Stars twinkled overhead. One table at a time, guests stood and wandered out, vanishing into the gardens or out into the clan proper. At last, exhausted, most of the tables empty, Hui staggered out into the cool of night. He glanced back. “Xue, come on!”

“Ah? You really want me to walk you back? Alright, alright.” Xue hauled herself upright. She followed him out into the darkness, yawning.

Hui paused, looking back. Li Xiang chattered along with the Matriarch. The Matriarch smiled and said something he couldn’t hear, and Li Xiang nodded eagerly, a broad smile on her face. No need to drag her away early. She’s having a good time.

Xue clapped his shoulder. “Right, right, which way is your room?”

“It’s your clan. You don’t know?” Hui teased.

She waved a hand. “Mmm, I’m drunk. Lead the way.”

Hui sighed. “Come on, this way.”

Retracing his steps from earlier, he led the way through the dark. He glanced over his shoulder at Xue. She wandered along, face flushed, a smile plastered on her lips. It takes a lot for cultivators to get drunk, usually. I’m usually a lightweight, but even after four cups, I feel fine. Well—I guess that was my last life. But it’s not like Xiao Hui would have any tolerance, either.

He smiled at her, almost laughing. “Did you really drink that much wine?”

“It’s the good stuff. Mother only gets it out every few decades,” she replied, sighing contentedly. She swayed and stumbled up against him. White hair brushed his face.

“Xue, walk on your own…” Hui whined. Still, he let her lean on his shoulder.

After a second, he blinked, then rubbed her hair. “Aha! Turnabout is fair play!”

“Ah, no, not like that, ahn—” Xue cried out.

Hui jumped away from her, startled. “You—”

Xue giggled, hands clasped over her mouth. “Your face!”

“You!” He jumped at her, hands out.

She intercepted him and held him at arms length, patting his head with her fingers. Smugly, she declared, “You’re a thousand years too early to pet my hair.”

Around the next corner, a thick, floral scent rushed up at him. Heady, fruity and sweet, it tickled his memories, a familiar scent just out of reach. Hui wrinkled his nose and, nearly at the same time, bumped into something soft.

He staggered back, drawing Xue with him. Already bowing, he said, “Apologies, apologies, please forgive this small cultivator!”

“If it isn’t Weiheng Hui,” a woman hummed, voice seductive and slow.

Hui looked up, startled. His eyes went wide. Bai Fenfeng!

Bai Fenfeng smiled at him, plump lips red even in the dark. “Mind where you’re going, hmm? If you bump into the wrong person this late at night… they might take it the wrong way.”

“Th-thank you for the guidance, elder is very considerate,” Hui replied, bowing repeatedly. He backed away, dragging Xue after him.

“Bai Xue, isn’t it dangerous for you to be out this late?” Bai Fenfeng asked, tipping her head.

“It’s not midnight yet, it’s fine,” Xue said, waving her away. “I’m just showing Xiao Hui here back to his rooms, it’ll only be a moment.”

Bai Fenfeng smiled wider. She reached toward Xue. “Your aunt is only concerned for your safety, you know.”

Xue ducked Bai Fenfeng’s hand. Her eyes narrowed.

Oh? Hui thought, quietly watching.

“Then, if aunt is so concerned for my safety, let us pass so I can get safely back in my rooms,” Xue said, forcing a smile.

Bai Fenfeng laughed. Waving her hand, she walked away. “Of course, of course. I shouldn’t get in the way of the happy couple.”

Over his shoulder, Hui watched her go. That scent… I remember now. She smells like lotus.

“Enjoying the view?” Xue teased him.

He scowled at her.

Xue’s eyes widened suddenly. She clasped a hand to her mouth and pulled away from him.

“Rooms?” Hui asked.

“I—yes,” she managed.

“See you in the morning. Oh, and Xue… one night when you’re free… could I study your curse again?”

Xue froze. She blinked at him. “That—that is the most ridiculous request anyone has ever—”

“Tonight?” Hui asked.

“Not tonight, I’m drunk,” Xue replied flatly.

“Then, I’ll see you tomorrow night,” Hui said decisively.

Xue sighed. “We’ll talk about it.” She waved him away and shuffled off toward her rooms as quickly as the rope allowed.

Hui watched her go, then turned to his own room. He touched the talismans in his robes, then took a deep breath. Xue was probably only trying to rile me. Bai Fenfeng won’t come after me tonight. She won’t, right?

He swallowed. I’ll keep my back to the wall and my talismans close at hand tonight, just in case!

--

The moon climbed slowly overhead, a bare sliver high in the sky. Branches swayed in the night winds. Leaves stirred, dancing along the grass.

Out of the dappled silver shadows, a form appeared for the briefest of moments. Clad in black, he stared up at the rooms before him, then vanished.

