He looked at Yuan Xuelan and then at Nan Chang. "This isn't for fun and games."

"I know," Yuan Xuelan sighed, but his eyes were veering off to the side.

"I know!" Nan Chang said as well, but the way she was smiling told Liu Sumeng otherwise.

"No."

Nan Chang blinked and pressed her arm together around her chest to make her bosom look fuller. "Liu-gege," her voice was like honey, "I understand that it might be dangerous. I will take extra care not to get in harm's way. Please?"

But her charms did not work on Liu Sumeng. Instead, they had the opposite effect. He replied coldly, "If you understood, you would treat this more seriously. No."

Nan Chang's mouth gaped open then she pouted at Yuan Xuelan for help. Liu Sumeng tested him with a glare as well.

But what was Yuan Xuelan supposed to say? He didn't even want to get involved and he couldn't help but feel that the Ivory Sword Saint was being especially harsh towards Nan Chang. Yuan Xuelan wondered if this was because the Ivory Sword Saint did not like women of her ilk. "Even though she acts like this, Nan-jie really isn't a bad person. Please don't misunderstand her behavior."

Nan Chang made a face, as though scandalized. But Liu Sumeng's reaction was a lot more visceral, "That has nothing to do with this!"

"Sumeng! Why are you being so…" Yuan Xuelan was stunned. Since when did Liu Sumeng lose his temper so easily? This made no sense!

Liu Sumeng realized his mistake but it was too late. He allowed his feelings and impatience to get the better of him and wanted to blame the harlot before his eyes. But Nan Chang was only batting her lids at him, innocent and confused. For she could not begin to guess what transgressions she made against him for him to antagonize her so.

How could she? She had yet to commit any of those crimes or even conceive of them in this lifetime.

"..." In the end, Liu Sumeng's words were rude. He took a breath and glared at her but it was unjust. "I'm sorry. I spoke rashly." His heart was still a mess and he wasn't able to articulate his thoughts well beyond that point. Frustration ate away at him and Liu Sumeng could no longer bear his own irritability. He stormed off in strides.

Nan Chang was left stunned and wound her arms around Yuan Xuelan for comfort. "What in the world was that!? What did Nan Chang do wrong? Why does he speak to me so rudely?" Miffed, she unloaded a string of complaints.

But Yuan Xuelan didn't know either and only watched the Ivory Sword Saint's white robes flutter, farther and farther away.

…Could it be? That Liu Sumeng was jealous? Yuan Xuelan shook his head. No, that couldn't be it, could it? It didn't fit Liu Sumeng's character. But his mind was already riding away with that fantasy even as he tried to stop it. Yuan Xuelan, like a fool, could only think that Liu Sumeng was incredibly cute.

And thus, Nan Chang tagged along.

Liu Sumeng kept ahead. And while the forest was unfamiliar to him in its summer glory, he had Huo Tang with him to lead the way.

"Your spirit is in disarray," Huo Tang hummed in her ever-wise tone, "That will not do. That little girl has no ill intentions, you understand this, no?"

Liu Sumeng understood even if he didn't want to understand. Instead, he wanted to cry in complaint, point his fingers, and drag the sowe to her knees. Consort Nan's punishment was too light for her crimes! Why hadn't he demanded for Emperor's Taixu's cruelty? Why hadn't he--

"Boy," Huo Tang snapped him out of his chaotic trance, "Keep that head of yours steady on your shoulders and stop wasting your time on foolish thoughts."

They weren't foolis.h.!.+

Except they were.

There was no sowe, only a girl. No transgressions made for him rage over. Not even a single evil thought conjured yet in her little mind. And behind him, he knew that she was hanging off of Yuan Xuelan's side laughing without schemes and demanded his attention without a motive for gain.

And she, like Xuelan, were only people. Not yet tainted. Not yet evil.

