Not long after Hui entered the illusory realm

Golden mirrors materialized all over the cave. They rippled, and a great many Liu Guangs stepped through, into the real world. Unlike the first one, these Liu Guangs were gold from head to toe. Hair, skin, robes, all glittered and shifted like liquid gold.

Each golden clone turned to a different participant and gestured them closer. The participants stepped forward. The clones led them into the golden mirrors, and with a ripple, the mirrors closed over again.

A moment later, another batch of Liu Guangs appeared, gesturing the remaining participants in. The cultivators stepped forward again, and again, the mirrors rippled. At last, only Jin Xian remained.

She looked around, face blank.

One of the golden mirrors rippled, and a gold clone emerged from it. He strode toward Jin Xian, a smile on his face. “My fellow cultivator… you have unusual talents, is that not so?”

Jin Xian tilted her head and blinked deliberately. Her fake pupils stared fixedly ahead.

He laughed lightly. “There’s no need to play coy. In any large sect like ours, naturally, dirty work will arise. When it comes to raising exorcists, we must have ghouls to practice on. When it comes to healing, we must have bodies to use as examples. Surely fellow cultivator can understand?”

Jin Xian tilted her head the other way and blinked again.

The clone’s expression darkened somewhat. He strode forward, life qi gathering into a golden glow in the palm of his hand. “Surely you understand your position? It couldn’t be you approached our sect with no realization of what kind of role you were volunteering for?”

Jin Xian blinked again.

The clone reached for her head. “If you’re continuing to play dumb, then I have no choice but to—”

Jin Xian laughed. Her wooden expression became flexible as Fang Hua asserted herself. “There’s no need. I’ve been awake for some time. Since the ghoul trial, I’ve been wondering what this sect would do to explain itself. It seems, however, that All-Heavens Sect has no need to explain itself. Its righteousness is assured, even if it engages in demonic arts.”

Chuckling, the clone waved his sleeve. “Demonic arts? No, no. All-Heavens is the one who decides what is demonic and what is righteous. If we declare a sect to be demonic, it is as if the heavens have changed, and the sect becomes demonic. Likewise, if we declare a sect to be righteous… well, the reverse is also true.”

“Hypocrites,” Fang Hua accused him lightly, a smile on her lips. She shook her head. “But it benefits me, so I should call you great and righteous lords instead, no?”

“Indeed. Fellow cultivator is wise,” the clone said.

Fang Hua paused. “Call me Jin Xian.”

“Jin Xian? An unusual name… no matter. Do you agree to be our new ghoul-master? Our previous one… that is, he met an accident recently, and we’re currently in need, or else… well, at the end of the day, we’re a righteous sect,” the clone said, shrugging.

“Ha! There’s no need for all the threats. I came here with those intents,” Fang Hua lied boldly. Actually, where the hell am I, and where’s that Xie Hao? I feel as though I’ve been asleep for a long time… but I’ll go ahead and assume this is what he wanted, since he brought me here. Likewise, I can likely thank him for my current cultivation level, so I owe him enough to play along this once.

I hope he hasn’t forgotten about my revenge on the Xi family…

“Wonderful, wonderful. In that case, we can directly bypass the test. I have little knowledge of demonic arts, in any case—ah! I mean, the righteous creation of ghouls for the practice of exorcism,” the clone said, nodding with a wide smile.

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“Of course,” Fang Hua replied, smiling graciously. I certainly hope Xie Hao has a plan for us. I can’t control Jin Xian, and I can’t stay awake for long. In terms of being a death cultivator, I've been alive… dead for less than half a decade. I’m lucky to be awake as often as I am.

Although Jin Xian can likely run around the ghouls’ area with impunity, Xie Hao will need to keep a tight leash on her. Fang Hua subconsciously rubbed her throat. I feel her hunger, even when I’m awake, now. She’s starving.

She nodded at the clone. “If everything’s settled, shall we progress directly to the ghoul cultivation area? I doubt you want to openly announce that you’ve inducted a ‘righteous ghoul-forging’ cultivator into your sect, even if it is in the name of righteousness. We can skip that stuffy ceremony, no?”

