Back to my home. If he’s correct, and he should be, then he’s guiding me back to where I first crossed over into this world. If someone noticed me entering this world… that would have been where they lost track of me. Then, is this… some kind of trap? Hui cut his eyes at Yunxu, suspicious.

“Ah, did you realize already? Yes… that voice lost track of you. This is the last place he knows to look for you. I was told to bring you back here. And yet, you sought it out yourself. Does this not prove that it’s karma?” Yunxu queried, tipping his head.

Hui suppressed his qi harder than ever. He licked his lips and glanced at Yunxu again. I can’t run away, can I? He knows about my habit of playing dead. I guess… I guess my only option is to go through with it, and meet this Senior!

Coughing, Hui glanced at Yunxu. “Could… could I at least be allowed to repay my debt, first?”

Yunxu paused, considering, then nodded. “We should resolve your karma with this world. After all, you aren’t long for it.”

Eh? Eh! Is that Senior going to kill me? I’m not long for this world… farewell, my fellow clones. And be on guard against Erlan and Yunxu!

Farewell, Mortal! In the end, you lived up to your name admirably! Rogue saluted him.

Sighing deeply, Yunxu looked at Hui. “I didn’t picture it going like this. I thought you’d gape, shriek, scream and deny it… not accept it with a smile and blithely ignore it.”

“Eh? I have been denying it, Senior,” Hui said, defending himself.

“Have you?” Yunxu asked, crossing his arms and turning a sour expression to Hui.

Ah… wait. This must be very unfulfilling for Yunxu. After all, the hero is supposed to scream about how ‘this can’t be true!’ and ‘there’s no way!’ while the villain torments him with his twisted past… ah, well, I guess I was simply too studious, and figured out most of it already.

In the end, I’m simply too mentally stable for this world! After all, I realize it’s not my fault that Yunxu killed those children. I’m sad about it, but it would be stupid to blame myself. Just like how it would be stupid to blame myself for my father’s death, or any of the other people the loan sharks drove to suicide or death from overwork. They’re the ones who did evil. I simply got drawn into it, against my will. Ah! In fact, I’m a victim! But see, I don’t even victimize myself. Hui, Hui, you’re simply too stable, too stable for this world!

Eh, don’t forget about Sectgoer’s heart demon, Rogue pointed out.

Hui nodded. That’s right. Even someone as mentally robust as me must take safeguards! Sectgoer knows that better than anyone.

“Ah… yes, there is something I would like to know, before Senior has his way with me,” Hui said.

Phrasing, Peak Lord muttered.

Yunxu gestured for Hui to continue.

“That Senior… ah, the Senior whom Yunxu cooperated with. How did the two of you meet? How did you collaborate? Why? That Senior is ascended to the Heavens, right? Please forgive this small cultivator, but my buglike existence is as distant from an ascended cultivator as an ant from a mountain. Even Exalted Sect Master Yunxu is still nothing compared to an Immortal. So why…?”

Yunxu snorted. “The Heavens are not right. There is constant unrest, and he cannot interfere with the pitiful mortal world until he’s quelled it. As such, I acted as his interface with the mortal world. To an Immortal, these decades I’ve spent searching and chasing are but a blink of the eye. So short as to be nonexistent, and at the same time, something that passes so fast as to be untouchable. Therefore, I acted as his agent in this ephemeral world, to find yourself and send you up.”

Eh… interesting. It sounds like the Heavens are truly a mess right now, like everyone’s said. Although I feel as if the excuse about these years being a moment to an Immortal… is something that could absolutely be true, and therefore, an excellent bluff. Could it be that Senior Immortal isn’t so immortal? Or perhaps, they are Immortal, but their Immortality is imperfect or even wrong?

Hmm. Well, no matter what, such an Immortal could crush me with a thought, so Hui, don’t get too worried about it! Once I’m no longer a bug to an Immortal, then it’s time to worry about whether their Immortality is perfect!

Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

Until then… argh! A True Immortal, after this small Hui? Urgently seeking a technique to play dead against Immortals, waiting online!

Yunxu straightened up. “Ah, here we are. Look, right there.”

Hui stood on his tiptoes, shading his eyes with a hand. A small village stood ahead of him. Beyond it, lush fields stretched to the horizon. Hui bit his lip. It doesn’t look familiar… but then, I saw it for about ten whole seconds after I spawned into this world. I was pretty disoriented for most of that, and I also saw it from the height of a five year old, as opposed to my current adult height. I can’t be surprised that it doesn’t look familiar.

“Although, I was wondering… why come back, otherworlder? She isn’t your mother. Why concern yourself with her?” Yunxu asked.

“I owe her a debt,” Hui replied simply. Whether she’s my mother or the mother of this body, she still sent me into the world of cultivation. I owe her a great deal.

