Jiang Cheng left the hanshi looking for Lan Jingyi to deliver the chicken dish he promised the boy the last time they talked; thankfully, he found him heading in his direction, carrying some scrolls with him. His mood immediately lightened the moment they saw each other.
"Senior Jiang! You are back!" He greeted him with a bow.
"Yes, of course, and oh, before I forget, I brought you these." He handed him the lunchbox that Jiang Yanli prepared this morning, "Chicken."
His eyes widened as he carefully took the lunch box before looking around and then back to Jiang Cheng. "We aren't really allowed to eat .. uhm, well, you know how our food is here" he sighed.
"Don't worry kid, I won't tell anyone, take it to your room and eat it secretly no one would know.. Also, is that for Lan Xichen?" He gestured at the scrolls he was carrying, and Lan Jingyi nodded. "Give me that, I'll bring it to him then so you can have your food."
"I did not expect you would really bring me food" he murmured.
"You better be thankful" he chuckled, taking the scrolls with him. Once he had them securely on his arms, Lan Jingyi started inspecting the container.
"Thank you, Senior Jiang. Well, how could I ever repay you for this?"
Jiang Cheng pondered for a while before he made a small hum, glancing down at the younger Lan. "Hm. How about telling me what's happening here lately while I was away?" Jiang Cheng crossed his arms.
"Rumors are not allowed."
"It's not a rumor, we are talking and sharing a topic about something that already happened."
Lan Jingyi regarded him for a moment, then glanced down at his lunch box before he sighed, "Fine, well nothing major, Hanguang-Jun left, I think he isn't done with that task the elders gave him... Hmm, other than that, everything is quite fine, same as usual."
"I see.." Jiang Cheng hummed.
"Oh, I did overhear Senior Meng Yao and Sect Leader Nie arguing two days ago, I didn't stay long, but it seems to be about you and Zewu-jun," Jingyi added offhandedly while sealing the lunch box again.
Jiang Cheng frowned, giving Lan Jingyi a look. For someone who did not want to share a rumor, he surely does have a loose lip. Anyway, those two argued about him and Lan Xichen? Well, now that sounds truly intriguing. "You mean Nie Mingjue had been here for a week?"
"No, not quite... He returned to Qinghe when you left that day. Seems like an emergency, and then he returned the next day and stayed two more nights, then left again, after that argument."
"Where is he now?"
"I haven't seen him."
"Alright.. Thanks, Jingyi." Jiang Cheng gave his shoulder a small pat. That was enough information for now. It's really a good thing to have some eyes here while he's away, the chicken is definitely not a bribe.
Jiang Cheng turned back to the direction where the Hanshi was, but before he could arrive, Lan Xichen was already walking outside and smiling at him.
"Jiang Cheng" Lan Xichen greeted.
"Hey, uh, I have these scrolls I saw Jingyi on his way here and took them. Where are you heading?"
"Ah, I have to attend a meeting." Lan Xichen regarded him for a while.
Jiang Cheng nodded and waved his hand. "I'll just bring this to your room then."
Lan Xichen frowned at the response, but it was too quick to catch as he smiled at him, reaching out to squeeze his shoulder. "Thank you, Jiang Cheng. I'll go now; I will visit you once it's done."
Nodding, they parted ways and Jiang Cheng went back inside the Hanshi, placing the scrolls on the table. Once he was sure they were neatly piled, he left and headed towards his room, greeting some disciples on his way as he passed by. Most of them were clearly confused to see him since he did not use the main gate as he arrived; oh well, they will eventually get used to it.
Once Jiang Cheng arrived at his room, he flopped on his bed and closed his eyes. Nothing had happened much since he traveled, but he felt like he just used a lot of his energy; he barely did anything aside from... ah, right, he hid in that closet too.. the things that happened after that, memories of Lan Xichen's lips against him and his arms around his waist...
With a loud groan, he rolled around the bed "Ugh!"
Stop thinking about him!
Frowning Jiang Cheng glanced down at his hand, the ring on his hand emitted a purple spark, and he raised a brow at that, unsure what made the ring react. It was still a mystery to him when Lan Xichen told him that his ring seemed to be a spiritual tool; if it was just a ring that was passed on to their family, how come it would be something that got some sort of spiritual energy? But then again, this place is already so strange. Jiang Cheng glanced at his long hair and huffed.
