Dance with you

Chapter 35

If Lotus Pier had been a person, Liu Xin would have said they looked like shit.

The Wens had really done a number on what had obviously once been a majestic and beautiful place. It still looked kinda beautiful, somehow. The wood that looked like it had been light before was blackened with soot and grime and other elusive brown stains. Bloodstains a voice in the back of her head helpfully supplied. Docks were in pieces and some roofs were completely destroyed. The Lotus Crest, which should have been seen all around the Jiang Sect grounds, could only be spotted on a lonely flag swaying in the wind. It had been erected on the tallest building that was still intact and it looked quite new.

As Liu Xin and her group approached the compound, the kids let their eyes wander, taking in everything before them. All of them looked surprised, taken aback by the ruins of what should have been a lively and happy place. Even Xue Yang didn't have his usual reluctance in his eyes. It looked a lot worse than Cloud Recesses. Whether that was because the massacre of Lotus Pier was more recent or the Cloud Recesses had the advantage of natural protection from the mountains, Liu Xin didn't know. She only knew that this was wrong. So wrong. In her mind the faces of three happy teenagers flashed and she started to feel sick. She remembered consoling her niece. The empathetic, wonderful girl who got lost in fictional worlds had been so sad, reading this particular part of the story. The destruction of the home of her favorite characters and the following decline of their relationship and health. It was one of the parts she remembered more clearly, the tears of her niece hurting her heart. But now, they weren't just characters anymore. Liu Xin had met real people, gotten to know some of them as friends. Even though she knew this was coming, it only hit her at that very moment. The nauseous feeling was soon accompanied by a now familiar feeling of unbridled rage as she cursed the author for putting so much on the shoulders of teenagers. She had to take a deep breath to not let her emotions show too much. She didn't want to scare anyone.

Gao Fen tugged at her arm and pointed towards what must have been the gate. There stood a Jiang disciple. His robes were dirty and looked dull but the purple color was still obviously the color of the Jiang. The young man was rather tall, his posture tense and his hand rested on the hilt of his sword. His eyes were set on them, only flitting around occasionally. He was as alert as a person could be while looking so very exhausted. The bags under his eyes suggested many sleepless nights and little rest. The closer their group came, the less his eyes wandered around, narrowing in their direction. The tense scowl on his face made him look older than he was. Just like in her first life, innocence was always the first sacrifice made during times of crisis. Especially on the side of the victims. Fang Lei's grip on her hand tightened, as did Gao Fen's, their small hands clutching onto her for safety and protection. She gently gave both of their hands a squeeze, trying to reassure them. Xue Yang, who had been walking a little bit ahead of her, slowed down until he was walking on Gao Fen's other side. He looked very tense, ready to spring into action any second. Once they were close enough to speak to the disciple, they stopped. The man's focus was entirely on her, probably deeming her the most dangerous should anything happen. With a last squeeze, Liu Xin let go of Gao Fen's and Fang Lei's hands and gave a deep formal bow. In her peripheral vision she saw the kids copying her. She was relieved. Even though it was something children shouldn't be this good at, the ability to read the atmosphere of situations was something all of them had to learn at one point in their lives. In any other situation, Liu Xin might have felt a twinge of hurt at the reminder of her younger siblings' troubled past. Right now though, she could only feel relieved she didn't have to tell them how to act. It made many situations a lot easier.

"Greetings, gongzi," Liu Xin began. "We have come here in the hopes we could speak to Jiang-zongzhu. Is he available?"

A pause and then a huff.