The uninjured cultivator laughed. “What a fool. To think, he dared to rush into our battle without the skill or power to back it up! Only death could await him before my might!”

“That’s not true! Benefactor, I’ll make the most of this opportunity you gave me!” the injured cultivator shouted. His eyes glowed green, and he suddenly released a great aura of qi. A vicious wind raged around him, tugging at his ragged robes and Hui’s unfortunate body.

Elder brother, please… I’m a small cultivator who wants to survive, not get blown to death, okay! Hui cried, suffering. It didn’t hurt too much, as a lower-level attack, but the wind still stung at his delicate plant skin. A few thin scratches opened up on his arms and face.

The other cultivator laughed and flicked his sleeve again, this time summoning a huge throne made of shimmering scales. He sat down in it, and an imperious aura emanated from him. “Come. Let’s see what your piffling skills can accomplish.”

“I dare you to call me piffling again!” the injured cultivator shouted. He summoned a giant feather from his storage pouch and set Hui atop it, then drew out a horsehair whip. Swishing it, he summoned a dozen tornadoes, which all twisted wildly toward the cultivator in the throne.

The throne-sitting cultivator waved his finger. A hundred bolts of lightning collided with the tornadoes. The tornadoes struggled against the lightning. One after another, they collapsed, but they took a handful of lightning bolts with them each time. Still, the tornadoes couldn’t take enough lightning bolts to beat them out. Twenty lightning bolts shot at the injured cultivator.

Hui grit his teeth. Do I leap in front of him again? But if I give up my death-faking, then—

A beam of sword light zipped across the horizon and materialized in front of the injured cultivator. A sword deflected the lightning bolts, and they flew off harmlessly to ground themselves in the scrubby trees below. Light glinted off a pink pin.

Li Xiang glared at the enthroned cultivator and lifted her sword. “Enough.”

Li Xiang! I found her!

Healer looked up. You found her, Sectgoer?

Really? It’s really Li Xiang? Rogue asked.

Peak Lord gasped. Where was she? What was she doing? Is she okay?

Mortal sighed. Must be interesting where you are.

You won’t let her get hurt, right, Sectgoer? First said quietly.

Hui shook his head, sitting up. “No. I won’t.”

Wang Xiu laughed aloud as she charged at Li Xiang. “The fool! She’s finally dared to show her face.”

The injured cultivator fell back, startled. He took his feather with him, but Hui stood and stepped on the air instead. His eyes widened. “Benefactor?”

“Is there a reward for killing this girl?” the uninjured cultivator asked, suddenly interested. He sat forward on his throne and flicked his hand, summoning a massive greatsword.

“Naturally,” Wang Xiu replied.

He smirked and stood from his throne. Lightning crackled all around him.

Hui walked forward and stood in front of both of them. Wang Xiu stopped short, seconds from slicing into him. “What?”

“She’s mine,” he said quietly.

“She belongs to whoever kills her first!” the uninjured cultivator replied. He transformed into a bolt of lightning and flashed past Hui, rematerializing before Li Xiang. An evil grin on his face, he drew back his greatsword.

Li Xiang’s sword flashed. She stepped forward, ignoring her attacker.

The uninjured cultivator frowned. “You dare—”

His body split in half vertically. A horrified expression flashed over his split-in-two face for a second before his eyes rolled up. The two pieces of his body thumped into the ground and bounced, streaking blood behind them.

Li Xiang turned. Her dark eyes fell on the injured cultivator, and she strode forward.

Hui frowned. Is this… really Li Xiang? She feels different.

Frightened, the injured cultivator shrieked. He backed away, eyes wide. “Please don’t… I’m no one, I’m merely the atmosphere. He had the technique, not me!”

Li Xiang knelt and picked a ragged manual off the ground. She walked over to the injured cultivator and held it out.

“Eh? You… I… what do I owe?” the injured cultivator asked. He shivered like a leaf, hand half-outstretched, but afraid to grab the manual.

“Remain righteous, and owe nothing,” Li Xiang intoned flatly.

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The injured cultivator stared at her for another moment, gauging her intent, then snatched the manual and flew off. As he vanished, he shouted over his shoulder, “I won’t forget you, benefactors! Ren Qinqi owes you a debt of gratitude!”

Eh? I’m… owed a debt? A warm feeling came over Hui, and he smiled despite himself. Being owed something feels so good. No wonder everyone wanted me indebted to them! Now I understand.

A second later, his eyes snapped open wide. Wait. This Ren Qinqi doesn’t know my face, let alone my name. How is he going to find me again to repay the debt he owes?

Hey! Ren Qinqi, come back here! Pay me right now! Right now, okay!

Li Xiang regarded him warily. Her eyes traveled up and down his figure, and she frowned slightly. Her sword lowered.

Wang Xiu frowned at Hui. She pushed his shoulder. “If you aren’t going to attack, get out of the way!”

Hui frowned at her and held out his hand. “Let me handle this.”

Uncertain, Wang Xiu backed up. “If she gets away, you’re explaining it to Chen Xigui.”

“Ying Lin,” Hui called.

“Yes, Master!” Ying Lin said cheerily. She flew to her side.

Wang Xiu’s brows furrowed. “You’re… sending your disciple to fight?”

He hesitated. If she remains here and we fight, watching Li Xiang will prove incredibly valuable. Since she has karma with a sword, a real life sword cultivator should greatly improve her comprehension!

But on the other hand, once Wang Xiu figures out that I’m not here to kill Li Xiang… as I thought, it’s too dangerous. He passed his hand over Ying Lin’s head and sent her to Healer.

Wang Xiu’s eyes flew wide. She jumped back, suddenly wary. “What is that technique?”

