The male cultivator gestured for Hui to join him on the back of his beast, an overgrown wolf thing with armored plates in its fur and a spiked tail. The wolf swished its tail and lowered its head as he approached. Instinctively, Hui offered it his hand to sniff. The wolf sniffed for a moment, then lowered its head again, this time in assent.

The beast cultivator raised his brows. “I see you have some experience as a beast cultivator. Most fools simply jump directly on his back.”

“Ah? Not at all. It’s just that I have some experience with pe…” Hui’s eyes jumped to the wolf, and he quickly adjusted his words, rescinding the ts on the tip of his tongue. “—powerful beasts.”

“That’s right. You have a spirit beast, after all,” the male cultivator said, nodding.

“Mmm.” Do I have Zhubi, or does Zhubi have me? Hui nodded at the cultivator. “Your name?”

“Wen Guo,” the man said. “You’re that Gui Hui, no? Our Tier Master was very taken with you at the selection.”

“Oh?” Hui asked, honestly surprised. I wasn’t expecting anyone to remember me from that. Ah, it’s true that they all showed up when I arrived—all the Tier Masters—so I suppose I can’t be too surprised that one or two of them remembered me.

Wen Guo nodded. “Not many cultivators choose to walk the thorny path of cultivating beasts, since it’s so hard to ascend. You must ascend alongside your beast, after all, and ensuring a single cultivator’s ascension is difficult, much less one’s ascension and their beast’s. Not that it’s impossible to ascend as a beast cultivator, but to willingly take on double the difficulty… well, I’m trying to say, not many choose such a thing.”

“Ah… yes,” Hui said. I’m cheating a bit. I’m not a true beast cultivator, not that I would ever leave Zhubi behind… which, now that I think about it, might make me a true beast cultivator. Plus, Zhubi’s a dragonling, which almost ensures his—

Hold on! Black Dragon failed in her ascension and ended up locked in the Underworld, in a state of undeath! Ahh! I was carelessly considering Zhubi’s ascension as a sure thing, but even his massively powerful mother failed in her first attempt at ascension. Does she have a second chance? Or is she stuck in the Night Market until she lives out her lifespan?

Eh, come to think of it, how on earth is Black Dragon still around? A Wandering Immortal should have an extremely short lifespan, but she’s… okay, she’s undead. She did say she only clung to life until she could give birth, after all. So her lifespan is over. But undead can still cultivate…

Senior Black Dragon’s situation is very unique. I probably shouldn’t base anything off her. In any case, I think she said she was trapped… though, well, I don’t know I take anyone in the Underworld’s words at face value. Even the reaper won’t admit she wants to step on me, and she’s probably the most straightforward of the lot.

The sensation of a boot in his back sent him stumbling forward. Hui turned, but no one stood behind him.

…I need to befriend more friendly Seniors. Like Fen Long. Fen Long has never done anything horrible to me.

Nearly as soon as he thought it, Hui braced himself. Oh shit, now I’ve done it. He’ll surely teleport in just to prove me wrong any second now!

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Any second…

Any… second…

Nothing? Really?

Wow. Fen Long really is a nice guy.

Feathers fluttered. A crow landed heavily on his head. “Say that again.”

“Eh? Senior Chen Wuya? Why…?” Hui frowned up at the heavy weight on his head.

Chen Wuya cleared his throat. “Fen Long is a piece of trash, a pretentious asshole who locks his enemies away for centuries until they conform to his ideals. He refuses to see any side of any argument save his own and—”

The air over Hui’s head wobbled, rippling like water. An arm cloaked in white reached through the wobble and landed on Chen Wuya, tearing him away before he could say anything more. The ripple vanished.

A moment later, the air rippled again, and Fen Long appeared, giving Hui an apologetic smile. “Sorry for the trouble.”

“Ah no, no, he was no trouble at all,” Hui lied quickly.

“Don’t worry. I’ll discipline him.” With an enigmatic smile, Fen Long vanished. In the background, Hui heard a few beats of desperate curses before the link cut off.

Hui smacked his lips, staring into the middle distance. Yep, I now know more about their, er, friendship than I ever wanted to know.

“What was that?” Wen Guo asked.

“Nothing you want to involve yourself in,” Hui responded honestly.

“Hmm,” Wen Guo said, nodding. “The affairs of those more powerful than us can be mysterious.”

“You have no idea,” Hui muttered to himself.

“How did you end up involved in those Seniors’ affairs?” Wen Guo asked.

“I wish I knew,” Hui replied, spreading his hands helplessly.

“Hmm. I’ve always followed a policy of avoiding cultivators far above my level. I find those too deeply involved end up dead,” Wen Guo recommended.

Hui sighed deeply, staring into the distance once more. Senior, I wish I could take your advice, but you’re several decades too late. From the moment I entered this world, I was involved in the affairs of those far above me. My Master ascended. The Bai Clan was full of far more powerful cultivators at the time. I was drawn into Fen Long and Chen Wuya’s affairs, not to mention the Four Evils and the whole mess with All Heavens…

He looked at Wen Guo. “For someone who pointed a spear at me moments ago, you’re certainly friendly.”

Wen Guo shrugged. “If the Tier Master and Lao Hu approve of you, who am I to disapprove?”

Hui raised his eyebrows. “That’s… surprisingly reasonable.”

“I’m a simple man,” Wen Guo said.

“Fair enough.” I’m not going to argue when it makes my life simpler. A simple man, indeed! I can respect a simple man.

Er, though, if Senior Tseng Caihong is somehow listening, then… I don’t respect these traitors! No respect at all!

He looked at Wen Guo. “Elder Brother, if I could be so bold, what has Tseng Caihong stolen from you?”

Wen Guo’s face twisted. He shook his head. “That filth. We beast cultivators wouldn’t oppose her so much if she hadn’t taken our Sacred Beast! If only she hadn’t taken it, we’d have the strength to stand against her, and we wouldn’t be completely ignored in every single Tiers Meeting!”

Ah, well, Elder Brother told me why she took your Sacred Beast in the same breath as you bemoaned her taking it. If it gave you the power to oppose her, then naturally she’d take it. Once it’s gone, it doesn’t matter if you oppose her or not. You lack the power to have that right!

Though it doesn’t seem to have kept you from trying. I do sympathize. I’ve been there. So weak as to have no right to oppose, yet determined to oppose nonetheless… still, I can’t sympathize too hard. These beast cultivators are, how to say it, a little dull? Not the sharpest tools in the shed? Point is, they aren’t exactly tactical geniuses. If I hook my horse to this wagon, the only place I’m going is nowhere fast.

I wouldn’t mind encouraging them to attack as a distraction, but… yeah. I’ll sympathize from a distance.

That Sacred Beast, though. If Tseng Caihong stole it, does that mean it actually possesses power to defeat Tseng Caihong? It’s something worth looking into.

…and on the other hand, Tseng Caihong stole Zhubi, who’s a sweet cinnamon roll who couldn’t do any harm. I’m really starting to wonder if she hasn’t taken on ‘pet thief’ as a side gig.

“That foul Tseng Caihong,” Wen Guo muttered.

“Pet thief,” Hui muttered back.

Wen Guo nodded in approval. Following the rest of the beast cultivators, they chased the Tier Master back to the heart of the realm.