The demon bobbed in the net, then rolled onto its side, as if tilting its head. It flailed its arms at Hui. It opened its mouth and yipped at him again.

“Ah… yes. You can’t exactly talk, can you,” Hui murmured.

“Can it write?” Si Wang asked, pointing at its many arms.

Hui looked at the demon.

It wobbled in place, then lifted its many arms and gave an emphatic shrug.

Reaching into his tattered robes, Si Wang drew out a ragged scroll and a writing brush. The writing brush was a bit ink-stained and dirty. Likewise, filth clung to the scroll, and yet, the roll exuded an intense pressure. Tiny bits of scintillating light escaped from beneath the grime. “These are another two of my treasures! The Inkless Brush and the Thousand Years’ Breath Scroll.” He passed the brush over to the demon, then unrolled a bit of the scroll and offered its back to the demon.

One of those is infinitely more valuable than the other, Hui thought, eyeing the Thousand Years’ Breath Scroll. He cleared his throat. “Elder Brother, is it okay to casually use such a valuable scroll as scrap paper?”

“Eh? Why not? Who aside from me can see it, let alone use it?” Si Wang asked. Looking at the scroll, he laughed. “In any case, it’s something I wrote casually. It’s not so valuable.”

Hui’s eyes widened. Elder Brother casually wrote that? I’ve been underestimating Si Wang! Ah, Hui, take your own advice! Wasn’t I just thinking that my children should respect someone who acts odd, because they’re likely powerful enough to be allowed to act odd? Si Wang might act like a madman, but if anything, that’s nothing but an indication of his true strength! To think, I dismissed his eccentricities due to a few centuries of isolation. Would such a short period effect most cultivators? No! Clearly, he was eccentric long before he entered this forced isolation. So careless of me!

The resentment demon reached its arms out through the gaps in the net and grasped the brush. Two or three sets of hands fought against one another to control the brush, until at last, one set of hands held the brush two-handed. It lifted the brush, then paused.

Hui glanced at Si Wang. “Maybe we should move the scroll closer?”

“It’s close enough,” Si Wang returned.

The resentment demon lifted the brush. It dragged the brush across the scroll. Although the brush appeared dry, when it touched the scroll, ink appeared after it. One laborious stroke after another, characters formed on the scroll. Hui and Si Wang leaned in, inspecting the strokes.

At last, exhausted, the demon dropped the brush. Hui caught it before it could hit the floor and offered it to Si Wang. Reading the scroll, Si Wang distractedly took the brush and tucked it away. He turned the scroll to Hui.

“Eight… Tiers… Palace,” Hui read aloud. He licked his lips.

“But what about Eight Tiers Palace?” Si Wang asked.

Hui looked nervously at the demon.

The demon balled its fists. Some hands drew across the demon’s neck area, making a slicing motion. Others flashed rude gestures.

“Er… you want us to… deface the Eight Tiers Palace?” Hui guessed timidly.

The demon gestured even more aggressively.

“No. Obviously they want us to destroy it,” Si Wang said.

The demon nodded. All its hands pointed at Si Wang.

Hui put his head in his hands. I knew, I knew! Elder Brother, you couldn’t allow me to deceive myself for another few moments?

Looking up, he sighed deeply. “How are we supposed to do that?” I’m only fifth realm. Even if Elder Brother is extremely powerful, Eight Tiers Palace has near-ascension level experts! Unlike Master and Ying Lin, most ascension-level experts spend quite some time on the mortal realm before they can achieve ascension. Since the Dao of Beauty expert is the Tier Master, I can assume there’s eight, or almost eight, Tier Masters of similar level, not to mention any Sect Elders, Sect Masters, or Patriarchs!

“We could release the demon within the Palace,” Si Wang said, rubbing his chin.

“What if it dies before it resolves its resentment? Won’t the resentment pollute Eight Tier Palace, then, and create a more powerful problem? A problem… that might have more complicated resentment we can’t satisfy merely with the destruction of Eight Tiers Palace?” Hui guessed.

Si Wang twisted his lips. “Hmm.”

