Chapter 727: Making Money Moves
The second Hui hit the ground, he sprinted toward the mortal cultivators base camp. After watching them for a week, I have a basic idea of where theyre hiding during the day. Ill come from the same direction, and they shouldnt notice anything wrong.
He ran a hand over his face, giving himself one of the male cultivators appearances, all the way down to the ragged and patchy clothes. Li Xiang became a dirty old sword, wrapped by the swordskin to no longer appear as her pure silver self.Follow current novels at novelhall.com)
Sorry about this. I suppose its like a lie, but youll have to bear with it for now!
Li Xiang glowed. A buzz of sword energy accumulated under the snakeskin, then burst out all at once, shredding the disguise.
Or you could do that, I guess. Hui shook his head. What if they notice I have a nice sword and decide to steal you, Elder Sister?
Li Xiang had nothing to say.
Hui ran his hand over the swords hilt. She was originally a sword, and shes a sword again. Rather than thinking of her as a woman, isnt it more appropriate to think of her as a sword? Though on the other hand, Im hardly worthy enough to objectify anyone else. I suppose Ill just treat her as usual, then.
He skimmed by the cultivators camp, without truly entering it. I dont want to run into anyone who recognizes me. The cultivator whose face Ive stolenno, no. Borrowed! The cultivator whose face Ive borrowed is a late riser. Hell enter the ruins later, but for now, Ill take his place. With any luck, Ill have found something useful and gotten out before he even arrives. As much as I want to take everything that isnt nailed down, I cant do that before the gold cultivators return, nor can I do that without the mortal-looking cultivators noticing. Instead, Ill have to settle for one ideal piece of loot.
Or two nice pieces of loot. Or, I dont know, three or four? Theres no point stopping at one when I can get away with a heaping handful of loot.
The point is, I cant take all of it. Just a small, reasonable portion.
Sigh. Such a waste.
He sped through the trees, dodging left and right. Abruptly, the trees fell away, leaving Hui exposed on a broad, open plain. Nothing threatened him, no danger stood anywhere in eyesight, and yet, a shiver ran down Huis back. Too exposed, too exposed! Anyone could be watching me from the trees. Im a sitting duck out here, with nothing to hide behind!
Hold strong, Hui. Right now, youre supposed to be here.
Thats right! Im supposed to be here! Im a mortal-looking cultivator, just another member of their mortal-looking looting team! No one should put a target on my back. No one should bother me! Im meant to be here, Im normal!
He crossed the plains and entered into the ruins. A faint aura of deathly yin filled the air. Instinctively, Hui absorbed it as he ran, adding yin to his dantian. The yinguin flapped out and swam through the air around him, happily sliding around on the chill air.
Not now! Hui hissed, gesturing the bright blue penguin back into his dantian. Im meant to be an ordinary mortal cultivator. Theyll notice somethings wrong if I show up with a glowing blue penguin flying around me!
The yinguin clacked its beak and spun another circle around him, leaving a rime of ice and snow on the air behind it.
Looks like the ruins collapsed on him, the man commented.
The woman frowned. This house collapsed in the ancient era. We pass it every day. Howd he end up beneath it?
The two of them exchanged a glance. The man began murmuring a technique.
I dont know what theyre doing, but I dont like it! Hui continued to lay still, but internally, his heart trembled. Should I get up and run away? But thats too obvious. Oh! I know.
Quickly, he separated the snakeskin from his body, firming it up with a layer of crystal inside, leaving a small spot underneath un-crystallized. Activating the compression technique, he shrank down, then slipped out of the newly-formed shell of his body. Hui flew halfway up his waist, latched on to Li Xiang with both hands, and flew off, dragging his many-times-larger-than-him sword after him.
Ahead of him, at the far end of the ruins, a small square of pale light glimmered. Hui flew toward it at speed, even as the pressure of the technique intensified behind him. He broke through the crack and tugged Li Xiang after him, coming out into the moonlight again.
Behind him, a pillar of white light, sheathed in wispy black qi, shot into the sky. Every hair on Huis body stood on end. He sped away even faster than before, leaving the pair of immortals behind with his false body.
Terrifying, too terrifying! That wasnt an attack, but the pressure alone could have flattened small little me. I cant forget that Im in the Immortal Realm now, nothing but a small bug in the Immortal Realm! Even ordinary, no, weak-looking Immortals can crush me with their pinkies. Im the equivalent of a first-realm cultivator here, barely stepped into the realm of Immortality! Caution, caution, caution!
But no one is looking out for me here. No one is going to help me here. I cant rely on a Master or teacher. I have to find my techniques myself. And I cant sit still and stagnate, either. I need to free Ying Lin, find Master, and confront the Golden Immortal. I need more power.
Which means looting ruins! Even if its dangerous, I have to loot the ruins!
Ah, and not not confront the Golden Immortal. That was a poor choice of words. Prepare to defend against the Golden Immortal!
No, that isnt right, either. I cant allow him to continue to exist. Hes willing to hunt down people who arent me in order to get to me, the one thing I cannot allow. No. I have to confro I have to to face ah, yes! Ive got it. Cautiously rebuke the Golden Immortal!
Abruptly, a female voice cut into his thoughts. Xie Tiangong, look! A flying sword flying all on its own! Is this one of the rumored events of the ruins?
Fa Longhua, I think youre correct! Quickly, follow it! another woman replied to her.
Hui stiffened. He looked around, then turned slowly to face Li Xiang behind him, glimmering brightly in the moonlight. Elder Sister! Elder Sister, I told you!
Quickly, Fa Longhua! Its stopped! Xie Tiangong shouted from just out of sight.
Im on it, sister! An attractive young woman shot out of a nearby building and hurtled after Hui.
Hui burst off at top speed, zooming faster than ever before. Shit!