Fading out of the shadows, he perched on a windowsill high above. Swaddled in blankets, an arm slung over the top of his head, the unsuspecting victim slept soundly, still as death, draped in only thin under-robes. The aroma of alcohol lingered in the air, cloyingly sweet.

Stolen story; please report.

The shadow drew a sword. The blade hissed from its sheath, nearly silent. Even then, the sleeper didn’t move. A flash of silver. The sleeper’s head rolled to the side. Blood soaked into the sheets.

The shadow tipped his head. He reached out and hooked the head with his sword. Hollow, dry skin hung stiffly from the blade, the top of the head missing. The cut end of a wineskin, dripping with red wine, slumped out of the dry head-skin.

Stuffed deep in the closet, peering out through the crack in the doors, Hui caught his breath. Shit.

The shadow turned toward the closet. He flourished his hands, and knives appeared between every finger.

Fuck! Hui burst out of the closet. A second later, ten knives shredded through the fine clothes within, piercing where he’d been sitting seconds ago. Hui scrambled for the door and hopped down the rectangular hollow in the center of the stairwell.

On her way up, Li Xiang paused and watched him fall. “Hui?”

“A—assassin! Behind me!” Hui managed, and raced out of the building. I’m not going to stand and fight with a trained killer! That’s suicide!

“Ah! You! Assassinations are the opposite of justice!” Li Xiang shouted, drawing her sword.

Hui landed and bounced up, bolting off. Behind him, the assassin landed with a faint tap. Silver flashed, and Li Xiang flew into the floor sword-first inches behind him. Startled, the assassin turned, drawing his sword. The two clashed.

Hui raced outside and sprinted for Bai Xue’s rooms. Even if it’s ghoul-form Xue, my survival chances go up exponentially if she’s around! They won’t act so boldly around her—or if they do, I’ll smash them with the power of my fourth-stage ghoul minion!

Shadows loomed over him from either side. Hui threw himself down. Blades flew over him. To his left, a tree took five blades, trembled, and exploded soundlessly into splinters.

“Elders, please! I’m not worth that much! You don’t need to go that far to kill little me!” Hui cried, tears welling up in his eyes. He jumped up and raced on, arms pumping. Belatedly, he activated his movement technique and sped up.

“Hui! Watch out!” Li Xiang shouted.

Without turning to see, Hui reached into his robes and drew out a talisman. “Activate!”

A barrier of silver light sprang up around him. Barely a second later, blades struck the barrier. They vibrated, digging into the light, weakening it, but couldn’t break through.

Bai Luoren, I owe you my life!

The barrier moved with him, centered around the slowly-burning talisman Hui clutched. While the barrier lasted, Hui leaped up the stairs toward Bai Xue’s room. A slash of sword energy bounced off his barrier, and the last of the talisman burned to ash. He whirled and yanked the doors shut just in time for a second slash to bite halfway through them.

Silence. The room he’d sat in with Xue and Li Xiang earlier laid empty. Hui glanced left and right, then pressed on, deeper into the complex. Beyond the entryway, a second door, thicker, blocked his way. He pushed it open.

A deep step down awaited him, leading into a small, narrow room. Devoid of any accoutrements, stone walls climbed around them, and a stone floor laid below. Talismans plastered the walls, hinting at a powerful barrier erected in this space. Hui shivered. Almost like… a crypt.

Huddled against the wall, a pile of white cloth shifted. Brilliant red eyes gazed out of a gap between a hood and a dangling talisman. “Hui?”

“Xue!” Hui bolted to her side.

She raised her hands, warning him away.

Hui slowed, drifting to a nearby wall instead. “Ass—assassins. I figured it’d be safest here.”

“With me? The hungering ghoul?” Xue laughed, but it sounded thin.

He put his hands up in a shrug. “Haven’t eaten me yet.”

She shuddered and turned toward the wall. “Close the door.”

Obediently, Hui turned to the door.

A figure stood in the threshold, staring down at them both. Hui startled and jumped back, hand out in front of Xue. An assassin?

The figure turned to face him. Moonlight struck Jingwen’s long braid and sleepy eyes, now fierce.

“Bai Xue belongs to me,” she declared fiercely.

“Bai Xue belongs to whoever she wants to belong to,” Hui replied, reaching for one of his talismans.

“Why don’t we see who she belongs to?” Jingwen suggested. She flicked her hand. A ball of fiery energy materialized over her palm. Before Hui could react, she threw it at Xue.

Hui drew his sword and cut the ball. His sword passed through harmlessly, and it continued on, zooming toward Xue. She jumped up, but before she could run, the ball sank into her chest.

“Hui—careful!” Xue shouted.

Her hair darkened. Pale clothes faded away, replaced by black. She shuddered. Her pale skin turned gray and cold. Veins twisted under her skin.

