He couldn't even find the time to leave the south in the month to come. Somehow, Liu Sumeng had managed to avoid the Ascending Dawn Manor for the majority of the time and instead spent his days traveling with either Zhao Fanyu or Peng Zhugen.

Nan Chang suggested that distance would be the best approach for now especially after expressing his desires clearly to the Chens. They were not interested in hearing his opinion and often acted as if he had not spoken to them at all. It was both disconcerting and creepy. 

Liu Sumeng was bad at dealing with people to begin with and didn't always understand the strange instructions that Nan Chang gave him.

He was much more interested in thinking about Yuan Xuelan than deciphering the meaning of 'don't make eye contact with the Chen Princess when she speaks to you and only answer in grunting sounds'. 

So Liu Sumeng did exactly that, filling his mind with the little stolen moments he had with Yuan Xuelan. The kisses they shared, the warm touches exchanged. He was hardly listening to what Peng Zhugen was telling him.

"Ivory Sword Saint." Peng Zhugen's voice was pointed. His fingers tapped against the wooden table where a map had been splayed out. They were standing under a tent. The air was slow to chill in the south, but snowfall came to them, too, although It didn't stick to the ground. Liu Sumeng knew that the north wouldn't experience such luxury and wondered why he missed the biting frost. "Are you even paying attention?"

He wasn't.

This Ivory Sword Saint reacted slowly, his cold expression calmly looked up to meet Peng Zhugen's. He's had the pleasure of being stuck with the Hidden Mist Sect leader for a good week now and he wanted to say that he could judge the man's mood better. But alas, it was still a mystery to Liu Sumeng. 

"I am."

"Then what was I saying?"

"Advancing the front lines might be thinning our troops too much. You're already doing what you can with the current strongholds. We need more spies that will render better results, but demons have been proved difficult to trick." Liu Sumeng was somehow able to summarize everything they had been talking about.

Peng Zhugen narrowed his eyes but allowed the Ivory Sword Saint to get away with it despite his suspicions that the man wasn't giving him his full attention.

There was no helping it though. They were all tired.

They found themselves stationed outside a small town. It was much like Hengsheng, the populace empty of civilians aside from the demons that prowled around. Not even ghosts were left haunting the place and Peng Zhugen was so disturbed and disgusted he forced his own troops to set up camp instead of finding refuge under abandoned rooftops. 

They didn't have the resources to advance further into Mugan Province and there were still occasional attacks upon random towns with those monstrous Fallen G.o.ds. There was only so much supply they could churn out. 

In short, they were stuck at a standstill.

And while Peng Zhugen's nerve was p.r.i.c.kling with impatience, he was reasonable enough not to charge in with illogical frenzy. 

Though he might pity his brother and that air-headed Cao Hong...he did not care about them, Peng Zhugen repeated in his heart constantly. He cared more about the other innocent lives lost at their hidden little manor that was supposed to be under his protection.

Peng Zhugen was a d.a.m.ned failure.

But he was trying hard not to let his weaknesses show. With a deep sigh he finally peeled his eyes from the map and invited Liu Sumeng to sit down with him for a drink. Sect Leader Peng pulled out a pipe; indulging in this new habit whenever he felt stressed, which was pretty much always. 

The tent was currently in a messier state than Peng Zhugen would have normally liked but it was a good reflection of his state of mind. He reached over to a trunk and pulled out a few jugs of alcohol. 

Liu Sumeng wasn't going to complain about that.

"So," Zhugen began, "What are your plans after this?"

They had secured all their designated strongholds for now and had estimated with their supplies and tropes that they should be able to hold out comfortably until the north could reconvene and figure out exactly their plan of attack. There was still the issue of information gathering; there was only so much one Hui Moxiang was capable of.

"I'll be returning to w.a.n.gyun Peak," Liu Sumeng said, accepting the bowl that was being handed to him.

"Hm? Checking up on what they're doing up there with the treaty? Honestly, while a few people are still opposed, there has been an unsaid consensus to follow through with it. The She-Wolf general had been oddly cooperative though, despite the efforts she went through to defend Xinlie."

"You don't trust her," Liu Sumeng pointed out.

"How could I? I trust Cao Sanmei even less."

"She's Yuan Xuelan's mother," and Peng Jipei's aunt. But Liu Sumeng felt like mentioning the last part might be a sore point for Peng Zhugen.

The Hidden Mist Sect leader turned up his nose and scoffed, "Like I care. You know they're still waiting for your wedding? Your family isn't intent on listening to the rumors."

Liu Sumeng sighed. 

