"A Yao... " A heartbroken voice makes Meng Yao turn on the spot.

"Er ge!" Meng Yao exclaims and returns the misshapen object in his robs. "Er ge, I am alright. Look." Meng Yao informs, wiping the sweat off his brows.

XiChen looks past Meng Yao, "Where are the others?"

Quickly regaining his composure, Meng Yao slumps his shoulders and shakes his head. Tear ducts open as if on command and crocodile tears start rolling down his face, "Er ge, I tried my best, but couldn't save them. They were so loyal that they threw themselves in front of me and sacrificed themselves so that I could make it out alive."

After having sown what he thinks is a perfect web of lies, the chief cultivator looks up at his sworn brother expecting to find a sullen sympathetic look. Thus, he is shocked when he looks up only to find fury and rage on the usually calm and serene face.

"Er ge, what's the matter?" Meng Yao questions, but instead of answering, XiChen turns away from him, "A... Chief cultivator, did you get what you had come here for?" The older Jade of Lan enquires. His voice is cold and emotionless, just like someone else Meng Yao is acquainted with. Just like Lan Wangji.

For the first time after stepping out of the cave, the chief cultivator looks around. He is surprised to find that the screaming, wailing voices are no longer tainting the air. He takes stock of the men surrounding him, "What happened here?" He turns his gaze towards the mouth of the cave which has fallen silent as well. The slimy substance that had looked life-threatening just a few moments ago was nowhere to be seen. "When did it stop attacking?" Meng Yao asks, bewildered.

When no one answers, Meng Yao swiftly walks towards a few guards and a hand full of young cultivators that lay motionless on the floor, "Are they dead?" He asks the people standing nearest to them.

XiChen questions again, "Chief cultivator, do you have it now?"

Looking at the cold and formal way his most beloved person is speaking to him, shivers run down Meng Yao's spine, "Yes, I have it."

"What do you want us to do now?" A more than irritated looking Jiang Cheng asks.

'What a pity that he survived.' Meng Yao thinks remorsefully, "Now we go to burial mounds, and save the future clan leaders."

Everyone gasps. Jiang Cheng speaks again, "How can you be sure that they are there?"

Meng Yao smiles silky, "I sent Su She to search for their whereabouts, and he sent me a message that he has found some evidence that proves that the young disciples are there."

"When did you come to know?" The clan leader from earlier, Ming, asks.

Meng Yao shakes his head disapprovingly, "It doesn't matter. What matters is that now that we have it, " He pats his chest, "We are in a position to get rid of the Yiling patriarch."

"What will you do with it once the Yiling patriarch is dead?" Another clan leader questions. 

Meng Yao quirks his brow, and smiles menacingly, "That is none of your concern now, is it?"

"Chief cultivator, I have heard from a reliable source that Wei Wuxian is dead." An older clan leader speaks in a carefully measured tone.

Meng Yao narrows his eyes at the clan leader who had dared to doubt him, "So you think that I am lying?" The usual mask of fake concern starts slipping from his face, and his expression darkens, "I am the chief cultivator and the head of Jin clan. How dare you doubt me? How dare you question me?"

The old clan leader cowers under the weight of Meng Yao's words and step a few feet away.

"I am doing you all a favor... " Meng Yao starts when Jiang Cheng interrupts, "Clan leader, physician Tao told me that what happened to Zewu Jun was not done by Wei Wuxian. Then there is the point that Wei Wuxian, stupid as he is, was on the run. He was injured. How would he be able to kidnap the heirs of such influential families?"

Meng Yao's lips quiver with anger, "He obviously had help."

"A Yao! " XiChen exclaims, "Are you trying to say that Wangji helped Master Wei?"

Meng Yao immediately calms down, and a flicker of shame crosses his features. "Er ge, I never... "

"Wangji is the only one who has openly shown his support for Master Wei, A Yao."

Unable to come up with excuses, Meng Yao turns to look at the others, "Let's march to burial mounds." He announces, avoiding Lan XiChen's gaze.

"Master!" Meng Yao hears his name called just as he finishes speaking.
It's Su She. He looks battered and bruised.

"Mishan!" Meng Yao exclaims.

Murmurs once again break out around the chief cultivator and they see their leader's most loyal follower return in such a despicable condition.

Looking dazed and confused, Su She walks towards Meng Yao on shaky legs and collapses in Meng Yao's arms, "What happened?" The chief cultivator asks in a low tone.

Su She cups his Master's face, "Did you not get my message?"

Immediately, Meng Yao is reminded of how Su She had hurt Zewu Jun, and pushes him away, "Guards, arrest him, for indulging in demonic cultivation and hurting Zewu Jun." He orders.

Hurt crosses the loyal follower's face, "Chief cultivator, how could you!? I did it all for you!" He bites out. He looks at Meng Yao accusingly, "Even to this day I bear scars of the thousand marks curse for you! So that you could get recognition!" Su She blurts out, exposing his chest.

