing the sound-deadening talisman with a scuff of his foot. “Shall we go?”

The sect elder scowled. He gestured them out and ran to Ya Ai’s side, instantly dropping to his knees to examine her. Ya Ai weakly waved him off.

The door shut behind them. Hui sighed and stretched. Phew. It’s too bad I couldn’t fix it, but at least I have a source of rot qi here for the ducks.

“Your proof… Lu Xubo?” Li Xiang guessed, turning to him.

Hui smiled, lifting a finger to his lips. “He did say he’d be back, no?”

She smiled, just a hair. “I didn’t expect you to tell the truth.”

Hui pinched his chin, tilting his head up. “In this situation, the truth is our most powerful weapon. In the end, we have to lay it on the table before Ya Ai, if we want to get her on our side. If she disagrees, it’s not as if these low-level cultivators can stop us from leaving.”

Li Xiang nodded. “That’s true.”

“Master, what are we going to do until Lu Xubo returns?” Ying Lin asked.

“Obviously… whatever we want!” Hui replied firmly.

“Then, can I train with Sect-Aunt?” Ying Lin requested, looking up at Li Xiang.

Li Xiang looked down at her and inclined her head. She headed for the training room. With a last wave at Hui, Ying Lin followed her.

Hui watched her go, then turned away. The training room… is not for me. Instead, let’s check out that forging room! I’m quite curious if forging is as close to talisman making as it seems!