With Nan Chang's help there had been many polarizing words floating across the lands about his marital status and it was honestly giving him a headache. The only reason why he hadn't bombarded both Liu Suye and Liu Fumao with letters was because he felt like he owed them words from his own mouth. 

Their bowls clanged together but they drank to nothing in particular. 

Liu Sumeng would return to Reling that evening.

Back at the Ascending Dawn Manor, Chen Anyue was back on her feet but many noticed that she had taken to illness. It wasn't difficult to hear her coughing echo throughout the halls. 

Yuan Xuelan was wrought with worry and went running to fetch her the best medicine he could find. That often involved running to and fro, from the city to neighboring villages, and corresponding with Hui Moxiang, nagging her to provide him with medication brewed by Zhao Fanyu.

This was extremely difficult and extremely c.u.mbersome but Yuan Xuelan did it all without uttering a single complaint besides wanting to see more of his beloved.

But his love for the Ivory Sword Saint didn't change the fact that he cared dearly for his s.h.i.+jie. Her ails often made him blind to her behavior but over the course of time, it was getting harder and harder to ignore.

"Just leave it there," Chen Anyue said without even looking up from the book she was reading. 

"Oh, okay," Yuan Xuelan frowned, wondering if she even listened to the instructions he was giving her on how to take the medicine. 

In the past, he never felt awkward in her presence before and they were the best of friends. But things seemed to have changed without him even noticing. It must have begun that day when she caught him stealing a kiss. Yuan Xuelan was wrought with guilt. 

He observed her from the bedside and realized that she wasn't going to be the first to incite any conversation, "s.h.i.+jie, I--"

She finally put down her book with a languid movement. Little coughs escaped her mouth when she looked up at Yuan Xuelan, "You're sorry, I know. You've already told me so, so many times. I'm not deaf, you know?" Even the way she smiled at him seemed hollow.

Was she really so angry that Liu Sumeng was his? Yuan Xuelan didn't understand. He was ready to give up Liu Sumeng for her sake. He never expected love or romance would ever step between their relations.h.i.+p in the way it had now.

Anyue had always been kind. Always been patient, understanding and compa.s.sionate.

But now…

Yuan Xuelan was at a loss. "I'm worried about you…" He didn't even know what to say to her. It was so awkward he could hardly breathe in her vicinity. 

"There's no need to worry, I'll be fine, Zhang," she said. The smile on her face was doll-like and Yuan Xuelan's eyes were watering from all the incense and perfume abound in her room. It only served to deepen his headache. "Thank you for taking care of me."

He shuffled on his feet, nervous. "Well, you're my s.h.i.+jie so of course I have to take care of you."

"..." She continued to smile without saying anything else. There was still the topic of Liu Sumeng hanging in the air. Every time Yuan Xuelan dared to bring it up he was brushed off. And he didn't want to push her either, afraid of stressing her out due to her poor health.

Cao Hong's sickness had begun in a similar way. 

Yuan Xuelan sighed and quietly excused himself. 

In the end, he was the only one who would mourn the close friends.h.i.+p they once shared with each other. Even if he tried to pretend that it didn't hurt, it did. He could understand the pain she felt for not having her love reciprocated, but still. How could she let that get in between them? 

The Chen Anyue he knew was above pettiness…

He slipped out of her room, head bowed and dejected, not noticing how Nan Chang crept up behind him and circled her arm around his. 

"h.e.l.lo, my cute Xuelan!" she chirped brightly, "Why are you looking so down?"

He started a little but calmed down when he noticed it was her. Thankfully, since she was well aware of his relations.h.i.+p with the Ivory Sword Saint, she stopped pressing herself so closely to him when she came to bother him, and she would even let go of his arm after a moment as well. Nan Chang was sensible when she wanted to be, or whenever it would serve her well. 

"Why are you even asking?" he replied. "I'm sure you already know."

"A woman grows scornful when she's in love," she poked at his arm, "Don't let her bother you so much! Lady Chen just isn't feeling so well she's not in the right state of mind." 

Yuan Xuelan sighed again, finding no solace in her words. 

"..." Nan Chang felt a little bad and continued to poke Xuelan's arm to make sure he was paying attention when she said, "Stop looking so glum. Maybe it's hard to believe, but Nan Chang actually didn't come here just to bully you. I came to bring you very important news! Your Ivory Sword Saint has returned--"

Yuan Xuelan jumped, his eyes well wide instantly, "Why didn't you say so earlier!?" And with that he bolted off in a hurry.

Nan Chang huffed and pouted. 

"Nan Chang wasn't done!" she shouted at Yuan Xuelan's fleeing form. "The Ivory Sword Saint is going to leave again! And you're not even going in the right direction!"