A figure loomed out of the clouds ahead. Hui grabbed Zhubi’s hand and leaped after him, quickly catching up to the figure.

Hui landed beside a handsome young man in gold, long hair streaming behind him. The man gave him a startled look, almost tripping backward.

He smiled and nodded. “Hello, Elder Brother. Have you figured out what kind of trial this is?”

The man gritted his teeth. “Are you another heart-demon, come to torment me?”

“Eh? Are we supposed to be tormented by heart-demons?” Hui asked, startled. He patted his chest down. I don’t feel particularly heart-demoned… I’m not feeling bold or confident right now, nor aggressive. I have gotten bored a few times… does that qualify as having heart-demons? But the boredom… it wasn’t the all-consuming emotional turmoil that comes from being possessed by a heart-demon, as Sectgoer experienced for all of it. It’s… just ordinary boredom.

Confused, he turned to Zhubi. Zhubi put his little hands up and shrugged.

“You brought a child?” the man asked, startled.

Zhubi opened his mouth and hissed at him. The man leaped back. “Oh—a snake demon.”

Chen Wuya chuckled. “What a dullard.”

“Elder Brother, what’s your name? I’m…” Hui hesitated, then smiled. Ah, oh well. Xie Hao is a known name, but I’ve already told it to Gui Yutong. It’s too late to change it.

Ah… come to think of it, what false name was Rogue using? I can’t recall… Hopefully not Xie Hao!

“…Xie Hao,” he finished.

Brows furrowed, the man gave him a slight nod in return. “Jing Ruchen. You… don’t seem particularly troubled by this trial?”

“Ah… no. In fact, I’m a bit concerned that I might have somehow glitched the trial…?” Hui murmured half to himself.

“Glitch…?” Jing Ruchen asked.

“Ah, no, no. I’m simply worried that I might have not properly undertaken this trial, somehow. I haven’t felt a thing since I stepped on these stairs.”

Zhubi raised his arms and waved.

“You neither? I wonder if the trial’s simply broken,” Hui mused.

Jing Ruchen mopped his brow and took a deep breath. With some effort, he picked up his foot and hefted himself up the next stair. “They say luck is a part of cultivation. If the trial is broken for you, then all we can do is curse your heaven-defying luck.”

“Do you think so? But I’ve never been particularly lucky,” Hui said, casually slowing to match Jing Ruchen’s pace.

“Is this not luck?” Jing Ruchen asked.

“Well… ah, not to be rude, Elder Brother, but… it’s possible the trial isn’t glitched. I’ve always thought that people of this… ahem, other cultivators—lacked sufficient mental defenses. Not that my mind is particularly strong, but simply… everyone else’s seems to be extremely weak,” Hui explained.

Jing Ruchen stared at him. “Wouldn’t… wouldn’t that indicate that your mind is powerful, rather than that everyone else’s is weak?”

“No, no, no. This small cultivator knows his place. I’m merely a bug, a lowly bug not worthy of any sort of praise. It’s not possible,” Hui assured him.

“Then… the trial must be broken, if you’re truly that unremarkable,” Jing Ruchen growled, annoyed. What is this man doing? What kind of odd sort of mocking is this? He's putting himself down, but putting me down even moreso by claiming that I, a Chosen, cannot keep pace with a ‘bug’ like himself!

“Ah, that is what I thought. Then, I wonder if I spread the glitch to Zhubi by taking his hand? Maybe I could spread it to you as well,” Hui said, offering his hand.

Jing Ruchen stared at it. “You… you realize I’m a competitor, right?”

“Eh? Of course,” Hui said, nodding.

“You’re… offering to help me cheat?” Jing Ruchen asked.

“Oh, no, no. I’m simply testing a glitch. It’s a very reasonable thing to do, no, to confirm a glitch once you’ve found one?” Hui asked.

Jing Ruchen hesitated. He lifted his hand, reaching toward Hui’s.

A second before their hands met, he leaped back, snatching his hand away as if burned. “No! I won’t be fooled. You demon, you nearly tricked me! You’re no contestant, but another illusion from the trial!”

“Huh? No,” Hui said, confused.

“Begone! I won’t be fooled again. This Jing Ruchen refuses to cheat, not even in his heart!”

“Okay…” Hui muttered. He shook his head. This man can’t even accept a free meal. Should I praise him for being too upright, or mock him for failing to take advantage of all he can?

Oh well. If Elder Brother doesn’t want my help, I won’t foist it upon him. If he forgot to put in his eyes today to the point of mistaking me for a heart demon, there’s nothing I can do to help him. Shrugging, Hui looked at Zhubi. “Shall we go?”

Zhubi nodded.

