Master, This Poor Disciple Died Again Today

Chapter 32: Artificing and Moving

Light filtered in. The gray glow that passed for dawn in this strange realm faded up the passageway and into Huis cavern. He focused on the ghoul skin, absorbed in his work. His qi spiraled across it, from one point to the next. Every surface of the skin stood alive with his qi. The spell shimmered, a thousand glowing lines and nodes spiraling across the skin.

He focused, pushing deeper. The qi pulsed, filling the skin from the head to the toes.

Now!

Hui pulled his consciousness out of the skin.

The spell struggled. His qi bled from the skin, dissipating faster as it met the remnants of the ghouls death qi. Without him to provide constant power, it collapsed in on itself, bleeding qi into the world until there was none left in the skin. Nodes shattered. Lines faded away. With a soft whump, the last of the spell gave out.

Frustrated, Hui threw the skin on the ground and stood. He paced around the cavern, thinking.

Its not sticking. Why isnt it sticking?

Theres something Im missing. I cant sense anything else in the pig-skin, but maybe the pig-skin didnt need it. The pig-skin doesnt have any death qi, and its much smaller than the ghouls skin. No I need something else. A conduit, maybe, or an anchor but what could I use for that?

A yawn interrupted his thoughts. Xue sat up, wiping her eyes with her sleeves. Her hood fell back, revealing snow-pale skin and long white hair. She blinked slowly, lashes fluttering in the low light. Is it morning?

The fire moth descended toward her. She held out a hand, and it vanished into her palm, leaving a small reddish mark behind at the base of her thumb.

Good morning, Xue, Hui greeted her. He picked up the ghouls skin and tied it around himself. For now, Ill bring it with me. If nothing else, its a tough material that naturally sloughs qi. Itll make for good armor until I can turn it into a proper disguise.

Are you wearing that? Xue asked, mildly disgusted.

Hui glanced down. Its arm knotted around its ankle, the ghoul draped bonelessly over him, its floppy, skull-less scalp dangling across his chest. Tattered robes stained from years in the secret realm made his own robes look dingy. Bits of blood still stained its fingernails and lips. A macabre version of a tiger-skin slung over ones robes, it leant him a demonic air, somewhat horrifying and completely at odds with his handsome face and polite demeanor.

I dont have any better armor, Hui replied, shrugging.

Xue stared at it one more second, then shrugged. I never thought Id team up with a demonic cultivator

Im not a demonic cultivator! Hui insisted, though it came out a little weaker than before. I am wearing a ghouls skin but, but its a ghoul! Not a human skin. Its fine. Its like wearing a zombies skin in a zombie apocalypse. Right?

As you say, Xue said lightly, unconvinced. She stretched and headed down the tunnel out of the slate cave.

Hui followed behind her. Despite her bound feet, she moved with grace and speed. The rope gave her steps an odd shuffling sound, and forced her into a strange, almost lurching gait, but for all that, she remained well ahead of Hui.

They came out into the realm. Hui patted his ghoul skin, thoughtful. I have two objectives now: figure out how to refine this ghoul skin, and study death qi. I could try gathering more ghouls, but what if that attracts another undead cultivator? One was enough, thanks.

So what next?

Temporarily stymied, he turned to Xue. What did you come to this realm for?

You dont know? Xue asked.

Er, should I? Hui said.

She shook her head and lifted a hand. Red-painted fingernails pointed dead ahead. In the heart of this realm is a rare artifact thats said to allow one a full revival after death up to the fifth realm, so long as the soul is not destroyed. This realm was formed by an ancient master to hide the artifact. The bodies of cultivators who have gone before us, searching for the artifact, populate this realm. Or so the legend goes.

Wait, hold up! Revival? I need that artifact! Hui turned toward the center of the realm, suddenly eager. What was I wasting my time on up until now?

The Mysterious Heavenly Forest Sect has been searching for it for centuries, to no avail. The secret realm only opens once every two hundred years, and it only permits cultivators at the third stage and below inside, or else their higher-realm cultivators would have retrieved it already.

Hui blinked at Xue. Youre third realm? I could have sworn she was fourth realm. I guess I havent seen her ride a sword, but to suppress two cultivators at the third realm as easily as she did she has to be peak third realm.

Xues face twisted. She looked away. Yes.

Huh. Hui waited a few more moments, hoping shed explain, but Xue tossed her hair and pressed on. Weve a long way to go, if were to catch up with the Mysterious Heavenly Forest cultivators.

Right, Hui agreed, adjusting the ghoul skin around his shoulders. I can study death qi later. First, the revival artifact!

He cast a look at Xue. I cant hope to beat someone nearly two realms ahead of me, and unlike with Chang Bolin, theres little chance of goading her into publicly torturing me to give me an opening to defeat her.

Then again, I dont need the artifact itself.

Hui cleared his throat. Xue, er, being as were both after the artifact.

She peered over her shoulder. The artifact that you learned of just now?

Yes, thats the one. Er, being as this small Foundation-Building cultivator couldnt possibly defeat you, would you grant me the chance to study it, if you won it from this realm?

