603. Kidnapped

The incense burned slowly. The small portion remaining burned bright red, tall ash growing atop the small piece of incense as it grew smaller yet. Bai Xue flew at top speed. In moments, he’d left the sect far behind, but the barrier mountains still didn’t appear at the horizon yet.

Hui yawned. Hmm. Mentally, I’m still an adult, but it seems like my physicality is affecting me a little bit. I could use a nap.

Huh, strange. At this level of cultivation, I shouldn’t need to sleep at all. But here I am, tired. Phoenix fire is potent stuff, if it can truly reset my physiology even beyond my cultivation level.

“If you’re tired, sleep. I’ll keep watch,” Bai Xue said comfortingly.

Closing his eyes, Hui nodded. “Wake me up when you get there.”

“Mhm.” Bai Xue stroked his head, settling him in his arms.

Hui relaxed. He drifted into sleep, letting his mind wander. Darkness swirled around him, swallowing him up. He fell into the black, down, down, down.

A woman in white robes stood over him. She crossed her arms. “What are you doing?”

“Eh? Elder Sister Reaper?” Hui scrambled to his feet. He looked around him.

He stood in the Underworld, before the enormous judge’s desk. The rock ceiling stretched high overhead. The reaper, Ming Hailen, frowned down at him, still hugely taller than him.

“How’d you get so big?” Hui asked, raising a hand to his eyes.

The reaper raised an eyebrow. “You’re the one who’s small.”

“Ah… yes,” Hui said. That’s right. I momentarily forgot. He frowned at her. “How did I end up here?”

“You tell me,” the reaper responded, crossing her arms.

“I don’t know. I fell asleep and woke up here,” Hui responded.

“Fell asleep? Did you die in your sleep?” the reaper asked.

Hui jolted. “Don’t say such terrifying things!”

She gestured. “You’re in the Underworld.”

What Elder Sister says… is reasonable! I’m in the Underworld. The most reasonable explanation is that I died. And yet, I’m… I’m reasonably sure I didn’t die! Hui put a hand on his chin, considering.

After a moment, he jumped and looked up. “Ah! Elder Sister, is it possible this is some sort of aftereffect of being the Owner of the Underworld?”

“Being the Underworld’s Landlord drags you into the Underworld?” Ming Hailen asked, squinting at him.

“No, no. I used a karmic incense while I was in a weakened state. I think the incense might have pulled at my karmic ties in a strange way… and with the slow corruption of the Heavenly Dao… yes, yes, it’s all falling into place,” Hui murmured aloud to himself. The karmic incense obscures and twists my karmic ties. The Heavenly Dao is no longer properly regulating karma. Between the two of those, something strange happened, and one of my strongest karmic ties got triggered—that is, my ownership of the Underworld—and I ended up in the Underworld.

Hmm. This is a dangerous sign. For karma to have broken down this far… I can’t keep ignoring the breakdown of the Heavenly Dao! I need to wrap up this business with Eight Tiers Palace, and hurry to figure out the tangled mess of the Heavenly Dao.

But first, Eight Tiers Palace.

Hui bowed to the reaper. “My apologies for interrupting you, Elder Sister. I’ll leave now before I disrupt you further.”

“Even if you’re the owner of the Underworld, you can’t enter and exit so easil—”

Hui vanished.

“And… he’s gone,” Ming Hailen muttered, rolling her eyes. She sighed. “Weiheng Hui, can you obey the world’s logic for ten whole seconds?”

Hui jolted awake. He grabbed at whatever came to hand, startled. “Buh—”

“Have a good nap?” Bai Xue asked.

Blinking, Hui looked around. The barrier mountains loomed nearby, as they closed in on the area they’d faced off against the Eight Tier Palace cultivators and the blood clone earlier.

“I… had a strange dream,” Hui said. Or… was it not a dream? It felt very real. But it couldn’t have been real. Even I can’t enter and exit the Underworld that easily, just like Elder Sister was saying.

But… at the same time, it really seemed real. I was in the Underworld, and Elder Sister was talking to me, just like Elder Sister does. Even… my thoughts were logical and straight forward, like I was awake, not asleep.

Hmm. If I truly entered the Underworld, then just like I thought in that strange maybe-a-dream, the Heavenly Dao is in its endstate. Much more, and it crumbles entirely.

I’ll have to keep an eye on this. I can’t let it be.

But first, just like I thought in that dream… it’s time to crush Eight Tiers Palace!

Bai Xue dropped toward the earth. Far below, the outline of the teleportation circle appeared. Hui sat up in his arms, looking down at it.

Alright. The problem with this strategy, the fundamental problem from the start, is that the teleportation circle can only be activated from the other side. However… I have a plan for this!

Although, in the worst case, Bai Xue has to end up in the Eastern Alliance with me, I do have a best case plan! We’ll see which one goes off. Naturally, I prepared for the worst case, because to prepare for the best case is to prepare for failure. But… let’s go ahead and try for the best case anyways!

He looked up at Bai Xue. “Bai Xue… I’m going to cast a technique through you. Are you prepared for that?”

“Hmm? Always,” Bai Xue responded.

Hui nodded. “But first, I need to disguise you a little more.”

“More?” Bai Xue asked, confused.

“Yes… you see, in the end, it isn’t good for you to end up in the Eastern Alliance, alone.” Hui shook his head, crossing his little arms.

“So adorable,” Bai Xue said.

“What?” Hui asked.

Bai Xue waved his hand. “Nothing, nothing.”

Hui cleared his throat. “In any case, Elder Brother, I don’t want you to end up in trouble and stuck. I’m sure you could find a way back across—”

“Almost assuredly,” Bai Xue agreed.

“But I’d rather it not come to that. So, if you’ll humor me a little longer, I think I can trick the Eastern Alliance into only taking me, but leaving you behind.”

“Will you be safe, alone?” Bai Xue asked.

Hui nodded. “Of course, of course. Ah, not to impinge Elder Brother, but I am seventh realm. I can take a beating.”

Bai Xue landed delicately in the forest. A few leaves flew up around them, the sword sheathing itself at his hip. He bent and set Hui down. “So? What do I need to do?”

“Ah… if Elder Brother will just—” Hui gestured him closer. He whispered in Bai Xue’s ear.

A grin spread across Bai Xue’s face. He chuckled. “Naturally, Hui would come up with a plan like this!”

“But do you agree to it, Elder Brother?” Hui asked, tilting his head.

Bai Xue nodded. “It’s no less ridiculous than anything we’ve done so far. Let’s give it a shot!”