“Two ornaments?” Li Weiqi murmured disapprovingly. He glanced at Bai Xingxue.

Bai Xingxue nodded back subtly, beckoning for him to continue.

Li Weiqi clicked his tongue and shook his head disappointedly, playing along.

“I… I…” the teen patted around his outfit, looking for another charm or trinket.

Soundlessly, Hui dropped down behind Li Weiqi and Bai Xingxue. A mild frown on his face, he ever-so-slowly crossed his arms.

The teen froze. He swallowed, then slowly put his hands up.

“What? We haven’t threatened you yet—” Li Weiqi turned and stopped dead.

“What? What’s everyone—” Bai Xingxue looked up at Hui.

Three little deer stared into Hui’s headlights. Hui stared back, silent.

The teen reacted first. He bowed. “Good afternoon, Senior.”

“F-father. I thought you were addressing the conference,” Li Weiqi stuttered, quickly giving Hui a formal salute.

“Father?” the teen gasped. He quickly started peeling off his ornaments, terrified.

Hui sighed, raising his hand. “Please keep your ornaments. Bai Xingxue?”

“Daddy?” she asked sweetly.

“I saw everything. Give that man his ornaments back,” Hui said, giving her a look.

“What? But we were just helping out a fellow cultivator—”

Li Weiqi elbowed Bai Xingxue. “Hand them back.”

Bai Xingxue pouted. She handed the gold and spirit stone ornament back petulantly. “Here.”

Hui raised his eyebrows. “And the other one?”

“The other one?” Bai Xingxue asked, blinking.

Li Weiqi elbowed her again.

“Fine.” Bai Xingxue drew out the white jade and handed it over. As she did, her pouch let out a noticeable jangling sound.

Hui blinked. He stared at Bai Xingxue. Don’t tell me… how long have they been running this scam? “And the rest?”

Reluctantly, Bai Xingxue emptied out her pouch. Handful after handful of charms, jades, ornaments, perfume sachets, and trinkets appeared, quickly littering the floor around her.

Staring, Hui licked his lips. Is she a video game protagonist, robbing everyone she sees for all they have? I haven’t seen this much loot since I was playing that old open world game and picking up every book, cinnamon roll, and fork I laid eyes on!

The well-dressed teen stared as well. “Why did you want my ornaments, if you had so many?”

Bai Xingxue glanced at him with derision. “There’s always room for more.”

“Ornaments become spirit stones,” Li Weiqi added, aloof and cold, somehow exuding the air of a scholar as he said it.

“Besides, all the other cultivators here are total suckers. We’re doing them a favor! If they learn not to be so trusting now, they won’t get tricked in the future. After all, we only want a few trinkets. We aren’t trying to take their lives or leave them crippled,” Bai Xingxue explained, as if it was not only perfectly reasonable, but in fact a virtuous deed she had done.

The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

Hui put his head in his hands. Who raised these children? Ahh, so mouthy, so bold! They’ll end up dead in no time if this continues! I need to teach them to respect the risk of death appropriately, as I do.

Bai Xue dropped down behind Hui. He tossed the well-dressed teen a spirit stone. “For your troubles.”

The teen glanced at the spirit stone, looked at Bai Xue and Hui, then quickly cupped his hands and ran off.

Bai Xingxue sighed. “All we want is some allowance. Is it so bad to go out and find it for ourselves?”

“I appreciate your entrepreneurial attitude, but Bai Xingxue, Li Weiqi, consider your actions,” Hui started.

“Blah blah blah, young master, blah blah, sect master, we get it,” Bai Xingxue said, rolling her eyes.

Li Weiqi smacked her. “Bai Xingxue! Show our father respect.”

“Why should I? It’s not like he was there,” she scoffed.

Mmm. What a sudden turn of face! It seems like Bai Xingxue was only acting the sweet daughter.

…Well, that’s… I can’t say entirely unexpected. She is already an experienced scam artist!

Hui coughed. He glanced over his children. “This isn’t about face. Face is nothing! Face is ephemeral. Thicken your face now, for when you need it in the future! With a thick enough face, all things can be accomplished.

