"Well shit"
Wei Wuxian murmured as he placed the book on the table after reading the recent changes in it, he raised his hand and made a gesture of explosion with his fingers as he leaned back on the couch. Jiang Cheng had already changed his clothes and took a bath, sipping his coffee as he only grunted seeing Wei Wuxian being bamboozled.
"So, what you are saying is Uncle Fengmian is a Sect Leader in that world? He crossed over here?"
"That's my speculation" Jiang Cheng replied while placing the cup on the table.
"Wait that doesn't make sense, no—yes It does, the time here and that place is totally different. That world's time moves so fast so a hundred years ago would be just some few years here isn't it?"
Jiang Cheng nodded.
"Holy shit! Jiang Cheng! I'm shaking right now! look!" Wei Wuxian stood up and showed Jiang Cheng his hand and pointed on his arm "See those goosebumps?!"
"I can see, get off" he shoved Wei Wuxian's face away from him, but he only sat beside Jiang Cheng.
"And who the hell is that Sandu Shengshou guy? if he owned zidian, then how come it was on Auntie's possession? Do you think ... she is also.."
Sigh.
"Honestly I don't know anymore."
Jiang Cheng said but he heard the front door open, and he turned his head to see Jin Ling walk in, followed by Jiang Yanli who was carrying some groceries. The two younger brothers immediately stood up, Jiang Cheng took the paper bags from her while Wei Wuxian took her purse.
"A-Cheng you are back."
"Yes" Jiang Cheng said as he went to the kitchen and placed the groceries on the counter before he reached down to ruffle Jin Ling's head, taking the pack of potato chip from him.
"Open it for me Jiujiu!"
"Sure, kid" Jiang Cheng opened the pack and handed it to the boy.
Wei Wuxian then scooped Jin Ling on his arms as he sat him down the counter while Jiang Yanli and Jiang Cheng took out the contents of the groceries from the bags.
"How are you though? You are not hurt right?"
"Nope I am totally fine" He made a small smile before he made eye contact with Wei Wuxian who was snacking with Jin Ling. Wei Wuxian gestured with his chin to their sister encouraging Jiang Cheng to speak.
"Ahem.. uh Jie
, I wanted to ask you something."
"What is it?"
"Do you remember when we moved in the town house by the lake?"
Jiang Yanli paused as she looked at Jiang Cheng, after all they haven't mentioned that house after the accident happened there and they had avoided discussing that since the incident is still a little fresh, it was a mutual understanding between them, so she was surprised that he brought it up.
"Uh.. yes, I was very young at that time, but I do remember when we arrived there. The lake is very beautiful."
"Did you recall where we previously lived?"
"Of course, we were.. huh? This is strange.." Jiang Yanli frowned as she placed a finger under her chin, closing her eyes as she pondered for a while then she placed her hand down looking at Jiang Cheng "I can't recall anything from there, but I am certain it's in a city"
"Me too, I don't remember it, as a matter of fact it did not occur to me that we moved in the townhouse until now. like I know we moved but I did not think too much about it"
"Oh my.. I feel the same" She gasped "Why are you suddenly asking this?" She paused from taking the groceries out of the bag as she looked at Jiang Cheng.
Wei Wuxian placed the book into the counter "Jie, this is crazy but our family.. no your family might be actually connected in the other world" he said before glancing at the necklace that Jiang Yanli worn, the same insignia of the pendant that Meng Yao had given to Lan Xichen.
"There might be some confusion with that" She chuckled but it was obvious that she was worried but then she flipped the pages and saw a drawing of the pendant that Meng Yao had given to Lan Xichen in the book, and she reached out to her necklace clenching it tightly she suddenly felt as if she was zoning out and everything was quiet, her eyes slightly shaking as she recalled something.
"Do you like the necklace?"
A voice of a man said, gentle and deep but Yanli could not clearly see his face that was covered by a black hood.
"I like it! it's very beautiful!"
"I'm glad you like it, this necklace has a secret" he whispered taking the small hands of Yanli he guided it to the pendant "If you press this side a bit longer it will open."
Click.
The necklace, no it was a small locket.
"Wow! That's amazing! Thank you xxx-ge!"
Gasp.
Jiang Yanli took a step back and Wei Wuxian immediately reached out to steady her on her feet as she stumbled back.
"Are you alright Jie!?" Jiang Cheng asked reaching out to her, he walked towards them and saw Jiang Yanli's shaking hand reaching behind her neck as she unclasped the necklace.
