Time slows down for Lan XiChen as he sees the saber fly through the air aiming for Wei Ying, "Master Wei!" The older Jade exclaims, and shields the younger man with his body.

This draws Jiang Cheng's attention, and he throws Sando at the saber, which intercepts it midair, and the two spiritual weapons fall to the floor. 

The clang of the metals makes Wei Ying and Lan Zhan turn simultaneously, but just then, a knife flies through the air at Zewu Jun. 

Jiang Cheng's eyes widen, and without hesitation, he moves in front of the older Jade.

A split second later, the knife makes contact with Jiang Cheng's chest, and Wei Ying yells, "Jiang Chengggg!".

Jiang Cheng hits the ground.

"Jiang Wanyin!" Zewu Jun exclaims, pulling the man who had just saved his life twice in a matter of seconds, into his lap. Next to the two, lies Su She's dismembered hand, twitching, before it goes still.

The silence is deafening.

Lan Zhan crouches next to the now unconscious clan leader and checks his pulse.

"Alive but unconscious." The light bearer declares.

The undead corpses fall back, and the stale air dissipates. Fresh scents of greens fill the air.

But of course, all of this goes unnoticed, for all eyes are on Su She's dismembered arm and a very bewildered looking Jiang Cheng.

"Don't you ever scare me like that, ever again!" Wei Ying reprimands his hotheaded brother before pulling him into his arms. 'You dumb fuck' remains unsaid but understood.

"I am fine, Wei Wuxian." The young clan leader comforts his senior brother, returning the embrace.

In the meanwhile, Zewu Jun picks up the knife that had caused the momentary panic and examines it. "It's A Yao's." He mutters under his breath and looks in the direction the knife had come from. "Wangji, I think he fled." Zewu Jun observes with a far away, dejected look in his eyes. With his brows creased, he looks at Jiang Cheng, who is trying to free himself from Wei Ying's embrace, "Wanyin, I am sorry." He whispers, before walking towards the source of the saber's origin.

Lan Zhan catches up, "Brother, it's not safe. He possesses a part of Ying iron, and he is not afraid to use it." The light bearer reasons.

Lan XiChen directs a broken smile at his concerned brother, "Wangji, A Yao... Meng Yao has done unforgivable things, but I still believe that he can't... he won't hurt me."

"Brother... "

"Wangji, I need to do this." The older Jade interjects, "If I don't find him, I will return to..."

"I won't go to cloud reassess without you, brother." Lan Zhan states, and XiChen nods, "That's for the best. Go to Yunmeng. I will come find you there by tonight."

Lan Zhan doesn't question his brother, nor does he ask to accompany him. He had always known what Meng Yao meant to his brother, so he just nods and goes back to where the clan leaders are still a little spooked and looking around themselves apprehensively.

"Wei Ying, " Lan Zhan calls, his tone, cold.

Wei Ying looks at his husband and shifts away from Jiang Cheng before looking around, "Lan Zhan, where is Zewu Jun?"

"He went to look for Meng Yao." Lan Zhan informs. 

Jiang Cheng at once rises to his feet, 

"What!? When?" He asks, frantically looking around.

Lan Zhan shakes his head, "Clan leader, he wants to do this alone. He has asked us to return to Lotus cove. He will meet us there."

"Why...?" Jiang Cheng whispers, heartbroken, but it goes unheard. 

Wei Ying nods understandingly, "Zewu Jun needs this, Jiang Cheng. And I believe that Meng Yao will not hurt him."

Jiang Cheng takes a deep breath as if making peace with the situation, "Where are the kids?" He enquires, and Wei Ying smiles. He puts Chenqing to his lips, and a moment later Wen Ning appears in front of him.

The clan leaders gasp.

"It's the ghost general!"

"What is he doing here!?"

"Maybe to exact revenge!"

"Oh my God shut up!" Wei Ying whines, "Don't you guys still understand that we are the good guys here!? Wen Ning is the gentlest most pure person I have ever come across."

Lan Zhan growls.

