Hui sat beneath a tree, meditating. In the distance, Tian Mo spoke with Zhang Zhisho. He cupped his hands, waiting for a verdict.

Zhang Zhisho gazed at Hui, her eyes blank. She shook her head.

Bowing again, Tian Mo ran over to Hui. He shook his head. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t convince her.”

“I appreciate your attempt, Elder Brother,” Hui responded, not leaving his meditative pose.

Tian Mo looked at Hui. “Shouldn’t you be practicing martial arts, not meditating?”

Hui laughed gently. “Elder Brother, respectfully, at this point? I should be lighting incense rather than bothering to meditate.” I don’t have enough time to actually practice and learn a technique. Even meditating in distant hopes of enlightenment is too much, far too much. Lighting incense and praying to the gods, Immortals, and ancestors is my best chance!

It’s too bad I don’t have incense…

Ah, though… can’t I contact some godlike figures? Elder Sister Reaper, for example. She has that terrifying foot technique… but no, no, that’s far too powerful. I’d kill my poor opponent! I’m not here to murder children. Although I did get transmigrated into this world, I’m no protagonist. I know my place! I’m not going to use my adult knowledge to trample the children into the dust. I’m going to use my adult knowledge to… to mostly be ashamed of my pitiful behavior…

Hui sighed. No, no. Don’t give up, Xiao Hui. Ashamed? What is shame? I’m willing to do anything, as long as I can remain the hostage and keep Eight Tiers Palace from targeting my children! Even if it means stomping children in a supposedly-honorable duel with my seventh-realm cultivation.

Across the field, a second group of children approached, led by a large cultivator. He stomped along, the earth thundering with each step. As tall and skinny as Zhang Zhisho was, he was equally short and stout. Short limbs and a thick body left him with the silhouette of a meatball, his cheeks as plump as dumplings, stubby arms sticking out over his rounded body. Some of the taller children stood over him even at their young ages.

Hui looked at him, then at Zhang Zhisho. By their powers combined, they make one ordinary-sized cultivator!

Casting his gaze over the approaching group, Hui put a hand on his chin. All jokes aside, it looks like that class is the high-level advanced class, and ours is the ordinary-level class. Although the children are about the same realm, there’s a difference in the way those children hold themselves and walk, a difference in the sharpness of their gaze.

His eyes landed on the largest of the opposing group, a boy who puffed his chest with pride and threw his head back, a savage gleam in his eyes. The boy met Hui’s gaze, and his glare intensified, the first hints of killing intent shining forth.

Ah! It’s my good friend Da Gongji. Ahahaha, whoops. I suppose it’s too much to hope he’d have forgotten me. Hui bit his lip nervously. I wonder if I can defeat him without leaving him with a permanent heart demon? He is just a kid, after all. I should go easy on him.

Still, I kind of… don’t want to. He’s a bully. If someone doesn’t teach him a lesson, he will continue to be a bully forever. In the worst case, he’ll end up as the kind of horrible person who bullied me in my first life! Terrible, terrible. I’d be doing a disservice to the entire world if I simply walked away.

Zhang Zhisho walked out to meet the round man. All the disciples jumped up and followed after her, neatly falling into formation. Hui joined at the back, not wanting to stand out too much, though fully aware that his blue robes stood out like a beacon. He hunched over a little and scooted behind Tian Mo, diminishing his figure to make himself as small as possible.

Tian Mo looked over his shoulder. “What are you doing?”

“Nothing, nothing. Pay small cultivator no mind,” Hui said, hunkering a little lower.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

Tian Mo squinted at him. “How am I supposed to pay you no mind? You could hardly be more obvious! Lurking right over my shoulder…”

“Ah, aha, no no, never mind me.” Embarrassed, Hui rubbed his neck, but he didn’t stop hiding.

Tian Mo shook his head. “It’s a good thing you came to Eight Tiers Palace. You might have become fully deformed in that other sect, with this kind of dysfunctional attitude!”

Hui coughed into his fist. It’s far too late for that, Elder Brother. That ‘dysfunctional attitude’ of mine has already been ingrained for more years than you’ve been alive!

The two groups of disciples reached one another. Zhang Zhisho nodded at the round man, and the round man nodded back. She threw out her arm. “Salute.”

Behind her, all the disciples cupped their hands. Hui followed suit, not a second too late.

