113 Death and killing were inevitable (1/2)
Luckily, these idiot patrols were not so threatening and were quickly dispatched. They sat beaten and bound on the forest ground, stripped to their undergarments. The air around them was quite thick with moisture and even though the summer had come and left, heat did not relent down in these southern parts.
Yuan Xuelan wiped sweat off his brows and tugged at the orange sleeve that was a little too small for him. ”Ahh, why are you guys so short?”
The beaten Seven Moons disciples sat there sullenly but the tallest one of the bunch complained, ”Isn't it you who's too tall?”
A sharp glare instantly silenced him, Xuelan's face was pulled into a sneer, ”Who said you could speak?”
Meanwhile, neither Liu Sumeng nor Hui Moxiang were having issues adjusting the fit of their stolen garments.
Hui Moxiang hummed, ”So what should we do with these guys? It's better if we kill them, right?”
They shrank and paled at his words and Yuan Xuelan was already curling his hand over Silei. Liu Sumeng felt an odd tug in his chest. It was not like he was a person unused to violence, nor was he a person who claimed to have outstanding morals, but if he could prevent pointless bloodshed at Xuelan's hands then he would.
”There's no need,” he said quickly. ”We can bring them back as prisoners later. It will suit us better.”
Hui Moxiang pursed his lips, with arms crossed over his chest, ”I don't know…Isn't it a bad idea to just leave them here? I think killing them off would be a lot cleaner.”
But Liu Sumeng was insistent, ”We will not. It's fine.”
Yuan Xuelan also seemed hesitant at first and did not wish to unfurl his fingers from his sword hilt. An itch for violence was waiting for him to scratch but there would be other chances. More importantly...
”I agree with Sumeng.”
Hui Moxiang's demon eyes pointedly traveled between the two cultivators. A teasing brow shot up with a smirk. ”Of course, Young Master Yuan agrees. Why wouldn't he agree with his beloved?”
”You!” Yuan Xuelan's face went red with shame.
His hand tightening around Silei with the promise of violence. This damned demon sure knew how to rub salt into an open wound! He did not enjoy being so thoroughly embarrassed in front of the person who had just rejected him.
”That's enough,” Liu Sumeng wedged himself between his two companions before anything dangerous could happen. He sighed and said, ”let's not draw too much attention to ourselves. As for these three…”
The Seven Moons disciples looked up at the Ivory Sword Saint with pleading eyes. He wasn't planning on killing them but that didn't mean he wasn't going to take any precautions. After the three bound idiots were knocked unconscious, they finally took their leave.
The undergrowth was thick but any perceivable trails were laden with spells and traps. Though they might be dressed in Seven Moons colors now, it did not mean that they shouldn't move stealthily.
Hui Moxiang was able to divert some of the spells with his demonic energy, allowing Yuan Xuelan and Liu Sumeng to pass through. Carefully, like this, they were able to creep up to the tall wall that surrounded Hengsheng.
The trees were pressed up the wall and patrols scattered about, guarding the quiet town. A watch tower poked out with more eyes sweeping across the surroundings. There were no entrances on this side of the town.
Daylight was dwindling and they decided to wait there and watch the patrols until the sky went dark.
”The idiots walking back and forth don't look so threatening,” Hui Moxiang hummed. A crow perched on his arm shared both gossip and useless information.
”I don't care about what they ate for lunch!” He hissed at it before continuing, ”Huh? So there's one guy that's more dangerous than the rest but he's a lazy piece of shit? I guess that's convenient. What about this Fallen God nonsense… What do you mean you don't have a clue? Stupid birdbrain!”
The information gathering was largely left to Hui Moxiang and his large network of contracted beings. That didn't mean that Yuan Xuelan and Liu Sumeng were going to idle around in wait.
Yuan Xuelan made a small clearing among the fern and grass and sat down to take a closer look at the sacred peach wood and the diagram for the essence replication talisman.
He had occupied his mind of this particular issue for the entire trip to escape the whirlwind of emotions that came along with being close to the man that had stolen his heart.
Yuan Xuelan had a hard time ignoring the bitter feeling that festered within him. And he was upset with Sumeng for leading him on. And then he became upset with himself for even thinking such a disgusting, selfish thing.
After all…
After all… he really needed to think of a way to properly resonate the talisman with the peach tree wood. And ignore Liu Sumeng.
Liu Sumeng busied himself as well. He was keeping a keen eye on the coming and goings of each guard and counted their numbers.
Now, he knew that there were at most three bodies stationed atop the tower at once, but there was one incense stick of time between which the guards would take a break and switch shifts.
The ones that paced to and fro the walls followed a different pattern. There were usually two that walked the span on the wall, alternating between long and short patrols.
There was a small window of time in which both these guards would face the same direction.
Hm, but he wasn't so concerned about these guards. From this distance, it might be easy to trick the guards in the watchtower quite easily, especially with darkness on their side.
Hui Moxiang set the crow off again, and Yuan Xuelan was gathering up the scattered items set out before him. It was night now, and they were due to action.
”Okay,” Hui Moxiang hummed, ”Kind of cliche, but there's reasonable belief that this Fallen God is hidden somewhere in that watchtower. I mean, they don't really have a lot of guys stationed around here.”
”Right,” Yuan Xuelan nodded, ”Then I will follow Sumeng's lead.”
The two of them looked in his direction. Liu Sumeng did not mind taking the lead, but since when did he become the designated leader? He decided not to think about this too much.
”I've been observing the schedules of the guards,” he began with an explanation of what he believed to be the best approach.
And thus they waited for that interval of time where only two guards were on the tower and not three. There was torchlight along the wall. Liu Sumeng and Yuan Xuelan stood on opposite ends, their gazes skywards in wait.
A raven gray in plumage flew overhead. It watched the guards below and then gave a telling caw. A strong wind roared and extinguished most of the lights that danced along the wall.