Si Wang lowered his fist. He tossed his hair and turned his back to Hui. “Hmph. I’ll let it go, this once. Only because I’m such a magnanimous man.”

“Yes, yes. Senior is the most kind and gentle of all cultivators!” Hui hurriedly praised him. Casually, he put a little distance between himself and Si Wang and put his hands behind his back, where he quickly scribbled a barrier talisman on the inside of one wrist with the other hand.

He glanced over his shoulders at the resentment demons. Without anyone to bother them, they’d gone back to rolling around in the forest. Looking in the opposite direction, he took in Eight Tiers Palace. I wonder… has Eight Tiers Palace also experienced the breakdown of the Heavenly Dao, somewhere inside that massive building? Is the resentment demon drawn to it because there’s more resentment against the Heavenly Dao within?

Or… does it perhaps hold some piece of the Heavenly Dao, that the resentment demon desperately hates?

After all, the Heavenly Dao is broken, but it isn’t as if the Southern Sect Conference is seriously struggling. I haven’t encountered resentment within it at all, for example. But out here, it seems, you turn around and encounter resentment. I can’t help but wonder if the Eight Tiers Palace isn’t doing something to incite resentment.

But what…?

And if so… what do they want with my children? Is that really just to suppress the Southern Sect Conference? It isn’t impossible, far from it! But… I know the Heavenly Emperor has his eye on me. He touched the back of his hand. I have the hidden Heaven mark on my hand even now. If the Eight Tiers Palace is colluding with Heaven, they would have the aura of the Heavenly Dao, making the resentment demon hate them, and… if so, then… isn’t it possible they’d find my children to try to track me out?

A moment later, Hui shook his head. No, no! I’m being too deep, too deep. Keep it simple. There’s a simple explanation for all this! Perhaps the corrupted mind of the resentment demon is under the impression that it was created by Eight Tiers Palace, and holds a grudge for the death of the people that made it up. And as for my children, they already said they’re kidnapping them to suppress Li Xiang and Bai Xue! Bai Xue is only sixth stage, but apparently their clan trades outside the conference, so naturally, they’d be known. And Li Xiang has become a powerful enough cultivator that people around her treat her with more piety than they treat the Patriarch of All Heavens Sect, Fen Long! Of course Eight Tiers Palace would suppress her!

Yes, yes. There’s a simple explanation for each individual thing. Don’t get caught up in silly thoughts!

And yet…

Si Wang glanced at him. “Don’t think too much about my magnanimity. Someone at your level can’t possibly comprehend it.”

“Huh? I was thinking about—of course, of course it was Senior’s magnanimous heart! Ah, it’s a good thing Senior pulled me out of that, or else I might have faced a qi deviation,” Hui said, nodding with a smile.

Si Wang smacked him on the side of the head.

Hui startled. He flinched back and cradled his head. “Senior, why?”

“I suddenly felt like I had to squash a small bug,” Si Wang said.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

“A bug?” Hui patted his head. A second later, he squinted at Si Wang.

Si Wang tossed back his head and laughed. “That’s right. YOU are the small bug!”

Ah, right. I forgot Senior was a madman. Hui nodded along, quietly exploring his options. Agree? But he doesn’t seem to want a sycophant right now. Disagree? Hmm… no, I’ll get smacked again. Play along? I don’t want to get smacked again! Er…

He drew himself upright and looked down at Si Wang. “This small bug has his pride. As long as Senior doesn’t squish me, small bug will not tell Zhu Diyu about Senior!”

“What pride?” Si Wang asked flatly.

Hui laughed, scratching the back of his head. “Ah! Senior called my bluff!” Aha, divert his attention with a joke! It worked!

Si Wang’s expression turned serious. He looked at Hui. “Last time we met, you told me you were on my side. Is that still true?”

Uh, did I? I don’t remember. I tell a lot of people I’m on their side to get out of imminent danger. Uh… last time we met… Oh! I remember Senior talking about Zhu Diyu wanting to abdicate the throne! I do not remember saying I was on Si Wang’s side, but—but well, now isn’t the time for quibbling over small details!

Hui nodded. Firmly, he said, “Yes.”

“The Underworld is crumbling. When it falls, the three realms will all—”

“Yes, Senior, I know,” Hui said, nodding.

Si Wang looked at him. “Then do you know that it’s—”

“Zhu Diyu’s fault, for blatantly ignoring the decay? Ah, though I’m personally of the belief that the breakdown of the Heavenly Dao is as much to blame,” Hui said, nodding.

“So why aren’t you doing something about it?” Si Wang asked.

Hui looked at him. “Who says I’m not?”

“You are?” Si Wang asked, startled.

Hui smiled. He tilted his head. “Senior, small cultivator has a small reputation for breaking realms. That is… I, er, already have an idea on how to destroy the Underworld.”

Si Wang huffed. “That is exactly what—”

“And rebuild it, stronger. But… I don’t know what it would cost me,” Hui admitted. He glanced down. “The last time I discovered a solution and chased it down without considering the cost… it cost my small little life. I risked soul obliteration, in fact. Ah, small cultivator’s death might be acceptable to Senior, but to small cultivator, my life is everything. Especially now that I have children. I want to see them grow up. I already missed ten years…”

Hui fell silent.

“I understand,” Si Wang said, his voice gentler than Hui had ever heard it.

Hui looked up. Instead of a chunni or madman, an old man stood before him. Si Wang looked the same as he ever had, and yet, something in the way he held his shoulders and face made him look beaten down, tired. “I understand. That… is exactly what Zhu Diyu took from me, and from the reaper.”

Hui startled. “Why?”

“Because he himself descended to the underworld before he could experience all that. In his rivalry with me, he hurtled into the depths to surpass me, and yet, neglected everything else that life has to offer to chase that end. For some cultivators, that’s fine, but not Zhu Diyu. He’s jealous, intensely so. To consider me a rival even after he had left me far behind… isn’t it obvious?” Si Wang said, shrugging.

“Ah,” Hui said. Abruptly, he jolted and looked at Si Wang. “Then… he…”

“Be careful,” Si Wang said seriously. “He will do anything to get what he wants, and he’s happy to use what you love the most as leverage against you. Especially because he never accomplished the same.”

Hui nodded. “I understand, Senior. Then… can I count on Senior to help me later?”

“No,” Si Wang said flatly.

“Ah, well, I expected no different,” Hui said, nodding.

“In the end, I lost to Zhu Diyu a long time ago. If you can best him, you’re the one who has to do it,” Si Wang said. “Without relying on anyone else.”

“Yes. That… I’m used to,” Hui said quietly.

“Really? A righteous cultivator like you…?” Si Wang said, cocking a brow.

Hui laughed and rubbed the back of his head. “Ah, well, I’m just a small coward. No one has ever relied on me, so…”

Si Wang frowned. “Not even those wives of yours?”

“We… are all the type to stand on our own,” Hui explained.

Si Wang blinked. “That’s… almost sad.”

“No, no. It’s much better than being in debt!” Hui said, nodding vigorously. Better to not rely on anyone than to be in someone’s debt!

Taken aback, Si Wang blinked harder. “I don’t understand you.”

“Mmm. Senior shouldn’t worry. No one does!” Hui said, beaming.