Besides, I don’t like owing people. I had enough debt in my first life! I don’t want to owe any in this life, if I can avoid it!

“You owe me a favor. Will you repay it so diligently?” Yunxu asked, smiling without using his eyes.

Hui swallowed. He hesitated, but then bowed his head. “Within reason.”

Yunxu raised his eyebrows. “Even though I’ve committed so many crimes? Even though I’ve worked against you?”

Hui sighed. He shrugged. “To be quite honest, Senior, I have a great deal of experience in owing things to criminals who work against me.” That was my whole life, in my first life! It doesn't really matter who I owe money… or favors, to. As long as they have the power to force me to repay my debts, I’ll naturally work hard to absolve my debt. Once my debt is resolved, then I no longer have to have anything to do with those terrible people, and I can move on! That applies equally in this world as in my first.

Yunxu gave Hui a long look. “You’re somehow more honorable than most righteous cultivators.”

“What does that mean? I am a righteous cultivator,” Hui replied, crossing his arms.

“You were a member of my Black Asp Sect. I know you indulged in ghoul refinement and death qi cultivation. You’re on the wanted list of All-Heavens Sect, the ultimate righteous sect in the area,” Yunxu returned.

Hui cleared his throat. “I understand how Senior could be confused, but please. This small cultivator is a righteous cultivator.”

Shaking his head, Yunxu turned away. “You’ll realize it eventually.”

The two entered the village. The villagers stared at them, their eyes wide. Compared to Hui’s blue robes and Yunxu’s fine black cloak, the villagers dressed in ragged, coarse fabrics, crudely crafted into trousers, skirts, and robes. They backed away as Hui and Yunxu walked into their village, some directly turning to flee.

An older villager with white hair and a cane trembled up to the two of them. Behind him, the nosy villagers gathered, peering at Hui and Yunxu with curious gazes. The old man bowed to them, bending so low that Hui began to wonder if he could stand out of the bow. “C…could I help you, celestial beings?”

Ah. Hui put a hand to his face, then sighed. “I forgot to put a mortal disguise back on.”

“Please bring us to Xiao Dong,” Yunxu replied.

Hui looked up, his eyes wide. “Eh.” You mean, my name really is Xiao Hui? All this time, I really was correct?

The old man startled. He looked over the both of them, then turned to the other villagers. “Where is Xiao Dong?”

A few of the villagers glanced amongst themselves. Whispers passed around the small crowd.

Yunxu cleared his throat.

From the back of the crowd, an aunty-looking villager pushed a gray-bearded man forward. He glared over his shoulder at her, then cleared his throat. “She’s… out in the fields.”

“Thank you.” Yunxu smiled and gave him a small nod.

The gray-bearded man bowed, quickly backing away. He grabbed the aunty by the shoulder and drew her with him, the two of them escaping the crowd.

Yunxu chuckled. He shook his head at the retreating duo, turning to walk away himself. “It’s cute how mortals think walking away will save them.”

“Senior! Please, there’s no need to lower yourself to touch these mortals. There’s no glory in killing such weaklings. Just as there’s no glory in killing one as pitiful as me,” Hui added, nodding. He hurried to follow Yunxu, somewhat nervous about letting the man get too far away from him. I might not be able to equal Senior, but if I call Senior Spider here, I can at least hold him off for long enough to rescue the townsfolk!

Yunxu waved his hand. “As you say, I have no desire to kill them. But you must admit… if we wished to kill them, wouldn’t it be as easy as turning over your hand?”

Hui shook his head. “Not at all.” I came from a tiny town like this—in fact, this very town. Who knows how many other cultivators this tiny town produced? Although it may be centuries since the previous cultivator came from this town, cultivators live for centuries! And by now, if even a single cultivator had come from this town, and their relatives procreated… everyone in this town would undoubtedly be related to that cultivator, based on how bloodlines intermix in small towns like this! No, no. Small towns are dangerous, utterly dangerous. Even a mortal could have a tiger lurking behind them. This mantis knows to check for chariots!

“You… really believe that?” Yunxu asked, his brows furrowing.

“I believe that killing is dangerous,” Hui replied earnestly.

Yunxu laughed. “You’re weird.”

“Ah… I can’t say I understand, but I get that a lot,” Hui replied, rubbing the back of his head.

The fields spread before them. Men and women walked through them, tending to the grains. As they approached, several of the laborers stopped and looked up, staring curiously at the two of them. Unlike in the town, no one fled, but compared to the town, the laborers stood much further from Yunxu and Hui, at the far end of fields.

From deep in the fields, a woman stood up straight, wiping the sweat from her brow. She squinted at Hui and Yunxu, eyes half-shut against the blinding sun.

Hui stilled. He stared. That’s her. That woman. I’ve found her. After all this time, I can keep that promise I made to myself!