Liu Sumeng forced his thoughts away from Consort Nan and focused on the trail instead. Now summer, the forest had a life much different than the one that welcomed them in the winter months. The foliage was thick and dewy and the scent of fresh rain lingered within the dirt and leaves long after the clouds dispersed from the sky. The air was alive with cricket song harmonizing with singing frogs.

It was like a whole different place compared to the frosty wonderland of snow-covered branches. And now there were leaves to rustle with the pa.s.sing wind and instead of biting cold was humid heat that brought with it a thick scent of earth.

If it wasn't for the stream, Liu Sumeng would not be able to recognize the path of which they tread.

Behind Liu Sumeng and the phoenix, Yuan Xuelan once again found his thoughts out of line with important matters at hand. Nan Chang was talking about something, something that Chen Leike did the other week. About a strange gift that he was trying to pa.s.s onto others. Something about how no one wished to accept the creepy wooden idol.

Yuan Xuelan would be lying if he said he was paying attention, but he said exactly that when Nan Chang continued to whine at him.

Could he really be blamed? After all, the Ivory Sword Saint was definitely acting strange!

His white robes could be barely made out past the dense branches and undergrowth. And with Nan Chang holding his back, Yuan Xuelan couldn't even jog up and close the distance! So he was forced to let his a.s.sumptions ferment in his mind.

Perhaps, his heart stuttered, perhaps, truly, Liu Sumeng was jealous!

Did Liu Sumeng like him? Yuan Xuelan sure became good at drowning in his fantasies in the past weeks…

"Xuelan!" Nan Chang called, probably for the twentieth time, "What are you even thinking about?"

Yuan Xuelan blinked at her, "Uh…something…interesting?"

She nudged him eagerly, "A person on your mind? You keep s.p.a.cing out lately and I used to think you just had your head in the clouds thinking about some cool treasure you were working on. But don't think you can fool a woman's intuition!"

Yuan Xuelan wanted to scowl, "What woman's intuition!?"

She only giggled at him and leaned even closer to him, "Should I be jealous? Someone is out there trying to steal my Xuelan's heart from me."

"Ah! There is no such thing!" He waved his hand at her dismissively. His heart had already been stolen long ago! But he was only now becoming aware of it. Yuan Xuelan wanted to slam his face into the nearest tree. How could such a realization take so long? When he thought of Liu Sumeng so desperately, so frequently. Yuan Xuelan sighed.

"Stop sighing! Nan Chang will comfort you! I'm super skilled, don't you know?"

Yuan Xuelan didn't want to be comforted by her. "Nan-jie! Stop saying such absurd things, won't you!?"

"How could I not? When Xuelan is so easy to tease, that's what I like the most about you!"

They continued on in the forest. The rush of pouring water rumbled in the distance. They were close now. Liu Sumeng never thought he could look forward to coming to the Hidden Mist Manor but there he was. At least once they were inside, he could find an excuse to separate himself from Nan Chang's presence and get a better grip of his wandering mind.

But when they followed up the secret path that led them to the hidden entrance behind the waterfall, there was no barrier lying in wait. Liu Sumeng paused and waited for the other two to catch up.

Nan Chang was still busy, eyes flitting around in dazzled wonder but Yuan Xuelan instantly picked up on the Ivory Sword Saint's alarm. "What's wrong?" He was quick to join Liu Sumeng's side.

There was no need for words to answer that question because Yuan Xuelan could see for himself at where the barrier had once been in place. They shared a look. Yuan Xuelan turned back to Nan Chang and spoke to her in a low warning, "Nan-jie. Please stay close, okay? Something might be afoot."

She blinked owlishly but nodded and stuck to him like glue.

The warning signs only became more alarming as they advanced past the mouth of the cave. There were no spirit lights that hung inside to give light. Instead, there was a dense thicket of oppressive spiritual energy.

Yuan Xuelan summoned a light, but it did not penetrate far ahead of them.

A fog.

…Could it be? Liu Sumeng met Yuan Xulan's eyes. They were thinking about the same thing.