With nothing better to do, he left the room and headed to the path where Lan Xichen usually trains him in using a sword. He was able to lend a practice sword to one of the disciples. He started going through the sword formations that Lan Xichen taught him, but he still could not complete them on his own, especially the difficult parts, so he opted to just do the routine that was easier and something he already memorized.
Once he was done, he decided to take a short break. Sheathing the sword, he walked back to the compound to get some water. However, he hadn't explored Cloud Recesses yet and only knew a few routes around this vast mountain. Jiang Cheng sighed, realizing he was lost. Normally, the dining hall should be near the kitchen, right? But that doesn't seem to be the case here, he was walking around the hallways when he ran into Jingyi again for the second time that day.
Oh, how thankful he was.
"Senior Jiang, where are you going?"
"Kitchen? I'm thirsty"
Jingyi frowned at this "The direction of the kitchen is over there... "
"I know... I was only taking a detour" Jiang Cheng replied, trying to play it cool.
"On the opposite direction? Such effort for a detour" Lan Jingyi replied. There was a small smirk on his lips, and Jiang Cheng frowned when he saw it. The kid is trying to be a smart ass.
"Okay, fine, I was lost."
At this admission, Jingyi's smugness returned as he cleared his throat. "I'll show you the way then. Anyway, next time you can ask any of the disciples you get one for you know"
Shaking his head, Jiang Cheng crossed his arms and said, "That's not necessary when I can get it myself, and besides, I do not want to bother them."
"You are Zewu-jun's guest, we have to treat you accordingly" Jingyi replied as he led the way towards the kitchen.
"Still.." Jiang Cheng shrugged.
Even though he was Lan Xichen's guest, he did not want to trouble someone with something as simple as fetching some water for him. He knew the disciples around here were also busy in their own ways, and besides, he was used to doing things on his own. Glancing at the sky, he noticed that it was almost late in the afternoon. Just how long did he spend practicing earlier? It was hard to tell what time it was without a watch. He should probably bring that next, or his cellphone.
He can show it to Lan Xichen, the man will probably be amused when he sees it. Speaking of Lan Xichen, he turned his attention to the younger disciple that was walking ahead of him.
"Hey, Jingyi, is Lan Xichen still in a meeting?"
At this, Lan Jingyi glanced back at him. "They are almost finished, but he might leave."
"He left? Where?"
"I just got there to deliver a message, Sect Leader Nie wanted to see him in town and said it was urgent."
Jiang Cheng frowned after hearing this "urgent." He repeated it a little confused, if it was urgent, why didn't he wait here? Why talk out-
Wait.
Shit.'
Jiang suddenly grabbed Lan Jingyi's arm. "Do you know where?"
Surprised, the younger disciple nodded, "Yeah, near the Billing lake-" He didn't manage to finish when Jiang Cheng was ready to leave, but before he could take a few more steps away, he returned to Lan Jingyi again.
"I don't know the way, can you take me there?
"now?"
"Yes! Now! "It's very important!" Jiang Cheng gripped his shoulders as Jingyi sighed and finally nodded when he saw the urgency in Jiang Cheng's eyes.
"Alright, but I need to return immediately."
Jiang Cheng nodded, and they both headed towards the gate. "Wait, what about your water?"
"Seriously Jingyi!?"
This is a very important matter! The water can wait! If Jiang Cheng is right, this should be the chapter where Nie Mingjue dies! How could he forget!?
Nie Mingjue had found out about Meng Yao's motives, that was what they were arguing about because Nie Mingjue wanted Meng Yao to tell the truth to Lan Xichen himself, and Meng Yao did not want to risk it. In the book, they had already established their romantic feelings for each other, and at this point, Meng Yao was torn. He was afraid of what would happen to him if the person that he was working found out he snitched, but he was more scared of Lan Xichen rejecting him. He could not decide, and this led to desperation. He arrived at the inn first before Lan Xichen and pleaded with Nie Mingjue to give him some time, but the man is known for his impatience, and he did not want his childhood friend to be deceived. Meng Yao saw this, and when Nie Mingjue insulted his origins, he also sealed his fate. He had told him that he would tell it to Lan Xichen himself when he arrives, but before that happened, he had already poisoned Nie Mingjue.
Jiang Cheng is certain that he was already at this part of the novel, he was annoyed at himself for not noticing it, but with all the changes that happened in the plot, he really could not tell anymore.
When they reached the gates, Jiang Cheng stopped him. "Wait! Wait! It will take us too long if we walk. Can you use your sword?"
