“There, does that feel better?” Yu Di asked.

  Fu Homei stopped convulsing. She took a deep breath. She clenched and unclenched her fists. They were shaking, but after a few more breaths they stopped. She fixed her gray tunic.

  “I can’t give you what you want,” she said. “My grandfather doesn’t listen to me. But the other thing, I think I can help as long as you teach me the same thing you’re teaching Bai Feng.”

  “Oh, you’ve reconsidered joining our faction then?” Yu Di asked.

  Fu Homei nodded.

  “I don’t know who you are, but based on how you are able to increase Bai Feng’s level within a few months of joining the sect, you must have many more secrets. I want it."

  “What are you going to tell your grandfather?”

  Fu Homei put her head against the wall.

  “The truth. That you are not a threat to the sect and that you are just a foolish father.”

  Yu Di felt guilty for torturing the poor child, but he needed this. He needed everything to work or else his peace wouldn’t return.

  “Are you sure that’s all you’re going to say?” he asked.

  Fu Homei nodded.

  “Tell me the truth.”

  Fu Homei opened her mouth and before she could say a word, her eye twitched.

  “Stop. You’re about to lie,” Yu Di said. “If you do, you will die and there would be nothing I can do to stop it.”

  Fu Homei grimaced with her eyes closed.

  The simplest thing for Yu Di to do here was to kill her. Even if Bai Feng complained, what could she do against him? Grand Elder Fu wouldn’t know who did it. Nobody else was around.

  He wouldn’t even need to do it himself.

  Just one simple command.

  “Fine, fine, I’ll go along with your plan,” Fu Homei said.

  Just like that, Yu Di felt the Qi contract's restrictions ease. She was telling the truth.

  Yu Di smiled. He reached into his inner chest pocket, but really he was reaching for his spatial ring. He took out a book and passed it to Fu Homei.

  “What is this?” she asked.

  “It’s what I promised.”

  The child picked it up and looked through the first couple of pages.

  “This book is a cultivation manual.” She flipped through to the pictures and the diagrams within. “This is way more advanced than the one that Sect Leader Gu has. How did you get this?”

  “I wrote it.” Yu Di sat back and crossed his arms. “If you want to be as strong as Senior Bai and maybe one day surpass her, you’ll have to practice. But if you betray us, or more specifically do anything to harm my daughter, you will never be able to understand how to decipher the difficult parts of that manual.”

  That was a lie. Yu Di wrote the manual to be so plain and simple that anyone can follow it to reach the second realm of Qi Wielding. The challenge would be whether or not they can understand enough esoteric truth to break through.

  “Can I show this to my grandfather?” Fu Homei asked.

  “I’d prefer that you don’t do that,” Yu Di said. “The last thing I need is another person coming after me for whatever secrets I have. It would put everyone in danger. Maybe once Senior Bai becomes the sect leader and no one bothers us anymore.”

  Fu Homei nodded and put the manual away.

  “Now that you’ve joined our faction, feel free to come to me whenever you want for guidance. I’ll teach you to the best of my knowledge.”

  Fu Homei stood, cupped her hands, and bowed.

  “I will remember this.”

  When the child left, Yu Di took a deep breath and collapsed onto the mat. Good thing the large divider hid him from the others. If Yu Lin saw him, she might cry again.

  Yu Di took out his jade tablet.

  Current Power: Realm 1, Stage 1, Level 4 (Qi condensation)

  Remaining Lifespan: 14 years, 9 months.

  Current Status: Cursed (5.3% lifted)

  Overall Power: Fourth Realm, End Stage, Peak level

  It was just as he dreaded. He lost so many months of his lifespan. Whatever he used to fight the metal monster as well as intimidate Fu Homei drained him more than he expected. At this rate, he was going to die before he could unlock the curse.

  Which reminded Yu Di. This time the curse unlocked without his daughter telling him to do something. Could it have been because letting Fu Homei go would be something that Yu Lin would have asked him to do?

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  Thinking deeper, that couldn’t be it, could it?

  His daughter had a simple, naive way of seeing the world. She wanted to help others without asking for anything in return. And Yu Di hated to admit it, but his daughter was a kind hearted person just like Bai Feng.

  They would not make it in the wider world of Immortals.

  Ugh, that would be a thought for the future.

  Yu Di laughed to himself.

  He just realized that he wasn’t fit for the wider world of Immortals either. All he ever wanted was to gain power. He never did anything with it except make a bunch of enemies.

  Yet if he could go back to it, he would in a heartbeat.

  Dealing with these children and their petty squabbles was more tiring than sneaking into a sect.

  All he’d need to do is strap Yu Lin to his back and fly back out there, trying to find the last piece of the puzzle for him to break through to the next realm. Even if he couldn’t find it, the chase would be worth it.

  Heh, Yu Di never thought of anyone but himself. Just two years ago, he never would have thought about having a cute little daughter flying around with him. Now, he can’t think of it any other way.

  Yu Lin changed him.

  Yu Di got up from the floor, dusted himself off, and walked outside.

  Bai Feng was with Yu Lin, but they were alone. They both looked up at the moon. There were no clouds tonight.

  “It’s beautiful isn’t it?” Yu Di asked.

  “Yes, Baba,” Yu Lin said. She reached up with her hands. “I can almost touch it.”

  Yu Di smiled.

  “Well, if you ever cultivate to a high enough level, I’ll take you up there. Then you can meet Chang’e and her jade rabbit.”

