Mo Cheng sat on a small wooden bench inside the cabin. He leaned a muscular arm on the rickety table while he waited, glancing around the room as his host busied herself with heating up water for some herbal tea.
The walls and roof were quite badly constructed. He assumed that when it rained, water poured right through the cracks. There wasn't much skill involved in the making of this hut, but it had clearly been built with a lot of love and felt very cozy and comfortable because of it. There was a fresh, earthy smell to the place, mixed with sweet lavender and jasmine.
It lacked much in the way of furniture, but there were plenty of cushions lying around, unskillfully sewn and inconsistently stuffed with wool, not to mention the one bench he sat on and the little table. For a kitchen, she had designated a corner at the far end of the room. There stood a large coal heated pot, which she used for meal and beverage preparations. Beside it was a stack of small logs, ready for use during colder weather or for heating up food.
Everything in this home had been painstakingly created from scratch by Li Meirong herself.
Mo Cheng cringed at some of the poor designs. When it came to the feminine arts every woman should have been educated on in their society, such as embroidery, music, poetry or painting, she truly lacked any skill whatsoever. He supposed it was unfair, though, to compare her to all the ladies from prominent families and good breeding he had been surrounding himself with, such as Shu Qianqian. Li Meirong was only a maid, after all.
His girl undeniably had a knack for things like cooking and finances, however. His eyes lingered momentarily on the stack of accounting books lying on the mattress before going back to following Li Meirong around the room.
She did have one distinct advantage over any other woman he could have. She was a furnace, and therefore could provide him with a surge of profound qi. And what could be more important than being as strong as one could possibly be in this dog eat dog world?
Li Meirong would benefit from this match just as well, he would not mistreat her. He would see to it that her every need was met so that she need only concern herself with him and his desires.
The thought excited the young man, causing his heart to race in anticipation.
Mo Cheng's quarters were a world of difference from Li Meirong's humble abode. He had his own mansion with servants at his beck and call. He was a succeeding disciple when all was said and done, so naturally his living conditions were beyond anything she could possibly expect as a lowly, outer sect disciple.
The woman he'd been trying to win over had a soft spot for small animals, he had long since noted to himself. Upon his visits, he frequently found a wounded bird being cared for or a lazy cat asking for food.
In the Sword Bearer's division, animals were not permitted on the premises, but this was the Bestiary Coalition, and so the rules differed.
Li Meirong cheerfully handed him a cup of warm tea with a dab of honey. Mo Cheng held it with both hands and inhaled deeply, enjoying the aroma.
"Your tea always has the most pleasant and fragrant scent." Mo Cheng observed, his tone was low and somewhat intimate.
With the passing years, he turned from a brave youth to a force to be reckoned with. He was also known to be exceptionally skilled at mapping and devising clever battle strategies. A peerless cultivator in his generation.
Li Meirong often imagined Mo Cheng would be the perfect protagonist for a novel, his life was predisposed for greatness. She looked down at the cup in her own hands as she sat beside him.
"Thank you, Brother Cheng. These chamomile flowers were given to me by your brother. They are of excellent quality." Li Meirong replied.
Her voice was soothing to his ears. Mo Cheng couldn't help but notice how her long lashes fluttered gently like a butterfly as she spoke.
"True, my younger brother is exceptionally skilled. However, the flowers I gave you are of rarer quality." He had to ensure his superiority in her eyes.
Li Meirong suppressed her involuntary gag with an abrupt cough. This boy's main flaw was his vanity, and his constant need to be reassured by others that he's valuable.
'Master, can I eat him now?' Chou's disdainful words echoed like a child's whisper in her head.
'Be quiet, you!' Li Meirong inwardly scolded.
From the moment Chou had met Mo Cheng, he disliked the fellow. Later on, Li Meirong discovered that Chou disliked any fellow who seemed to have taken an interest in her, like a devoted guard dog.
Chao Dequan was the only exception. 'He has no evil thoughts about you' was Chou's verdict to her in regards to the boy.
"Ahem, I came today to ask if you would like to join me for the upcoming annual spirit quest. My division is partnering up with the Bestiary Coalition for the task, and many of my fellow division's members are assigned to aid your fellow disciples during their journey to capture a spirit beast in the Thousand Beasts forest." Mo Cheng cut to the chase.
