It took Yu Di quite a while to catch up to his daughter. He had noticed it, but he didn’t want to admit it: he had slacked off on his own training. He had let his body go, waiting for death, that he had forgotten to do even the most basic exercises.

  Wait, could this be one reason why his curse was unlocking? Was it because he let his body go and now that he’s truly mortal that the curse was only affecting him as an Immortal?

  But then wouldn’t that mean if he cultivated back up into being an Immortal, the curse would hit him again?

  Yu Di collapsed onto the floor, breathing really hard, watching as Yu Lin turned back around toward him. They were somewhere deeper into the center of the fortress where there were more training grounds. Disciples wearing light blue tunics dashed around the obstacles while others sparred against each other.

  Nobody cared that a tired old man in a gray tunic laid sprawled on the ground on the main footpath.

  Yu Lin ran toward him and swept the ground before her. Dirt and debris flew off the main path, uncovering stones.

  “Baba, look. I’m sweeping,” Yu Lin said. As if to demonstrate, she pushed the large broom side to side, creating a mini cloud around Yu Di.

  Yu Di coughed and covered his nose with the collar of his tunic.

  “Stop Yu Lin.”

  Yu Lin stopped.

  “This is amazing." Yu Di looked at the cleared paths. "You cleaned up so much, so fast. With your help, this won’t be so bad.”

  A powerful gust pushed against Yu Di. He turned behind him to see dirt and debris refill the stone pathway. A bunch of disciples were outside of their designated practice areas, creating a bigger and bigger mess of the ground.

  “Let’s move before they get to us.” Yu Di got up and pulled his daughter with him. The disciples weren’t that strong, but they could have easily hurt him or Yu Lin. He hadn’t taught her any martial arts to defend herself yet.

  Maybe it was time.

  It was still early in the morning and Yu Di wanted to collapse, crawl into a ball, and pass out right there. This was worse than when he had his first hangover in over a hundred years. Except here, he could die if one of these idiots felt like fighting all over the place.

  “Baba, what are they doing?” Yu Lin pointed at the group of disciples.

  “They’re practicing fighting,” Yu Di said.

  “No, they’re making the ground dirty. They have to stop. I just swept it!”

  Yu Di chuckled.

  “It’s okay little Lin. Let’s go clean elsewhere. We can come back afterwards.”

  “No. We need to clean it now. That uncle said we had to. And if we don’t, you’ll give me to that auntie.”

  “Hey, what do you mean give you to that auntie?” Yu Di kneeled down to Yu Lin’s height. “I would never do that. I would never give you away.”

  “You were about to before I ran away. See, I can clean too. You don’t have to worry, Baba.”

  Yu Di patted her head.

  “Yu Lin, I was not giving you away. I just thought you’d rather spend time with an auntie than sweep the floor with Baba. Aren’t you tired?”

  Yu Lin beamed and shook her head.

  “I can keep going. Sweep, sweep, sweep the floor. Keep everything clean. That’s what mother used to tell me.”

  “Fine. You can sweep the floor with Baba, but I’m going to teach you something first so you don’t fall behind in your cultivation.”

  Yu Lin’s face beamed. Maybe it was the sun but Yu Di could see her eyes shining.

  “Okay, this is something that most cultivators are taught when they join a sect,” Yu Di said. “It’s how to absorb and cycle Qi as you’re moving. It’s not as effective as focusing only on this, but it will be useful as you sweep. Are you ready?”

  Yu Lin nodded.

  “First, take a large breath, as you usually do.” Yu Di did so as well. “Next, focus on the natural Qi in the air and in your lungs. You’ve cycled Qi through your lungs all the time. All you have to do now is only pull the Qi from the air in your lungs instead of your entire body.”

  Yu Lin did so. She scrunched her face up in pain.

  “Oh sorry, you’re supposed to breathe back out,” Yu Di said.

  Yu Lin let out a loud raspberry, blowing the air through her closed lips.

  “That was a good try. Try it again.” Yu Di did it himself. For the first time in years, he felt the Qi pull into his body from his lungs.

  It was his turn to scrunch up his face. He had forgotten the most important part: breathe out.

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  Yu Di made choking gasps as he held his chest.

  “Baba, are you alright?” Yu Lin patted Yu Di’s back. It felt like he was being slapped by a hulking soldier.

  “Stop Lin. That hurts.” Yu Di waved her off.

  “Sorry.”

  “It doesn’t matter about me.” Yu Di stood up. “Do you know how to do it?”

  Yu Lin took a deep breath in and then exhaled right after.

  Yu Di could see the lack of Qi in the air she breathed out.

  “Good. Now keep doing that as you sweep.”

  Yu Lin nodded. She grabbed the large broom.

  “No wait, use the little one.” Yu Di offered her the small one in his hand.

  “No! I like the big one.” Before Yu Di could protest, his daughter had run away again, sweeping along the main path.

  “Little brat.” Yu Di looked at the little broom in his hand. It was more like a brush than a broom for him.

  As if his back didn’t hurt enough as it was.

  “Young man, was that your daughter?” a man asked behind him.

  Yu Di picked up his broom and turned.

  An old man with a long, wrinkled face and a mole on his right upper lip greeted him. He had long white eyelashes over cool, calm eyes that were betrayed by a very greedy nature looking out at Yu Di. He wore the same green tunic as Elder Li, but unlike him, his cultivation level was at the peak of the Core Formation Stage. He was one step away from entering the second realm.

