Peng Jipei walked up to the cave entrance alone. In his hand, he held a beautiful flute carved from exquisite ivory. The sound that came out after he brought it to his lips, however, could not be defined with the same elegance. Every third note was off. It was high, grating and was not too unlike the scraping noise of blade being sharpened mixed with the cries of a spoiled baby.
The flute, made with such a wonderful quality, broadcast this awful sound to Peng Jipei's surroundings. The animals fled from him, leaping out of their hiding places and rustling branches to the beat of the awful music. It was so loud and so terrible that Liu Sumeng was getting a headache just from listening. But he didn't dare press his ears closed, and simply observed the scene before him.
The cavern rumbled. The snow that encircled the entrance quickly melted and from the darkness a brilliant light emerged, shining all colors of the rainbow.
The phoenix was as terrifying as it was majestic. When it stood it was as tall as a man with fiery plumage draping its body. A myriad of colors shimmered when those feathers were touched by sunlight. It's head, delicate-looking upon a long peacock neck was adorned with a crown of plumes, red and gold.
"You," a mighty voice bellowed from within its puffed out chest, not male, not female, "who are you to deliver such dissonance upon my lands? What misfortune do you wish to receive?" It scolded as though talking to a child with hidden patience both wise and boundless.
Peng Jipei flashed his long dark lashes and smiled like a shy maiden. He lowered his flute and stroked his hair, "Oh…was it that bad?"
The phoenix scrutinized him with its golden eyes. "Little girl, are you deaf?" It sighed with a pitying tone.
Peng Jipei didn't react to being called a girl, "Oh…maybe. Please forgive me, Great Phoenix, I didn't think it could be so terrible. I was just trying to play you a song. I heard that you like music."
"I do," the phoenix bristled, "but what you played was far from music. It was just painful noise."
"I'm sorry," the way Peng Jipei trembled made him look even smaller in front of the giant phoenix. "I'm not very good at many things, and I don't have any valuables on me neither. I only have this…" He took out a peach with a perfectly rounded bottom that met at a centered points. The peach was luscious and almost vibrant in color, pink with a touch of a soft creamy yellow. It was unnaturally large and without a single trace of imperfection.
The phoenix tried as it could to act disinterested but none missed the way it tilted its head and narrowed its gaze upon the mouth-watering delicacy in Peng Jipei's hand, "What have you there, little girl?"
"A peach," Peng Jipei tucked a loose strand of hair behind his ear and batted his lashes some more.
"That is no ordinary peach," the phoenix inched closer and Peng Jipei flinched from the tiny embers that flickered towards him, "Let me have a look at it."
"I'm giving it to you," Peng Jipei declared and carefully stretched out his hand some more, "As an apology…" He couldn't quite stop his body and voice from trembling.
The phoenix, intrigued, leaned down and pecked at the fruit, "Very well then. I shall forgive you if you promise never to put a flute to your lips again."
"I-I promise."
"Good," it opened its peak and Peng Jipei felt his entire body freeze and tense as he gazed down the long black tunnel down the phoenix's throat. The peach was plucked from his hands and panic seeped farther and farther into his pores, waiting to overflow. Peng Jipei was counting down the milliseconds before he could run for cover and save himself the maw and claws of this terrifying bird.
At first, the phoenix was pleased and even preened when the large fruit traveled down its long neck. Peng Jipei watched the bulge inch farther and farther down… it was going to be any second now.
The phoenix looked down upon him and for a moment was silent. Only when the fruit disappeared into its belly did it seem to realize that something was off. "You…" it said, causing Peng Jipei's heart to stutter and freeze. "Don't tell me…you're actually a man?"
"..." That wasn't the realization that Peng Jipei was waiting for. He laughed awkwardly and continued to card his fingers through his own hair, "Yes…"
"...Why didn't you say anything?"
"...Uh," Peng Jipei paused, "I was afraid you might be embarrassed."
"..."
"..."
The phoenix made a coughing sound, "It can't be helped, as humans look all the same to me, male or female." Somehow, the words sounded like a lie but Peng Jipei was too scared to point that out and could only smile stupidly as he watched the phoenix retreat back into the cave.
Was that…part of the plan?
No wait, wasn't supposed to happen like that, was it? Did the plan already fail?
