Liu Sumeng reached out but failed to grasp onto Yuan Xuelan's sleeve. Helplessly, he watched the younger cultivator disappear into the distance and had to suppress the urge to run after.
He endured. And turned to face the phoenix in front of him, "I will let you go."
She raised a brow and inclined her chin. Her face tugged against the golden binds of the net. "You've gone through a lot of trouble to come to such a conclusion, young cultivator."
Peng Jipei gripped his sleeve, eyes darting in search of the Yuan Xuelan that had run off, "Wait, wait, wait, Young Master Liu, please think this over!" His shrill voice begged. "I understand your hesitance and honestly it's not like I want to do this either, but… For the sake of my mother. Please, there is no other choice…"
His lips were still bruised blue from his brother's beating. The delicate and fine clothes on his body stood stark contrast against his deep pout and clasped hands held in front of his chest. Peng Jipei was no better than a begging animal. Liu Sumeng wanted to curse him for being weak of heart, but who was he to say anything? After his own heart trembled and falter after he lost Chen Anyue. And the very thought of losing Yuan Xuelan was absolutely unbearable.
But the truth could not be denied and realoty had to be faced. Their eyes met. "Your mother will die in three day's time," Liu Sumeng said.
"Wah-" Peng Jipei blinked, struck.
"Your mother will die in three day's time," he repeated.
"No, no, no you're mistaken-"
"She will die." Merciless, he repeated again.
It only took a second for the panic on Peng Jipei's countenance to fade into rage. "Shut up!" He snapped and punched Liu Sumeng in the face.
The Ivory Sword Saint took the blow, teeth cutting into his lip and Liu Sumeng tasted iron.
"You better take that back! My mother won't die!" He grabbed Liu Sumeng by the collar and shook him like a child would a rag doll.
Liu Sumeng grabbed the wrist that held him there and felt the way Peng Jipei trembled like a leaf. The truth was unkind but he said it again, "Your mother will die. And you will fail to repay Zhao Fanyu in the following days."
Tears spilled from the eye uncovered by the eyepatch but Liu Sumeng continued, "Your brother will throw you out. And you will slave away to fulfill your debt."
The shaking under Liu Sumeng's hold became more violent. Liu Sumeng ignored it, "This is your own doing. This is your fate."
Peng Jipei sobbed and then snarled, winding up for another punch.
Liu Sumeng caught it this time and held Peng Jipei's fist with an iron grip, "Stop this."
But the boy didn't stop and cried and kicked at him like a cornered beast. "You bastard! What do you know about my mother? Tell me, what in the world do you think you know!?" Left without a choice, he twisted Peng Jipei's arm behind his back to see if the smaller man could calm down. But Peng Jipei continued to fight and squirm until Liu Sumeng decided it was best to hit a pressure point in his neck, making the boy's body go slack. The Ivory Sword Saint caught him before he hit the ground.
"If you believe you are being noble," the phoenix chuckled, "then you are wrong."
He laid Peng Jipei upon the ground before going to the phoenix and cutting apart her binds, "Sorry."
"And what meaning does your apology hold?" she asked, rising to her feet. She was tall for a woman, just barely shorter than the current Yuan Xuelan. Her hands folded neatly across her stomach and chin held up. "You've created a mess out of my spiritual energy, and my cultivation is practically useless. Even beyond these binds, you are simply sending me off to my death, no different than what that boy wished of me." Her smile was calm and alluring and would easily unnerve a lesser man.
After a moment of contemplation, Liu Sumeng replied, "I see. Then I will take care of you."
She raised a brow, "And do you truly believe that that will alleviate your transgressions?"
"No," he struggled with his words before saying, "But it's the least I can do."
"Oh," and for the first time she smiled in a way that wasn't a sneer, her shoulders perked up and she appeared rather girlish if even a bit mischievous, "That is true. Then take care of me you shall!" Her body began to glow again until it began to shrink.
She shrank and shrank until there was no longer a woman but a little puffy red chick that bounced at Liu Sumeng's feet. He blinked and tried to believe that he wasn't charmed, but he totally was!
She, was, so, cute!
He bent down and scooped the little fluffy thing in his palms.
The phoenix chick ruffled her feathers and snuggled against his hand, "This divine one's name is Huo Tang. But I will have you know, at my tender age of a mere eight hundred years I am only a small fledgling and demand that I be spoiled and taken care of appropriately."