  Yu Di froze.

  It had been some time since anyone had ever snuck up on him like that, least of all someone at this stage. He wasn’t sure whether to cry or laugh, as it was both too weak to threaten him, yet stronger than Yu Di as he was. If this man was his enemy, he would be dead right now.

  Yu Di needed to work more on his situational awareness again now that he was not in his home village.

  When did he get so careless?

  “Are you okay, young man?” the Elder asked again.

  “I’m sorry, Elder.” Yu Di cupped his hands. “I was just surprised, that’s all.”

  “You didn’t answer my question.”

  “Sorry, what was it?”

  “Was that little girl your daughter?”

  Yu Di peaked behind him, watching as Yu Lin came running back with her broom.

  “Yes, sorry Elder. That is my daughter.” Yu Di cupped his hands again. “My name is Yu Di, a new servant in this sect.”

  “Yu Di? Like the jade emperor?”

  “Oh, no no, I would never claim that name. Yu Di like a jade flute. My father heard someone playing the flute on the day I was born and named me after the instrument.”

  “I see. And how is my sect treating you?”

  Yu Di bowed his head.

  “Very well.”

  A storm of dust and dirt came rushing in. Yu Lin stopped right in front of the two men with her broom held high.

  “No, it's not very well. Baba didn’t you tell me not to lie?” Yu Lin eyed the Elder. Where was her shyness from before? Of all people to disrespect, this was not one of them.

  “Yu Lin—”

  “No Baba, they don’t treat us right. You said your back hurt from last night. They also put us in this horrible place with rats and roaches and no light. It’s also close to the bathroom and—”

  “Enough,” Yu Di said firmly.

  Yu Lin shut her mouth and hid behind him as they faced the Elder.

  “Oh my, that won’t do. Not at all,” the Elder said. “My sect recruits talent to strengthen it. It would be a shame to have such a talented young girl waste away somewhere like that. Let me see what I can do.”

  “Really grandpa?” Yu Lin poked her head out behind Yu Di’s leg.

  “Yes, of course. I will tell the head servant right away.” The Elder crouched down until he was about the little girl’s height. “You are pretty strong for your age. Who taught you how to cultivate?”

  Yu Lin beamed from the comment.

  “My Baba taught me. He’s very smart.”

  “Oh? Then you keep learning and become stronger. I’m sure you will one day be a pillar of this sect.” The Elder stood up to face Yu Di. “And you, Yu Di, I hope you continue teaching your daughter to the best of your ability. I hope nothing in this world would force you to abandon someone so precious to you.”

  Yu Di bowed his head.

  “Yes, of course Elder. Thank you for your kindness.”

  The Elder smirked before turning away.

  “Wait grandpa. What’s your name?” Yu Lin asked. “Mother told me to always ask for people’s names so we can repay them.”

  “It’s Gu Zi.” The Elder stared at Yu Di. His piercing gaze made Yu Di want to hide behind his own daughter. There was something familiar about the old man’s face, as if trying to recall something.

  All Yu Di hoped was to avoid any other nonsensical political fall out in this sect.

  “Anyway, thank you for the help Elder Gu,” Yu Di said. “We should get back to sweeping the floors. I hope to repay your kindness one day.”

  Elder Gu’s smirk turned into a genuine smile.

  “Oh yes, I’m sure you will. My ‘Forgotten Spirit Sect’ never truly forgets any of its members. We remind ourselves of the importance of not leaving others behind.”

  “Of course.” Yu Di bowed his head. By the time he lifted it, Gu Zi was already gone. It wasn’t as if he had just disappeared, but he used a movement technique to seem like he did. If Yu Di hadn’t developed a demigod’s body, he wouldn’t have noticed.

  “Baba, he disappeared!” Yu Lin shouted.

  “Yes little Lin,” Yu Di said. “One day, if you practice enough, you can do the same thing. I’ll teach you.”

  “Really? Will that mean I can come find you whenever I want?”

  “Of course. Besides, where would I be going, anyway? You’re stuck with me, little girl.”

  Yu Lin smiled widely again. She held her broom close against her chest.

  “I just wanted to make sure I can find you even if you leave like mother did.”

  Yu Di frowned at hearing that. He had hoped the memory wouldn’t be so strong, but that wasn’t happening anytime soon. It also didn’t help that her grandpa kept reminding her over and over about that in his drunken stupors.

  In a way, Wong Chun left them both.

  Yu Di squatted down to meet with Yu Lin’s eyes.

  “Don’t worry little Lin. Unless someone takes me away, I would never leave you. I love you too much.”

  “Really?”

  Yu Di nodded.

  Yu Lin dropped her broom and rushed her father in a strong hug. Despite being a four-year-old, she knocked him down onto his ass.

  Yu Di hugged her daughter back, feeling the small little heart pounding against his chest. He would never leave her, but his time was running out. He couldn't cheat death.

  Unless he found a way to break the curse. But first, to do that, he needed to get out of this sect. Otherwise, he and his daughter would languish in an underworld torture of someone else’s making.

  The sect leader here had truly allowed the sect to fall into ruin. Let’s hope it’s ruined enough to escape easily.