“Would Elder Sister like to learn? I’ll teach it in exchange for your presence-dimming technique,” Hui replied. I can teach it, but without Mount Mu’s inheritance, you can’t learn it!

Wang Xiu pressed her lips together and said nothing.

“Weiheng Hui.”

Hui turned. He looked Li Xiang in the eye and gripped his skin, pulling it free to reveal his true face. “Li Xiang.”

Wang Xiu gasped. Her eyes flickered between the two fugitives. Realization flashed over her face, and she drew her blade. “This was a trap.”

Hui turned. He shook his head. “Elder Sister… it doesn’t have to be. If you simply keep quiet, we can peacefully—”

Li Xiang darted at Wang Xiu. Her slender blade met Wang Xiu’s oversized one. Sparks flew. In the space of a breath, the two exchanged over twenty blows.

Hui fell back, not sure what to do. Wang Xiu is an All-Heavens cultivator, but it isn’t as if she’s a bad person. I don’t want to kill her if I don’t have to. I—

Does it matter? a voice whispered in the back of his head. Does it matter if she’s a good person or not? Did it matter whether your sect brothers and sisters were good people, when All-Heavens massacred your sect? If not for you, they would have all died like dogs under the might of All-Heavens, unable to fight back or choose their method of death, only able to die.

Hui frowned. He rubbed his chest, looking at Wang Xiu and Li Xiang’s fight. Things have already come this far. If I truly cared whether Wang Xiu lived or died, wouldn’t I have shook her off earlier?

I already decided by bringing her here. The same way All-Heavens treated my sect as cannon fodder to be trod underfoot, so I treated Wang Xiu. All she was to me, was a means to an ends.

Can’t I be allowed to act domineering, the same as that damned All-Heavens Sect? Forget acting better or nobler! If I want to win, to defeat the stronger sect, I can’t hold back or hesitate. I have to treat them as coldly as they treated me and my sect. At least until I win. Until All-Heavens lies at my feet, the same way Starbound laid at theirs.

I… have known this for a long time, Hui realized, watching Wang Xiu and Li Xiang clash. I simply… didn’t want to admit it to myself. That there was no way out of this except extermination. That until All-Heavens is obliterated, or we few Starbound Sect members breathe our last, there can be no conclusion.

Rogue’s voice sounded in his head. Uh-oh, Sectgoer’s giving off evil-clone vibes.

Ha? An evil clone? Us? I thought we’d never! Mortal replied.

Hey hey, we all agreed the most beneficial thing is to not kill one another, right? We all agreed, right? Healer butted in.

Hui snorted. I’m not going to kill any of us, Elder Brothers. I’ve only—

Mmm, we know, First replied.

The other clones sat in silence, unwilling to speak.

Though, I mean. Evil clone. It’s classic, right? Rogue said, trying to lift the mood.

Mortal sighed. Even I can tell it’s not the time, Rogue.

Wang Xiu spun her blade, and a blast of steam flew at Li Xiang. Hui flicked his hand, tossing out a barrier talisman. It leaped to life between Li Xiang and Wang Xiu and blocked the steam.

Li Xiang sliced the barrier talisman apart and rushed through. Twisting her limber waist, she spun around the steam and launched a neat attack at Wang Xiu’s shoulder.

Hui blinked. Is she saying not to interfere? Or is it a coincidence?

Wang Xiu flinched back, but too late. Li Xiang struck true. Her sword slowed, and she swapped it to her other hand. Eyes narrowed, she scowled at Li Xiang. “A mere fourth-stage…”

“One shouldn’t place too much weight on their stage, lest they become complacent,” Li Xiang remarked. She flicked the blood off her sword as she backed up, choosing not to press the attack.

Wang Xiu snorted. “Saw through that, did you?” Lightly, she swapped her blade back into her dominant hand.

Hui threw a fire talisman at Wang Xiu’s back. She waved her hand lightly, overcoming the fire spell and throwing it forward at Li Xiang. Hui closed his hand, snuffing the talisman rather than allowing it to hurt her. Wang Xi fired another blast of flames at Li Xiang, who stepped back. Fifty swords materialized from sword light around her, spinning slowly. They darted forth in a sword formation. Their tips joined together into a sharp point, their hilts spreading in a wide cone. The fire splashed harmlessly off the swords. Li Xiang gestured, and the fifty swords darted out in a net formation, locking down Wang Xiu’s escape routes.

Wang Xiu laughed aloud. She slashed wildly, her gestures bold. Ragged gashes of sword light shot out from her blade, clashing against the sword formation. The formation held, but the swords fell back enough for Wang Xiu to twist her way free of the locking pattern.

Hui stepped back to let the two fight. This isn’t a fight at the level I can intervene in. Li Xiang doesn’t want my help, and I didn’t successfully attack Wang Xiu, either. I’ll let them battle it out for now, and wait for a moment to strike.

Zhubi hissed at his neck. Hui stroked the snake’s head. Reassuringly, he said, “If she gets in a pinch, we’ll step in.”

Zhubi hissed again. The two of them stood back and watched as the girls bounded back and forth, clashing across the sky. After a few moments, Hui had the urge to reach for popcorn. He tucked his hands behind his back instead and stood up nobly. With a flick of his hand, he summoned Ying Lin back.

“Stand by my side and watch. I’ll send you back if things get dangerous,” Hui said. After all, my disciple does have karma with the sword. This is an excellent opportunity to gain experience for her! Ah… even if it’s only a popcorn-eating opportunity for me.

“Yes, Master!” Ying Lin said, her eyes sparkling. She crouched beside him and propped her head on her hand, glued to the fight overhead.