144 They were in public

The next time Chen Anyue woke up she was calm in demeanor, her eyes clear and gray, her smile easy. The first thing she asked for was a scented oil and for several incense sticks to be lit in her room at once. She remained obediently in bed and did not try to jump to her feet or ask for work to be brought to her.

"I feel too stuffy in here," she hummed when a servant stared at her hesitantly, unable to understand the lady's strange mood.

But Chen Anyue was as unconcerned as ever and asked for a mirror to be brought to her. She tilted her head and observed her reflection, committing the tiny details of her own face to memory. From her cute peach blossom eyes to the tiny but sculpted nose. Very pleasing to the eye.

Though technically each precious memory that dwelt within Anyue's heart would become known to him over time. And as the disease would spread, so would his power over his host. The Golden God wondered if Yang Sehan would be satisfied with this appearance more than the rough and lazy face donned by the Guanghai Elder.

Alas, he would have to finish his work in the Ascending Dawn Manor before he could return to his beloved's side.

Luckily, he was a patient person. He had already schemed and waited for centuries, across multiple timelines as well. Another week, month, year was nothing to him. For now he would 'rest' as Chen Anyue, silently gathering his powers.

The Ten Thousand Eternal Star Bead was already as good as his.

…

Nan Chang departed in a flurry of giggles. Where she disappeared off to, Yuan Xuelan and Liu Sumeng could only begin to guess.

"Should we return?" Yuan Xuelan was sitting on the same side of the table as him, his side pressed up against Liu Sumeng's.

He wasn't even hiding his affection! And they were in public.

Liu Sumeng couldn't decide if he should be ashamed or charmed. He sighed lightly and thought about the mess due to unwind in the Ascending Dawn Manor with all the Chen siblings congregated and messing about.

"What's wrong?" Yuan Xuelan frowned, recognizing the stress that pulled subtle lines across Liu Sumeng's face.

The Ivory Sword Saint shook his head, "It's nothing too important." He got up from his seat and began making way to exit the shop. "Let's take a walk."

"A walk?" Yuan Xuelan followed quickly like an attached puppy, "Okay we don't have to go back but Sumeng should tell me about what's bothering him. If you're worried then let me be worried about it too."

"Hmm…" Liu Sumeng took in the sights of busy streets. There were merchants on the sides of the streett; the air wafting with heavy scents both rancid and fragrant. He suddenly felt claustrophobic; like eyes that were minding their own business were now upon him, watching.

No, it was just a figment of his imagination, a curse in his mind born out of his anxiety and his lack of social understanding. Luckily, he had Yuan Xuelan by his side, who helped him breathe a sigh of relief. Even if he would have to relent his trust of Chen Anyue, even if he had to rely on someone who became a snake in her previous life, at least there would always be Yuan Xuelan.

"I want to leave the city. I'll tell you later."

"...?" Yuan Xuelan wasn't quite sure what leaving the city meant but he didn't question it. If Liu Sumeng was going to allow him to stay by his side then that was good enough with Yuan Xuelan.

They left the confines of the city and followed the main roads; traversing toward the marshes where the Fallen Gods had hid within. The land was still marred by evidence of war and conflict.

To think it wasn't so long ago when they had fought there and gambled their life.

Spears stuck out from the ground alongside deep footprints. There were torn bits of fabric, pieces of broken weaponry, too damaged to even catch the eye of bandits and scavengers.

They had made their rounds and picked up as many bodies of their comrades as they could. Yuan Xuelan had felt a pang of disappointment when Elder Hanli and Zhu Qiang's corpses were recovered and he absently wondered if they could have been saved if he had done something different back then.

He wasn't the only one that felt disappointment looking upon the field; where vegetation had wilted under the ruthless feet of marching Fallen Gods. Liu Sumeng felt a fool.

His predictions were all over the place. He still couldn't figure out the decoy created for Chen Gaoyong's revealing spell. How were they led to that strange woman who wore the butterfly mask and had the face of Bai Qiaoyin, a goddess that they slew at Zu Village?

Even more mysterious, when they had returned to uncover her body, she had disappeared, leaving behind discarded clothes and a broken butterfly mask. Upon those dark fabrics were no deep seeping bloodstains, not even around the area where she sustained a fatal blow.

It was as though any bodily evidence of that woman's existence evaporated into thin air; as though she didn't even exist in the first place.

It seemed obvious that it was all some sort of elaborate distraction, created by the real butterfly masked man…who was apparently the Guanghai Elder?