"Uh.. yes, I could."
"Okay, great, let me have a hitch then," Jiang Cheng replied, and Lan Jingyi raised a brow.
"Hitch?"
"Hitch! Hitch a ride- just let me ride it-fuck that sounds weird ..just take me with you because I can't use a flying fucking sword."
"For someone who's asking a favor, you are very aggressive." Lan Jingyi summoned his sword as it hovered above the ground; he first stepped into it.
"You don't say that to me after eating my sister's food, besides, I'll bring you more of it." Jiang Cheng huffed and also followed Lan Jingyi, holding on to his shoulders.
"Okay, fair deal."
Jiang Cheng held onto Lan Jingyi's shoulder as they flew; he was getting the hang of flying around, maintaining his balance as they traveled. It was definitely much faster than traveling by land, to be honest, it was even faster than a damn car, and with no traffic, no one is going to ticket them for speeding given how he was urging the younger male to speed up.
Once they landed in the market, Jingyi started walking towards the inn, pointing at the establishment. "There, that's the- senior Jiang!" Jingyi weren't able to finish when Jiang Cheng started to sprint inside. Looking around, he did not see the two familiar figures. He started making his way towards the stairs; the second floor is for the private rooms.
They are there, for sure.
Striding towards the first room, he opened the door and barely apologized to the people he surprised inside. Each door he busted, screams and yells could be heard; even the servers were rushing to stop him, but he was persistent until he arrived at the last door and slid the door open, and finally, he saw Nie Mingjue and Meng Yao inside, the two of them were talking.
"Jiang Cheng?"
"Young Master Jiang, what are you doing here?" Meng Yao asked, his eyes slightly widening when he saw him.
The servers who were chasing Jiang Cheng arrived at the door, panting as they tried to grab Jiang Cheng by his shoulder, but before Jiang Cheng could push them away, Meng Yao raised his hand, already regaining his composure.
"We know him, please leave us."
The servers glared at Jiang Cheng for a moment before they bowed at the two guests and left, closing the door behind them.
When Jiang Cheng turned back to the duo, he saw that Nie Mingjue was holding a cup, and he immediately strode towards him and took the cup from his hand quite harshly.
"What the fuck!" Nie Mingjue looked at him with wide eyes.
"That is quite rude, young master Jiang," Meng Yao said, eyes slightly narrowing.
Jiang Cheng stared at them for a while, He knew that was rude, but he was desperate to save him. "He.. he's trying to poison you."
Nie Mingjue blinked before turning his attention to Meng Yao, His eyebrows started to furrow, and he stood up, pointing at Meng Yao. Rage was clearly present on his face. "You! I agreed to listen to you because you wanted to tell Xichen the truth by yourself!"
"Do you really believe him? Don't you think it's strange that he suddenly comes here barging in and accusing me?"
Jiang Cheng scoffed before turning to Meng Yao and offering the cup to him. "Then drink it."
"I don't have to prove anything to you."
Nie Mingjue stared at the two of them for a moment, trying to gouge the situation.
"I will take full responsibility if my accusations are wrong," Jiang Cheng insisted.
Meng Yao stared at him for a moment and smiled before taking the cup from Jiang Cheng, glancing at the contents of the cup, and slowly taking a sip from it. Jiang Cheng's eyes widened as he finished turning the cup upside down to prove that he had finished the drink. "Is that enough proof?"
"What..." Jiang Cheng's eyes widened before turning to Nie Mingjue. "I swear! I weren't.."
"Jiang Cheng, this is a serious accusation."
"I'm telling the truth!"
Nie Mingjue was about to say something, but before he could talk, he started to stagger backwards, his vision started to get blurry, and his breathing started to get harder. He pointed at Meng Yao before he fell to the ground.
"Nie Mingjue!" Jiang Cheng rushed to his side, tapping his cheek.
"Unfortunately for you, this is his third cup already. You came a little late." Meng Yao said as he looked at them and slowly stood up, "I was actually having a little trouble thinking how to explain this situation, but it seems there will be a much more convincing story." He slowly approached Jiang Cheng and continued his villain-esque speech, "The young master Jiang, who had no background, was a stranger who appeared out of nowhere bewitching Zewu-jun and harmed his friends who found his ill intentions."
Jiang Cheng's brows furrowed; anger started to seep through his gritted teeth before he snarled at the smaller man. "You fucking sick bastard! You purposely drank it!"
