The Sorcerer's Revenge

Chapter Ten

It was early morning in the Burial Mounds, and Wei Wuxian had been up all night finishing the Compass of Evil. He had reworked the object, making it much stronger and easier for use. He would just have to take Yuan out and away from the Burial Mounds to test it later. He laid the compass down on the table and stood up, stretching his back and neck and readying himself to head to his personal quarters for a few hours of sleep.

Wen Ning entered the cave at that moment holding a piece of paper.

"Wen Ning," he said, "what is it?"

"I was checking the trail and the warning talismans around it when a cultivator dressed in Jin Clan robes came up," Wen Ning answered, handing the man the paper.

Wei Ying took it, confused. The Jin Clan? "What did he say?" Wei Ying asked, realizing the paper was actually a letter.

"He said he needed to hand you that letter, but when I wouldn't let him pass, he handed it to me and told me to give it to you before he left," Wen Ning replied, shrugging.

Wei Ying's right eyebrow lifted as he opened the letter, reading the contents. His lips curved into a smile, and he laughed. "It's Jin Guangyao," he said, "He's having another conference because of the Su Clan disciple I killed yesterday. Su She demands an explanation as to why and also demands I be held accountable for it. I am invited to explain myself."

Wen Ning blinked, dumbfounded that the cultivators would invite Wei Ying. They had always just gone to the extreme of blaming him for every murder in the world, especially since they've wanted him dead for over a decade. 

"Will you go then? When is it?" Wen Ning asked.

Wei Ying smirked, nodding. "The conference will be held in two days. I'll go if only to make sure the sects understand exactly who I am and what I am willing to do to make sure they stay away from the sect. I'm also quite bored after killing the disciple, so why not have some fun and threaten a few cultivators while I'm at it?"

Wen Ning nodded and asked, "Will you require assistance in Jinlintai?"

Wei Wuxian thought about it, then said, "A-Yuan will be coming with me. That's a given. He's safest at my side. You need to stay here in the Burial Mounds with the disciples and other fierce corpses."

Wen Ning nodded again. "And what about Xue Yang and Mo Xuanyu?"

Wei Wuxian tossed the letter onto the table with all his talismans and other inventions then said, "Xue Yang and Mo Xuanyu can stay as well. I'll be alright on my own with A-Yuan in Jinlintai." He grabbed Chenqing from the table. "You can head back to guarding I'm going to get some sleep."

Wen Ning nodded and bowed, and they both left the cave, heading in separate ways.

It was mid-day on the day of the conference, and almost everyone who was invited had already shown up chatting with each other. This conference would only last for today and would be over in a few hours. Most of the conversations heard were about Wei Wuxian and the disciple he killed or if he was going to show up in Jinlintai. 

Lan Wangji was sitting at a table and drinking some tea to calm his nerves. He had wanted to go to the Burial Mounds the moment he heard about the conference but couldn't. His uncle wouldn't let him. Instead, he was given more work to do within Cloud Recesses.

Xichen was speaking with Guangyao near the front of the room, and he was sure they were talking about Wei Ying as well. His uncle, as always, was silently sitting next to him drinking his own tea.

Several moments later, he was tired of the idle murmur and chatter, and stood up, muttering to his uncle he was stepping outside for a bit. He walked out of the banquet room and stepped off to the side so he wasn't seen from the doors, and he closed his eyes for a moment, taking in some much-needed silence, basking in it.