142 Beat him at his own game

Fan Peixi had seven children, Hui Ziwang being the oldest and Hui Moxiang being the youngest. Of these children, Huo Tang knew only two and was surprised to find out that the little brother Hui Ziwang used to drag around protectively was already dead.

So many things have changed in the past several centuries.

Huo Tang had Yuan Xuelan's hands neatly folded over the table, eyes narrow and chest held up. "Just what does Wang'er even hope to achieve? Who raised him to be such a fool?"

Hui Moxiang found it a little disconcerting to have Young Master Yuan's voice speak to her, but then again it was not Young Master Yuan at all, and instead an Auntie that was friends with her mother.

"How am I supposed to know?" She shrank a little in her seat, feeling as though the phoenix was scrutinizing her as though she was a stupid kid.

"He's your dearest Dage and you don't know? Do you not value family?" She scolded.

Hui Moxiang retorted without missing a beat, "He's insane, how am I supposed to know?"

But Huo Tang could see through her easily, as though she'd known the demon for centuries, "Don't play a fool. It's not cute at all."

Hui Moxiang shuffled awkwardly in her seat. But the truth was not so complicated, only embarrassing to admit. "I really don't know…he just says it's meant to protect us…"

"Wang'er always valued family above all else. It seems that his little siblings don't think the same."

Hui Moxiang turned up her nose, privately complaining that she was too old to be scolded for such a thing. "Just how is waging war supposed to protect anyone? I don't know what he's thinking okay?"

"That's why I'm asking you." Huo Tang huffed, eyes narrowing with pointed disappointment. Dawn was soon upon the sky and the phoenix didn't seem particularly interested in leaving anytime soon. "No matter, I have other things I wish to discuss."

Hui Moxiang inwardly cried in despair. There was only so much of old Auntie rambling she could take.

But Huo Tang was feeling nostalgic and nosy, even if she could tell the others' impatience and disinterest she was not the least bit merciful, prodding for information and news that was dozens, if not centuries, of years old.

…

Morning came and Yuan Xuelan had yet to return.

Liu Sumeng pretended as though he had actually slept when he didn't. There was gossip about him but he was never too good at picking up on it, too busy wrapped up in his own affairs. He didn't care about them, or he didn't in the past, but one lifetime taught him that rumors could become dangerous if they went unnoticed.

Which was why he had bit back his distaste and frustration and searched for Nan Chang. Willingly. On his own.

He found her digging a hole in the courtyard for reasons he really didn't want to know.

"Oh!" Nan Chang's eyes lit up a wide grin on her lips. She jumped to her feet and wiped her dirty hands on her dress, giving it a few extra pats to lazily dust off…nothing. She didn't manage to dust off any of the dirt on the fabric but did not seem to mind much about it either. "What could the Ivory Sword Saint ever want me for?"

"A walk," he said stiffly. "Let's see the city."

She giggled at his awkwardness and leaned in without shame, close enough for him to catch a whiff for her perfume. "So…the Ivory Sword Saint is asking Nan Chang on a date? Don't you think Xuelan might kill little old me? What would people even say?"

"..." A brow twitched but he remained before her, refusing to give up so quickly.

Nan Chang shook her head in an exaggerated way, "That won't do. Nan Chang cannot be seen going on a date with the Ivory Sword Saint. Perhaps it's difficult to believe but Nan Chang still has face to keep. But if the Ivory Sword Saint sees a peasant girl that looks a bit like Nan Chang near Uncle Gu's tea house before noon then I guess people can't really say much about that, right?"

She blinked up at him, waiting for any slight show of a reaction. Liu Sumeng stood motionlessly without a response, but either Nan Chang was able to pick up the subtlest of tells or she had simply given up on him and continued, "Nan Chang will go now. Since I was given so many gifts there are lots and lots of new toys for Nan Chang to play around with. Goodbye Ivory Sword Saint!"

Liu Sumeng let out a small breath when she was finally out of sight. It didn't go nearly as bad as he expected and to think she would cover for his own oversights was not something he had considered. Perhaps he would end up owing her.

Considering her nature, Liu Sumeng felt a little unsure about such a prospect.

Taking her subtle warning for finesse into consideration, the Ivory Sword Saint tried to escape the confines of the manor unnoticed.

Whether he succeeded or not was a matter that he could not be certain of, discreetness was never a thing he particularly excelled at. Either way, he did end up making it to Uncle Gu's tea house before noon and he was quite confident that no one had followed him.

But he couldn't see Nan Chang anywhere. Not a single glimmer of expensive fabric or expertly painted face in sight. The sun was crawling up the sky and Sumeng was thinking about if Yuan Xuelan had returned yet or not. Suddenly he was overwhelmed with the feeling of wanting to go back to the manor. He wanted to be there when Xuelan came back through the gates…

He took a breath and reminded himself of patience. Luckily, his efforts paid off and a familiar voice trailed into his ears, "Hello Master Cultivator, would you please spare this poor girl some time?"

