51 Winter Picnic

War makes the world different. People's thoughts change, their priorities shift, and tensions thicken with the promise of death and battle. But the world also stays the same. The snow still descends, the bears still hibernate, and the sun will continue to rise and set.

There was no big change the very next day after Liu Fumao announced their impending doom. Liu Sumeng still woke in his room, greeted by a chilled breeze that slipped through the cracks of the window. When he went to Baiyun Hall to get food, the Auntie was there as well, screeching at the disciples that did not adhere to her standards.

The changes were a lot more subtle and could be seen in how everyone was just a little tenser, a little more somber. There were more disciples that littered the courtyard and the training rooms practicing more difficult techniques. They were stiffer in their greetings and didn't linger as long in the halls for aimless chatter.

But mundane life still unfolded. And there was an important issue Liu Sumeng was very intent on addressing before carrying his blade to the battlefield. And thus he prepared some tea and snacks and searched the manor for Chen Anyue.

She wasn't difficult to find, still in her quarters when he disturbed her peace. When she slid over the wooden door, her cheeks lit up at his presence along with a pleasant smile, "Oh, good morning Liu-ge. Is there anything I could do for you?"

He raised the little lunch box he prepared and said simply, "Join me." It was meant to be a question, an invitation but he didn't quite get the tone right.

Luckily, Chen Anyue still gave him a vigorous nod and followed him out to the courtyard.

It was rather cold now in the midst of winter up in the north. But Liu Sumeng spared nothing for this occasion. He tapped into his spiritual energy and erected a barrier around them to give warmth. The snow melted with each step and their breaths soon stopped fogging against the air. He led her down a path that was kept clear of snow and wound around the koi fish pond. There was a bench there, that he had put in the effort to dust off earlier. He placed his box down and invited her to sit.

Chen Anyue raised her bow. She had a girlish expression on her face, both bright and curious. She settled down and waited for Liu Sumeng to unpack the box. There was a small tea set inside, as well as little plates of dessert samples. From dried prunes to clementines and sugar-based sweets. Chen Anyue found herself charmed. "My, Liu-ge," she giggled, "I'm awfully impressed.

Liu Sumeng nodded and sat down as well. Slowly, he poured out two little cups of tea.

The scenery, in his opinion, was much more beautiful in the summer months, where lotuses bloomed in the pond and the paths were surrounded by greenery and flowers that swayed in the gentle wind.

Now, with winter's harsh frost swept across Wangyun Peak, there was only a monotonous white that stood stark against the black and brown bark of naked trees. The pond was frozen and covered with a thin sheen of snow, the same snow that left the path they traveled dusted white as well. The silver and white robes of the disciples that could be seen training on the other side of the pond also melted into the background. Only their black hair that followed the arcing flow of their movements seemed to stand out against the dreary backdrop. Unlike Chen Anyue and Liu Sumeng, these disciples had no luxury of a heating barrier to protect them from frostbite and their breaths left huffs of white clouds against the air.

Liu Sumeng bit back a sigh and handed her a cup that she readily accepted. He had gone through much lengths to prepare for this encounter simply because he wished to upset her as little as possible. For Liu Sumeng thought that if he can show his compassion and his care in his actions then she would be able to understand him a little better…

Perhaps she would listen to his explanation of why their marriage should not go through.

Of course, Chen Anyue did not share such thoughts and had differing assumptions of his intentions. She gave him a shy and sweet smile as she brought her cup to her lips, "Having tea on such a cold winter day truly warms the soul. Thank you Liu-ge."

He nodded awkwardly to her words and mimicked her actions. Greedily, he drank in the false sense of peace that enveloped them, and in that moment nothing seemed so terrible. The threat of war was but a distant echo. His marriage was elsewhere and intangible. And Yuan Xuelan wasn't upset with him, and he didn't have to worry about all the things due to unravel by the strings of fate.

A soft little sigh brought him back to reality. Chen Anyue's smile was always so beautiful and heaven-sent. And he would have to be the one to break her heart, "Anyue, I-"

Liu Sumeng's voice was cut off by nearby shouting. He looked past Chen Anyue and saw two martial brothers shouting at each other with pointing fingers.