"Except of course for the second Jade of Lan, who is the most perfect man I have ever had the good fortune of knowing." Wei Ying adds, smiling apologetically at his husband. Then he looks at Wen Ning, "Get them here." He instructs, and Wen Ning nods before scurrying away.

As everyone waits to be reunited with their respective heirs, once again whispers break out among the motley group of cultivators.

Wei Ying ignores them and looks at Jiang Cheng, "Jiang Cheng, you need to tell me about it." He gestures at Jiang Cheng's heart secretively. 

Jiang Cheng shakes his head and walks away, but not before Wei Ying can see slight blush coloring his brother's face.

"Jin Ling!" Jiang Cheng exclaims and embraces his nephew. "You had me worried sick. If I weren't already so drained, I would have broken your legs."

Jin Ling buries his face in his uncle's neck, and nods, "And I love you too, uncle."

The words spoken by Jin Ling worry the clan leader, who asks his senior brother accusingly, "Wei Wuxian! What did you do to him!?"

Wei Ying laughs, "Nothing. I guess he just missed you." He pauses and looks around the happy parents, and his eyes shine with unshed tears, but before they can spill, the Yiling patriarch feels someone tap his shoulder. He turns, "A Yuan!"

"Wei gege!" A Yuan whispers and hugs his father tight.

"Aigooo, A Yuan, your arm strength is commendable!" Wei Ying winces, faking pain.

"Lan Zhan, you might have to take a look at all the places I am hurt." Wei Ying winks at his husband and pulls away from SiZhui.

"Wei gege, Hanguang Jun, please excuse me. I need to go talk to uncle Ning." SiZhui informs, looking between his fathers.

Lan Zhan nods, and the young boy sprints away.

"Wei Ying, you need to be careful with your mouth. You can't just say whatever you want. Not even in front of SiZhui." Lan Zhan reprimands, pulling his husband away from the happy reunions happening around them.

"Lan Zhan, maybe my mouth needs to be punished. Maybe it needs to be bitten for misbehaving, hm?" Wei Ying teases, making the light bearer blush.

"Shameless!" Lan Zhan bites out and starts walking towards the carriages that had started to arrive at the clearing.

Wei Ying catches up, "Lan Zhan, wait." He pleads, holding Lan Zhan's wrist. He gazes at Jiang Cheng, "Jiang Cheng, I am not feeling well, we are borrowing one of your carriages." He yells, leaning heavily on Lan Zhan.

"What's wrong with you?" Jiang Cheng asks, narrowing his eyes at Lan Zhan, "Do you need to be looked at?"

"Yes, I know a doctor who knows exactly what I need. Lan Zhan will take me there." Wei Ying turns to his husband, "Isn't it, Lan Zhan. You know exactly what I want, don't you?" He asks, leaning some more.

"Mn." Lan Zhan nods and looks at the crowd, "Gentlemen, my partner is not feeling well. He needs my assistance." He announces confidently.

Silence falls over the group.

Everyone looks between Wei Ying and Lan Zhan questioningly, and the word 'Partner' is spoken in scandalous tones.

Wei Ying clears his throat, "Lan Zhan and I are spiritual partners." Wei Ying announces confidently, "A long time ago, I lost my core, and very recently Hanguang Jun helped me heal it. An unfortunate side effect was that our cores bonded."

"Wei Ying!" Lan Zhan interrupts, but Wei Ying squeezes his arm. "Don't soil your reputation for me, please." Wei Ying begs, whispering in Lan Zhan's ears.

"Wei Ying, it's not unfortunate that our cores bonded." Lan Zhan argues, and Wei Ying looks at the crowd, "Please excuse me. I am drained. My spiritual power is weak. I need to recuperate and I need Hanguang Jun's help to do that." Wei Ying pauses and looks around. He finds some faces looking at him doubtfully and he continues, "Meng Yao has fled. If he were to return, he would surely use demonic cultivation. If I have to once again defend you all, I need to recuperate. I need to heal."

This argument works better and all the cultivators nod.

"Please do what you need to do and return quickly." Some clan leaders say selfishly.

