Si Wang stared at Hui. “You?”

Hui laughed lightly. “It makes me nervous when you stare at me like that.”

“You created those demons? Why? How?” he demanded.

“Er, simply… a little bit of experimentation. Ah! I didn’t mean to create a demon! I was simply trying to absorb death qi, and the resentment got in the way,” Hui said, nodding. The first time, anyways. The second time—the second time is your fault! I needed a way to distract you while I and the reaper broke out of the barrier. I can’t be blamed for that, I can’t!

Si Wang’s eyes bulged. “You—do you know what you’ve done?”

“Aha! No,” Hui said honestly. “But Elder Brother, now that we’ve materialized the resentment, isn’t it possible to talk to it? Try to reason with it, and resolve whatever karma still links it to life?”

Gesturing at the carnage below as the resentment demon charged another cultivator, Si Wang glared at Hui. “What part of that looks like it can be reasoned with?”

Hui shook his head. “Not right now! It’s being attacked right now. Who can be reasoned with when they’re under attack?” Aside from myself, but I’m an extraordinarily reasonable person with above-average mental strength. Most people would get angry and fight back instead of doing the rational thing and playing dead!

Si Wang paused. He nodded slowly. “Perhaps…”

“Elder Brother is preeminently rational, and of incredible mental strength,” Hui complimented him immediately, forgetting all the times he’d called Si Wang a madman at record speed. “Elder Brother, is there perhaps a way we can isolate this resentment demon and attempt to speak with it before it sows more resentment among these cultivators?”

“Although a reaper like yourself is disallowed from interfering in mortal events, a rogue wandering ghost and ex-reaper like myself has a great deal more tools at hand!” Si Wang said, stroking his chin proudly.

“Incredible! Elder Brother is impressive indeed!” Hui beamed at him. For once! My compliments are working!

“That’s right. Watch your senior at work!” Si Wang leaped forward. He waved his hand, and a cloak of death qi coalesced around him, cloaking him in dark energy.

Hui’s eyes widened. Lowering himself into a sit in midair, he watched closely as Si Wang used his technique. The shape of Si Wang appeared, outlined by the dark energy, so that a shadowy form of him hovered over his body. Ah! So that’s how he can appear to ordinary cultivators, despite having the same type of reaper body as I have. They can see death qi, after all, when it’s condensed thickly enough. Condensing it thickly around his body creates a kind of fake form in death qi, thus giving the illusion that a ghost has appeared.

I might appear a little, er, bloated, since it’s a technique that relies on the thick condensation of qi over one’s body, but it’s better than nothing!

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

As Si Wang appeared, the cultivators jumped back. One of the older female cultivators gasped, leaping back nimbly despite her small, hunched form. “The demon has called an ally! Watch out!”

Si Wang strode toward the resentment demon. It rounded on him, letting out a quieter and higher-pitched version of the roar the big ones did.

Hui put his hands to his mouth. His eyes widened. It’s… kind of adorable? Oh dear. I can’t find a demon adorable! It’s just a ball of resentment! But… aww, that little roar… so cute!

“Is it… our ally?” a young cultivator asked, confused.

“Stand back, but stay on guard. We’ll let the two demons fight!” the old female cultivator declared, folding her hands behind her back.

“Yes, Sect Elder!” the other cultivators responded, cupping their hands.

Hui gave the Sect Elder an invisible thumbs-up. Good job, Elder Sister! What a wise reading of the scenario. You and I would get along well!

The resentment demon regarded Si Wang with trepidation. It backed away, creeping on its fingertips. Its hands all laid flat on its body, and what hands poked out all swept back, similar to a dog sweeping its ears back in fear.

Oh my. It’s so sweet! I want to pet it! Hui thought.

A moment later, he shook his head. No, no, no. Focus, Hui! It’s a dangerous demon! Dangerous! It’s no good for petting.

But… but danger petting…

He looked at the resentment demon. What would it even feel like to pet it? Arms don’t feel very good to pet. They aren’t hairy arms, so that’s a bonus, but they are dead arms, so they’re probably cold and clammy, maybe a little damp… He shivered a little, disgusted. Hmm, never mind. Maybe it’s better to not pet it.

Plus, it ate that old man’s leg, which means there’s a chance I’m petting ex-old-man-leg… Hui shuddered even harder. Oh, gross, gross, gross… no thank you! I don’t want to pet that old man’s leg. Old man legs are the worst. All hairy and papery and… yuck.

Si Wang took another step forward. Trembling, the resentment demon inched backward. Its fingertips curled hard against the ground, and it shut its gaping mouth. The hands beckoning over its body stopped beckoning. A few of them held their palms out, indicating for Si Wang to stop.

Why is the demon acting so frightened? Is Si Wang really… really that… powerful…

Hui licked his lips. Shit! I’ve been badmouthing him in my head this whole time! True, I’m now in the habit of circulating my mental energy to prevent unwanted intrusions thanks to Senior Chen Wuya, but that doesn’t mean Si Wang can’t read my thoughts! High enough realm cultivators can read my thoughts anyways! Si Wang has been an ex-reaper for untold years, and a reaper for many years before then! I’ve made so many mistakes, so many mistakes!

Reaching into his robes, Si Wang fumbled out an ordinary rope net, about large enough to hold a single melon. He threw it at the resentment demon. It turned and ran. In midair, the net spread out, casting a dark shadow over the resentment demon. The resentment demon tilted up, its mouth gaping slightly open in fear. The net descended. At the last moment, the resentment demon darted away, only to slam into Si Wang. It bounced off, while he didn’t move an inch.

Si Wang looked at it, raising a single eyebrow.

Cowering, the resentment demon crouched down, and the net scooped it up. Si Wang raised his hand. The net diminished in size, drawing the resentment demon down to melon size. Catching the net by its strings, Si Wang tossed it over his shoulder. For all the world, it looked as though he carried a strange white melon. The resentment demon hunkered down and shivered, afraid to fight back.

The Sect Elder stepped forward, saluting Si Wang. “Senior, thank you for your assistance. Would you mind giving your name?”

Si Wang harrumphed. He tossed his hair and looked down on the Sect Elder. “You can call me… Death.”

Hui facepalmed. Not this again. Why are his chunni sensibilities flaring up now?

With that, Si Wang released the death qi technique and faded out of sight. As he vanished, so, too, did the resentment demon.

The Sect Elder bowed to him silently until he’d long since faded away.