Liu Sumeng took his work seriously.
Perhaps a little too seriously. He'd been working till the days began to merge, and Liu Sumeng had no mind of his own aside from working out his disagreements with the Elders milling about the manor. He was tired in a way that was difficult to describe but had no real reason to mope either.
So the Ivory Sword Saint quietly pushed himself, not allowing his mental exhaustion to those around him.
He'd come to a point where he would wake and go through the motions; burn a stick of incense and wash his face. Stand in his room and--
"Master Ivory Sword Saint…" a voice called at him hesitantly. Liu Sumeng did show any signs of worry or surprise on his face despite his heart lurching in his chest.