"The poison is not too lethal for small consumptions; of course I have to make my story convincing. How would the elders in Gusu Lan believe me?" Meng Yao smirked, and the door opened, revealing three men dressed in red and white robes. "Get him, they need him alive."
Jiang Cheng dodged the hand that was trying to reach out for him and punched the man in the face before climbing out of the window. Looking around, he stopped a cart full of hay, and before the other could grab him back, he jumped off into it and groaned as he rolled over. Thankfully, that establishment's second floor is not too high, and the hay helped cushion his fall, but the owner of the cart yelled at him, and Jiang Cheng was already on his feet, ready to get away, but he stopped when he saw a few Nie disciples drinking at the small stall outside the shop.
"Hey!" He called out and glanced back at the window, seeing his pursuers watching him. Meng Yao was raising his hand to stop them from following. "Hey! You need to help Sect Leader Nie!"
"What?" One of the disciples stood up.
"Sect Leader Nie was poisoned! Go up there and help him!" Jiang Cheng yelled, and that must have snapped the rest of them as they stood up from the small table to run back inside the inn. Once they were out of sight, his pursuers jumped down from the window to continue the chase.
Just as the last man jumped down, Meng Yao heard the rushing footsteps, and he immediately fell to his knees, clutching his chest as the door opened.
"Sect Leader Nie! Young Master Meng! Young master Meng!" They rushed to their side; there were two disciples that were assisting Meng Yao while the rest of them were busy checking on their sect leader.
This is the scene that Lan Xichen saw as he arrived at the room along with his two disciples. He had seen the Nie disciples rushing in while he was on his way to the inn and immediately followed them. He could not believe that his two friends were sprawled on the floor, and one of them seemed to be in critical condition. Anger seeped through his veins as he asked. "What happened here?"
"Xichen," Meng Yao croaked, coughing a little as Lan Xichen approached him.
"Meng Yao, what happened?"
"Poison..." He replied as the disciple beside him continued checking his pulse while the other was digging through her medical pouch.
"poison? Who did this?" Lan Xichen's voice raised a little. Who would even dare to do such a thing?! If he found out who it was, then he would ne--
"Jiang Cheng"
"What?"
"It's Jiang Cheng, he joined us for a drink, and Dage he.. he was asking Jiang Cheng of his intentions towards you, it seems that he found out Jiang Cheng's motives, but before he could say it to us he already.." He glanced forlornly at Nie Mingjue before shaking his head. "He was the one who served us the drink. Dage already drank quite a lot, but Jiang Cheng forced me to drink or else.. He said he would hurt you, and I do not want that."
Lan Xichen listened to this with wide eyes, shaking his head slightly as he stood up. "No, that's impossible; he would never..." He clenched his hand before turning to Meng Yao again "Where is he?"
"He escaped; he left through the window."
The Nie disciples exchanged looks, confused after hearing the information because it was Jiang Cheng that told them about the situation, One of them was ready to voice it out, but the one sitting next to him held his shoulder and shook his head.
Lan Xichen turned to the two disciples. "Lan Chen, go back to Cloud Recesses at once and inform them about what happened. "How was their condition?"
"I was able to give the two of them a concoction to slow the spread, but this will not last long as this is only a quick remedy."
"Take them to Cloud Recesses, everything should be prepared there, and Lan Chen will get help as well," Lan Xichen ordered before he went to the window.
"Where are you going?" Meng Yao asked.
"I will find Jiang Cheng" was his only response before jumping out of the window. His only thought was finding Jiang Cheng because he needed to understand and know what happened. Besides, he needed to find him first because if the news arrived at Cloud Recesses, there was a high chance that the elders would order a search for him as well as the Nie Sect.
It will be dangerous for him.
"Jiang Cheng where are you.."
.
.
.
.
"Fuck!"
Jiang Cheng hissed under his breath as he hid behind a wall. The men that were chasing after him passed by. Taking a few deep breaths, he remained in his hiding spot while trying to think of a way for him to get out of this situation. The best option he has is going back to Cloud Recesses and finding Lan Xichen; however, Jingyi did mention that he was leaving after the meeting to meet Nie Mingjue, so there is a high chance that they might miss each other. However, staying here will not be a good option either.
He needs to find Lan Xichen, then.