Liu Sumeng still felt sceptical.

Not so much in the way that he trusted Liu Langce above all else, but the way the Guanghai Elder spoke to them that night did not match the lazy, scandalous personality he remembered from his youth.

Was that person who donned Liu Langce's face even Liu Langce? The thought haunted Liu Sumeng.

"You're thinking about a lot of things aren't you?" Yuan Xuelan's voice was the first to break the silence. He reached out and clasped Liu Sumeng's hand in his own. Winter wasn't as cold down in the south but the temperature had dropped considerably from the thick heat of summer. "Are you going to tell me what's bothering you?"

Now that they were far from onlookers and the stifling atmosphere of a busy and nosy populace, Liu Sumeng could act a little more shamelessly. He leaned into Yuan Xuelan resting his head on the younger's shoulder.

"The manor makes me tired." He admitted.

They continued down the trail until they were well into the marshes; moisture welled up in the air. Yuan Xuelan pointed him down a smaller trail, saying that there might be something interesting down that direction.

Liu Sumeng followed without question.He told Xuelan about his anxieties and how Chen Anyue refused to give up on the wedding despite her polarizing words.

"That…doesn't sound right." Yuan Xuelan bristled and frowned when Liu Sumeng told him that Nan Chang expressed that the Chen Princess could not be trusted. "My Shijie is not like that. If she said she'd drink with you as Brother and Sister then there's no way she would lie about it."

"..." Liu Sumeng had thought so as well, but now his mind felt muddled. "Have you thought her behavior weird lately?"

"Weird?" Yuan Xuelan frowned. He spent most of his days chasing around Liu Sumeng and it made him feel a little guilty. He also couldn't quite admit to avoiding her since he had stolen the kiss from Sumeng right in front of her eyes. "I just think she's been overworking herself…probably. She's been sick before the siege so I was kind of happy when the late sect leader made her stay back in the manor at first."

Liu Sumeng sighed at the mention of Chen Gaoyong. It was in poor taste to complain about the recently departed but he couldn't help but feel that Chen Gaoyong caused a lot more problems than he solved during the siege. All in all, there was nothing solid to do yet and he would have to rely on Nan Chang for better observations and more information.

So instead he asked about the Immortal of Luck.

Chen Leike in Liu Sumeng's previous life was a strange fellow that he had little association with.

After Chen Anyue's death, it seemed that his lifelong superior luck evaporated in a single instant. He died not long after her, from something as silly as falling down stairs; getting tangled in a woman's scarf and breaking his neck in the fall.

It seemed absurd. But for a man that lived his entire life with absurd fortune, many had thought it was only fair that he suffered such a ridiculous death.

Liu Sumeng had completely disregarded it in his past, even if Leike was his brother-in-law.

Yuan Xuelan scowled at the name.

"To tell you the truth, I really hate that guy. He treats Shijie like she's a child or a doll or something. I hate that Second Brother Chen too," he added, referring to Chen Jiang, "He's the most crass and openly hateful. But I guess that's why I hate the oldest brother the most. He pretends to be amiable and then hides behind his ridiculous fortune. I think Nan-jie probably already told you this, but you should never openly oppose that Chen Leike. Always expect things to go in his favor."

"What do you think he's after?" Liu Sumeng squeezed in closer with Yuan Xuelan as they came upon a network of narrow wooden bridges that sat atop the marshes.

Yuan Xuelan had let go of his hand and wound his arm around the small of Sumeng's back instead. This made the Ivory Sword Saint cuddle even closer to him and mirror him in turn, also putting his arm around Xuelan's back.

Yuan Xuelan really wished that they could have been talking about something other than the hateful Chen Leike in a time like this, but he wasn't going to complain too much and instead just took whatever little bit of intimacy that Liu Sumeng allowed him.

"I don't know. I can't imagine much. Chen Dage only really cares about messing around and having fun. He's pretty disrespectful towards women so I don't know why Nan-jie tolerates him."

That was because he had power and the power to keep her safe, he thought absently to himself. But now that Chen Leike had taken his father's old position, wouldn't he have to marry soon? Though Chen Gaoyong was no longer there to spoil his children, so what then? Would Chen Leike just gather a harem for himself and call it a day? Yuan Xuelan scowled at the thought.

They found a small shack along the path. An old fisherman lived there with his wife and invited them inside for lunch. Yuan Xuelan was about to decline but Liu Sumeng smiled lightly and said, "We would be happy to join you."