Master, This Poor Disciple Died Again Today

Chapter 728: Fly to Stay Alive

Hui zoomed off, low to the ground. Rocks jutted up at him. Stray ceiling tiles from shattered roofs cut at his body, while he swerved narrowly around fallen wooden beams. Li Xiang glittered after him, a brilliant bauble attached to a fast-moving fly. Ill fly low! Lose them!

Its headed your way, Xie Tiangong!

I see it!

Warned by the shout, Hui swerved moments before a pair of fair hands clapped at the air where Li Xiang would have been a moment later. A second beautiful woman climbed out of the ruins, dressed in tattered clothes. She clicked her tongue and spat in a very unladylike fashion. Nearly had it!

Lets follow it. Maybe its going somewhere important! Fa Longhua reasoned.

Or it is something important, Xie Tiangong said, grinning. Catch it!

Maybe its nothing important, and going nowhere! Did you consider that? Hui retorted silently. One of the girls pounced. He swerved, barely dodging to the left as her hands slapped down on the ground, only to find himself flying directly into the welcoming arms of the other girl. Huis eyes flew wide. He dropped to the floor, bolting between her legs.

The second girl shrieked and clasped her knees together. She whirled around, staring after Hui, then turned back to her fellow fairy maiden. Xie Tiangong, did you see that? Theres a man on the end of it!

Are you sure? I only see the sword, Xie Tiangong said, tilting her head.

Hes very small! she insisted, shaking her head.

The two girls gave each other a look, then fell apart in giggles.

Hui pursed his lips as he flew on. I know Im a small bug, but even Bai Xue was satisfied, okay? Theres no need to look down on this small very ordinarily perhaps a little larger than usual cultivator.

In the distance, a secondary pulse of magic flew forth, a ring of yin with the same seeking energy as the first pulse had possessed. Eyes wide, Hui put on an extra burst of speed, hurtling away from the ring. I dont want them to find me! I dont know what that Elusive Ghost is, but its not me. Leave me alone, Elder Siblings!

Darkness loomed ahead. A cave, formed from the enormous walls of a half-collapsed building. Hui whipped inside and uncompressed himself, quickly putting his earlier disguise back on. He stood at his full height and puffed his chest out, looking down at the entrance with an authoritative glare. Reaching out, he called Li Xiang to his hand and held her pinched between his finger and thumb, as if hed just caught her.

In there! Fa Longhua whipped around the corner, Xie Tiangong on her heels. Fa Longhua caught sight of Hui and dug her heels in, stopping on a dime.

Xie Tiangong thumped into her from behind. Fa Longhua, what

Senior Jun Ke! Fa Longhua shouted, reverence in her voice, though Hui got the sense she shouted it more as a warning to Xie Tiangong than a greeting. She quickly clasped her hands to him.

Startled, Xie Tiangong clasped her hands as well, bowing beside Fa Longhua. Her voice quavered. My my apologies, Senior Jun Ke!

Hui blinked. I I was just planning to act as if Id caught the loot first. Apparently Im an important person? The other two cultivators didnt seem to care that much about this face.

Well, then again, cultivators are highly stratified. It could be that Im the Heavens to these girls, but that couple are the Heavens to me. The Heavens beyond the Heavens, as it were.

Based on how theyre acting should I try to be domineering?

Did you want this sword? Hui asked, looking down on the girls.

Fa Longhua nodded, trembling. Yes yes, please, Senior Jun Ke. She extended her hands hopefully. Beside her, Xie Tiangong delicately held out her hands as well.

Hui hesitated. Now I feel bad about not giving it to them. But I cant give them Li Xiang.

Stay strong, Hui. Im being domineering! Domineering. I can do this!

Hui scoffed. Ha! I caught it. Its mine.

Fa Longhuas face fell. She pulled her hands back, clasping them again once more. Of course, Senior.

Behind her, Xie Tiangongs expression turned vicious for a moment, only to be wiped away the next.

