The pangolin-riding cultivator led those undertaking the beast trial to a large and wild peak. A thick forest coated its sides, covered in tall, sprawling trees draped in moss and lichens. Spirit birds chased glittering insects through the sky. Large shapes shifted under the shade of the trees, half visible from above.

It’s a kind of spirit beast reserve, Rogue noted, nodding to himself. Hmm, if I could recruit some spirit beast seniors, they would go a long way in helping my eventual plan…

The pangolin-riding cultivator held out her hand. Behind her, all the spirit beast users halted. She waited, tilting her head as if listening for something.

Rogue listened as well, faintly furrowing his brows. A long stretch of silence passed. Confused, he turned to Zhubi. “Do you hear anything?”

Zhubi looked at him and hissed with a kind of vague shrug.

Oh, right. He’s a reptile with internal ears, initially. It isn’t like he’s going to have vastly enhanced hearing over a human.

All at once, a sharp howl came from the mountain. Rogue whipped around. Master’s wolf…?

The pangolin-riding cultivator nodded. “The Lord of the Mountain has given us permission to enter. We may proceed.”

Rogue raised his eyebrows. Eh? The wolf that sounds like Master’s wolf is treated with this much respect…? Should I be treating Master’s wolf with more respect? I never thought it had a particularly high realm, but come to think of it…

Wait, thinking back… did I play fetch with a ‘lord of the mountain’-level existence? A chill ran down Hui’s spine, and he rubbed his arms. I was courting death without even realizing it! Caution, Hui, caution!

Anyways, maybe he was a young mountain lord. A puppy!

He didn’t look like a puppy, though…

While he was lost in thought, the death qi duck under him flapped onward, following the pangolin-riding cultivator. Zhubi stood beside him, his feet planted on the same small platform of life qi Rogue had created atop the death duck for the both of them. They passed through the canopy of trees and descended to a tiny meadow in the middle of the forest.

The pangolin-riding cultivator hopped up, standing atop the pangolin’s armor. “I am Tian Qiao, the spirit beast master of All-Heavens Sect. Show your merit, and be accepted.” With that, she sat back down, crossing her legs and closing her eyes.

Rogue furrowed his brows. Show my merit and be accepted? What does that mean? Show my merit how? With spirit beast arts? By beating or catching spirit beasts? Explain more clearly, Elder Sister! What are the rules of this trial? This small cultivator needs more information!

All around him, the other cultivators ran off into the woods, hurrying away at top speed. In a few moments, only Zhubi and Hui remained, standing before the spirit beast cultivator.

Rogue licked his lips. I guess they all understood. He turned to Zhubi. “Do you know what she wants?”

Zhubi hissed. He shrugged, then hopped off the death duck. Gesturing for Rogue to follow, he dawdled into the woods.

Hmm, well, if Zhubi wants me to follow, I suppose I’ll follow, Hui reasoned. He dismissed the death duck and followed Zhubi away from Tian Qiao and her pangolin.

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“Wait,” Tian Qiao demanded.

Both Rogue and Zhubi froze. She peered her eyes open and waved a hand at Zhubi. “Not you. You’re a snake demon, right? Continue.”

Zhubi tilted his head and hissed, moving toward Rogue’s side.

Rogue walked over and patted Zhubi on the back. “You go on ahead of me. I’ll catch up.”

Zhubi hesitated one more moment, then nodded. He grabbed Hui’s arm and slipped something into his hand, looking him in the eyes the whole time. With one last nod, he turned and hurried away.

Hui glanced at his palm. A single snake scale glittered there, pure white as fresh-fallen snow.

It’s one of Zhubi’s scales. I wonder if it’ll lead me back to him later. Hui tucked it away in his sleeve, casting a quick glance at Tian Qiao to ensure she hadn’t noticed.

He walked over to her side and cupped his hands. “This rogue cultivator greets Peak Lord Tian Qiao.”

“I am not the Lord of this Mountain. That is a title that belongs to another,” Tian Qiao said, casting her gaze upward at the top of the mountain.

But you are a Peak Lord, so what’s the point in being pedantic about it? Rogue wondered. Even so, he kept his mouth shut and smiled instead. “Rogue cultivator is wondering what Elder Tian Qiao had to impart to this rogue cultivator?”

“Are you a beast cultivator?” she demanded, squinting at him.

It seems this Tian Qiao is very direct. On one hand, easy to deal with… on the other hand, quite frustrating, because she might ask the things I’d rather keep as implied but not said! Hui bowed to her. “I have been recognized as a beast cultivator by All-Heavens Sect.”

“But are you a beast cultivator?” she repeated.

Hui grit his teeth. “I practice all sorts of arts. Beast-raising arts are among them.” If you count Zhubi, anyways, though my ‘arts’ were mostly getting scared for Zhubi’s life every time that voracious snake ate something odd!

She turned and looked him in the eye. Odd pale green eyes with slit pupils pierced right through him. “You’re evading the question. Answer it. Are you a beast cultivator or not?”

Equally frustrated, Hui waved his hand and summoned a group of death ducks. “Why doesn’t Elder Sister examine my ducks and determine for yourself if I’m a spirit beast cultivator or not? Ah, pay in mind that the beast I cultivate is a ghost beast.”

Tian Qiao hopped off her pangolin and padded over to him. Her dirt-stained bare feet made no sound in the long grass. As she bent over his ducks, a scent of fresh dew, sunlight, cut grass, and musk struck Rogue.

He frowned. She smells like a horse, almost. Like an herbivore. Is she a spirit beast… or rather, demon, of some kind? Or maybe it’s just a side effect of being a spirit beast cultivator.

Tian Qiao leaned in and sniffed the ducks, then wrinkled her nose. “These are qi constructs, not spirit beasts.”

Figures that a spirit beast cultivator would call me out immediately. Hui smiled. “Are you certain, Elder Sister?”

She narrowed her eyes at him.

He flipped over his hand, and one of the ducks flew to his palm. Another two flew a quick lap around his head, circling around Tian Qiao as well. He smiled at her. “I’m not controlling them. They have their own autonomous intelligence.”

Behind Tian Qiao, her pangolin squeaked. It trundled over and stood on its hind legs. Leaning in, it sniffed Hui, pink nose widening, then huffed out. It fell back onto all fours and looked at Tian Qiao.

Tian Qiao turned toward it. She tipped her head and scowled, but ultimately shook her head at Hui. “Fine. Go on. If Gang Chen says you’re okay, then you must be okay.”

Hui looked around. At last, his eyes landed on the pangolin. Is this Gang Chen? Well… who else could it be? He nodded, quickly bowing.

The pangolin ducked its head in return. It turned its eyes upward, at the peak.

Rogue followed its gaze, but saw nothing. What does that mean? Is the Mountain Lord waiting for me?

I suppose there’s one way to find out. With one last nod at Tian Qiao and her pangolin Gang Chen, he took off toward the peak, flying at a low level to remain below the trees.

After all, even if I’m meant to meet the Mountain Lord, that doesn’t mean that I want to stand out. It’s best to stay low, and stay hidden! That way, the other competitors won’t think to follow me, and I won’t stand out amongst the new peak lords if I do pass this trial, Hui thought, nodding to himself.

As he flew, he spotted Zhubi jogging below. Zhubi tripped on a tree root and stumbled out of control toward a trunk.

Hui’s eyes widened. He swooped down and scooped Zhubi up, putting the snake boy on his shoulders. “Come with me, Zhubi. Let’s go take a look at the peak!”

Zhubi hissed happily and grabbed onto Hui’s hair. Together, the two of them hurtled up the mountain.