Master, This Poor Disciple Died Again Today

Floating in the void, the Hui wearing white put a hand on his chin. His brows furrowed. What was that? That final image… the Elusive Ghost. Who is he? What is he?

I have no answers and no clues, except for the Elusive Ghost disguising himself like me, and looking like the mes in the garbage realm, before I stitched myself back together. But that doesn’t mean the Elusive Ghost is me. It could be someone else, trapped in the eternal cycle.

Or it could be me. I don’t have any answers. I don’t know what it is, who it is, or what its goals are. If I knew any one of those things, I could figure out a little bit about it, whether it’s on my or the Golden Immortal’s side, or its own side on its own. Instead… it’s a total mystery. An enigma.

In any case, it seems like the Golden Immortal really can’t sense the me fused with the garbage realm. Either that, or he doesn’t care.

…

Well, whatever. His loss, my gain.

By fusing with the garbage realm, I managed to put myself outside of the time loop. Merging with the garbage realm also masked my qi signature, so I can hide here in the void without the Golden Immortal realizing. I’m still tethered to the time loop, but I’m not beholden to it. In other words, even though my time still flows backward along with the Immortal Realm, I can sense it happening, and it doesn’t effect my mind or body. My clone is beholden to the loop, and will wake up a part of it, when and wherever the Golden Immortal decides to drop him, but I’m something like a fly on the wall, totally diverged from it.

It was scary for a minute there, when I thought I was going to become the Vermillion Bird entirely. I didn’t notice its egg in the garbage realm when I fused with the garbage realm, and that takeover… phew. If I didn’t quickly shunt a clone into the egg, that would’ve been me, and I would still be beholden to the loop even now.

I wonder if that was a trap the Golden Immortal left in the garbage realm? But how could he predict that I would end up here?

Unless I’ve already done this…

A creeping sensation ran up the back of Hui’s neck. He rubbed it, uncomfortable.

A moment later, Hui shook his head. No, no. He said he didn’t want me to know about the loops, right? If he knew I was here, he’d have wiped my memories… probably.

In, in any case, what really matters, is that I’m still able to plot against him. Let him underestimate me. That’s putting me exactly where I want to be! Totally overlooked and underconsidered! If he thinks I’m a small, harmless bug, all the better. Infestations don’t get started in one night. Give me time, though, and I’ll figure out a way to worm into your most treasured realms and tear them apart.

It's troublesome that I’ve apparently failed seven times already, for my fallen forms to end up in the garbage realm. It’s also troublesome that I lack memories of those seven mes. But now that I have a hold on this garbage realm, I can record everything that happens from outside the Golden Immortal’s purview. I won’t lose my progress again.

I wonder if there’s some way to recover those memories? I’ll keep my eyes open.

He put a hand on his chin. Hmm, though, if he knew I was watching, does he know that I heard him say that he’s the Immortal Realm? Perhaps that’s a piece of misdirection. On the other hand…

He looked toward the Immortal Realm. In the void, it stood out, a vast globe of light. The Golden Immortal’s aura emanated from every inch of it, absolutely wiping out any other qi signature.

Yeah. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was true. He might just believe it doesn’t matter, even if I know he’s the realm.

To be fair… destroying the entire Immortal Realm is a big ask, even for me.

Down below, time stopped flowing backward. Hui flicked his finger, sending a clone flying back into the mix, as if it had never left.

Now, to see what we accomplish this time.

-

Hui woke up with a jolt. He looked around. Overhead, a white dragon fought a blue dragon, the two clashing wildly overhead. The white dragon turned over, playing dead, but the blue dragon raced after it and viciously tore into its side, forcing the white dragon to flee once more.

Ah! I get to see the start of Tian Lan’s ‘courtship’ attempt with Zhubi this time.

Hmm, and again, I’m launched in after the loop started for me the first time. Or… the first time that I’m aware of. Was that truly the first time? It couldn’t be, right?

…No, it could be. My memories are spotty, and time is malleable. I could be remembering the very first loop, and then nothing until… whatever loop this is. I could even be some kind of cloned copy of the first me, launched directly into this loop.

Well, I am… some kind of clone…

In any case!

I’m not supposed to remember the big bad’s plans, so…

…what was I just thinking about?

In any case, at least I’m here in the modern era of the Immortal Realm, and not the ancient era. I wonder what I have to do to get the Golden Immortal to send me back there? Do I want to get sent back there? It’s not like it benefits me to be thousands of years before today.

Still, I might be able to figure out what happened to all those other mes if I get sent back there.

He paused a moment, then shrugged. I suppose I’ll live out this loop, and see what happens. Worst case, I always have the next loop.

Overhead, Tian Lan reared back. Hui jumped up, flying out of the forest. “Zhubi!”

Instantly, the white dragon whirled about. Zhubi shot toward Hui, shrinking as he came, and swirled himself around Hui’s neck with such force that he spun a full circle.

“Hey! Come back!” Tian Lan shouted, chasing after him. An enormous blue dragon maw gaped before Hui.

“Tian Lan!” he shouted, startled.

The blue dragon flinched. It drew back, looking at Hui. “How do you know my name?”

Tian Lan doesn’t remember the loops. I suppose I expected that. She wouldn’t still behave like a child if she did. “I’m an old friend of your father’s. Xiao Hui.”

“My father doesn’t know any little people,” Tian Lan said, squinting. Her enormous eye loomed, as large as Hui stood tall, a glassy convex that reflected his whole body.

“He knows me. Tian Lan, please, don’t harass my friend. He isn’t looking for a mate.” Hui put a hand to Zhubi, sending him enough life qi to heal his wounds. Zhubi shivered and laid still, relaxing with a great sight.

“Everyone’s looking for a mate,” Tian Lan said, with the self-assured confidence of a child. She shrunk down, taking the shape of a girl with blue hair and blue robes. “Xiao Hui, have you found a mate?”

“I’ve found a few,” Hui said, nodding.

“Good, good. So give me Zhubi, if you already have mates.”

Is… is that what she took from that? Hui sighed. He shook his head. “I’m sorry, Tian Lan. I can’t hand him over. He’d rather stay with me.”

Tears welled up in Tian Lan’s eyes. “Why? Why does everyone always run away?”

Hui took a deep breath. Here we are, back in Tian Lan’s impeccable logic. “Tian Lan, have you considered talking to potential mates and getting to know them? I think they’d prefer that to fighting.”

“Huh? No way,” Tian Lan said.

“Zhubi, would you prefer that?” Hui asked.

Zhubi reared up. He glanced at Tian Lan, a bit hesitant, then bobbed his body up and down.

“Really?” Tian Lan tilted her head.

“Really,” Hui confirmed.

“How boring,” she muttered, crossing her arms. “I don’t want a mate at all, if talking is what you have to do to get one!”

Hui chuckled. “I think that’s fine. You have a long life ahead of you, Tian Lan. If you’d rather fight, then learn to fight with all your might, and become the strongest dragon.”

She nodded enthusiastically. “I love to fight! But Daddy says I shouldn’t…”

“He’s just trying to protect you. Once you get stronger, he won’t be so worried.” Hui offered her his hand. “Speaking of, I bet he’s worrying about you right now. Shall we head home?”

Tian Lan hesitated, then took Hui’s hand. “Mhm!”

Huh. That was easier than I expected. Maybe—

A sword flew out of the blue sky and hurtled toward Hui. It pierced him through the heart in the blink of an eye. Hui staggered back, startled. He pressed a hand to his chest, stumbled another step, then fell over backward, dead.

Tian Lan’s eyes got big. “Mister? Mister Xiao Hui!”

“Tian Lan, there’s no need. Come with me.”