The two men stared at each other as their older sister inspected the necklace, she pressed her finger on the back of the necklace and then..
Click.
The three of them widened their eyes as they huddled closer and peered at the locket, inside were words that was carved, and Jiang Yanli read them out loud.
"Attempt the impossible, Yunmeng Jiang"
"Holy shit! Oh my god!" Wei Wuxian then covered his mouth as he swore out loud looking at Jin Ling that was munching his chips "Sorry.. sorry"
That was the sect motto, isn't it?
"Did you know that it does that?" Jiang Cheng asked with wide eyes.
"No I didn't" She murmured
"Then how?"
"There was strange vision.. memory? I don't know but I saw something" She looked at the two before setting the book down and she started to talk. Yanli led them into the dining table so they could sit down first, Wei Wuxian picked up Jin Ling from the counter and placed him down the chair as they all sat down, Jiang Yanli started to tell them about that vision she saw, she wasn't even sure if that was a vision or a memory, but she tried her best to describe what she saw.
"There was a man who gave me the pendant, but I could not see his face. that's how I found out that this is a locket" She murmured still holding the locket as she observed the words that was carved inside it.
Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian listened to her as they looked at each other, both were in deep thought.
"Could it be a memory?" Wei Wuxian asked.
"Perhaps?" Jiang Cheng said and sighed; this is truly becoming more troublesome.
"Oh!"
Jiang Cheng turned to look at Wei Wuxian after he made that noise "What?"
"Do you think, you two.. your memories were altered?"
Jiang Cheng and Jiang Yanli looked at each other with a small frown, as much as they wanted to deny that because what the fuck is the truth anymore? However, they both know that it is indeed a possibility specially when they both realized that they could not remember anything from their very first home before moving at the villa by the lake.
"This is.." Jiang Yanli slowly stood up and went to take Jin Ling in her arms "I'm sorry but I can't deal with this right now I.." She trailed off and looked away from them.
"It's okay, I understand" Jiang Cheng replied, it definitely must have been too much for her, Jiang Cheng is already having hard time processing all of this and he was the one who was more involved in that world than her. That's why he understood if this is coming as a shock to her, this shouldn't even be her problem and yet she got dragged into it.. no they got all dragged into this. So they did not stop her as she went upstairs, however it is no time for Jiang Cheng to stay still.
He could always just let it go and turn his back, not talk about it anymore and just move on but Jiang Cheng is not that kind of person, once he got his eyes into something he won't stop until he uncovers the truth behind it. that's one of the aspects that made him dedicated to his work, it's even more important now that it had something to do with his family.
Now that he had learned another piece of information, he needs to inform Lan Xichen about it too "I need to return there, I'm leaving the book to you, it's safer here" Jiang Cheng murmured and stood up.
"But you just came back here."
"I know but.. how many hours had it been? Time flows there faster; besides I need to know the truth of our family. I tried calling Aunt Mei but she hasn't answered" Jiang Cheng frowned, he tried contacting his aunt from the Yu's but there was no luck. He could not also find any relatives from his father's side.
Sigh.
Wei Wuxian stood up and shrugged, it's not like he can do anything about it, especially now that Jiang Cheng had made up his mind so he just stood and followed him patting his shoulder.
"Just be careful, okay?"
"I'll pack, I got my gun back so.." Jiang Cheng smirked as he walked upstairs and started to change into his robes and packed a few things, yes gun definitely. he had no time to deal with swords and spiritual weapons when he can just shoot some fuckers. his gaze then shifted on the ring on his finger, and he frowned.
There was still the question about this ring too.
Fuck! everything is getting complicated, the only thing he could make sense of this is his father might actually be from the other world. He first theorized that he might have crossed over here and met his mother however what he heard from his sister is adding more confusion to him.
Could it be that they lived there?
"Shit this is really messed up" he sighed and walked upstairs before stopping outside Jiang Yanli's room and he knocked.
"Jie.. I'm leaving"
The door slowly opened, and Jiang Yanli smiled as he saw him and nodded "Be careful alright?"
"I will" he nodded.
"A-Cheng, I did not mention it earlier, but I just remember" She fidgeted, now that she was calmer, she was able to recall that vision quite clearly now. "In the vision that I saw, the person I am talking to.."
"The one who gave you the necklace?"
"Yes, I called that person .. older brother"
Blinking Jiang Cheng stared at her.
"I could not remember his name, but I called him respectfully, I can't see his face because it was covered with a hood, I just thought I'd tell you. It might help you."
