On the far side of the mountain, he paused, then shot out of the forest and high into the sky. Flying back over the mountain in plain view, he zipped down toward the manor, following the example of the other cultivators he’d seen. Like this, I don’t appear suddenly out of the forest near the manor. Instead, I’m simply coming over the mountains. No one will think anything is strange!

In the distance, a cultivator in gold blinked. He paused in his patrols over the ruins to watch as a cultivator in gaudy purple vanished over the mountains from whence he’d came. Did that man… just… pull an about-face? Why…?

A shadow peeled out from the ruins. It flickered through the trees, chasing after Hui.

Flying down toward the manor, Hui pulled out his invitation. They didn’t see my face for long, but… also, people are allowed to wear masks! I might as well. He ran a hand over his face, simultaneously pulling a small mask from the Eight Tiers Palace secret realm out and placing it over his eyes. It was mostly that one demonic cultivator, but whatever. Cultivators are strange, and Immortals are stranger. Surely no one will blink at me also wearing a mask.

The vines holding the floor tile from the ruins had grown with him, the growth instinctive. He adjusted the floor tile from a cross-body vine hold to a necklace instead, using the piece of jade as a somewhat-strange centerpiece. There. It’s a little odd, but whatever! This way, my jewelry will exude an Immortal-level aura, and no one should notice anything strange. With one last check over his robes and disguise, Hui flew down toward the door.

Ahead of him, a small woman in pink landed and handed over her invitation. The man at the door gave it a cursory check and gestured her inside. Walking up casually behind her, Hui passed the man his invitation and tucked his hands behind his back expectantly.

The man glanced at his invitation, then paused. He lifted the paper to his nose.

Shit! I forgot. It’ll smell like blood. Quickly, quickly. What can I say to make this ordinary? Er… ah! Demonic cultivators, right. Hui chuckled deep in his throat. “Has my bloodlust overwhelmed the invite? My apologies. Perhaps next time I’ll use perfume, for your sake.”

As he spoke, he circulated his blood qi, drawing it to the forefront. A faint reddish mist materialized around him.

The man lowered the invite. “My apologies, sir. I mean no disrespect.” He stepped aside, gesturing for Hui to pass.

“It is good that you do not,” Hui hissed. Uh, I don’t know. Was that intimidating? I’d be intimidated, but I’m an easy target.

The man nodded, a little lost but nonetheless eager for Hui to move on. Realizing he’d paused a moment too long, Hui harrumphed and turned away, swishing his robes behind him as he turned. Ahead, layers of gauzy curtains and long chains of glittering beads draped the walkway, obscuring the insides from without. Hui brushed them aside as he walked, pressing through layer after layer.

Phew. Being intimidating is hard work. I’d much rather fade into the background! Once I’m inside, I’ll simply quiet down this overbearing act of mine and wander away.

Pushing the final curtain aside, he stepped into the lobby and stopped dead.

Sweet, spicy incense filled the air, mingling with the scent of alcohol. Men and women sat close behind gauzy curtains, cuddling in booths or atop soft cushions. From the more distant corners, soft, sensual cries blended with ethereal music that issued from everywhere and nowhere.

Hui almost immediately doubled back and left. It’s a brothel? A swingers’ club? Either way, this isn’t where I need to be!

No, no, Hui, hold strong. My wife got kidnapped to a sex establishment. I can’t turn back now!

Okay, to be fair, she got kidnapped as a sword, and she’s probably being treated as a sword, but still!

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“Something to drink, sir?”

Hui turned and found Fa Longhua, one of the girls from the ruins, standing there, a gourd of alcohol in one hand and a stack of cups in the other. He quickly raised his hand, turning his face away. I’m masked, and she probably didn’t get a good look at my face, but one can never be too cautious! “No thank you. I’m not thirsty.”

“Oh?” She leaned in, peering at his face. Hui turned away, keeping her at a three-quarters turn. She tilted her head, then beamed. “You’re handsome, mister. Do you want me to serve you tonight?”

“No, no. I’m, uh, I’m waiting for a friend,” Hui bluffed.

Her eyes got wide, and she giggled. “Oh, so it’s like that. I understand.” Without another word, she walked off, stealing glances back at him over her shoulder.

