WangXian Forever 3

Chapter 43 Operations

The cute tiny bundles of fluff hopped towards them with speed, twitching their little pink noses, already hungry for the carrots.

Wei Ying sat with SiZhui and JingYi, watching them put the orange sticks all over the ground. He picked up a white rabbit, holding its body close and cuddling it. It was nice to be home.

"Is father really alright now?" SiZhui asked, watching him with a smile.

"Yes, I think so. As alright as I can be." Wei Ying sighed. "I don't even know why it affected me so much. I've seen lots of people die, it happens all the time...but, well, nevermind." He smiled brightly. "I'm fine."

He lay on the grass and let the bunnies climb all over him, shifting slightly so the friction eased his back. Every time he thought it was getting better, the itchiness would come back with a vengeance.

"We don't like it when you leave." JingYi muttered. "It's not the same here, in Cloud Recesses." He fed a carrot stick to an eager mouth.

"We missed you and father very much." SiZhui added.

"As I missed both of you. Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere for a while." Wei Ying sighed again.

"What's troubling you, father?"

"If it was only one thing..." Wei Ying yawned, wondering how much he should say. In this case, perhaps ignorance really was bliss...

A disciple came and announced the arrival of Nie Huaisang.

SiZhui shook Wei Ying awake and told him. He sat up, rubbing his eyes.

"Let's all meet in the library." He yawned and stretched, following the disciple back.

XiChen had the same idea; he and Jiang Cheng were escorting Nie Huaisang to the library when he met them.

"Lan Zhan?" He asked XiChen.

"Already there."

Wei Ying beamed at him and bounced inside, feeling excited at seeing his husband. Would he ever tire of this, this bubbling happiness that seemed to erupt out of nowhere?

Warm golden eyes welcomed him when he sat next to Lan Zhan.

"Hi." He said, suddenly shy.

Lan Zhan took his hand. "Mn."

"So," Nie Huaisang cleared his throat rather loudly. "I have some information, although I have a feeling you might have more."

"We're listening." Jiang Cheng said, giving him a look.

"After that whole fiasco with your child," Nie Huaisang ignored the glare emanating from an angry Jade, "my spies have come back with reports of these people looking for a certain item. They strongly believe it is currently in the treasury in JinLinTai, hence the many break-ins."

Wei Ying raised his brows at the fact that he already knew about them. Nie Huaisang smirked, knowing exactly what he was thinking.

Wei Ying told them all what they had found out so far.

"Just to recap, this is what we know for sure." He pulled out the rings from his pouch. "This emblem really is a likeness of Suanni. It matches the form we saw in their temple room, in the orphanage in Yilling."

"What do we know about Suanni?" Jiang Cheng asked. He sounded worried.

"According to legend, Suanni is the eighth son of a Dragon Lord. Known for wisdom and intelligence but has a gentle personality. He is also the chosen mount of Buddha." Nie Huaisang helpfully supplied.

"The people who keep raiding the treasury want an item they refer to as the 'vessel' or 'beacon'. It's made from silver, but so far, that's all we know about it. And the fact that they need it so desperately that they're willing to die." Wei Ying tried not to think about that.

Lan Zhan was still holding his hand; he squeezed it to catch his attention. All Wei Ying had to do was look into those golden pools of light, and he felt better.

"Thank you." He whispered.

"Mn."

"And what about that piece of parchment?" XiChen remembered.

Wei Ying pulled out two pieces and laid them on the table.

"There are two, one is what we found on the fake doctor, and the second one was retrieved by Nie Huaisang's people."

Jiang Cheng took both, examining the second stained piece. "What do we know about these?"

"The first one, XiChen-Ge said looked like a tally sheet, which makes sense. The second one, Huaisang said could be a spell, but it's just speculation right now." Wei Ying put everything back into his pouch.

"When you visited the orphanages, what did you find out?" Huaisang started fanning himself again.

"That's the most interesting thing." Wei Ying began, excitedly. "We found a second child exhibiting the same problems with his golden core as Li Xiwang. It can't be a coincidence, so I think they're definitely tampering with the cores. Plus, is it only children or are there adults that we don't know about?"

"Do we know what they're doing with the cores?" Jiang Cheng bit out.

"Not exactly, but my grandmother said that they're somehow separating the spiritual cognition from the golden core. While it's temporary and fixable, one, it shouldn't be happening, and two, it's definitely painful. Children shouldn't have to go through that." Wei Ying looked at Lan Zhan's hand, so tightly grasping Bichen that his knuckles shone white.

"Oh, I almost forgot!" Wei Ying took out the plant specimen from his pouch, carefully preserved with a talisman. "We found this, and they have greenhouses where they're growing this plant."

"Isn't that... poisonous?" Nie Huaisang's hand speeded up.

"Yes, exactly. Healer Fei said this is the Castor oil plant. All parts are toxic but it's the seeds, they're covered with ricin. That's what they're using to kill themselves."

There was silence all around; everyone thinking about all this information.

"So now what do we do?" Jiang Cheng asked, finally.

"I'm not sure. I don't think we have enough evidence to take this to any sect Leader. Plus, what is the full story? There are so many gaps to fill, and all the while, kids are in danger." He looked down, disheartened.

"You mentioned the basement, was there anything there?" XiChen asked.

Wei Ying retrieved his sketch. "Only this. Does anyone know what it is?"

They passed the paper around, but no one knew.

"I'll find out." Nie Huaisang took it, confidently.

"Be careful. They are hell bent on secrecy, no matter what the cost."

Lan Zhan pulled him closer.

"What about the people who work at these orphanages?" Jiang Cheng said. "Are they in on it?"

"I think so." Wei Ying wrapped his hands around Lan Zhan's arm. "It's probably a good idea to assume as much for now. We were certainly fooled by Auntie Shin Zhou. She even recognized us but didn't let on."

"I don't think you two should go near any orphanages now. Not when you've been made." XiChen told them. "Our priority must be intelligence first, before we can act on fixing this."

"I agree." Wei Ying yawned.

Lan Zhan stood up to leave immediately.

"Well, I guess we're done." Jiang Cheng scowled at the over protective man and his brother.

Wei Ying shrugged and left with his husband. It was not worth arguing with him.