WangXian Forever 3

Chapter 50 Reunited

Hui Gai smiled at his friend.

"What's wrong? Why are you upset?"

"I'm that easy to read?" Wei Ying dropped the smile that he'd been trying to use. "Why are you back? Did you finish what you went to do?"

"Don't try to dodge. Tell me, why is your daughter so worried about you?" Hui Gai went to sit next to him on the bed.

"So yesterday, we had a visitor...who said...said she was my sister."

"I bet she's lying."

Wei Ying looked at him in surprise. "Why do you say that?"

"Pfff. It's obvious! Who wouldn't want to be the sister of the famous Yiling Patriarch?" Hui Gai patted his shoulder.

"It's just that I don't remember having a sister, yet she says she's two years younger than me. What if...what if I left her somewhere? Did I abandon her?" Wei Ying wiped his eyes with his fingers.

"What if she's lying?" Hui Gai licked his ruby red lips. "If it sounds too good to be true, it's probably not. You should trust your instincts."

"I want to. I really do, but there's that little piece inside me that keeps throwing out doubts. What if, what if, what if..." Wei Ying looked miserably at him.

"Do you want me to kill her?"

"WHAT? No! Don't you dare!!!"

Hui Gai smirked at the expression on his face. "Kidding!" He held up his hands.

Wei Ying wasn't sure he was. "I'm going to think about it later. But tell me why you're here."

"The old man was serious about the mission." Hui Gai stood up and started pacing. "He took me to a barn in the middle of nowhere. Inside, there were over a hundred children, passed out into comas. He wanted me to revive them."

"Did you?" Wei Ying stood up too, anxiously awaiting his response.

"Yes. He had a plan to take them to the nearby village, but the question is, where can we take them now?"

"Do you think they're connected to the orphanages?" Wei Ying sat down again. "If that's the case, then this problem is spiralling out of control."

"Yes, I think they're connected. While we were waiting for the old man to come back, we were attacked."

"What happened?"

"You don't want to know. Anyway, I was hoping we could take the children to your grandmother?" Hui Gai was smiling mischievously. But Wei Ying surprised him.

He came and hugged the demon. "I'm glad you're safe."

"Thank you, Master Wei. But I do have a favour to ask of you." Hui Gai patted his back.

"What is it?"

"Would you be able to send a message to your grandmother, telling her we are coming?"

"Absolutely." Wei Ying beamed at him.

"And could you write me a letter too? I don't think your grandmother likes me." The demon looked sheepishly at him.

"Of course." Wei Ying whipped out a brush and parchment, and wrote some characters. "This should be fine." He handed it to him.

The demon read it through. "'Don't kill him'?"

"Er...just to be safe." Wei Ying blushed. "Anyway, where are you going now?"

"The old man is waiting for me at the inn. We will leave immediately upon my return." Hui Gai grinned. "I think it will take a few days for us to reach there, but I'll be back as soon as I can."

"I'll talk to Lan Zhan. I think I want to be there, too." Wei Ying thought carefully. "I have an idea, that could be the breakthrough we need."

Hui Gai glanced at the door, gave him a wicked smile and vanished.

Seconds later, the door opened and a very excited Li Xiwang entered, carrying their breakfasts. Lan Zhan was right behind her.

"Father Wei! Pancakes!" She squealed.

Wei Ying opened his arms.

*****

Hui Gai found the old man trying to persuade a lot children that coming with them was their best option. The older ones were raising objections.

"We're free now, why do we have to come with you?"

"How can we trust you?"

"What if you take us away and do something bad?"

Their fears were affecting the younger ones, who started crying.

"Leave you alone for five minutes, and I come back to this?" He shook his head at the panicking soothsayer.

"Listen up!" He shouted, all of a sudden completely serious. "We mean to keep you safe. We're not forcing you to come with us, but right now, that's the best thing for you. We are taking you to someone who may be able to fix your cores."

At that, the whispers became excited.

"Really? How do we know you're not lying?" One kid was braver than the rest.

"You don't. The point is, you can leave at any time. But if you can heal, why not do your best?" Hui Gai showed them his teeth. "There's also the question of whether or not the people who took you, want you back. What will happen if you fall into their hands?"

Another kind of fear crossed their features.

"So I believe we," he pointed at the old man and then himself, "are the lesser of two evils."

The little boy, who he recognised as the angry one, came forward. "I trust you. If you're saying we will be safe, I believe you."

There were murmurs of agreement, the children looking between themselves for reassurance.

"Then come on, what are we waiting for?" Hui Gai led the way.