  “Really? I can do that?” Yu Lin made grasping motions with her fingers.

  “Sure, of course. Senior Bai can come with us too.”

  Bai Feng chuckled.

  “Yes. We can go on vacation there with all the other celestials.”

  “It’s getting late, little Lin,” Yu Di said. “It’s time to go to sleep.”

  “But I want to see the jade rabbit.” Yu Lin looked to the moon as if she could find it.

  “You can find him in your dreams when you sleep. Tomorrow is another big day.”

  “But…” Yu Lin frowned, with her lips pressed together. “Okay Baba, I’ll go to sleep.”

  The little girl gave Bai Feng a hug and hopped off the rock. She made her way into the house.

  Bai Feng looked at Yu Di with the same eyes his daughter just had.

  “How did it go with Fu Homei?”

  “It could have been worse.” Yu Di took out his jade tablet and showed Bai Feng. “I’m running out of time. So that means we might have to rush our plans a little.”

  Bai Feng nodded.

  “I’ll do my best to convince your daughter.”

  “Thank you, Senior Bai.”

  The next day, Yu Di woke up before the sun rose to the sound of the door softly opening and closing. Someone came in and made it past Bai Feng’s wards.

  He could see Bai Feng sleeping not too far away. With any luck, the intruder only came for her and not Yu Di and his daughter. But just in case, he took out a dagger from his storage ring. He covered Yu Lin’s body with his own.

  The footsteps went past Bai Feng.

  Yu Di coughed really loudly in hopes that would wake her up. But she didn’t stir.

  Well, this was not good. At most he could take one or two hits from a disciple. But if Fu Homei sent someone to kill him, it could be an Elder or Inner Sect disciple. They could kill him in one hit.

  Yu Di was foolish to let that child go. He should have ended her life.

  The floor creaked near Yu Di’s head.

  It was now or never.

  Yu Di grabbed the intruder’s leg and pulled hard. The surprise yelp caught the man off guard, forcing him to crash into the ground.

  Yu Di pounced on top of the man with his dagger arcing downward to his chest. There was no time for hesitation.

  Only, the dagger stopped an inch away from the man’s chest. An invisible force lifted Yu Di up and tossed him aside.

  Yu Di smashed into the ground and rolled over a few times. He got up as quickly as he could.

  The man hovered over Yu Lin.

  “Get away from her!” Yu Di yelled. He couldn’t allow his daughter to get hurt. Yet the only thing he had was a dagger. If he threw it at the intruder, he might miss and hit his daughter instead.

  So he did what every father would do.

  Yu Di charged a cultivator with the power to end his life. He didn’t know who he was. He didn’t care.

  When his body collided with the man, Yu Di bounced off instead. It felt like hitting a wall. An angular wall that hurt like hell.

  The man held Yu Di down by the chest with one hand. Another invisible force stripped his dagger away.

  “Enough, stop moving,” the man said.

  A bright light lit the house up near where Bai Feng stood with her sword out.

  “Sect Master Gu?” she asked.

  Gu Zi nodded before releasing Yu Di. He waved a hand and a brighter light bathed the house in a warm, yellow glow. It looked like the sun had risen within the house.

  Gu Zi stood up and fixed his green tunic. He smoothed out his hair.

  Yu Di got on his knees and bowed low.

  “I apologize to Sect Leader Gu for attacking you.”

  “It’s okay. You didn’t know it was me,” Gu Zi said.

  “What can we do for you?” Bai Feng cupped her hand and bowed.

  “I came here to help you. You two did something to Grand Elder Fu’s granddaughter, didn’t you?”

  Bai Feng sheathed her sword and looked away.

  “It was me,” Yu Di said. “Senior Bai had nothing to do with it. So if you want to punish someone, do it to me only.”

  Gu Zi shook his head.

  “That’s not why I’m here. Grand Elder Fu is working with Elder Li. They have a plan to stop Bai Feng from becoming an Elder. No matter what happens, you cannot leave your home for the next six days until the duel with the Elders. Do you understand?”

  “Yes, Sect Leader Gu.” Bai Feng said.

  “As for me, I’m going to be in closed door meditation. I have to prepare for a major event that will determine the fate of the sect. I won’t be able to help either of you.” Gu Zi took out a manual from his storage ring. “Take this and train as much as you can before the duel. I would be happy to have you as an Elder if you win.”

  Bai Feng took the book and bowed again.

  Yu Di had questions and concerns, but he didn’t know how to ask. Yet if he didn’t, he wouldn’t know if this was a trap or not.

  “Why are you helping us?”

  Gu Zi smiled.

  “Isn’t it obvious? I want our sect to prosper. Everyone’s effort is important and no one is ever forgotten. That’s what a good sect leader is supposed to do.”

  Yu Di cupped his hands and bowed.

  “Thank you for your help.”

  “Don’t thank me yet,” Gu Zi said. He laid a heavy hand on Yu Di’s shoulder. “Bai Feng can hide within her home. You still have to do your job and Elder Li, now backed by Grand Elder Fu, is on the warpath for your head. All I can do is give you advanced warning.”

  “Thank you again,” Yu Di said.

  As Gu Zi left Bai Feng’s home, Yu Di scoffed at the idea that mere children could make his life harder within this sect. He was a century old loaner that did what he wanted, when he wanted.

  Yu Di didn’t expect to be so wrong.