It was on the same night that Peng Jipei left the place he spent his entire life calling home. A deep vacant despair filled him, and he was left without the willpower to do anything at all. Even becoming Zhao Fanyu's lifelong slave didn't daunt him, didn't scare him. After all, what could be more terrible than his mother passing? He even tried to kill his own brother and failed. What could he do now? There was nothing. Nothing at all.
He was supposed to pack, but there were no things he felt like bringing. He already had with him a locket with some strands of his mother's hair. That was all he wanted. So he only sat there on his bed and waited to be summoned.
A dark figure crept up from the shadows of his own room but Peng Jipei didn't have it in him to feel scared.
This stranger was tall and wore a black butterfly mask upon his face and loomed over the seated Peng Jipei. He had no energy to feel alarmed and instead had his eyes glued to the little silver bell that hung from the scabbard of the man's scimitar, "Where did you get that?" he croaked, his voice was hoarse from crying.
The stranger hummed. From his sleeve, he fished out a small wooden idol. The god depicted was not one that Peng Jipei could recognize and danced with a fan of feathers in one hand and a bell in the other. The details were exquisitely refined on the tiny statuette, and the god's face was life-like as though he might come to life at any moment.
Peng Jipei found himself inexplicably drawn toward this unknown god. The stranger whispered with a low and mysterious tone, "The Golden God will receive your prayers and ease your pain. He will give you the power to defeat your enemies."
Peng Jipei furrowed his brows. He had no enemies, only those he despised. But they weren't the same as enemies, for they weren't obstacles for him to defeat.
Seeing the boy's hesitance, the man explained, "Sadness, as well, can be defeated."
Hesitantly, the boy reached out and accepted the idol from the mysterious man. The silver bell on his scabbard made a sharp and clean sound that resonated only in his mind. There was a distinct scent of peonies and ginseng. The stranger melted back into the shadow and Peng Jipei was left there with only his sorrows and the idol of a mysterious Golden God.
...
In a different province, Liu Langce beat both Liu Sumeng and Yuan Xuelan back to Wangyun Peak and he was coughing up a storm.
"Ugh, I'm really getting on with my age," he groaned and glared at the tea that offered to him by his disciple, as though offended. The Guanghai Elder sat at the table in a reclined pose, neither proper nor elegant. He had an arm draped over his knee and another supporting his head against the table. The robes he wore were a myriad of colors, from the beige outer jacket with green trimmings and silver inner tunic. His belt was blue and unlike anyone else from the Heavenly Sword Sect, he did not carry a blade at his hip. It was rumored that the Guanghai Elder was at least three centuries old but numbers varied between fifty all the way up to five hundred. No one really knew what was true.
"I swear you've gotten worse and not better," Liu Suye sat down with the Guanghai Elder at the table and set down a tray of snacks. There were peanuts, melon seeds as well as some sweets the Elder had gotten from a distant province. "I thought you went to Haishang Province to get some medicine?"
Liu Langce grumbled, "I did. Xiao Yu'er wasn't there though." Another coughing fit assaulted him and finally prompted him to take a sip at the hot tea. Liu Langce was never much of a fan of tea and preferred wine at all hours of the day. Unfortunately for him, his constitution would not hold candle to either of the younger Liu's.
"I know that the Wayward Wind Sect has had it rough in recent years but…couldn't you have bought medicine from someone else? I'm sure there are people there who would have been willing to help you. Your relationship with Sect Leader Zhao is pretty good." Liu Suye hummed, if it wasn't for his gentle tone it would have sounded like he was scolding.
…Except he was totally scolding. And Liu Langce who brought this kid up from when he was wearing only a bib glared at him with all his strength, "Do you think me an idiot? I'm not going to waste my time on some airheads who don't even know left from right. Xiao Yu'er's the only trustworthy one left from that pitiful sect. I'll trust his opinion and his opinion alone." He made a dismissing motion with his hand that Liu Suye ignored.
Liu Suye waited for his Shizun to stop coughing before he skillfully veered the conversation elsewhere, "In all honesty, I'm surprised you've returned. A-Chao is returning soon."
"Ah, did you think I was afraid of Liu Chao?" Liu Langce scoffed and reached for one of the sweets. He forgot to chew and swallowed much too quickly, which only incited another coughing fit.
Liu Suye laughed at him. "Aren't you?"
"I'm not."