What are you hoping to learn from it? Its an artifact crafted by a master, someone at a much higher realm than you or me. Even if we tried, we couldnt possibly comprehend it.

Hui shrugged. I dont need a full comprehension. Even a small insight would be worthwhile to me.

Xue swept her eyes over him. If you help me, if I attain the artifact, then I will let you study it. In return, promise me that if you obtain it, you will give it to me.

After I study it, Hui agreed readily. I want to live a long time and enjoy this life. A revival artifact is nice, but both this enigmatic Bai Xue and the Mysterious Heavenly Forest Sect want it. Poor little me couldnt possibly keep it from them. Better to let Xue handle the Mysterious Heavenly Forest Sect, while I glimpse a few of its secrets and bound off back home, unscathed.

Shall we swear on it? Bind our lives in a formal agreement? Xue asked, pausing.

Bind our lives? I dont like the sound of that. That sounds like a loan agreement all over again. Hui shook his head. I dont think we need to take it that far. Its a mere agreement of the willing, right?

Taken aback, Xue stared at him. Youd trust a stranger you just met, with no compensation to hold against them?

Trust is a strong word. But theres no reason for either of us to deny the other, right? You get assistance, and I dont have to worry about you killing me later. Theres no need to make it a binding agreement, because neither of us are harmed by it.

Xue nodded, slowly. Youre a strange one.

She took off again, odd lurching gait eating up the dusty earth. Hui struggled to follow. He fed qi into his legs to speed up, but Xue still pulled well ahead of him.

At the next outcropping, Xue waited for him to arrive. Why arent you using your movement technique?

Movement technique? Hui asked. You think Master taught me aoh, right, you have no idea who my master is.

She frowned. Even a Foundation Building disciple should know a movement technique.

I agree, Hui replied, nodding.

Xue frowned at him. What sect are you from, that you havent been taught a movement technique?

Hui shrugged. We all have our own unique situations.

Xue nodded. Fair enough.

Red eyes swept over him. Hui felt revealed to the world, and resisted the urge to cover himself with his hands. After a moment, Xue nodded. Circulate qi through your eyes and watch my technique, Pond-Reflecting-Moon Waltz. Ill use a simplified version of it that you ought to be able to follow. At the lower stages, it isnt far separated from most common movement techniques.

Should I bind my legs? Hui asked, nodding at her ankles.

She flinched. Ah no. Thats an advanced technique. When you copy my motions, take full steps, not my shorter ones.

Hui nodded. I dont need Li Xiangs ability to see through lies to tell shes hiding something. Still, shes not from the Mysterious Heavenly Forest Sect and she hasnt tried to kill menot only that, allied with meso Ill let it be. As I said, everyone has their own circumstances. I havent told her all about myself, so its understandable she wont take the first steps.

Student recognizes teacher. He bowed formally to her, cupping his fists.

Its nothing worth thanking me for. The technique Im going to teach you is something every cultivator should know. If you can copy the higher levels of the Pond-Reflecting-Moon Waltz without practicing my cultivation technique, then youre a true genius, and theres no point trying to keep my clans secrets from you in the first place, Xue replied.

She stretched out to her full height and shook out her hair, eyes locked into the distance. With that, she strode off over the realm. Though the floor remained gritty underfoot, she kicked up no dust as she moved.

He followed after her, carefully watching as she strode away, then copying her motions. Most of the technique was simple enough. Instead of simply feeding qi into his legs, he circulated it according to a particular pattern, winding it through his muscles in a certain order, then recycling it into his body. With that, each step ate up ground, though he appeared to walk little faster than an ordinary pace. Unlike Xue, he kicked up dust and occasionally stumbled over a block of slate half-hidden in the dirt, but he moved much faster than he had before.

Wind blasted his hair out of his face. His robes fluttered behind him. Hui raced onward, a smile plastered across his face. Thisthis is what it feels like to be a cultivator!

Ahead of him, Bai Xue shuffled along. Awkward and graceful at the same time, her short steps caught on the rope, then yanked her back foot forward and repeated the process. Every few steps, her form would flicker, wavering like a mirage, except that the secret realm remained a comfortable low temperature. Silently, Hui focused his qi-enhanced vision on her, waiting for the next time she flickered.

Before his eyes, her body shifted suddenly, form wavering. An energy he didnt recognize welled up in her bodyno, Hui realized. It didnt well up. It was always there, it just swapped, like a flipped card.

The energy swapped back, and her form solidified again, a pace ahead of where his eyes tracked her.

Hui stretched out his legs and operated the technique as quickly as he trusted himself to manage, and caught up to Xue. What is that? That energy.

She glanced at him. That energy?

The thing that swaps when you do the wavering step, Hui tried, not sure how else to explain it.

Xue narrowed her eyes at him.

Wait, did I overstep? Is that the part I wasnt supposed to be able to see? Hui put his hands up apologetically. Forgive this disciple. I saw nothing. It must have been a trick of my eyes.

She laughed. No need to be so nervous. Im simply surprised you dont recognize it. Its yin and yang energy. My clan practices the Twin Elemental Mirrors cultivation technique, which requires a cultivator to swap between the two at will. Without our bloodlines disposition, its almost impossible to learn.