What the—why would she intentionally— Hui immediately grabbed his ghoul-skin and the piece of flint. With a pulse of qi, he activated the ghoul-skin. It jolted, then jumped at him. Mouth gaping wide, the ghoul-skin swallowed him whole. Skin pulled tight across Hui’s face, blackening his world. It twitched and squirmed around him, twisting and turning, and finally settled into place. Eye sockets aligned with Hui’s. Blinking, he shook his head and flexed his fingers. The slight stiffness of the skin slowly grew familiar.

“Disgusting! Give up your desperate efforts. That won’t save you!” Jingwen declared.

Hui closed his eyes, summoning the death qi from the flint. He circulated it around his dantian, masking his qi.

“W…what?” Jingwen muttered, staring.

Ghoul-form Xue stood out of the corner. Numbly, he stood there, head half-cocked, white eyes gazing into the distance.

“What are you waiting for? Attack!” Jingwen ordered.

Xue lurched toward Hui, half-raising his arms.

Oh, is she the one who trained Xue? Hui smirked. Guess it’s time to find out if the trainer or the ghoul-friend has more power! “Xue, stop.”

Xue staggered to a stop.

“What? Don’t stop. Kill him!” Jingwen demanded.

A confused air to his motions, Xue turned numbly toward Jingwen.

“Xue, sit,” Hui ordered.

Turning back toward Hui, Xue started to fold his legs.

“Don’t sit! Stand! Attack!” Jingwen said.

Xue stood. He stepped toward Hui.

Hui grabbed Xue’s arm. “Xue, charge Jingwen!”

Unhesitatingly, Xue blasted toward Jingwen. Hui clutched on for dear life, dragged along for the ride.

Jingwen screeched. She jumped back, out of Xue’s reach. “What? Why can you control him?”

Xue hit the threshold and stopped short. Legs shuffling against the stone, white eyes wide, he clawed at Jingwen.

“I guess… he really does like me more than you,” Hui replied, unable to resist making a jab at Jingwen. He patted Xue’s head and smiled sweetly at her.

“Nonsense. Nonsense! This is impossible! Xue is mine!” Jingwen shouted, shaking her head.

Wait. Wait a second. Xue said she was only after power, but doesn’t this look like… Hui leaned toward Jingwen. She leaned away, pulling her head back from him.

“Jingwen, don’t tell me… you like Xue?”

Jingwen blushed bright red, cheeks and ears alike lighting up. A knowing smile crawled over Hui’s lips. Ah.

At the sight of his smirk, Jingwen drew her sword. Chest heaving, she shouted, “Shut up! You don’t know anything! You—”

“Xue, hug me,” Hui ordered.

Cold arms closed around his shoulders. A cold chin rested on his head.

Is this why he wouldn’t stop holding my arm back in the secret realm? Was that—did Jingwen teach him to always hold her hand? So adorable! He cackled, shaking his head.

Jingwen shuddered. “Stop it! You can’t—he doesn’t, you’re just, ordering him—”

“Ah, Jingwen, did you take advantage of poor little Xue like this before? When he was in ghoul-form, when he had no way to know… did you make him hug you?” Hui guessed. How else would he know the hug command?

Face reddening further, Jingwen backed away. She shook her head over and over again. “You know nothing! You don’t know—if you knew, if you understood, I’m, I’m just trying to, to—”

“To?” Hui prompted.

Jingwen bit her lip. She stared at the floor.

Hui glanced up. “I wonder if Xue knows any other… interesting commands. Like, maybe… kis—”

“To save him! I just want to save him,” Jingwen shouted.

Hui frowned at her. “Save him from what?”

“Young Master!”

“Assassins in the clan! Someone catch them!”

Jingwen startled. She glanced over her shoulder, then bolted, vanishing into the night.

“Wait, Jingwen—” Hui reached after her, but ghoul-form Xue held onto him, persistently hugging him.

He turned, annoyed. “You can stop that now. I only wanted to annoy her, I don’t actually—”

Loud footsteps clattered into the room.

“Young Master!”

“Young Master, are you—”

“Bai Xue…”

Dead silence.

Hui froze. Oh shit. Oh fuck. I’m hugging ghoul-Xue—no, I’m held tight in his embrace, in the dark of the night… He whirled, his own cheeks burning this time. “It’s—it’s all a misunderstanding—”

A cluster of black-and-white robed cultivators backed away, cupping their hands. “We understand.”

“Ah, these things happen, no? Ghoul-on-ghoul play is a bit much, but everyone has their tastes.”

“In our clan… well, things are fluid, and when one is in love…”

“Please treat Young Master well!”

Hui shook his head, fighting to escape Xue’s embrace. “No, it’s—”

In the back of the crowd, Li Xiang met his gaze. A small tear in her eyes, she smiled and gave him a thumbs-up.

No… Li Xiang, please… I—