Nie Huaisang's legs barely kept up with Jiang Cheng's rapid walk as they left Jiang Yanli's room, fighting his own anger and disappointment. Young Miss Jiang, whose face still held evidence of a brutal slap, was unable to get any information on Wei WuXian and was unwilling to press the Lan Sect for answers. Jiang Yanli even scolded and cautioned them both to watch their actions.
"You won't help A-Xian or Second Master Lan by getting into trouble yourselves. Both of you are Sect Heirs and know that sometimes the needs of the Sect come before the one. Mother won't do anything to XianXian without Father, you know this, A-Cheng."
Huaisang's face burned again, with both rage and embarrassment, at hearing the explosive argument between the siblings, when Cheng-ge vehemently disagreed. Now together on the back path to Wangji's rooms, did worry for Jihua pass through his mind. So many unanswered questions to the day's events were causing him to lose hold of his peace.
Nie Huaisang felt his family's curse seething in his core, rage at the injustice sang a sweet song that had his fingers twitching for a saber. He needed answers, and the not knowing anything, not what happened, or what to do, was torture. Trying to calm himself, Huaisang skidded to a stop when Cheng-ge suddenly stopped. Both stilled before silently slipping into the hedges surrounding the Jingshi.
"What in the actual hell is going on! Why is there a guard on WangJi's empty room? Where are they keeping him? Some Lan Sect secret punishment room!!! If we can't get to Jiangnan for answers, then we need to get to Lotus Pier. For a Sect that has rules about gossip, these Lans sure are chatty little birds!"
Catching Cheng-ge's eyes, he nodded, and together listened. Jiang Cheng could barely contain his pure, unbridled rage as he and Huaisang were eavesdropping on a conversation between two elders.
"To think that the Head Disciple of the Jiang Clan would drag our Second Young Master down in the dirt with him. What a shame, truly," one old man shook his head ruefully."Although, don't you think 500 hundred whips was a bit too harsh? He is the younger brother of the Sect Leader, after all? Also, three years isn't exactly a blink of an eye, you know," the other man added, staring out at nothing in particular.
What did they just say?
500 whips?
Would anyone survive that?! Just what kind of person was Lan Qiren to do that to his own nephew? And what was all that about, three years?! Surely, they didn't mean seclusion.
"Still, it can't be as bad as what's coming for that Wei Wuxian fellow. Good grief, that woman is utterly terrifying."
Jiang Cheng didn't have to have context to know who they were talking about. A lead ball dropped in his stomach as he realized what his Shidi was in for.
No, he had to get back to Yunmeng. Now.
He didn't have to tell Huaisang what was on his mind, as the boy gave him a firm nod.
"I'm going with you," Huaisang whispered as the two rushed to their dorms.
Han Jihua came awake, struggling with the broken images of events as he registered the strange ceiling above him and the pain within his limbs.
'What happened? The three of us were fighting that goat Lan Qiren, but that bastard cheated and everything exploded. I was flying, I think. Next was seeing the sky as someone lifted me up. Wait, what happened to Ai and Wuxian?'
With a ragged gasp, Jihua tried to sit up, only to feel streaks of fire in his body; it felt as if every rib was broken. The sharp, persistent burn in his right shoulder meant that his collarbone, as well as that arm, was broken, too. Tears gathered as he fought off the nausea to move; he flinched and cried out at the gentle hands stopping him.
"Young Master Han, you're safe! It's me, Wen Ning. You have been badly injured and need to stay still. You are safe inside Fuyu Mansion; I won't let anyone hurt you."Jihua let Wen Ning gently push him back into bed and gratefully sipped the warm liquids Wen Ning fed him. Jihua was impressed at the shy Wen Ning's bedside manner.
The normally quiet and submissive young man was gone; in his place was a confident and professional man whose eyes were openly assessing him in a clinical manner.
After he finished the cup and feeling a strange floating sensation throughout his insides, he tried to speak, only to be hushed by the very firm voice of Doctor Wen.
"It's better if you don't try to speak; your right cheekbone and jaw are broken, along with most of the bones on your right side. Your core is healing the internal injuries, which are extensive and in line with being thrown through several walls because of an explosion and then having most of the second floor sitting on top of you. If you weren't a Cultivator with a strong core, you would be dead."Jihua's eyes felt heavy, but he managed to keep them open. He watched as Wen Ning sat down on the chair next to the bed, suddenly looking very young.
"The Captain of the Brocaded guards found you and brought you here; most of Shaanxi Street is gone, as well as Huan Yi Brothel. Um, don't worry Li Shen'an paid off the damages. He used Fuyu's emergency funds. Apparently, he always figured Lan Wangji would make something explode one day." Wen Ning shook his head a little but continued.
