Caiyi Town, Gusu Lan.
Wen Ning was in a tight spot. He put things in order the instant he got Wei Ying's message, yet now that he had to leave, his wife was getting in the way. At first, Jiayi just wanted to tag along for a fun adventure.
"Honey, there are no women on this trip," Wen Ning alleged.
To Jiayi, that was unacceptable. "What do you mean no women? What are you and my brother up to? I will confront him about this," she said, after dragging the issue for a while.
"But Dear, you will embarrass me if you do that. Let's not go to Master Wei."
"A'Ning, I am your wife. It is my duty to embarrass you when you're acting sneaky."
"I'm not being sneaky."
"Don't think I don't see the way the young ladies in this town look at you. Is that it? Are you planning on getting another wife on this trip, is that why I'm not allowed to go?" Jiayi found a way to rub her insecurities all over the situation.
Lately, maidens in the town pooled up at the family clinic, asking to be treated by the legendary Ghost General. They would coquettishly hold up their handkerchiefs, feigning tears just to get Wen Ning to look up at their ankles for a nonexistent illness.
As head physician, Jiayi banished her husband to the pharmacy to prevent jealousy from getting the best of her. That did not stop the bold ones from stalking Wen Ning each time he left the house. Now, out of the blue, this same Wen Ning was indirectly asking for space- that was how she interpreted Wei Ying's message.
"No is the final answer!" Jiayi stomped through the compound, to the main house. The servants could hear them in the hallway. It was becoming a habit here; the Madam would nag her husband and he would beg his way into submission. A little unhealthy, but they made it work. Besides, they were the envy of the town.
"Are you two quarrelling again?" Wen Li propped her head out of her room. She was getting fed up with babysitting two adults and an annoying brother.
"No, sweetie, we're not quarrelling." Wen Ning tucked her head back in gently and shut the door. He then ran after his angry wife, using all the sweet honorifics he could think of.
Inside their matrimonial room, Jiayi flings a dagger at Wen Ning the second he enters. The blade digs right into his chest and he clasped his teeth.
"The next one will go straight to your eggplant if you say the wrong words," Jiayi was on edge.
"Are you sure you want me to lose that?" Wen Ning lowered his head like a puppy.
"Wh...what?!" Jiayi's face turned beet red when her eyes wandered the area. "We already have children, what will I need that thing for?"
"A week ago you said that part of me was your favourite," Wen Ning begged to differ.
"I did not!" Jiayi stuttered, that dagger was still pointed at Wen Ning. "Your eyes are my favourite- I tell you all the time!" She shook her head, contrary to what she was saying.
"No, I said your eyes were one of the things I love about you," Wen Ning bravely stepped forward. "But we both know that's also a lie, don't we, dear? I love everything about you... My eyes see no other woman besides you." He had a little sheepish smile that never grew old. And it certainly got through his wife's tough skin.
"A'Ning," Jiayi was ridden with sweetest and guilt. "Wait, don't pull that out. You might bleed." She put her hand on her spouse's wounded chest.
"I'm not worried about that. True pain, is seeing the woman I love get upset." Wen Ning pinched closer to steal an embrace.
Jiayi was conquered with a kiss on the forehead. She let her guard down, showing remorse for being rash and temperamental. "I feel old Wen Ning. How can I not be scared when those younger women fetishize you right in front of me?"
"Now you offend me, Jiayi. My wife is not old, she's in her prime; like the first bloom in spring. I'm the lucky one here. I hold back on stalking you because it is wrong, and I can't have the children follow such a bad example.
"Hehe, is that so?" Jiayi pressed the hilt of the dagger, sticking it deeper into her partner.
Wen Ning held in the discomfort to impress her. "I'm dying to prove it to you." He started playing with her dress. Step by step, Wen Ning showed Jiayi how strong their bond was. Nothing could make them take their eyes off each other, not even the sweat dribbling down their face as they exercise in a unique way.
