[ He takes the blade with a slightly wide-eyed look, glancing at her then back down at it then back at her again, baffled as to why she would even let him touch it. Unfortunately he was torn between examining the sword and watching what she was doing, and ended up watching her instead.

He didn’t say anything, trying to memorize everything he’d seen before she strode our, and he followed hot on her heels. ]

Look, great family or not, if your shrine eats people that’s kind of cause for concern.

[ He could stand to sound a little more concerned, though, rather than fascinated. ]

So you’re in the Nie family then, yeah? You must be Huaisang. [ The family was small, and she certainly wasn’t her brother. ]