WangXian Forever 2

Chapter 46 Traitor

In the Hanshi, XiChen was concentrating on mixing the perfect colours for the flowers to be hand painted onto the red robes before him.

This was a special kind of paint, enchanted with a mix of spells and incantations to give the wearer a protection for life. He was going to enhance these with golden thread stitched in a language of love that promised forever.

He was so involved in getting it just right, that he almost missed that familiar fluttering.

His gaze snapped up and he held his hand out, heart beating out of his chest.

The crane appeared, made from a brown cloth that he recognized as the robes Jiang Cheng had worn when he left Cloud Recesses. All those weeks ago.

His hands were shaking so much, he nearly dropped the precious item. And then, discovering the ink, he did drop it.

Blood.

Where was Jiang Cheng now? He picked it up and strengthened his resolve. He had to be strong.

What he read had him racing out of the Hanshi and he almost collided with a running Lan Zhan, Wen Ning just behind him.

"Message!" He huffed out. "Jiang Cheng!"

"Wei Ying is in danger." Lan Zhan said, not stopping.

And then they both stared at the blue flame firing out of the ring on his third finger.

"Chang Chao. He's not on our side." XiChen told him quickly.

Lan Zhan had unsheathed Bichen.

"I'm going after him." His voice cut off any argument.

XiChen nodded and watched as he took off, Wen Ning running, following faster than any human.

*******

They met SiZhui and the rest of the juniors climbing up to Cloud Recesses, their haul trapped inside the spirit net.

He stopped when he saw his father. And the ring. Wen Ning caught up just then.

"Where's Wei Ying?"

"He was attacked by this one's mate." SiZhui explained, not understanding why his father was so agitated, or why his ring was shining like that. He pointed to their prey.

"Tell me where, exactly."

Wen Ning was running even before he'd finished speaking.

"Don't worry, father. And Chang Chao is with him." Seeing the look on his face, he asked, as Lan Zhan prepared to fly.

"What's wrong, father?"

"Chang Chao is a traitor."

******

They reached the forest. Clear signs were present that something massive had crashed through the trees in pursuit. Torn branches and haphazardly strewn logs lay in the ground. They were no problem for either Wen Ning who jumped incredible distances, or Lan Zhan on his sword.

They tracked the beast all the way to the other side of the forest, but there was no trace of Wei Ying or Chang Chao.

The blue flame was consistent, and Lan Zhan didn't know whether to be glad of this, or if it suddenly went out.

They retraced their steps, slower now and on foot, as Lan Zhan concentrated on every leaf that looked out of place.

Then they found what they were looking for. Two sets of footprints led away from the destruction that the beast had caused. Lan Zhan prayed that at the end of this trail, he would find his Wei Ying.

The footsteps were close together, suggesting they had been running. Lan Zhan saw the mouth of the cave, and ran towards it.

His heart stopped.

There, on the ground, lay a lone Chenqing.

His master was nowhere to be found.