The round man patted his belly and laughed. “Ever so respectful, Zhang Zhisho. Even though you’ve fallen this far…”

Zhang Zhisho stared at him over her extremely long crossed arms. She glanced over her shoulder. “Stand.”

The disciples stood. Hui raised his eyebrows. No returned salute from the other class? Huh. Zhang Zhisho must have fallen hard, from being the disciple of the Tier Master, that she’s being this disrespected.

She has my respect. Naturally, the most important thing in life is… one’s little life! Bearing any amount of shame in order to go on living, that’s a person who earns my respect. As long as she doesn’t decide to take out her anger on me, then she and I have no quarrel.

“Hmm, always so formal. I’ll see you break that steady façade today, or my name isn’t Yuan Qiu.” Giving his stomach a final pat, Yuan Qiu lifted his hand, indicating for the disciples to remain. He walked a short distance away, then clapped his hands once, loud enough to echo across the land. Stones gathered from all over, whole boulders cresting out of the ground like baby mountains birthed from earth. They formed a rough, uneven field, cluttered with stones large and small, every corner of it filled with a stone of some size or another.

Yuan Qiu opened his hand and drew a line through the air. Where he drew the line, the top of the stone field melted away, blowing off as dust on the wind. Behind his hand, a smooth field emerged from the stones, perfectly even and flat.

“And we have a field.” Yuan Qiu smiled, pleased with himself. He turned, gesturing at the field.

“Indeed we do.” Zhang Zhisho looked over the disciples. Her eyes landed on Hui, and she tilted her head. “You. Go first.”

Eh? Why me? Zhang Zhisho! I was just thinking that I respect you, there’s no need to immediately attack this small cultivator! Hui cried inwardly, even as he outwardly cupped his hands and stepped forward.

“Oh? The newcomer! How curious. I’m sure he’ll show us a wonderful exotic display of his strange homeland’s skills. Who would like to face him?” Yuan Qiu turned to his disciples, face crinkled in a broad grin.

Da Gongji stepped forward. He crossed his arms firmly. “I’ll take him.”

Hui barely resisted the urge to put his head in his hands. Of course. What else did I expect? He holds a grudge, of course he holds a grudge! I should have known better. Grudges lead to grudges, hate leads to hate! Never incite hatred, never never!

Ah, well, it’s not as if he’s a real threat to me, at least. The only difficulty is in ending the duel without bruising his ego so fiercely that he continues to hold a grudge… or worse, deepens his grudge!

“Are you sure?” Yuan Qiu asked, frowning slightly. He eyed Hui skeptically. You’re the strongest disciple. That boy looks like he’d blow over in a strong breeze. Isn’t this a total waste?

Da Gongji nodded. “Please allow me, Master.”

Yuan Qiu raised his brows. Oh? A ‘please,’ even. He’s serious. Well… it’s not bad to watch Da Gongji get serious every now and again. Let’s see how he does. He nodded, putting his hands behind his back. They barely touched past his rotundness. “Granted.”

The two took the field. Hui stood opposite Da Gongji, a hand on his chin. Ring out? That’s probably the easiest… but wouldn’t it be horribly humiliating? Er, maybe I’ll just give in and play dead. Playing dead isn’t bad, but… he might attack my poor dead body. He is a bully, after all. I might be able to bear a lot of pain, but that doesn’t mean I like it.

Hmm. Maybe I ring out right off the bat? He won’t take that as an insult, will he? I’ll make it realistic, act like I’m actually scared, and then… whoopsie-do, that’s a ring out for me, haha, and a win to Da Gongji.

Doesn’t teach him a lesson, but at least it ends his grudge against me.

Ahhh, but I would like to teach him a lesson. Still, teaching a lesson is secondary to ensuring he doesn’t hold a grudge. Hui lifted his foot to step into the ring.

A hand clamped onto his shoulder. He froze, startled. Slowly, he looked up.

Zhang Zhisho looked down on him, her face so very high above him. She narrowed her eyes. “Prove that you’re worthy of being the Tier Master’s disciple. I’ll be watching.”

Hui trembled, his eyes huge. Elder Sister… Elder Sister, why? Why put so much pressure on me? Isn’t that equivalent to telling me to win or die? Why tell me you’ll bully me to death if I lose? Ugh. The worst, the worst! I have to fight. I can’t ring out!

But I have almost no martial techniques! Ohhh, I’m in trouble now!

Zhang Zhisho released him. Swallowing nervously, Hui stepped onto the ring.