Zhang Zhisho squinted at Hui. She crossed her long arms, the gesture almost ridiculously exaggerated thanks to her elongated limbs.

Hui stared at the sky, pretending not to notice. I’m an ordinary small disciple, don’t notice a thing!

She pointed at him. “You. Blue boy. Come here.”

Hui looked around him. Who? Which boy? Huh? Blue? I don’t see anyone in blue…

Tian Mo nudged him. “Gui Hui, hurry! Zhang Zhisho’s calling for you!”

Hui gritted his teeth. Tian Mo, let me pretend for a little while longer! Ahh, I can’t even escape into my head. Sighing, he climbed to his feet and saluted Zhang Zhisho, then, ever so slowly, walked toward her, head hung, eyes everywhere but on her.

“Now,” Zhang Zhisho demanded.

Hui scurried over instinctively, rushing to her side. He smiled. “Disciple greets Master!”

“Was that not enough for you?” Zhang Zhisho asked, looking down at Hui.

Hui shook his head. “No, no. It was enough, it was very much enough!”

“It doesn’t look like it was enough,” she purred, eyes half-shut like a pleased cat with a mouse.

“Many apologies, Senior, but I must assure you that it was, indeed, enough. Far be it from me to insist that Senior was wrong, no, no, but Senior, though you are not wrong, you are surely mistaken. This small cultivator is most certainly exhausted,” Hui insisted.

“If I say you aren’t exhausted, then you aren’t exhausted,” Zhang Zhisho snapped.

Hui gave her a pitiful look. “How tyrannical! Senior, have mercy. I’m exhausted, I’m really exhausted! Senior has to believe me.”

Zhang Zhisho quirked a brow. “If you’re so tired, then how do you have so much to say?”

“Senior… please believe me!” Hui cried. He dropped to the ground and kowtowed. “Small disciple is putting on a brave face, but I’m truly, completely exhausted!”

All the disciples and Zhang Zhisho all stared at him. If this is putting on a brave face, then what does it look like when you show your cowardly side?

Zhang Zhisho waved her hand, picking Hui off the ground and setting him back on his feet. “Ten laps of the secret realm.”

“The… the whole secret realm?” Hui squeaked. Briefly, he cast his divine sense around him. This space… it’s nearly as large as the outer border of Starbound Sect! An ordinary second stage cultivator would take days to finish ten laps!

Tian Mo stepped forward. Trembling slightly, he cupped his hands to Zhang Zhisho. “Disciple requests permission to speak!”

“Speak,” Zhang Zhisho stated.

“Master, we duel the other student classes this afternoon. We won’t finish ten laps in that time,” Tian Mo said, still cupping his hands.

“Reasonable. Then, one lap of the valley,” Zhang Zhisho ordered.

“The valley?” This time, it was Tian Mo’s turn to squeak. He trembled like a leaf, his eyes wide.

Hui cast him a look. Valley? He started to extend his divine sense again, but, casting a quick glance at Zhang Zhisho, decided against it. It’s too risky using such a high-level ability this close to a higher-realm cultivator.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

In any case, it couldn’t be too terrible, could it? They’re sending second-tier cultivators into it. It’s probably a valley full of low-level ghouls, at worst. Nothing I need to fear.

Hui nodded to himself, smiling.

A quiet voice in the back of his mind interjected, but it’s an assassin sect, isn’t it? Life and death scenarios are as common as breathing. They put poison in their meals for fun. What part of that makes you think this valley is going to be okay?

Hui’s smile drooped. He took a slow breath, forcing his racing heart to calm down. I’ll be fine, I’ll be fine… it’s okay! It’s okay, Hui!

Zhang Zhisho clapped, the effect louder due to her overlong arms. “Go!”

Hui jumped. He ran off instinctively, choosing the direction at random. Ah, dammit! I just need to move, before Zhang Zhisho adds on more penalties!

“Gui Hui, over here!” Tian Mo shouted from his left.

