Ink Lines

Chapter 12. Five Months Ago - February P3

And their enemies will be less inclined to go up against Wei Ying's defenses, or Jiang Cheng's authority.

Nie Huaisang once again had reacted to save Lotus Pier, not knowing the extent of the threat. But it wasn't in  truth, Nie Huaisang's bloodied refusal to give up that had the anger burning. He would have been concerned and outraged for his semi-friend, he's known since early childhood, with Brother's longstanding brotherhood with Nie Mingjue.

They have never been close, but he's always known him and  considered him like... a cousin. One you don't know well, but there that instinctive recognition of a family tie.

He would have been able to react as a cop he thinks, rationally if angrily, for Brother's sake just as much. And the news that Jin Zixun was involved, that he had threatened to kill Nie Huaisang before in Gusu? That alone was worrying and deeply regrettable since he's only finding this out now.

But pointing a gun at Wei Ying's head...a gun...with the clear, unmistakable really,  intent to kill?

That crosses the one line that Lan Zhan cannot forgive. He early watched Wei Ying die.

It hits him then like a fist plowed into his stomach. Wei YIng nearly died and he nearly witnessed it, helpless to do anything to stop it.

Horror crawls up his throat and he knows that he going to be seeing this in his nightmares for years. He feels sick and thready, his heart is hammering against the cage of his ribs. Nothing shows in his face, he won't let them see the shake in his hands or the violence in his veins.

He's intensely relieved that Meng Yao, who he will owe for the rest of his life, stepped in to kick Jin Zixun. Lan Zhan wants to shoot the man himself or at least break a few bones for daring to think he could, on camera no less, murder Wei Ying!

If that bullet had touched Wei Ying's skin in any way, he would have hunted Jin Zixun down. He tries to convince himself that he'd do it for the law, for the legal system to throw behind bars...its not working.

Oh its going to be in his nightmares for years to come, he thinks as he turns to stare at Jin Guangshan and Lady Jin. Wen Xu seems frustrated and edgy, his face turning more sullen with every argument that erupts, spewing hot rage for every word of cold betrayal in the way volcanoes spit pyroclastic ash.

Wei Ying is fine. He's okay. Lan Zhan tells himself, centering his focus. As soon as he can, he's going to call Wei Ying on some pretext because he cannot to admit to this. It would break Wei Ying's trust in the Sects and knowing the Jiang family, Wei Ying in particular it would lead to a disaster.

As horrible as this night as been, Wei Ying has proven to be a stable, highly capable leader that didn't resort to excessive violence or murder when threatened. And Lan Zhan has no doubt that if Wei Ying had murdered Jin Zixun or hurt him badly, Jin Guangshan would have taken full advantage of it.

Yet they have also learned that Wei Ying is fully prepared for any eventuality, making Lan Zhan wonder how the Jin broke through his wards...but no, that's not fair.  he thinks. Jiang Cheng would not turn Lotus Pier into a fortress unless he was directly threatened.

Yunmeng was not the Unclean Realm. Lotus Pier was chaotic and lively, its disciples and the Sect lands itself busy until late at night. That's what Wei Ying had always hinted at in his stories. Yunmeng was a twenty four hours kind of city and Lotus Pier was much the same in culture.

Shutting down and bolting the door wasn't their style. It was near dinner time there, so disciples would have been moving between buildings. Wei Ying would have assumed that no one would break into the Sect lands, while Lotus Pier itself was moving to the dining halls or to their homes. Wei Ying always joked, it was like rush hour traffic.