Huntings & Targets

Wei Ying

"Lord Xichen, I know I had been forbidden to go out of the islands, but please let me go to this ruins. The fierce corpses need to be hunted down anyways and I need to get my hands on the notes I saw inside what was left of a temple." Wei said to the Lan leader.

"Those are real corpses, Young Master Wei and they are looking for you." Xichen said back calmly.

"The kids can handle that many corpses, Xichen. They are very good working together and the sooner we get to the bottom of this the better. Besides, with a black magic barrier in place, unless you are going to wait for Wuxian's father, Wei Lao, to undo the barrier for you, he is the best option to dispel it. Of course, we go too." Xichen looked at Lord Zheng with surprise.

"We? I thought you could not leave the islands as your soul is bonded to them." Lord Zheng smiled mischievously.

"I am, but so are the sword spirits to their blades and they went away quite far, did they not? The same principle should apply to us too, we are spirits as well, after all." Wei Ying laughed.

"Want some fun old man?" Wei asked and Lord Zheng smiled widely.

"It's been centuries since I went beyond the islands, you can't possible blame me, right? Can you make it happen?" Lord Zheng asked and Wei rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"Of course. Give me fifteen minutes and it will be done." Lord Zheng laughed again.

"Such an overconfident brat, I expect no less from you. Lao most be proud. Alright, you make it happen and I will owe you a great debt." Lord Zheng said seriously.

"I take your word on that. I will need some help to draw the array on the stone ground itself, as big as we can, then we can try it out." Wei said and soon, he was working on the array, along with the rest of the group helping him out.

Xichen sent a message to his Uncle, telling him he was going out for a while and that the juniors were with Lord Zheng and after the array was complete, Wei Ying asked Lord Zhen to infuse the ground with his spiritual energy, as the stone itself had become the talisman and as he had added absorption properties on it, that should be enough to let Lord Zheng out, as long as no one tempered with the array, which was basically impossible, because no one could get to the islands unless brought by the immortals spirits themselves and even each island had their own barrier.

After everything was ready, Lord Zheng gather more white energy and teleport all of them as far as he could from the islands and seconds later, he was out of his self-imposed confinement for the first time in centuries. It felt good to see something else, to feel the change in weather and the smell of the wild flowers.

"All be damn, kid. You really did it. Now, please lead the way." Suibian and the rest of the swords were out and the all begin running after them, carefully placing Wei Ying and Lan Zhan in the center of their formation, just in case they find rogues cultivators on their way.

With a powerful immortal spirit among them, they reached the barrier in no time and as soon as Wei try to touch the barrier to test it, Lan Zhan held his hand to prevent him for reaching it and extended his own hand to touch it, himself. Naturally, it was repel back. However, just like the rest of the spirits, Lord Zheng could go inside.

"Can you dispel this?" Jiang Cheng asked as he looked up to the many talismans and Wei jumped on the branches to have a good look at the array. As soon as he saw them he was tempted to laugh. The talismans were the vessel of the dark magic, but the real array was down, carefully crafted and cover by the persistent mist.

"Lan Zhan! Can you clear the mist for me?" Wei shouted from above and Wangji summon his zither and played a note that sent a wave of his own spiritual energy out, in a powerful chord that cleared the mist in a second for as far as Wei Ying could see from his position and it leaved a sense of cleansing.

"Damn, he is so powerful... Thank you!" Wei yelled, then focus back in the now visible array on the ground. Whoever did it was good, but not good enough to fool someone like him who played with talismans as a child and depend on them for survival.

He knew how to dispel it, but it will require a hint of dark energy because of the black magic involved. He already had dark energy inside of him, from Xuanyu's black core. So he didn't need to gather external one, but the others will notice his energy will not be white, but red. Even so, both Lord Xichen and Zheng knew about his dual core and the situation was calling for it.

"Get back! It will dispel this now!" Wei said and they did as they were told. He saw a hint of worry in his Lan Zhan's eyes, for which he smiled at him from above, but after, he closed his eyes and ask Xuanyu for a hint of his energy, then open his eyes, glowing red, yet retaining his consciousness and draw several characters in the air, creating an array that will cancel the dark barrier, then sent it to the ground.

As his spiritual spell embedded with the little dark energy he used, hit the ground array, several circles took form and a powerful energy was released as the two magic clashed, creating a very strong gale of wind that almost throw Wei off his tree, but it lasted just a few seconds before it die out as the barrier broke.

"Now, let's hunt down some fierce corpses." Wei said as he jumped down and as they did before, they went in and hunted the many corpses, making sure none escape as Fuxue and Shuanghua guided the group toward them. After a while, both sword spirits confirmed that there were no more fierce corpses in several miles and they walked toward the temple he had seen.

He first showed Lord Zheng the mark of the rogues and he said that back in that time, Rouhan used a red sun as his symbol, so his followers most likely keep it and added their own meaning, which could pretty much be the destruction of Gusu, which was still the home of Yang, or perhaps it meant something else that didn't matter at that time.