“Not… that the destruction Eight Tiers Palace is ‘merely’ anything, but it’s something to consider,” Hui said, shrugging.

“No, you’re correct. Unlike Zhu Diyu, we can’t be careless or sloppy,” Si Wang said.

Hui glanced at Si Wang. “Why is Elder Brother so dead-set against Zhu Diyu?”

Si Wang laughed. “Zhu Diyu, Zhu Diyu… you think of him as the Lord of the Underworld, right? But to me, he’s merely an old rival.”

“Ah! Like Chen Wuya and Fen Long,” Hui said.

Si Wang shook his head. “Not like those two at all.”

“No?” Hui asked.

“No,” Si Wang said emphatically.

Ah, well, there is that atmosphere around the two of them… Hui cleared his throat. “In any case, I understand, Elder Brother. So you knew Zhu Diyu before he ascended to Lord of the Underworld? What about Elder Sister Reaper? The two of you seemed to have history, as well.” If anything, they seemed to have more history than Elder Brother and Senior Zhu Diyu! Though, well, it’s not as if I’ve seen Elder Brother and Zhu Diyu in the same room together.

Si Wang pressed his lips together. “Only as much history as any two coworkers have. She arrived after me. At the time, I expected her to only last a few years before she gave up, like all the others before her. Instead… I’m starting to suspect she might outlast Zhu Diyu.”

“Outlast the Lord of the Underworld?” Hui asked, shocked.

“Mmm? It’s just like the Heavenly Emperor. Anyone can become Lord, and Zhu Diyu? I know him. He can’t stick out anything for too long. He’s tired and bored. He wants to abdicate the throne, I bet.”

“Is that why he’s neglecting the Underworld? But what will that do for him?” Hui wondered. If he wants to abdicate the throne of the Lord of the Underworld, shouldn’t he put it in the best condition so it’s easy to hand off? Like selling a house. No one wants to buy a fixer-upper with gaping holes in the roof, but it’s easy to sell a spic and span house with fresh repairs.

“That’s my point. He’s lazy. He does things well for a time, but once he tires of them, he gives up entirely. Especially now that the Heavenly Dao is weakening due to Heaven’s disorder, it’s even worse for him to weaken his hold, and yet…” Si Wang spread his hands helplessly.

“Then, Elder Brother, why are you out here, wandering like a madman, rather than trying to help the Underworld?” Hui asked, tilting his head curiously.

“Like a madman?” Si Wang asked, his eyes flashing.

“No, no, no! You misheard, you definitely misheard! Small cultivator meant… meant, meant… like, like a rogue, a rogue cultivator! Wandering like a rogue,” Hui tried, waving his hands desperately. Damn, the two don’t even sound close. Ugh, I’m really grasping at straws here!

Si Wang laughed lightly. Hui laughed too. The two laughed at one another.

Drawing back his fist, Si Wang punched Hui in the gut. Hui flew backward, hurtling into the distance. His stomach caved in, and cold, dark blood spurted from his mouth. His body convulsed. Flames burst out from his midriff, where Han Qin had cast phoenix-fire.

Si Wang’s eyes widened. He raised a hand, squinting after Hui, then leaped into the air. To himself, he muttered, “That, that fire—”

You know what? I think it’s time to go back home, Hui thought to himself, seeing Si Wang fly after him. He activated the technique midair, stepping forward even as he flew backward.

The world faded around him. The intermediate dark space closed around him. Si Wang reached out toward him.

Not a chance. Hui finished the technique.

Darkness closed over him. He crashed into the ground and tumbled head-over-heels, thumping and bumping his way over the stone floor.

Abruptly, he slammed to a halt, coming up hard against an immovable object. Hui blinked up. What…

A foot pressed against his side, catching him short. The reaper sighed down at him, shaking her head. “How on earth did you end up like this in such a short time?”

Hui weakly coughed up some more blood. Dark, cold liquid leaked down his chin. The fire burned hotter. Ah, I see. I’m spitting up the Underworld water, which means I can’t suppress the flames as well.

He smiled. “Hello, Elder Sister.”