The phoenixes flew away. Hui sighed, shaking his head. “There’s no use crying over spilled milk.” One army, two armies, what’s the difference? Ah, it really is true, what they say. Once you do something once, your inhibition toward doing it a second time lowers.

Hmm, dangerous. I probably shouldn’t foster a low inhibition toward creating unstoppable armies…

Bai Xue frowned at him.

Hui waved his hand. “It’s nothing, it’s nothing. In any case, the phoenixes should find our children. If they can’t, then…”

“I don’t want to consider that,” Bai Xue said.

Hui took a deep breath. If the phoenixes fail… I have no idea what I’d do. I have to believe in them. He nodded, lifting a hand to pet Zhubi. “I understand, Elder Sister.”

Zhubi looked up at him. He let out an anxious hiss.

“Mm, you did your best, Zhubi. If they used poison that could harm a sixth stage snake-beast, you have nothing to apologize for. They were prepared to face you…” Or, more likely, Bai Xue and Li Xiang. Ha! I bet Zhubi came as a surprise.

…but not enough of one. The element of surprise can’t always win.

Mmm. Kidnapping my children for political reasons is one thing. Harming Zhubi? They’ve crossed a line.

And if they’ve harmed my children…

Fire burst up around Hui.

Bai Xue jumped back, startled. “Xiao Hui, you—”

Hui glanced up, startled himself by the flames surging from his body. Forcibly, he circulated his qi and suppressed the flames. I’m still not used to the phoenix flames. I need to take more care. If they jump up while I’m faking death… how disastrous would that be?

Smiling, he nodded at her. “It will be fine, Elder Sister. The phoenixes will find them. I’m sure of it.”

Bai Xue nodded. She steeled her jaw, gazing off into the distance.

Images flickered past his eyes. Hui closed them, focusing on the images instead. Snippets of the ground, zooming by faster than he could fly at seventh stage. He wobbled in place and clasped a hand over his mouth. Watching that while I stand still… oof. I finally understand why people find VR nauseating!

“What is it?” Bai Xue asked. A cool hand clasped his forearm.

Song Wei stepped forward. “Is something harming Master?”

Hui put his hand up. “I’m fine, I’m fine. Give me a moment to adjust, that’s all.”

Forcibly, he swallowed, then rubbed his forehead and focused on the scenes passing before his eyes. Hundreds of images crowded his mind, enough that his seventh-stage mind struggled to process it all.

Or rather, I’m still not used to being seventh stage. My brain is a supercomputer, but I don’t know how to multithread processes. Ugh. If only I could think of hundreds of things at once so easily! At best, I can only manage a few dozen…

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And what if I could do that seven times over?

I know Elder Sister Reaper… that is, Ming Hailen, er, the Lord of the Underworld… er, Lady? In any case, I know she warned me against splitting my soul, but what if I just spilt my mind, and not my soul?

…It’s a bit of a risk, but… my children… He took a deep breath. Here goes!

In his mind’s eye, his mental energy split into seven. A moment later, each of the seven pieces of mental energy took the form of a tiny Hui.

I’ve been waiting!

Ah, how long have we been gone? My disciples, how are they doing?

So, our children are in danger, huh? That won’t stand.

You’ve missed the biggest point. They hurt Zhubi!

Hey, hey now. First already made that joke.

A hubbub of voices exploded in Hui’s head. He pressed a hand to his temple, wincing. Ugh. Never mind, this was clearly a mistake.

Shut up! Quiet down, everyone!

Silence.

Looking up, Sectgoer nodded to Hui. We’re at your command, First.

Hui—or rather, the first portion of mental energy—threw his hand out commandingly. Find my children!

Alright! Time to play Screen Watching Simulator 5000!

First, you made that sound really dramatic for ‘go watch a bunch of boring livestreams.’

Oh, come on. First out here doing the most, and you guys aren’t even appreciating it? Tsk.

First, don’t pay attention to them. They’re all a bunch of idiots.

At least it’s not hard work.

Wait, Bai Xue’s here? Let me out. I wanna touch her. I mean… see. See her.

Hui bonked the final clone on the head. Find my children first.

Clicking his tongue, the clone turned back to the screens.

Various scenes from the Southern Sect Conference streamed into Hui’s brain, carefully filtered by the clones to the most relevant scenes. A pair of children running from an adult—but they’re laughing, and they aren’t my children. Next. A woman lifting a mysterious weapon, dripping with poison—not Fei Guren. Not her techniques. Next. A blaze of white, wrapped up in sword light. Not Li Xiang. Next.

Next.

Next.

Ne—Wait!

Hui sat forward. He frowned at the screen, pulling it closer to himself. Nothing in particular occurred on the screen, but a strange shimmer wobbled in its center. Even I can’t see through this? Let’s see about that. Opening his third eye, Hui closed his main two.

The shimmer continued to waver, refusing to easily give up. He circulated qi into his third eye, and the eye began to burn. The shimmer trembled, shivering harder and harder. Bits flickered into view. Pale robes. A sword.

My third eye can’t see it, at seventh stage? Suspicious, incredibly suspicious! Whatever’s behind this… if it isn’t Fei Guren, the assassin from Eight Tiers Palace, then it’s some kind of secret Elder. And how many of those are out there? I’ve already met plenty of them!

Hui grit his teeth. He pushed harder, sending a pulse of life qi into his third eye. The shimmer began to break apart. Bits and pieces appeared from under it. His eye shuddered. Pulses of pain burst through his forehead. Even as they did, bits of the image appeared. Slender hands grasped the sword’s hilt. His eye watered, vision glowing blurry. On the screen, dark eyes stared into the distance, clear as a still pool of water. The urge to blink consumed him, but he refused to close his eye. Just another moment. One more hint. He focused on the swordswoman’s face. Long dark hair flowed like silk. A noble profile split the wind as she flew.

Pain shot through him. Hui fell back, clasping his hands over his forehead. His third eye closed slowly, aching the whole way. I couldn’t see through it. I couldn’t see through it, but I saw enough. Undoubtedly, that’s Li Xiang!

And Bai Xue couldn’t remember Li Xiang. Whatever these people are doing, they’ve involved Li Xiang in their technique. Which means… she must be close to our children. Or at least, on the right track! Hui stood, dismissing the clones with a wave. He strode forward, past Bai Xue and Song Wei, eyes on the distant spot where he’d seen Li Xiang.

I’ll let the phoenixes keep searching. After all, this could be a dead end. But I shouldn’t ignore it, either!

“What is it? Did you find them?” Bai Xue asked.

“Not yet, but I’ve found a clue.” Waving his hand, Hui tore a piece of bamboo from a nearby stand, then mounted it and took to the air. Unhesitatingly, Bai Xue leapt atop her fan and followed.

Song Wei bowed, remaining below. He only stood when they had passed long out of sight.