"Deputy Commander Gu said that witnesses reported an elderly man with a goatee, holding both Master Fuyu and Wei Wuxian before disappearing."
Jihua was stunned and terrified at this news. Lan Qiren was insane, and who knew what he was doing to WangJi and WuXian now?
He wanted to get up and go find the mirror to save them, but Wen Ning's medicine was potent and effective.Desperate, he tried to tell Wen Ning about the mirror; he felt his mind go numb and slow while trying to think of a plan. Blinking slower and slower, he heard Wen Ning talk."Don't worry, Master Han. I uh, sent Cotton through the mirror.""Cotton?" Jihua spoke through his teeth, the pain now numb on the surface felt heavy and hot below.
"It...was all I could think of. And, well, she is pretty smart for a cat." Wen Ning awkwardly replied.
"The Murder Muppet is loose in Gusu, great." Jihua thought before he drifted off into a dreamless sleep.
Xichen was alone in a courtyard with his many, many thoughts. Not just about Wangji, but about everything. His uncle went into Qi Deviation, and war was obviously imminent.
'The Sunshot Squad would be quite helpful right now. Ah, Didi, maybe you being away from all of this might be a good thing. I just hope you're not hurting too much.'
Forcing himself to stand perfectly still as his thoughts raced, he looked out on the neat and precise hedges of the courtyard gardens. An elder had already been placed in charge of WangJi's seclusion; Uncle's orders had been very clear.
"No one, absolutely no one, is to approach or offer aid, of any kind, to Lan WangJi during his three-year seclusion!" Lan Qian, you are to see to it, I don't want to see his face again! Take him now! I am so disappointed in you, Lan WangJi! How did I fail in raising you!"
Sighing deeply, Xichen felt conflicted about how to deal with WangJi's punishment. The Head Healer's words, which were troubling in the extreme, lingered in his mind.
"Grandmaster Lan Qiren has been placed in a coma; the damage to his meridian and spiritual veins is extensive. There is evidence of a physical fight, contusions and fractures, along with a near rupture of a spiritual tendon and many fissures and fractures of his Golden core as well. All of this can mean only one thing, Sect Leader: Grandmaster Lan Qiren used massive amounts of Qi in a fierce battle. His Qi deviation combined with the shock and upset, caused an imbalance of energy within his core. We can try to slowly awaken him once the Yin energy within his core has been cleansed, but we must be diligent in not causing the Grandmaster any further upset. Until he is able to repair the core fracture, he will be vulnerable to deviations or brain attacks."
Why would Uncle fight with WangJi?
Why would WangJi fight Uncle?
What could Wei WuXian have done?
Did he too fight Uncle? Was that it?
None of today made any sense! Wangji was the perfect student and disciple of the Lan Sect before today. There had often been times when Xichen thought it would have been better for WangJi to have been born first.
His Didi didn't fidget or daydream during class like him. Wangji was so capable of following the rules without questioning them, unlike him. Wangji found it easy to enforce punishment, unlike me. Uncle's beatings were unable to make Xichen into the perfect Sect Leader no matter how hard the private punishments went.
Every day, he kneeled at his uncle's feet and listened to his transgressions and accepted punishment. Xichen was relieved that WangJi was better than him and never suffered Uncle's wrath.
Every day, Lan Xichen was grateful that his brother was so very different than him. Wangji's perfection kept him safe from Uncle.
Until today, when Uncle passed down such a severe punishment went into Qi deviation because of WangJi's crime and my questions.
Shuddering, he traced the evenly spaced scars on his forearm, lost in thought he startled when an unexpected movement went past. Xichen could have sworn he saw something move through the bushes.
There it was again, something big and white.It was fast, whatever it was.
Looking in the bushes even further, he jumped out of his skin when he heard a loud meow come from behind him. He was met with a pair of sea-green slit eyes staring back at him, belonging to what must have been the largest and fluffiest cat he had ever seen in his life. Cotton's white jade insignia swung from either side of her neck like a mesmerizing pendulum, while Xichen looked at it in awe.
"Who...Who on earth do you belong to? Pets aren't allowed in Cloud Recesses."
If you could even classify something that big as a pet. It was more like a slightly smaller Siberian tiger.
As Xichen looked closer, he couldn't help but notice the scars on its ears, which looked like they had been caused by several fights. It had the sentient eyes and sharp fangs of a natural-born hunter.
However, what puzzled Xichen was that it was also groomed to perfection, with not a single tuft of fur out of place. Moreover, it had on such an expensive-looking collar? Scarf? Mini-Lan robes? Whatever it was, it was made with love, care, and what looked like nephrite jade.