Preparing to leave his hiding place, he took a peek at the streets, and once he saw that it was safe, he slowly slipped out and snatched a bamboo hat from a stall as he passed. Wearing it, he kept his head down, trying to blend in with the people. Jiang Cheng tried to return to the inn, but he spotted a few suspicious men lurking around the place, clicking his tongue. Jiang Cheng turned back and decided to just go to Cloud Recesses. He would sneak in if he could, but he would think about that later. The important thing now is leaving this place first.
Just as he was about to reach the end of the town, he spotted another suspicious man walking around, wearing the same red and white robes. Just how many are they? Taking a few steps back, he tried to leave undetected, but one of them pointed at him, and Jiang Cheng sprinted.
Shit!
Usually it's Jiang Cheng that's doing the chasing, given his job, but being chased is so different, and it didn't help that an entire group was after him. He should just disappear now! Why is it not working at this very critical moment?! Is this not a cliffhanger enough? How long does this chapter go on?!
Rounding a corner was a big mistake; he could see a big wall ahead of him, and there was no way of climbing that thing either. He stopped in his tracks and looked back, only to see the people that were chasing him blocking the entrance.
"This will be much easier if you are going to come with us without making a fuss."
"Fuck off!" With that said, Jiang Cheng took a deep breath and unsheathed his sword, and the fight ensued. Jiang Cheng may have trained with the sword, but he had never been in an actual fight. His sparring with Lan Xichen and Nie Mingjue did help, but not against four people at the same time. He was managing to defend himself and actually injured one of them; the man in question clutched his side before firing a flare. Jiang Cheng looked up to see a mark of a red sun dissolving in the air. That brief glance was enough distraction for the rest of the guys to get back on track, delivering a powerful blow using their spiritual energy. The force was so strong that Jiang Cheng lost his grip on the sword; it flew out of his hand, but that did not stop him from raising his fist and embedding his spiritual energy into it, as Lan Xichen taught him. His ring sparked for a while before his fist landed in his enemy's jaw.
He should not have left his gun on the Hanshi, Damn!
The man staggered and glared at him, ready to pounce.
"They need him alive!" The injured one yelled.
"Well, they did not say what state, as long as he is alive, right?" The guy that he punched said this, smirking before delivering a palm strike at Jiang Cheng's chest. The impact was so strong that he coughed blood and staggered backwards. He could see the man raising his sword, probably to injure him so he wouldn't be able to fight back. Jiang Cheng is losing his balance, but before he fell on the ground, his body was held up by a strong arm wrapped around his waist, pulling him back up to his feet, and the next thing he saw was a sword that went past his vision, piercing the man without hesitation.
The sword continued to fly, fending off the rest of the men as if it had a mind of its own. This time Jiang Cheng looked back and saw a familiar face; he almost sighed in relief.
"Lan Xichen.."
"Jiang Cheng, are you hurt?"
"I'm fine..." He coughed before finally standing straight, clutching his chest, before looking up to his companion and asking, "How did you find me?"
"The flare," Lan Xichen replied. He was not looking at him; he was busy channeling his spiritual energy to his sword as he stood there watching another person drop to the ground. "The Wens seem to be very interested in you."
"The Wens..." oh so these are the Wens then. "I have no fucking clue," he replied, and after a while, Lan Xichen brought his sword back to his hand. Their enemy is now lying on the ground, defeated. This time Lan Xichen turned to look at him; he looked a little upset before reaching out to hold Jiang Cheng's shoulder.
"Jiang Cheng, did you poison Dage and Meng Yao?"
The question made Jiang Cheng freeze, then his shock slowly turned into anger. "What?! No!"
"Meng Yao said-"
"So you believe him?! "Let me go!" Jiang Cheng shrugged his shoulder, removing Lan Xichen's hand from his person.
"I am only trying to make sense of the situation-look out!" Lan Xichen pushed Jiang Cheng out of the way when something came down from the sky. The blast made Jiang Cheng stagger back and come face to face with a man wearing the same Wen robes, but there was something different about this person. He was clearly not some low-ranking disciple that they fought earlier.
This guy... He had seen his drawing in the book.
"Wen Zhuliu.."
Wen Zhuliu was introduced later in the book; it was too early for him to make an appearance!
Before he could even gather his thoughts, he had already received a hard punch to the stomach, knocking the air off of him and causing him to almost black out. He doubled over, and suddenly he was hauled up by Wen Zhuliu over his shoulder.
"Jiang Cheng!"
