Came Because of Our Song ✔️

Leave Them

The group set off towards their destination village in the evening. Lan Wangji looked at his brother, who along with all other disciples stood in the training area to see them off. To anyone else, Lan Xichen would look calm and serene if not a bit tense and his eyes a bit dim and guarded; but to Lan Wangji, he looked only like his elder brother now who had a knowing look of worry in his eyes. He knew that he needed to be careful and that's why he had already told them to be prepared and keep a back up ready. That didn't lessen the worry or the knowledge that one mistake or delay, and not only he but the disciples accompanying him will also be in danger.
They rode their sword, with Lan Wangji in the front along with Suzhui while Jingyi was at the back with Jin Ling and others. They reached their destination by night and went to search an inn.
The village was a remote one and that too near the border of two sects so there was only one small inn in which they managed to find enough rooms to give the girls a separate one for themselves.
Seeing that Zichen was being left out, Lan Wangji called Suzhui to his room while Jingyi went to share with a huff (not in front of his teacher of course).

Meanwhile in Lan Wangji's room, Suzhui slid the door close as soon as Jingyi was out. He found his Zhan ge standing by the window, releasing a messenger cloud and set towards putting his things away. When Lan Wangji came, he just looked at Suzhui for a moment, seeing a child who had grown up to be such a role model for his generation. He had the wit of his Xian Gege most of the time and his calmness, even though he wasn't related to either of them biologically.
"Suzhui, come here." Lan Wangji rarely let himself feel but it had been so long since he and Suzhui resided in the same room, the last being when Suzhui got injured once. Now he spent most of his time with his friends which was just as good. Suzhui obliged and stepped in his space without any words. After a moment though he separated and smiled at him, the smile which he reserved for the times he knew Lan Wangji was hurting or felt too tense. The smile always helped him relax as it did now.
They got ready for bed and slid under the blankets.

The information was so wrong. The group had decided to first talk with people to gather some information but Suzhui, Jingyi, Jin Ling and Zichen returned empty handed. No one was willing to talk and those who did just said that the place was haunted and speaking of it will call 'it'.
The girls got some of the ladies to talk, just to be told by the ladies that their husbands and children had been found outside the forest asleep and have yet to wake up. The Jiang disciples did get some info as one of them had a distant relative in the village; they were told by the wood cutter that he had gone a bit deep in the forest to collect wood one day. He took the path where there was a fallen tree covered with mushrooms. The description was vague but at least it was a start.
They didn't wait for the night to fall, instead proceeded towards the forest right away. Lan Wangji instructed the disciples to form groups and search for the tree first. The Nie disciples found the tree mentioned by the woodcutter and they went forward.
After walking for a minute, Lan Wangji felt something and turned his eyes towards the disciples. Suzhui had also stopped and had his eyes closed in concentration.
They must be near the source.
" Form two groups of five, scout the area and send a messenger if you find something. Don't take any action yourself. Use your flare if needed, be safe." Lan Wangji instructed and gave them a talisman each.
"Use this if you want to call me immediately. This will inform me. Just put a bit of spiritual energy and think of the words mentally as you release it."
The disciples took the talismans and bowed before separating in two groups.
Suzhui, Jingyi, Jin Ling, Zichen and Rong Wu formed one group while the Nie, Jiang and other Jin disciples formed another. They set off in two directions and Lan Wangji flew on a tree branch. He might as well look out for them because some of them were stubborn.

For 15 minutes, none of the groups found anything. The forest was deep and the area in which they were scouting looked like it was once a clear area which had been covered by vegetation with age, any common person will think so but Suzhui could sense a bit of lingering resentment in the air, like something dark had been here and had just moved as if sensing something.
The woodcutter told them that he remembered nothing but that could have been a lie. Not every victim opened their mouth that easily and most people even avoided them when they went near them to ask, it was a miracle that the girls were able to get some information. Also the family of woodcutter talked.
"Suzhui." Suzhui got out his thoughts on hearing his name. Looking beside him, he saw Jingyi looking at him with concern while Jin Ling stood with an annoyed expression in the background with a equally concerned Zichen.
Looks like he was immersed too deep in his thoughts.
" Ah..yes Jingyi? "
" You have been lost in your thoughts for quite some time. I was just going to tell you that we felt something in surrounding and decided to follow a direction."
Suzhui blinked, took them long enough, he thought. Maybe he was hyper aware of the energy imbalance and changes because of his upbringing and Hanguang-Jun's training.
" I have brought Master Wei's compass of evil too !" Zichen interrupted.
" Okay, which direction?"
" The arrows for ghouls and spirits both keep moving so maybe we have both here ? Or something whose energy is quite similar to both, could be something in between." Jingyi said looking at the compass. The arrows kept deflecting, even a slight change would move them and that too in the same direction.
" It's better than nothing. Let's move." Jin Ling said. He was getting impatient with all the discussion, also he didn't like the way Suzhui was lost in his thoughts before that he didn't even hear Jingyi. A thoughtful Suzhui during a night hunt only meant one thing— trouble ahead.
Deciding to follow the compass they moved.