"Does it belong to one of the guest disciples? Maybe a clan member?" Xichen thought out loud. He couldn't help but admire the work on the feline's outfit. He almost felt a bit underdressed just looking at it.
"Well, whoever your owner is, they love you a lot to give you such a nice outfit. Even my jade pendants aren't that nice." Xichen smiled, giving it a head pat, while Cotton gave a meow.
He knew keeping animals was against the rules, but he just didn't have the heart to adhere to the Lan Clan Principles this time. So what if somebody owned a cat? Albeit a very large cat. But it wasn't exactly the end of the world.
Besides, knowing his uncle, he might put it in a bag and throw it in a pond. He shivered at the very thought of it, feeling intensely protective of this beautiful animal he moved his body to hide the feline when hearing a Junior approach. Empathy and frustration rushed through him hearing
"Sect Leader, both the Jiang heir and Second Master Nie have broken curfew and are attempting to leave through Cloud Recess's main gate. How should we proceed in their punishment?"Lan Xichen gripped his xiao and thought very carefully before answering.
Jiang Cheng and Huaisang finally escaped from Gusu Lan. It wasn't easy, but with Huaisang's silver tongue and Jiang Cheng's ability to do something Wei Wuxian had once described as "the evil eye," they managed to get out.
Under the guise of Jiang and Nie Sect holding a small meeting and that they were required to be there, the guard disciple didn't dare question it. Well, he only didn't question after Jiang Cheng threatened him and Huaisang bribed him.
Now Huaisang clung tightly to Cheng's back as they flew much like a comet towards Lotus Pier. Huaisang was both terrified at the speed and thankful that Jiang Cheng had the strength and skill in sword flying to make the half-day trip in only an hour.
When seeing the gorgeous gates, relief rushed through him, feeling them land on solid ground wider than a sword length. Huaisang shaking knees made him clumsy running after Jiang Cheng. Seeing the upset and tears stains on the juniors milling around the open gates had Jiang Cheng fists forming. All looking traumatized and fearful had him in a panic, fearing they were too late.
"Where is my Mother? Has she already punished Wei WuXian?"Nie Huaisang skidded to a stop and panted heavily, his robes a mess of wrinkles and travel dirt, seeing the defeat in the Jiang disciples' shoulders had real fear tickling his spine.
"What happened?" Jiang Cheng panted, looking worse for wear.
"Shixiong he-" The disciple sniffed, looking quite shaken.
"I don't know what he did, but Madam Yu she, she was so mad, she kicked him out of the Sect after she..."
"What did she do?" Huaisang paled at the thought of what could have happened.
"She whipped him with Zidian... two hundred times. She made Jinzhu and Yinzhu take him to the outskirts of Yunmeng; they went west; if you go now, you might catch them."
Jiang Cheng didn't even wait for another word before he unsheathed Sandu and hopped on. Within three seconds, he was nothing but a purple blur.
"Horse. Now."Huaisang firmly said to the disciple next to him, not even bothering to be his usual polite self.
The disciple didn't need to be told twice, as he ran over to the stables to get the fastest horse he could find. Huaisang followed behind as best he could, holding onto the reins for dear life as he galloped.
After an hour, Huaisang heard sounds of a battle, and rounding the bend, he took in the scene before him, blood frozen at his first glimpse of Wei WuXian; he pulled back on the reins, and when close enough, jumped off to stand shoulder to shoulder.
Huaisang did his best to copy his MingJue's intimidating glare as he faced down the twin servants. Both women had their hands up and empty as they stood next to a hand-pulled cart. Huaisang's stomach quaked seeing how carelessly Wei WuXian had been tossed into the too small space. One ghostly pale broken and bloody hand dragged on the ground.
"Young Master Jiang, Madam Yu instructed us to-." Jinzhu started but was cut off.
"I don't give a damn what my mother said! That's my brother, and you'll hand him over right now! Or, so help me; there are going to be two dead bodies in this clearing, and it's not going to be us!"Huaisang withdrew his pistol and pointed it at Jinzhu, or at least he assumed it was Jinzhu. It didn't really matter anyway.
"Young Master Jiang, I'll let you pass this once, but you two are on your own. I won't tell Madam Yu about this. There's an inn five miles east of here." Yinzhu and Yinzhu left them.
"Oi, Wei Wuxian! Hey, wake up! You can't die!" Jiang Cheng held his ShiXiong in his arms, while Huaisang transferred spiritual energy through his wrist.
"What about your sassy boyfriend back in Gusu? Don't you want to see him again?! Just don't leave us!"A huge flock of birds took flight from the bamboo forest, startled from the dual howls of grief echoing across the valley.