43 A formidable foe

She didn't live through the following day. Peng Jipei, who had cried and screamed in denial when his mother was dying turned quiet and only stood at her side, refusing to respond to anyone that asked for his attention.

Zhao Fanyu still whined about his payment but Liu Sumeng protected Huo Tang and hid her in his robes. The Wayward Wind Sect Leader was as annoying as he was pitiful and spent his time pacing the halls with deep listless sighs.

And Peng Zhugen was still heartless. He told the mourning Peng Jipei that the boy would be thrown out the following day and that he would have to work for Zhao Fanyu to repay the hefty debt. And thus, Liu Sumeng decided to invite Peng Zhugen out for a drink, in a measly attempt to appease and warn the angry Sect Leader Peng.

But the Ivory Sword Saint wasn't good at talking, so he simply kept filling Peng Zhugen's wine bowl.

"..."

If anyone happened upon the scene they would have choked and suffocated from the pure weight of awkward tension that simmered between the two. Peng Zhugen glared as though he was trying to decipher the thoughts of an opponent in a game of chess, while Liu Sumeng responded with only a cold, stony face. They drank, and poured more wine, and drank some more.

"..." Aside from the sharp clang of wine bowls and the rustling of clothes, the hall was eerily

quiet.

"..." Seriously, no one said a word.

And after what felt like a century passed, "I'm impressed." Peng Zhugen hummed as he straightened his sleeves. He reached over for his bowl after Liu Sumeng topped it up.

"...Thank you."

A moment of silence passed. "You're better than Suye."

And another pause before Liu Sumeng spoke, "...That's not difficult."

More wine was poured out. Peng Zhugen had lost track of the jugs they'd gone through. "You are a formidable foe indeed," The Sect Leader snickered and swirled the wine in his bowl. He seemed wearier and reluctant to keep drinking but he had no desire to admit defeat. Peng Zhugen thus decided that distracting his foe with chatter would be a good tactic. "So you never had a chance to tell me, just what is your purpose for coming to my doorstep, Ivory Sword Saint?"

"..." Liu Sumeng observed Peng Zhugen in search of the telltale signs. Peng Zhugen was a skilled drinker compared to the average man. He did not get red-faced easily, nor did his words slur and he didn't sway in his seat either. But there were subtle things, things that Liu Sumeng had grown used to picking upon. Like how he needed to curl his entire hand around his wine bowl instead of just three fingers, and how his eyes darted around a little more often and lost focus on Liu Sumeng's face.

He became more talkative as well, "Not going to answer? Hmph, I'll pry it out of you if I have to, Young Master Liu."

"..." Liu Sumeng topped up Sect Leader Peng's cup again and held a toast before saying, "Let Peng Jipei stay."

Peng Zhugen's bowl slammed against the table and by some miracle didn't shatter. He barely managed to hold onto his composure, "After all the trouble that boy caused me, you want me to allow him to wander freely in these halls?"

"No. But for his mother's funeral at least."

He watched Sect Leader Peng scoff and down another bowl, "Do you think me unkind, Ivory Sword Saint? Perhaps you might find me merciless but I must adhere to my rules and regulations. When you become Sect Leader, you will understand as well."

Liu Sumeng reached for another jug. He didn't remember much about being Sect Leader in his past life. It felt like a time that went by like a blur. Perhaps because it was a time he despised; when his whole world was colored with red, black and gray.

The truth was, Liu Sumeng had no love for Peng Jipei and while he thought Peng Zhugen was being a little unreasonable, it wasn't exactly his place to step in on another man's family affairs. But Liu Sumeng was intent on convincing Peng Zhugen to let his younger brother stay because if he didn't Yuan Xuelan was going to raise a racket the next morning, demanding the very same thing.

More wine was poured. "Exceptions ought to be made. He is of your blood."

"And why should that be an excuse?" The Sect Leader sneered.

"..." Perhaps it wasn't. But it was due to such sternness that Peng Jipei had nursed a hatred for his brother too deep to salvage. And Peng Zhugen would die at the end of a dagger. Liu Sumeng decided it was a good time to drop his warning, "The one who will pay will be you."

Peng Zhugen was thoroughly drunk and tossed his head back in roaring laughter, "Pay? I have no desire to entangle myself any farther with my little brother's mess. If he wishes to play the fool than so be it. If he dooms himself to become Zhao Fanyu's slave, see if I care! Hah!"

