WHERE YOUR HEART LEANS

Chapter 3: Secret Admirer II

"Why do we have to put him on this boat!"

"Because I can't let Jiang Cheng see me, you know this.", Wei Ying climbed on.

"Throw him back in the water and let him float to his own or something.", Xuanyu folded his arms in opposition.

"Don't be mean, we're closer to land. Just paddle."

"No, I say we throw him overboard before...A'Ying, he's waking up!", he pointed at the jade's sluggish movements. Lan Wangji's hand slowly came up, in search of something. His eyes were heavy but his lips whispered distinctly, "Bichen."

Wei Ying did not fret but stood behind him to whistle a sharp tune. He watched the jade grab his ears in suffering till he keels over again.

"He's a Lan, they hate noise.", The youngster shrugged. Xuanyu swiped a hand over his face, reanalyzing why he had to babysit a crazy Master. What else could he do but row closer to the forestry?

" Help me carry him."

"Wei Ying, alphas are heavy."

"Right...", Wei Wuxian relied on the flute for assistance, summoning two fierce corpses- A male and a female. He was rather familiar with these two. " Carry him off this boat. I'll be right back.", he said.

"Again?! Stop putting my life in danger Master Wei.", Mo Xuanyu swung his arms in frustration.

"Shhh! He might hear you. I only need to question a naughty little water ghoul. These two will obey you while I'm gone.", Wei Ying took the boat and veered off, leaving the servant in a very dicey situation...

On the water, Jiang Cheng's carelessness left his pride decapitated. They scouted the area but had no luck in bringing out the jade.

"They may have torn his body to shreds.", a disciple commented. His blubbery earned him a disgruntled look from both Wanyin and Xichen.

"Zewujun, we should send for reinforcements.", Jiang Cheng avoided Xichen's frantic eyes.

"I'll send a flare into the sky.", Li Qiang stood as the palliative force stopping Xichen from attacking his Master.

"Look, there's a sword on the water.", another man in purple uniform cried out, causing heads to turn. Xichen mounted his sword to get a closer look, and the outcome put him between the point of panic and relief.

"It's my brother's sword, Bichen...", He took hold of the spirit weapon and flew back to the boat. "If he's alive it can lead us to him.", the alpha explained. 

Aside from his sword, Shuoyue, Lan Xichen carried an end-blown flute, Liebing. Liebing is made from white jade, and when not in use, it hangs from Lan Xichen's waist.

Played alongside his brother's zither, the first jade could soothe and tame tense confrontations. If only he had seen the need to use it when they were surrounded, his brother may not have been taken.

The melody of Liebing surged around Bichen, probing it to cry for Lan Wangji's golden core. At first, the blade shook on the wood, rattling against the base so loudly Jiang Cheng feared it may drill a hole. But it suspended in the air horizontally when it discovered its Master's heartbeat and pointed in a direction. And so they mounted their swords trailing after Bichen when it shot off with speed.

Mo Xuanyu leaned against a tree, keeping an ample distance from Lan Wangji and the two fierce corpses who dropped him like a sack of rice.

"Hey corpse...stop it, y...you're not allowed to do that.", Xuanyu sputtered when a zombified person lifts Lan Wangji's hand. His large sleeves droop to his shoulder, exposing his not too bulky muscles.