I Will Always Protect You

chapter 20

Jiang fengmian pov

"Sect leader, we have searched every corner of Yunmeng and the search party sent to Lanling had sent word that was still no trace of Da-shixiong"

The disciple reported tiredly. I dismissed them immediately after. They should tire themselves, A-xian will always find his way back. There is no reason for me to concern myself so much.

However, my heart can't help but to feel worried over the always mischievous boy. Lotus pier had gotten so quiet without his presence.

Without A-xian, lotus pier had gone gloomy. San-niang had been harsher on the them, making them lift weight half their size and run hundreds of laps across the borders.

I should do something to stop her, this couldn't continue anymore. Sooner or later, the disciples will start to despise their training which would lead to more problems in the future.

My eyes started getting heavy at all the problems that may arise. I made my way to the training grounds where I saw my disciples lifting weight, running laps and doing intense exercises.

San-niang was there at the front, seated at the shade with Jinzhu and Yinzhu behind her. She was supervising them and criticizing them.

"Go faster, is this all you got?"

"Straighten your posture, your warriors so start acting like one"

"What wrongs you all? How dare you call your selves warriors with your capabilities?"

I walked to the battlegrounds, unable to see them suffer anymore. Their purple robes were drenched in sweat so were their hair.

"Enough, all of you have the whole afternoon off. Feel free to do whatever you want"

Everybody stopped what they were doing and some collapsed on the ground from exhaustion. San-niang got up from her seat, obviously angry while shouting profanities.

"Thank you, shifu"

Everybody bowed with a bright smiles. They deserved a break from all this training. I nodded and ushered for them to go on.

When everybody left, I turned to the front and saw a very angry san-niang storming towards me with zidian crackling slightly.

"Jiang fengmian, what are you doing ?"

"You had made them lift weights, run around the borders and do intense exercises. They deserve a break from all the hard work"

I turned around and was walking out of the training room, very aware of the storm that I will in the next second. San-niang's voice boomed behind me, telling me I was to lenient and the disciples were slacking off because a certain someone was not around.

"I had told you this hundreds of times before and will too now. A-xian needs time to think of the engagement, you forced him to marry someone he despise. It is only natural for him to run away"

She scoffed behind me like how I predicted she would. We already had this conversation hundreds of times before, to avoid it I would busy myself in the office using paperwork as an excuse.

"Jiang fengmian, now that Wei Ying is gone, shouldn't you focus on your own son instead or pondering on the son of another's"

"What do you mean?"

She scoffed and stood infront of me. Her eyes were flashing with anger as zidian started crackling louder on her palm.

"Wei Ying is gone, the position of the first disciple is left unfilled. Shouldn't you give the position to someone else ?"

By someone else, she means A-cheng. The poor boy was so pressured from being the clan heir alone. Making the head disciple will drive him insane.

"The sect heir can't be the head disciple as well and A-cheng is stressed from being the sect heir alone, adding on the responsibilities of the head disciples will push him to the extremes"

I glared her. Did she not see her own son suffer from her pride ? I had seen the times A-cheng would trained from early morning to late in the evening at the training field. He was more than qualified to be the sect heir in, my opinion.

However, maybe not so much in the eyes of his own mother.

"A-cheng is doing very fine. There is no reason for him to be the head disciple"

This woman needs to take a clearer look at the situation around her. She needs to start caring for her own son and not let him suffer from her pride.

"A-cheng is already the sect heir. What more do you want?"

She sneered at me, it was pissing me off.

"Jiang fengmian, are you reserving the title for your love child"

"Yu ziyuan, I have enough of your nonsense. Instead of being so full of yourself, why not take better care of your precious son"

I stormed away from training grounds. Her yells getting softer and further the more I walked off. I saw A-cheng walking to the training grounds.

"A-cheng, let's go out and picked some lotus pods. Tell your sister to come along"

A-cheng smiled and nodded. I thought back to the angry lady back there. San-niang needs time to cool down.

Lan wangji pov

"Wangji, you suspect that the fire tribe needs something from us"

"Mn"

"Why do you suspect so ?"

"She is very adamant on forwarding the wedding. It may only be because she needs something"

Xiongzhang looks down as he considered, wondering the same questions as I am. What could they possibly want from us ?

The fire realm is land flourishing with divine energy and wealth. For thousands of years, never had they faced any issues financially and spiritually. They aren't lacking anything.

"Wangji, what they need might not be in wealth or energy but maybe it is something exclusive to us"

I nodded at him. What xiongzhang said had reasoning. The fire realm is a tropical land while Gusu is much colder. Some spiritual plants can't grow in fire realm due to its tropical weather, especially those sacred herbs grew by our forefathers.

However, there are so many sacred herbs, more than a hundred.

"Don't worry, I will look into this matter and if there are any clues we will do thorough investigation"

Xiongzhang said sincerely. I nodded my head, feeling hope.