Ying Lin appeared in the sky. Leaves rushed by as she fell, toppling into a forest. She shrieked and curled up, protecting herself as best she could.

On the forest floor far below, Hui looked up. Why’d she end up way up there? Shit! He leaped into the air.

Tmp. Tmp. Tmp.

Two strong arms wrapped around her. Ying Lin fell against a powerful chest. She let out a quiet gasp and opened her tight-clenched eyes. “Master?”

“Falling from the sky? What happened to you?” a deep voice asked.

Ying Lin stared, jaw agape. A man with a heroic jaw and strong cheekbones looked back down at her, a slightly stern expression on his face, brows ever-so-slightly furrowed in concern. Long black hair flowed on the wind, flying around both of them, so long as to be capelike. A purple ribbon flowed on the breeze, perfectly matched with the purple robes that swirled around him. Despite standing deep in the forest, the man’s hair and robes were both impeccable, his skin still soft and dewy.

“…Master?” Ying Lin tried again.

From the side, perched atop a branch, Hui coughed nervously. Hui had repressed his cultivation to the early third stage and wore ragged, yellowed, once-white robes, his hair bound in a ponytail but his usually-handsome face replaced by a plain one. Compared to the extraordinary Ji Taiyu, Hui had disguised himself as the kind of ordinary cultivator that wasn’t worth paying attention to. Still, his voice remained the same as ever. Respectfully, he requested, “Er, Ji Taiyu, could you release my disciple?”

The man in purple harrumphed. He carefully set Ying Lin beside him, then folded his arms and looked down at Hui. “You can’t take a disciple yet. You’re still my disciple, until you master the first form of my sword arts.”

Hui rubbed his forehead and resisted the urge to sigh. Can the third-stage cultivator who can’t even fly please stop lecturing me? I know I’m useless at sword arts! Let this small cultivator walk his own path, okay?

Ji Taiyu looked down at Ying Lin, and his eyes shone. “Ah? You’re a cultivator, too? How fortunate! I’ll consider this karma. From today forth, you can call yourself Ji Taiyu’s third disciple!”

Ying Lin blinked at him, then at Hui.

Hui let out the sigh he’d held back and shook his head, shrugging at her. Just give in. To fight him is to go insane. It’s easier to follow him around than to fight his delusions.

Anyways, he knows the wildlands well, and has connections with the rogue cultivators who wander the area. It’ll be faster to find Li Xiang hanging at his side, than wandering the forest at random.

“Master! Don’t you think we should move on?” a female voice called from within the forest.

Hui and Ying Lin both whipped around.

A beguilingly beautiful woman stepped out of the forest, clad in a paler shade of violet. Although not as beautiful as Bai Xue, she had a certain charm that Bai Xue lacked. To put it into words, she had more subtle seduction in her motions than Bai Xue, dripping with sex appeal, usually bothered with. A soft and malleable body jiggled enticingly as she strode toward Ji Taiyu, and conservative robes did nothing to disguise the shapely form beneath. Narrow fox eyes flicked to Ying Lin, a flame of jealousy in their depths which she quickly snuffed out. Her hair hung over one shoulder, tied in a low ponytail.

“First Disciple, welcome back. Third Disciple, greet your elders!” Ji Taiyu encouraged Ying Lin, giving her a nudge.

Ying Lin stumbled, nearly falling off the branch they stood on. Hui lunged forward, ready to catch her, but she caught herself at the last second. Bowing, she cupped her hands to the woman. “Third disciple greets Senior.”

“No need for such formalities. Call me Bao Huli,” the woman replied, her eyes slitting as she smiled.

Hui subtly backed away from Bao Huli, his own eyes narrowing. Ji Taiyu is one thing, but the fifth-stage fox spirit haunting him is another. I don’t know what this ‘Bao Huli’ wants from him, however much treasured a fox she is, but she’d better not take it out on Ying Lin!

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He hadn’t been sure at first, but after a few nights full of foxfire and some strange calls and fox sightings from the forest whenever Bao Huli vanished, he’d become very sure.

The real clincher is that her cultivation isn’t like ours, he thought, looking over her again. Her qi moved differently in her body, more akin to Zhubi’s than Hui’s or Ying Lin’s.

Ah, dammit, I should’ve mentioned her to the other clones. Well, worst case, I’ll send Ying Lin away and handle her myself.

Not that I want to send Ying Lin away. Whoever has Ying Lin also gets Zhubi privileges, he thought, casting a longing look at the pale snake draped around Ying Lin’s neck. I missed you, Zhubi!

“Then, call me Ying Lin,” Ying Lin answered. Her eyes flicked to Hui, an unspoken question in the gesture.