Hui did a one-eighty and chased after Tian Mo and the other children, careful to match his pace to a child’s pace. “I’m coming!”

Tian Mo gave him a look as he caught up. “What did you do to get on Zhang Zhisho’s bad side?”

Hui threw his hands up. “I don’t know!” I mean, I have a few suspicions, but I don’t know. Is it because I wasn’t suitably exhausted? Is it because I became the Tier Master’s disciple? Is it because I didn’t let her grab me yesterday? It could be anything!

But instead of worrying about that, let’s focus on the future. He looked at Tian Mo. “What’s in the valley?”

Tian Mo shivered. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

“Try me,” Hui said.

Shaking his head, Tian Mo ran on.

Not even going to warn me? Ugh! Hui glanced over his shoulder, then casually drew a simple barrier talisman on his robes with qi. Just in case. After all, they are an assassin sect. Anything goes. I don’t want any children to lose their lives, but I especially don’t want to lose my small life!

They ran on. As they ran, the sky overhead darkened. Clouds gathered. Thunder rolled, and lightning sparked. Beneath them, a rift opened, dark and deep. Narrow at first, it rapidly widened, nothing but darkness visible within. Coldness emanated from the rift, icy yin energy swirling in the darkness.

Ahead of Hui, the first children entered the rift. The darkness swallowed them up. Almost instantly, the children vanished from sight.

Hui licked his lips. I don’t like that. I don’t like that at all!

Nervously, he followed Tian Mo into the rift.

Frost accumulated on the craggy solid-rock walls of the rift. Icy crystals softened the sharp edges of the deepest crags, while icicles dripped from the flat planes. Hui’s breath clouded on the air. His flesh paled from the cold.

Tian Mo shivered as he ran. He glanced over his shoulder at Hui. “N-n-no matt-t-ter how cold it gets, k-k-keep running!”

“Tian Mo, what’s in here?” Hui asked, legitimately nervous. I’ve never sensed yin this intense before. This is a serious accumulation of yin! Even the secret ghoul peak in All Heavens Sect didn’t have yin energy this thick. And just yin, too. I’m not sensing death qi, rot qi, or any other dark kind of qi, just… pure yin.

Pure yin… a deep gash…

Hui slapped his cheeks. This is a serious situation, Hui. Now is not the time to make Bai-Xue-esque jokes!

A high-pitched, keening cry sounded out. Tian Mo jumped.

A shiver ran down Hui’s spine. He looked at Tian Mo.

“Just… keep running,” Tian Mo insisted, his eyes big and round. He turned around and sped on, pumping his arms.

The valley deepened, and as it deepened, it widened. The walls grew so distant that even Hui couldn’t see them, while the dark, cold energy swallowed up the thunderclouds overhead. Hui scooted closer to Tian Mo, half for his own safety, half for Tian Mo’s safety. Subtly, he drew a barrier talisman on the back of Tian Mo’s back. Tian Mo’s been nothing but helpful so far. I don’t want to see him get hurt because I was careless.

Somewhere in the near distance, a child screamed. Hui tensed. He hesitated a moment, then charged ahead. That’s enough. This is an assassin sect, sure, but I don’t want to let any children die. Even if they don’t know it, I’m an adult. It’s my responsibility to ensure the next generation survives. These might be Eight Tiers Palace cultivators, but they’re still children. They aren’t guilty of anything but being chosen by the wrong sect.

“Gui Hui!” Tian Mo shouted.

“Stay back!” Hui called back, speeding toward the scream.

Tian Mo bit his lip, then charged after Hui. “A-alright! If we’re doing this, then—then I’m with you!”

Hui sped forward. Whisps of icy wind and dark yin energy swirled around him, fleeing Hui as he charged.

A second scream echoed, louder and more pained than the first.

Dammit. Even if this is a trap—I’m not going to stand back as children die to an enemy I can easily beat! Hui charged forward.

White. A flash in the darkness. Hui’s eyes widened.

Hold on, are those—