Master, This Poor Disciple Died Again Today -- Complete!

Hui pressed his fingertips together. Escape the realm… escape the realm. He sent death qi, rot qi, and every kind of qi he could think of circulating around him, just in case, then roped them back in when none of them reacted with the realm. No… that’s normal. I’d need to find the realm’s walls in order to trigger a reaction. Just blindly throwing my qi at things won’t help me here.

Hmm… I could try getting the golden hand to reach for me, then escape from whatever hole it creates, but… the whole point of this is to avoid the golden hand’s notice! That’s the opposite of what I want to do! I might as well escape into the void instead. Same result, but at least I’m a little in charge of what happens!

I could try traversing the Underworld instead of the void, but… Hui shook his head. I don’t think I should advertise my connections to the Underworld in the Immortal Realm. I have the feeling some people might misunderstand or take it the wrong way. Worst of all, it might attract that Golden Immortal’s attention, since he knows I’m related to the Underworld.

He reached out and grasped nothing. Unlike reaching for time, though, this time, he reached for space itself. Space is everywhere. It can be grasped, even when there’s no walls. If I can’t find the walls, I’ll simply make my own walls!

His hand closed around nothing. Unbothered, he tried again, and again, and again, sending qi through his fingers, into space, circulating it into emptiness, then grasping for it. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing.

Ripples moved through the space as space itself trembled. A flash of light burst through the dark.

Hui’s hand closed around the ripple. His eyes burst open. Now!

I’d like to thank whichever Senior opened space, but I think I’ll go ahead and use this opportunity to study space… and also, to tear my own way out!

Holding onto the ripple, Hui lifted his other hand. He called phoenix fire into his palm. I’ve used all kinds of qi around space before, but nothing else has ever interacted with it. Phoenix fire is still a tool I’m starting to use, and I haven’t applied it to a whole lot. Plus, I can cycle it to life or death qi if I need to at a moment’s notice.

The ripples grew stronger. More light burst into the dark space. Hui glanced over, then moved faster. Better get out of here fast. If I spend much longer in here, they’re going to realize I got sent into this place, and I—er, Zhang Ming, is going to be in trouble! Anyways, I shouldn’t get caught here.

He touched the phoenix fire to the ripple. Fire burned at the space. A small hole opened in the ripple, and through the darkness, he caught a glimpse of gold.

Excellent! With no hesitation, Hui shrank down, compressing his body to tiny size. At this size, Zhang Ming’s skin hung loose around him, far too large for him. He quickly tore his way out of it and looked around. Grabbing one of the dragons under each arm, he leaped through the hole and escaped the dark space.

A second later, the crack slammed wide open. Wild ripples rushed through the space. The man in blue robes stared around the space. “Tian Lan!”

No answer. He narrowed his eyes dangerously. “Tian Lan…?”

In the distance, a tiny pinprick of light closed in the black space. The man flew over, his swept-back hair fluttering on the wind. Even as he closed in, the hole sealed shut.

An empty skin fluttered down, left behind in the darkness. The man caught the skin and stared at it, then clenched his fist, squeezing the skin to bits. His eyes glowed dangerously, emanating bright blue light.

“You vicious thief. I’ll catch you. And when I do…”

--

Outside of the dark realm, Hui found himself hovering in the air over the city. Golden buildings glittered around him, pavilions, palaces, even humble huts, all formed from poured gold. Releasing his compression, he returned to his usual size. The dragons swirled around him, resting around his neck and arm once more. All around him, Immortals flew on swords and other objects, or simply flew, hands behind their backs, beards, hair, robes, or whatever they preferred swirling on the wind.

Hui glanced around, then, noticing that no one had paid any particular attention to his sudden appearance in the sky, flew off toward the ground. Now that I’ve made it into the city in a totally legal and ordinary way, let’s go get the lay of the land. I don’t really want to see Zhang Ming again, but I should keep an eye open for him, just in case he’s still wearing my face. Now that I’ve wiggled into the city—again, in a totally normal and legal way—I shouldn’t let someone keep running around with my face.

He probably ditched the snakeskin as soon as he got through, or before he got through, or when they confronted him, or whatever, but in case he didn’t… in any case, I’ll keep an eye out.

He looked over his shoulder. That person who entered the dark space after me… they didn’t feel like the Golden Immortal. I wonder who they were? I don’t recall irritating any other Immortals.

Except that disciple of the phoenix-eater who liked to sit on his throne, but I’ve already handled him, right? Chen Wuya and Fen Long don’t count because they’re pseudo-Immortals… or some other realm’s Immortals… but anyways, they like me, most of the time. Master likes me too, and Ying Lin… right! I haven’t insulted any Immortals.