Lan Xichen called as he stood up; it seems that the blast from earlier had hit him, but that did not stop him from chasing after them. He unsheathed Shuyue, and the sound of two swords colliding echoed in the area. Jiang Cheng had to blink back the black spots behind his lids; that punch was a hell of a lot stronger than the palm strike that disciple did, and he felt like his organs just fucking shifted! He was trying to gouge the situation; WenZhuliu doesn't seem to pose any trouble fighting against Lan Xichen while carrying a grown adult over his shoulder. '
This man is built differently!
Gritting his teeth, he made a loud groan and elbowed Wen Zhuliu in the neck. The blow made him loosen his hold, and Jiang Cheng used this opportunity to squirm and slip away from his grasp. He fell to the floor and tried to get up.
"Jiang Cheng run!"
Jiang Cheng looked up, seeing more Wen disciples coming their way, and before he could even sprint, a flying sword was heading in his direction. Jiang Cheng didn't have enough time to react when he felt a grip on his arm and was tugged back. Lan Xichen encased his body as he turned around to flip their position in the very last minute.
"Lan Xichen!" Jiang Cheng's eyes widened when he saw the sword retract from Lan Xichen's back, soaking his white robes with blood.
"There is no use fighting," Wen Zhuliu finally said.
Behind them were the disciples; they were surrounded, but that did not stop Lan Xichen from summoning his sword back and assuming his fighting stance as he faced Wen Zhuliu while placing his other hand to defend Jiang Cheng.
Clenching his fist, Jiang Cheng glared at their enemy. He hated how he felt useless in this battle. Lan Xichen is doing all the work trying to protect him, and yet he could not even do the same. Just like that night, when their house was consumed by fire, and he wasn't able to do anything but just stand and watch.
"What do you want from me!?" Jiang Cheng sneered.
"You don't have to know. You just need to come with us," Wen Zhuliu replied before signaling the rest of the Wen disciples to attack.
Jiang Cheng could feel his anger burning through his nerves; he was pissed, and he wanted nothing more but to beat the asses of these assholes. This is not supposed to be his problem in the first place!
Damn this book!
Damn that Meng Yao!
And damn this bastard for hurting Lan Xichen!
"Answer my damn question!" Jiang Cheng yelled, and he could feel a surge of power coursing through his meridians, heading specifically to his arms and down to his wrist, and suddenly the ring he was wearing emitted a spark. The loud crackling noise echoed in the alley, and out of nowhere a handle manifested on his grip. Jiang Cheng did not waste any time as he raised his hand, striking the men that were coming at them.
The loud crackling noise that resembled lightning was heard, and Jiang Cheng's eyes widen as he sends the men flying in every direction, even Wen Zhuliu backs up a little upon seeing it. Jiang Cheng looked down at his hand and saw a glowing purple whip; it sparked like a live current in his grip. He looked up to see the slight confusion and amazement on Lan Xichen's face.
"You are him... but that is impossible." Wen Zhuliu murmured, and that caught Jiang Cheng's attention.
"What are you mumbling about?! Answer m-Xichen!" Jiang Cheng caught Lan Xichen on his arms, who was struggling to stand, and as Wen Zhuliu tried to approach him, he raised the handle of the whip. "Stay back! Or.. or I will fry you!"
"There they are!"
Jiang Cheng looked back to see the Lan disciples being led by Lan Jingyi. When he turned back to Wen Zhuliu, the man had already left, mounting his sword as he flew away. The whip in Jiang Cheng's grip lost its weight as it morphed back into a ring on his finger.
"Sect Leader Lan! Senior Jiang!"
"Jingyi! Get someone to help Lan Xichen!" He yelled as the disciples rushed to help them.
Jiang Cheng took a step back, allowing the rest of them to tend to their sect leader. He looked at them worriedly; he was so focused on Lan Xichen that he did not notice Lan Jingyi approaching him.
"Senior Jiang... what happened?"
"long story.. How is he?" He asked the disciples who were tending Lan Xichen.
"I'm fine, Jiang Cheng," Lan Xichen replied with a small groan.
"The wound is deep, and your spiritual energy seems to be fluctuating." Sect Leader Lan, what happened? We should hurry back to Cloud Recesses.
They all helped their sect leader back up to his feet while the rest of them cleaned up the mess that was left behind from the fight. Jiang Cheng once again rode with Lan Jingyi. He had been asked if he was injured and needed to be treated, but he declined and told them to keep their attention on Lan Xichen. Sure, he probably had a few bruises and cuts, but it's nothing compared to Lan Xichen's current condition.
