…me? Can anyone hear me? Someone? Anyone?

Healer sat up. Rogue? Is that you? What happened? Where did you go? It’s been months! We thought you died! Or at least played dead.

Ah, yes, yes, not much. I’ve just recruited Fen Long to my side, and possibly freed Chen Wuya too! Rogue replied boldly.

Sectgoer narrowed his eyes. Sure. Sure you have. Pull the other one.

When have I ever lied to you? Rogue asked, shaking his head. See for yourself. He shared his memories to the group.

…

There you have it. Seems like he did. Sectgoer, is that heart demon keeping you from accepting other clones’ accomplishments? Pride is a dangerous sin, Healer said, shaking his head.

Since when has my heart demon been pride? I thought it was courage! Sectgoer returned. Besides, don’t tell me you believed him right away. I know you didn’t.

Why wouldn’t I believe myself? Healer said, shaking his head at Sectgoer.

Sectgoer sighed deeply. Honestly…

In any case, we need to move someone to Master’s peak for Fen Long to free Chen Wuya. I vote Peak Lord, Rogue said.

I’m already here, Elder Brother, Peak Lord replied.

Rogue blinked. What’s Peak Lord doing back at Master’s peak? Did we give up on being All-Heavens Peak Lords?

Healer coughed. You’ve been gone for a few months, and things have, er, progressed.

… Rogue took a moment to shuffle through the other clones’ memories. He paused. Ah.

Right. Why don’t we explain what we’ve been doing while Rogue was busy? Healer suggested.

That’s a good idea. Yes, yes. So… I’ll go first, Sectgoer said.

How bold of him. Truly, he is afflicted by the heart-demon, Healer said, shaking his head.

What even is the heart-demon anymore, Sectgoer asked, exasperated.

--

Several Months Ago

Sectgoer lounged in a tree atop his peak, casually browsing through the forging manuals he’d selected from the library. Humming to himself, he flicked his wrist, and a spirit fruit flew off the tree and landed in his palm. He polished the fruit on his shirt and took a bite, munching as he read. How nice. I’m so fortunate, to end up on a peak that used to be a spirit fruit orchard. True, the outer sect disciples also have access to the peak to harvest and nourish the spirit fruit, but all that means is that I get free snacks without exerting any of the work. So far, they’ve been too scared to stop me from eating the fruit. After all, what outer peak disciple has the right to chastise a Peak Lord?

The sun filtered through the leaves. A light breeze blew, lifting his hair and ruffling the pages. Hui sighed out and took another bite, relishing the sweet, tart cherry-like flavor of the fruit. This almost reminds me of my first world, except there I had to crouch down behind buildings or hide under my covers with a flashlight, and I was lucky to have an old bag of chips to chew on, let alone some fine spirit fruits. Hmm, perhaps I should’ve spent more time in the library back at my sect. I don’t mind this at all.

Though back at my sect, I had to constantly dodge Li Xiang’s admirers and worry about that bully Cheng Bolin stirring up trouble. Now… now I can lounge in peace.

Soft footsteps sounded below. Hui glanced up to find Tang Fei standing beneath him. She looked up at him, a flat expression on her face.

He beamed at her. “Elder Sister, how can I help you?”

“Are you going to spend all day in that tree? You have orders to complete. A backlog of orders, I might add,” she said, crossing her arms.

Internally, Hui cried a little. Where is my cute Tang Fei? I prefer the over-the-top cutesyness of the original over this objective-oriented robot! “Elder Sister, I can’t complete them yet. I’ve reached a bottleneck in my forging process, and I need lots and lots of resources to overcome it by trying techniques over and over again. Until the sect provides, I can’t overcome my bottleneck or complete the orders.”

Ah, yes, yes. Good job, if I say so myself. I can put off finishing the orders and demand resources all in one fell swoop! Sectgoer, you’ve really outdone yourself this time, Hui praised himself.

Tang Fei nodded. “Then, I’ll go request resources for Master.”

“Eh,” Hui said, sitting up. She’s going to go get them for me? It’s that easy?

Without another word, Tang Fei cupped hands to Hui and flew off.

