WangXian Forever 3

Chapter 67 Calculations

Nie Huaisang entered the library with Jiang Cheng and XiChen.

Wei Ying was standing with a piece of paper in his hand, clearly upset.

"What's wrong, Brother Wei?" XiChen came closer.

"We just worked out what this is." He held out the piece of parchment with the numbers on it.

Jiang Cheng took it into his hands.

"What's this?"

"It's a tally sheet. It's the working out for how much spiritual energy they need, plus how many children they're going to need."

Jiang Cheng looked green. XiChen had a look of disgust on his face. Nie Huaisang started fanning himself with gusto.

"We have to stop them. There's no choice in this." Wei Ying started to pace. "But we still don't know why. I think once we figure that out, we can finally get somewhere."

"What is spiritual energy usually used for?" Jiang Cheng asked.

"Depends. Healing, obviously. Plus I suppose really strong spells." Wei Ying answered absentmindedly.

"Didn't you find another piece of paper?" Jiang Cheng looked at Nie Huaisang.

"Master Wei has it." He pointed with his fan.

Wei Ying pulled it out. They crowded around it, noses wrinkled at it's state and the bloody stains.

"Did we agree that this looks like a spell?" XiChen said, gingerly turning it so he could see better.

"What does this say?" Wei Ying pointed at a particular character.

"Descend. From a high place probably." Nie Huaisang supplied. He smiled shyly.

Wei Ying took the pouch out of his sleeve and tipped it upside down onto the table. The rings fell out, and something about the way the sunlight fell into them, the light catching the silver in a really specific way, had him gasping.

"I'm just coming back." He ran out of the library so fast, they didn't know what to make of it.

Lan Zhan was on his heels. After the last separation, he wasn't taking any chances. They were going to be together.

He was surprised to see Wei Ying aiming for the Jingshi. He ran after him inside. Wei Ying started looking for something; he started checking the drawers when what he was looking for wasn't obviously in his line of sight.

"Where is it...saw here..." He mumbled to himself.

"What is Wei Ying looking for?" Lan Zhan didn't get in his way.

"Um, do you remember that ugly thing Jin Ling gave us... for a wedding gift? It was silver, but dirty looking?"

"Mn." Lan Zhan started looking in other places around the Jingshi.

They spent a good half hour looking and looking but to no avail.

"I can't find it. Lan Zhan!" Wei Ying felt defeated.

"What does Wei Ying think it was?" Lan Zhan comforted him.

"Let's go back to the library. We can tell everyone."

They walked slowly back. Wei Ying was upset at himself. Why hadn't he made the connection before? He felt like an idiot.

They walked into the library and three pairs of eyes stared at him.

"Why were you gone so long? What happened?" Jiang Cheng said.

"I figured something out." Wei Ying sat down in a slump. "You know Jin Ling had given us a wedding present? I think that's what those people, who kept breaking in to the treasury at JinLinTai, wanted. And they couldn't find it because we had it. And..." He looked up to see them all staring at him. "What?"

"You only just realized?" Jiang Cheng frowned.

"Yes! That's what I was trying to tell you." Wei Ying defended himself.

"So where is it?"

"We can't find it. It's not there."

He looked so disappointed, Lan Zhan sat next to him and rubbed his back, gently.

"Do you know who could have taken it?" XiChen asked.

"Well, to be fair, there was only one person here, who shouldn't have been." Wei Ying sighed.

"Do you mean to say, your fake sister took it? What?' Jiang Cheng shouted. "How could that have happened?"

XiChen looked embarrassed. "It was my fault. I let her stay here. I convinced Brother Wei to give her a chance."

"Someone must have seen her take it, right?" Nie Huaisang said.

"We can ask around but it's doubtful. There was so much going on at the time, plus Brother Wei was missing..." He replied, looking down.

"It's not your fault. You were only trying to do the right thing." Jiang Cheng consoled him.

"That's why!" Wei Ying exclaimed. "They wanted a distraction, that's why they released the Demon Naga, at exactly that time. While everyone was busy, they used that as an opportunity to steal that...that thing."

"Makes sense." Jiang Cheng said.

"They probably wanted to keep you occupied, so they could do what they needed to." Nie Huaisang added.

"So what do we do now?" XiChen asked.

"Have you still got men watching the orphanage?" Wei Ying asked, his tone urgent.

"Yes, why?"

"We should contact all the sects secretly and get them to do the same, because we simply don't know which one is their base."

"Why?" Jiang Cheng looked confused.

"So that when they make their move, we are prepared. I think we should get everyone on our side. It might be worth thinking about a coordinated attack. If we plan so that every orphanage is simultaneously raided, it won't give them a chance to warn each other, or hide any evidence." Wei Ying was surprised at himself, for coming up with such a good idea.

"I'll contact the sect leaders." Nie Huaisang said, smiling for the first time that day.

"I'll help. This is an urgent mission, and we need to prevent further harm to more children."

Wei Ying smiled at Lan Zhan. They finally had a plan.