“Wait.”

Hui stiffened, startled. He turned, slowly. “Senior…?”

Out of the fire, a hand appeared. It pressed up against the wall of the bubble. The flames stirred, forming the woman’s face. “Please. Kill me.”

“How?” Hui asked. Elder Sister, I don’t want to kill anyone, but… if you’re asking me, I will. After all, if you ask me to kill you, then I’m not sowing bad karma! It’s a negative-karma-free killing.

Still, you’re Immortal-realm and the ultimate phoenix-slash-fire spirit. Even putting aside the phoenix part, and putting aside how even Senior Fen Long couldn’t extinguish you, how on earth can I, a mere fifth-realm cultivator, destroy an Immortal? Your body is so incredibly powerful that it’s beyond my ability to harm! In my wildest dreams, I never thought of killing you as a way to resolve these flames. Not because I’m a coward, not because I dislike killing, but because I almost certainly cannot kill you, physically!

Her eyes widened. She frowned, then shook her head. Flames burst through, disrupting the face. A burst of fire leaped out at Hui.

Hui jumped back again, quickly casting a barrier. You know what, just in case, I’ll just leave a barrier up right now. That seems a reasonable decision.

When the fire faded, nothing remained of the face. The flames raged on, uncontrollable.

Hmm. It seems like Senior isn’t as unreasonable as she seems at first. Or rather, she still has moments of clarity. Not enough for me to be able to ask her how to destroy the flames inside of me, if a simple question like ‘how’ sends her back into the roaring vortex of flames that she usually is, but perhaps… if I find a way to kill her, perhaps… she’ll cooperate with me and let me do that.

Hui rolled his eyes at himself. Oh, right, just figure out a way to kill the Immortal. The Immortal embodiment of all flames. With a snap of my fingers, I’ll kill this Immortal! Haaaa…

But… it’s something to think about. Something to remember.

He sighed deeply. Floating in the void, his face painted red with flame, he hung in the darkness. Half of him melted into the shadow, only the front half touched by flame visible. He and the orb of flame and the oppressive stone above, hanging above oblivion.

Bowing, Hui clasped his hands to the orb. “Senior, we are bound by flame and fate. I will return here, and I will find a way to free you and remove the flame inside me. If that means your death, then so be it. I will find a way to kill you,” Hui pledged.

The flames twisted, burning hotter. He flinched back, but held his ground. For a few moments, he waited.

Fire crackled and popped. The stone groaned as it weighed down on the orb.

Taking a deep breath, Hui nodded. He reached up into the stone over him, pressing his death qi into the rock. The rock gave way, turning to dust, and he twisted his hand, creating a small scooped-out room in the rock. He set a seed in the tiny space he’d carved out for himself, then turned to leave. I suppose she only had a moment of consciousness. It’s too much to expect any more from her.

“Thank you.”

Hui whirled, but the orb remained the same as ever, wild flames burning furiously inside. Not a single hint of the woman appeared.

One last nod. Hui flew off, leaving the orb behind. Later. I’ll have to return here later. I can’t learn anything from her, nor do I dare trying to disturb the orb or the suppressive formation. If I broke anything, I’m pretty sure I couldn’t restore it without Fen Long’s assistance. Maybe later, I’ll bring him here, and I’ll see if we can attempt something together.

But for now, I need to research the phoenix-fire on my own, independent of the woman, Han Qin, or anyone else. No one else has the answer, but it can’t be a dead end. There has to be a way to handle this. There must! I refuse to stake the healing of my soul on the small chance that I’m able to kill an Immortal. It can’t be that hard. There must be another route.

The rock sped by overhead. At last, he came to the edge and blasted up, zooming past the edge of the world. Bursting up over the surface, he dropped down to the ground and jogged a few steps, slowing to a stop. He stretched, then yawned.

Phew. I’ve been in this hidden realm for a while now, huh?

For a while…

I wonder if the reaper is looking for me? I’ve been gone for so long. I should hurry back!

Hui looked around, then licked his lips. Er… how?

Should I use the void talismans again? They were the key to get in. Keys usually work both ways. Hui glanced around, then knelt and drew the formula on the ground. Beside it, he added a note, scrawling it into the earth.

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Black Dragon,

Thank you for your kindness. I’m going first.

He went to sign it, then hesitated. Did I ever give my name? And I’m a reaper, so I couldn’t if I wanted to. Well, let’s just do this! He lifted his hand and drew the characters.

--Your Son’s Friend

Hui nodded to himself. Putting his hands on his hips, he surveyed his work.

This better work, or else I’m going to look like an idiot.

Rubbing his hands together, he formed a black lotus seed. He stomped his foot, mimicking the reaper as he activated the talisman. Voids opened in the sky and the world. Black and rippling, the world fell away around them. Hui baseball-pitched his seed into one of the voids, then threw his soul after it.

I probably could have done this without the seed, since my reaper-body is on the other side… but whatever. Better to give myself a path back to my body. A safe haven to run to when I’m between the realms.

The void between realms opened wide around him, expansive as ever. This time, he felt the same sensation he had when using the reapers’ movement technique—a vast expanse, where falling into it would end him forever. Refusing to look into it, Hui hurried on. He chased after the seed, simultaneously reaching out qi threads through the emptiness. Resonate… resonate with my body! I want to go home!