He was startled at first when he looked to his side. The person who bowed lowly to him was hardly familiar. Her face was not painted, bare and not nearly as pale. Instead there was a splay of freckles across her nose. Her wide eyes were accompanied by a slight darker imprint underneath that made her look tired but also youthful.

Was this what Nan Chang looked like beneath her thick veil of makeup? Liu Sumeng felt like he was seeing her for the first time. Even the voice she spoke with was lower, softer and not as girly.

"Master Cultivator looks surprised. Perhaps this lowly one reminds him of someone familiar? A goddess-like beauty mayhaps?" She giggled softly, the playful glimmer was the most familiar thing about her.

"Nan-"

"You can call me Meimei. That would make this lowly one happy. If Master Cultivator has some time, I can show you the city for a copper, what do you think?"

Liu Sumeng couldn't tell how much of her acting was for discretion and how much was just for fun. He supposed it could have been worse, so he nodded to the girl and allowed her to lead the way.

It wasn't his first round in the slums where the streets were alive with rancid scents and kneeling beggars. Nan Chang wore cheap clothes that blended in well and covered her hair and face with a scarf. The same could not be said about the Ivory Sword Saint who invited stares and mutters.

"Stay close," Nan Chang sang over the crowds, "Stay close to the poor beggar girl that you are here to hear out and help."

Soon they found themselves in the red light district on the lower end of the street, where even peasants could afford a night fun. Liu Sumeng couldn't understand why they were in a place like this.

Nan Chang slowed her steps to a leisurely stroll.

"I grew up in a place like this," her eyes looked at the cheap rundown brothels with fondness. "Did you know I'm a child of fourteen? I think I'm number five but I can't remember anymore. Most of them died though. I've stopped keeping track." She shrugged. "It's hard to survive down in these parts but you know? Even we have a sense of pride."

Nan Chang found a quaint alley, where old grandmas did their laundry and stray animals begged for scraps alongside children. "It might not be the kind of pride you're used to, Ivory Sword Saint, but to us, we are proud when it comes to our ability to survive."

She stopped, looking back. The narrow alley cast deep shadows, laundry and decrepit roofs hung overhead; obscuring the bright light of noon.

"Isn't it amazing that I came from such a place?" Her voice was steady, full of confidence and pride. "I might not be as beautiful as Lady Chen or as strong as Master Ivory Sword Saint but I'm not ashamed at admitting that I'm amazing."

No one would even bat an eye at a character like Nan Chang in the world that Liu Sumeng knew growing up, aside from rolling their eyes at her brazen and indecent behavior. It was difficult for him to relate to her but he was starting to understand what she wanted to show him. To explain to him. In his past life, Nan Chang never asked to be understood. He was shocked at the extent she was going through in this life.

She gave him a small smile, "I'm not a kind girl, or a gentle girl. And I'm not a stupid girl either. The life I lived never gave me many choices but I'm not sad about it. I don't have time to be." Her chin tilted upward, chest held out. "I think the Ivory Sword Saint can understand this."

Could he? He felt that he could not claim to have as much confidence as her. "I'm trying to."

"You are an honest person," she nodded. "There was a time I would think people like you were the stupidest."

There was a time? Then did her opinion change? Liu Sumeng remembered Consort Nan who accused him of a similar stupidity. He couldn't quite articulate it yet, but Liu Sumeng was starting to see how her feelings might have been born. In this dark alley where daylight could not touch, a peasant girl stood before him with her chin held high. She was not being cocky, but understood her weaknesses. And her strengths.

"What do you want to say?" He would have asked her why she brought him there, but his heart already knew the answer. It was the only way she felt that she could make the Ivory Sword Saint empathize with her.

She smiled, "I want the Ivory Sword Saint to trust me. By showing him that I'm not a person that can be trusted."

Liu Sumeng was not disillusioned with thinking Nan Chang loveless, heartless even. Yet for the first time he felt respect for her.

Nan Chang saw this subtle change in his eyes and laughed a little, "What did I say? I'm not a stupid girl. I know what the Ivory Sword Saint is after from little old me, but don't you think the Immortal of Luck would know as well?"

He nodded awkwardly at her words, "I see. You are…trying to help me then?"

She tilted her head, "Why would I bother with this elaborate act if I wasn't? Never mind, Master Ivory Sword Saint is a little dense, isn't he?" She giggled. "But I like you and I like Xuelan more than that Chen Leike, so I want to help where I can."

To hear that from a girl who valued and prided herself on her ability to survive almost felt a little strange. "Why?" Liu Sumeng asked bluntly.

Nan Chang just shrugged, "I guess I thought it'd be fun to be kind. Since you're such a kind person yourself."

The way she said 'kind' felt like an insult more than a compliment. And yet Liu Sumeng had a feeling that those words were said with sincerity. "I see."

"You're so awkward!" She laughed and poked at his arm, "Okay, just leave everything to little old me then. If you do as I say and follow my lead then maybe we can even beat that Chen Leike at his own game."