I feel like she walked away with a gross misunderstanding… oh well! As long as I’m not found out, it’s fine! I don’t care what kind of reputation my purple-robed masked self has. It’s not as if I ever intend to use this disguise again.

He wandered through the room, putting an aloof expression on his face. Drawing a purple fan from the clothes he’d looted, he gently waved it before his face, hiding the part of his face the mask didn’t cover. He kept his eyes dead ahead as he walked, twitching when a female voice moaned loudly from his right. Gods. What on earth is this place? Why were the prostitutes raiding the ruins? What…

Well, no. Prostitutes need to grow, too. And there’s no shame in sex work. Work is work, after all. Do they dress up as mortals to keep people from guessing that they’re prostitutes? Huh. I mean, it would be safer than wandering around in their nice clothes, I guess. Less likely to be robbed, or attacked for their line of work by some unfortunately small-minded Immortal.

Haaa. So much for my high-tension meeting of the demonic and righteous cultivators. Everyone needs a little loving, I suppose. Righteous and demonic both!

At the back of the room, a narrow hallway led deeper into the building. Hui wandered down that hall. Long hallways full of doors gaped at even intervals to his left and right, some doors open, some shut, and some of both the open-doored and shut-doored rooms occupied. Once again, he kept his eyes straight ahead.

Jun Ke… is he a prostitute? With that attitude of his, and the way he led the others, he’s probably a guard of some sort, right? That, and he stole Li Xiang. He’s likely to be a sword cultivator, not a dual-cultivation-focused cultivator.

Hmm, yes. Let’s go find the guards’ quarters. If I can’t find him there, I’ll spread my search pattern.

Speeding his steps, he hurried to the back of the brothel. Seeing a hallway without the decorations and incense, he turned down it. Instantly, he stood in a stained and marked hall, the walls and floor both rough and serviceable rather than beautiful. Hui nodded to himself, working his way back. This is definitely the staff hallway. Good, good. Progress in the right direction!

Ahead, a man in green, simple robes rushed across the hall, a sword in hand. Hui compressed himself as the man passed, then hunkered into the shadow, pressing himself into a stain in the wall. Did I hide fast enough?

The man stopped. He backed up, squinting down the hallway. His eyes swept over Hui without pausing. He hesitated another moment, then shrugged and walked off.

Returning to his usual size, Hui turned a corner and found himself facing a room full of men in green. They chatted amongst one another. As they caught sight of Hui, they fell silent.

Hui looked across the room. No Jun Ke. Got it. So he’s patrolling, either inside or outside. I’ll go look around. He bowed to the men. “Ah, I seem to have taken a wrong turn. Please excuse me, Elder Siblings.”

The men nodded. One of them stepped forward. “You aren’t supposed to be back here.”

“Yes, yes. I’ll return,” Hui said, turning around. To sell it, he wobbled a little, as if drunk.

The men turned back to their conversation.

Hui breathed out. Good, good. Well, to be fair, I’m not really doing anything illegal. And I’m sure patrons get lost back here all the time.

A girl whipped around the corner and thumped into him. Hui stumbled back, and so did she. The force of his blow knocked the mask off.

Hui instantly snapped his fan open. He stole a glance at the girl. She’s probably unrelated to the four in the ruins, but just in case…

Xie Tiangong stared up at him. Their eyes met, and hers widened. She jabbed her finger at him. “The Elusive Ghost!”

“Elder Sister is mistaken,” Hui said, so quickly that their words overlapped, but too late. Behind him, all the guards stood up.

“The Elusive Ghost?”

“That’s him?”

“What’s he doing here? He haunts the ruins.”

“What are you waiting for? Catch him!”

Xie Tiangong threw herself forward and wrapped her arms around Hui. “I’ve got him! Quickly, subdue him!”

Hui pressed his lips together, exhausted inside. Elder Sister, please. I’m begging you. I’m really not this ‘Elusive Ghost.’ Can you not cause trouble for me?

Footsteps sounded behind Xie Tiangong. Hui gave a tired look over her shoulder, even as the guards rushed up behind him. Who now?

A perfect copy of himself whipped around the corner and stared him back in the eye.

The guards, Hui, and even Xie Tiangong stiffened. Although they’d all come from different backgrounds and walked different paths, at that moment, all their hearts spoke the same word:

Eh?