Fang Hua stopped suddenly. Hui looked up. “Fang Hua?”

“Over there. Was there always someone on that hill?”

Before the, the land rose up in a soft rise. A woman stood atop the hill, hair swaying in the wind, sword in hand. A strange blur hid her face. She wore plain, undecorated white robes and a white ribbon around her forehead. The wind caught both and sent them billowing around her, but she stood still, unmoved.

“Was there always a hill?” Hui murmured.

Fang Hua stiffened. “I didn’t even notice. Should I approach?”

Hui bit his lip. I bet this is the sword spirit the other cultivators were talking about. He hesitated a moment longer, but then his eyebrows raised. Li Xiang is a sword cultivator. If she saw this woman, she would approach, for sure! We can ask this woman if she passed this way!

He nodded. “Approach, but carefully. She’s supposed to be dangerous.”

Fang Hua nodded.

The hill grew closer and closer. Fang Hua flicked her hand as she approached, baring her new black claws. Even hidden inside her consciousness, Hui felt the weight of the woman in white’s killing intent. With every step she took, it grew heavier.

The woman raised her sword.

It was a slow motion, deliberate. And yet, there was a sort of fatalism in the motion. It was as if the woman had already killed them, and in lifting her sword, only warned them of the inevitable.

Fang Hua took a slow breath and stood completely still, eyes glued on the woman. “If I take another step, she’ll cut me down.”

“I feel it, too. Back down,” Hui said. I don’t need to lose Jin Xian’s life over a strange woman in a secret realm. We don’t have any quarrel with that woman. It’s best to leave her to her hill.

Slowly, Fang Hua backed away. When she reached thirty meters, the woman with the blurry face lowered her sword. She continued to watch Fang Hua warily, but the intense sensation of imminent death lessened.

“Let’s get out of here before…” Hui stopped, words trailing off. He stared at the swordswoman disbelievingly.

“Xiao Hui?” Fang Hua asked.

Hui pointed at her sword, lifting Fang Hua’s arm. “That’s Li Xiang’s sword. A swordsman's life is their sword. If someone else has her sword…”

“She’s either dead, or in deadly danger,” Fang Hua finished. She looked at the swordswoman. Killing intent flashed in her eyes.

“Fang Hua, wait. I’ll come with backup,” Hui said. Even if she’s impossibly strong, two is better than one. Three, if I include the lotus beast. If I’m there with Fang Hua, we can try to trick our way past that swordswoman. Li Xiang is somewhere past her! Somewhere… past that hill?

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Fang Hua backed away another few steps and sat down, crossing her legs to wait.

Hui retracted his consciousness and stood, brushing off his robes. He stared up into the sky, eyes flashing. Even if there’s danger, I can’t leave Li Xiang alone and in trouble. I have to go!

…get Lan Taijian. He’s stronger than me. Even if he doesn’t like me, he won’t leave his precious disciple in danger.

Hui hopped atop his sword and blasted toward Starbound Peak. He dropped down toward the peak, curling down toward a fine palace at the peak’s top. I sense Lan Taijian’s fluctuations from here.

Huh, come to think of it, I’ve never been up here before. I didn’t even know there was a palace up here!

As he descended, killing intent suddenly surged from the palace. Hui instantly backtracked, zooming back into the sky. What’s happening?

Argh, I can’t play dead in the air! I need more techniques. More techniques to play dead!

Lan Taijian hurtled out of the palace, directly at Hui. “Now that your master isn’t here to save you, it’s time for you to die!”

“Lan Taijian, you—” Hui shouted, too taken aback to remember to be polite.

“That’s Peak Lord Lan to you!” Lan Taijian shouted. He raced after Hui, his eyes gleaming with fury.

“Li Xiang! Li Xiang is stuck in the realm!” Hui shouted, even as he fled. “She’s in danger!”

At that, a few of the cultivators flying by paused.

“Li Xiang is in danger?”

“Our Li Xiang?”

“Where?”

“Your lies won’t save you this time,” Lan Taijian snarled.

“It isn’t a lie! She’s—”

“If it wasn’t for you, the sect wouldn’t be in this danger!” Lan Taijian snapped, eyes narrowed. He slashed out at Hui.

Sword light flew at Hui. Hui swapped to his crystallized form and threw himself backward, falling backward off the sword. The sword light sliced over his head. He flipped around and caught the sword, blasting himself toward the open rift in the air.

“Lan Taijian! Li Xiang is in danger! Are you going to ignore it?” Hui shouted.

Silently, Lan Taijian made a hand gesture. A green eagle darted out of his hand and rushed at Hui. Sharp claws cut at Hui’s head. The claws tore into his crystallized body, scoring deep rifts in the crystal. Hui shoved his head back together with his other hand and quickly swapped into the plant form. Blood rolled down his head and incredible pain burst through his body. The world wobbled, one eye’s vision going black. His grip on his sword slipped.

His head sealed back together. He tightened his grip and retreated to his crystalline form, blasting more qi into the sword.

Behind him, the rift opened up in midair, barely a dozen meters away from him. Hui clenched his teeth and blasted for it. Just a little further. I can make it!

“No, you don’t,” Lan Taijian growled. He reached out.

A powerful force gripped Hui. Instantly, Hui operated the snakeskin technique and shed it in the same moment. The force snatched Hui’s skin away, but Hui remained unharmed underneath. He continued to flee, hurtling toward the rift.

Lan Taijian’s face twisted. Slamming his foot down, he raced on the air and chased after Hui. Ripples spread through the air ahead of him. He raised his hand and called the eagle back, then threw it out at Hui again. At the same time, he slashed out. Vicious beams of light shot after Hui. “Even if she is, it’s better—”

Hui sped backward into the realm. White light burst out all around him, and the sword light faded away. A strange rush of motion passed over his skin, everything spun, lights flashed, and Hui fell into the realm.

Outside of the realm, Lan Taijian lowered his sword. The fierce expression on his face faded, replaced by an anxious gleam. He took a deep breath. Quietly, to himself, he whispered, “If I can’t kill him, then that junior can survive almost anything. He’s devoted to Li Xiang. He’ll help her escape. Even if I hate him, I’ll do anything to give Li Xiang a small chance of escaping this. After all, if All-Heavens Sect gets the chance to examine her or that horrid Xiao Hui, they’ll destroy them both. I wouldn’t mind killing Xiao Hui to erase the evidence before they think to check Li Xiang, but… this is an acceptable second option.”

He bowed his head. “Master… I failed you in your first life. In this second chance, even if you aren’t fully who you were… please survive.”