This was something that he saw coming.

This…was inevitable. Of course, Liu Sumeng did not like him. He felt so silly for once believing that to be true. How was it that Yuan Xuelan was such a genius when it came to magical tools but a total idiot when it came to people?

He only had himself to blame. A sour taste rolled around in the back of his throat and he was a coward that felt like hiding away in a turtle's sh.e.l.l.

His gaze happened upon the diagrams once more, and his voice, though a bit hoa.r.s.e was clear, "Did you draw these things?"

Liu Sumeng's hands sprawled out over the parchments and slowly began to organize them into a neat pile, "Yes…But I had other geniuses inspire me." 

What Liu Sumeng couldn't say was the fact that many of these designs were plucked out of his memory and originally created by Yuan Xuelan himself.

"They are truly marvelous, to think Sumeng was a genius in this field as well. How could I ever hope to match you?" Yuan Xuelan hummed, trying as he could to narrow his entire world to the details of the designs laid out before him. Trying not to be aware of Liu Sumeng's heat next to him.

"You will," Liu Sumeng said with certainty. Privately he thought, 'you will surpa.s.s me as well'.

The Ivory Sword Saint set the stack of papers on the desk, allowing Yuan Xuelan to freely browse through them. 

"I really like this one," he chirped, picking at the blueprint and notes on the ballista that Liu Sumeng was trying really hard to recreate from memory. "I can think of some minor adjustments though, to improve the efficiency of the spell work…"

"If you can think of adjustments, feel free to make them," The Ivory Sword Saint readily encouraged.

"...You're awfully trusting of me."

"I am."

"...If only you were trusting enough to let me protect you as well."

"What?��� The last sentence came out mumbled and Liu Sumeng could not catch the meaning despite standing so close.

"No, it's nothing." Yuan Xuelan, fl.u.s.tered, quickly changed the subject as he flipped through all the loose pages. "This one though," he paused, scrutinizing it. "This is a bit weird. I'm not so certain it would work to be honest. But the concept is really intriguing."

Liu Sumeng's lips pressed thin. A light flush crept up his cheeks in strange embarra.s.sment. Out of all the designs he had painstakingly jotted down, this one solely was his design alone. 

"…Do you think you can fix it?"

"Fix it?"

"Make it work."

Yuan Xuelan's head tilted as he swept his gaze over the parchment over and over again, "I think so."

"Okay, please do. It's important. I want to test it out."

"Test it out?"

The Ivory Sword Saint sighed and then nodded, "Yes. I have to leave now…" He paused, "You need to come too."

"...?" 

Yuan Xuelan, again, was confused by these lacking explanations but he also happily agreed without any hesitation. Even rejected, he still yearned to be at Sumeng's side over all else. Perhaps this was truly some sort of sickness that had swelled up in his mind but what could he do? He was possessed.

'You're so unsightly,' the bird complained in his mind, 'Do you not know any boldness?'

He clicked his tongue, annoyed that he didn't know how to address the dumb bird now sharing his body without speaking out loud.

'Find a way to win his heart, you fool! Tell him that your love is mightier than the windswept seas and deeper than the swell of the Earth's core! It is truly not so difficult. Perhaps you are in need of a demonstration.'

But Liu Sumeng was not aware of this silent argument, and turned back around with a look of concern, "…if you don't want to come then it's fine."

"Huh? No! I mean yes! I mean no! I want to come, I'm definitely coming!" Yuan Xuelan's face blushed red as he floundered about, chasing Sumeng's heels out the door.

…

Around the corner of the hallway, Chen Anyue was waiting patiently for both Liu Sumeng's and Yuan Xuelan's footfalls to disappear.

When the coast was clear, she went and slipped into Liu Sumeng's study.

She was not picky with what she took and picked the first piece of parchment that had his handwriting scribbled about. Hallow gray eyes looked over the wide selection of characters littered over the doc.u.ment he had written detailing the effects of sacred peach tree wood, she decided that this would be perfect for her use.