"Listen, Shixiong! I had no intention of breaking your sister's heart!"

"Like I care! She came home last night crying because of your careless actions and words!"

"..." Couldn't they find somewhere else for their argument? Liu Sumeng sighed and tweaked his barrier to become one that muffled sound. Cold air began to seep through and nipped at their skin but it was worth being protected from the buffoonery happening nearby. "I'm sorry."

Chen Anyue tilted her head, "Don't be. There's nothing to be sorry about." Her breath fogged against her face and her eyes were crescented.

Liu Sumeng tried again, "Anyue, I wanted to tell you that-"

Crash! Crack! Liu Sumeng's hand flew to his sword hilt and he surged from his seated position. His sword slashed down in an elegant arc with a twist of his hips. The ice fragments and freezing water that shot at them fell to his feet and left the tea, snacks, and Chen Anyue unharmed.

A Heavenly Sword disciple was flailing through the cracks of the icy pond and if Liu Sumeng was a crueler person he would have let him flail there for longer. But he wasn't. So he dashed across the icy surface of the pond with his Light Step technique and grabbed the boy by his collar and yanked him out. But it didn't mean that the Ivory Sword Saint wasn't angry.

The boy's face was blue and his teeth clattering violently. Chen Anyue rushed to his side and draped her jacket over the boy. A small crowd of people gathered, intrigued and muttering as they pointed fingers and gossiped. Liu Sumeng was not in the mood. He glared. Anyone that met eyes with the Ivory Sword Saint bowed their heads in shame and were quick to shuffle away.

"We need to get this boy inside," Chen Anyue had urgency in her visage and Liu Sumeng was forced to agree. He escorted the boy inside the manor. His martial brother, who he was arguing with. was undoubtedly about to receive a beating. Liu Sumeng was not intent on getting involved. But through the entire process of bringing the boy in and explaining to an Elder the sequence of events that occurred, somehow Liu Fumao's attention was summoned as well.

"I need to talk to you." His uncle's voice was grave and left no room for argument. Liu Sumeng had no choice but to put off his talk with Chen Anyue to entertain the Sect Leader. He followed his uncle to the corner of a small and quiet hall.

"The truth is," Liu Fumao began in a low and severe tone. "I managed to acquire some interesting treasures from the Guanghai Elder and would like to hear your opinion."

"...?" He had no idea what Sect Leader Liu was talking about… More importantly, Liu Sumeng was expecting an important talk about the dawning war and their plans pertaining to it! And anything that mentioned the Guanghai Elder was bound to be bad news!

Liu Fumao slipped his hands through his sleeves and pulled out two suspicious egg-shaped objects that were connected to a strange flat stand at the base. They were quite large, appropriately sized for a bird that stood as tall as a man and were decorated with off swirling markings and even inlaid jewels.

"What do you think?" Liu Fumao asked with a deadpan face.

"..." Where was Liu Sumeng supposed to even begin!? Or rather, where did that Guanghai Elder go!? Someone needed to beat him!

When Liu Sumeng was finally able to disengage himself from the strange and awkward encounter with his uncle, Chen Anyue had long disappeared.

(Liu Sumeng was trying very, very hard to forget the image of his uncle holding those strange things in his hands. "Look, they even vibrate when I apply some spiritual energy to them, how odd.")

And while his plans for the morning might have been long ruined, Liu Sumeng was still plagued with the dire need to talk to Chen Anyue! Even if he no longer had the advantage of a calming winter picnic and tea, he was absolutely set on speaking to her. So Liu Sumeng, determined, stomped across the halls of the Heavenly Sword Manor in search of his wayward fiance.

He began in Baiyun hall, where people were still filing in and out after peak lunch hours. But she was not there.

And thus he made his way to her quarters where a shy Xiao Hei bowed at his presence, "Uh, Young Miss…" She battered her lashed and looked away, "She's uh…gone to…the library! Yes, there's something she wanted to research…Yes!"

Liu Sumeng thought there was something strange about this girl but he kept his thoughts to himself and thanked her before setting off again.

He seriously needed to find Chen Anyue!