In the summer months, Wangyun Peak grew humid with heat, its snow-covered slopes became coated with lush greenery.
When Liu Sumeng returned, the troops gathered at the manor had him confused. Or at least, he was praying that his assumptions were wrong. He rushed inside the manor with the echos of drills behind him. He could have sworn he saw colors worn by different sects as well.
It couldn't be…
Moisture in the air felt especially heavy in the dense heat of summer but Liu Sumeng was relentless in his search around the halls. But his uncle was nowhere to be found. He wasn't in the main hall, his study, or any of the courtyards around the manor. And any Elder he came upon awkwardly shifted their eyes and answered him vaguely.
Liu Sumeng was a patient person but months of this ridiculous tension were wearing away at his endurance. Luckily, he was able to find both Xu Hexian and Liu Suye exiting Baiyun hall. He wasted no time cornering them, annoyance visible on his usually calm appearance, "Where is Uncle? What is going on?"
"Eeep! Don't hit me!" Xu Hexian instantly squeaked and jumped behind Liu Suye for cover.
The Ivory Sword Saint tested his older brother was a cold glare.
"Uncle is currently out but I'm sure he will return this evening," Liu Suye answered with a measured tone. He had become the person who would mediate between the growing tension between Liu Sumeng and the rest of the Heavenly Sword Sect Elders. It was strange how much things have changed in just a matter of a few months.
"He's hiding from me." Liu Sumeng remarked, his eyes cold.
Liu Suye was not easily scared, especially not by his own younger brother. He hummed and stroked his own arm, "Well, perhaps. He knows well what you're going to say to him. But neither he nor the rest of the Elders will budge on the matter. You know this."
Liu Sumeng was stunned into silence. Never before had he felt as betrayed as at this very moment. The only time that came remarkably close was the time in his previous life. It was a time where Liu Suye had taken it upon himself to band together with the Heavenly Sword Sect Elders behind Liu Sumeng's back and marched against him. Liu Sumeng had little care to give back then and it had been for a cause he couldn't fault. This was different.
"So they're going for Xinlie City." The Ivory Sword Saint bit out. The sharp feeling of annoyance clawed at his stomach as he was barely able to keep his countenance calm.
Liu Suye frowned. "We're going for Xinlie City," he corrected. "They've already made the call."
"I can see that."
Xinlie City was a demon city and was home to one of the Demon King's main dwellings. It was also the closest stronghold to Heavenly Sword territory and sat just on the cusp of the Dark Kingdom, next to Juganmen Province. If they took this stronghold, it would help them secure the north, and ease up the small scale raids and sieges that the Demon Clans had slowly been unleashing upon them.
Liu Sumeng had spent months trying to discourage this plan. And when they began to send him off on solo missions against those small scale raids, the Ivory Sword Saint had suspected that something was off. But he wanted to trust his uncle. He wanted to believe that the sect's respect for him would have made them at least wait for his return before finalizing any decision-making.
He was truly a fool.
"This plan isn't sound. If it was, they wouldn't have made it behind my back."
Liu Suye kept his face neutral. He was more careful with his words nowadays. As his little brother grew in impatience, his talkativeness grew along with harsher words, "Please don't yell at me. It's not as if I had any say in those decisions."
Liu Sumeng narrowed his eyes. He didn't entirely believe his Xiongzhang.
Xu Hexian poked his head out from behind the older of the Liu brothers. Cautiously, he voiced his own opinion, "Why are you so angry, Meng-xiong? I mean, it's not a terrible idea, right? We've been the ones getting the brunt of all these attacks and now the other Sects are willing to help us out with securing our territory. It'll put us at an advantage against those Demons, right?"
"It's a diversion." Liu Sumeng said, feeling exhausted from repeating the same thing over and over again. He missed the years of being a respected general where his words at a war council never went unheard. But now, he was nothing more than a Young Master who had to heed the final decisions of the Sect Leader. He no longer held any authority on the matter.
The past several months had been especially quiet down in the southern regions, where the Seven Moons Sect was no doubt amassing their powers and brewing evil plots. The attacks up north could not be more obvious in their motives. And while Liu Sumeng was of no mind to simply abandon his own hometown to demon raids, he also was the only person who felt any urgency towards the situation down south. How could this be? Liu Sumeng felt like his hair was going to soon turn gray.
"Where is uncle?" He asked again.
"Look, A-Chao," Liu Suye sighed, "I really don't know. I just know that he went out. And you can talk to him when he returns but I'm serious when I say that the decision had already been made and you won't be able to change his mind. It's not just Uncle's decision, you know that right?"