“You can call me Gudu Lieren,” Hui replied, bowing. Maybe it’s a bit obvious to call myself ‘lone hunter,’ but in the face of such a blatant Bao Huli, I couldn’t resist.

Ying Lin glanced between Hui and Bao Huli, then shrugged. “Master, what are we doing today?”

Ji Taiyu raised his hand and pointed at a distant peak. “There’s an abandoned temple atop that peak that’s said to be haunted by monsters. I wanted to make it there by tonight, so we could experience the haunting ourselves.”

You’re already experiencing a haunting, Hui replied silently, his eyes flicking to Bao Huli.

Bao Huli narrowed her eyes at him in return and gave him a small smile, a smile that promised violence if he spoke up.

Not one to seek death, Hui wisely kept his mouth shut. Instead, he nodded and gave a pure and innocent smile. This small cultivator just wants to survive. Senior Fox, please do as you wish! As long as you don’t drain my disciple’s energy, we can remain friends. “The peak is a distance away. Should we fly there?”

Ji Taiyu shook his head. “It’s only a day’s walk. We’ll treat it as movement training.”

Hui clicked his tongue. Sometimes it’s damn annoying to travel with this musclehead! Training, training, who needs training? You’re third stage! What kind of training is a walk in the forest, anyways? Are you going to walk away from battle, huh? There’s better ways to avoid a fight!

“Movement training? Are there movement techniques?” Ying Lin asked, tipping her head.

Hui turned to her, and his eyes widened. Oh, right! I almost forgot. We have a genuine second-stage cultivator right here! Someone who barely comprehends the basics. She’s a perfect match with Ji Taiyu!

Ah, after all, this small cultivator… kind of… er, may have neglected the basics. It’s Master’s fault, dammit! But it doesn’t change the fact that I made up my own foundation. Actually, looking at it that way… this might be an opportunity for me, as well. Hui turned to Ji Taiyu and cupped his hands. “Senior, please explain.”

Ji Taiyu patted his head indulgently. “It’s Master, Master!”

Hui made a sour face at the floor. I look younger than you, but I’m—okay, you probably are a lot older than me. Still! Don’t treat me like a child!

Ah, it’s fine, it’s fine. Deep breaths, Hui. It’s better to be underestimated than overestimated! Besides, this is a world where it’s perfectly normal for a much older-appearing person to be treated as a younger-appearing person’s underling. After all, cultivators who ascend faster will appear younger. Thus, me being his senior in levels is—it’s perfectly fine for… for him to…

Watching Hui’s rapidly changing expressions, Bao Huli snorted.

Hui glared at her. Hey! Don’t laugh. You’re his disciple too, you know?

Argh, it’s all this heart-demon, this damn heart-demon. I forgot to talk to Bai Xue about it, but… it’s something I’ve really got to take care of! Looking down on people, bristling at lower-level cultivators… at this rate, I’ll be seeking death before I know it!

Unaware of Hui’s inner struggles, Ji Taiyu drew himself up to his full height, pleased with himself. Rather to Hui’s chagrin, he stood several inches over Hui, and when he puffed his chest out, he looked like a hero. “When it comes to battle, cultivators often focus only on the sword. However! Movement is equally important. To neglect one’s feet is to discard victory! Without solid footwork, one’s entire technique is built upon a foundation of sand. First, circulate qi to your legs and feet…”

Hui listened at first, but in the end, Ji Taiyu only covered the basics of basics, the stuff Hui had learned as a Foundation-Building disciple in the lower yard of Starbound Sect. He tuned out the man’s voice, instead watching the forest around them. Idyllic and serene, the trees let only a gentle breeze through. Birds sang to one another, and green-tinted sunlight filtered through high leaves.

Ying Lin walked alongside Ji Taiyu, her eyes bright and alert. She nodded along as he spoke, following his lessons to circulate her qi. Hui glanced at her. She walked slightly ahead of him, moving closer to Ji Taiyu as she nodded.

Hui drew closer. He reached out and brushed his fingers over Zhubi, drooped around Ying Lin’s neck. Zhubi jerked upright, startled, then turned and slithered over to Hui, hurrying happily up his arm to sit around his neck. Hui pet Zhubi happily, glad to have his oldest friend back. “Zhubi, I missed you.”

Zhubi nuzzled his hand and stretched out, asking for more pets.

Hui felt a coldness on the back of his neck. Instantly, he whirled. Someone wants me dead?

Bao Huli watched Ying Lin from the depths of the forest, her fox eyes faintly glowing.

Hui swallowed. Uh oh. This is getting dangerous. I can’t let that fox target my disciple!