The bright light passed. Weiheng Wu stood above, still expressionless, palm outstretched. Sect Master Mu’s sword stabbed through his chest and out the other side. Brilliant prismatic light wavered all around the two of them.

“Master!” Hui screamed, afraid. I can play dead, I can fake other people’s deaths, but Master—

Sect Master Mu’s sword shattered. The prismatic light fell apart. Sect Master Mu fell back, shuddering under the force of Weiheng Wu’s Lightning Palm. His brows furrowed. He stared at Weiheng Wu, dumbfounded. “You… fifth realm, how…”

Hui breathed out. Master’s at the sixth realm! That’s what you get for underestimating him!

Actually… wait. Is Sect Master Mu only at the sixth realm himself? He’s a Sect Master. He might very well be at the seventh realm. Even if he’s at the sixth realm… the way Master dominated him so one-sidedly, it felt like Master was at least at his realm, if not a realm higher!

He squinted at Weiheng Wu, slightly concerned. Master, don’t tell me… did you ascend to a higher realm again? Are you seventh realm, now?

“Give up. You cannot overcome the gap between us. Not now, nor ever,” Weiheng Wu intoned, folding his hands behind him.

“You—” Sect Master Mu’s eyes flashed suddenly. He slapped his chest, caving it in, and spat up a mouthful of blood. He staggered backward, almost flying out of the air.

Down on the ground, all the disciples gaped up at Sect Master Mu. Hui stared, completely lost. Why would he do that? Attacking himself, it’s almost as if he’s trying to play dead!

Hmm… actually, attacking myself to fake death might not be a bad idea, in the right circumstances…

Weiheng Wu frowned. He lifted his head and stared to the horizon, and light suddenly glimmered in his eyes. He glanced at Hui, far below, and his voice sounded in Hui’s head. “Hide whatever demonic arts you wish to keep.”

Hui blinked. “Master…?”

Weiheng Wu turned away, and no more words sounded in his head.

Hui licked his lips. I don’t know why Master said that, but—but I can’t afford to ignore it! He reached out to Jin Xian and summoned her back, hiding her in his storage ring. He checked quickly on the lotus seed, then put a cursory seal on it to ensure it didn’t come to life suddenly. He cinched the bag of holding shut at his waist and spun a strand of life qi around it to hide its death aura, then paused, thinking. That’s everything, I think… the ghoul skin is in my storage ring, I’ve hidden all the refined corpses, er… He glanced at Gu Tian. I can’t put a live human in my storage ring.

“Gu Tian, if you have any demonic items on you, hide them now!” he snapped.

Gu Tian jumped. Reaching all over his body, he moved items into his bag of holding, including his flute. At last, he nodded at Hui.

Hui nodded back. Right. Now I just have to be careful to only use my talismans and body cultivation techniques. No death qi! Only life qi! Ah, and not the illusion talisman. I don’t think the technique is demonic in of itself, but better safe than sorry.

Gold beams burst through the sky. A powerful aura of life qi burst out overhead. In another moment, cultivators in austere white robes touched with hints of gold and silver appeared atop swords overhead. In their lead stood a tall, broad-shouldered man, his black hair draping over his shoulders. He glared down at the entire goings-on and crossed his arms. “What’s happening here? Righteous sects attacking one another…”

Hui squinted. I feel like that face is familiar… wait! A long time ago, at the Bai Clan banquet after we vanquished the first lotus, Master pointed out an expert exorcist to me, a master from an exorcism sect who specialized in life qi. And then, later, when I was trying to exorcise that ancestral home and the life qi cultivators attacked me, one of them invoked his name. Gui Delun! He’s meant to be a genius on the same caliber as Master!

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…Well, no one’s truly on the same level as Master. But he’s definitely meant to be a genius!

Sect Master Mu limped toward Gui Delun, reaching out a hand. “Gui Delun! You showed up at the right time. Another second, and these horrible backstabbers would have killed us all! On the eve of our conference, they ganged up on Mysterious Heavenly Forest Sect and launched a cowardly sneak attack. They were jealous of our Mysterious Heavenly Forest Sect becoming ascendent, and attacked us to loot our resources! Please, strike down these sects! They deserve punishment!”

Hui frowned at Sect Master Mu. Clutching a golden thigh, at your level? How ridiculous. Besides, isn’t sneak attacking us on the verge of the conference what you tried to do, not us? Ludicrous, simply ludicrous. In fact, the evidence is—

He gazed around him. With each turn, he grew more startled. All the Qi Seed plants had vanished, burned in the fighting. Likewise, only a pile of ash remained from the lotus.

