Wild Creatures

Chapter 85

04.45am Sunday

Lan Zhan can barely see, and he tries not to give himself away by looking up from under the hood of the dark robes he'swearing. He must rely solely on whom he is controlling now. He recalls Baoshan Sanren telling himself and Wei Ying that Wen Zhuliu was protected by Wen Rouhan, that they had elevated his status to adopted son, a source of contention between the other two Wen Siblings, Wen Chao and Wen Xu.

If that was the case, and he sincerely hoped it was, then he had to gamble on Wen Zhuliu having enough authority to walk him out of there, without any trouble.

But the proof was in the pudding, as Da Tuzi liked to tell him, every time they baked something together.

Would he ever get to see the old man again? Lan Zhan hoped so, because it was only now he was able to get past the resentment he'd felt earlier, when he thought Da Tuzi was hiding his true self from them.

But now, if faced with the choice between never getting to see him again, or forgiving him for the oath he'd made to his Benefactor, in keeping their arrangement a secret, then Lan Zhan would so pick the second option.

It wasn't fair that this, a literal life or death situation, would force him to realise the important things, and be able to let go of those that were not so.

And more than anything, he wished he had told Wei Ying one more time that he loved him.

It seemed like the only regret he had left.

"Take the rope so it looks like you're holding me prisoner. When we get outside, you are to tell the guards that you have orders to take me to the treasury. The HeartStone is there, correct?"

"Yes." Wen Zhuliu answers with that same glazed look in his dull chocolate eyes.

Lan Zhan can only hope this is enough, and if there are any cameras, then no one is looking.

"I'm ready, let's go. Take me to the HeartStone."

Wen Zhuliu takes the rope between his hands, hiding the loose ends, and opens the door.

Two guards in uniform, wearing caps and wielding guns stand to abrupt attention.

"Our orders are not to let anyone pass, Sir!" One of them says, saluting.

"Correct. But I have revised orders as follows: Senior Wen has ordered the prisoner to be escorted personally to the treasury."

Before the guard can say anything else, like ask for proof, an earth shattering crash explodes outside, making the ground shake under their feet. The guards look at one another in confusion, and the noise hides Lan Zhan's whisper to Wen Zhuliu.

"Well? Aren't you going to see what that was?" He barks, as per Lan Zhan's instructions.

That's all the encouragement they need because they salute and run towards the chaos outside.

"Hurry!" Lan Zhan tells Wen Zhuliu instantly.

This might be their only chance.

************

Outside, it doesn't take much to subdue the handful of security guards at the checkpoint by the Great Wall surrounding the Wen Laboratories. Four against a few hundred was the most unfair odds Wei Ying had ever seen, but he wasn't complaining.

He'd never seen people move so fast, spread out in an orderly chaos that could only be described as magical perfection.

A hand on his arm had him hanging back, looking at the vampires surging ahead, and now that they had broken in, the vampires let out the most bone-chilling screams and screeches, making his blood run cold.