Peng Jipei wasn't sure if he should be feeling panicked or relieved and decided to settle on a combination of both.
And just as he was dawdling over conflicting emotions and useless thoughts, Yuan Xuelan's voice suddenly cut through the air, "Watch out!"
Peng Jipei didn't watch out at all, and wasn't paying attention to the light that erupted from within the cavern. A surge of fire rushed out from within. He was lucky because, by some stroke of fate, Liu Sumeng had leaped out from the shadows and put himself in front as a shield. With the quick formation of a barrier and the enchanted robe that cloaked the Ivory Sword Saint's body, the damage of fire was mitigated and blocked.
But Liu Sumeng knew he couldn't keep his barrier up against a barrage of divine flames. The tips of his enchanted jacket were already singed. Teeth grit, he switched up his hand seal to change the barrier into a reflective surface. The flames dispersed and fanned outwards. The spell was going to shatter in a matter of seconds so he grabbed Peng Jipei by the scruff and rushed out of the danger zone.
A roaring noise rushed out from within the mouth of the cave. "What did you do!?" It demanded and howled. More flames burst out in uncontrolled waves. The phoenix crawled out from the darkness, its wings dragging on the ground, neck curled in and eyes red. A fire pulsed and surrounded it, emitting a rainbow of colors.
"What did you do?" The question echoed.
Peng Jipei squeaked and scrambled behind Liu Sumeng for cover.
"Foolish humans! You will die from your greed!" That terrible beak unhinged and spewed out a river of flames. Liu Sumeng snatched the collar of Peng Jipei's robes and again, took him out of the line of fire. He tossed the smaller cultivator behind a row of trees, "Stay out of the way!"
Peng Jipei was more than happy to oblige and whimpered as he scrambled behind a large slab of rock.
The phoenix spread out its large wings, fanning the flames out more. Its large body trembled, as though in pain as its spiritual energy became an uncontrollable turbulent sea.
But there were worst things he had faced, Liu Sumeng thought. Like the demon king and Zhao Fanyu. And Xu Hexian's harrowed face that didn't know to beg for life or for death. Liu Sumeng, like the past, embodied nothing more than the sharp edge of Yuan Xuelan's sword. He cleansed himself of useless thoughts and gripped his blade, for he was the Ivory Sword Saint.
Atop the cliff above the cave's entrance, Yuan Xuelan was carefully setting in the last piece of his array. He didn't want to activate it too early, lest his plan be discovered by the phoenix sooner than anticipated. But he wanted to work as quickly as possible because he despised the idea of the plan in the first place.
Yuan Xuelan cursed at himself, as he buried the stone under the dirt and grimaced. He hated how once again he asked Liu Sumeng to take vanguard, and he hated how there was never a better option than to make use of the Ivory Sword Saint's martial prowess.
If only he was stronger. If only he didn't spend all his hours and efforts nose-deep in books and magical tools and legendary treasures. He needed more practical power. A stronger body, and a more skilled sword arm.
Protecting Chen Anyue, who lived the majority of her life in a gilded cage, was one thing. But trying to protect the Ivory Sword Saint, who was crowned a martial prodigy of several centuries, was a whole different thing!
When Yuan Xulan was done he dusted off his palms. There were thunderous sounds behind him and the snow was fast melting into a pile of sludge. Suddenly, the air was feeling too hot. Yuan Xuelan made his way to the cliff edge that overlooked the battle below. Peng Jipei was no longer in sight. The flames that engulfed the trees were vivid and wild, seeming to know no master. The phoenix, in its angered and inebriated frenzy, tumbled and barreled into the surrounding trees, cliffside and ground. When it tried to fly, it was only to able to circle around once before faltering and crashing earthward.
The pill Yuan Xuelan snuck inside the peach was a lot more effective than what he'd expected. But even with the phoenix debilitated, it didn't mean the divine flames emitted off its body were any less dangerous.
Yuan Xuelan clicked his lips and raised his hand in preparation to unleash the spell, waiting for just the right moment. But he was feeling impatient, especially when Liu Sumeng's enchanted jacket was already scorched black. And with each clash of flame and steel, he was worried sick that Mingshui would melt and crack like the surrounding trees that wilted into a pile of ash. He gritted his teeth but his heart refused to calm because Liu Sumeng was much too close to the clutches of an enraged phoenix's claws.