When they arrived at Cloud Recesses, everyone was already rushing to their aid; after all, Nie Mingjue and Meng Yao arrived earlier than them, and everyone was on edge when they saw their sect leader was injured.
"Xichen!" Lan Qiren's voice rose among the chaos; despite their rule of no shouting, he probably could not help but worry about his nephew's condition.
Lan Xichen had been assisted towards the infirmary, and Jiang Cheng followed them, but before he could take a few more steps, an arm stopped him from moving forward. He turned to his right and saw Lan Qiren standing and looking at him.
"Young Master Jiang, follow me."
Jiang Cheng frowned but nodded anyways as he followed Lan Qiren. He noticed that there were also a few disciples following them, and he immediately understood that the old man was trying to isolate him. Once they arrived, he was led into a room, and while the disciples stood outside, he was left alone with Lan Qiren.
"Jiang Gongzi, you are aware that we welcomed you to Cloud Recesses because you are Lan Xichen's friend."
"Yes," Jiang Cheng replied, frowning.
Ah, so he was being interrogated; it feels weird to be on the other side since he was the one doing the interrogation. And since Jiang Cheng knew what to seek and ask during interrogations and was also prepared to answer Lan Qiren, he needed to be calm despite his anger. The old man is not a cop, and his methods might be different from how Jiang Cheng does his work, but he knew that he just had to answer him honestly.
"I have been informed that you are responsible for Sect Leader Nie and Meng Yao's poisoning."
"I am not; I have nothing to do with that."
Lan Qiren looked at him, stroking his beard as he frowned. "Where do you live, Jiang Gongzi?"
The question surprised Jiang Cheng, and he frowned. How does he even explain this? Does Wuhan exist in this place?
Lan Qiren, being a sharp man, noticed his struggle to answer, and he followed up with, "What's the name of your parents?"
Blinking, Jiang Cheng realizes that Lan Qiren is doing a background check. Of course he would; after all, he was just a guest that his nephew invited from god knows where, and he would be suspicious of his history. Jiang Cheng and Lan Xichen haven't really come up with a back story since no one seemed to be asking, and if anyone even tried to question it, Lan Xichen just gave them a smile, and they would drop the subject; they trust Lan Xichen after all.
"I'm well..."
"Are you not from Yunmeng?"
"Yunmeng?" Jiang Cheng repeated, and he blinked. The name sounds familiar for some reason.
Lan Qiren sighed and shook his head. "Never mind, it is just concerning that we do not know anything about you and you seemed unwilling to share your background; it would be hard to believe your claims."
"I will never harm them, especially Nie Mingjue and Lan Xichen."
"Then who did?"
"Meng Yao! I arrived there to stop him from poisoning Nie Mingjue! You can ask Lan Jingyi. I asked him to take me there; I would not have enough time to sneak a poison on that short notice." Jiang Cheng knew he had told himself that he should be calm, but he was so annoyed and irritated that he could not help but slightly raise his voice.
"And how did you know that Meng Yao would be poisoning Nie Mingjue?"
"Because-" His words cut off when he was just about to tell him about the book. He blinked and looked at Lan Qiren, He shouldn't mention that book. "I can't tell you... but believe me, Grandmaster Lan."
Lan Qiren moved, walking towards the door. "I was informed that you two fought with the Wens; why are they after you?"
"I don't know," Jiang Cheng replied, because seriously, he doesn't know!
Shaking his head, Lan Qiren held the door slightly, sliding it open. "It would be hard to believe you, young master Jiang, not when you can't provide the information I require. Until then, I will need to confine you into this room; you are not to leave until we get to the bottom of this." Lan Qiren stepped out, talking to the two disciples.
"Keep an eye on him; he is not allowed to leave or accept visitors that don't have my permission."
"Yes, Grandmaster Lan."
Jiang Cheng stood there, seeing the doors closing, and he frowned, clenching his fist, before kicking the nearest table that was close to him.
Damn it!
Now what should he do?
Once he calmed down, he could not help but chuckle. From someone who chases after a suspect he becomes one himself, oh how the roles reversed.
"I'm gonna fucking kill that midget."
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A/N
I am sorry for the late update I've been busy these past few months from work, shoots and handling some events I never forgot about this I just did not have the time to sit down and write.
Thank you so much for those who still reads and waited for this story I hope you enjoyed the update 😊