The clone nodded. “It’s good that fellow cultivator Jin Xian understands. Then, would you follow me?” He gestured, and a gold sword formed beneath his feet.

Fang Hua looked around. It seems I lack a weapon. No surprise. The other half is a monster, and has no grasp on the subtlety of weapon-fighting.

What to fly on, then…?

She considered a moment, then kicked up a pebble from the floor and hopped on top of it. Folding her arms, she nodded at the clone with an expression that brooked no discussion. “So?”

The clone paused. He looked at the pebble, then at Jin Xian. After a moment, he coughed into his fist. “Er, I happen to have an extra sword here, would fellow cultivator like it?”

Fang Hua tossed her hair haughtily. “A pebble is enough for me.”

Hesitating one last moment, the clone took to the sky. What a resilient spirit! Is she the type that uses whatever remains around her for a weapon, and doesn’t need a sword? An admirable attitude, for a demonic cultivator.

Fang Hua followed him into the sky. Offering me a weapon covered in life qi, are you insane? No one would ride an item that poisons them!

An image from the other half’s memories flashed through her head, of a man in black riding atop a transparent black duck. She rolled her eyes. Except that madman, but he doesn’t count. Nothing that Xie Hao does makes any sense. He cowers every time I wake up, but fearlessly orders the ferocious man-eating beast Jin Xian around? I don’t understand him.

But then, I don’t have to. As long as he continues to ascend me through the realms, I don’t mind hanging around him a little longer. At this rate, I’ll fall asleep and wake up ascended to heaven!

She shook out her hair and grinned. Honestly, he’s already done so much for me. I’ve ascended smoothly to fifth realm, and now he’s pushing me to enter a high-level sect. I almost feel bad for receiving so much for free… but then, it’s never been the creed of demonic cultivators to turn down a shortcut or free meal, nor to earnestly repay debts! Besides, I can let the other half repay whatever debt I might accrue. For as long as she continues to foolishly follow this man, in any case. If she flees… we’ll stock it up to the madness of a ghoul and I can escape freely!

Ahead, the man circled around a peak and led her to the backside of it. From above, it appeared to be an ordinary peak, bustling with cultivators and gleaming in the sunlight. As they approached, however, the clone waved his hand, dispelling the illusory barrier for a moment. Beneath, a sunless crag laid revealed, a scarred pit dug into the side of the peak, shadowed both by its own walls and by the peak that hovered above.

Stark figures swarmed in the shadows. Even from this high, their combined voices could be heard, a mixture of groans, eerie moans, and fierce shrieks. Stained white robes hung limp off pale limbs, strands of dark hair whirling in the wind that seemed to blow only through the valley.

The clone smiled and gestured for her to descend. “Welcome to the Moaning Valley… your new home.”

Fang Hua nodded and swooped down toward the valley. As she dropped, something snapped overhead. She whirled, staring upward.

A dense net of black chains blocked the way out, separating her from the clone.

She rushed at it, but rebounded from it. The black chains absorbed her yin energy and grew stronger, thickening as she weakened. Startled, she backed away, narrowing her eyes. “You. This was a trap!”

“A trap? No, no. We couldn’t let a foul beast like yourself freely roam the sect, now, could we? Your job is still what we agreed to: managing and cultivating the ghouls required for practice. If you work hard enough… hmm, we might consider allowing you to wander around? With a chaperone, of course. Consider this a trial period,” the clone mused, putting a hand on his chin.

“Damned righteous cultivators. I should have known. Demonic cultivators are far better than you. At least they don’t act like they’re doing you a favor when they stab you in the back,” Fang Hua bit.

The clone shook his head. “Now, now. I am doing you a favor, no? After all, for a demonic cultivator to willingly come to a righteous sect, you doubtlessly were run off from the demonic side. We’re saving your life. You should be grateful.”

Fang Hua glared at him silently. Xie Hao, you’d better have a good explanation for me!

If you can even find me…