Liu Sumeng wasn't sure if eight hundred years was supposed to make her youthful but he didn't care. He was quite pleased with the adorable little thing in his hands. He always wanted a pet. Ahem. Don't tell his uncle.
That was one thing taken care of. Now he had to turn his attention back to Peng Jipei and sighed. This Young Master will have to confront his own shortcomings and deal with the reality of his mother's passing, lest he became the villain that haunted the cultivation world from Liu Sumeng's previous life. He felt sorry for Peng Jipei, but he still despised him, still cursed him and needed to make sure that the damage caused by this foolish boy will not spiral out of control. He had to make sure that Peng Jipei won't succeed at murdering Peng Zhugen and make sure that he doesn't cross paths with Chen Anyue. And Liu Sumeng thought the only reason why he didn't end Peng Jipei's life right then and there was because it would make Yuan Xuelan hate him.
But still, there was no reason to kill Huo Tang aside from saving Peng Jipei from his well-earned punishment. Yuan Xuelan likely knew this too, but still opted to help Peng Jipei as a blind act of loyalty. Loyalty had always been one of Yuan Xuelan's strongest traits as well as his worst flaw.
Liu Sumeng tossed the unconscious Peng Jipei over his shoulder and went to look for the wayward Yuan Xuelan.
The wind had picked up and the chill bit into new wounds and burns. The snow was already being blown back to the barren scorched earth, masking the evidence of their battle. He found Yuan Xuelan's footprints and followed them before they faded into the blanket of snow.
"Are you looking for that rude boy?" Huo Tang nudged at his neck, her little body felt almost feverish but Liu Sumeng supposed that was to be expected for a phoenix.
"He's not so bad," Liu Sumeng hummed in defense of Yuan Xuelan.
But Huo Tang didn't agree and scoffed, shaking her downy red feathers and tickling his neck, "He is a most disagreeable person! Does he not have eyes? That boy is blind. You better reprimand him sooner than later."
"...?" For some reason, those words sounded a little strange. What was she even talking about?
"The very thought makes me quake with rage! Foolish boy. I will scold him later. How dare he call me Auntie!? Did he not take a look at my cute, youthful visage? The gall of him!"
"..."
For a teenager to call an eight-hundred-year-old divine beast Auntie, wasn't that already being kind!?
Liu Sumeng said nothing but patted her little red head with the tip of his finger. She preened like a pleased cat.
Perhaps she was a little unreasonable but at least she was very adorable!
They found Yuan Xuelan squatting in a little grove. He didn't move or say a word, head tucked between his knees and arms folded over. Liu Sumeng wondered if he was cold.
"Xuelan," he called softly and held out a hand. The wind rustled the branches, snow fluttered down and speckled Yuan Xuelan's black hair.
Liu Sumeng almost thought he wasn't going to react. But slowly, like a shy sprout coming into spring, his eyes peeked from his arms and stared at Liu Sumeng's hand like it was an illusion, a dream.
"Xuelan," he said again, "let's go."
The hand that took his was like ice. Liu Sumeng tightened his grip. He smiled, even though Xuelan refused to look up. The gust pulled at them with a breathy sigh. Yuan Xuelan followed after him like an obedient dog and was quiet. Peng Jipei hung on Liu Sumeng's shoulder like a sack of rice, and Liu Sumeng strode quietly, like a young man returning home. And Huo Tang was tucked against his neck and had unwittingly fallen asleep, basking in the young man's warmth. The wind picked up and swept up their tracks and the forest was quiet again, beneath the blanket of winter.
Only halfway back to the Hidden Mist Manor did Yuan Xuelan finally look up and catch the little red fluff cuddling against the curve of Liu Sumeng's neck.
"What the heck is that?" He glared at it.
Luckily, or perhaps unluckily, Huo Tang was a heavy sleeper and snored lightly on Liu Sumeng's shoulder. He answered as though it was the most normal thing in the world, "Her name is Huo Tang."
Yuan Xuelan continued to glare at it, "I see. So we're having chicken for dinner."
"Tang Tang is not food."
"..."
"..."
Yuan Xuelan never thought he could find an overgrown divine chicken so hateful and yet there he was.