A strong resonance called out to him from within the eternal void. Hui hurtled toward it, speeding after it with all his might. Dangerous, it’s so dangerous to move between these realms! Why didn’t Zhu Diyu fix his hidden realm on a point in the Underworld, like all those Seniors did with hidden realms in the mortal world? I don’t like having to risk my little unlife every time I leave the Underworld!

He burst into light. Gasping for breath, he sat up. “Elder Sister Reaper, I’m so sorry—”

A half-dressed Song Wei stared back at him.

Hui stared at him. A long moment passed.

“Er, many… many apologies,” Hui stuttered, retreating back into his seed.

“We’re both men. What are you running away for?” Song Wei asked.

Hui paused, his body half-withered. “That’s a good point. Wait, no. Before that, why am I in the mortal realm?”

“In the mortal realm? Ah, right. Master is dead,” Song Wei said. Casually, he went back to undressing.

Hui waved his hand. “Er, no. On second thought, I’m er, I’m very sorry for interrupting you, and—”

Song Wei tossed his robe at Hui. “You’ve never changed with your fellow disciples?”

“Ah… that is, no,” Hui said honestly. He caught the robe and held it up between them, shielding his disciple from his own vision. Most disciples grew up in a row barracks at the bottom of the mountain, but since I was selected by Master as soon as I arrived, I only ever knew Master’s hut. Although I’m used to seeing people half-naked from my first life, I’m not used to people fully changing clothes around me. Something like a public bathhouse or hot springs, too, was out of my financial reach. I was lucky to wash off under a garden hose!

“How unexpected. I didn’t think Master would be so pure,” Song Wei chuckled.

Hui coughed. “Getting back on subject… Song Wei, I felt a strong signal and moved to it. Do you know why this seed would have a stronger signal?”

“Mmm, I know. I sensed an unusual energy on it, so I asked Shen Aiguo—that is, the ghoul—about it. She said it was death qi, so I’ve been experimenting with feeding it death qi. I almost had it blooming before you returned!”

“Ah,” Hui muttered darkly. Shit! The blackening has begun! My pure white lotus, no!

“No, no. Master doesn’t have to worry. Master’s seed is my secret,” Song Wei assured him. He took the robe from Hui, revealing himself in fresh robes, if pure black ones. “I isolated the energy and only showed her that. Actually, I had a surprising affinity with it, so I—”

“No!” Hui said. Don’t you dare! I won’t allow it!

“No? But Master also—” Song Wei said, taken aback.

Hui coughed again. No, no, Hui! Think this through! If you rebuke the black lotus now, on the eve of his blackening, what will happen? You’re the one who will regret it the most once he becomes a powerful force of evil!

Look at him. He’s already wearing black. It’s too late to avoid the blackening. Instead… instead, the only route left… is to encourage it! At this phase, if I condemn it, the only thing I’m condemning is my little life! The first person blackened lotuses go after is always the Master who condemned their blackening. This small Hui has no desire to be the first to die… or the last to die, or in dying, for that matter!

Smiling, he clapped Song Wei on the shoulder. “Ah, ah, forgive Master. Master merely thought of the danger, and didn’t want Disciple to face it. Naturally, if Disciple has progressed so far in cultivating death qi, then Disciple must be able to handle it! However, be careful, Song Wei. Death qi is dangerous… not only to the body, but to the soul!” Especially your wounded-tiger easily-blackened soul!

Song Wei nodded. “I understand, Master. I’m very careful with death qi. You can trust me!” Earnestly, he gave a thumbs-up and smiled.

Hui looked over his black robes and red belt, and gave a small, nervous smile back. Haha… yep. I’ve got to watch my tongue around this child from now on.

He glanced around. If I’m in the mortal realm anyways… “Are we in All-Heavens Sect?”

“Ah, no. I have to hide my experiments because they’re illeg…because the Sect Master disapproves of them,” Song Wei said, rubbing the back of his head and smiling cheekily.

You almost said illegal. I heard you. That was definitely the word ‘illegal!’

Ah, well. It’s not as if I never did anything illegal. If I claimed to be the second most… anyways, the point is, I use a lot of death qi, and yet, I’m still an earnest righteous cultivator. Maybe Song Wei truly didn’t blacken, and…

And I’m deluding myself, aren’t I.

Hui cleared his throat. “Then, where are we?”

Song Wei turned. He poured a cup of tea and handed it to Hui. “For your throat.”

“Oh, thanks,” Hui said. Why? He took a sip anyways, not wanting to be impolite.

“We’re just outside Starbound Sect,” Song Wei said.

Hui spit the tea. Right outside—the dangerous black lotus is that close to my children? When he blackens and goes insane, doesn’t that mean—

Wait, no. He wiped his mouth. Think positively, Hui. The black lotus needs a stronghold. If All-Heavens refuses him, then clearly… given that he’s so close, he’ll choose Starbound Sect! And the place in the least danger under a black lotus, naturally, is his stronghold! This is wonderful, in fact, wonderful!

“Too hot?” Song Wei asked, concerned.

“No, no. It’s perfect,” Hui said, nodding. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“If Master insists,” Song Wei said uncertainly.