The next evening Wen Ning set off. Better late than never. He caught up with Wei Ying and the group two days later.
ZhiHao was instantly put off by Wei Ying jumping close to the Ghost General at every stop. He became invisible whenever those two were reunited.
They set camp in the woods on the fourth night. The Mulong Clan leader and Wei Ying agreed on sending lookouts to mark the next available town.
"You're usually on time When Ning. What happened?" Wei Ying poked the night fire with a stick.
Wen Ning stuffed some special beef jerky in his mouth, chewing slowly to avoid answering. See, his mind swam towards the argument with Jiayi, but it was more of what happened afterwards that made his heart rattle. He could vividly hear his wife's satisfying whimpers echo in both ears. The warmth of her body was so fresh in his mind, he would have run back home for one last run if that chance was handed to him.
"Helloo...Yiling Louzu to Wen Qioling!... Wen Ning!"
"Huh?" Wen Ning jolted back to reality. "Nothing...I had to make sure Jiayi would not need anything while I'm gone."
"Anything like what? Sister is always on point with her work." Wei Ying was voicing out when ZhiHao threw a pebble at him.
"What?" Wei Ying turned his neck sharply.
"Can't you see your friend is not referring to work? Look at him, he's making those faces you make when you talk about Hanguangjun." ZhiHao whispered.
"Ohhhh, right. Now I feel bad for asking." Wei Ying replied.
"Tch! You're so shallow." Hao put a straw in his mouth and leaned against a tree for comfort. Wen Ning missed this mini-conversation because his mind was still at home.
**
Lotus Pier.
Zidian let out a bright glare as it snapped a training doll in half. Its wielder did a double flip and yanked the handle swiftly. Wooden sticks were scattered all over the training grounds. Disciples covered their heads with metal boards for safety reasons. It wouldn't be the first time the lady of the house accidentally wounded one of them during her daily workouts.
Li Qiang walked towards the danger and surprised the lady with a strike.
"Hah!" Yuelian smirked as she twirled away from his sword. "What's this Master Qiang? Attacking your student in hindsight is not noble."
"Fierce corpses and crooked men have no need for nobility," Li Qiang gingered her with his footwork. Fighting him was far more exciting than a dummy.
Yuelian whipped her grandmother's spirit weapon in the air before making a direct aim. Li Qiang showed no sign of discomfort when Zidian coiled around him.
"So which are you? A corpse or a crooked man?"
"Neither." Li Qiang yielded. "You should change into something appropriate. Your father requests your presence."
"Do we have visitors?" Yuelian was not used to being interrupted this way.
"You guessed correctly Miss Yuelian." Li Qiang said.
Jiang Cheng often opened his doors to dignitaries from other Sects. Many looked up to him for security and advice, which he took pride in. These days cultivators were more interested in fame than rendering services to those in need. The young ones would leave on a wild goose chase, poking creatures they could not handle, all in the name of climbing ranks.
The Jiang family head was glad that none of his children were that greedy and pompous. Muyun was a ruffian on most days but his name was on the lips of every man and woman out there for being brave and noble. Jiang Cheng could rest assured because Muyun's elder brother, Lan Jiang, was a flexible disciplinarian who walked in Lan Wangji's footsteps; always being where there was chaos. Yuelian was allowed on hunts as long as her brothers were there, but she knew how to pull her weight.
What more could a father ask for?
"There comes the only flower in my garden," Jiang Cheng lit up with a thousand smiles when Yielian walked in with grace, poised and soft-spoken.
She paid respects to the Clan leader with a bow and stood up. "You wanted to see me, Father."
"Yes. This is Master Kai from the Lei Clan. He is here with his sons and they come bearing gifts," said Jiang Cheng.
"Gifts, for me?" Yuelian glanced and the said gentlemen. She felt a tingle around her ring finger where Zidian was sitting. That was a bad bad sign.
"Clan Leader Jiang, may I be permitted to present the gift to the lady?" The eldest son, Lei Yuxuan voiced.