Well… ah, yes! Of course. This is the advantage of a disciple who knows the sect and has experience with the sect’s infrastructure. She knows where to find resources. As for me, I’ve barely found the library, let alone figured out how to request resources.

Hui settled back down, picking up his book once more. Hmm… I’ve really outdone myself by recruiting Tang Fei.

“Master,” a light voice said.

Hui glanced over. “Ying Lin! Good afternoon. And Zhubi, too.”

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Zhubi hissed and flew over to Hui, wiggling through the air as if he could slither through it. Hui reached out to him, and Zhubi quickly climbed up Hui’s arm and settled around his neck.

Ah, yes. As it should be. Hui pet Zhubi, fully satisfied. A book in my hand, snacks beside me, and my pet at my side. It’s a wonderful sunny day. Could it get much better than this?

Ying Lin beamed up at him. “I’m thinking of taking disciples. What do you think?”

Hui sat bolt upright. “Taking disciples?” Ying Lin’s taking me from a Master to a Grand-Master in one fell swoop! I’m not ready for that responsibility. I don’t even know where to find resources!

She nodded. “I am a Peak Lord, after all. Wouldn’t it be strange if I didn’t take disciples? Even Master has taken on other disciples.” She gave a meaningful look to Tang Fei’s departing figure.

Still reeling, Hui put a hand to his forehead. Ying Lin… taking disciples. This… I… I’m not ready! I’m not ready! I—

Wait, hold on. Tang Fei is already this useful. If Ying Lin seeks out specific disciples… if I seek out specific disciples, like disciples with forging talent, then… then I don’t even have to do work, and I’ve increased the efficiency of my forging by twofold!

More like by infinite-fold. How many times have you succeeded? Once? And that wasn’t even in the sect, Peak Lord snarked.

Hui scowled. No one asked you. There’s no need for anyone to inherit the role of Rogue.

Speaking of, has anyone heard from him? He vanished suddenly… I didn’t feel him die, but… Healer said, a bit nervous.

Sectgoer waved his hand. He was going to investigate that Zheng Minyan, no? Either he succeeded or he failed, but he’s probably in the midst of that… if he isn’t dead, but I doubt that he failed sufficiently to end up true-dead without us knowing. Besides, there was a secret realm involved, and you know us and secret realms.

Well… that’s true. Until we sense his death, we can probably assume he’s fine, Healer said, nodding to himself.

It’s Rogue! He can handle himself, Sectgoer agreed.

Stepping out of the clone chat, he turned to Ying Lin. “Ying Lin, you’re truly a fantastic disciple. What a great idea! Let’s both go recruit disciples.”

“Yes!” Ying Lin said, nodding. She turned.

“Ah… wait a moment. Before you become a Master…” Hui glanced around, then cast a silent barrier talisman down. When the barrier sprang up, he nodded at Ying Lin. “Ying Lin, I bestow upon you the Daoist name Weiheng Lin. For now, please continue to go by Ying Lin, but… but you deserved to have this name a long time ago. It’s only my own hesitance toward putting you in danger that kept me from giving it to you,” Hui confessed.

Ying Lin beamed. She hopped in place, excited, her hands balled into fists. “Yes!”

“When you ascend to Heaven… which I’m sure will be far before I do, there is a man you’ll meet named Weiheng Wu, my master. Treat him with respect, but… but he’s even less trustworthy than I am! Don’t fall for his faulty logic!” Hui insisted, nodding. Although… if anyone could ever follow Weiheng Wu’s logic, it’s Ying Lin! “Just comprehend it” makes sense as guidance at the rate she grows.

“Mhm, I understand. I can’t wait to meet Master’s Master. I’m sure he’s as kind as Master,” Ying Lin said, nodding.

“I… wouldn’t be so sure about that,” Hui said, the time Weiheng Wu threw him into a secret realm full of higher-realm ghouls flashing through his head. He waved his hand. “That’s neither here nor there, though. For now… disciples!”

“Disciples!” Ying Lin parroted, punching the air triumphantly.

Hui hopped down from the tree and stretched. He glanced over his shoulder at the forge, still faintly glowing at the peak, then turned away. I can go back to studying techniques once I finish finding disciples. Disciples come first. After all, once I have disciples, the disciples can forge while I study techniques. If I just study techniques, then I’m wasting the time that my disciples could be using!