“Farewell, Elder Brother,” Hui said, quickly bowing to Jing Ruchen.

Jing Ruchen stared after him. Mid-step, Jing Ruchen stopped. Wait. He isn’t fading? He… walked away? Could it be, he’s actually a fellow cultivator?

No, no. That’s not possible. I, Jing Ruchen, the top chosen of my sect, the inheritor of the Seven Swords of Autumn, could not be surpassed by a nobody, whose name I’ve never heard before!

The cultivator in blue paused and looked back. Lifting his hands to his mouth, he shouted, “Ah, excuse me, Elder Brother. A Senior I know would like to know…”

“What?” Jing Ruchen asked, exasperated.

“Er, do you practice the… the Seven Forms of Autumn?”

“The Seven Swords of Autumn, you mean?”

Above him, the cultivator in blue suddenly ducked, throwing his hands up against an invisible foe. “Ah! My apologies, Senior! What do you mean, ‘he can’t even get the name right?’ Why are you attacking me for this? It’s not my fault!”

Jing Ruchen gaped, momentarily forgetting to climb the steps.

With some effort, the blue-robed cultivator straightened up. He ducked one last time, then straightened his robes and bowed to Jing Ruchen. “Elder Brother, these are not my words, but a Senior I know would like me to—stop it! I’m getting to it!” He batted at the air again.

Jing Ruchen frowned. What am I watching? Is this… is this the heart-demon’s heart demons?

Speaking very quickly, the cultivator in blue said, “A Senior I know would like me to tell you that you’ve practiced the Seven Forms of Autumn wrong, and if you don’t correct your practice very soon, you’ll not only hit a wall but you’ll also likely lose the ability to walk.”

Jing Ruchen furrowed his brows. “What do you know about the Seven For… Swords? I can tell at a glance that you don’t practice the form. Your weak arms, your pathetic waist, those wrists…”

Chen Wuya looked Hui up and down. “He’s not wrong.”

“Thank you, Senior,” Hui grumbled, keeping a wary eye on Chen Wuya’s claws.

Chen Wuya snorted, licking his claws. “That fool. He doesn’t even understand that the heart and foundation of the Seven Forms is his footwork. He’s been neglecting his feet and ankles. If he doesn’t correct it soon…” He clicked his beak and shook his head.

“Now that we’ve told him, can we move on?” Hui asked.

Chen Wuya sighed. “It pains me to see my technique in such disrepair. Even the name is wrong… Fen Long, why lock me away for so long? What was the purpose of this?”

“Er, perhaps because Senior was a demonic cultivator who killed millions?” Hui suggested, setting off up the stairs again.

Chen Wuya scoffed. “The real demonic cultivation is whoever taught that kid the wrong form of the Seven Forms of Autumn, or allowed him to lead himself astray.”

Hui shook his head. I think those million people would disagree. He leaped off again, quickly ascending into the clouds. Jing Ruchen faded behind him.

--

Up on the viewing peak, Sui Linli grinned and held out her hand to Mu Bingshi.

Mu Bingshi scoffed and crossed his arms. “He could still fail yet. The game isn’t over.”

“Being so bitter, just because he passed your Chosen?” Sui Linli teased, raising her eyebrows at Mu Bingshi.

Mu Bingshi scowled. Sui Linli will be unbearable if that healer beats Jing Ruchen. I can’t allow this to happen! He turned back to the trial, eyes narrowed. Quietly, he sent a narrow beam of pressure down at Hui, far below.

--

At last, Hui began to feel a weight on his shoulders. He rolled them out and glanced above him. Huh… feels like normal pressure. I thought it was a mental trial?

Oh well. It’s good to know it isn’t broken! It just took a while to kick in.

While it’s still kicking in, I should hurry ahead! By the time the pressure finally catches up with me, I want to have as little of the trial left as possible!

Hui sped up, hurrying faster yet. Zhubi leaped alongside him, somewhat struggling to jump with his legs. Luckily, Hui kept a tight hold on him, and drew Zhubi along with him. The two of them rushed past one Chosen after another, leaving the other participants far behind. Hui scanned the faces as he passed, but none of them stood out as his fellow clones. Bai Jingwen snarled at him as he rushed by, and he gave her a little wave. Sorry, but I can’t afford to let the pressure catch up to me!

High above, Mu Bingshi blinked, confused. Eh? How come he started moving even faster after I started pressuring him? This isn’t how it’s supposed to work! Should I pressure him harder? But what if he starts moving faster? I don’t understand. What’s going on with this man?

Sui Linli cut a glance at Mu Bingshi and bit back a chuckle. Ha! Feel the bitterness of watching your Chosen lose to this nobody!