They went in, but found the place trashed, the walls were half destroyed, probably by the fierce corpses and the notes gone, with not a single trace of them in sight. Wei Ying cursed, but calm himself down, as he had memorize most of what was hidden there anyways. Then, they moved away, to the other barriers and repeated the process until Gusu was clean of corpses, although the other barriers didn't had that many ones, nor signs of activity beyond trapping copses.

Meng Yao

As they busy themselves with trying to find as much as they could from the rebel group, none notice than in a distance they were been watched. Meng Yao had already take measures for the Clan's to not find their real location of their Nightless City and he had destroyed all evidence that could point out his involvement and only leaved behind that he wanted for them to see. He knew they were going to find the ruins eventually, so he prepared a good gift for the smarter one, to trigger that he wanted done.

They will believe they had taken them unguarded, only half prepared for their big plans, when in reality there was more to it than they thought, as the scarifying formation was basically completed, as they had finally able to use inquiry on Rouhan's soul, even if it was for brief periods and got most of his instructions after centuries of trying. The only thing that was left was the sacrifice itself, a body suitable to hold the soul of Rouhan to his satisfaction and now he had a very good candidate.

Handsome, talented, strangely gifted in many arts, that seems to had a secret of his own, was just perfect and even his unwillingness to use the curse could be worked, as he looked quite in love with Xichen's brother. He wasn't that trill to use Lan Wangji as bait, because he genuinely liked Lan Xichen, but out of the thousands of arrogant cultivators he truly hated, he could not ruin their plans for a single soul.

The Clans will most likely unite and go to war and they will even welcome it, planning ahead for years for such an outcome in a mirror city, they had already prepare for its fall, while their real one was beyond their reach, as the spirits of the Lan Clan were to them. Then, the cultivators will focus back on restoring the balance and try to find Yin inside the Burial Mounds. It will be then, when their plans will really takeover and the world will be at their knees.

In a way, Xue Yang desire to play with a new toy, had make them a big favor in many ways, alerting the Clans, making them go to war and as they rise in victory, not an easy one of course, they will lower their guards and give them the juniors in silver plates, as well as Yin and the perfect match to bring back Lord Rouhan, sooner than they expect it. He smiled before he teleported away. Soon his vengeance will be fulfilled and the Cultivator world will crumble to their feet along with his father, who had already trample him and his beloved mother's name, more than enough.

Lan Zhan

As soon as they went back, to the islands, Wangji took Wei Ying away and teleported him to the Crystal Lake. He had already overused his energy taking down many barriers that required dark energy. He pretty much pull him toward the lake, although he was been gentle and before he could think deeper on his actions, he pushed his lover back to the cleansing water.

"Lan Zhan... you really like me wet, right?" Wei teased as he was back to the surface, which make him blush a good deal. Then he hear him laugh, making Wangji blush even harder.

"Nonsense, you need to clean yourself after using dark energy." Wei smiled the way it make his heart stop.

"Then join me here... it's warm... and I'm ready for your kiss." Wangji looked away.

"Ah, Lan Zhan, you are blushing so much... do you know? It turns me on..." He went even redder.

"So shameless..." But Wei Ying only laughed.

"Of course I'm shameless, but you don't mind right? Come here and give your boyfriend something hot and good." Wei said as he splashed water on him, also making him wet.

Resigned to his playful lover, Wangji took off his upper robes and dive in, then let Wei Ying pull him close to kiss him. The young man was proving to be his weakness and he unable to said no to his wishes, unless it meant harm for him.

He was obviously new to love and what it did to both your body and soul, as it mess up with your emotions in general, but it was something he would not change it for anything. He loved Wei Ying, there was not a single doubt in his heart and for him he will offer his own life, if it meant saving his. Thus, his shameless behavior was actually welcoming.

"Lan Zhan..." Wei moaned against his lips and Wangji part with him.

"I kiss you, now, meditate." He try it first.

"Not yet..." Wei said as he slowly ran both his hands down Lan Zhan's chest toward the border of his pants, which make Wangji's sensitive skin go overloaded with deep pleasure and he panic, getting away from Wei Ying with the most intense blush he had experience so far.

"Oh? I just got one sensitive spot out of you! Come here..." Wei said laughing, yet Wangji simply splashed water to him to keep him away, so his heart could recover a bit.

"What about that fantasy of yours? Come and face me Lan Zhan... let's be full lovers." But Wangji was already trying his best to repress his desire in order not to hurt him, so he keep splashing him away, until it became a harmless game of lovers, simply having fun.

At the end, Wei Ying did grab him again, but simply kiss him good, before letting him go, to rid himself from the use of the dark energy. He still needed to put in paper all he memorize and analyze it as a whole. There was something he had find odd and needed to give it more thought, before the Clans went all out on the rouges. There was obviously a mastermind working behind it all and the last thing he wanted was getting tricked in a battle of wits, he will hate to lose.

AN: Thanks for reading. The story really got its shape now and as Wei said it will be reduced to a battle of wits. Hope you like it. 😄 Either Wei lose to Meng Yao or Meng Yao lose to Wei. Not even I know the outcome yet, so place your bets! Just kidding, this will have a happy ending somehow. 😂 Until next time, please take care. 👍😁😙⚘💖💖