Hui managed to escape to his feet and yanked free of Aunty Wen. Adjusting the hems of his robes, he walked on his own. “So, Madam… I understand the Young Miss needs some help?”

“Oh, just call me Aunty Wen like everyone else,” she said, slapping him hard on the shoulder. She drew back her hand and gripped it, a pained expression on her face.

A second too late, Hui flinched. “Ow!”

Aunty Wen frowned at him, still gripping her hand.

Shit, blending in with mortals is too hard! Hui laughed lightly and rubbed the back of his head.

“What kind of doctor are you?” Aunty Wen asked conversationally.

“I mostly work with internal energy… blockages, balancing, that kind of thing,” Hui explained. Er, wait. Should I instead claim to work with physical injuries? I don’t think diseases can be cured with life qi, but physical injuries should go away, more or less. Besides, I’m not even sure mortals know about internal energy… Hui peeked at Aunty Wen with his third eye, and saw a dim but shimmering constellation inside her, so dim his eyes could barely make it out, but present nonetheless. Everyone in this world has internal energy, and anyone can get a blockage, but… it’s less of a problem for mortals compared to cultivators. Such injuries must be rare, right? He coughed into his fist and glanced at Aunty Wen. “And, uh, broken bones and… stuff.”

I really need to get my spiel down… that was a mess.

“Qi blockages? Good, good. The Young Miss has had some sort of stagnation for a month now. We hoped it would go away, but with the banquet coming up, we were worried we’d simply have to cover it up as best we could. Lord Fu is an immortal, but even he couldn’t fix it… ah, but he isn’t a physician, so he’s unsuited to it.” Aunty Wen nodded to herself.

Hui startled. He lifted his head and stared at the grand mansion before them. “Lord Fu is a cultivator?”

Aunty Wen nodded, frowning at Hui. “Have you never heard of the Fu Clan?”

Hui paused, then bowed quickly. “Madam Wen, please forgive me! I’m but a mortal with some small comprehension of qi, please overlook my inadequacies!”

Aunty Wen laughed and waved her hand. “You’re a traveler, no? You’ve come from afar. Naturally, you wouldn’t have heard of Lord Fu and the Fu Clan.”

Here I thought it was a village of mortals… but it turns out it was a clan! Hui looked at Aunty Wen. “How many disciples does the clan have? What are their levels?”

“Mmm? Ah… should be four, now that the youngest is old enough to start practicing. As for their level… I’m not sure I understand. All immortals are superhumanly powerful to me.”

Four disciples? What a tiny clan! No, does it even count as a clan? Isn’t that simply a rogue cultivator and his four personal disciples? Hui looked around, taking in the mortal village around the grand manor, the mud huts and thatched roofs, and sighed. I suppose I can’t expect much from a place like this.

Well, that’s perfect. I’ll be able to prod the Fu Clan for information on Starbound and All-Heavens Sect. Even if they suspect something, who would listen to a clan so tiny it only has four disciples?

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“And the banquet?” Hui asked, smiling.

Aunty Wen nodded. As they approached the red gates to the manor, she leaned in. “A rich young immortal is looking for a partner! From what I understand, he’s incredibly handsome, too. He’s invited all the sects and clans around the area to a banquet… supposedly to celebrate his locating some artifact, but everyone knows it’s to find a Daoist partner… a wife!”

Oh. I understand. A scum, Hui thought, nodding.

Wait, when Ying Lin asked to be pretty… was she aiming at that ‘rich young immortal,’ too? Ying Lin, you’re too young! Savor your youth! As I thought, I absolutely need to turn down that request of hers. I won’t aid and abet such immorality!

He cleared his throat and glanced sidelong at Aunty Wen. “May this lowly servant request that illustrious young immortal’s name?”

“Naturally. He’s known as—”

The doors to the manor slammed open, cutting off Aunty Wen’s whisper. A young lady of about eighteen years stormed out, hair streaming behind her, her face the picture of indignation. Cherubic cheeks and cupid’s-bow lips pouted at them, and dark eyes narrowed. Long hair flew with the wind, as malleable and shiny as silk. She wore a short pink gown that barely hid fine curves and a small waist. She looked down on Aunty Wen and Hui, eyes scouring over their figures. When she failed to find something, her pout turned into a scowl.

Even with the pout… six points. Tang Fei is far cuter, Hui thought quietly. …Well, she is only a mortal, after all.

Wait… is she? He cautiously extended his mental energy, careful to stay far enough away that she wouldn’t be able to sense him. Slowly he drew closer, until at last, he sensed her cultivation. Second stage? He suppressed his cultivation just in case, but wasn’t too worried. There’s no way she’ll be able to sense anything wrong. With her cultivation that low, she’s basically a mortal, compared to me.

“Aunty Wen, the seeds,” she demanded, sticking out a hand.

Aunty Wen patted her waist down, searching for the pouch, then laughed. “My apologies, Young Miss. I must have left them with Ying Lin.”

Fu Liyu scowled. “Can’t even complete a task like that correctly? Worthless. I don’t even know why Father keeps you around! If it were me…” She let the threat hang on the air and turned away, harrumphing.

“Forgive me, Young Miss. I’ll be back with them in a moment,” Aunty Wen promised.

“Too slow! I’ll starve by then. Ugh, peasants, honestly.”

Five points. I don’t like spoiled brats, Hui decided immediately. Complaining about nothing, surrounded by loving parents, doted on with toys and presents and good food… and what did I have? Yep, it’s decided. Brats are the worst.

Aunty Wen’s face turned an ugly shade of red, but she still forced a smile. “I’ll be right back. Young Miss, this esteemed sir is a doctor. He heard about your condition and suggested that he might be able to help.”

Eh, when did I do that? Hui wondered, narrowing his eyes at Aunty Wen’s back.

“What did Father say?” Fu Liyu asked, looking down on Aunty Wen.

“I did not tell your father, as Young Miss requested,” Aunty Wen replied, bowing.

Fu Liyu harrumphed, then turned and nodded at Hui. “Follow me.”

Hui looked at her, then hesitated. “Young Miss, though I am a doctor, to allow a man you don’t know to enter your room alone with you…”

“Who said we were going to my room? Or going alone?” Fu Liyu asked, narrowing her eyes.

Hui bowed deeply. “My apologies. This lowly servant assumed.” Good! I don’t want to be alone with this girl. Who knows what kinds of twisted schemes she’d cook up? I don’t need to be involved in the politics of such a pitiful clan!

“Besides… I’ll warn you. I am an immortal. If you make one wrong move…” She turned and punched the gate.

Bam! A dent the size of her fist appeared in the stone. Stone dust clouded the air.

Fu Liyu turned and looked at Hui.

He shivered, eyes wide. “I’ll… keep that in mind, Young Miss.” Punching a gate? How impressive! It can’t even move. Ha, if I punched a gate… wait, no. Don’t compete with the second-stage cultivator, Hui! How ridiculous.

“Hmph!” A glint of satisfaction showed in her eyes as she turned and walked off.

Aunty Wen shivered. “Young Miss, the gate… your father…”

“Father won’t mind. Send some servants with plaster and paint, it’ll be as good as new in no time,” she said, waving her hand.

Aunty Wen hung her head pitifully. Hui gave her a commiserative look. She really is a brat, isn’t she?