“Wait.”

Hui turned.

Tang Fei stood behind him, her fists clenched and eyes glittering. “Let me.”

“Tang Fei, you’re only—”

“I don’t care how low my realm is. I want to land a blow on him, if it’s the last thing I do,” Tang Fei spat through clenched teeth.

“Elder Sister, don’t throw your life away! Wait, wait. After I knock him down a few pegs, then it’s time to punch him to your heart’s content,” Hui begged her.

“It won’t be the same,” Tang Fei growled.

Hui nodded, looking up at Zhang Minyan and Li Xiang above him, flashing back and forth around Gui Delun. “No, it won’t. It’ll be better. Stomping on Gui Delun as he lies helplessly at your feet… what could be more refreshing than that? If you go punch him now, you’ll probably just end up obliterated by a stray sword strike or shin kick.”

He raised his hand. A sword with a glowing blade materialized in his hand. This… I can’t say I mastered it, but I certainly managed to create this sword, after all my efforts. It won’t last more than a strike or two, but with some luck, that’s all we need. Carefully, he handed the hilt to Tang Fei.

Tang Fei accepted it, though with a confused expression. “I’m a fist-fighter, not a swordsman.”

“That’s fine, that’s fine, Elder Sister. Ah!” He thrust out his hand and qi-blasted her hand back a second before she touched the blade. “It’s a light… ahem. Anyways, the blade will burn and cut anything it touches, so be careful not to touch it. In a moment, I’m going to attack him in a way he’s not expecting. Use that moment to strike him with the blade. Until the last moment, hide the blade. Let him expect a punch. You understand, right, Elder Sister?”

Tang Fei frowned at the sword. “How underhanded.”

“Elder Sister, please. All is fair in love and war,” Hui said dismissively. “We share a lack of love for Gui Delun, but this is certainly war, no?”

“Why don’t you go on the offense?” Tang Fei asked.

Hui shrugged. “He knows I’m more powerful, now. Powerful enough to stand up to him. But you… you’re still a lowly disciple to him. A lowly disciple he not only knows well, but thinks he’s already defeated. He won’t expect it.”

That, and… there isn’t very much of me left. I lack the power to pose a meaningful physical threat to Gui Delun as I am now.

Tang Fei looked at the sword another moment, then nodded. “I understand.”

Hui stood. In the distance, the rot spider attacked viciously, as if unaware of the gaping wounds on its abdomen. Thick rot qi poured down from the wounds, poisoning the enemy cultivators. Two enormous wolves worked together, separating small groups from the back of the pack and hunting them down. Blood stained their manes here and there, but nowhere significant enough to be a serious wound. Across the way, the old man from the Clouded Pavilion led a contingent of Sectgoer’s disciples to pierce into the heart of the enemy forces. Li Xiang’s seven-colored generals led her rogue cultivators at the opposite side of the same flank, catching them in a pincer maneuver. The bulk of the Starbound Cultivators provided the anchor, crushing the All-Heavens cultivators who remained into dust with the help of Sectgoer’s disciples’ armor and weaponry. Those who tried to escape were dealt with swiftly by the death cultivators, while Fang Hua’s bright green threads infiltrated the bodies of a dozen All-Heavens cultivators and manipulated them to her will. An Inner Peak Lord faced off against Fang Hua, but between her army of death cultivators, the puppeteered corpses, and her own powerful body, she pressured the Inner Peak Lord, rather than the other way around.

It wasn’t for nothing. It wasn’t a mistake. My powerless self has gathered all of this, despite my cowardice, despite my weakness.

He clenched his hand and turned his eyes toward Gui Delun. And now it’s time. Time to bring this to an end.

Patting Zhubi, Hui hopped up onto the enormous snake’s back, perching just behind his head. “Zhubi, let’s go catch his attention. Tang Fei, you circle around behind him.”

“This is so un-cute,” Tang Fei muttered under her breath.

“What are you talking about? Sneak attacks are suuuper cheeky and totally adorable!” Hui returned, shaking his head.

“No one in their right mind would find sneak attacks cute,” Tang Fei insisted, shaking her head.

Eh, Elder Sister, should I introduce you to a certain cartoon clown supervillainess? Or perhaps the concept of yanderes? Sneak attacks have been certified cute for decades! I can’t say I entirely understand it, but, well, the dao of cuteness is not my dao. Naturally, I’d fail to fully comprehend such an esoteric cuteness!

Hui coughed. “In any case, Tang Fei, simply think of it as pioneering a fresh kind of cuteness. Although you’ve mastered the pure and sweet angles of cuteness, there’s more to cute than simply pure and sweet. I’m sure you can make it adorable if you try.”

She wrinkled her nose. “What would you know?”

“Mmm, well,” Hui said non-committally. Should I mention that she’s already got a handle on the relatively rare kuudere style?

No, no. That might be too deep for Tang Fei to comprehend. After all, in this world, the quiet and refined kuudere would be considered a type of beauty, not cuteness! Plus, moving her toward yandere is already a stretch for the sweet type cuteness she’s mastered. Sweet-slash-bratty? Ah—no. I definitely shouldn’t mention that.

He cleared his throat. “Tang Fei, you can use the chaos of battle to get Gui Delun’s back. The sword should survive at least two strikes, but be careful. I personally forged it, so I know better than anyone how fragile it is. Although it can pierce through cultivators well above your level, a single block or parry may be enough to shatter it.”

Tang Fei nodded. She took a deep breath and settled her qi, then beamed at Hui. “I got it! Even though it’s suuuuper uncute, this Tang Fei will still cutely backstab that asshole for you!”

Tang Fei, your real thoughts slipped out!

With a last nod, Hui patted Zhubi’s neck. “Let’s go!”

Zhubi hissed and lifted his heavy coils off the ground. He rose up, slithering into the air. Hui sat cross-legged atop his neck, letting the wind stream through his ponytail, an imposing expression on his face.

Let’s see if this works. It’s a gamble, but what part of this battle isn’t? He set his eyes on Gui Delun, his lips pressed into a thin line.

Overhead, Zhang Minyan darted back. Li Xiang retreated as well, standing beside the young-looking elder. Panting slightly, Zhang Minyan tucked a stray hair behind her ear. “Be careful. He’s hiding something.”

Li Xiang nodded. “Understood.”

Gui Delun laughed. He crossed his arms, looking down at them. His robes fluttered on the breeze. “Hiding something? No. You simply haven’t provoked me into fighting with my full strength yet.”

Good! Excellent! Die without ever having used your full strength! Hui thought. He rose up behind the two, glaring up at Gui Delun.

Gui Delun’s gaze fell on him. He snorted. “So you still live. Indeed, you’re a difficult bug to squash.”

“Senior’s praise is too much for this small cultivator,” Hui said, giving him a short bow.

“Don’t worry. I’ll finish the job this time,” Gui Delun said, raising his hand. “I won’t let that Han Qin or anyone else distract me.”

Hui put his hands up. “No need, no need! Small cultivator doesn’t deserve to face one such as yourself. Ah, it would be incredibly overkill for you to move against me, incredibly overkill! Let alone focusing all your attention on my lowly self… what a waste! Save your strength for someone who requires it.”

Gui Delun narrowed his eyes. “You have an odd way of begging for your life.”

“Mmm. It’s never worked, so perhaps I should change tactics,” Hui admitted, nodding to himself.

Li Xiang glanced back and nodded at him. Hui nodded back. With his eyes, he tried his best to convey, I have a plan. Trust in me!

She nodded again, just once.

Hui turned back to Gui Delun. Now… to see if it all paid off! By now, it should be long enough. He threw his hand out.