They destroyed all the evidence!

Weiheng Wu flicked his sleeve and scoffed, shaking his head.

Gui Delun looked at Sect Master Mu, then at Weiheng Wu. He nodded. “What do you have to say?”

“Falsehoods. They attacked the other three sects,” Weiheng Wu said.

Sect Master Mu bared his teeth. He spat up blood, seemingly extremely aggrieved. “They’re lying! They’re all working together to destroy my sect! Just look at my sect. Look at how tattered it is!”

Tattered? Eh… how? We’ve been here this whole time, Hui mocked him silently. A second later, he stiffened. No, wait. I did… destroy a few things… but they were traps! That doesn’t count!

His eyes flew even wider, and he put a hand on his chin. He turned to the sect, using the full force of his third eye to peer into the forest.

Destruction. Trees sagged at wild angles. Leaves and fallen branches littered the ground, alongside the ruins of the grand palaces they’d once held. Dead and injured disciples appeared wherever he looked, extremely pitiful.

In the distance, he caught sight of Erlan fleeing the sect at top speed.

He grit his teeth. What a savage trap! Using Black Asp Sect to attack his own sect, then blame it on us! How could Mysterious Heavenly Forest Sect be so ruthless? Is it really because of Master, and limitations on resources?

No… isn’t that somewhat reasonable? If the Sect Masters are at sixth or seventh realm, maybe eighth at the highest… if Master cultivates another few realms, he’ll be the strongest existence around, strong enough to wipe out an entire sect on his own! Of course the other sects would act against him. He’s pressuring them just by existing.

In addition, it seems as if, maybe, Mysterious Heavenly Forest Sect almost recruited Master! If I were Sect Master Mu, I’d be frustrated, too.

And of course, cultivation resources are all-important. Limited resources naturally lead to conflict.

Hui glanced at Gui Delun. This exorcism sect that Gui Delun is a disciple of… Sect Master Mu turned to them for help. Are they, then, the most powerful sect in the area? They must arbitrate disputes and control resources like lands and precious materials that the sects cannot claim for themselves. Then… when it comes down to it, they’re the only ones whose opinion matters!

Gui Delun frowned. He gazed around the sect. Although he didn’t move from his spot, his eyes swept over everything, piercing through to the heart of the matter. Hui stared at Erlan, clenching his hands into fists. Come on. See him, already!

Just as Gui Delun’s eyes swept over Erlan, Erlan suddenly vanished, as though he’d never been.

“Why would one sect attack three?” Gui Delun mused quietly, putting a hand on his chin.

“Jealousy,” Weiheng Wu replied.

Gui Delun flashed a look at Weiheng Wu, as if disgusted that someone so far below him would dare speak.

“Honorable Gui Delun, these paltry excuses… do you really think so little of our Mysterious Heavenly Forest Sect? Would we attack three sects from jealousy? Or… could it be… are you jealous of my sect?” Sect Master Mu scowled ferociously at Weiheng Wu.

Hui pressed his lips together, suddenly nervous. Erlan escaped before Gui Delun saw him. He thinks he’s better than Master, but… well, Master’s never bowed his head to anyone. Actually, this might be the first time Master’s encountered someone who doesn’t treat him with courtesy!

On the other hand, Sect Master Mu is treating Gui Delun with the respect he thinks he deserves! Ah, dammit. We’re ruined. If we rely on Master, we’re ruined!

The other representatives stepped up. The Azure Fang representative scoffed, tossing her hair, and glared at him. “Gui Delun, you believe that liar over the voices of three sects?”

“This… dear customer—er, Honorable Gui Delun, you… honestly think our small retinues would strike the heart of Mysterious Heavenly Forest Sect?” the Silk Heart representative in silver said, clasping his hands and giving Gui Delun an ingratiating look.

“How ridiculous. You may look down on our sects, but this is a step too far!” Lan Taijian snapped, lips twisted in disgust.

Gui Delun frowned. He gazed down on them, lashes half-lowered. Distaste wrinkled his brows. Quietly, he murmured, “These small sects and their petty in-fighting…”

Hui grit his teeth. You… dammit! Argh! I have no choice! He stepped forward. “Honorable Gui Delun! This small disciple has proof!”