Hui and Ying Lin descended down the peak, walking abreast.

A gasp rippled through the outer sect disciples harvesting the fruits from Hui’s peak as the two of them appeared out of the orchard. One after another, they paused in harvesting to cup hands to the two of them. “Welcome, Peak Lords.” “Peak Lords, greetings.”

Hui licked his lips, somewhat nervous. I really can’t get used to being treated with respect. I can’t handle it. I’d almost rather be insulted and shouted at. At least then I’d know how to handle it.

Beside him, Ying Lin beamed and nodded, smiling and waving at the disciples. She barely came up to the chests of half of them, still thirteen in appearance. And actual age, Hui realized, blinking. He shook his head. Ying Lin is… no one comes close to her.

He leaned in. “Ying Lin, will you remain this age forever?” After all, she’s past the age where it naturally stops. She’ll have to choose to age from this point on.

“Mmm… I think I’ll get a little bit bigger before I stop. I’m so short right now!” she said, putting a hand on her head and lifting another to measure to Hui’s head.

Hui laughed. “Good, good. It’s good to have goals.”

Ying Lin pursed her lips at him. “I’ll get bigger. Just you wait!”

As they walked through the orchard, Hui scanned the disciples around them. None of them stood out to him. Most were at the second or third realm, none any further. I need at least fourth-realm disciples, and fifth-realm is even better. There has to be a place to recruit them! Or… is that why All-Heavens had to recruit new peak lords?

He walked over to a nearby disciple and nodded. The man trembled, unable to look Hui in the eyes. Hui laughed to himself. If he knew who he really stood before right now, he’d laugh, not shake. Though actually, he might try to kill me… yes, better he doesn’t know.

He cleared his throat and drew himself up to his full height. “You. Where can I go to recruit disciples?”

The disciple shivered harder. “Not for six months.”

“Six months?” Hui asked, taken aback. It takes that long…?

The disciple nodded, bowing deeper. “There… there’s a recruitment search once a year, where they go out to the mortal world and—”

Hui waved his hand. “Not those sorts of disciples. I want people who are at least fourth realm. Fifth is better.”

“If… if they were fifth realm, they’d be peak lords,” the nervous disciple said, his voice shaking. Sweat rolled down his face. “Besides, doesn’t Peak Lord want to teach disciples your own style? If they’re entrenched in theirs, they won’ be able to—”

“That matters not. Fourth realm disciples aren’t necessarily Peak Lords?” Hui asked, latching onto the important part of the information.

The man shook harder. “That is, Peak Lord… doesn’t want those disciples.”

“Why not?” Hui asked.

The disciple bowed lower, shaking his head. “The fourth realm disciples that aren’t already under a master or on the inner peaks, they… they hit bottlenecks, or their qi deviated, or they faced injuries that even our healers couldn’t fix. To a one, they either cannot progress their cultivation or no longer can cultivate at all. At best, they can submit to be test subjects and hope Liu Guang… or some other senior decides to try the impossible.”

Hui raised his eyebrows. He nodded. “That’s what I want. Take me there.”

The trembling disciple froze. He looked up at Hui. “Eh?”

Hui gestured. “Go on.”

The disciple hesitated again. He opened his mouth, but then thought better of it and bowed again. “Could I trouble Senior to fly for us?”

“Naturally.” Hui drew out a treasure and stepped onto it, making room for the disciple to join him. Beside them, Ying Lin drew the sword Gui Yutong had recently given them.

The disciple pointed them ahead, and Hui flew in the direction he pointed. That Liu Guang is a pervert who will do terrible things to them. Even if I can’t save them, I’d rather give it a shot than leave them to be test subjects.

Besides… besides, this small cultivator has some talent as a healer. I can borrow Healer’s brain… or even better, borrow Healer! Ah, Healer, listen. You can make your name as a healer, and I get disciples! And you get to screw over Liu Guang!

What’s this? Healer asked, perking up.

Come follow me. I’m about to get some forging monkeys—ahem, disciples! But they need healing first. I couldn’t help but think of a certain miracle healer, Sectgoer replied.

I’m on my way, Healer said.