Oh, Hui said.

Still, Im surprised you saw through it so quickly. You must be talented in magical techniques.

Ah I, I have invented a technique, Hui tried. A technique for faking my death. Does that count?

Really? Thats incredible, Xue said, amazed. What kind of technique? Can you demonstrate it?

Er, its its very situational, I Hui grimaced. Am I supposed to show off my ability to play dead? Shes expecting a fireball, or some kind of ferocious offensive spell, or impressive spell array, but instead, Ill plop over backward Even I have some dignity left in me! I cant embarrass myself like that.

Forgive me, now Ive overstepped. Of course you wouldnt want to reveal a technique you invented yourself to a stranger, Xue apologized.

Oh, no, no, its just I, er, it, it isnt very impressive, Hui muttered.

Are you sure? For you to invent a technique at Foundation Building, you cant have practiced more than a few hundred years

Im fifteen, Hui said. Kind of. But its not like I learned magic in my past life, so And I only properly started cultivating a few months ago, but I was learning the foundations before that, so anyways, lets just say fifteen.

Her eyebrows flew up. Youare you joking? Fifteen! Youre a genius!

Me? No, no. Im no genius. Ah, forget it. It isnt important, Hui said, raising his hands. Not compared to Master. And besides, Im not sure what Ive done even qualifies as a magical technique. I shouldnt have brought it up.

Isnt important? Not at all. I had no idea we had a genius in our midst. She wrapped an arm around him and scruffed his ponytail. Xiao Hui, our clever little genius.

Hui blushed and pushed her away. Let me go!

Xue laughed. She released him and backed away. Such a flatterer, but youre weak to flattery.

Hui undid his ponytail and tied it back up. He pulled a face at her back. Shut up! Shut up.

They ran on. The slate spires rushed past, little more than blurs on the gray background. Hui followed Xue, on through the desolate void.

All at once, Hui drew to a halt. Xue, wait.

She stopped. Hmm?

Dont you think its strange that we havent seen any cultivators or undead yet today? he asked.

Xue frowned. Now that you mention it

And that outcropping up ahead I think its the same one we sheltered in last night. Hui pointed. In the distance, the large outcropping loomed out of the fog.

Ah, how clever! I knew it, you are a genius. She shuffled over to him, steps deceptively fast, and reached out for his hair. Hui ducked away, operating his movement technique in return.

I am not, Hui grumbled.

Xues eyes glittered. A teasing smile played over her face. So humble, so humble.

Stop it. Weve got to figure a way out of here first. This has to be some kind of befuddling array, right? Hui guessed.

Which means theres two ways out: one, to find a way to dispel the array, or two, to find the proper path out, Xue replied.

Or what if we brute-forced it? Hui suggested.

Xue wrinkled her brows cutely at him. How do you mean?

Its a befuddling array, but its set up in an open area, and its not meant to be unsurpassable for cultivators at our level, so I think its quite possible. What if we marked the slates as we passed them and kept travelling in a straight line? Hui pointed out into the emptiness, between the two large slate outcroppings. We can use the outcroppings as our guides. Here, between the two, we can see both, and that way, we can ensure we dont travel in a circle.

Oh, good idea, good idea! She pounced at him, hands out for his hair.

Hui ducked into a roll and popped up beside a slate. Ill mark it with my blood. I dont have anything else

Why dont you rely on your elders instead? Xue suggested, eyes slit in a coy smile.

He looked at her, then bowed. Does the Venerable Bai Xue have an idea?

Oh, I could get used to that. Venerable Bai Xue Chuckling, Xue slapped the slate. A patch of ice crawled over the spires face.

Excuse this small Hui for questioning Venerable Bai Xues judgement, but wont that melt? Hui asked.

Xue clicked her tongue. Not until I desire it to. And even if I lose control or contact with it, it wont melt for days.

Many apologies, Hui replied, bowing again.

Xue laughed and reached for him. Let this Venerable play with your hair, and the great me will forgive everything.

Im afraid that would go beyond politeness, Hui replied stiffly, backing away.

What? Nonsense. Its a custom in our clan for higher-ranked members to freely play with the hair of lower-ranked members, Xue replied.

Bullshit, Hui shot back.

She shook her head disapprovingly, her own snow-white hair lashing around her face. How impolite. This Xiao Hui thinks hes better than the venerable me?

Of course not, Hui said, shaking his head.

Then you will let me play with your hair, yes? Xue asked, edging closer. A slight melancholy played across her face, as if hed truly deprived her of something.

Hui hesitated for a moment. Its not actually a custom, right? I mean, clans are weird. Theyre a lot more er, should I say, esoteric than sects, since theyre based around a family its easier for strange customs to arise.

Her eyes sparkled. Xue leaped at him, melancholy expression vanishing.

What am I thinking? Its just this madwoman who wants to touch my hair! Hui dodged neatly away from Xue.

Xue clicked her tongue. It almost worked.

Hui cowered away from her, covering his hair with his hands. Stay away! Its my hair, you lunatic!

Xue smiled, resting a hand on her chin. Aww, too cute.

Oh, no. What have I gotten myself into? Hui wondered, backing away slowly.