"Hurry up!" Wang Lingjiao screamed, excitement pooling in her.
Just as the Wen guards were close, Jiang Cheng barged in. Jiang Cheng raised an eye brow and asked, "Just how far are you willing to go? Letting other people be your meat shields wasn't enough, so now you're trying to bleed out a living person for bait?!"
Lan Wangji was shocked by this action of Jiang Cheng's but he remembered that after all said and done, they were still a family!
Wang Lingjiao pointed at the two and snapped, "Are you trying to revolt? I'm warning you, I've put up with you for long enough. Tie up this little bitch for me of your own volition this instant! Or else you and all the disciples you brought with you won't ever need to go back!"
Seeing that the situation wasn't going according to plan, Wen Chao let out a warning: "JiaoJiao, why... Why don't we chose someone else? He isn't..."
"I chose him!" Wang Lingjiao raged.
Jiang Cheng let out a cold laugh, not moving an inch. Lan WangJi acted like he hadn't heard a thing and stayed completely still. The apathetic Lan WangJi refused to cooperate. Jiang Cheng's fist was also clenched tight.
When faced with this kind of situation, it was impossible to remain a spectator. It was delusional to think that the situation could be diffused without bloodshed!
Wang Lingjiao was pissed as he screeched, "Traitors! Kill them!"
Several Wen sect disciples unsheathed shining swords and rushed towards Lan WangJi and Jiang Cheng with intent to kill. That 'Core Melting Hand' Wen ZhuLiu continued to stand behind Wen Chao, not moving a finger.
Wen Chao watched as his subordinates tore into Lan WangJi and Jiang Cheng, waiting earnestly to see what would happen.
Just when one of the Wen soldier was lose to stabbing Lan Wangji, to everyone's utter shock, even without Lan Wangji fighting against him, the Wen soldier was thrown back by a harsh force and he screamed in pain as his body had started to burn, out of nowhere!
Lan Wangji too was taken aback. What had just happened?!
"I... I told you!" Wen Chao's voice came, after a whole minute, leaving the rest of the disciples jaw hanging. "I told you not to get close to him!"
"What do you mean?!" Jiang Cheng barked.
"He..." Wen Chao stuttered looking back and forth at Lan Wangji and the Wen soldier who was still screaming in pain, his whole body in a blaze of fire. "Wei Wuxian has put a talisman on Lan Wangji which would burn down anyone who gets closer to Lan Wangji if he considers them to be dangerous."
"What?!" Everyone cried in unison, astonishment clear as a crystal in their tone.
Lan Wangji tried to blink back the tears that were threatening to fall by hearing Wen Chao's words. How could his husband be so... Wei Wuxian's love was unconditional and Lan Wangji wasn't sure if he deserved all of it. Hearing Wen Chao's words, all Lan Wangji wanted right now was to see Wei Wuxian, his husband!
"What.." Wang Lingjiao was quite confused, same as the others, including Lan Wangji.
"JiaoJiao, come over here!" Wen Chao cried.
Just when Wang Lingjiao was about to run to her master, Jiang Cheng seized the opportunity and took Wang Lingjiao hostage to the rock that was on the center of the water.
"Jiang WangYin! Let her go!" Wen Chao yelled.
"Not until you say where is Wei Wuxian!" Jiang Cheng yelled back.
Before Wen Chao could argue and lie, Lan Wangji walked towards Wen Chao in long yet careful and warning strides. Wen Chao retreated backwards upon noticing it.
"Where is Wei Ying?" Lan Wangji asked coldly.
"He..." Wen Chao stuttered, beads of sweat rolling down his neck, "Don't come closer!" He cried.
"Where is Wei Ying?" Lan Wangji repeated agon.
Realizing that he had no way out, Wen Chao said, "He... He is in the underground dungeon!"
"How dare-..." Jiang Cheng was about to curse when something unexpected happened.
Suddenly, he felt the entire ground shake. He cautiously asked, "Did the ground just move?"
They were currently deep inside a cavern. If there was an earthquake or a tunnel collapse, they would either be trapped inside or buried alive. Both of those situations were terrifying to think about. Nie Huisang replied, "No!"
But Jiang Cheng could clearly feel the shaking getting worse. The edge of the sword touched Wang Lingjiao's neck several times, causing her to scream. Jin Zixuan suddenly shouted, "It's not the ground that's moving, it's whatever you're standing on that's moving!!!"
Jiang Cheng also realized that the ground wasn't shaking, but rather the rocky island that he had landed on. It didn't just shake, it also rose up further and further from the water's surface.
Lan Wangji finally figured it out: this wasn't an island, but rather the carapace of an enormous creature hidden under the waters of the lake!