Lu Sumeng hadn't run away.
In fact, it'd been the very opposite reason why he embarked on this small trip on his own. Liu Fumao had been furious when he announced his departure, but Liu Sumeng did not back down despite the scolding and the threat of punishment. "I'm going," he said resolutely to the Sect Leader without rising from his knees, "It will only be a few days."
There was a very good reason why he needed to leave. According to his knowledge of his previous incarnation, it was around this time when a rogue cultivator called the Black Handed Warrior acquired a powerful magical item from a nearby town. This cultivator would later disappear off the maps until he was later killed off by demons because of this very item.
Liu Sumeng needed this treasure. It was what later forged the steel that created the flame-bringing sword, Silei. In his last life, it'd taken a wild goose chase and needless bloodshed all for the sake of obtaining this one treasure. In this life, Liu Sumeng was intent on skipping over that entire complicated sequence of events.
But more importantly, this would be a perfect apology gift for Yuan Xuelan!
And it was a perfect opportunity to improve his personality as well!
This wasn't just two birds with one stone anymore, wouldn't it be considered three? Liu Sumeng might have been a little proud of his plan. Of course, he'd die first before letting anyone know about his inappropriate feelings.
Ahem.
In any case, Liu Sumeng made it to Boling Town without much complication. It was a thriving riverside town with an economy and livelihood that put even Zu Village to shame. Sandwiched between a lush riverside and forested mountains, the little town, noisy with color was as though it'd been plucked from a painting.
Chen Anyue would like it here, he thought absently as he walked the streets. Merchants called for his attention, fresh fish! Fresh lotus roots! Porcelain bowls! Enchanted jewelry! There was any and everything.
But Liu Sumeng wasn't there for any and everything. He was there for a very special treasure, one that was rumored to tame even the wildest of storms. The Tiger Heart Amethyst might be shy in notoriety compared to the Three Heaven-Defying Forbidden Treasures, but it was formidable in its own right.
Though, there was still a glaring problem with Liu Sumeng's current predicament. He knew that the rogue cultivator, the Black Handed Warrior would acquire the Tiger Heart Amethyst in Boling around these next few days…but he had no idea how or exactly where! Not to mention, he didn't even know what the Black Handed Warrior looked like, having never had the opportunity to meet the man in his past life.
Liu Sumeng surveyed the streets. There was a gambling den, inviting chaos and excitement, and an inn across where travelers came to and fro. Lastly, there was a tea house right next door where people gathered for afternoon chattering, food and drinks. These were all good places to gather information and ask the locals for news and interesting happenings.
That was the other reason he'd come alone. Liu Sumeng needed to speak more, smile more. And if Liu Suye, who was born from the same mother, the same seed could command an entire room with brilliant charism, why couldn't he?
Stealing his nerves, Liu Sumeng took a glance at each establishment and weighed their pros and cons. He strolled towards the teahouse, deciding that this would be the least rowdy of his choices.
It was a mistake.
The moment he answered a half-eaten bun came flying at his face. Liu Sumeng dodged it and instantly considered going back out the door.
"Xiao Rong! Please calm down!" a man cried at a girl who was huffing and puffing in hysterics, her face wet with tears. Many of the patrons had turned their heads down and eyes away, too embarrassed to even look at the lover's spat that was now unfolding in the middle of the establishment.
"Don't tell me to calm down!" she yelled back, stomping her feet restlessly, "You have no right to tell me what to do! Or even talk to me! Even though- Even though- together- we-" Her voice trembled, words became confused as sobs bubbled up her throat.
"Xiao Rong!" The man said to her once more, carefully approaching her with a bowed head, "Listen to me, do you really believe I would do something so terrible to you? There has to be some sort of misunderstanding here, I-"
"Don't come any closer!" She shrilled, flailing her arms threatening to hit him if he came any closer.
The man looked at a loss until he looked up and met eyes with Liu Sumeng. "Please listen to me ok? Whatever you think that I did last night, it didn't happen at all. In fact, I was with my Dage here and we were, uh," he blinked at Liu Sumeng and said, "we were taking a stroll in the forest to look for herbs for his sick mother!"
Liu Sumeng almost bit his tongue off.
Just who are you calling your Dage!?
The man was staring at him with hopeful eyes, "Right Dage!?"
Flabbergasted, he didn't even realize he was agreeing, "Right."
The woman, who looked up and squinted at his face, was not so easily tricked, "What? Don't lie to me, you pig! And just who is this man!? Do you really want me to believe that you know him!? How come I've never met him before?"
"What do you mean, Xiao Rong? We've known each other since we were young, right Dage?" He even looped around Liu Sumeng's shoulder and Liu Sumeng was very close to tossing this man right out of the teahouse.
But he didn't.
When the man had slipped around his neck he felt a trickle of spiritual energy. This man was a cultivator and was prodding Liu Sumeng's mind with a communication spell. A low voice muttered directly into his mind, "I'm sorry but please go with the flow! I'll definitely repay you! My name is Cao Sancui."
Cao Sancui? There was something familiar about that name but Liu Sumeng couldn't really put his hand on it. Either way he had to oblige at this point, especially because this Cao Sancui guy could very well be the Black Handed Warrior!