But Liu Sumeng wasn't talking about the payment that Peng Jipei owed or the divine spiritual core that he refused to hand over at the younger Peng's cost. "You'll get killed," he clarified.

Peng Zhugen raised a brow, "All good men get killed," he said, tone grave. He leaned back, chin tilted up and smirked, "this has never been any news to me. Are you even aware of the dangers I dally in, on a day to day basis? I think not."

He was probably already expecting to be killed, Liu Sumeng realized, but not by the foe he was expecting. "I'd watch out for Peng Jipei."

Peng Zhugen blinked at him and then laughed and slapped the table, almost causing an entire jug of wine to tumble onto the ground. Luckily, Liu Sumeng wasn't intoxicated and was able to save the jug before it went to waste. "What? You really think that pathetic, weak brother of mine could do anything to me? Aren't you underestimating me a little too much? Say, Ivory Sword Saint, if I weren't in such a pleasant mood currently, I would have to count this as slander."

"..." In the end, maybe he shouldn't have said anything about it at all. Liu Sumeng sighed, "Let him see his mother off. It will be his only chance in this lifetime."

The more Sect Leader Peng laughed, the more talkative he became. But for the most part, Liu Sumeng only nodded calmly and didn't show any signs of being affected by alcohol.

"You are a rather terrifying person, aren't you?"

"...You're not bad yourself."

Peng Zhugen smiled, but he didn't dare stand up. He didn't dare show just how badly he was defeated. And when the night ended and each of them returned to their rooms, Liu Sumeng couldn't help but think that despite Sect Leader Peng's bad personality, he wasn't so terrible. After all, Liu Sumeng didn't have to deal with carrying a slobbering mess back to their quarters. Could he have gained a drinking buddy that wasn't his own brother? A small sliver of excitement tickled his stomach. Not bad, Peng Zhugen. Not bad at all.

When he returned he thought Yuan Xuelan was asleep. The room was dark, and Liu Sumeng didn't want to disturb Xuelan so late at night. With spirit lights dimmed he snuck inside. It was silent, and Liu Sumeng made his way to his side of the room.

A little breeze squeezed its way through the cracks in the window so Liu Sumeng cast a small spell to keep the inside warm. There was a little ember glow that came from the basket on the mirror counter. At least Yuan Xuelan decided not to have roasted phoenix for a late-night snack. Huo Tang was curled up on a little bed of silken cloth. She'd been sleeping a lot, probably to replenish her spiritual energy and heal.

The burns stung under the wraps of his bandages but Liu Sumeng didn't feel keen on changing them, lest he disturbed Yuan Xuelan from his rest. And just when he was about to slide into bed, he was startled by Yuan Xuelan's voice, "Where were you even off to?"

Liu Sumeng froze and for a moment thought he had imagined it, but Yuan Xuelan was in fact awake. Since the wooden panels were pushed aside, their rooms were more like one rather than two. Even in the low glow of spirit lights that danced outside, a sharp glare was caught upon Yuan Xuelan's eyes. He was like a tiger that watched silently in the dark.

"Xuelan," Liu Sumeng said but struggled to find the words to follow, "You're awake."

Yuan Xuelan scoffed, and lit several candles to give light to the room, "Yeah well, I couldn't sleep. It's not like you woke me up or anything." He snuck a peek at Liu Sumeng who was still standing on the other end of the room, "Aren't you going change your bandages?"

Awkwardness struck him like a fist in the gut and Liu Sumeng stupidly answered without thinking, "I suppose."

"You suppose? Your burns are pretty bad. On top of those awful injuries on your back!" His voice rose and then fell with an exasperated sigh. Yuan Xuelan pulled out two stools. "Here. Come sit." He patted the seat in front of him.

"You don't have to."

The usual expressive Yuan Xuelan was oddly unreadable. Warm candle lights flickered upon his boyish features. Come the end of winter he would be one year closer to adulthood, one year closer to the handsome emperor that haunted Liu Sumeng's memories. One that had a devilish smile and a honey slicked voice, whose heart burned both too hot and too cold. And after a pause, long enough for Liu Sumeng to believe he'd be let off, Yuan Xuelan said, "…I want to."

"Oh."