The crowd gasps collectively.

"Shut up. Just shut up." Meng Yao growls, as his mask slips off completely, and his dark heart is revealed. "I should never have taken you under my wing." The chief cultivator barks out as a handful of guards bind Su She.

Su She laughs, struggling against the guards who are trying to hold him back, "I guess what goes around comes around. I was disloyal to the Lan clan, and now when I was nothing but loyal to you, you accused me. I helped you frame the Yiling patriarch, I helped you control the Ghost General so that you could get rid of Zixuan and Zixun. I even helped you kill your sworn eldest brother, and this is how you repay me!"

"Gag him!" Meng Yao orders, and a moment later, Su She is bound and gagged.

But the damage is already done. 

"A Yao... " Zewu Jun whispers, but the silence that hangs around them makes his voice float over to Meng Yao clear as crystal.

Color drains from Meng Yao's face as the gravity of the situation dawns on him, 'Did Er ge hear what Su She said?... He won't believe him, right? Er ge trusts me. There is no way he will believe him.' Meng Yao wonders and turns to face Zewu Jun.

The face that stares back at him, breaks Meng Yao's heart. "Er ge... "

No one sees it coming, not even Zewu Jun but as soon as Meng Yao opens his mouth, Zewu Jun slaps him with all his might.

Meng Yao falls to his knees. A trickle of blood oozes out of the corner of his lips, and drips down to his robes, tainting them.

"Is it true!?" Zewu Jun questions, and Meng Yao doesn't need to ask what his most beloved person wants to know, "Er ge, it was not my fault. He was going to kill me. He had gone mad with hate. Just because I am the son of a whore... " The chief cultivator tries to explain. 

"He was not that kind of man." XiChen shakes his head, "I may have judged you wrong, but I knew him well. He was straight forward and strong-willed. He knew about your parentage when he recruited you. He praised you. He even entrusted you with his little brother... "

Meng Yao looks away. Shame and guilt color his features, but his mouth continues to spill lies, "He changed, he used to mistreat me... "

"Stop, A...What should I call you now? How can I trust you now?" Zewu Jun questions in a chocked voice, and tears stream down his face.

Something in Meng Yao breaks, "You can trust me. They all are lying. You only need to believe in me like you always have." Meng Yao suggests, trying to hold on to false hope.

Zewu Jun steps away from the one who had been his once most trusted friend and confidant, "I am disappointed in you."

"Zewu Jun, Su She lied. He hates you. He tried to kill you. I made sure that he couldn't anymore. You have to trust me. I would never harm you." Meng Yao blurts out, holding on to last shreds of hope.

"Lies... They tied to tell me that I was wrong to put my trust in you, but I didn't believe them. You betrayed me over and over again, yet I continued to trust you. But no more. You are dead to me."

"Don't say that. Please!" Meng Yao begs, holding on to Zewu Jun's leg, "You are the only one that believed in me. You are the only one who did not care where I came from. Zewu Jun, please... "

"Shut up! Just shut the fuck up! You were the one who ruined my sister's life." Jiang Cheng interrupts. Zidian sways and sparks in his hands, readying itself to strike the man responsible for taking away his sister from him, and leaving his nephew parentless.

Meng Yao looks between Zewu Jun's crestfallen face and Jiang Cheng's furious one before looking at the rest of the clan leaders and their soldiers who had put their faith in him.

Some are looking at him the way one looks at a hissing cobra ready to strike, and some have a look of pure disgust on their faces. The only ones with neutral expressions, are the goons he had bought with money.

Meng Yao stands up. He schools his features, and the mask that had slipped from his face moments ago is back on his face. "Yes, I did all those things. But alas, " The chief cultivator smiles sickeningly, "You can't do anything about it. I have your children." He pauses and takes out the Ying iron from his robes, "And I have this."

He looks at Zewu Jun, "Er ge, I need you," He pauses, and looks at the rest of the crowd, "And all of you, to seal your spiritual powers." 

{Note :- That's it for today. Hope you guys enjoyed it.

Kinda long info 😅🤷‍♀(Putting it here, since this is my most read book)

My eyes are not doing good lately and thus I have been asked to limit screen time. Since I can't be in front of the screen for prolonged periods, I am drafting the updates little by little. Thus, for the next couple of weeks or till my eyes get better, my updates will be slow.

I am noticing that I am getting unfollowed a lot and I don't know the reason for it. If you find me lacking in any way please point it out (gently).

On another note, I have published a book titled 'Nine' it is not of our fandom. It's a collection of short stories and poems (mature) on the nine circles of Dante's inferno (like sins).
Those who have already read, commented and liked it 🤗🤗🤗❤❤❤. Thank you.

I am planning to update 'Mine' next, but I don't know when that will be.
Just a heads up, it will be a little 😈😉
*cough*

As always please Vote to show your support for this update if you have enjoyed it.

Thank you for reading.
Have a nice day.}