WangXian Forever 4

Chapter 12 Charged

Wei Ying had taken to hiding around the bushes surrounding the infirmary. The healers were on to him now and given his success rate with talking to their patient, they were against him meeting Shou Xing. They even had a guard outside.

It was a full week before Wei Ying managed to sneak past their vigilance. Shou Xing was sitting in the gardens situated just outside and behind the infirmary. Wei Ying jumped over the hedgerow, startling the immortal.

"You have some explaining to do." Wei Ying told him. "I trust you're feeling better now?"

Shou Xing stared at him warily. Gone was the friendly gentleman they had met when Wei Ying and Lan Zhan were married. In his place sat a man with a face full of fear and doubt.

"What do you want to know?" He looked slightly uncomfortable.

"Why did you say things about my daughter? What do you mean by it?" He sat down next to him.

"If I'm right, and trust me, I'm sure mostly but for this last piece of evidence."

"Meaning?"

"Will you do me the honour of trusting me? I need to ask you to check for me." Shou Xing looked at him with a mixture of hope and anxiety.

"Check what?" Wei Ying had a feeling he wouldn't like what the old man was going to ask.

"See if she has a birthmark. It will be on her left shoulder, shaped like a seashell."

"Alright. But you haven't explained yet who attacked you." Wei Ying saw out of the corner of his eye, two healers making their way towards him.

"It's all connected. Find out about the birthmark, and I will tell you everything."

Wei Ying stood up to leave. "You better keep your promise, old man."

The healers were really close now so Wei Ying vaulted over the hedgerows as he had come, evading capture.

He waited by the classrooms, wanting to catch a glimpse of his little girl. When the doors opened, she came running out as soon as she saw him.

"Father!"

He gathered her up and whirled her around until she was laughing too much.

"Did you think of something? Are we going to go and practise?" She asked him breathlessly.

He kissed her cheek and put her down. She kept hold of his hand, swinging it between them as they walked.

"Um, actually...I have to ask you something." Wei Ying's smile faltered.

"What?" She asked enthusiastically, not noticing it.

"Let's go inside." Wei Ying opened the door to the Jingshi.

When they'd sat down, he took her little hands in his.

"I've been told to ask you something."

"Okay. Who asked you to?"

"Shou Xing, our guest in the infirmary."

Her smile dropped. "What does he want to know?"

"Do you have a birthmark?"

"How does he know about that?" She gasped.

"I don't know. May I see it?" Wei Ying asked, now slightly worried.

She pushed the edge of her robe down; on her left shoulder there was a clear picture of a seashell.

Unconsciously, Wei Ying's fingers brushed over it.

Immediately he felt a change. A vast sea opened up in front of him. The waves crashed upon a shore so far away, he could barely make it out. Sea met sky, both incredible shades of blue. He looked in all directions but there was only water, fluid and constant, always moving. The tangy smell of salt waters hit his nose, and he felt that if he reached out, he would be able to touch it.

Something was shaking him so he opened his eyes.

"Father!" Li XiWang was shouting at him, her voice full of panic and fear.

The door opened and Lan Zhan came in. He saw them and immediately went to Wei Ying, who was having a hard time dealing with what he'd seen. He blinked many times before his vision cleared.

Lan Zhan took his pulse, staring at him intently.

"I'm alright. Lan Zhan, please...please can you touch this?" Wei Ying turned to look at his daughter.

She shook her head at him. "What if the same thing happens to him too? You were gone for hours!"

"Hours?" Wei Ying felt dazed. He grabbed Lan Zhan's hand and pushed it towards her. "Please? I have to know."

Reluctantly, she revealed her shoulder.

Lan Zhan placed his finger on the seashell.

Nothing happened.

He did it again with the same result.

"I can't believe it." Wei Ying stared at both of them.

"What happened to you?" Li XiWang climbed into his lap. Her small body shook.

"I was...elsewhere. By the sea...or in it. Everywhere I looked, there was only water. It was amazing." He held her tightly against him. "I'm sorry for frightening you."

"I couldn't bear it if something happened to you again."

He could feel the hot tears roll down his neck. His usually infallible daughter, who could deal with anything, was crying because of him. Lan Zhan, seeing her distress, put an arm around her shoulders too.

"Nothing will happen to me." He tried to reassure her.

"But I called you, I shouted at you, and you...you!" She burst into loud sobs.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, my little rabbit, I'm sorry." He held her until she calmed down. "I have another idea, and I want to try something."

"What?" She looked at him suspiciously.

"Let's call SiZhui, and then I'll explain."

"Why?" She asked, pestering him but he didn't give in, until SiZhui entered the Jingshi.

"Okay. Do you trust me?" He asked her.

"Yes." She replied immediately.

Lan Zhan patted her head proudly.

"I have an idea that I want to try, but to make you feel better, SiZhui is here. He can put this on us to remove...whatever that was." Wei Ying handed him a talisman.

"Us?" She shifted away from him.

"I want to show Lan Zhan what I saw. Please?" He pleaded with his eyes too, until she relented.

"Okay, but you better not stay there long." She warned, shrugging off her robe for the third time.

Wei Ying held onto Lan Zhan tightly with his left hand, and with his right, he touched the seashell again. This time, they were both transported to this other place.

"Do you see? Do you see, Lan Zhan?" Wei Ying excitedly shouted.

Lan Zhan had gasped upon seeing this amazing view. Black waves crashed deep within inky waters. There was only the line that divided the sea from the sky, an azure that contrasted with the dark waters of liquid.

They felt a change and opened their eyes to find both children staring at them. Wei Ying peeled off the talisman.

"How long were we gone for?"

"Three incense sticks burning." SiZhui informed them.

"What did you see?" Li XiWang asked Lan Zhan curiously.

"Sea. Water."

"Can you show me?" She asked hopefully.

"Yes, of course." Wei Ying handed another talisman to SiZhui.

This time, one hand held hers and his other touched the seashell.

Li XiWang screamed.