Huis stomach whirled. Ugh. Now I really feel bad about this. I need to end this act and get out of here, now. Ill let you go, this time. But in the future

Mid-sentence, he froze. Behind the girls, the couple from earlier walked in. Their eyes landed on him, and they instantly threw their hands out, strands of qi caught between them in an intricate formation. Hui bolted, but too slow. Threads of qi peeled off of the walls all around him, and closed in around him.

Hui quavered, then forced himself to stand his ground. Im still Jun Ke. Domineering, domineering! They arent allowed to do this! He pulled himself to his full height and looked down on them with cold eyes. What do you think youre doing?

No, let me ask you. What do you think youre doing? Elusive Ghost. A tall, attractive man in tattered clothes stepped out from behind the couple, wearing the same exact face as Hui.

Huis heart raced. The threads closed in around him. He threw his hand out. The Elusive Ghost!

Jun Ke laughed. What a poor attempt. Ah, but I think Ill take this. He flicked his hand. Immense force far beyond Huis strength yanked Li Xiang from his hand.

Give that back! Hui shouted.

Jun Ke narrowed his eyes. Killing intent almost pierced into Huis heart. He stumbled, barely keeping his feet. Hes powerful! Crazy powerful. I cant fight that.

Shit! Hui bolted, instantly trying to fly off with all his power. The second he made a move, the threads swirled around him, drawn to his motion. Like threads of cotton candy or candy floss to a paper cone.

The threads trapped him in spaceor rather, trapped his abandoned, crystalized snakeskin. Hui flew out through a gap in the threads, flying deeper into the darkness. He glanced back once as he fled, his eyes locked on Li Xiang. Im coming back for you. I wont leave you behind.

Hes escaping again! Catch him! the female part of the couple demanded.

Yes, Auntie Lilan! the girls chorused.

Ah! I wonder. Is this the Beggars Sect? They usually wander the mortal realm, but well, what stops a Beggars Sect from forming in the Immortal Realm, I suppose? Usually, theres no mortals to mingle with, but theres cities of mortal-like Immortals here, so why not a Beggars Sect?

The girls closed in on Hui, moving with practiced sync. Startled, Hui sped up again. Ahead of him, only darkness stretched. He dropped to the ground and tried to burrow into it, but an Immortal-level tile floor blocked his way. Hui wrinkled his nose, frustrated.

A loose tile ahead of him hung out of its binding. He grabbed it, twisting it out of the last of its footing, then paused, looking at the tile clasped in both his hands. Er, does this count as loot? Its not the most impressive thing Ive ever looted. Is it even worth a spirit stone?

There! One of the girls leaped at him.

He about-faced and shot around the girls leg. Zipping over the ground, he aimed for the exit, only to find the other three powerful cultivators waiting for him there. He whipped around again, only for the two girls to close in on him from behind.

Caught between the two, Hui whirled. Escape or darkness, risk the powerful cultivators or get chased into the corner by the girls. He turned, then back, then back again. Frozen in place, he trembled.

Ahhh! I have to go for it! He hurtled for the sky, flying up into the upper corner of the exitway. The couple threw their threads at him. Weaving between them with his small body and warding off the closer ones with fierce rot and death qi, he darted out into the world, clutching the tile to his chest.

They went to chase Hui, but Jun Ke lifted his hand. As if they were dogs, and Jun Ke had yanked their leashes, they stopped dead as Hui flew off into the distance. Enough. Hes merely a bug. Not worth your time.

The Elusive Ghost

Is not him. Did you not notice his aura? Hes a living Immortal. A low-realm one. What he was doing with such a fine sword is anyones guess. Jun Ke looked at the sword in his hands, reverently turning it over, then sheathed it carefully at his hip. A sword with its own Immortal-level Dao spirit and Dao heart

Its that valuable? the man of the couple asked.

Auntie Lilan smacked him. Uncle Ruilei, hush.

Ignoring them, Jun Ke tipped his head. Lets return for tonight. Dawn comes soon.

The couple turned, looking at the still-dark sky. They exchanged a glance.

Gold flashed in the distance. Abruptly, they nodded. Jun Ke turned, flying in the opposite direction, and the other four Immortals followed after him.

Far away, Hui jolted to a stop. Still hugging his tile, he turned back. Where are they going? With Li Xiang? I wont let you!