An older brother?
"Thank you for telling me that, it certainly helps" He smiled and gave her a quick hug before heading upstairs and towards attic. Once he arrived there, he stood in front of the mirror then suddenly the door in the attic opened and Wei Wuxian climbed up in haste.
"A-Cheng! Trouble!" Wei Wuxian rushed towards him showing the book "Su She escaped! and Gusu seemed to be in chaos right now.
"What? Shit I need to go then" Jiang Cheng pressed his palm against the mirror and the ring on his finger sparked before he crossed worlds and Jiang Cheng stumbled forward but he immediately knew something was different.
He fell on a cold floor, which is the first one he noticed. He then raised his head and looked around.
This is not the Hanshi.
"What—"
Bang!
Jiang Cheng felt a hard object hit the back of his head and he fell on the cold hard floor as his consciousness slowly started to slip, what he could only saw is a blurry figure of a man with a ponytail crouching in front of him as he spoke.
"So.... this is act...ually the.. ...ndant ... of ... sa.. shou..?"
Fuck.
He's losing consciousness.
"He's out" The young man who was crouching checked Jiang Cheng and took away his bag before standing up "Tie him up" he waved his hand, and Su She sighed as he walked to where Jiang Cheng was kicking his side just for good measures and checking if Jiang Cheng truly passed out before he started to tie him up.
"Xue Yang put his things away and stop playing with it" Meng Yao said as he sighed and walked to where Jiang Cheng was.
The man with ponytail, Xue Yang paused with a small huff, he was currently looking through the bag that he picked up.
"Why not? I'm just curious what a wanderer would bring with him but damn I could not believe my eyes seeing that" The man named Xue Yang looked at the mirror in front of them, he dropped the bag on the table and walked towards the mirror as he inspected it once again. "We would have not known about the mirror if we didn't bust you out of prison" Xue Yang glanced at Su She who just finished tying Jiang Cheng.
"I mentioned it in my last letter!"
"It just sounds so ridiculous, a person going through a mirror" Xue Yang tapped the surface of the mirror, and nothing happened. "Besides whom would have thought we will see a wanderer?!"
"I already had a feeling he was one, reappearing and disappearing out of nowhere" Meng Yao sighed as he sat down and looked at the ruined statue in front of him.
They are currently at an old, abandoned temple where they hid the mirror after freeing Su She they had taken the mirror as well while Lan Xichen was away, Jiang Cheng had not returned with him from Lanling Jin but that did not stop Lan Xichen doing his responsibilities as the Sect Leader so they strike when he was away, besides the Wens had cauased some chaos in Gusu in order for them to take this and have Lan Xichen's attention focus on something else.
"No one had ever heard about any wanderers for centuries" Xue Yang said as he crossed his arms.
Wanderers.
Meng Yao had learned about these types of people who had the ability to open portals and cross worlds, they were stories about them that was passed by mouths. the people who had this ability hid from the society or blending with the rest of the population.
"They are just good with hiding, this one however" Meng Yao glanced at Jiang Cheng's unconscious body "He probably had no idea who he is or what he can do, he certainly did not belong in this world."
"Isn't that much better?"
A new voice joined them and the three immediately stood up to greet the new person who arrived, the man walked inside the temple heading towards Jiang Cheng, he used his foot to nudge at the unconscious body, this action made Jiang Cheng's face tilt up.
"Holy shit, he definitely looks like that guy, look at this Zhuili!" the man laughed as he glanced at Wen Zhuliu who was following this person.
Meng Yao frowned seeing this gesture as he approached the man who arrived. "Wen Chao, I already fulfilled my end of our deal."
"I can see that, well done!"
"My mother, where is she?"
"Safe" Wen Chao waved his hand.
"You told me that you will release her once I released the curse on Lan Xichen, forget about that, I even got you a much better solution in a faster way!" Meng Yao pointed at Jiang Cheng.
Wen Chao scoffed reaching out to tilt Meng Yao's chin up "Once we got what we want, you will be reunited with your dearest mother. you know that this is not the end game my dear"
"Don't touch me!" Meng Yao slapped his hand away and huffed before walking away from him.
Wen Chao chuckled and extended his hand towards Wen Zhuliu who placed a dagger on his open palm. "We don't need Lan Xichen anymore, so we don't have to worry about the little Lans. Why trouble ourselves unleashing his curse and extract that energy when we have a very fresh source here" he smirked looking down at Jiang Cheng.
"Your sacrifice will restore our glory once again"