Oh, except Jie Xinlei. She’s probably pretty pissed right now. But she’s trapped in the village and powerless, so that doesn’t count. Zhang Ming might be annoyed at me, but like me, he’s the lowest level Immortal, so no way was he breaking into the dark realm to come after me.

I’m probably forgetting something…

No, no. I couldn’t be. Immortals are pretty memorable.

Tian Lan reared up on his wrist, watching with wide eyes. As he reached the ground, she leaped free and transformed into her human form. “Whoa…”

All around them, shops offered wares. Clothes, weapons, Immortal food and wine, gems, everything a cultivator could want. Tian Lan darted from shop to shop, her blue hair flying around her. She ran back to Hui and tugged his sleeve. “Hey, mister! Get me some candy!”

“My name is Xiao Hui, not mister,” Hui grumbled. “Also, I don’t have any Immortal-level spirit stones.”

Tian Lan stared at him, her wide blue eyes reflecting the sky above. “You don’t have any money…?”

“No. I’ve only just arrived here,” Hui explained.

Her lip trembled. Her eyes watered. “No candy…?”

Hui gave her a flat look. “No.”

She burst out into tears.

All around him, other people turned and stared, their eyes cold. A few irritated harrumphs sounded around him. Ignoring them with all his might, Hui offered Tian Lan his hand. “Come on. I’m poor, there’s nothing that can be done even if you cry. We can’t afford candy.”

Sobbing, Tian Lan took his hand. She wiped her face with her other hand. Loudly, she sobbed, “Daddy could afford candy.”

All the gazes on her and Hui turned even colder than before. Hui shivered, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end. Er… how do I salvage this? Think, quickly! “Could, certainly. But not right now.”

Right, right! Now, if they read the context right, I could be her father! Yes, yes!

…no, it’s a complete and total failure. I should just hurry out of here. Ugh. I’m not a kidnapper! She kidnapped herself. I’m completely blameless. Completely!

Forcing a grin, Hui went to hurry the sobbing Tian Lan off.

Before he could, Zhubi unwrapped from his neck and materialized beside her. He bent over to look in her face, putting a friendly hand on her shoulder.

Still sobbing, Tian Lan slapped his hand away and turned away from him.

Zhubi’s face twisted. He hissed at her, baring his snake fangs.

“Okay, okay, let’s keep moving,” Hui said, suddenly ushering two small children ahead of him. All the eyes of the surrounding cultivators burned into his back. Uncomfortable, he ducked his head and tried to hide his face with his bangs. I was trying to not make a scene, so why are you two cooperating to put on a theater show?

“No! I want candy!” Tian Lan insisted, fat tears rolling down her face.

Zhubi wrinkled his nose and shoved her, annoyed.

“Zhubi, hey!” Hui said, grabbing him back.

Zhubi looked up at him, betrayed. He thrust his hands at Tian Lan and made quick, irritated gestures. Even without words, Hui understood. Why are you choosing her over me, huh?

“Zhubi, you are three hundred years old, act like it,” Hui hissed, pushing him on. “Can’t you tolerate her for a few minutes? She’s a baby, dammit.”

Zhubi pursed his lips, then shook his head hard. His long hair wiggled down his back.

Hui took a deep breath and sighed it out. How on earth did I skip child rearing with my own kids, only to get saddled with taking care of two infant dragons? Is this, too, karma? It feels like karma.

“Candy,” Tian Lan cried.

“Please, I’m begging you,” Hui muttered. He glanced over his shoulder. Someone busted into that dark space after me. I don’t need this much attention. Should I abandon Tian Lan?

…No, I can’t. She’s an infant, and her view on the world is incredibly warped. I can’t let her go free without putting her life at risk.

“Look, we’ll go find sweets somewhere else, okay? Let’s just… keep moving right now,” Hui encouraged her, nudging her onward.

Reluctantly, Tian Lan walked on. Zhubi paused to pick up his hair and loop it around his shoulders, then chased after her and Hui.

A few moments after they vanished, a man in blue thumped down into the central square. He lifted his nose and sniffed. “She’s close… my daughter…”

All around him, the cultivators all perked up. One after another, they all pointed after Hui.

Down the street, Hui suddenly found himself surrounded by pointing fingers. He jerked to a halt and spun around. What’s going on? Why—

“Tian Lan!” A man in blue hurtled toward him, emanating a pressure far beyond anything Hui had felt, save the Golden Immortal.

“Daddy!” Tian Lan shouted, raising her arms.

Hui froze. He looked at Tian Lan, looked at the man in blue, then, in perfect sync with Zhubi, collapsed backward, dead.