The poisoned dagger shot toward Hui’s back, gleaming in the sunlight. A wave smashed against the shore, loud as thunder.
In the space of a moment, Hui drew a barrier talisman. Gold light glowed subtly on his back, where her dagger was heading. Elder Sister, there’s no need for this. Small cultivator was going to leave quietly. Only fools choose to attack when there’s no need to quarrel!
Ah, well, it’s harmless. She’s only fifth realm. She can’t break my barrier.
Bai Xue whirled. With a wave of her fan, she encased the dagger in ice.
It kept thrusting forward, the poison instantly melting the ice.
From one step to another, Bai Xue changed from female to male. Another wave of the fan. Fire engulfed the dagger. Another step, another swap. Ice once more encased it.
As close as he stood to the dagger, Hui felt the wave of immense heat and cold bursting toward his back. He stared, wide-eyed. Damn. Bai Xue grew far more powerful in the time I was gone! Those attacks… I have nothing that can compare!
I don’t have lots of attacks, to be fair. Ah… the sad reality of becoming a follower of the true Dao of faking one’s death…
The dagger slammed into Hui’s barrier and shattered into a thousand pieces.
Fei Guren stared. “How…? My dagger… personally forged by the Tier Master…”
Waving her fan, Bai Xue dropped into Hui’s arms once more. She let out a little laugh. “Hmm? What trash. It shattered against the back of my pitiful husband without so much as a scratch? How pathetic.”
“Indeed, indeed. Ah, and it was forged by the Tier Master? Could it be? Even the Tier Master is more pathetic than this lowly one?” Hui asked, mock-startled.
Fei Guren snarled, her lips curling up.
Bai Xue tsked. “Indeed. This Fei Guren dared to kidnap our children with such shoddy materials?”
Screaming, Fei Guren threw herself at them, blue nails bared.
Internally, Hui let out a sigh of relief. Thank goodness. I was worried she wasn’t going to take the bait. There’s nothing this small cultivator fears more than poison and hidden weapons! Hidden weapons can end a small cultivator’s life even without me noticing the attack, and poison continues to attack me even after I play dead! No, no. They’re terrible, just terrible! The only way I’d dare fighting her is to incite her into a rage first, so she doesn’t think to use all her fearful and clever techniques.
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Activating his crystal skin technique, Hui stepped forward. He grabbed Fei Guren’s wrist mid-strike. “Elder Sister, please reconsider. Small cultivator is far above your realm, despite my lowliness.”
She darted her other hand toward Hui’s wrist.
Nails scratched along Hui’s skin, but failed to break the hardened, crystallized surface. Hui sighed, then drew back his fist and punched her in the head with the full force of his seventh-stage cultivation. Fei Guren’s head burst like a watermelon.
Hui looked at her head, then his hand, painted with fresh blood. He looked at Bai Xue, shocked. Uhhhh… whoops.
I forgot that Fei Guren was only fifth realm the last time I saw her. Even if she broke through, she’d only be sixth realm, and as a hidden weapons and poison cultivator, it isn’t as if she’d work overhard on training and forging her body. Of course a seventh stage cultivator would one-shot her! But er, I didn’t mean to… I didn’t mean to, Elder Sister! Please forgive me!
“My Xiao Hui grew bold in the afterlife,” Bai Xue commented, giving him a surprised look.
“Er, Elder Sister, would you believe me if I said it was a mistake?” Hui asked. Somewhat guiltily, he wiped his hand on Fei Guren’s robes and went to drop her body, then paused. Waving his hand, he called all the weapons, poisons, and spirit stones from her, then dropped her body.
The last two inches of the karmic incense floated before him for a moment. Hui gave it a long look, then sent it with the rest of the treasures. I don’t have a need for it yet, but such an item… I’m sure I’ll be able to use it eventually.
For example… invading Eight Tiers Palace. Hui’s eyes flashed. I’m not going to let them get away with attempting to kidnap my children so easily. If kidnapping my children is meant to send a message… then I think I’ll send a message right back!
Bai Xue tossed him a ring. Hui took it, quickly examining it with a thread of qi. A storage ring? Excellent. He waved his hand again, sending the loot into the ring, then nodded to Bai Xue. “Thank you, Elder Sister.”
“A reward for my bold husband,” Bai Xue said, grinning a little.
Ah… is it just me, or is Bai Xue’s slightly demonic background coming out more often than it used to, now?
Well, to be fair, her child is currently kidnapped. Even a cultivator such as myself feels the desire to attack Eight Tiers Palace for that, even… even if it might be seeking death.
Hui nodded to her. “Shall we assist Li Xiang?”
Bai Xue took in the still-tumbling mountaintop as it crashed down the border mountains. “Does she need help?”
Hui coughed, taking in the mountain. Er… Bai Xue has a good point. If Li Xiang is that powerful, and that angry, we’d only be getting in the way.
After a moment, he nodded. “If nothing else, someone needs to rescue the children while Li Xiang massacres our enemies.”
“Yes, of course. As ever, our Hui is reasonable, so reasonable!” Bai Xue praised him, patting his head.
Hui scowled. “Elder Sister…” He flew on, hurtling back toward Li Xiang at top speed. In the distance, beams of sword light flashed, and immense attacks carved arcs in the mountains around them. Preemptively, Hui began drawing two copies of the Hundred and Eight Layers, one for himself, and one for Bai Xue. His eyes locked on Li Xiang in the distance, her body little more than a white blur at this distance, greatly dwarfed by the attacks and sword qi.
Wait for us, Li Xiang. We’re on our way!