Journeying with Li Meirong side by side would provide Mo Cheng with the perfect opportunity to win her heart. He would have ample time to display his capabilities, save her from danger and care for her in the wilderness.
Li Meirong casually sipped her tea.
'Now how do I get out of this without upsetting him?' Exasperated, she mulled over this new nuisance.
'Master, this is not a bad idea! Then Chou can eat him and no one will know!' Chou was excited about Mo Cheng's invitation for entirely different reasons.
"Pffft!" She sprayed her tea all over Mo Cheng's shirt. This plant would be the death of her!
"I'm so sorry! Let me bring something to dry you up!" Li Meirong apologized profusely and scrambled to find a napkin. How embarrassing!
Mo Cheng chuckled and scratched the back of his head. Seeing the girl so flustered was rather fun. "Don't worry, it's not a problem!"
'Master, why are you always so clumsy? So beautiful yet so unladylike at the same time.' Chou kept badgering her. Li Meirong really wanted to choke the stupid plant right now!
When she returned, she saw Mo Cheng flipping through her calculations, an odd glint in his eye. He laid the notes down and stared at her all the more intensely.
She was brought up short by the strange look he gave her, not quite knowing what to make of it.
Li Meirong hesitantly advanced and gently dabbed the cloth on Mo Cheng's chest, making sure to keep a polite distance. Mo Cheng had other plans, though. He placed a hand on top of hers and locked eyes with her. His stare was deep and profound.
'Oh lord, this is not happening!' she thought, panicking.
Li Meirong forced her face to smile. She pulled her hand out of his grasp and backed away.
Bowing slightly, she maintained an air of diplomacy, distancing between them both physically and emotionally. It was one of the skills she had worked on the hardest in order to survive in this era.
"Fellow Brother Mo, I am not an inner disciple. Servants are not allowed to search for their own spirit beasts since we are not even given the opportunity to cultivate. Fellow Brother should find another partner to assist. I am not worthy."
'Abase yourself. It's all good.' she silently reminded herself, bowing lower still.
'Master, why are you always putting on a show? You are way more powerful than him. You should… you should eat him!' Chou voiced his opinion.
This annoying plant again. Li Meirong ignored the pestering voice in her head.
Mo Cheng's passionate gaze was replaced by disappointment. "You do not have to be so reserved with me. I am a leading disciple of the Sword Bearers. If I request to take you, no one would dare oppose."
Heck, Li Meirong really did want a spirit beast of her own. She had to keep Chou in hiding constantly. It would be nice to trot around with a formidable beast companion!
She cried inwardly. Even if she wanted, she couldn't get one. All the beasts hid from her!
"Please don't press the matter. I am not worthy."
Her rejection might have been polite, but it was a rejection nonetheless. Mo Cheng was a man not used to being refused.
His eyes turned cold, turning his back on Li Meirong, his voice losing its pleasant tone. "Very well then, don't come to me later regretting your answer. I will see you next time."
Just as he was about to leave, he faced her once more, seeming both upset and confused.
"Before I leave, I wanted to ask… the notebook you wrote in, is it possible that you're not from.." His words were hesitant as if he weighed them carefully before speaking.
"No, never mind. It can't be."
Mo Cheng waved an arm in an angry, dismissive gesture and marched out the door.
Li Meirong exhaled loudly, she didn't even notice she was holding her breath.
It felt, for a moment there, as if he was about to expose an important secret of hers.
After he left, Li Meirong went to her bed and snatched the notes. They were open on a set of mathematical equations.
How could he have recognized those? no one in this world had any knowledge of such calculations. She quickly dismissed the unnerving thought.
There were more important matters to consider. She absolutely did not want to journey with Mo Cheng, but she certainly did want to get her own spirit beast. Li Meirong considered whose powerful thigh she could latch onto now, whilst having to deal with the least amount of headache.
Finding the coast was clear, Chou leapt out of her sleeve.
'I still vote for eating him! He's no good, I tell you.' the plant spirit exclaimed.