Jiang Cheng received that gesture warmly with a nod. The young man brought forth a small chest and walked towards the lady. Yuelian was not the girliest girl in Yunmeng, but her eyes did shimmer when Yuxuan opened the chest.
"These must have cost a fortune," her fingers were in a hurry to have a feel of the jewelled hairpin, the jade comb and the mirror. But the true stars in the box were a pair of diamond earrings and a necklace to match.
"It is but a grain of sand, compared to what the lady deserves. I take solace in knowing that these jewels will be used by the priceless lotus of Yunmeng." Yuxuan lowered his eyes respectfully.
As amusing as he found it, Jiang Cheng was impressed by the man's demeanour. If only Xichen were here so they could laugh about it together. "Daughter, why don't you accompany Master Yuxuan and his brother to the guest quarters? I'm sure they'd prefer the 'Priceless Lotus' of Yunmeng to the old geezer that rules it."
"Sure, Father." Yuelian read through her father's teasing lips. Lan Xichen would have an ear full of complaints when he returned.
***
For days Wei Ying and his companions moved by land and water. There were little mishaps along the way, which was unexpected. They were hoping for some big roadside action to kickstart their adventure into the unknown.
Sometime later, after they entered the next town, Wei Ying grew agitated. He felt strongly that he was being watched.
"Is it a demon?" Hao asked.
"It's certainly not ordinary, but since you did not discern it, I can't say that it is a demon." Wei Ying confided in Hao and Wen Ning.
"It could be something connected to the Mulong Clan. Do you want me to track it down?" Wen Ning was up and standing.
"Sit down, undead human! My senses are way more potent than yours. I'll be doing the tracking," ZhiHao scowled.
"No one will be tracking anything." Wei Ying did not approve of Hao's attitude towards Wen Ning and reproached him for it. Wen Ning on the other hand did not take that too personally. He had heard worse.
"Let's see how far this thing is willing to follow us." Wei Ying hated the stalking but he did not feel threatened. Not yet.
They continued their voyage into a vast forest far away from LanLingjin. It would have been beneficial to pass by his nephew's, however, Wei Ying reasoned that Jiang Cheng may not like the idea.
Out in the open, Wei Ying's hand suddenly went up. The Mulong disciples, as well as his own, all stopped. Wei Wuxian paced around in circles, eyeing the trees and the grass as if they had offended him. Maybe he did count the malignant force stalking him as a threat...or he wanted to be done with it.
ZhiHao took a longbow and quiver full of arrows at the snap of his friend's fingers. But Wei Ying required just one to disarm the threat. It wasn't going to be a simple shot since the arrow and the bow emitted traces of Yin energy. Wei Ying had developed the ability to channel his energy into any object whether it be his weapon or not. That arrow would not miss.
The atmosphere was noiseless. Everyone hushed up as Wei Ying pulled the string of the bow to its limit, searching for the perfect aim. He screens the air, guiding the weapon from right to left.
*SHIWW!*
Some of the younger disciples flinched at the snap release.
The arrow crashed into a forcefield but had no mercy on the spy.
"Well what do you know, that thing was dumb enough to follow so closely after all," Hao saw a ball of darkness fall out of the sky. Yet instead of a laugh from his friend, ZhiHao witnessed tension and shock on the Yiling Louzu's face. Wen Ning's reaction was no different.
As Wei Ying bolted in the direction of the crash, Wen Ning bounced up like a spring. "Fine, I'll follow!" Hao rolled his eyes. "Why so ruffled by a strange creature? It's better if it dies, I'm not caring for any injured corpse." Hao spoke too soon. He wished he never said those nasty things when he came across Wei Ying, crouched by three disciples he did not authorize or approve for this trip.
Thanks for reading! Sorry for any grammatical errors. I suppose it's obvious by now, who the two disciples are...but can you guess the last one? See you soon dear WangXian babies.