Master, This Poor Disciple Died Again Today

Chapter 593: Back Home

Somewhat to Hui’s surprise, Li Xiang’s sword stopped not in Starbound Sect, but in All-Heavens Sect. As they dismounted, attendants came rushing to greet them.

“Sect Master! Welcome back!”

Hui turned, staring at Li Xiang. Sect Master? No wonder everyone’s been treating her like royalty!

Li Xiang nodded, barely acknowledging them. She swept along, heading straight for a simple white palace atop the peak.

Hui nodded awkwardly at the attendants and hurried after her. Bai Xue and the children followed in the rear, Bai Xingxue still staring at Hui’s back in something like awe, while Li Weiqi crossed his arms, disbelief still written across his face.

As they entered the palace, a beam of sword light shot their way from across the sect. Hui looked up, half-expecting Song Wei, but instead, Fen Long appeared. He nodded at them.

“The barrier I set up to preserve the Southern Sect Conference from the wider continent showed strong signs of deterioration today. I’ve stabilized it once more… but I trust you’re the ones who had to handle the ones who caused the deterioration?” he asked, looking over them.

“Yes,” Li Xiang said.

Fen Long pressed his lips together. “I feared this day would come. I sealed this area off to preserve this weak, yet relatively resource-rich region from the greater powers on the continent, but now, after my long absence and with the recent deterioration of the Heavenly Dao… it will no longer suffice for long. I’ve managed to close the holes the teleportation formation today created, but I may have gained us days or weeks, but not months or years. This is all the time I could buy this region. I can only hope enough powerful cultivators have been nurtured such that the Southern Sect Conference can hold its own against the rest of the continent.”

“What about yourself and Senior Chen Wuya?” Hui asked.

Fen Long looked at Hui. “You’ve heard some version of our origin from Zhu Diyu, no?”

Hui nodded. “I heard that you came from a realm far beyond our own, that you are interlopers from a distant place.”

Fen Long nodded. “This is true. Where we come from, there is a different Heavenly Dao… a Heavenly Dao that broke down long ago. Our realm no longer exists. We are essentially guests in this realm. However… due to the fact that we’re guests in this realm, any action we take risks a further breakdown of the Heavenly Dao.

“When we were newly arrived to this realm, stripped of our true cultivation and forced to re-cultivate once more from scratch, it was different. We could barely make a splash in the world. Now that we have regained our true cultivation, however…” He took a deep breath. “To some extent, the ‘wound’ I was recovering from was a lie. I spent those years in seclusion in hopes of preventing the fragile Heavenly Dao from falling apart too quickly. But now… now it is too late. I will do what I can to preserve this realm, but I will not make grand moves. To do so would be to risk shattering the realm entirely.”

Hui nodded. He cupped his hands to Fen Long. “I understand, Senior. We are grateful for the time you have bought us.”

“Hmm. So soon, the continent will descend upon us, to plunder our resources,” Bai Xue said, eyes narrowing dangerously.

“Ah… not the continent, so much,” Hui said, raising a finger. “The Eastern Alliance. The Northern Lands are too far from us, and the Western Country is a desert sparsely populated by nomads. The Eastern Alliance’s Eight Tiers Palace is what we have to fear the most. They’re the ones who attempted to kidnap our children… ah, in a deliberate attempt to suppress the two of you, who they saw as the most likely to grow strong enough to pose a threat to them.”

“Wise of them… and simultaneously foolish. Have they not heard that it’s easier to catch flies with honey than vinegar?” Bai Xue mused.

“What is our plan of attack?” Li Xiang asked, tapping her sword.

Hui took a deep breath. He took in the figures in the room. Bai Xue, heir of the financially powerful Bai Clan. Li Xiang, Sect Master of All-Heavens Sect. Li Weiqi and Bai Xingxue, their heirs. Fen Long, the Patriarch of All-Heavens Clan.josei

And then there’s me. Xiao Hui. A cultivator.

“Are you getting yourself down, oh Owner of the Underworld? How does that work, anyways? Is there money in it?” Bai Xue asked, nudging him.

Hui smiled despite himself. He shook his head. “No money in it, no.”

“Anyone cute down there?” Bai Xue asked.

“No, there’s… well, maybe…”

“You’ll have to tell me about that. But first, before we make any war plans, why don’t you, me, and Li Xiang take on a round of vigorous bedtime exercise?” Bai Xue suggested, shifting to female form. She nodded at Fen Long. “You’re welcome too, of course.”

“Ah, I have a… a long-term commitment,” Fen Long said, waving a hand. He laughed and stepped back to the window. “That’s right. Take a small break. It’s been… ten years? I’ll be back when you’re done.”

Li Weiqi tugged Bai Xingxue’s sleeve. “What are they doing?”

“I think it’s time for us to go practice, okay? Let’s go practice,” Bai Xingxue said quickly.

In the window, Fen Long paused. He looked back. “You, you have weapon qi already?”

Li Weiqi straightened up. “Yes!”

“And you, elemental magic?” Fen Long said, pointing at Bai Xingxue.

“Mhm!” Bai Xingxue said, nodding.

Fen Long nodded at the other three. “Mind if I tutor them for a bit?”

“Please!” Hui said, nodding. A cultivator from beyond this realm, who’s nearly achieved immortal ascension twice, tutoring my children? Of course, of course! Cultivators would pay their entire fortunes for the chance!

Li Xiang nodded. “Teach him well.”

“Don’t spoil them too much, okay?” Bai Xue said, waving.

Fen Long summoned three swords with a wave of his hand, one for himself, and one for each of the children. Excited, Bai Xingxue hopped onto hers, while Li Weiqi stood with a straight back and stepped nobly onto his.

“Have fun, you three,” Fen Long said, tossing them a salute. With another wave of his hand, he flew off, taking the children with him.

Bai Xue wrapped her arms around Hui and Li Xiang both and drew them away from the window. “Shall we make up for ten years?”

“All… all ten years at once?” Hui asked, a little bit nervous.

“Mhm,” Li Xiang said, nodding seriously.

“Er, I, I’ll do my best,” Hui said.

Bai Xue grinned. “That’s the spirit.”

As Bai Xue led him off, Hui lifted his gaze, staring into the sky. Shue Yinyue hasn’t been defeated. We only defeated her clone.

Eight Tiers Palace… Today is but a moment’s rest. Tomorrow… tomorrow, we figure out how to take them on. But today…

He took a deep breath and smiled at Li Xiang and Bai Xue.

Today, we rest.

END VOLUME 6