Flying out of Song Wei’s room, Hui burst off, pushing himself to fly as fast as he could. I don’t know how close I can get. The reaper said I don’t have much time, and it takes most of a day to fly between All-Heavens and Starbound Sects. But… I have to bet everything on it! I’m so close. I can’t give up now!

As he flew off, Shen Aiguo landed on Song Wei’s step. She frowned, looking after Hui, then peeked inside. “Song Wei, was that Gui Yutong’s husband?”

“It was Weiheng Hui,” Song Wei confirmed.

“Is he going to Starbound Sect…?” Shen Aiguo asked, lifting a hand to squint after him.

Song Wei nodded.

She frowned at Song Wei. “Did you… not tell him about the teleportation platform Li Xiang added to the sect, to connect All Heavens and Starbound Sects?”

Song Wei’s eyes widened. “Ah!”

Shen Aiguo sighed. “I can’t catch up with him, can you?”

Song Wei pulled out an intricate shuttle about a forearm’s length long and threw it into the air. He leaped atop it, and it blasted off after Hui.

Shen Aiguo shook her head. “Couldn’t just tell him… how troublesome.”

“Master!”

Hui turned. Song Wei is chasing me now? What did I do? He drew to a somewhat concerned halt. “Yes?”

“I—” Song Wei pointed behind him. “There’s a teleporter linking our sects. You—you can travel—”

“Show me where,” Hui said, immediately down to business.

Song Wei gestured for Hui to join him on the shuttle. Hui hopped on it, then paused. Eh. We’re a bit close for comfort, aren’t we? “Song Wei, could you—”

“I’ll hold on. Master doesn’t have to be afraid!” Song Wei said, wrapping his arms around Hui’s waist.

Hui closed his eyes and took a deep breath. I think I have to find Song Wei a significant other before he accidentally latches onto this small cultivator.

It’s like a duckling, where it imprints onto the first thing it sees! I was the first one he perceived as being kind, so he imprinted onto me. But I’m already taken. Twice taken! Clearly, the solution to this is to find Song Wei a lover. Clearly!

Hui cleared his throat. “Elder Brother, what kind of Elder Sister do you like? Or Elder Brother, it doesn’t matter to me.”

“Eh? Why does Master ask?” Song Wei asked.

“I’ve felt the sudden urge to play matchmaker,” Hui said.

“Oh. I like kind people. Like Master,” Song Wei said.

“But Master is taken, so we should find you someone else,” Hui said.

“Master has a harem,” Song Wei pointed out.

Hui coughed. “Ah… that’s true.” He’s really got me there. I can’t counter that one. I didn’t imagine my harem would cause me such strange troubles!

Song Wei laughed, patting his shoulder. “Don’t worry, Master. I have my own interests. I like Master, but as a friend. Besides, Master is dead, and likes the kind of Fellow Daoists who can give him children, anyways.”

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The type of— well, okay. Bai Xue is a bit hard to classify, after all. Hui nodded. “Good. I was worried for no reason.”

“Ten years ago, it might have been different, but I’ve had ten years to move on, after all,” Song Wei said, nodding.

“Good, good—” Hui stiffened. Shit! Isn’t that true for Bai Xue and Li Xiang as well? Ten years! Ten years is a long time, especially for Bai Xue. I might not have a wife anymore, let alone a harem!

…I wonder how many siblings Bai Xingxue has by now…

Ah, though I doubt Li Xiang remarried. She had little interest in romance. Though didn’t she say that she wanted to have a child with me because of my power? Then doesn’t that mean that if someone more powerful showed up… Hui swallowed. Thank goodness Li Xiang never met the All-Heavens Sect phase of Ying Lin’s rapid growth! Otherwise… otherwise, a miracle like what happened with Gui Yutong and Bai Jingwen might have occurred again!

And it’s been ten years! How long did it take me to rise to prominence? Some new genius might have risen from within the sects to claim Li Xiang’s heart. A stifled feeling rose up in Hui’s chest, and he rubbed it absently. In the end, I can’t feel comfortable until I see her again!

Song Wei dropped down, spiraling toward the peak that had once been Gui Delun’s. On a platform halfway up the slope, a stone slab carved with runes stood under the sunlight. At the moment, it was deserted, not a keeper nor a guard in sight.

“It only activates for people recognized as a part of Starbound Sect,” Song Wei explained.

“Hmm,” Hui muttered under his breath. Will I count? If Sect Master Lan has his say, then—

“Li Xiang oversaw its construction,” Song Wei continued.

Hui breathed out. Surely she wouldn’t have excluded me.

They dismounted the shuttle, and Hui stepped onto the platform. Nothing happened. He looked at Song Wei and frowned.

“Try feeding your qi into it?” Song Wei suggested. “I’m not sure how it works, Master. I’ve never used it.”

Hui licked his lips. But the only qi I have right now is death qi! I’ll completely rot this platform if I try! He tentatively tried injecting it with a bit of his death qi anyways, but immediately pulled it back when he felt the spell formation crumbling. As I thought. It isn’t possible.

“Er, this… it doesn’t seem to be working for me,” Hui said, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. He glanced at the shuttle. “Song Wei, could I please… maybe… use that shuttle?” It moved faster than I did. I might be able to make up lost time that way!

Song Wei glanced down, then nodded. He passed the shuttle to Hui. “If Master likes it, then take it.”

“Ah… thank you. I’ll return it if I can,” Hui promised. He mounted the shuttle, then froze. Wait. If I insert qi into this, I’ll destroy it, too! Anything but flying under my own power is useless right now!

“What is it?” Song Wei asked, tilting his head.

“That is… er, Elder Brother, could I possibly… ask you… to operate this shuttle for me?” Hui said, sighing.

Song Wei stepped forward and took Hui’s wrist, checking his pulse. His brows furrowed.

“I don’t have a pulse. I’m dead,” Hui explained.

“Can Master not use mystic techniques right now…? But Master was flying…” Song Wei frowned, confused.

“I… to put it simply, I’m incompatible with all your mystic techniques and items right now. I’m…” Hui hesitated. He glanced at Song Wei. I might have dodged his blackening, but is it safe to confess to him that I can only use demonic techniques and artifacts right now? If righteous cultivation requires AC electricity, then right now I’m a DC power source. DC for demonic cultivation!

If I tell the white lotus that I’m only able to use demonic techniques… isn’t it possible that he would blacken in order to provide me with artifacts? I don’t want that, I don’t want that! Using demonic techniques… for a personality like Song Wei, that would immediately twist him into a dangerous being, very dangerous indeed!

“You’re?” Song Wei prompted.

“I’m…my cultivation is temporarily crippled,” Hui finished, not sure how else to explain it. He spread his hands helplessly.

“Then let me help,” Song Wei pledged. He hopped atop the shuttle and immediately clung to Hui’s waist again.

“Ah, that’s not necessary. I can keep my balance,” Hui said, nodding.

“But Master’s cultivation—”

“Only parts of it! Only the very specific parts that allow me to interface with magical artifacts,” Hui interjected. He patted Song Wei’s hands. “I can still fly and hold my balance. There’s no need for this concern.”

“If Master insists,” Song Wei said, unconvincedly. He released Hui reluctantly.

“Let’s go!” Hui said.

They flew off, quickly leaving the teleportation link and the peak far behind. Hui looked over his shoulder, memorizing the location of the platform from afar. It’s good to know that there’s an easy option to travel between the sects. In the future, if I figure out how to use life qi or ordinary qi in this form, I can use that to leap from one to the other! But until then… until then, I’ll have to rely on my seed-spawning technique!