“No, no. I’m talking about something far more valuable than face.” He leaned in sternly. “Your lives.”

“Eh?” Bai Xingxue said, taken aback.

Li Weiqi furrowed his brows. “Our lives are worth more than…?”

“Yes! Naturally. Naturally, Junior Siblings! Life is worth more than anything! More than love. More than face. More than money! Even… even… more than… a-avoiding… debt!” Hui said, forcing himself to spit the last word out. And yet, it’s true! Life is the most valuable asset of all. If I risk my poor little life and lose it, then I no longer am able to worry about anything else! Life is the most valuable of all!

“Eh? More than money?” Bai Xingxue asked.

“More than money!” Hui repeated emphatically. He crossed his arms. “A bird will die for crumbs, and so will a man die for money. But we are not merely men!”

“I’m also a woman!” Bai Xingxue interjected.

“That too! But what I mean is—we are cultivators. We seek a loftier goal than merely riches!” Hui pointed upward.

Bai Xingxue’s eyes widened. “Heaven’s riches!”

Li Weiqi shook his head disapprovingly. “Obviously he means ascending to Heaven and taking the Heavenly Emperor’s Throne!”

“No! Incorrect!” Hui declared. He leaned in, beckoning his children closer.

They scooted in, lifting a hand to their ears.

“Immortality,” Hui whispered blissfully. That perfect state where I no longer have to worry about my small life! That wonderful place where I can no longer be killed! The perfect state of eternal life, where I can relax and live quietly!

Bai Xingxue frowned. “That’s all?”

“Naturally every cultivator dreams of reaching immortality, but… that can’t be the most important thing—” Li Weiqi started.

“Why can’t it?” Hui interrupted him. He shook his head. “You have eyes, but cannot see Mount Tai. We become cultivators to reach immortality! We cultivate long lives and invulnerable bodies! From the start, our ultimate goal… is to no longer fear death!”

“Really?” Li Weiqi muttered.

“I think he’s aiming low,” Bai Xingxue muttered back.

Hui shook his head. He opened his mouth.

“Did you ever fear me?” a cold yet familiar voice sounded in Hui’s ear, the slightest hint of mirth in its glacial tones.

Hui jolted. He turned, slowly.

The reaper stood behind him, gripping her sword. She stared into his eyes, expression as stern as usual.

Awkwardly, Hui smoothed down his robes, suddenly self-aware. It’s the fault of those seniors… I can’t help but feel awkward around the reaper! Ugh, if they hadn’t said anything, I wouldn’t be so aware of her!

Bai Xue watched Hui, then glanced over his shoulder in the same direction. “Hui, where’s the beauty? I’d like to meet her.”

“I don’t think you would,” Hui muttered under his breath.

The reaper frowned. “How did he know…”

“Er, he knows me well, Elder Sister. My behavior… he used to tease me all the time.”

The reaper sighed.

“And he’s my husband,” Bai Xue introduced himself, hugging a hand around Hui and staring in a slightly off direction, not quite making eye contact with the reaper.

The reaper looked at Hui. “Tell him he can’t shock me. I know of the Bai Clan.”

“I’m sure Bai Xue would be honored, honored indeed,” Hui said, nodding.

“Honored? Hui, what kind of illustrious senior are you talking to? Ah, of course I’d be honored, beauty,” Bai Xue said suavely, looking around again.

Li Weiqi glanced at Bai Xingxue. At a whisper, he asked, “Who’s he talking to?”

Bai Xingxue shrugged. “I don’t know. Let’s escape while he’s distracted!” Scooping up handfuls of her loot, she ran off, Li Weiqi at her side.

Hui turned, then sighed. Oh, whatever. I’ll let them off this time. He nodded at the reaper. “Why have you come to me?”

“The real question is, why haven’t you come for me?” Bai Xue asked, waggling his eyebrows at the air slightly to the left of the reaper’s shoulder.

Hui sighed. He turned to the reaper, temporarily ignoring Bai Xue.

“It’s Si Wang. The other reaper,” the reaper said.

“What’s he done now?” Hui asked, shaking his head.