The Guanghai Elder narrowed his eyes while he stuffed another sweet into his mouth. Liu Suye chuckled as though innocent. "I suppose you had to return for his wedding one way or the other."
"Hmm, I feel bad for that Chen girl."
"Oh, she likes him though."
"Really?" Liu Langce raised a brow as though not entirely convinced.
"Have you not met her? She's been working hard to become stronger for his sake. She's quite keen on earning his affection."
Liu Langce scoffed and rolled his eyes, "Is she even aware of his true personality? Wait no. That kid has no personality. He's basically a rock. The most disagreeable disciple I've ever taught!"
A chuckle filled the room as Liu Suye brought a cup of tea to his lips, "C'mon, give A-Chao a bit more credit than that! But the wedding is near so let us remain in good spirits! A-Chao deserves some good wishes, even if they're from you, Shizun!"
But he was wrong in thinking that the wedding would take place anytime soon. Who could blame him? There was no way for Liu Suye to predict the ensuing chaos that would soon engulf the entire cultivation world…
...
The days back at Wangyun Peak felt deceptively quiet. Liu Sumeng was plagued with gloom and found himself in a strange unfocused state. He even got himself scolded by Liu Fumao more often than not. He was thinking about a lot of things and his sword was getting sloppy. The Sect Leader was threatening to send him on another mission to help sharpen his mind before his marriage.
Liu Sumeng didn't think about that. There were too many other things that were floating in his mind and occupying his mental space. After he'd delivered the letter to Liu Suye, his older brother had locked himself in his room. And Yuan Xuelan was still cold to him and kept his distance. And now… Liu Sumeng found himself in strange company.
"There was a crack of thunder as I swooped down and pinned his wrists with my beak and felt him tremble beneath my grasps!" Huo Tang flapped her little red wings as added dramatics to her tale.
Chen Anyue gasped, her hands flew to her mouth and her eyes widened, enraptured by the phoenix's story.
Xu Hexian had a strange frown on his face and his cheeks were a little flushed red, but he was equally attentive and waited for the little bird to continue. It was evening Liu Sumeng could no longer remember how he came into the company of these two. They were seated around a low table with little Huo Tang hopping around a plate of melon seeds. Liu Sumeng watched them from his spot upon the couch next to the window, a book was long forgotten in his lap.
"And then he glared at me and I saw tears well in his eyes and his body was hot under my hold…"
"Say no more!" Xu Hexian slapped his hands against the table jolting the plate of melon seeds. His face was now thoroughly red. "Some things should only be known in the privacy of a bedroom!"
"...What do you mean?" Chen Anyue tilted her head and frowned, not quite understanding what he was talking about. She still reached over and began to pick up the mess.
Huo Tang was fast after her and pecked at the spilled seeds with her beak.
"Hey, Meng-xiong, help me out here!" Xu Hexian looked over his shoulder and pouted at him.
Chen Anyue also raised her eyes, with mysterious anticipation swirling within her deep brown orbs.
Liu Sumeng found himself at a loss when dealing with this forthcoming and hopeful Chen Anyue. He didn't understand why it was up to him to break her heart. So instead he turned his attention to the one person who wasn't looking his way. Huo Tang was still busy pecking away at melon seeds.
"Tang Tang," he called her.
"Hm?" She didn't do so much as lift her head in acknowledgment.
"...Don't tell any more weird stories."
Huo Hang finally looked at him and hopped around on her tiny little feet, "What? How are my stories weird?" Her voice was thick and distorted from all the seeds she had stuck in her cheeks, "If the act of producing children was so odd then how do you think all of you here were born?"
"..." This was definitely not the conversation he wanted to have with her. He came over to the table and bent over between Chen Anyue and Xu Hexian then promptly flicked the little phoenix on her forehead.
"Ouch! What was that for, you meanie!? Is that how you treat your elders!??"
"..." Liu Sumeng thought it was very funny that Huo Tang only wished her age be acknowledged when demanding for respect. He wasn't sure if she deserved it in this instance so he scooped her up in his palms and began massaging her little face. Soon she could do nothing but melt between his fingers. The little preening noises she was making soothed out into snores. Huo Tang was a surprisingly simple creature.
Xu Hexian let out a long sigh of relief, "Thanks, Meng-xiong. I honestly don't know where you picked up such a vulgar little creature. I'm surprised you haven't tossed her out."
"...Tang Tang is cute." He told Xu Hexian as if those words explained his actions.
Xu Hexian, on the other hand, did not seem extremely convinced. "...Right."