Wei Ying plasters a fake smile on his face, "Of course." He nods and looks at Lan Zhan who gives him an annoyed stare before looking at the crowd, "Brother has asked you all to return to Yunmeng. He will meet you there."

For the first time, the clan leaders realize that the older Jade is indeed missing. But before anyone can voice their thoughts, Jiang Cheng speaks, "Let's leave this awful place. We are all tired. I welcome you all to spend the night in Lotus cove." He says graciously and without hesitation starts walking towards his carriage. 

One by one, the others follow him. 

Wei Ying leaves a breath he didn't know he was holding. He looks around, and spots Wen Ning and SiZhui.

"Wen Ning, " He calls, gesturing the ghost general to approach him.

"You are no more forbidden from entering Lotus cove. Take A Yuan there with you. Protect anyone and everyone who needs to be protected, just in case, do you understand?"

Wen Ning nods and follows Jiang Cheng, while SiZhui catches up with Jin Ling.

One by one the clan leaders and their charges board the carriages and disappear from Wei Ying's view. 

When all of them have left, Wei Ying turns to Lan Zhan, "Hanguang Jun... " He starts but his husband looks away, "How are you feeling?"

"Mn?"

"Are you really hurt and feeling drained?" Lan Zhan enquires without looking at his husband.

"Yes. Why Hanguang Jun, do you want to do me here?" He asks cupping his husband's face only to find Lan Zhan grind his teeth.

"Lan Zhan, are you upset with me?" Wei Ying asks, pouting and tries to make the older man look at him. 

Without answering, Lan Zhan walks near the mouth of the cave, "I take it that you are fine."

"Yes, I am, Hanguang Jun." Wei Ying smirks and wiggles his brows.

"What about the restless spirits?" Lan Zhan enquires.

Reminded of what they had decided before Meng Yao had arrived, Wei Ying follows Lan Zhan, "They have served their purpose. I will play the soul releasing melody, and you play the inquiry. If we encounter spirits that are unwilling to leave, we will deal with them." 

Wei Ying pauses, "By the way Lan Zhan, you were right in manipulating the guards' minds. It was because of them that Meng Yao fell into our trap so easily."

"What do we do with Su She?" Lan Zhan asks checking the clan leader's pulse.

Wei Ying chants a spell and magical strings wrap themselves around the unconscious man. "This will hold him for now. Put the silencing spell on him, just as a precaution." The Yiling patriarch suggests.

Lan Zhan nods signaling that the spell is active, and Wei Ying smiles, "Good. Let's start then. You ready?"

"Mn." Lan Zhan grunts and sits next to the mouth of the cave with his zither, "Ready when you are." He informs dryly, without looking at his soulmate.

'I really upset him this time, hum!?' Wei Ying reasons and stands at the entrance of the cave. A second later, he starts playing Chenqing, and the air fills with toxic screams of resentful spirits.

Lucky for them though, after the initial resistance, the souls stop protesting, and cooperate with the Yiling patriarch. 

By the time the last of the lost souls have found peace, it's already dusk. Wei Ying stops playing and stands up with a satisfied smile on his face, "It's done." He declares triumphantly.

"Mn." Lan Zhan nods, a little less cold than before, and he too stands up. He puts his Zither away. "What now?"

Wei Ying smiles mischievously, "Hanguang Jun, I am hurting all over, won't you take care of me?"

{Note :- That's it for today's update.

If you spot any errors, please let me know.

The next book I will update will be 'Mine'.

On another note, if any of my lovely readers are Marvel or Supernatural fans, I have written a short one-shot crossover fan fiction titled 'An Unexpected Encounter'

Those who are wondering why I am writing these short stories these days, it's for multiple reasons. First, I am trying to improve my writing skills and broaden my horizons. Second I am trying to better the way I pace my stories (I am aware that my pace sucks... I really envy my Meimei KavyaAgnihotri when it comes writing fast paced stories.) Third, they motivate me to think out of the box.

I would really appreciate your feedback and thoughts on my tiny ventures, if you can spare a few moments.

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

Thank you for reading.
Have a nice day.}