The yin in the valley had diminished by the time they reached the exit of the deep ice cave. Light spilled into the valley’s depths, illuminating the bare stone floor, and the frost cloaking the walls melted, dripping to the floor with a quiet plink… plink.
Hui looked around, then bit his lip. Well, I, er, I guess Tseng Caihong probably won’t lock the resentment demons up within here again, now that there isn’t yin energy to suppress them. Or, well, was she just tossing all her enemies into this valley? One is one thing, but two is a bit of a coincidence… If I find a third of Tseng Caihong’s enemies in here, I’ll know for sure!
Zhang Zhisho led them out of the valley and back toward the battlefield. The cat demon dueled with three of the resentment demons. Laden with wounds, it barely staved the resentment demons off from finishing off its unconscious compatriots. Even as it batted one away, another one rolled in from behind. Yowling, the cat demon whirled about and smacked the resentment demon back, only for the other two to close in on its friends.
Zhang Zhisho flew ahead. Turning to the white resentment demons, she released her pressure. “Back away!”
The resentment demons whirled. They bared their hands in claws.
Behind Zhang Zhisho, Hui subtly shook his head.
The resentment demons lowered their hands. They tilted to the side questioningly.
Er, go hide now. You’ve done your job! And you’ve done it well, too! Hui gave them an approving nod as he sent the message to them with mental energy.
The resentment demons hesitated a moment, then rolled away. They vanished up over the hill, trundling off into the secret realm.
Zhang Zhisho let out a breath, quietly relieved. She turned to the demons. “We’re locked in here, are we not? The disciples told me. Release us.”
The cat demon backed away, hunkering in front of its companions. Its two tails flicked at the air. “I do not have the relic. Only Ai Tuzi can release you from this space.”
Ah! That’s right. Hui reached into Ai Tuzi’s storage ring and searched around for a while. Space. Something that feels like space. Like the void technique, and the realm between realms between the Underworld and the Night Market. Something that feels like… feels like…
A familiar, stomach-emptying aura met his fingertips. Hui closed his hand around the object and drew out a small stone statuette. Ancient and weathered granite took the shape of a rabbit, its eyes filled with blood-red rubies. He held it up. “Is this the relic?”
The cat demon’s eyes widened. It fell back, silent.
“Where did you find that?” Zhang Zhisho asked.
“Ah, lying on the ground when Ai Tuzi died,” Hui said, blatantly ignoring his new storage ring. I’m not telling you about the storage ring. This is my loot!
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I’d like to study the relic myself, but ultimately… ultimately, it’s more important to escape this space! It’s not unusual to become trapped in a secret realm for decades, if not centuries or millennia! Hell, your friends sometimes lock you in secret realms for centuries just for fun! I can’t afford to be locked away. Not ever, but especially not now, when I need to represent the Southern Sect Conference as its hostage!
Zhang Zhisho’s eyes flicked to his fingers, then away. She snorted. Holding her hand out for the rabbit, she nodded. “You don’t know how to use that, do you?”
“No.” I’d like to learn, but… now isn’t the time. Hui tossed the granite rabbit to her.
Holding the granite rabbit high, Zhang Zhisho looked down at the demons. “Surrender or die, it’s your choice. Either way, choose quickly, or I’ll choose for y—”
“Surrender! We surrender,” the cat demon said quickly, prostrating itself at her feet.
Hui nodded. Good, good. As they should! Anything to preserve your life. You might be penalized, locked up, even set back on your cultivation, but as long as you’re alive, you can always continue to cultivate! Immortality is the prize! All else is ephemeral!
Zhang Zhisho clicked her tongue. “Cowardly demons.” With a wave of her hand, she cast out a handful of black beads. They flew over to the demons and settled into a square pattern. Black light snapped between them, connecting the beads, and in the space of a breath, a cage of dark energy formed around the demons. The cat demon raised its hackles, but didn’t dare hiss.
Turning the other way, she cast her senses around her. A faint tingle passed over Hui’s skin as her perception flew past. A moment later, she pointed toward a nearby forest. From the depths of the trees, a stone disc to match the rabbit flew toward her. She turned to the other disciples. “This spatial lock can only be undone from the secret realm’s entrance. We’ll head there and finally leave this space.”
With that, she strode off toward the entrance. The black cage floated after her, full of the captured demons. All the disciples hurried to follow, Hui included.
Back at the entrance, Zhang Zhisho threw out the granite disc, then laid the rabbit in the center. The disc lit up, and the spatial rift connecting the secret realm to Eight Tiers Palace opened once more.
Zhang Zhisho gestured for the disciples to escape. Everyone rushed out. Hui hurried alongside them, bursting into the Eight Tiers Palace and practically falling to his knees. He caught his breath, exhausted. I never thought I’d be so happy to see Eight Tiers Palace again! I—
A pair of boots appeared in his vision. “What did you do?” a female voice asked commandingly.
Hui dropped into an instinctive kowtow. “Please forgive me, Elder Sister!” Don’t step on me!
Tseng Caihong squinted at him. “You dare?”
Hui jolted. Ah! I forgot I wasn’t dead! This isn’t the reaper! He groveled deeper, pressing his whole body against the stone. “Infinite apologies, Senior! This dull bug somehow mistook your illuminous self for another!”
Snorting, Tseng Caihong turned away. She looked at Zhang Zhisho, then at the cage of demons, and her brows lifted. “I sense a broken barrier, and this disciple bears the traces of breaking it on him. What happened here?”
Zhang Zhisho began to explain. “We were attacked by demons. It was a sneak attack. I was quickly knocked out, and failed to protect the disciples.”
“That’s right! Gui Hui and I arrived late, and I got kidnapped, but Gui Hui got knocked out… but, but he woke up, and he brought this group of big, scary white monsters to fight the demons!” Tian Mo added, nodding.
“And then, within the yin valley…” Meimei added
As they explained, Hui peeked up at Tseng Caihong. Zhubi… where’s Zhubi? Is he in good health? Is he safe?
A plump white snake with a silly upturned nose wrapped around Tseng Caihong’s neck. As he watched, Zhubi leaned up and nuzzled Tseng Caihong, incredibly pleased and satisfied with himself.
Hui pressed his lips together. Zhubi! How quickly you forget your friends! You snake! Wait, I guess… he is a snake, so…
Zhubi looked down and belatedly caught sight of Hui. He hissed in excitement and jumped off Tseng Caihong’s neck, back toward Hui.
Hui reached up for Zhubi. Come back to me! My oldest friend!