Descending, Gui Delun waved his sleeve. “I’m a Peak Lord, the same as any other.”

“We wouldn’t dare,” Sui Linli said, narrowing her eyes slightly.

Mu Bingshi tossed her a glance from the corner of his eyes, but said nothing. Instead, he turned to Gui Delun. “Come to watch the trials?”

“Yes, indeed. I hear that my daughter has finally chosen someone to sponsor. I wish to see the lucky man,” he murmured. He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

Gui Yutong stared straight ahead, back ramrod straight and her hands by her sides. She didn’t so much as glance toward the screens.

Facing to his daughter, Gui Delun gently took ahold of her shoulder and turned her to face the leaderboard. “Go on. Who is it? Which of these cultivators did you sponsor? Tell me, who is it that you fancy?”

Gui Yutong swallowed. Her eyes scanned the list slowly up and down. At last, she raised her hand. It trembled faintly, barely visible even to a cultivator’s eyes.

Gui Delun frowned. “Bai Jingwen…? A member of the esteemed Bai Clan, perhaps? But no member of the main bloodline.” He waved his hand. “This isn’t who I mean. The other one.”

Gui Yutong lifted her hand. Her finger settled on Xie Hao, at the top of the list.

His eyes narrowed even more. He turned, watching the screen, where Xie Hao battled back a wave of ghouls. “That man? Is he the one who finally caught the eye of my precious Gui Yutong?”

“You’re wrong. He’s merely—”

Gui Delun turned. Icy eyes landed on Gui Yutong, piercing directly through her.

Gui Yutong swallowed. “Merely… a man whom I owe a favor. He… he healed Wu Fanyun,” she muttered.

“I thought I told you to disregard that vagrant. He might have forced his way into the sect, but I’ll never acknowledge him as a member of the family,” Gui Delun rumbled. He turned away from Gui Yutong, folding his arms as he faced the screens. His brows furrowed as he fixed his cold gaze on Xie Hao. This man thinks he can encroach upon my precious daughter’s heart? He dares to lay his hands on her?

“Father, it’s not what you think. He isn’t—” Gui Yutong protested.

Gui Delun cut her off. “I sensed another’s qi within you when you returned from outside this time. He has the same cool, wood-element aura. Protest all you want, but I will not allow stray dogs to lay their paws on my precious daughter.”

Gui Yutong opened her mouth, then closed it, falling silent. Her eyes darted to Bai Jingwen. She licked her lips, then turned away. Xie Hao, my apologies. In the end… I can’t betray the one I love! You’ll have to bear father’s ire.

I did warn him. I suppose this isn’t exactly why I warned him… but it counts, right?

Below, in the trials, Hui sneezed. He rubbed his nose. Why do I feel like someone’s talking about me?

Turning back to the leaderboards, Gui Delun stared at the name at the top of the list, then harrumphed. “If he’s in first place, though… that’s another matter.”

“Eh?” Gui Yutong asked, startled.

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“Mmm. After all, I only want the best for my daughter. If he is the best, then… I have no reason to protest,” Gui Delun said.

“That’s… all it takes?” Gui Yutong murmured to herself. After all this time, being hounded by both my father and my half-brother… it turns out all I had to do was find a man strong enough to be ‘the best?’

Wu Fanyun wrinkled his nose and turned away with a harrumph.

Gui Delun glanced at her. “It’s not as if I wish to prevent you from finding love. I only ask that it be with a worthy man.”

Gui Yutong glanced down. As expected. It isn’t possible. Even if she gets first place… She looked at Xie Hao’s name on the board and clenched her fist. Xie Hao… you have to win. I’m willing to marry you! You’re a reasonably attractive man! We don’t have to be together, as long as you’re standing in as my supposed husband!

“Xie Hao…” Gui Delun murmured, putting a hand on his chin. I’ve heard that name before. But where?

Hui sneezed again. He looked around, puzzled. What is happening to me right now? Cultivators can’t get colds, right? Cultivators better not be able to get colds! If we can, what is the point of cultivation?

Ying Lin bumped him aside and parried a claw strike from one of the ghouls. “Master! Are you okay?”

“I… I think so. I keep sneezing, that’s all,” Hui said. He punched out. Gold light burst from his fist, sizzling into the ghoul he struck. The ghoul trembled. Light shone from inside it as cracks snaked over its skin. It popped, sending bits of ghoul everywhere.

Chen Wuya flared his wings. “Ying Lin, step forward more when you move. Move aggressively, with surety.”

“Yes!” Ying Lin replied. Immediately, she attempted it, slashing a ghoul’s neck with the step.

“That’s right. Ah, a thousand more repetitions and you should be good,” Chen Wuya said, settling on Hui’s head.

“Senior, it’s hard to fight and keep my head steady enough to serve as your roost,” Hui complained, kicking a ghoul back.

“Hmph! Consider it training. You know the Seven Steps too, right? All you clones share experiences, no?”

“Ah, well… yes, that is, I do,” Hui said, resisting the urge to nod.

“Then why aren’t you practicing? Four bodies, four times the practice!” Chen Wuya declared, stomping on his head.

“Yes, sir!” Hui said quickly. A ghoul lunged for his throat. He struck it in the face with a palm, and it whirled backward, throwing another handful of ghouls backward as it ragdolled. If Senior decides to tear my head open here, I might not survive the distraction! And I can’t count on him remembering that my little life is in danger… or caring if it is, for that matter!

Resetting his feet, he began moving according to the steps Chen Wuya had taught Sectgoer. With each firm step, power flowed through his body, from his legs all the way into his fist. He struck with his palm again. This time, his palm smashed through the ghoul’s chest and sent a blast of energy through to the ghoul behind it, blowing its chest open.

“Whoa,” Hui murmured to himself. He looked at his hand, amazed.

“Don’t look at your hand. Your power comes from your legs! It’s like you’ve never practiced martial arts,” Chen Wuya huffed.

“Er… small cultivator barely learned more than the basics of the sword arts,” Hui said, bowing carefully.

Chen Wuya sighed. “Magic-based cultivators… you aren’t even a member of the scholarly faction, but you might as well be, with your pathetic limbs and lack of martial instinct!”

“Senior! They aren’t pathetic. They’re very good for death-faking,” Hui protested. Three ghouls lunged at him in sync, and he spun, fending them off one palm strike at a time. Palm strikes are better than fists or feet for transferring life qi along with the blow—more surface area on the palm, and the energy can course directly down my arm and out my palm, instead of having to travel to the toes or fingers first! I should optimize my fighting style to use more palm strikes.

In any case, I don’t believe All-Heavens Sect can listen in on us potential recruits. After all, we’ve said enough by now that someone should have gotten suspicious and come down to inspect us, but no one has. Either that, or Senior Chen Wuya is interfering somehow, as he implied he would… well, it’s hard for me to tell.

Is there anything else that might give us away? Hmm…

Hui put his hand on his chin. Something tickled at the back of his mind, but nothing fully materialized. Something… something we got, maybe? Some kind of loot? A weapon, or…

“Master!” Ying Lin shouted.

Hui turned. A ghoul’s bloodstained teeth filled his vision. He fell back, startled. Play dead—no, attack—no—

Ying Lin slashed. The ghoul’s head flew into the sky.

Rubbing the back of his head, Hui nodded at Ying Lin. “Apologies, Elder Sister. I was lost in thought—”

“We’re fighting! Don’t think. Fight!” Ying Lin said, shaking her head at him.

“Ah… that’s right. Sorry, sorry!” Hui said.

Chen Wuya sighed. “You’re hopeless.”