"We're childhood friends," he calmly lied, despite the awkward churning inside his stomach. Liu Sumeng tried to remind himself this was all part of building character!
The woman, Xiao Rong was still glaring at him suspiciously so he continued, "I was away. For my mother… she…" What could even be a believable lie!? Liu Sumeng blinked, he'd always leave this kind of thing to others! "She's ill so I had to take her away. To the capital. To, uh. A doctor, in the capital."
Xiao Rong narrowed her eyes at him, disbelieving, while Cao Sancui twiddled his fingers. "Cao Sancui," she said, enunciating his name slowly, "Do you really take me for a fool?" But her angered expression wavered, knit brows downturned, "After all we've been through together after…"
"Sweetheart…"
"Stop! I can't take this anymore!" Hiding her tear-stained face behind her sleeve, she shoved both Liu Sumeng and Cao Sancui aside to rush out the door.
"Sweetheart, wait!" Cao Sancui reached out to grab her arm and Liu Sumeng wanted to die while watching this entire, ridiculous scene. "But our child-"
She threw away his arm, fury bright in her eyes and now Liu Sumeng couldn't help but feel like a villain. He should have been used to it, once a general of a tyrannical ruler but this, this was just too much. "Our child is better off without you!" She spat in his face before running off.
"W-wait!" Cao Sancui shouted and followed after her, and Liu Sumeng, remembering that this man still might be the Black Handed Warrior also followed suit. However, in the split second it took them to peek out the teahouse to go after her, Xiao Rong had already disappeared in the hustle and bustle of the crowds.
Cao Sancui sighed, longing in his voice, "How did this even happen…?"
Liu Sumeng wanted to know too! Displeased, he glared at the rogue cultivator before scolding, "Reflect on your actions before you speak to her."
Cao Sancui gave him an expression akin to a kicked puppy. Looking closer at his features there was something extremely familiar about him. From the slope of his nose to the curve of the cupid's bow on his lips and large double-lidded eyes. Cao Sancui looked suspiciously like Yuan Xuelan. "I really didn't do anything wrong!" he cried. Maybe Liu Sumeng was losing it because he thought there was even something about the timbre of this man's voice that resembled Xuelan.
"…"
Was Liu Sumeng going insane? No, no. There really was something extremely similar about this man. Even with his outrageous and bold outbursts, Liu Sumeng was reminded of the fearless brazenness of Emperor Taixu.
And the way he pouted and lightly tilted his head… "Why are you looking at me like that? You're making me nervous!"
"..." Liu Sumeng continued to glare, not feeling sorry at all.
The rogue cultivator sighed and scratched the back of his neck, "Anyways thanks for helping me back there. I really don't understand how Xiao Rong made up all these strange fantasies about me. Anyways, how about I treat you to a meal?" His smile was easy and inviting and Liu Sumeng found himself to be a little jealous, "Ah but not this place, hehe. Let's go somewhere else."
Liu Sumeng nodded and followed, thinking quietly how he should question this man and pry information from him. In his past life, he'd taken part in interrogations but those were simple, direct questions with the promise of blood and pain. This, however, was a little…
What could he say? Are you the Black Handed Warrior? That moniker didn't even appear till after he acquired the Tiger Heart Amethyst though. Where is the Tiger Hearted Amethyst? But Liu Sumeng wasn't even certain that the Black Handed Warrior would have known.
Still, he knew that this man was to come across the treasure at some point in the next few days and then disappear off the continent soon after. Tailing and finding out more about this enigmatic personality would be enough for now.
The establishment that Cao Sancui chose was a boisterous one, with people screaming and laughing, and the floor covered in more filth than the poor owners had time to sweep up. "The food is the best here," Cao Sancui grinned, gesturing for Liu Sumeng to take a seat. "Never caught your name, what should I call you?"
Liu Sumeng straightened his robes as he took a seat. "Liu Sumeng." When the waiter came over, he was quick to order a bottle of wine and dishes that weren't too strong on the palate. Definitely not anything spicy.
"Liu Sumeng? Why does that name sound so familiar? Oh, wait I know! You're that Ivory Sword Saint aren't you? From the Heavenly Sword Sect!" A fist slammed on the table in Cao Sancui's fit of excitement and Liu Sumeng visibly cringed. "The Ivory Sword Saint that danced so beautifully that a goddess descended from the Heavens just to watch him practice his sword. She offered you a place by her side in the Heavenly Offices but you had refused. How romantic!"
A headache was threatening to form. People were rarely brazen enough to recite that ridiculous tale to his face, "That didn't happen." He could barely hide a scowl.
"No?"
"No."
"Ah, then that's a pity." Cao Sancui's mood brightened even farther as the alcohol was brought to the table, contrasting the miserable face he was showing back at the teahouse. Liu Sumeng was beginning to believe that the entire thing had been a farce but he was still willing to give this strange man a chance.
"What happened?" he asked plainly.
Cao Sancui's eyes seemed to twinkle as he leaned in over the table, "Are you interested in me?"
"..." Liu Sumeng narrowed his eyes, unamused.
But Cao Sancui was undeterred by the icy glare shot his way. He poured two bowls of wine as full as he could, "Then let me tell you my story. It all began when…"