The Golden G.o.d was going to fulfill her wish.

…

They met with Hui Moxiang at the edge of the city.

She, or he, was waving wildly in the crowd of their attention, standing at the side of a wide dirt-paved road. His eyes flitted between the two cultivators as a sly smile bloomed across his face. A telling snicker was present as he looked at Liu Sumeng, "So, you brought your wifey?"

Yuan Xuelan almost choked before he had the chance to glare at this suspicious person who apparently was acquainted with Sumeng.

"...?" Liu Sumeng had no idea what a 'wifey' was supposed to be but decided that it was something not worth inquiring about.

Yuan Xuelan crossed his arms, "Yeah? So? And who are you?"

"Wow, your wife is rather fearsome. Like a gorilla. p.u.b.erty sure is a scary thing, huh? He used to be so small and cute."

Liu Sumeng couldn't even keep up with the conversation anymore, "What wife? Never mind. Xuelan, stop glaring. It's Xiang'er." He said as if it was the most natural thing in the world. It was only when Yuan Xuelan was giving him a dark look did he try to elaborate a little further, "You've already met. This is Hui Moxiang."

Upon closer inspection, this man did share striking features as the demon girl they met back at the Wayward Wind temple. So it had abilities to change its gender as well? 

"..." But somehow, Yuan Xuelan couldn't stop thinking about one particular thing.

And that was the fact that Sumeng called him Xiang'er!

Why did this f.u.c.ker get such a cute nickname? Where was his?

"...Ivory Sword Saint, your wife is glaring at me. Please help."

Liu Sumeng was not impressed by either of his companions' antics. 

"...Talk normally. Stop glaring. Don't fight."

"..."

"..."

Something told Liu Sumeng that this trip was going to feel long.

…

Westward of Reling was a town that marked the edge of Mugan Province. This town was called Hengsheng and was once nothing more than an old military post atop a strategic cliff facing a vast open valley and walled in by a dense forest. Later, it had grown to quite a lively town, with one of the main roads that lead in and out of Mugan Province cut through this town.

This main road had once been full of travelers, merchants, and people from all walks of life. But lately it had become quiet. Same as the roads surrounding it, Hengsheng stilled as well.

Hui Moxiang had spent the past few days prodding and spying on this town, because aside from the bigger cities within the province that the Seven Moons Sect oversaw, this place was easier to infiltrate and made a good strategic point to test out the ritual.

Their goal was to infiltrate the town and investigate the Fallen G.o.d that was brought forth by the townspeople's sacrifice.

That was easier said than done. While there was a dense forest behind Hengsheng, it overlooked a vast field of plains that offered no cover for approach. The forest behind the town made it difficult for large troops to advance through, but for three people, it wasn't so bad.

Or it wouldn't have been, if it wasn't so heavily littered with traps designed to catch intruders such as themselves. There were patrols as well that meandered through the woods, eager to catch unsuspecting visitors.

However, it were these patrols that made it easier for the three of them.

Liu Sumeng hid behind a tree, waiting patiently like a tiger for its prey.

Unsubtle voices carried over to him, "I want to go home."

"Stop your whining," a different voice replied.

A third voice, "I will admit, being stationed this far out does not make me feel comforted. Especially not in a ghost town."

The first voice responded, they were getting close now, "Don't remind me…And that thing. You don't think that thing is going to kill us or anything right? It's not just going to attack randomly…"

"No. But it can only be controlled by the Devil Blood Moon Seal. And Master Yang won't be coming around in these parts anytime soon."

And when they pa.s.sed the tree behind which Liu Sumeng hid, he casually asked, "What can only be controlled by the Devil Blood Moon Seal?"

The Seven Moons cultivator closest to him answered without thought, "Oh you know, that Fallen G.o.d."

"..."

And then they froze, catching sight of the Ivory Sword Saint who stood next to them.

"Huh?" The three Seven Moons disciples blinked stupidly at him.