Liu Sumeng glared at his older brother. He was well aware of that. An entire collection of fools stood behind this idea. It was Liu Sumeng alone who saw reason.
Liu Suye continued, "He's already invited some important people to Juganmen Province, they should be arriving in the next couple of days."
"I see." So this had been going on behind his back for a while now, hasn't it?
"I know you're unhappy about the situation but think about it this way, if we take care of Xinlie quickly then we could put all our focus down in the south after. It will alleviate a lot of the pressure we've been getting from the Demon Clan lately."
If Liu Sumeng was a less refined person he would have laughed in Liu Suye's face. Pressure? What pressure? All they've been facing have been a few pathetic little sieges that amounted to nothing. He wanted to ask them, did they really believe that the Demon Clan was being serious?
He stood there, quiet.
And now with the gathering of heroes coming to Wangyung Peak, the south will become even more vulnerable.
But it was already too late, Liu Sumeng thought darkly. This had been in part due to his own carelessness. If only he pushed those idiots a little harder…
"I see." Was all he said in the end before turning around and storming off. Now that the deed had already been done, there was nothing left to do but to pray that they could take Xinlie City as swiftly as possible.
The following dawn came with lively excitement. Peng Zhugen's arrival was one received by a flock of birds that descended upon Wangyun Peak with a chorus of song. He was alone atop a black horse and demanded the gates be promptly open. Luckily, Liu Suye was up early that morning and went to welcome his friend so that no one else had to suffer a headache from greeting the bad-tempered Hidden Mist Sect Leader.
"Are you alone?" Liu Suye asked curiously as he escorted the Hidden Mist Sect Leader indoors.
Peng Zhugen scoffed, "Do I look like a person without any sense of face? Of course not! I merely traveled ahead of those snail-paced disciples."
Liu Suye laughed but had expected as much.
A few hours later harkened the arrival of another important guest. This time, the hero was one that came with an entourage so large that they appeared like a clutter of sardines squeezed along the main path that led to the gates. The poor disciple that was the first to bear the sight of this oppressive arrival felt faint at the numbers she saw. How were they all to fit in Wangyun Peak?
But such it was Chen Leike's style to arrive with over-the-top grandeur. The majority of the Ascending Dawn Disciples ended up having to set up camp around the manor because their numbers were simply too great to be accommodated.
There were more 'heroes' that would come throughout the course of the day but luckily no more additional troops were due to arrive.
"Don't you think that calling it the 'Gathering of Heroes' is a little too…what's the word?" Xu Hexian made big wide arm movements as he walked side-by-side with the Ivory Sword Saint.
"..." Liu Sumeng was quiet as they strolled. Under Xu Hexian's suggestion, they had gone down to the village to have lunch together. But while in the past Xu Hexian was good at filling in silences and didn't find Liu Sumeng's lack of response concerning, he wasn't sure he could say the same now.
Because he knew the Ivory Sword Saint long enough to be able to tell his sour mood. And for the first time, Xu Hexian had no idea on how to ease the awkwardness that loomed around Liu Sumeng. But being the good and loyal friend that he was, it didn't stop him from trying.
"I honestly think the whole thing is a little too much. Don't you think we should at least be a little more discrete about it? Ah! Do you think the Demon King has spies among our ranks? That would be scary…"
Liu Sumeng sighed, "Shut up." His tone was not cruel but simply tired.
He was tired of Xu Hexian's light casual tone. The younger cultivator had no idea about the gravity of the words spewing out of his mouth. Meanwhile, Liu Sumeng was almost certain that there were spies among them and that the Demon King was preparing for them to show up at his doorsteps. And if Liu Sumeng were to be honest, he wouldn't be surprised if this was all part of the Demon King's plan from the very beginning.
Xu Hexian grumbled and pursed his lips. He really did go silent for once.
The road to and fro the village was cluttered with business. Disciples from distant sects set up camps throughout the mountain and greeted them as they passed.
To say the least, Liu Sumeng was not looking forward to this so-called Gathering of Heroes and the council due to begin that evening. There he could try one last time to make these fools see reason with words. And if that fell through then Liu Sumeng would be left with no choice but to take matters into his own hands.
Next to him, Xu Hexian squinted up at the beaming summer sun. And while it was still hot and humid, he knew that autumn was fast upon them. Wasn't it just a mere year ago when they received news of Chen Anyue and Liu Sumeng's engagement? Had it only been that long? Who knew that so many things could happen in one measly year…