Hey, does anyone have a channel to First?
He went completely silent. I’ve lost all contact.
Oh shit. Not again.
I mean, it’s not an actual Immortal this time, right? …Right?
Still, it’s not a good sign…
Staring up at Jizhi Zhimei, the other clones jabbering in his ear, Sectgoer swallowed, gazing up at the beautiful woman before him. He backed away a step and bowed, trembling with every inch of his body. “A…apologies, Senior!”
“So you are stealing my water, for the second time, might I add,” Jizhi Zhimei murmured, her voice calm, and yet all the more frightening for its quietude.
Hui trembled. “Ah, that is, it’s… it’s, er, does—does Senior know about Tseng Caihong’s nasty habit?”
“We’re talking about you, not her,” Jizhi Zhimei purred, stepping forward.
Hui took another step back. “That, that may be so, but—but the resentment demons! She’s the one causing them. Tseng Caihong!”
“And?” Jizhi Zhimei asked.
Oh. Uh, yeah. I guess the resentment demons aren’t really a problem to ninth-stage cultivators. Hui twisted his lips, thinking. What would Jizhi Zhimei actually care about? What can I actually tell her to get her to take this seriously?
Tseng Caihong is a legitimate threat to the stability of the cultivation world. Jizhi Zhimei might care about that. She didn’t seem like the sort of mad world-destroying personality who wouldn’t care. No… she’s just a responsible, upright Tier Master, who happens to lead the assassin tier…
…
Why am I trying to recruit her, again?
Wait, hold on. Obviously, it’s because the alternative is fighting her. I don’t need to fight a ninth-stage and a Wandering Immortal at the same time!
Hui cleared his throat. He bowed to Jizhi Zhimei. “Senior, please listen for a moment. Tseng Caihong has been oppressing you and your sect for years, no? Forcing you to be a tier, instead of a proper sect?”
Jizhi Zhimei paused. She waited, arching a brow.
“I’ve grasped her critical weakness. I know how she’s been remaining on this mortal realm, despite having the power of a Wandering Immortal. Surely this interests Senior?” Hui asked, tiling his head.
“Continue,” Jizhi Zhimei murmured, her gaze sharpening.
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Hui nodded hurriedly. He cautiously stepped forward. “Senior, Tseng Caihong is stealing the… the everything from mortals, cultivators, and beasts. Their karma, their future, their potential, their everything. The resentment demons are the scraps left behind.
“Senior, I can defeat Tseng Caihong. All we need to do, is get her alone.” He licked his lips, then looked up at Jizhi Zhimei, clasping his hands together. “Senior, if you’ll help me… we can destroy Tseng Caihong once and more all. I can free you from her iron grasp.”
“And what if I like the power afforded by being a member of Eight Tiers Palace?” Jizhi Zhimei asked, arcing a brow.
“Then I suppose I have nothing to offer you,” Hui said, bowing again.
Jizhi Zhimei snorted. “How blunt.”
“Ah, Senior, you understand I don’t have much time, no? I cannot afford to mince words.”
She raked her eyes over him. Her gaze burned through him.
Hui met her eyes, gazing up at her. I can’t afford to show fear right now. I can defeat Tseng Caihong… or, well, not defeat her outright, but I can beat her. It’s simply true. I need to convince Jizhi Zhimei of it, though, if I’m going to prepare the stage.
Or, rather, it’ll make it easier. Much easier. And I’m not in the business of making things harder for myself.
Jizhi Zhimei sighed. She shook her head. “You’re fortunate you grew into a handsome man.”
“Ah… yes,” Hui said, uncertain. Is that a yes…?
Her eyes flashed. In an instant, she crossed to where he stood. Fingernails tickled Hui’s jugular. “If you fail to take down Tseng Caihong…”
Hui gently moved her fingers away. He laughed lightly. “Senior need not threaten. This small cultivator will be long dead in that case.”
She snorted. “I suppose that’s true.”
“Then, shall we?” Hui smiled at Jizhi Zhimei and went to walk away.
She gave him a look. “My pond?”
“Ah! Ah. Senior’s pond. How could I forget?” Hui chuckled half to himself. Dammit. Almost got away with it. He waved his hand, cutting off the teleportation portal deep in the depths of Jizhi Zhimei’s pond.
Jizhi Zhimei gave him one last stern look, then snapped her fingers. “Voice!”
“Yes, Tier Master?” Voice asked, stepping out from behind a pillar.
Jizhi Zhimei whispered a few words under her breath. Silver coiled around the Voice’s ears. A moment later, the Voice’s eyes snapped open wide. She looked at Jizhi Zhimei, shocked. “We are…?”
Jizhi Zhimei nodded.
“Are you sure?” Voice asked.
Jizhi Zhimei’s eyes shone with violence.
Voice cowered back. “Apologies, Tier Master. I should never question you.” She rushed off, vanishing from the pond.
Jizhi Zhimei nodded at Hui. “She will summon our allies. We fight with you.”
Hui bowed. “Many thanks, Senior.”
“I trust you’ve summoned the Southern Sect Conference’s armies?” she queried.
Hui cleared his throat. He looked aside. “Er, small cultivator… may have done something like that…”
She snorted. “I certainly hope you have. Those of us below my tier were skeptical of Tseng Caihong. Those above my tier, she relatively trusts, and in return, they bought in to her vision. They will see us as traitors, not as independent sects reasserting ourselves. I may be able to coerce Hao Jianke… that is, the Sixth Tier’s Tier Master, into joining us, but it is unlikely. Prepare to face a bitter battle.”
“Yes.” Hui nodded.
“Then, let us go.” Turning, she swept toward the door.
Hui cast a glance at her pond. I mean, she isn’t using it. I might as well—
Jizhi Zhimei cleared her throat, glaring at him from the doorway.
“Coming!” Hui scurried over to her, leaving the pond behind. Ah, it’s too bad. Oh well. In the end, allying with her is worth far more than her pondwater is. I took enough of it. It ought to be fine.
Pity I couldn’t take it all, though.
He hesitated just a moment, his palms itching. Catching Jizhi Zhimei’s wary look, though, he decided against creating a lotus seed, and hurried after her again. Yeah… now’s not the time.
There’s always the future, though!